RHYDSTORM’S POV

Something is very wrong with this mortal.

I'm right here looking at her as I stand perfectly still beneath the illusion wrapped around my body while she's only staring at me with suspicion.

No recognition or instinctive fear at seeing my horns or my monstrous wings.

Just pure irritation at my presence.

That shouldn’t be possible, I know humans always forget about us after they see us, but my glamour was on the other night.

She shouldn't have been able to see me, yet she did.

The human mind blurs any supernatural thing they see into dreams and fragmented memories because their minds would literally break from trying to understand our world.

Immortals were never meant to exist beside mortals for too long, that's why their brains protect themselves by forgetting or attributing it to hallucinations.

Yet this woman saw me in partial demon form last night with my horns, hooves and feathers out.

In my full fledged naked self yet now she doesn't seem to know me?

And somehow she still remembers enough to feel wary around me.

Not clearly enough, but enough to not stay too close to me.

That alone is strange.

If she's who I suspect she is to me, my glamour and my illusion magic should not do anything to her.

But now?

Now my glamour is working on her like it would any other human.

I watch her eyes carefully as she studies my human appearance.

Six feet tall with a dark coat.

I have no horns, infernal markings or anything monstrous to give myself away.

Just another man on the street.

Interesting.

A slow wave of relief settles into me as I realize she's just like any other living, breathing mortal to me.

Maybe I was wrong, maybe she isn’t my mate after all.

Thank the infernal realms for that!

The last thing I need is some paranoid mortal attached to me for all eternity, and so close to the Accused games too.

Especially one that punches really hard first and thinks later.

She tightens her grip on her bag as she takes another step back.

“…Who are you?” she asks again carefully.

I tilt my head slightly, studying her face as I can now see her in good light compared to last night.

She's a pretty little thing.

With sharp eyes, a pouty mouth and…

Oh by all of hell!

She still smells so devastating to me.

Even beneath all of the city smoke and cheap perfume all around, her scent curls right into my lungs like warm honey and untouched sunlight.

Like something in its purest and most pristine form.

Untouched.

Mine–

No!

I stop that thought immediately, absolutely not!

Maybe the scent and my starvation is what had confused me yesterday because I was still not fully enough.

That has to be it.

Incubi aren’t exactly known for rational thinking when half feral from hunger.

Still…

There’s still one sure way to confirm it.

A terrible idea forms in my head almost instantly making me smile slowly.

“Oh, this is going to be very funny.”

“What?” she asks immediately as she takes a step back fm me.

I crouch slightly until we're eye level making her instinctively lean back.

I don't even need to look at her at all, but I want to see her face when she realizes she has no other choice but to do my bidding.

Call it payback for the punch from yesterday.

“Relax,” I murmur softly to hrr. “I just want to test something.”

“That sentence has literally never ended well for women.”

But she can't move from where she is because she's already enthralled.

I nearly laugh.

By the gods, she’s difficult.

I already pity her future mate.

I let a thread of compulsion slip into my voice anyway, it's not one that would hurt her, but it's enough to… sway her will to mine.

“Kiss me,” I command softly as the magic unfurls instantly between us.

Normally this is the part where most of not all mortals go glassy-eyed and cooperative.

Instead–

CRACK!

Her palm slams across my face so hard my head actually jerks sideways in shock.

I blink in stunned silence as I wonder if I was still asleep or if another demon is playing a prank in my dreams.

Did she just–

“You absolute creep!” she snaps at me

Oh…

Oh, that’s new.

I catch her wrist before she can storm away, as she turns to look more startled than angry now.

“Ah, ah,” I say slowly, tightening my grip lightly. “Second time’s the charm, babes.”

She smiles at me, which makes me surprised.

For one beautiful, terrifying second, I think she’s finally affected by the compulsion.

So she's just putting it out huh?

Then her knee drives directly into my groin as a numbing, excruciating pain detonates through my entire body.

A strangled snarl rips out of me as I let go of her, stagger backwards and nearly collapse onto the pavement.

“FUCK–!”

Agony.

I see stars, they are white, searing and leave me feeling a red brand sear of agony deep in my soul.

My vision blurs as I clutch myself with genuine horror.

Did she just attack and try to erase my future children?!

I wheeze sharply into the ground before turning, and glaring up at her while she straightens her coat with satisfaction.

She's actually winking at me?

But beneath all my pain and anger–

Comes the realization of what just happened to me.

Compulsion doesn’t work on mates.

Not fully or truly, but completely.

She wasn't compelled yesterday, she's also not being compelled today.

My stomach drops in horror and terror.

No–

No, absolutely not!

You have got to be kidding me.

I stare at her in disbelief while she glares down at me like I’m sewage that learned how to speak and disturb her day

“You’re insane,” she flatly tells me to my face.

Mate.

The word echoes inside my skull like a curse ringing over and over.

A mortal.

An annoying and really violent mortal–

She's my mate.

Oh bloody Infernal hells!

She turns to leave as I don't know what comes over me but panic flashes through me before I can stop it.

“Wait!”

She pauses mid step and looks back at me over her shoulder with pure disgust and irritation.

And for the first time in the centuries omy life–

I have absolutely no idea what to do next.

But seeing as she's still a student in campus, maybe I could join her in class to try and explain it all?