CHAPTER 134: CHAPTER 134: THE TALK WITH THE DEMON

THE WORD hung in the air between them like a blade suspended by thread.

Feeding.

Mailah’s throat tightened. She remembered—oh god, she remembered.

The way her vision had blurred at the edges, the dizzy euphoria mixed with terror, the sensation of something essential being pulled from her core. Grayson’s face above hers, desperate and hungry and fighting himself with every breath.

She’d almost died. He’d almost killed her. And now Liora was calmly explaining that they’d need to do it again, in front of witnesses, as part of their wedding ceremony.

"I can see this is... concerning," Liora said carefully, watching Mailah’s face drain of color. "Perhaps I should have led with more context."

"Perhaps," Mailah managed, her voice tight.

Liora leaned forward, her expression earnest. "It’s not the same as regular feeding. The binding ceremony is controlled, ritualized. There are safeguards—multiple witnesses to intervene if necessary, protective circles to contain the energy, and strict time limits. You’d never be in actual danger."

"I was in actual danger last time," Mailah said quietly. "We both were."

"Last time was uncontrolled," Liora countered gently. "Last time was a demon who’d been starving himself for centuries finally breaking through years of denial. This would be different. Prepared for. Safe."

"Safe," Mailah repeated, tasting the word like ash.

"As safe as any supernatural ceremony can be," Liora amended. "Which I’ll admit isn’t the most reassuring qualifier. But Mailah—" she reached across and took Mailah’s hands, her grip warm and steady. "Grayson wouldn’t ask this of you if he didn’t believe it was possible. And from what I understand, he’s already proven he can stop himself when it matters most."

That was true. He had stopped, right at the edge. He’d chosen her life over his hunger.

But the memory of that moment—of hovering at the precipice—still made her chest tight with remembered panic.

"I need to think about this," Mailah said finally.

"Of course," Liora replied immediately, releasing her hands. "This is a lot to process. And honestly, we don’t need to decide anything today. I’m here to present options, not pressure you into decisions."

They spent the next hour discussing less terrifying aspects—venue possibilities, guest considerations, the logistics of hosting both humans and supernatural beings in the same space.

Liora was professional and kind, never pushing when Mailah’s attention drifted, offering gentle humor when the conversation grew too heavy.

But beneath it all, the word feeding echoed in Mailah’s mind like a warning bell.

Liora left around noon with promises to send preliminary planning documents and a gentle reminder that Mailah should "have a proper conversation with that demon of yours about expectations and boundaries."

As if summoned by the thought, Grayson appeared in the sunroom doorway not ten minutes after Liora’s departure.

He looked cautiously optimistic, like someone approaching a potentially explosive situation with careful hope.

"So," he said. "You met Liora."

"I did," Mailah confirmed, still seated in the chair she’d occupied for the past two hours. "She’s lovely. Competent. Clearly knows what she’s doing."

"But?" Grayson prompted, moving into the room and settling into the chair Liora had vacated.

"But you hired her without telling me," Mailah said. "You’ve been planning our wedding—weddings, plural—for days without mentioning it once."

"I wanted to surprise you," Grayson said. "After the proposal disasters, I thought maybe taking initiative and handling the logistics would be... romantic?"

Despite everything, Mailah felt her lips twitch. "You thought hiring a wedding planner without consultation would be romantic?"

"I’m still learning," he admitted. "Clearly I missed the mark."

"You missed several marks," Mailah agreed. "Though I appreciate the effort. And the thoughtfulness. Liora mentioned you’ve been very thorough in your planning."

"I wanted to do this right," Grayson said quietly. "I wanted to show you that I’m serious about this. About us. About building a life together that honors both your world and mine."

The sincerity in his voice made her chest ache. He was trying so hard, this ancient demon learning to be human, learning to love, learning that sometimes the right gesture still required communication.

"Grayson," she said gently. "I know you’re serious. I’ve never doubted that. But we’re supposed to be partners. That means making decisions together, not surprising each other with major life plans."

"Even when the surprise is meant to be helpful?"

"Especially then," Mailah replied. "Because if you’d told me three days ago that you wanted to hire a wedding planner, I would have helped you choose one. We could have interviewed her together. Made decisions as a team."

Understanding flickered across his face. "I thought I was being romantic. But I was actually being controlling."

"Not controlling," Mailah corrected. "Just... overly independent. You spent centuries making every decision alone. You’re not used to factoring someone else’s input into major choices."

"No," he agreed. "I’m not. But I’m trying to learn."

"I know you are," she said softly. "And I like that about you. But Grayson—there’s something else. Something Liora mentioned that we need to discuss."

His expression shifted from cautiously hopeful to wary. "What did she tell you?"

"About the binding ceremony," Mailah said. "About the feeding requirement."

Grayson went very still. When he spoke, his voice was carefully controlled. "Ah. That."

"Yes. That." Mailah stood, needing to move, to pace, to work through the anxiety coiling in her stomach. "She explained that the supernatural ceremony requires a feeding demonstration. In front of witnesses. To prove our bond is genuine."

"It doesn’t have to be—" Grayson started.

"Don’t," Mailah interrupted, turning to face him. "Don’t tell me it doesn’t have to be a full feeding or that it’s perfectly safe or any of the things Liora already said. I need you to be honest with me. Completely honest. Can you do that? Can you feed from me in front of an audience without losing control?"

The question hung between them, weighted with everything they’d survived together. The first feeding that had nearly killed her. The nights he’d kept his distance to avoid temptation. The careful boundaries they’d established to protect them both.

Grayson stood slowly, crossing the room until he was close enough to touch but keeping his hands at his sides. "The truth? I don’t know. I want to say yes—I’ve fed from you before and stopped myself. I’ve learned control. But in front of witnesses? With the pressure of the ceremony? With everyone watching to see if the demon can be trusted with his human mate?" He paused. "I can’t guarantee I won’t falter."

The admission should have terrified her. Instead, it made her like him more—this man who could have lied, who could have promised safety he wasn’t certain he could deliver, but chose honesty instead.

"So we prepare," Mailah said. "Like Liora suggested. We practice. We build up my tolerance and your control until we’re both confident it can be done safely."

"And if we reach the ceremony and I still can’t promise safety?" Grayson asked quietly.

Mailah considered this. "Then we do the human wedding and skip the supernatural binding. We find another way to prove our relationship to your world."

"That would make things complicated," Grayson said. "Without the binding ceremony, some demons will see you as less than a true mate. More vulnerable to challenges and claims."

"Let them try," Mailah replied with more confidence than she felt. "We’ve faced worse than disapproving demons."

His smile was soft and surprised. "You’re not afraid."

"I’m terrified," Mailah corrected. "But I’m also determined. We’re building something important here, Grayson. Something that could change how demons and humans relate to each other. If doing that requires facing my fear of feeding, then I’ll face it."

"You shouldn’t have to—"

"I want to," she interrupted. "Not because I think I should, or because it’s expected, but because I want to stand beside you in both worlds. And if that means letting you feed from me in front of witnesses, proving that trust and love can exist between demons and humans, then it’s worth the risk."

Grayson closed the remaining distance between them, his hands coming up to frame her face with reverent gentleness.

"How did I get so lucky?" he murmured. "To find you. To have you choose this impossible path with me."

"I ask myself that all the time," Mailah replied, rising on her toes to kiss him. "Except I’m usually wondering how you got stuck with someone who challenges every decision and can’t resist adopting traumatized humans."

His laugh was warm against her lips. "I wouldn’t have it any other way."

They kissed again, deeper this time, and Mailah felt some of the anxiety from the morning begin to ease. This was right. Complicated and dangerous and unprecedented, but right.

When they broke apart, Grayson rested his forehead against hers. "I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the wedding planner. You’re right—we should make these decisions together."

"Apology accepted," Mailah said. "But next time you want to surprise me with major life plans, maybe check in first?"

"Noted," he agreed. "Though I should mention—there might be a few other wedding-related surprises already in motion."

Mailah pulled back to look at him properly. "Define ’a few.’"

"I may have commissioned a dress," Grayson admitted. "And reserved a venue. And possibly contacted a caterer who specializes in inter-species dietary requirements."

"Grayson!"