To Love an Incubus

Chapter 34; Buddy Up

I jolt up and immediately hop over candles to run to the bathroom and spill the contents of my stomach into the toilet. Nausea continues to cloud my head as I sit down on the bathroom floor and lean against the wall. I wipe my mouth with my hand and reach over and flush the toilet.

Victoria and Dorrian both hover in the doorway. I glare at Victoria. "You didn't tell me it would make me sick. Along with the fact that they could grab me," I snap. I wasn't mad at Victoria but I was agitated with my situation. I didn't even know that much more about my dad and I wasn't sure when I could talk to him again.

"What happened down there?" Dorrian implored. I give him his own glare. Victoria interrupts.

"I thought you would be smart enough not to get that close. They're demons, Auric. Did you talk to Melik? Why did you have to come back early? Did something happen?" My head spins at all the questions. I feel the burn of bile rise in my throat and I focus on trying not to puke.

"Um, yeah. Sort of. We had a brief greeting before someone started coming. He told me to tell you not to worry about getting him out that it's a waste of time or something-" my own vomiting cuts me off.

"Traveling between detentions like that so quickly must have messed with you. I'll go make you something to calm your stomach, then we can talk," Victoria says, leaving Dorrian to awkwardly shuffle in the doorway.

"Auric, I'm really sorry about marking you. It was dumb and I should have waited," Dorrian confessed. I silently glare at him. I'm sure it was petty, but he marked me without my consent. He claimed me as his, and in the supernatural world, that doesn't go by unnoticed.

I think about what Melik had said about my mother and about Dorrian. I could be mature about this and consider that Melik was trying to get me to forgive Dorrian and work through it and listen, or I could hold a grudge for a bit longer and make Dorrian see what he did was completely fucked. I liked the latter, but I'm sure the former would be better for the both of us. It's too bad I always liked the things that would hurt me the most.

I hear the clanking of dishes from the kitchen and cringe. She better put those back where she found them. Dorrian glances at the kitchen and then me. He slowly stalks forward and sits in front of me cross-legged. I press myself further into the wall.

"I know you're mad, but at least try to see it from my position? My unmated mate was about to go to Hell where he could easily be killed or hurt or claimed by Lucifer. I panicked and I'm sorry," Dorrian says, rubbing his arm in a self-hugging position. I say nothing and silently mull over his words and try to come up with more reasons to prolong my anger towards him. Again, I knew it was petty, but I couldn't help it. I snap my head back to Dorrian when he slides across the floor to sit next me. He holds his hand out to me and I stare at it with raised eyebrows.

"I can feel your nausea. Physical contact will lessen your anxiety and help you feel better," he informs. I eye him before giving in and grabbing his hand. It wasn't immediate or a magic fix, but it helped after a moment.

"This changes nothing. I'm still pissed. How can you even feel that, anyway?" I ask.

"The mark. It connected us so I can feel your pain and emotions if they're strong enough." I frown at that.

"Isn't that kind of, I don't know, intrusive?" Dorrian shrugs at my question.

"It helps wolves protect their mates. If something were to happen, I could feel it and be able to find you and help. It's important in the wild or packs that have frequent rogue attacks," he says. Knowing that, I could see more of Dorrian's point of view and I hated how it made my anger fade into a mild irritation.

Victoria walks in with a mug and hands it to me. I wiggle my hand out of Dorrian's grip making him frown. He shuffles so his shoulder rests against mine. The buzz that was once radiating up my arm now travels through my shoulder and across my chest.

"It's peppermint and ginger tea," Victoria says, gesturing to the cup in my hand. "I usually have a few herbs with me when preforming casts just as a precaution. Different people react differently." I nod at her and take a sip of the concoction. The liquid burned my mouth, and the flavor was strong, but I didn't mind it. Corrin drank a lot of tea and sometimes I would have some with him, so I didn't mind it that much, but I preferred coffee.

After a few minutes, I tell Dorrian and Victoria about my time in Hell. During the conversation we gravitated back to the living room, and I noticed the dishes and blankets that had appeared since I've been gone.

"How long have you guys been staying here?" I ask.

"Two days. We had to stay to monitor you. It sounds like we should be cautious for the next few days. You almost got caught by guards and that other demon now knows you and your relation to Melik," Victoria sends me a pointed look and I shrug. "This isn't a matter to just dismiss, Auric. He could easily turn you into the guards and Lucifer could get ideas," Victoria scolds.

"He should stay with us," Dorrian suggested, making his aunt to nod and me to frown. I could drop everything to hide away at Dorrian's from something that may or may not happen. I voice my thoughts.

"Well, either I stay here with you, or you stay with me at mine," Dorrian says. I go to argue but Victoria hold up her hand.

"Dorrian's right. You can't be alone, you don't know how to protect yourself yet. You will train with the pack a few days a week and buddy up with Dorrian until we know it's safe," Victoria commands.

"I don't agree to this," I tell them both. Dorrian huffs.

"Listen, this is for your safety. Either we keep this between us or I can involve Holden and he can and will make it an order that you will have to listen to. You may not be a wolf, but you still are in our pack." I second guess my decision of joining the pack.

"Fine, but I'm not leaving. I have shit to do and a kid to watch over. Your rule, you deal with the repercussions," I snap. I don't wait for a reply and instead stalk off to my room and slam the door behind me. Then I flop onto my bed and refrain from screaming into my pillow.