The night seemed like a nightmare. Hailie couldn't sleep, harassed by aggressive thoughts about Lucien's true identity. She spent the whole night overthinking her every word and step since she met Lucien, who was actually Lust. She was trying to remember if there were any traces that could led her to the truth earlier. She couldn't find them in her mind. At last Hailie decided that it was pointless to spend one more minute thinking about Lust. He wasn't worth it. He wasn't worth her. It was such a mistake that they've kissed. Who kisses a demon? It was stupid and naive.

The morning came too fast. Hailie was so tired that she was honestly considering skipping classes. Then she realized that it meant staying in the house with Lust and other demons. At that thought she almost jumped out of the bed and got a new wave of energy.

After having a night full of images of her and Lust from the last three months, her day was all about Shane. As soon as she got to the college, she started to prepare a speech. How to tell someone that there are demons living with her in the house? It sounded crazy, but Hailie had a feeling that he would understand it. She could trust him. Maybe after all he was actually the only person she could trust. He had some secrets, but she believed that now she knew everything.

Classes seemed way too long than they really were. She was looking at her phone all the time, waiting for the end, until it finally came. Shane already wrote to her that he's waiting outside. She smiled and left the campus building. Both happiness and nervousness filled her, when she saw him. He looked like he felt exactly the same.

"I thought like dying out of boredom there," she tried to start with something funny. "And how was your work?"

"Full of worries," he gave her the look.

No, no, no. It's not time yet, she thought and walked closer to Shane.

There was already a plan made in her head how it's supposed to go.

"Honestly, I don't want to go for dinner anymore. I want to tell you something and I just wouldn't feel comfortable speaking about it in a restaurant full of people." What if someone heard them? She didn't want to be called crazy. Even if it was possible that she was already called like that behind her back.

"Sure, we can go to my place and I can cook something for us?" It was the sweetest thing to say, but Hailie shook her head. That wasn't in the plan. "Or we can go for a walk?" he tried again, seeing that his first proposition wasn't met with excitement.

"Perfect!" she exclaimed and wrapped her hand around his arm. "And we can go for dinner some other time, right? Or maybe you could cook for me tomorrow?" she timidly asked, hoping that after finding out about demons, Shane won't decide to draw back out of their relation.

"That's a promise then," he said, making her smile even wider.

It felt like all her problems disappeared, even if it wasn't true. Until now, she had no idea how much she needed to get out of this house, to walk with Shane and talk. In his presence she was safe and moreover, she felt comfortable.

Now she started to regret being mad at him for such a long time. Who needed that anyway? Both of them probably knew that she won't be able to stay angry for too long. They were too good together to not meet. Pride was Hailie's best friend, but with Shane it was also amazing.

The road they chose was going through a park. Right now, there weren't many people outside. It was dinner time, but because of so many unexpected events and stress Hailie wasn't hungry at all. Her wild emotions filled her body completely, leaving no place for anything else.

Hailie knew that it was time, when Shane asked, "Have you talked to your roommate, if I may ask?" He didn't call him Lucien, because that wasn't his real name anyway.

"He's not my roommate anymore." Or rather he never was. Demon, who pretended to be human. Maybe she shouldn't be so harsh on herself. Falling for Lust, even if it was only a little bit, wasn't as much stupid as pretending to be human. What kind of demon does that? Pathetic trick. And he also failed to hide it. 

"You kicked him out?" Shane stopped for a moment. He didn't expect after Hailie to be so fast and effective in getting rid of a liar, but on the other hand, she kicked Debra out too. The same day she found out about her relations with Declan. Where was that boy anyway?

"I don't think I can do that." What a shame, but it was more his house, than hers actually.

She started walking, leaving puzzled Shane behind. What happened then? He just moved out? It would be a smart decision.

"He told you anything about his true identity?"

Not him.

"To explain it all, I have to start from the beginning." She found a bench that was standing under an oak tree. It was better to sit down, while listening to this story. "From the day I moved into the house."

He took her by the hand, seeing that there was something seriously troubling her. Whatever she was about to say, he was here, ready to do everything he could to help her.

"I'm listening."

And so, she began to tell her story, not brave enough to look him in the eyes. She was playing with her fingers, while presenting him all the things that happened in the Bloody Mansion. How she found out about Pride and Tony, and then how they've turned out to be demons. Seven of them in total. Her story was very detailed, she didn't forget about a single thing she learned. Also, she was honest with all the murders. With those students, who went missing, but will never come back home. With Debra's suicide. And that Jayson was right, thinking that something happened to Declan after walking into the house. She hasn't talked with demons about that one, but it was clear as a bell that Declan was dead, because of them. Hailie wasn't sure if she wanted to find out what kind of death he had.

Telling all these things might've taken even more than an hour, but Shane didn't try to stop her. He listened with full focus, not saying a word that it sounded too impossible to be true.

At last, Hailie told him about Lucien, or Lust to be more concrete. It was mostly because of him that she found out his true identity. For a moment she was wondering if she should tell him about the old lady as well. After that moment of uncertainty, she decided that it wasn't that important for the story and that maybe she shouldn't spread her secrets.

Hailie dared to look at Shane only when she had nothing more to say. She waited in silence, until she raised her head, meeting his fixed gaze. He was intensively thinking about the words spoken and she was more than afraid that now he'll decide to leave her. Because why would he stay? This house meant trouble and was dangerous.

"So, the Bloody Mansion is haunted after all, but in a completely different way that everybody thinks," he said slowly, trying to find a sense in all that. "Demons, that's... peculiar."

"You don't believe me." She stopped tears that tried to fill her eyes.

"What? No! Of course, I believe you!" He caught her hand and made her look at him, in those amazing green eyes. "That's a lot to take in." He raised his hand to wipe Hailie's tears. "And I'm really worried about you. Living with demons? They might be friendly now, but for how long? I wouldn't forgive myself, if something happened to you on my watch."

She hugged into him, looking for a consolation.

"Pride wouldn't let anybody harm me. They've been protecting me."

"By killing others, that's not alright."

No, it wasn't. Hailie didn't try to find an explanation for their behavior. She just accepted that that's the way they were. She got too attached to this house. Maybe it didn't make any sense at all. Maybe it was an unhealthy and dangerous relation, but even if demons have done so many bad things, they were the best that happened to her. Well, not all of them. She was mostly grateful for Pride. Maybe a little bit for Greed, Tony, Sloth and Envy too. Everybody kept disappointing her, everybody was so awful to her. She didn't see a light in a tunnel, until she moved into the Bloody Mansion. She couldn't understand it or change it. That's just how it was. Now it was hard to imagine living without demons, or at least without some of them.

"They're not entirely bad," she dared to say. Sometimes they were doing good things too. "It's like I told you before. I'm safe there. It's everybody else, who are not. Including you, probably."

"And I'm supposed to just accept that you're living in a constant danger?" He was worried about her. Even if he would be ready to believe that her demonic friend named Pride was sincere, then he definitely refused to agree with Hailie living under the same roof with Lust.

"You're supposed to understand that it's my decision."

He sighed. Yes, it was her decision. He wasn't planning on doing anything against her. He might've been babbling about the downsides of staying in that house, but at the end of the day, the decision was up to Hailie. She clearly already made up her mind.

"You put a lot of faith in the demons," he stated, because most of the people wouldn't be so fine with getting friends with hellish creatures.

"Maybe. Probably. Who knows?"

He knew, but he didn't say anything else. Even if for him it sounded like a very bad idea, he couldn't give orders to Hailie. He could only stand by her and make sure that she'll be safe. Not only from demons, but also from Jayson.

"Let's go." She stood up and pulled him by the hand.

"Where are we going?" he asked, while following Hailie, who got a little bit excited.

"To the Bloody Mansion."

She wanted to show him that it was all true. And that he didn't have to be afraid that it was dangerous there.

Shane agreed to this idea, mostly because of pure curiosity. He believed Hailie and that's why he really wanted to see demons with his own eyes. She said that they looked just like humans, although there were sometimes strange vibes around them, just as if you subconsciously knew that whatever was standing beside you, wasn't human.

The park wasn't far away from Hailie's house, so they got there after fifteen minutes. Seeing the Bloody Mansion in the distance, made Shane feel uneasy. This house was a legend. He spent his entire life in this town. There were so many stories about this place. It was the main topic of every party, of every dare. But no one really ever guessed that it was inhabited by demons.

He stopped next to the front yard. Hailie told him that demons couldn't leave the grounds of the house. So, everybody was safe as long as they stayed away. He looked around. The neighborhood was quiet and empty. The only person he saw was an old lady from the house on the opposite side of the street.

"Are you coming?" asked Hailie, who was already at the door. She got scared that Shane decided to bail out, even thought that shouldn't surprise her.

Every reasonable man or woman would think twice before coming to the house haunted by creatures from Hell.

"Sure, I do." He made a step and then another, coming closer to Hailie. Even before knowing the truth, he just never liked being close to the house. "Here goes nothing."

They came inside, but nothing happened.

Of course, the demons can't know that I found out about them.

Hailie caught him by the hand and looked at him like she was asking if he was ready. Shane nodded, waiting for the meeting with demons. It felt surreal, but for him it was always obvious that there was something wrong with the house. He had his answer.

"Pride! Please, show up, I told Shane about you."

"Have you told him about others of us too?" Envy appeared instead of Pride.

Shane didn't make a move, like he wasn't scared at all by her presence. He was just glancing at her, trying to make sense out of something that didn't have sense. Hailie thought that he took it quite well.

"Envy," he guessed, having in mind the description given by Hailie.

"And Pride." The blond girl appeared just at his right side. She had a big smile on her face, and she came closer to shake his hand in a friendly way. "Nice to finally meet you in a proper way!"

"Yeah, well I took you for a human the first time we met." And she still looked like one.

"Uh-oh, you're trying to play tough, but you're kind of thrown out of balance, aren't you?" asked Envy, analyzing his feelings, which were way too clear to her.

He might've tried to hide it, but she was seeing right through him.

"Ladies, you've got to forgive me, but I'm not used to talking with demons. Right now, I'm honestly feeling like it was all just a crazy dream and Hailie is the only one making me feel sane." He caught her hand tighter, telling himself once again that it was real.

"It's a lot to take in, we know," said Pride. "That's why we should keep it-"

"Up to meeting the three of us. Hi, sweetheart, I'm Gluttony, but you can call me Tony." A plump man appeared in the hall as well, making it too much for Shane. He was surrounded by demons and he had no idea what to think about it. He expected them to have some hellish features, something that would make them evil instantly, but they've looked harmless. Maybe except for Envy. There was something scary in her. "Oh, too much?"

Shane got a little bit dizzy. Demons must've sensed it, because Pride ordered, "Okay, enough for now, leave me with Hailie and Shane."

"But I just came!" Gluttony wasn't too happy about leaving so soon. He wanted to talk with Shane some more. Hailie told him that Shane was cooking for her, when she stayed for a week in his apartment, and that the food was marvelous. Gluttony wanted to find out about those amazing recipes!

"Later, Tony, later." There was no way to object to Pride's will. Gluttony was unhappy, but he vanished, along with Envy. "Now, Shane, you're always welcomed here, but only in Hailie's constant presence. Don't you ever come here on your own."

"Why not?" Hailie and Shane asked the exact same question.

"Because of Lust. There's a lot of things you have to find out about him, but the most important is, he hates Shane. Hates him quite deadly."

"He wouldn't-"

"Oh, he would." Pride gave Hailie a sad look. It was naive of her to think that Lust would've cared about her feelings and emotions at all. If he ever got the chance, Pride was sure that he would kill Shane.

"See, I wasn't wrong about him." Shane was glad to be right at least about that one thing. He knew that his intuition didn't lead him in the wrong way. Lust was a bad guy, a murderous one.

"Lovely, I think we're gonna be in the anti-Lust team," chuckled Pride. "Now, I can see you Tony! Oh my, he's totally spying on us."

He appeared again and rolled his eyes. Why couldn't Pride stay quiet? But maybe it was better she spoke up, now he could tell them what he was thinking all this time. Pride frowned, because he had one of his horrible crime committed poses. He took a big breath and dared to say with the highest incomprehension of all, "Those two didn't have dinner."

For a second there was just dead silence, but then suddenly Shane burst into laughing.

"The guy has a point."

Gluttony clapped in his hands.

"Then we have the deal! I'm going to make us a quick dinner. Meet me in the kitchen."

Hailie blinked a few times, wondering how it came to having dinner with demons and Shane at once. She made a movement of her head, quietly showing Pride to go to the kitchen. She understood that Hailie wanted a few minutes alone with Shane.

"If you want to go home-"

"And miss all the fun?" he asked jokily, but then decided to be honest with Hailie, because she was seriously worried about him. "It's a lot to take in, but I think I'm fine. At least for now. Besides, no way I'm leaving you alone here. I'm afraid that starting with today, you're going to see me quite frequently."

The first shook passed away. Maybe it would be harder if he didn't believe in the supernatural. In this town it was hard to believe otherwise. Nobody could prove it, but the stories about ghosts became something natural to talk about. He was sure that there wasn't a single person in this town, who would claim that ghosts aren't real.

Those were demons, not ghosts, but close enough to deal with it. He needed time to figure it out in his head and to do that he had to spend more time with demons. He had to get to know them to be sure that Hailie was safe here.

"I'd like that very much," she said honestly, because some part of her missed Shane.

"Seeing me every day?" He moved closer to Hailie, who also stepped ahead.

"I'm so lucky to have you." After sharing her secrets with Shane, she felt even more attached and attracted to him. She decided not to overthink her actions too much and see what happens. Her eyes slowly closed as she climbed on tiptoes. 

"Then it makes me the luckiest man on Earth, and everywhere else." He hugged her waist and leaned with a rapid heartbeat in his chest.

The moment their lips met, it was like fireworks shooting in the sky. The kiss was delicate and calm at the beginning, like Shane didn't want to scare her with his hidden desire and passion. But after sharing one kiss, they couldn't stop themselves and with every other kiss, they became thirstier. Shane caught her tighter, but not too tightly. He was so gentle with her, but at the same time fiery and emotional. She gave in completely to the feeling that took over her body. First time in her life she felt completely safe and certain of what she was doing. There was no mistake. She wanted to be right here, right now with Shane, to taste his lips and hug into his warm, muscular body. She wasn't scared or insecure, because there was no doubt that Shane would never hurt her. There wasn't a need for words. With this kiss she already knew all his emotions.

Waiting for Hailie to be ready felt like the longest duration in his life but having her so close and tasting her lips was worth it, or even more. She was so tiny in his arms that he had a desire to hold her like that forever, to keep her safe from any harm. Just a thought of something happening to her felt like a horrible heartbreak.

"Guys, are you coming?" Pride walked to the hall and stopped with eyes wide open, when she saw them. That was not what she was expecting, it was even better. "Or actually have as much time as you want." She started walking backwards, but the kiss was already interrupted.

Both Shane and Hailie were laughing and hugging each other at the same time.

"We're coming," promised Hailie, while Shane spun her around, making her laugh even more.

She felt like dancing and singing, but at the same time she had so many other emotions in her heart. The kiss was perfect, but she couldn't forget the kiss she shared with Lust. They both were so different, but pleasant at the same time.

Shhh, don't think about him, she ordered herself, because he was not worth any minute of her precious time.

She had to forget and focus on how good she felt with Shane. Hailie was truly happy, while being with him. All these days they've spent in his apartment, she could imagine them spending even more time together.

"Come, I need to cheer you up." Shane took Hailie in his arms, seeing that for a moment sadness took over her. Along with his tickles, all sorrow disappeared. She was glad that he finally got to know the truth about the house.

They went to the kitchen, having no idea that in the hall were standing two figures, who watched from the beginning this ridiculous, in their opinion, scene. While other demons might've liked Shane, they were the only ones, who sincerely hated him.

"Are you gonna just watch how another man is stealing your girl?" Wrath asked, because even though he loved Pride a lot, he was at the same Lust's best friend.

"In our house," whispered Lust through clenched teeth. He was trying his best to be indifferent to Hailie's rejection, but seeing her being kissed by another man so soon was too much. All the anger he was trying to keep on side rose in him like a wave. He squeezed his fists so tight his knuckles turned white. It was hard not to walk to the kitchen, take a knife and finish the problem once and for all. He couldn't do it and that made him even angrier. "Whatever," Lust said roughly, deciding not to give in to those stupid emotions. He was a demon. He shall not care about some stupid humans.

"You can deny how much you want." Wrath snapped his fingers, making Lust look at him. "But  you can't hide your fury from me. The intensity of negative emotions I sense from you, it's not something a person, who doesn't care, feels."

"What do you want me to do?" he almost yelled, getting irritated. It's not like he wanted to feel it all.

"Do whatever you want." Wrath smiled and moved away from Lust. "We both know what that is." He put two fingers to his head and pulled the invisible trigger. "So, what are you going to do with Officer Blackwell?"