"Alright, you can tell me the truth now, she's gone," Daniel told Asher half an hour later after they had dealt with Jenny's drama.

They were currently in the vampire's study for privacy sake

"What are you talking about?" Asher pretended to busy himself by arranging the books on his desk.

"You can't remember because there are centuries-old memories in your head?" Daniel scoffed, "Who are you deceiving? You are the sliest and brilliant vampire I've ever known"

"Should I take that as an insult or compliment?"

"Your choice - which I honestly don't care - but I know that I'm not leaving here without you telling me what I want to know," Daniel was firm with his words. If he hadn't been observant, he would have fooled like Lia. Asher would only do this if the truth was not a pleasant one.

Asher sighed, "Fine," then he went to his shelf and pulled out a book which caused the frame to slide to the side, revealing a secret room.

"Holy mother of God," Daniel was speechless, he pointed to the shelf, "I have been here times without a number and I never knew you had a secret compartment in here?!"

"You'd be surprised at the number of skeletons in my wardrobe which isn't surprising considering the number of years I've walked this earth," He mumbled while walking into the room, stopping in front of a portrait on the wall.

Daniel took a good look around the place, it was like some sort of collection room, just like a room where footballers keep their trophies.

There were so many unidentifiable artifacts, rare animal bones - was that the skeleton of a dinosaur? If it wasn't the fact that he and Asher had built some level of trust, he'd be fleeing with his heels touching his head by now.

Daniel then saw the picture that Asher had been so attracted to for a while now, he came over there.

"Enchanting, isn't she?" Asher murmured, turning to look at him.

"Yeah, she is," Daniel admired the woman in the picture, " She's quite an exotic beauty,"

She had copper brown hair cascading down to her belly covering her bare breast. She has this striking grey eyes and lips that even the strongest of men were tempted to feel.

The more Daniel stared into those eyes, the more he was tempted to trace that portrait and he drew closer and closer until his hand was reaching out.

But to his greatest surprise, her eyes suddenly turned pitch black, including the whites of her eyes. The sight jolted him, he took a step back.

"What the hell was that?" Daniel was heaving.

"I see you met the succubus and by the way, that's an illusionist photo created by a witch so don't pee in your pants yet," Asher laughed at him.

A low rumble in Daniel's throat was a warning to Asher not to push his luck.

"So how does that explain my question regarding our mates?" Daniel questioned through gritted teeth.

"Take a look at the photo again," Asher told him.

Daniel gave him a warning look, "I swear to God Asher, if this is some sort of prank, I'm going to -"

"Just look at the damn photo, Daniel. This time, focus on her thoracic region," He instructed the werewolf.

Daniel let Asher's voice guide him and somehow saw a faint outline of the same markings that were on Lia. Oh my God, does that mean….

"Lia's a succubus? Our mate is a demon?" Daniel couldn't believe it.

"Hybrid; half-demon, half-human, when you exclude the vampire, werewolf trait she possesses. So yes, she has demon blood in her," Asher answered calmly.

"But how's that possible? Jenny is clearly human" Daniel was confused.

"Either Jenny is a good pretender or her father had more secrets than he let out. One of her parents must be a demon and the other human for her to be a hybrid," he went on, "Those marks you saw on her back are demonic markings and only appears when a demon sleeps with their mate."

Daniel wiped his face with his palm, "I just don't understand, if Lia's a succubus, why are we still alive. She should have devoured our soul already, isn't that what they feed on; Sexual energy and lifeforce?" he was full of questions.

"Just because she's a demon doesn't mean she's a succubus, they're different types of demons, and just like you werewolves, they also practice the law of hierarchy- higher and lower demons - and you should know that demons are polygamous in nature -"

"Which explains me and you, the double mate thingy," Daniel interjected.

"And also why Lia can't die through normal means because Demons can only be killed on holy ground or relics," Asher finally figured out.

"The signs have been here all this time, we were just missing the main highlight," Daniel sighed in disbelief.

"The council is not going to like this. They already have a hard time condoning the dark witch because they have affiliations with demons, talk more a demonic vampire-werewolf made hybrid - this alone is quite hard to believe," said Asher.

"But Lia hasn't done anything to raise a cause for an alarm" Daniel was vexed, "Why won't they just leave her alone?"

"Because they're scared of what she can do, Daniel. Which is why the Burning Eaglet is after her and I have a feeling that whatever they want from her, involves tapping into her dark side," Asher surmised.

"I'm going to protect her," Daniel swore.

"We are going to protect her," Asher corrected the impression, "She's mine as much as she's yours."

Daniel growled.

Asher snarled.

They stared at each other hard until they gave in, "Fine, we'd protect her together,"

"Don't get cocky just because you got to mate with her, Daniel. Soon I'll have her too," there was a glint of promise in Asher's eyes.

"Yeah, if she doesn't reject you by then," Daniel purposely irked him. He continued, "I just hope Sabrina would be around on that day to bound me to you so you could know how it feels to have your woman pleasured by another person as you watch helplessly," Daniel spat. He obviously had not forgotten that violation.

"But then," Asher took a step closer, "I'm not just anybody; I'm your love rival who's been with you through thick and thin. Moreover…" The vampire was now so close to Daniel that their bodies were touching. Heat seeped into Daniel, he gulped.

"If you want to avenge on me that badly, you could join us on that day," Asher lowered his face so he was whispering into his ears, seductively,

"You could watch or join - it's up to you. But the three of us together, we would create an explosion. Also…"

Asher's hand went around the stunned Daniel's waist, blowing hot air into his ear saying, "I would really want to know if you're as tough as you look on the bed. As I peel off your clothes one after the other, touch you…" his hand trailed down the werewolf's exposed arm, " Till you're screaming my -"

"You're crazy!" Daniel screamed, released himself from Asher's grasp, and ran out of the room like the devil was chasing him. No, Asher was the devil now and he was running from him. But then, why did he get a boner from that?

After Daniel "fled" from him, Asher didn't move a muscle, he just stood in that same spot like a statue. Suddenly, as if a dam was broken, he burst into a peal of hysterical laughter, that was so fun. It was quite entertaining teasing that kid.

"He does have smooth skin," he mumbled, staring at his hand he had rubbed on Daniels' arm.

Asher was not going to lie, he had been with a man before- it was common for unmated vampires. When you've lived as long as him, you find out that even sex with the opposite sex becomes predictable, boring. And then, you begin to explore your choice.

However, Asher knew not to cross that line. But it wouldn't hurt to tease Daniel more. His reaction was adorable - quite a pity he couldn't get it on camera.

If only Asher and Daniel knew fate had more craziness in store for them the next day.

*************************

Lia's scream which literally could raise the dead from the grave woke everyone from the Darlington family.

"What now?" Trevor groaned, turning to the other side of the bed.

"Did Lia just scream?" the awoken Ben asked, unsure. He and Trevour had shared a bed last night.

"Yeah, she probably had a nightmare," Was Trevor's muffled reply. His face was pressed into the pillow.

"No, I don't think so. Lia's doesn't scream from nightmares, she's nightmare herself," Ben was on his feet, "We have to check on her,"

"No, you do it yourself, I'm having my beauty sleep,"

The next thing Trevour knew, he was rolled to the ground.

"Fine, let's go" he agreed.

They were the first to arrive in her room and the first to get shocked.

"What in the …!"

"Jenny's gonna kill someone!"

"What's going on here, I heard a horrid scream," a voice sounded from behind.

Speak of the devil.

"Why was Lia screaming… Ben out of my way," Jenny was perplexed at his odd behavior. Not that he hasn't always been odd.

"Mrs. Jenny, trust me, you don't want to see this. Just go back to your room and forget you ever had a daughter called Lia"

Jenny's brow raised, what was this fool sputtering this time

" Get out of my way, Ben,"

"No, Mrs. Jenny. If you want to get inside here, you have to go through me," Ben declared.

The woman became serious, "Really? Very well then,"

Jenny simply kicked Ben on his leg and shoved him out of her way, stepping into the room. But the woman stopped short when she saw her daughter, Lia, sitting on the edge of her bed, staring at her ballooned stomach and hyperventilating.

Her world darkened.