A Demons Mate

Overprotective

Serena looked down at the drawing that she was currently occupied with. Throughout the day, Sebastian had turned up at her door twice, with the promised meals, but was turned away by the silence he had ordered earlier. She wouldn't open the door to him for the world. As time passed, fear turned into anger and now she waited with a screaming argument ready in her head.

Mei-Rin had left long ago but Serena wasn't going to bed yet. He was coming. She knew it.

There was no knock this time. She looked over as a little screech came from the door and saw the key turning by itself. Sebastian stepped in carrying a covered tray and shut the door behind him. Serena quickly put the sketch away before he set the tray down in front of her. Next to the plate, she noticed a bouquet of hibiscus and other flowers she couldn't name from the greenhouse that had been tastefully arranged in a small vase and figured this was going to be an apology. The girl went back to staring straight ahead.

"I don't want it."

"You have done nothing since you arrived but ignore me, tease me, or insult me. The scene in the salon was a consequence of your own actions." He pushed her back into her chair when she stood, ready to scream at him. "You forget that the being you are bonded to is not human and I will not react like a human. You would do well to remember that from now on. There are consequences for your childish behavior that you cannot even begin to imagine at this point. You are lucky that I have a contract with the Earl of Phantomhive or I would have ripped him to pieces the minute that you smiled at him."

She opened her mouth but he cut her off again.

"Now, you will eat what I have prepared for you."

The demon unfolded her napkin and placed the starched fabric in her lap before uncovering the plate. Steam rose from the freshly cooked beef and vegetables. She knew that he had made it special before he came up. A memory of the angry being in the salon stopped her from melting at the gesture.

'Still, no one's ever gone out of their way to make me something.'

"Would you like me to cut it for you?"

Serena glared at him as the demon pulled the other chair over and sat down.

"You're sitting down? Doesn't that ruin your perfect butler image?"

"I thought that you liked eating with the servants?" She jerked back as if hit while he crossed his legs and leaned forward in the chair, steepling his fingers. Sebastian waited for her to cut a piece of the beef before he started talking. "Good, now that you have stopped acting like a child perhaps we can have a rational discussion."

The glare returned as Serena tightened her hand on her knife. "I don't think that I was acting like a child."

"Really, you don't think the silent treatment that you have subjected me to all day is reminiscent of childhood?" The demon shook his head and decided to continue. "When we spoke before, I may have given you the impression that being bound to a demon is like being married to a human. You acted on that and I apologize for that completely wrong comparison. Thinking about it now, I am willing to take responsibility for the scene in the salon this morning and admit that I had perhaps over-reacted. I frightened you. It is never my intention for my mate to feel uncomfortable with me and I will take steps to ensure that it doesn't happen again."

He sat and watched as she silently ate a decent portion of what was on the tray. Even with his apology, Serena refused to look at him. There was coldness in her movements, in her eyes that had not been there before and he figured that it would take some time to win back her trust.

When his mate pushed the plate away, the demon stood fluidly and pulled her chair back. She flinched back from his hand when Sebastian tried to help her stand. Walking to the bed that had already been turned down, the red head kept staring forward as she slid between the sheets and turned away from him.