And held.

I stared back, making sure he could see the disgust on my face. Keep looking, buddy. Ain’t no willing and eager bedmate for you here.

When he still didn’t look away, I gave him my best scowl, even as I felt my cheeks grow hot from his intense stare. His yellow eyes flared. My pulse leapt in my throat.

“That one.” His voice was deep and raspy. And he had one long, claw-tipped finger pointed directly at me. “I want that one.”

“You fucking what?” I got out, my voice strangled. Gasps rang out all around me.

The demiurgus had gone stiff as soon as he’d uttered it, his arm snapping back down to his side. He cringed again, looking as though he was already regretting the words.

“I mean…” He swallowed, looking around frantically. “No, I didn’t mean—”

“Oh, Greater.” The high priest was already weeping. “What a glorious day! What a blessing! This is—I can’t believe—”

“No,” the demiurgus grated, looking panicked now. “I don’t know why I… I didn’t mean it—”

“Come here, my dear.” The high priest’s voice wavered as he raised it, ushering me forward. “Savour every step. You are blessed. You are chosen.”

No fucking thank you. I stayed exactly where I was, eyes darting over to my aunt, who had frozen in place clutching her tablet.

When I didn’t move, the high priest’s already lined forehead drew into a frown. He peered at me more closely. “What is your name, my dear?”

“It’s Beryl,” someone answered from the dejected-looking crowd. “Violet’s niece.”

Shit. I glanced at my aunt again, who was staring back at me with wide eyes. If I made a scene, it wouldn’t just be me out on my ass. It might be her too.

And I could say no, right? That was what Violet had said. I could politely decline, although I imagined the high priest would ask why. I was supposed to be desperate for this to happen. I was supposed to be elated.

I began walking over, very slowly to give myself time to come up with a plan. All the cult members watched me with varying looks of bitter envy, breathless awe and well-meaning excitement for me. Honestly, I felt kind of bad for them. Any one of them would’ve been sobbing in thanks for being chosen. But I couldn’t think of anything worse.

How was it fucking possible that out of all the people here, all the humans desperate to become this dude’s mate, he’d picked me? Why me?

Maybe I shouldn’t have worn the pink trousers after all.

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Chapter Five

Beryl

The demiurgus was staring down at me, frozen in place, when I reached them. My mouth started twisting into another scowl, but I smoothed it out because the high priest was gazing at me with streaming eyes.

“Beryl, my dear.” He reached out and clasped my hand with wizened old fingers that trembled. “Today, the rest of your life begins. You are to be transcended.” Letting out a shaky breath, he squeezed my hand and said, “Turn to face your new mate. Let him see his chosen.”

Everyone was staring at us. The courtyard was utterly silent. Gritting my teeth, I slowly turned to face the demiurgus directly, tilting my head up—and up—to look him in the eye.

He had to be about seven feet tall, and seeing as I was five foot five at a push, my neck was craned right back. He was staring down at me in quiet alarm, and his yellow eyes with their oval pupils were darting over my face. I was beyond relieved when his gaze didn’t turn all heavy and lusty.

Frankly, he looked terrified of me.

As the high priest turned to murmur to his entourage, I took the opportunity to glare up at him. A scathing, warning look. You put a single fingertip on me, buddy, and I’ll rip your balls off.

My pulse leapt when his eyes flared. His throat bobbed with a swallow. Neither of us had said a word, but after casting a sheepish look around, he cleared his throat and parted his lips hesitantly, revealing sharp yellowish-white teeth.

“Uh… Hi.” His voice cracked. The little thorns around his hairline twitched, and the frondy tips of his ears fluttered as he cleared his throat again. “Hi,” he repeated in a steadier voice, though it was thick with apprehension.

Before I could say anything back, the high priest turned and gently gripped my arm. “Now, Beryl, as is right, we give you the opportunity to reject the Greater’s claim.”

Everyone laughed like the mere idea was hilarious.

“You can accept him here and now, and we can begin the process”—the high priest squeezed my arm—“or you can request some time alone to get to know each other first.”

Fuckety fuck fuck. I resisted the urge to glance back at my aunt, to see what she was thinking. If I said no straight away, what would happen? To me? To Violet? Would they start to suspect us? Would they kick us out? It wasn’t like it would be the end of the world if they did. I earned a small salary working on the vineyard, although I tended to… kind of spend it all on stuff I wanted every month, like fancy skincare, shampoo and snacks. It wasn’t like I had to pay bills.

Violet earned a proper salary, but I didn’t know how much she had saved. It wasn’t like it would be a lifetime’s worth anyway. How would we find other jobs when our only experience was ‘training to be a demiurgus’s sex pet’? I supposed Violet had office management experience, but she was nearing retirement age and, well, everyone in the city thought we were weird anyway. Who would hire us?

Maybe if I asked to spend time alone with the demiurgus first, I could come up with a legitimate reason to reject him.

My blood whooshed through my ears. My medical record.

I’d brought up my vaginismus at every single health check, and I always refused to attempt treatment for it for a few reasons. One: I didn’t think it was something that necessarily needed “fixing”, seeing as I wasn’t at all interested in being penetrated anyway, and there was more to life than having a dick shoved in you, despite what some of The Order’s members thought. Two: I preferred oral sex.

And now three: it was going to keep me safe. Surely once he saw my records, once he realised he wouldn’t be able to fuck me, he’d change his mind. And then I wouldn’t have to do anything. We’d be safe and it wouldn’t be my fault.

Besides… I was pretty sure it’d take even less than that for him to change his mind. I had no idea what had caused him to declare that he “wanted me”, but he looked like he was seriously regretting it now. Which actually made me feel a little better. I didn’t know why he’d come here, but I got the feeling this wasn’t the intended outcome. He was wildly out of his depth.

Taking a breath, I gritted my teeth and managed to give the high priest some semblance of a smile. “I’d like some time alone together first.”

Some of the entourage behind him guffawed, like they thought I wanted to take this dude for a test-run in the dark, creepy suite of rooms they kept immaculately prepared for the arrival of a Greater.

I ignored them, turning to follow as they all began walking back to those big, imposing black doors. The demiurgus walked in silence beside me, but I heard him gulp. It would have been comical if this situation wasn’t so fucking weird.

I’d been planning to ream him out the moment we were alone, telling him he was a creepy perv who could just go and find a life partner in a normal way, like normal people, not come here to select one from a group of worryingly adoring and obedient humans. But even though he looked as apprehensive as I was, I didn’t know him. I didn’t know what he’d do if I made it clear I didn’t actually subscribe to the demiurgus-higher-being-sex-god bullshit they believed here. I didn’t know what he’d repeat to the high priest.