Stolen by Her Demon King Mate

“Aria, why would you want to stay in a place like this?” Emilio asked with a look of dissatisfaction buried in his gaze. He sat up in the bed and the blanket around him fell into his lap. “You think you’re worth so much because you’re blessed by Satan but so are the rest of us,” he referred to our community.  Ordinary demons weren’t blessed with abilities, but we were some of the rare demons who were. We stuck together. “I’d be happy here. It’d be better than running,” I said softly.  I didn’t have a home past the age of eight. My people traveled but I never felt very happy going from place to place. We were the last of our kind and we traveled for our own protection.  Emilio scoffed before responding, “It’s pathetic that you think you could live a happy life here. You’re going to end up dead like the others.” He gripped my wrist and pulled me into bed. I was sitting up with my bottom against his bulge and my knees on either side of him. “If you end up dead then who’s going to help me out the way you do?” he smirked, and it triggered my jaw to clench from how uncomfortable he made me with myself.  My body ached from the last few times I ‘helped him out.’ I pushed away from him, so I was sitting on my knees next to him on the bed. “You don’t need that from me Emilio.”  He was blessed with the ability to get energy from s****l activity. His ability was similar to mine, but I wasn’t considered a succubus, while he was an incubus. “It’s a lot more fun than sleeping or eating,” He uttered as he grasped my waist and pulled me onto his lap in one movement. The hold he had on me was too tight as usual.  I grabbed his hands and tried to loosen his grip, but they didn’t budge. He was definitely going to leave another scar.  “This was nice before, but we really should be looking for our mates.” What would mine think of me if he saw me right now? I wasn’t actually focused on finding my mate but what I was doing with Emilio was getting out of hand. A gasp escaped my mouth when Emilio flung me off the bed onto the dirty small hotel room floor in rage “Your mate won’t want something as worn down and used as you are Aria.” I groaned from the pain and slowly stood up but he pushed me down with his foot on my way up. “You’re the reason we’re in as much danger as we are. You owe me more than what you’ve been giving me,” he spat. I made my way to the bathroom as he walked out the room. I stared in the grimy mirror at the previous bruises Emilio left on my body. I wasn’t as frail as his scars made me look. Luckily with my clothes on you couldn’t notice them. I missed the comfort he used to represent. I didn’t feel as emotionally hurt from his words or actions anymore. I only felt shame and I felt trapped. After I took a cold shower and dressed, I met our community outside the hotel. I handed my mother an enchanted necklace. “Aria how many times have I explained this to you?” My mother asked, “We can’t stay in one place.” She tried to hand me the necklace back, but I refused to take it.  Staying here wouldn’t only force me to leave Emilio, but maybe I’d find what I wanted to live for. I pouted and said, “I know and I’m not asking you guys to. I want to go off on my own.” I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. “My abilities are enough for me to keep myself protected. I trusted the people in this town.” My mother scoffed before responding, “They aren’t but even if they were we wouldn’t leave you here. We’re a family. The rest of the group is your family too, not just me and your brothers. I want you to remember that.” She put the necklace back around my neck. “What would Courtney say if she saw you without this Aria? What would she say if she knew you wanted to stay?” She rubbed my arms affectionately. The sigh that escaped my lips made my guilt evident. “Mom I know,” I mumbled as I lowered my head. This was the sixth time my mother talked me into staying with the others and she always did it in the same way. She always brought up Courtney...  “With all of this traveling, you’ll find your mate soon,” she tried to encourage me with her words. I didn’t care about finding my mate like this. I didn’t think anything would change. If I found my mate it’s not like I could stay in their hometown with them. They’d have to come to travel with us.  My mom says we travel because of the demons who want to take advantage of our power and take it. Emilio thinks we travel because of how big a target I am for attacks. Low-class demons usually went after me but there weren't many in the cities or towns of the demon realm. They were only in forests, mountains, deserts, or outside the kingdom in no man’s land. The prophecy that a few believed to be about me was also another excuse my mother used to insist that I stay with her and the others.  I followed her to the people of our community then I walked to my best friend. “No luck?” Vey asked. “Nope.” Vey and her family have been a part of our community since the beginning. Whenever we come across demons like us, they joined us. We’ve lost just as many people as we gained. Not all died, some went into hiding in one place while others took their chances and tried to live a normal life in a city or town.  “I’m staying,” she aounced to me. I couldn’t help but feel jealous. Vey and I decided to ask our parents at the same time. We were planning to stay together. “That’s great, Vey, I hope you're happy.”  Vey grabbed my hand. “I’m really sorry you can’t stay with me," she apoligized. "My mate doesn’t want to travel so if I can stay I should. My parents said since I’m 21 the decision is my own.” I was the same age as Vey but my mother still saw me as a child. I forced a laugh. “Hey, don’t worry about it. I know why you have to stay,” I said. I never thought about what would happen if my mate didn’t want to travel. Maybe I’d be rejected. “Be happy with your mate and make a life for yourself. Here.” I reached into my pocket and handed her a crystal. “Courtney gave me this, she says it’s from the human realm. Keep this to remember me.”  She stared at the crystal that was now in her hand then spoke, “Okay but I know this is the most meaningful crystal in your collection so I’m going to return it. That means we have to meet again, Ari.” She hugged me. I wanted to break down in her arms, but I didn’t want to make this goodbye harder for her. The hug lasted as long as I needed it to. I absorbed all the comfort that was essential to me for now. “I wish you had a phone so we could stay in contact that way.” Mom and some of the others thought phones were a bad idea. We needed to be disconnected from the world because we were running from it. “Promise me you’ll stay away from Emilio,” she requested so I did promise in a higher pitch than usual. After I said goodbye to Vey, I felt even more incomplete. We left that town by train at midnight. No one else was on the train and that was the idea. Eventually, one woman did get on the train, and she stared at me. She was tall and her horns curved downward.  My mother got worried, but we got off the train not after long. “Are you okay?” My mom’s concern shined brightly. “Her stare almost killed me,” I said sarcastically. I was frustrated because Vey was gone and starting to live the life I wanted. “I’m sorry-“ “It’s fine Aria, I get it.” We were waiting for the next train in a windy dark train station. I was pacing while my brothers ran around me playing tag. I caught the youngest one as he almost tripped over himself. “Hey, be careful,” I warned. The youngest was seven. His big eyes looked thankful. “Can you play with us Ari? Please, please, please,” He begged so I did. I played tag with my three brothers, and it made me forget about my troubles. Playing and talking to them always did. Maybe I’d be fine without Vey and be able to stay away from Emilio because of them.  When I decided to take a break from playing, I saw a young boy with an even younger girl who could have been his sister. I looked to the left and mom was asleep in the seat next to me. Some of the others weren't asleep but they weren’t paying attention to me. I got up and walked to the two kids. “Are you guys okay?” They looked exhausted.  The boy nodded but the rest of his demeanor conveyed the opposite. “We’re heading home after playing.” His eyes wouldn’t meet mine. “We got a little lost and went further than we’re supposed to.” Neither of them looked older than twelve and the girl had bruises. I kneeled and held out my hand. “I’m a vibration demon. If you put your hand on mine, I wouldn’t mind sharing some of my energy with you.” I smiled. The boy looked at his little sister and she nodded. He put his hand on my palm and closed my eyes to transfer my energy to him. I opened my eyes, and he looked a lot less tired. “Wow, thanks.” I wanted to thank him for protecting his sister because that’s what he was clearly doing but that’s nothing he needed thanks from a stranger for. Even though the girl had obviously been through a lot, she clung to her brother with trust in him and spoke to him cheerfully as they walked. I admired the young boy. They made me feel bad for wanting to leave my brothers. When I stood up and turned around my mom was awake and frowning. “Aria,” was all she said.  Our community decided that we wouldn’t use our abilities because it would draw attention. There are a lot of people who’d want to get their hands on an energy source like myself because I was rarer than other vibration blessed demons. Despite that it’s not like I was an unlimited energy source, I wasn’t.  I sat next to her and we didn’t speak for the rest of the night.  We checked into a hotel in the next city. We’d probably stay for a few weeks before leaving.  “No,” I said to Emilio as he stood at my door. “If you need energy, you can sleep or I could transfer some to you my way instead of yours.” I made a promise to someone important to me so I needed to keep it. “Come on Aria. I’ll miss you too much and you know you’ll miss me too. I won’t be too rough.” It wasn’t the first time he made that claim. Emilio looked as if he was going to force his way in but there were others walking past him in the hall behind him. “Pathetic,” he muttered before he left.  I closed and locked the door. I spent the morning crying until I heard knocking on my door. Something didn’t seem right about the knock, so I didn’t answer the door. I walked to the bathroom and closed the door and stared in the mirror. “I’m alive but… simultaneously I’m not alive at all.”  My breathing slowed and I hung my head. I wanted to be happy about what I did have but it was hard. My eyes widened when I heard a knock but this time it was on my bathroom door. Someone got into my room, but I didn’t understand how.  “Mom?” There was no response, so I spoke again, “Emilio, if you leave me alone after one last time… maybe-” I jumped back as I was interrupted by the door being broken down. It wasn’t my mom or Emilio. It was a strange-looking man and woman.  I didn’t know this at the time but even though I didn’t feel loved then, I would after I met him.