Shackled (The Lord Series) by Amy T

323. Mose - Hot cocoa

Somewhere in the middle of the night, Olivia slips out of bed. Ansel and Jasper sleep too profoundly to notice, but as a demon, I only need a few hours of rest. So, as the good mate that I am, I follow her. She goes to the living room, grabs a blanket from the sofa, and steps on the porch. She lets the front door open and only closes the screen one. After turning on the light and scanning the front garden, she sits on one of the rocking chairs and wraps the blanket around her.

I blend in with the shadows and watch her for several minutes. She never takes her eyes off the garden.

Is she worried about Rueben and Tyson?

I slowly open the screen door and say, "Olly." I deliberately keep my voice soft so as not to scare her.

She inhales sharply before her shoulders sag. "Mose. You scared me." She tilts her head to the side. "I thought you were sleeping." I shrug. Her teeth sink into her bottom lip. I imagine doing that to her. "Care to join me for a hot cocoa?" I nod. "You should try speaking more. You sound sexy."

Despite never wanting Olivia and the others to find out I stutter, I let it slip. I cringed inside while I waited for them to mock me, to look at me with disgust. It was the other way around. The vessels didn't care, but Olivia? She looked at me like I was a genius or something like that. Still, talking is not something I enjoy. It's draining.

"Sexy. You," I clip. Only if I sound like a half-ass crazed demon can I contain my stutter.

Olivia throws another glance at the garden and sighs loudly before she stands. "Let's go to the kitchen."

She drapes the blanket over the chair, leaves the light on, and we go inside. She keeps sighing.

Miss Teapot is sleeping in her basket next to the fridge but opens one eye when I turn on the light. After seeing that it's Olivia and me, she turns her back to us and goes back to sleep.

puts it on the counter before taking out a saucepan. I turn on the

milk into the

ask, "W-what's

and Rueben and Tyson are still not home. What if something happened to them?" Her

my arms.

pull out a chair, and sit with her in

hate me?" Before I can reply, she lets out a distressed sound. "It wouldn't be the first time." Her palm comes to rest on my shoulder. "Why do I have

all her mates, hurting them in any way also affects her. The internal pain she is feeling is not only hers but Tyson's and Rueben's as well. I can feel it, too. Some bonds can

you that Tyson and I had a son together?" The pain radiating from her is overwhelming. "I don't know why I'm telling you this. I never speak of Spencer. Maybe

can handle." A crease forms between her brows. "I never thought I was a hellstar. Imagine my shock when I found out. And to have as my mates the very men who tormented me. Loki got bored and decided to make fun of me." I have a feeling my twin is behind everything bad that happened to Olivia. He has a habit of sticking his tail into everyone's business. Her teeth sink into her bottom lip once more. The temptation to bite her lips until they are puffy and tender is enough to get me hard.

"Baby? Me?"

I can't have more babies.

yearning in her

I hid how strong I really was from everyone, even God. I got to keep a little more divine power than the rest

her lips to

not something I enjoy-far from it. Still, I get up. "Stay," I tell Olivia as I put her on

the frying pan. But hot

as many failed attempts, Olivia finally takes pity on me and comes to

why you keep messing up. You put too much cocoa." I try to be patient, but cooking is boring as fuck. "Now we add the chocolate chips." She keeps whisking the hot cocoa until it is done and puts it in two mugs. "And," she grabs the whipped cream and sprays some in each mug before sprinkling chocolate chips on top, "all

infuse one with some of my