The Demon King of Lust

Chapter 29

"Are you human?"

I toss the words around in my mind for a minute; like they might make more sense if I let them settle.

"What?!?" I ask, the reality of the question finally hitting me. I back away, running my hands back through my hair. "What the heck does that even mean, Kieran? Of course I'm human. What other option is there?"

He raises a brow as if the answer is obvious.

Demon? Does he think I'm a demon? Or a—what was it—Siren?

I don't even know what else there is.

"You think I'm a demon?" I ask.

"No, I mean... If you say you're not, I believe you." His brow is pinched in an expression that's a mixture of concern and confusion.

"You honestly think I would be lying about that this whole time?"

"No, no, I'm not saying that." His brows soften and he reaches out and trails his fingers along my upper arm. "I just... maybe I just assumed and you didn't feel comfortable telling me. I dunno."

"I think I would know if I weren't human."

The second the words leave my mouth, I realize I'm not as confident in that statement as I thought.

I would know, right?

"I don't know, Red. I honestly don't know too much about this stuff, just that Zane's powers should work on humans and they didn't work on you."

I hear the door to the terrace swing open and my eyes dart to it. Ava steps through with a small friendly wave.

"Is everything... Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry, I'm... I'm fine." I say. I'm not sure if it's loud enough for her to hear, but it seems to be all I can muster.

"I've got her," Kieran says with a soft smile.

"Can I help?" she asks, her voice soft and laced with concern. She takes a step forward and I take an equal step away.

"No!" I shout, drawing annoyed looks from the outdoor diners. Kieran wraps his arms around me and pulls me into his chest. I tuck my head and murmur into his shirt. "No, no, I don't want her near me. Get her back inside—please!"

He strokes my hair with one hand and seems to signal her with the other. After a moment, I hear the door softly close and I huff out a relieved breath.

"What's happening, Sam?" Kieran asks, placing a kiss on my forehead. "Talk to me."

"I don't... I don't know." I'm asking myself the same question. "I think I'm having a panic attack or something."

I rest the back of my palm against my forehead, feeling for a fever. It feels like my insides are on fire, but my skin temperature feels normal.

"Okay, well, first thing—let's get out of here. Ava and Zane live in the penthouse upstairs. We can head up there."

I shake my head.

The full weight of my behavior hits me. I've just met Zane and I barely know Ava and I've just acted absolutely possessed at dinner. There's no way they're coming out of this experience with a good impression of me. I'm doomed to be 'that chick with too much cleavage who lost her mind at dinner.'

"I've already fucked this up royally. I don't want to take over their space. I just want to go home."

"You wouldn't be taking over their space."

I turn back toward the restaurant. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, I can see them still sitting at our table. Ava's eyes dart quickly away as she does her best to pretend she hasn't been watching my breakdown this whole time. Zane, on the other hand, has his stare locked on me and a protective arm wrapped around Ava's shoulders. His tense jaw and raised shoulders tell me he's on high alert, like a cautious wild animal that just spotted an unknown creature in the distance. He's sizing me up and trying to determine if I'm a predator. His gaze says it all: Are you friend or foe?