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.

to the fridge, takes out the milk, and puts it on the counter before taking out a saucepan.

pours some milk into the saucepan, she sighs several more

finally ask,

and Tyson are still not home. What if something

her into my arms. "T-they aa-re ff-fine," I try to

out a chair, and sit with her in

she lets out a distressed sound. "It wouldn't be the first time." Her palm comes

has no bad bone in her body. She is a gentle soul. Since she already had bonds with almost all her mates, hurting them in any way also affects her. The internal pain she is feeling

speaking. "Have I ever told 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 you are not interested." I start massaging her

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

"Baby? Me?"

"You know I can't have

but the yearning in her voice tells

a good thing I hid how strong I really was from everyone, even God. I got to

presses her lips to

from it. Still, I get up. "Stay," I tell

burned the frying pan. But hot cocoa is simple;

as many failed attempts, Olivia finally

must whisk in the cocoa powder while the milk is warming up." I try to add more cocoa, and Olivia puts her palms above the saucepan. "This is 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

infuse one with some of