Roja … the sister who had always been cruel to his Little Red … actually had to gall to wink at him.
“I don’t get it,” Ethan deadpanned. “Is that good? It can’t be good. It sounds bad. She needs a full state to make sure she can get a soul?” He raised his brow and looked down on her sister. “It’s okay that you’re the runt, Roja. We can’t all be winners like your sister Ruby.”
His mate’s cheeks turned pink, and Ethan hoped it was because she was pleased with his comment. It might have been petty to fuck with the succubus’s self-esteem, but it was fun to fuck with Roja the way she had messed with Ruby.
If she couldn’t handle a taste of her own medicine, then Ethan was pleased to teach herthatlesson.
After all, this woman wasn’t a woman at all. She was a succubus who had been messing with his pack for twelve months now. He deserved a bit of revenge.
“So,” Ruby asked, slowly melting back into her regular shape. Her long red hair was a bit disheveled, but she was as beautiful as ever. “Who was your mark?”
Roja arched a brow before ripping off the most convincing wig Ethan had ever seen. McNee gulped loudly and took a step back, seeing his lawyer was wearing a disguise threw him. Roja had an angular bob that framed her already sharp features. Her short hair was the same shade of red as Ruby’s, and that was pretty much where he thought the resemblance stopped.
“My mark?” Roja answered. “Nope. I don’t think I’m gonna tell you.”
“It wasn’t that guy,” she pointed toward McNee.
Roja shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. None of your business.”
The sisters stared each other down with such intensity that Ethan wouldn’t have been surprised if it started a forest fire.
“Leave Ethan out of this. Leave him alone.”
“Aw,” Roja faked a pout. “Does Ruby baby have a crush? Lame.”
“It’s Ethan, isn’t it? He’s the mark. He’s a paradigm of good, and you wanted to corrupt him.”
“I thought you said succubus only took souls that were already corrupted,” Ethan cut in, confused by this new development.
“Nah. That’s boring,” Roja replied. “My little sister here takes the easy jobs. I like to take good people. The best prey are the ones who torture themselves all the way to Hell with the guilt of what they’ve done. Corrupting is delicious, and Ruby is an idiot for not seeing that.”
Ethan shook his head. “Lady, you are messed up. I get that your mom was harsh, but this? You need some therapy. Hurting others is not a coping mechanism. Get a better hobby.And that includes taking people’s souls.”
He pointed a finger toward McNee. “And you! This was worth your soul? This land? This fight?” Ethan shook his head. “Do fucking better, man.” He turned toward Roja. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You are leaving and making sure Jazmin Lovelace reverses the curses. You are not to contact me, my pack, or your sister unless she explicitly demands it. You’re not getting my soul, Roja.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Your whole righteous act is boring. I’m out of here.” She stalked off into the trees without so much as a glance back.
“I would get new legal representation,” Ruby said with a chuckle to McNee. “Bye, sis! Enjoy your lonely shit existence!”
Roja flipped her the bird over her shoulder.
“Christmas might be awkward for your family this year.”
“Ethan,” Ruby giggled. “We’re demons. Hell creatures. We don’t celebrate Christmas.”
“Oh, right. Well, you know what I mean.” He pulled her into his arms, not even bothering to glance at McNee Tagnello and his enforcers as they scampered away. “I’m happy you were by my side there.”
“Of course. I’m happy I was here too. I learned something today.”
“Yeah?” he asked between soft, quick kisses. “And what was that?”
“I’m your true mate, apparently,” she said.
Ethan pulled away a bit. “Shit. I let that slip at the wrong moment, didn’t I?”
She nodded. “Kinda. But it was also a little bit amazing. Very us. It’s not like anything about our story so far has been all that typical.”
“That’s true.”