Date with Destiny-Demon Style Ch. 06

Alright! Two weeks later and many nights of staying up past two in the morning... Chapter six is here! I tallied the votes and wrote this chapter accordingly. Thanks to all of you who voted! And to all of you who didn't vote but read the story anyway.

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She hesitated, her thoughts churning. "I-I'm not sure who I want."

Lucifer looked at her incredulously, shocked that she couldn't just pick one of the men quickly. "Why not? You have three princes who are fighting for your heart. You need only to pick one now and then choose from the other two later."

She dropped her head, a grimace on her face. "Yeah, but...I mean, I don't want anyone to feel bad."

Lucifer let out a long, agonized groan. She looked up to see the demon king cradling his face in his hands. Confusion, then understanding, swept through her mind. Of course Lucifer wouldn't understand why pleasing people and avoiding hurt feelings were so important to her. He'd never had to live in the world of humans or grow up being the main target for rival teenage girls. That, and the man was fucking Lucifer!

Nonetheless, a wave a shame flooded her senses and she dropped her head. Her shoulders hunched, her ink black hair shielding her face. She was doing a credible impression of a dog caught rummaging through the fridge.

"Your father warned me you were far too sensitive, but I chose not to believe him." Lucifer dropped his hands and stared at her, his gaze softening when he saw her broken stance. "I suppose...if it's truly that hard for you to pick, you could perhaps try all three."

Her head snapped up, shock and confusion etching her features. "All three?"

WHAT?!

"Yes." Lucifer stroked his chin with long, clawed fingers. "Perhaps we could make that in itself a contest."

She cocked her head and crossed her arms. "How?"

"Well, by having all three at once, you could compare them against each other and find who has the best connection with you. And if you took all three at one time, you could decide who the better lover was."

"Wait, wait, wait." She held up her hands, trying to slow the speeding train wreck she was now riding. "All three at once? You mean sleep with all three at once?"

Lucifer nodded. "Yes and no. Obviously, you could take all three men at once. But perhaps each man could have a turn at you tonight. Then you could decide whose style and personality you like best."

Struck silent, Kara ran the option through her mind, he had a good point: If all three were given the same shot at the same time, that would give her the chance to compare the side by side. It would also eliminate the chance that one of them would try to take her somewhere or do something that would tip the scales unfairly. If they had to challenge each other while competing for her, it would force them to put their best foot forward and show their true colors simultaneously.

She had a bad feeling about that last one. Darian (not to mention his father) didn't do well with losing, Ladrian would get lost in the crowd and she was vaguely sure Lyzander could just push the others out of the way. But it seemed that a head-on competition between the three of them was the fairest way to go. Then again...maybe not. Those boys were half-blood demons, after all. They'd probably kill each other before she even started.

She looked Lucifer in the eyes and nodded. "No, it's alright. I'll figure out my choice a little later."

"Excellent! I shall tell the princes of our plan right away!" Lucifer turned to walk away, his massive wings almost knocking her over.

She jumped out of the way and looked at him, confused. "What? Now?"

He looked over his shoulder at her, golden eyes twinkling. "Silly girl. Did you forget that time moves faster in Hell? You've already spent three hours with your last choice."

She sighed. "Right. Could you ask them to wait for a bit? I don't feel so fabulous."

"You can choose your first lover tonight, after you've had a chance to see all three of them together." With that, Lucifer unfurled his enormous wings and launched himself up into the higher circles of Hell.

She watched him take to the heated air, her thoughts churning inside her head. All three men in one room at the same time. That would be like putting three starving pit bulls in a cage with one female in heat. They'd be lucky if the bed wasn't a pile of lumber and all three men were still alive. She giggled at the thought. Those men would tear each other apart for her.

Pausing a second, Kara went back to the kitchen door and turned the handle. Poking her head in, she watched Parthos moving quickly back and forth across the kitchen. He was consumed in his cooking; several pots already on the stove and two more ovens were in use.

"Hey." She spoke over the boiling pots. "You need some help?"

He laughed. "No, but that you, princess." He turned to face her. "But if you'd like to stay and chat, I'd be happy to – "

She cocked her head. "What?"

His face was worried. "You don't look so good. Perhaps you should go rest."

Taken aback, she did the best to defend herself. "No, I'm fine. I just..."

Parthos' face turned serious. "Princess, I've been around here long enough to know who is fine and who is not. You are not. Please, go rest. I can handle this."

She sighed. "Alright."

His smile returned. "Good. You have strength, princess. You just need to save it until it is needed."

She nodded and smiled back. "Thank you."

He waved at her, still smiling. She backed away and closed the door, turning back to the hallway they'd entered from. She began to walk, her mind going back to the thoughts of being ravaged by her three suitors. She imagined all three of them would probably start fighting the moment they entered her room. Even Ladrian, the calm one of the group, would fight for his share.

She shook her head, trying to clear the image – and a new crowding sleepiness – from her mind. For some reason she couldn't understand, her body felt exhausted. Perhaps it was the shock of having to deal with three men in the same room, or the lack of food in her stomach – when did she last eat? - that had her feeling so tired.

Oh, well. She'd sort that out later. For now, she decided to surrender herself to sleep. She yawned, her body's way of approving her decision. Slowly making her way out of the selection hall, she walked back to her room, her mind still spinning. Could she handle all three of them at the same time? Would they leave her alive at the end? She hoped so, although with three virile half-blood princes waiting anxiously for her vote, there was hardly a chance of her coming out unscathed.

She shrugged mentally. She'd only met each of them for a few hours. Maybe pitting them against each other would give her a chance to see their true colors. She smiled, happy to know that after all these years, someone was finally willing to fight for her. She reached her door to her room and turned the handle. Stepping inside, she was glad to hear the slam of the heavy wood when it closed. It made her feel safe and secure, as if nothing and no one could harm her.

She slipped off her robe and looked around. Her bed was empty, the sheets disheveled from spending the night with the twins. They had left hours ago, obviously not alarmed by her absence. Leaving the door open for her little walk had been a good idea.

She walked towards her bed, feeling more exhausted the closer she got. When she finally reached the edge of the mattress, she was dead on her feet. She flipped the blankets back and crawled into bed, wrapping the warm sheets around her self and settling into a deep and well-deserved sleep. However all of this was going to work, she'd figure it out in the morning.

Hot breath spilled down her neck and back, drawing her out of her sleep. The feeling of warm, moist air snapped her awake. She stayed completely still, barely daring to breathe, fearing the worst. Fear roiled through her veins, twisting and knotting around her throat. She felt the mattress around her head dip as two hands pressed into her pillow, supporting the intruder. She squeezed her eyes shut and silently begged for the torture to end.

"Ladrian? What are you doing?" Lyzander's voice broke through the deafening silence. The sound of his voice made the fear insider her relax a bit.

The mattress sprung back to its original shape as Ladrian launched himself away. "I was just..."

"Why in the hell were you smelling her? If anyone should be doing that, it's Darian. He's the one with the deviant appetite." Lyzander sounded more confused than angry.

"Yeah...Hey!" Darian's voice broke through, annoyed at Lyzander's subtle jab. "My appetite is not deviant, it is unconventional. It also happens to be extremely palatable."

"A lunch of human flesh doesn't sound like the most appetizing of meals." Sarcasm laced Lyzander's deep voice.

"You've never tried it, so you wouldn't know." Darian mumbled.

Fighting already. Well, what did you expect, your highness? They're competing for you.

Relieved that the intruders were her suitors, Kara decided that it would be best if she just got up and faced this head on. The sooner she intervened, the less damage they could do. Stretching her still-tired limbs, she rolled onto her back and sat up in her bed, pulling the sheets close to her body. All those nights of being toyed with and teased didn't do anything to ease her natural insecurity.

She watched the three men as their argument slowly heated to a boil. Or her right was Ladrian, wearing nothing but ripped jeans and looking like he'd just been slapped. True, he'd been caught taking a whiffed her while she was still asleep, but what else was a horny half-blood prince to do with a virgin princess? Relief washed over her when she saw that his newest scar had lost its angry red color, though the edges were still ragged and torn. It almost matched the first one, making him seem more normal.

Darian and Lyzander stood at the foot of her bed, each man taking a stance against one of the bedposts. Wearing a tattered pair of black pants, Lyzander stood with arms crossed over his strong chest, his short brown hair wild and unkempt. Pale blue eyes were locked on Darian, heat and anger seething in their pallid depths.

Darian had managed to match his expression perfectly, only his eyes were a fiery red. Leaning against the solid oak column of her bed, he glared at Lyzander, his beautiful features hardened and stiff. His thin tail twitched back and forth, signaling to her a possible fight. Or worse.

Oh, boy. Here we go. How in the hell am I supposed to stop this freight train from crashing?

She swallowed to herself, unsure of what move to make. How was she going to stand between two powerful, willful men who wanted her for themselves? She was sure that even if she tried, there would be no stopping that train wreck if Darian and Lyzander came together.

It was Darian who did the honors for her. Blood-red eyes flicking to her for an instant, his features softening at the sight of her. He cleared his throat and jerked his head in her direction. Lyzander and Ladrian both turned to look at her, instantly dropping their guards. Ladrian hung his head, obviously ashamed about being caught scenting her.

"My lady." Lyzander bowed. "So glad to see you're awake."

She nodded. "Nice to see you, too."

"Forgive the commotion. Some of us are not as well trained in the art of courtship." His pale eyes flicked to Darian and Ladrian.

"But some of us are experts at being assholes." Darian muttered under his breath. His eyes had shifted again, becoming a deep green color.

Lyzander's eyes narrowed for an instant, then softened as a smile blossomed on his face. Even his scar seemed to yield to the beauty of his smile.

She sighed. "Will you two relax? I just woke up and I do not need to deal with children fighting in my room."

"Don't worry about them." Ladrian, the quiet one of the group, finally spoke up. "They've been at it since this whole thing started." He sat down on the edge of her bed, is black eyes boring into hers. "Truthfully, I don't think they've ever liked each other."

Kara had to agree with him. They had resumed the give and take fighting of angry looks and warning glances. Concern twisted her stomach. The way those two were snarling at each other had her wondering if her room was suddenly going to fall away and they'd be standing in the Coliseum fighting grounds.

"All right, you two. That's enough!" She raised her voice, letting the tiniest hint of her demon blood come forward to stain her eyes red.

Both men stopped and stared at her. Darian, who'd witnessed her anger once before, took a cautionary step back. Lyzander and Ladrian remained gawking at her, unsure of what to do next. Clearly, neither of them had expected her to be so forceful.

Satisfied that she had their attention, she retracted her demon blood and sat up straight. "No, I'm not sure exactly what I'm supposed to do here. All I know is that each of you is supposed to sleep with me tonight, and then I pick who my favorite is."

All three princes nodded.

"Okay, then. So... How should we do this?" Her mind began to turn its gear, trying to figure the best solution for the situation.

Lyzander interrupted her thoughts, bowing low again and smiling. "I am happy to serve your every need and want, princess." His smile turned wicked, speaking his sinful intentions without words. "You're every need and want.

Darian placed his hand on Lyzander's shoulder, jerking him upright. "Don't be so hasty, Lyzander. She hasn't picked you, has she?"

Pale eyes met emerald green for an instant before Darian turned away, clearly fed up with the useless arguments. But Lyzander, who she could now see had an ego the size of Canada, wasn't finished yet.

"Oh, poor thing. Backing down from a fight in front of the princess. Well, won't this make your father proud? And Kara, too. She must be so happy you're here competing for her." A sinister smile crossed his face. "And why not? I'm sure that last bite you gave her was far better than any sexual thrill you could offer."

Eyes blazing, Darian turned his head and snapped his teeth at Lyzander. Pointed canines glinted in the bright light of the sconces, a warning to any opponent that drew too close. His tail snapped back and forth, anxiously waiting for the moment when he could pounce on his prey.

Caught off guard, Lyzander stumbled back. His pale eyes were wide with shock, slowly narrowing to angry slits. "Animal!"

"Cannibal." Darian corrected.

"Now boys, calm yourselves. You can each have her tonight as promised. But you must be patient." Lucifer's voice rang out from the shadows, drowning out the yells of the squabbling princes.

"HOLY FUCK!" She scrambled backward, her back slamming into the solid headboard. "What are you doing here?"

Lucifer stepped out of the black shadows, his massive form making a pool of blackness on her floor. Unadulterated power radiated from his very skin, silencing the princes' argument. Instantly, they gathered themselves and stood at attention, each looking at him with sorry, woeful eyes.

Tearing his gaze from the now silent suitors, Lucifer's golden eyes rested on Kara. She pressed her back harder against the headboard. Princess that she was, she would be a fool to think that Lucifer would spare her his wrath if she made a wrong move. Instead, the demon king smiled at her, showing two rows of brilliant white teeth.

"A small detail we forgot to cover, I'm afraid."

"Amazing how that seems to happen a lot with you." Her heartbeat now back to normal, Kara's tone was less than enthusiastic.

Lucifer cocked his head and gave an ecstatic smile. He seemed to relish pissing her off, a dangerous game for those who pushed too far.

"Some things slip my mind." He smiled wider, basking in the magical glow of her I'm-going-to-kill-you face. "It's a small matter, but one that we should discuss nonetheless."

"That sounds wonderful." Her tone was sharp, angry that Lucifer had yet again left out another important piece of information.

Walking past the once-bickering princes, Lucifer stopped at the edge of the bad and sat down. His weight caused the mattress to become a trampoline, launching her into the air before landing less than gracefully – and face first - on the blankets.

"Now, how do I explain this?" Lucifer leaned back on one elbow, his face screwed up in concentration.

"Just spit it out." Her words were muffled by the blankets, but loud enough that he could hear.

"Very well then. I'll put it in layman's terms. Before you decide which of the princes you sleep with first, I need to make sure you are chaste." He took a deep breath. "It will only take a moment. I simply need to make sure your hymen is intact and we can proceed."

She remained very still for a moment, not speaking a word. Slowly, she pushed herself up from the bedding and sat on her heels, brushing the wild strands of her black hair from her face. Inhaling slowly, she folded her hand in her lap and turned her head to smile sweetly at Lucifer.

"The fuck you will." She added as much sugar and sweetness to her words as possible, fighting the urge to launch herself at him and claw his eyes out.

Lucifer sighed and dropped his head an inch. "I'll take that as your refusal to cooperate, then?"

"Damn straight." She made her face a stone, not letting the slightest expression cross her features.

"I see. I was so hoping that you would be more agreeable. But I suppose a willful spirit can't be expected to follow every order. Boys." Lucifer stood from the bed, his night-black wings spreading out around him.

All three of her suitors took a step forward, with Ladrian crawling closer to her on the bed. It occurred to her what was about to happen: If she wouldn't go willingly, they'd make her. Fear as well as anger boiled in her blood. They were going to force her to have a virginity test whether she liked it or not.

She didn't have much choice, but that didn't mean she had to go quietly.

Launching herself from the bed, landing on the hard tile and doing a barrel roll across the sold stones. Straightening herself, she watched as her captors edged closer. Darian held back - having already seen only a small sample of her anger - keeping well out of harm's way. Smart boy.

For the first time in years, she let her carefully constructed wall of control fall away. She let her demon's blood – a right given to her by her father – take control. Usually under the highest of securities, Kara only let her demon side come out if she was in immediate danger. This was one of those times.

Her skin felt hot, her muscles tensing as her less humane half took the reins. Her eyes became blood red once again, her jagged nails smoothing and elongating. Her own canines sharpened. Her creamy skin turned the color of coal. The flesh on her back burned as the same pattern of delicate crimson scrollwork that decorated her face now seared itself into her skin, running the length of her spine. Finally in her full demon state, she stared down her adversaries with a ferocity that bordered on madness.

Ladrian, having been given the short straw by fate, was the closest to her. Slowly, he reached out a tentative hand, obviously unsure of how to approach her in this state.

She swiped at his hand, her sharp nails connecting and drawing bloody lines along his forearm. Before Ladrian could cry out in pain, she had launched herself backwards, landing delicately on the tiles. Even though she wasn't very intimidating in her demon state, she was faster than hell. She could fight well; she could run better.

"You still want to inspect me?" Her voice was lower than usual; a growl that all demons were born with, half-blood or not.