CHARLOTTE

Excitement courses through me as Gray pulls all of the balls out of the pockets and starts up a new game. As before, he sticks them all in the wooden triangle before removing it and setting the leftover white ball on the opposite end of the table.

My grip tightens on my stick as Gray takes the first hit, immediately sinking a solid ball. It flies into the pocket, and I realize immediately that I've potentially made a big mistake. Gray's going to be better at this than I initially thought.

Gray turns to me with a smirk as he walks around the table and sets up for another shot.

"Let's start with something easy. What's your favorite thing to eat?" He asks.

I hum, thinking it over as he misses his next ball. He hardly seems surprised as it bounces off the wall and rolls to the opposite side.

"Spaghetti." I eventually state, my mouth watering at the thought of it. "With meatballs."

Gray laughs as I walk around the table and search for the best shot. I'll be damned if this game ends up with him asking all the questions and me getting none. Despite the start, I already have a feeling that he's not going to be taking this one as easy as the last.

Lining myself up, I hit the white ball with my stick and cheer as it knocks one a stripe in. I turn to Gray with a smirk, proud of my achievement.

"How did you meet Silas and Alex?" I ask.

The corner of Gray's lip falls as I state my question, but he quickly hides the reaction behind a laugh. He should have known better than to think that I would go easy on him.

"If you get your next ball I'll give you the full story." He urges, gesturing to the table.

My eyes widen in interest in turn and look at the damage. Another one of my balls is resting directly in front of a pocket, and I grin as I note that I have a clear shot at it. Lucky me.

Bending over, I can practically feel Gray's eyes on my backside as I sink my ball.

I cockily spin back around to face him, my mouth going dry as Gray takes a slow step towards me. His hands softly grip my waist before he tightens them and hoists me up on the table.

Slotting his hips between my thighs, he grabs the hem of my dress and tugs it up so that I can spread my knees further for him. I scowl, but don't fight him on it.

"Gray and Silas don't even know the full story, so you should feel special." He murmurs, bending to press a quick kiss to my temple. "I'm sure you've noticed by now that I'm a bit odd for an Incubus, and my differences ostracized me from my den at a young age. The biggest issue has always been my possessiveness."

I find myself on the edge of my seat as he shares his story, intrigued by what he's telling me.

"Well, there was a woman I fell in love with many, many years ago. I brought her home one day, eager to introduce her to my family. I was young and didn't realize how deep their dislike for me had grown." Gray's voice lowers as he speaks, his fingers sliding up my arms and causing goosebumps to pebble up along my skin.

"They laughed as I claimed her as my own, arguing that Incubi always share. I never marked her, so she was still susceptible to their lust. They made me watch as she begged for them to take her, to pass her around the den." He pauses, clearing his throat before continuing. "I thought that it was the essense that made her act that way and waited for her to come down. I wasn't mad at her. I knew it wasn't her fault. She, uh, well, it turns out that she wanted it and didn't want to be just mine anymore. She wanted to stay in the den."

Gray lets out a dry laugh and shakes his head. Unsure what to do, I reach down and cup his hands.

"You don't have to tell me all this." I state, regretting asking such a personal question from him.

I thought that he was going to tell me some goofy story about him stumbling upon them and latching on. Never in a million years did I think that he would share something so painful.

Gray hums before leaning forward and pressing another kiss to my temple.

"It's okay. I tried to stick around cause I loved her and all that, but it was hard to watch her bounce around between them. After a couple of months, I tried to take her away, but she screamed and alerted the den. She told them that I was trying to steal her. They kicked me out, and I was too young to know how to feed properly so I just wandered around the forest until Silas and Alex stumbled upon me." Gray shares, his voice rising slightly.

His excitement seems to grow as he gets to this part of the story, his chest puffing out in pride as he stares down at me.

"I'm not sure how I did it, but I accidentally broke into Alex's mind and made him cum." Gray pauses and laughs, the noise hearty as it bubbles up out of his throat. "He dropped right to his knees and cried out like a canary. The release is what triggers the bond on his end, and that's what links us together. They took me home after that, and I've been with them ever since." He finishes up.

I blink slowly, my mind blank as I think of an appropriate response. How does one react to being told something like that? I'm sure that Gray doesn't want my pity, but laughing at his story as he did doesn't feel right either.

Instead, I lean forward and press a kiss to his cheek, hoping that it expresses the emotions I am unable to vocalize. I'm grateful that he shared this with me and feel closer to him now that I know.

If I didn't know any better, I would say that Gray's cheeks redden as he pulls me off the table and gestures for me to take my next turn.

Holding back a smile, I turn and take my next shot, pouting as I miss it. Wanting to lighten the mood after such a painful story, I turn my back to the room and sit down in the nearest chair.

Sucking in a deep breath, I tell myself that it's okay to trust him as I lift my feet to the seat of the chair and let my dress drop to the tops of my thighs. I pretend I don't notice that he has a complete view of my underwear as I rest my chin on my knees and watch him.

It takes him a moment to notice, his attention on the table, but the moment he looks up at me and his body stiffens, I know that he's seen. My lips split into a wide grin as I gesture for him to take his turn.

He makes no effort to hide his line of sight, his eyes locked directly in on my core as he halfheartedly aims and misses. He doesn't wait for the balls to stop moving before stalking towards me, his mouth dropping open as I drop my legs and stand from the chair.

A quiet groan tumbles out of his throat as I walk past and bump my shoulder against his.

"You cheated." He complains.

I shrug, my face warming at my brazen actions. I can't believe I just did that.

Trying not to appear as flustered as I feel, I rush to take my turn. A loud exhale of breath escapes me as I get in a ball.

"What's your favorite thing to eat?" I ask, copying Gray's initial question as my mind continues to come up blank.

I gulp as he steps forward into my space, a dangerous glint in his eye.

"It's not something I've had the pleasure of trying before." He murmurs, earning a gasp from me as he pins me up against the table and slides a hand up the front of my dress. "But I can only imagine that it's delicious."

I worry that the others in the room will be able to tell what's happening in our corner, but thankfully Gray's body blocks any view they may have. My jaw clenches shut, and I reach down to grab at Gray's hand as he traces the seam of my underwear.

Regret fills me as I drop my gaze to Gray's chest. I shouldn't have teased him like that earlier. He's going to take it as an invitation. My pulse picks up as I realize my mistake.

"Hey, hey, Charlie." Gray murmurs, his wandering fingers freezing as he uses his other hand to tilt my face up towards his. "We are just teasing. This doesn't mean that I hold any expectations for you when we go home."

I gulp, still wary. As much as I don't want to send him the wrong signal, I can't deny that our teasing brings warmth to my core. I like it. I like it, and I can't even blame his essence as the cause. He's keeping it tucked securely away.

Gray refuses to let me look away as his fingers move slightly, softly grazing over my clit. He leans in and presses his lips to my ear before hooking his finger into the hem of my underwear and pulling it to the side.

"I'm going to stick my finger in your cunt and take a couple of selfish seconds to enjoy the feel of you. Then I'm going to take it out and discover what my favorite flavor is." He whispers into the shell of my ear. "After, we will go back to our game and pretend that this didn't happen."

He pulls back and stares down at me in question, my eyes slipping shut as I give him a tentative nod.

I pant as he slides his hand upward and sinks his finger into me. He moves slowly, giving me time to adjust until it's buried entirely inside.

I'm sure that my face is a sight to see as I flail, my walls clenching around him. I can't lie and say that I'm not enjoying his actions, my body warming and desire blooming.

Gray bends forward and nips at my ear as he eases his finger in and out of me, the feeling foreign but good. Up until this point, my fingers have been the only thing ever inside of me, and Gray's are much thicker.

I clench around him and let out a quiet moan, finding enjoyment in what he's doing. I was under the impression that female pleasure only came from the clit, but as he curls his finger inside me, I realize just how wrong I was.

Before our actions can go any further, he is pulling out of me and stepping away. I'm frozen in place as I watch him bring his hand between our faces and slide his middle finger between his lips. His eyes flutter shut as he tastes me, a quiet moan rumbling from his chest and making me clench my thighs around his hips.

"Delicious." He chuckles.

Stepping away, he continues to laugh as he walks around me and looks over the table. I scan the room for any sign that we were spotted, but nobody pays us any attention. I'm surprised by the lack of care that everybody seems to have around a female being in the place, especially after all the rumors I've heard my entire life about the femaleless males loving to leer.

Gray waits patiently as I struggle to get my bearings and bring my attention back to the game. His smirk grows as I miss my next ball.

As promised, he makes no comments about what happened and doesn't try to touch me again for the remainder of the game. I'm visibly on edge at first, missing almost all of my balls, but over time I relax.

We end up playing until late into the night, our laughter growing with each shared snippet of information and lighthearted joke. By the end of the night, our shared intimate moment is long gone from my mind.

I'm hardly ready to stop when he pulls my body flush against mine and tells me it's time to go home. Shutting my eyes, I tell myself that maybe it's not so shameful finding enjoyment with him as I clutch onto his shoulders and bury my face in his chest.

Despite not being able to see the world swirl around me, I can still feel it in my stomach as we are shifted back home. Gray's arms tighten around me as the ground beneath my feet hardens, his breath coming out in loud pants as I stumble out of his arms.

Shaking away the dizziness, I look up at him with a worried frown. Sweat beads along his forehead, and it's clear that he is fighting off the urge to hunch over. Is he okay? I know he's hungry, but I didn't realize just how bad it was.

Gulping, I reach forward and grab onto his forearms.

"Are you okay?" I whisper.

Gray plasters a smile on his face.

"Of course I am." He assures me.

Before I can dig any deeper, he pulls me into a bone-crushing hug. As if to prove his point, his arms wrap tightly around my middle and he lifts me into his chest. I laugh, a slight flush warming my cheeks.

My worry remains even as he sets me back down.

"Did you have a good time tonight?" Gray asks.

I hold back a smile as I nod my head. Gray's expression matches my own, his face turning serious before he bends and presses his lips to mine. For once, I try not to let myself overthink it as I inch up on my toes and return the kiss.

They are warm and soft against mine, and I feel my arousal grow as he opens his mouth and slips his tongue between my lips. I grip his arms harder in response, receptive to his touch.

I almost want to pout when he pulls away, but I push that thought aside as I take in his nervous expression. What's wrong with him?

He grimaces before releasing me altogether.

"You should go to bed now. I'm going to be out of the house tonight, but Silas will be here if you need anything." He states.

I tilt my head to the side in question.

"Where are you going?" I probe.

Gray shifts uncomfortably before sighing and running a hand through his hair. He looks up at the ceiling before dropping his hand and meeting my gaze.

"I'm starving, Charlie." He deadpans. "And if I'm not going to feed off of you or Alex, then I need to go out and get nourishment elsewhere."

The intensity in which the feeling of jealousy hits me practically knocks me off my feet. He's going to spend the night with another female. Why would he do that when I'm here? I answer my question with the angered realization that it's because he's trying to be respectful of my wishes.

I could offer for him to feed off of me. He could enter my dreams as he did before. The thought makes me nervous, but the idea of him going out and touching another makes me feel worse.

"If you were to go in my dream again, what would that consist of?" I ask.

Gray's lip turns up at the corner, but he quickly forces it back down.

"I'm assuming you're not looking for me to dirty talk you right now?" He clarifies, laughing as I narrow my eyes and shake my head. "It would be just me, and I wouldn't touch you with anything more than my hands and mouth."

I nod, happy with that response but needing more.

"If you did, I wouldn't want you making me do or say all things that you did last time." I state, still embarrassed over how he spread me and made me tell Silas to cum on my clit.

Gray looks solemn as he nods his head.

"I'm sorry about that. I know better than to come on so strongly. It won't happen again." He's quick to apologize.

I pull my lip between my teeth as I look over his body once more, saddened by his current state. It wasn't nearly this bad on our date, and if I had to guess I'd say that the shifting takes a lot out of him.

He makes no movements as I scan him, his cheeks sucking in as he visibly tries to keep any hope or excitement out of his face. I hope I don't come to regret my decision as I cup his cheek and press a kiss to my chin.

"Then, well," I start, blushing. "I'd rather you feed off of me tonight than another."

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AHHH Charlie's getting a little saucy 🐙 (you know what the octopus means)

EDIT: I completely forgot what day it is & wasn't supposed to post this chapter until Wednesday, so enjoy the early update LOL

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