Dedicating this chapter to @prof-jim-moriarty for always commenting and highkey having a bunch of really good public reading lists. I've admittedly read through all of them and ended up adding a handful of books to my list.

SILAS

Gray leans forward with a quiet sigh, resting his elbows on his knees as he idly watches another girl come on the stage. As he has with all the others, he tilts his head towards Alexander and watches his reaction, nose flaring as he tries to smell for any excitement or arousal.

We both know that he won't find any, and I'm honestly not sure why he keeps searching. Alexander may be the leader in this current endeavor, but his choice to purchase a female is solely for Gray's benefit and we all know it.

After Gray went into another one of his rare feeding frenzies, attacking both of us in our sleep every night for weeks, Alexander gave in and agreed to purchase one for him. He claims that it was to help with the frenzies, but I'm confident that he would have done it regardless.

Despite his callous attitude, I know that he has a soft spot for Gray.

My eyes narrow as Alexander shifts in his seat and pivots his body away from Gray's intense stare. It's clear that he is growing frustrated with the younger man's actions, neither of us having thought that Gray would take so long to pick one.

If I'm honest with myself, I expected him to try and buy the first female that came along. The Incubus might not admit it, but it's clear that he's always wanted one of his own and is slightly less intolerable to be around after enjoying one.

If it wasn't for his curse of being an Incubus, I'm sure that he would have gotten one long ago.

Turning back towards the girl, I watch as she carefully steps onto the short podium underneath the glaring lights. I hold back a physical wince as her fate filters through my mind. She will not live a happy life, and the group of Ogres who buy her will make sure of that.

Alexander turns around to look at me as I view her destined life, a slight frown on his face as he sees it through my mind.

Raising a brow, I return his stare until he exits my head. He knows better than to read the mind of a fate. Being the son of an original is not enough to help him if he gets lost in the fated world, and the last thing I need is his father coming for my neck.

Gray continues to stare at Alexander until he snaps, his hand striking out to grab Gray's chin and force his face forward. The smirk on Gray's face doesn't go unnoticed by me. He loves riling Alexander up, his confidence high since learning that his older counterpart has accidentally tied himself to him.

Loud cheers are heard through the thick walls of our private viewing room as the hoard of Ogres buys up the girl. I feel almost pity as I watch the tears bubble up and spill over onto her cheeks, her body visibly shaking as she is ushered out of the room.

"Fuck this." Alexander snaps as Gray goes back to his leering.

His abrupt standing draws my full attention, his intentions to leave clear as Gray grabs at his arm and tries to pull him back to his seat.

"Oh come on, is it really that bad that I want to pick out a female that we will all enjoy?" Gray pleads, his eyes darting between Alexander and me.

I have no intentions to use his female, but I remain silent and do not correct him. He doesn't listen to me anyway when I try, pretending as if he has not heard me or pointing out my arousal whenever the topic is brought up. What he fails to understand is that just because the thought of a female underneath me is enticing does not mean that I ever plan to act upon it.

I had my fill long before the female decline and am not interested in forcing one to be with me now.

"I agreed to purchase you one to be kind, and if you want to sit around and act like a child then I will not be wasting my time for a moment longer." He sneers before jerking his head in my direction. "Good luck getting Silas to buy you one."

Gray's jaw clenches and his back stiffens as he is compared to a child. It was a low blow for Alexander to take, knowing that the Incubus is sensitive about the age difference between us.

Gray is rapidly approaching his second century, which may seem old for others of his breed, but to us is pretty young. Alexander feels like a child to me as well, not that I would ever tell him that.

Being the son of an original has its perks, though, as he doesn't need age to grow his strength. He was born with it.

Uninterested in the arguing between them, I turn my attention back to the auction just as another woman comes stumbling on the stage. Her frightened expression matches all of the others that have been sold before her, but I know immediately that she will be the one we are taking.

My inability to see her fate and the pain I feel when I try is all the confirmation I need. Her future is to be intertwined with mine, and by extension Alexander and Gray.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry." Gray murmurs, trying to diffuse the situation.

When it's clear that he has pushed Alexander too far and that the other man is not going to relent, Gray gestures to the girl on the podium claiming that she will do.

It doesn't go unnoticed by me that he hasn't even taken a look at her, but I doubt it even matters. He's an Incubus, he will find himself satisfied with anybody.

My eyes narrow as I take a moment to look her over, unhappy with her small and fearful posture. I miss the time when females stood with pride and confidence. Never do I see that anymore, and it's hard to enjoy the company of a being that is terrified of you.

I have to admit that I like her brown eyes and wild hair, both uncommon features among our kind. I was worried that Gray would pick a female with brighter looks, blonde hair, and light eyes, but I feel that it is better to find somebody who will not stand out so much with us.

We draw enough attention when we go out. The last thing I want is a fairy-looking creature besides us to pull even more.

Alexander's tense stance relaxes slightly at Gray's apology, his frown softening as he turns to evaluate the girl. His face gives away nothing as he looks her over, but Gray's sly smile is enough for me to know that he is smelling something positive.

Apparently I am not the only one pleased by her appearance.

She shuffles uncomfortably, shifting her weight from foot to foot as she stares out into the crowd. Her pupils expand as her eyes attempt to adjust to the dark room, but I can tell by the way she looks at nothing with purpose that she still cannot see.

Locking my hands together in front of my body, I tilt my head to the side as I try to determine what she is mixed with. I cannot find another breed within her, and the more I look, the further stumped I find myself.

The fact that I cannot read her fate unnerves me, informing me of more than I care to know. I anticipated Gray's female to have a bit of haziness to her future given the closeness of him and me, but the fact that I can not feel anything worries me.

I do not like the thought of her life being so intertwined with mine.

The seller moves to stand behind her after giving all of us a moment to look over her body. In respect I try to keep my thoughts and eyes away from anything below her collarbone, but in a brief moment of weakness my gaze drops down to her breasts before lowering even further to her sex.

Gray practically giggles as his attention snaps to me, his glee over the fact that both Alexander and I enjoy the sight of the female he has chosen annoying.

The sellar himself seems slightly excited as he calls out her name and age, his grin growing as he states her to be a complete Human.

That particular piece of information has me wincing, and any arousal I may have felt shriveling back up. Three Demons is a lot for even the stronger breeds, and a large part of me worries that she will be unable to handle us. Even though Alexander and I have no intentions to use Gray's Human, she will still be living in our home surrounded by our essence.

The power that seeps from us will tire and drain her, forcing her body to submit as a defense mechanism.

Not even to mention that Gray will be using her daily.

I wish to speak up and ask that we choose another female, specifically one who is mixed with a more robust breed, but with a dejected sigh I shut my mouth and remain silent.

I cannot change fate, and this is hers.

Being one of the last of my kind is tricky, and I know I must take my duty seriously if I am to avoid perishing as the others have. Alexander has managed to protect me from those who seek to end the fated lineage, but should I step out of line I doubt that even he would have the power to save me.

The originals hate me, fearful of what I know and how much power I have gained with age. I have been around for as long as they have, created on the very same day, and in the thousands of years that we have both existed, they have been unable to kill me. It infuriates them.

The fact that Wrath's son is the one who has protected me for the past eight hundred years is enough to have them seeking any opportunity to call for my head. I will not be giving them that opportunity.

The men in the crowd perk up as the seller states her virginal status and opportunistic odds for twins. She looks shocked as he says this, making me curious as to how much of her health has been disclosed to her.

Only Humans have the ability to produce two children in the womb, and the fact that she has good odds will make her expensive.

I wonder for a moment if Gray plans to fill her with his children. It is uncommon for Incubi to allow themselves to reproduce outside of their kind, but he doesn't strictly follow their traditions.

Immediately bids are put into the small tablets that the auction house gave us to use. Gray hardly even looks at the amount of Alexander's money he is offering up as he snatches the remote from Alexander's hand and jabs his finger against the screen.

Alexander doesn't seem to care either as he grabs his phone and pulls up some work. He could probably buy the entire lot without making a dent in his pocket.

As much as I wish to be annoyed with Gray for wanting this, I find myself glad that at least she will not be bought by a hoard. Given the odds that the females have nowadays, this woman is quite lucky to be bought by us. She will only be expected to serve one man, and the Incubi's possessive nature will keep her from being shared with any others.

Not that anybody would dare ask to take from Alexander. Well, anybody other than Gray.

His inability to fit in with his own kind is what led him to us in the first place, his desperation to find stability odd for an Incubus.

They typically live without a care, entering and leaving one another's life as if it's second nature. They practically tore him apart when he came home with a female back before the birth deficit, laughing and mocking as he claimed her as his own.

It was considered a slap in the face to deny his brothers and sisters the opportunity to have her, to not share his find.

Gray doesn't speak much about what happened that day, but he left the hoard without her and has never been back since. He was practically starved to death when Alexander and I came across him, and in his hungered state ripped into Alexander's mind and fed off him.

Both he and Alexander were shocked by it when all was said and done. Nobody has ever been able to dig into Alexander's head before, even the ones who have spent centuries training to do exactly that.

I cannot say that it wasn't humorous watching Alexander go from helping a weakened Gray to his feat to suddenly falling to his knees in bliss, his head thrown back as the Incubus forced him to cum on command.

Afterward, it took everything in me to stop Alexander from killing him, stopping him just as his fingers wrapped around Gray's trachea with the assurance that it was a fated action. He was furious with me for years for allowing him to tether himself to Gray without warning, feeling that my actions were a betrayal to him.

Sometimes I worry that it was, but as I watch Gray slam his finger against the tablet like a small child begging for candy, I do not regret it. Despite my frequent annoyance towards him, he has become part of our family.

Alexander needed to tie himself to Gray in order to protect him. That's all the fates allowed me to see, but it's all I needed.

"You are aware that if you purchase this female that she will be your responsibility? It will be on you to ensure that she is fed and hydrated and properly cared for." Alexander speaks up as Gray continues to bid for her. "I do not want some fearful, meek being scurrying around our home for the next sixty years."

Gray nods, scoffing loudly at Alexander's words.

"Of course. I know how to care for a woman." He retorts.

"You know how to fuck a woman. That does not mean you know how to care for one."

Gray pulls his gaze from the tablet for a quick moment to meet Alexander's cold stare. I watch as both refuse to back down for a moment before drawing their attention with a loud sigh.

"Alexander, Gray will be a good owner. The Human will be properly cared for." I speak up in an attempt to soothe the tension building in the room. "And Gray, you will hold up your end of the bargain and stop feeding on Alexander."

Both clench their jaws at my words, annoyed, before nodding and returning to their devices.

It takes another minute for the bidding on the Human to slow, and then another until the seller calls out Alexander to be the winner. A couple of men turn to look up at the transparent wall of our viewing room, anger visible on their faces as they realize who they just lost to.

The girl continues to look around in fear as she tries to make out what is happening in the room beyond the small platform she stands on. Her legs shake as the bidder steps forward and helps her down, and she flinches slightly as he grabs onto her elbow.

Alexander and I stand and exit the room as the female is escorted out. Gray will be handling her return to our realm, and in the meantime I have some work I must return to.

"Have you seen her fate?" Alexander speaks up as we move through the halls of the building.

My chest expands as I take a deep breath and shake my head, silently admitting to the ties that she will have with me.

Alexander hums quietly to himself at my response, his eyes briefly darting to the side to look at me. It doesn't take an expert to see that he is not surprised by this, probably having expected something similar.

It's annoying that both he and Gray seem to not believe me when I share that I am interested in a female. Instead, they act as if my declarations mean nothing.

"She is a full Human." I speak up after a moment of silence.

Alexander nods, lifting his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. We did not come out today for a breed so weak, and I know he shares the same reservations. Our presence will exhaust her, and Gray's use on top of that will drain her until she is a shell of a person.

We've seen it happen before with other Demons, and it seldom takes long for the Humans to succumb to the darkness of our breed.

"It's only a matter of time before Gray grows bored and sells her anyways," Alexander argues.

I shrug, unsure about that.

"You once said that about us, that he would grow tired and return to his hoard." I remind him gently. "That was, what, a hundred and sixty so years ago?"

Alexander sucks on his teeth as I remind him of this fact, his anger permeating through the air before he tenses his body and shifts into the Demon realm. I home to a halt as he disappears before my very eyes, frustrated with his rude actions before shifting myself.

Grey will return shortly with the girl, and after witnessing their interactions I will have a better idea of his true intentions. As much as he claims to and thinks he wants to give himself to only one female, he is an Incubus at the end of the day.

It's not in his nature to tie himself down in such a way, and I doubt that the Human will be enough to satisfy him.

____

First impressions of the men? Gray is my fav

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