Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.
A Demon's Mate
Chapter Twenty Five
'Busted!'
"Forgive me, but I do not believe that my clothing will fit you, my mate."
Serena peeked around the door of the wardrobe to see Sebastian standing in front of the door she had locked. She smiled sheepishly and stepped away from the piece of furniture, softly closing the doors as she did. The demon raised one eyebrow, obviously waiting for an explanation.
"Why are you in my bedroom?" He didn't move from his place in front of the door, effectively blocking her in.
"Well," she couldn't help but fidget under his unblinking gaze. "You wouldn't tell me anything, so I figured that I would look for myself."
"I see. And did the locked door not give you any indication that I did not want anyone in my rooms?"
"Then you shouldn't leave the key lying around." Serena raised her chin, looking him in the eye.
"Is that so?" Sebastian moved to stand in front of her and held out his hand. After a moment, she set the small key in his gloved palm. "Serena, there is nothing here that will tell you anything personal about me."
"Nothing here?"
"There is nothing on this plane that will tell anyone anything personal about myself or give me away as a demon." He slipped the key into the pocket of his waistcoat. "It is one of the first lessons that all demons learn."
"Fine." Serena walked around the demon and went to the door. When she turned the handle nothing happened. She jerked it harder, but still got nothing. The red head tried the lock, but it wouldn't budge. Panic started to build when she felt Sebastian behind her. He was standing close enough for her to feel the heat from his body when he bent down to put his head next to hers.
"You are so quick to leave? When you went to all the trouble to get in here?"
She swallowed hard and tried to sound flippant. "Well, you said that there is nothing in here."
"I don't think that I should send my mate away, when she comes so willingly to my rooms." His voice dropped to whisper in her ear as he put his hands on her hips.
"Come into my web, said the spider to the fly."
He laughed deeply against her throat and his hands moved to her arms, sliding to cover her hands. He pulled her fingers from the doorknob and turned her body slowly to face him. The girl gasped when she looked into his swirling, red, slitted eyes.
"I am no spider, Serena." He said, showing a hint of fangs behind his lips.
"Then what are you?"
"I have many forms, but a demon is behind every one. I will promise you that there are no insects in my repertoire." His head lowered, eyes intent on her lips.
"Wait." She put a hand up to stop him.
"There is something that has been bothering you all day. Your heart rate spikes every time my Master is mentioned. I will assume that it has something to do with him." Sebastian pulled back enough to look her in the eye. His thumb continued to brush light circles at the base of her throat, creating a hypnotic effect.
Serena looked away and back to the demon. She started to speak several times, but stopped before actually saying anything. He watched her struggle and felt her level of emotions rise.
"What is it, my mate?" He asked softly. "You can tell me."
"I..." She looked back up into his eyes. "Let Ciel kiss me."
The demon snarled, pulling away from her. In an instant he was back, hand jerking at the doorknob. She refused to move. The only way he could get through the door was through her. He would have to risk hurting her to do it.
"Move." His voice was dangerous, not leaving any room for argument.
She shook her head. "No."
"Serena!"
"No! If you'll be mad at anyone, it will be me. I had plenty of time to pull away and I didn't. I...wanted him too."
Sebastian pulled away, pacing the room like a caged animal. Every few steps, the demon would turn and growl at her. Serena could see more of his fangs and the hands he clenched at his sides, she could see something poking at the tips of each of the gloved fingers. The red head could hear him muttering lightly in a language she didn't understand as he moved. Anger radiated in every stride and she admitted that she was afraid of him. But, she stayed in front of the door.
"No demon has ever shared their mate with a contract." He came back to her, his hand closing lightly around her throat. "I will not share you with that human boy!"
"I know that!"
"Then why? Give me some reason you let him touch what belongs to me. Do you really prefer that frail human to me?"
"No!" She shook her head. "I don't know."
"You have no future with him, Serena. Even if our contract did not exist, you would still have no future with my Master. The Midfords are not going away. You said it yourself, they are not going to end an advantageous engagement over the whim of a young girl. The same goes for the whims of my Master. They have their own contract and it is almost as binding as mine is with the Earl of Phantomhive. He will marry Lady Elizabeth in the coming years. Even you cannot change that."
"I know!" She shook her head. "I just...I'm so confused. I went from feeling nothing for anyone, to feeling way too much."
The demon's eyes narrowed as he leaned down. "What is it that you feel? Do you love my Master?"
"I...don't know."
Sebastian resumed his pacing. He was no longer snarling at her every few seconds, but Serena still didn't relax.
"This isn't supposed to happen."
"Yeah, well, it's not like I'm happy about it." She wrapped her arms about herself. "You think I like being in this situation?"
The demon looked back to him mate and finally saw the misery of her confusion. He could see the truth in what she told him, as well as the fact that this was no premeditated act. There was no intentional betrayal. Centuries of controlling the wrathful souls inside him, helped Sebastian calm himself and look at their problem instead of just acting on it.
'There is something else going on here. No mate of a demon ever feels even the smallest passing whim for another being and yet mine, admits to a feeling of love for my Master. Even Haagenti noticed her attachment.'
"Sebastian?"
"Yes?"
"Well, say something."
"This isn't normal."
"Nothing that happens around here ever is."
The demon spun to face her. "You're right. My Master is unusual for a demon contract. Even your appearance here is abnormal. Perhaps, that is why our mating is not going like any other?"
Serena could almost see the wheels in his head turning as he approached this new perspective. If it lessened the anger radiating off him, she didn't care.
"Serena." She looked up as Sebastian came back to stand in front of her. The anger was gone from his eyes, but she wasn't sure she liked what had taken its place. "I believe that my mate owes me something for granting a kiss to another."
"And what would that be?"
His hand came back to her throat as the demon leaned over her with an evil smile. "You will stay here with me tonight."
"Well, you sleep with me in my room all the time." She stepped away from the door and walked to the bed. "I don't see why that would be a problem."
"But, your little adventure seems to have cut into your bathing time this evening. I can't let you sleep like that, now can I?"
Serena's eyes bugged out at what he was implying. "Tell me again, that you're not a pervert."
"I never said that I wasn't." He smiled while taking a hold of her arm, leading them into the bathroom. "However, I fail to see anything perverted. It is the duty of a demon to see to their mate's comfort and health."
She tried to dig her feet into the bare wood floor, but it didn't help.
"Sebastian, I really don't want to do this."
"I really don't want you to kiss my Master." He countered easily, closing the bathroom door behind them. "For that offense, you will allow me to care for my mate as I should."
The demon leaned down again. "What bothers you so? You had no problem with using your naked body to tease me in the past."
"Because it was a tease. And you only saw me for a minute."
"I assure you, that minute was more than enough time for me to appreciate the mate I have been given." Sebastian stepped away to fill the tub and Serena bolted for the door. It was locked, just the same as the door in the bedroom. No matter how hard she pulled, it wouldn't budge. "Come now, I'm not going to ravish you on the spot. I have far more control than that."
"You promise?"
"I promise. Besides, I quite like the idea of sealing our bond in our own bed." He slid out of his tailcoat and rolled up his sleeves. After placing the coat on a hanger inside the door, he held out a hand to the red head and waited.
Serena was still plastered to the door, holding onto the handle like a lifeline as she stared at the hand he offered. Biting her lip, the girl let go of the door and took the hand that was held out. She tried to calm herself as he pulled her into the center of the small room. She jumped a little when he started to pull the gown from her shoulders.
"Shh." Sebastian placed a gentle kiss on her temple before sliding the gown the red of the way off. He helped her step out of the pool of fabric and picked it up to lay on the small table nearby. He looked at the shift she wore underneath and smiled. "You really were preparing for bed." A hand landed on her lower back and followed him around to her front. "You're not wearing anything under this."
"No."
The demon's eyes were glowing again as he gently kissed her lips. He smiled as he dropped to his knees and lifted the hem of her thin shift. He started at her ankles, his palms never leaving her skin and letting the fabric to pool around his wrists as he slid up her legs to her hips. He felt her jerk when he passed her waist and gently moved over her ribcage. She kept her arms down, not letting him go any further. Sebastian said nothing, but didn't move away. He would wait out her moment of modesty and she knew it. Finally, she lifted her arms over her head and felt the fabric follow.
Serena refused to look at him until he put a finger under her chin and forced her head up.
"You have no reason to hide, my mate. You are beautiful."
Sebastian laughed as the blush on her face deepened. He lifted his hand, suddenly holding jeweled hair pins. The fingers under her chin dropped and he moved behind her to lift the length of her hair, sliding the pins into her curls to hold them against her scalp. Serena couldn't help but fidget as he worked. Every time she moved to cover herself, a gloved hand would smack her arm back down to her side.
Once all of her hair was pinned up, Sebastian put an arm under her knees and lifted Serena to carry her to the bath. The tub was full, steam pouring over the side. He lowered her slowly so that her toes brushed the surface of the water. When she nodded at the temperature, he let her legs down into the water and stood back to allow her to sink into the tub on her own.
The water was high enough to cover everything but Serena still pulled her legs up and curled around them. She saw Sebastian's smirk but the demon said nothing. He stole a kiss as he reached past her to pick up the large sponge from its dish. Instead of the unscented soap in the dish next to the sponge, he put a hand into the water and pulled up a clam shell. She laughed but rolled her eyes at the demon showing off. Opening the shell, inside was a small, pink bar of soap.
"Do demons like the smell of seafood?" Serena raised an eyebrow.
He laughed and lifted the soap for her to smell. "It's beautiful. It's a flower, but I don't know what kind."
"It is a favorite of mine. There are many that grow around my home." Sebastian started with the sponge on her back. "I will enjoy showing them to you."
"Your home? That would be Hell, right?"
"Of course. Where else would a demon live?" The sponge moved lower and he laughed at her jump.
"Flowers?"
"There are many things about my home that will surprise you. We will discuss that later."
"Right." Serena lowered her head to her knees.
Water was poured over her back and the suds washed away with it. "Lean back, my mate."
With a smile, the red head leaned back but didn't let go of her legs. The demon put his hand on either side of the tub, leaning into her.
"You know, the longer you put this off, the longer we'll be here. I have plenty of time."
Sighing, Serena let go and stretched out in the large tub.
"Was that so hard?"
He shrugged off her glare and lifted one of her arms from the water. As Sebastian focused on the limb in his hands, he noticed how she kept looking away.
"What is it?"
"Will you...take off the gloves? It feels weird." She watched, mesmerized as he pulled the gloves off his hands with his teeth. His fangs showed and she resisted the urge to touch them. When he laid one hand on her wrist, she gasped. His fingers were cooler than she expected but it made her blood race as they traced along her skin. "What is that?"
"I told you, your soul knows that it is supposed to be with me. Your body does as well now."
"It's like little electrical currents."
"You will always feel that when I touch you." He ran the back of his fingers up to her neck and back down. "Does it bother you? I can put my gloves back on."
"No!" She answered quickly and blushed. "No. It's fine."
The demon smirked and started to wash her again. As the sponge moved over her shoulders and upper chest, his other hand followed behind. Serena let her head fall back against the rim of the tub, watching him the whole time. When the sponge skimmed the top of the water, the girl took a deep breath.
"I would like to remind you of your promise before that sponge goes any lower."
He smirked, leaning his hand on the tub next to her head. "Of course."
He was teasing her and she knew it when the sponge slid between her breasts and down her stomach. Black nails scraped her skin in the sponge's wake, keeping up the feeling of little lightning bolts along her skin. He looked up as her breathing changed and found his mate's eyes closed. He watched her as he brought the sponge out of the water, keeping the backs of his fingers in contact with her skin. Her eyes opened again to find him staring at her as the sponge moved over her breasts and back down.
Sebastian found himself fascinated by the red head as he skimmed her belly and ran the sponge down her leg, making sure that his fingertips stayed in constant contact with her skin.
'Maybe I won't wait.'
'You're not getting it that easy, Feathers.'
Serena's languid voice in his head made the demon laugh. Smirking, he brought his hand back up her leg and lightly brushed her center. Her gasp echoed around the tiled room and her nails dug into the arm she had grabbed.
"You were saying?"
"You know, confidence is attractive. Cocky is not." She tried to glare at him, but found she couldn't.
"Cocky?" He raised an eyebrow. "I thought that you didn't want that."
"You know what I mean."
He brushed over her again and her nails dug in deeper. Sebastian leaned his head next to hers, brushing his lips over her cheek. "I would continue, if my mate wishes."
Serena heard a soft purr next to her ear and realized it was coming from him as his hand moved lightly over her skin. Little bursts of energy traced the line of her leg, over her lower belly, and circled her belly button while she tried to think. Finally, she nodded slowly.
Her head fell back as he touched her again. The demon made sure that his hand was between her and the hard rim of the tub as the other teased her flesh. He watched her, his finger tracing her lower lips once more before sliding into her heat. She gasped again, her back bowing in the water. Muscles clenched as she felt the electricity inside her. Another finger joined the first and Sebastian smiled at the little cries that bounced off the walls of the small room.
The demon could see her end coming far too soon but reminded himself that he had eternity to watch her. The hand cradling the back of her head, made her turn to face him.
"Serena, open your eyes. Look at me." His voice was harsh, carrying a husky quality in his order.
Her eyes opened without a thought to see him right next to her. He felt it coming and his lips fell on hers to catch her final cry. Her nails finally let go of his arm and plunged into his hair instead. Her fingers yanked on the silky strands she held and the demon let out a growl of pleasure at the little bit of pain she caused.
When Sebastian pulled away, her fingers left his hair slowly. He smirked at her dilated pupils and the small smile on her parted lips. The weight of his hand settled on her chest to better feel her heart rate starting to calm down. Serena watched him through heavy-lidded eyes, sinking back into the cooling water. She laughed at the pride written all over his face.
"Are you understanding the 'big deal' now, my mate?" The demon purred.
Serena rolled her eyes. "Yes. Are you happy now?"
"Not quite, but I will be soon." His fingers brushed her cheek. "We should finish your bath."
"You're the one who got distracted."
"Oh yes, with my shallow seduction tactics."
"Absolutely."
***************A Demon's Mate****************
Sebastian kept his touching to a minimum as he finished washing his mate. The red head was unusually pliant and simply let him do whatever he wanted fir once. She watched the smirk that never left his face while concentrated on his task. When he had deemed her clean enough, the demon helped her from the bath and grabbed a towel from the rack nearby. He smiled up at her as he rubbed the cloth over her legs, soaking up all the water in its path.
Serena shook her head. "Let you touch a little skin and you couldn't be happier."
He stood with a smile and snapped the towel, now holding one of her favored nightshirts.
"Nifty." She reached out for the shirt but Sebastian snatched it back. Moving behind her, he slid one of the sleeves over her arm and maneuvered the other himself into the other sleeve. "You know, I can move my own arms."
"I'm sure you can." He leaned down and placed a kiss below her ear. The demon saw her roll her eyes as he came back to face her and started buttoning the shirt. When he finished, Sebastian picked her up again and carried her into his bedroom.
"I can walk too."
"I like to carry you. And I get to do whatever I like tonight, remember?" He laid her gently in the cool sheets and lifted the blanket over her. "You should sleep."
"I'm not ready to go to sleep." Still, Serena snuggled into the pillow and got comfortable on her side. She watched him move around the room, stoking the small fireplace, putting the items on the desk back where they had been before her snooping spree before taking off his shoes and sliding into the other side of the bed.
"Do you feel the same thing?" She ran her fingertips over his wrist.
"No. To me, your touch is...calming."
"Well, that doesn't sound very exciting." She frowned and pulled her hand back.
"To me, it is. I've spent a very long time perfecting my control, but it still takes concentration. Feeling any amount of calm takes concentration. To have it come so easily, is exciting and I crave it."
"Oh." The red head put her fingers back and noticed for the first time that he did relax a little. She smiled, running her hand over the soft skin still exposed from his rolled up sleeves. "So, what do you do every day?"
"You have seen what I do every day."
"Not here. What do you do every day when you're...you know?" She put two fingers into her hair, making little horns.
The demon laughed. "You never give up, do you?"
"Alright, fine. Then tell me something insignificant." Serena looked down at the hand she was touching. "Like, why are your fingernails black?"
"My fingernails?"
"Yeah. Am I going to find a bottle nail polish hidden around here?"
"No. They are naturally black."
"Naturally?"
"I know that Undertaker told you a little of demons." He waited for her nod. "When we started feeding on humans, other than what we had been given, all demons nails turned black. It was a sign of our corruption, so that the humans could identify us. Give them a sporting chance, I suppose. It's the one identifying feature that I cannot cover in my human form."
"So, gloves being in fashion are a good thing for you?"
"Quite."
"What else do you change, when you say human form? You don't, like, actually look like a goatman or something? Because, that might be a deal breaker."
"No." He laughed. "It always amazes me what you humans come up with. It really is just small changes. My hair is longer, my skin is more pale. You have seen the eyes and the fangs. My nails are longer, more claw-like. Our changes are more inside, when someone becomes a demon."
"Well, that's a little bit of a let down."
"I do have wings."
"Wings? Okay, that's cool." She gasped. "Right, the feathers."
Sebastian nodded. "When a demon becomes an Elder, they grow wings."
"Like a status symbol?"
"I suppose you classify that way."
"I wanna see." Serena sat up, poking him in the side.
"Not right now. It takes a fair amount of power to change forms completely. My eyes change and teeth lengthen easily enough, but to shed the human guise entirely and then don it again, is exhausting."
She knew she was pouting. "Alright. We'll put that on a back burner for now. But, since I have you in such a forthcoming mood. Let me think of something else." She laid back down, looking at the ceiling as she thought. "Let's see, something that wouldn't affect your contract."
Her fingers snapped and she turned to face him again. "How does one become a demon?"
"Serena."
"Okay, okay. Obviously, you think that one may have some impact on your contract. Let me think." She backed off easily, knowing that if he really didn't want to tell her, she couldn't make him. Serena was also enjoying the talk in the darkened room and didn't want to upset him too much. "You said that demons don't have children."
"That is correct. We are made demons, not born."
"Then how did you become a demon?"
"Serena." The demon growled low in his chest.
"Oh, come on. How is that going to muck up your contract?" She watched him thinking it over. "You were human before, weren't you? That's why you don't want to tell me."
Author's Note: OMG! Have you seen the Kotobukiya Art FX statues on Amazon? They are awesome. Especially Undertaker's. I'm so in love!