Revealing the Monster
Author: Amelia Hutchins
Date: 2000-01-01 05:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Fantasy; Paranormal; Romance; Witches; Paranormal Romance; Dark; Fae; Demons; Fantasy Romance; Adult
Description: I ended my life to protect Lucian from his enemies. It should have been the hardest decision to make, but it wasn’t. Now I find that Lucian kept even more secrets, deadly ones that threaten to destroy me. I thought I won the game that he and Katarina played, but he’s never stopped shuffling the pieces on the board. Even so, I’ve found peace in his violence and learned to accept my fate within his embrace. As our enemies are revealed, and worlds crashed down into ours, everything is on the line again. Could we survive his latest betrayal, or would it destroy us all? Lena wasn’t supposed to pay

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty-One

Chapter Forty-Two

Revealing the Monster

By Amelia Hutchins

Copyright ©July 27, 2021 Amelia Hutchins

ISBN: 978-1-952712-09-8

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book in its entirety and in portions is the sole property of Amelia Hutchins.

Revealing the Monster Copyright©2021 by Amelia Hutchins. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.  No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic, paperback or mechanical without the express written permission of the author. The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law.  Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.

This eBook/Paperback is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to the place of purchase and buy your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

Authored By: Amelia Hutchins

Cover Art Design:  Eerily Designs

Copy edited by: Melissa Burg

Edited by: Melissa Burg

Published by: Amelia Hutchins

Published in (United States of America)

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Warning

This book is dark. It’s sexy, hot, and intense. The author is human, just as you are. Is the book perfect? It’s as perfect as I could make it. Are there mistakes? Probably, then again, even New York Times top published books have minimal mistakes because, like me, they have human editors. There are words in this book that are not in the standard dictionary because they were created to set the stage for a paranormal-urban fantasy world. Words in this novel are common in paranormal books and give better descriptions to the action in the story than other words found in standard dictionaries. They are intentional and not mistakes.

About the hero: chances are you may not fall instantly in love with him, that’s because I don’t write men you instantly love; you grow to love them. I don’t believe in instant love. I write flawed, raw, caveman-like assholes that eventually let you see their redeeming qualities. They are aggressive assholes, one step above a caveman when we meet them. You may not even like him by the time you finish this book, but I promise you will love him by the end of this series.

About the heroine: There is a chance you might think she’s a bit naïve or weak, but then again, who starts out as a badass? Badass women are a product of growth, and I am going to put her through hell, and you get to watch her come up swinging every time I knock her on her ass. That’s just how I do things. How she reacts to the set of circumstances she is put through may not be how you as the reader, or I, as the author would react to that same situation. Everyone reacts differently to circumstances and how she responds to her challenges is how I see her as a character and as a person.

I don’t write love stories: I write fast-paced, knock you on your ass, make you sit on the edge of your seat wondering what is going to happen next in the books. If you’re looking for cookie-cutter romance, this isn’t for you. If you can’t handle the ride, unbuckle your seatbelt and get out of the roller-coaster car now. If not, you’ve been warned. If nothing outlined above bothers you, carry on and enjoy the ride!

FYI, this is not a romance novel. They’re going to kick the shit out of each other, and if they end up together, well, that’s their choice. If you are going into this blind, and you complain about abuse between two creatures that are NOT human, well, that’s on you. I have done my job and given a warning.

Dedication

This one is for all the people who ran out of fucks to give this year. Thank you to my fans, who have been considerate and understanding of the chaos I’ve been dealing with these past few months. Thank you for understanding that I am human, and death sort of knocks the wind out of my sails. For the haters who read everything I write and then complain about it, spending hours liking the critical reviews, could you maybe put that time into adding positivity to the world? There’s enough ugliness in this place. We really don’t need more.

To my author friends, who are too many to name, I love you, ladies! You make this Indie Author world a better place by being in it.

To everyone who has lost family in 2021, we’re going to get through this together. We’ve got this!

To the new author reading this, you can do it. Anything worth doing isn’t easy. It’s supposed to be terrifying. You’re about to embark on a journey, and adventures are always daunting and scary at first. I promise you that it is worth it. Follow your dreams and ignore the haters. You know you’ve made it when they hate you so much that they get stuck on Goodreads, commenting on every single review.

Signed, that one author bitch who doesn’t give two fucks because she’s too damn tired, and all her fucks were already given out this year.

Books by Amelia Hutchins along with reading order for series

Legacy of the Nine Realms

Flames of Chaos

Ashes of Chaos

Ruins of Chaos

Crown of Chaos - 2021

The Fae Chronicles

Fighting Destiny

Taunting Destiny

Escaping Destiny

Seducing Destiny

Unraveling Destiny

Embracing Destiny

Crowning Destiny

Finished Series

The Elite Guards

A Demon’s Dark Embrace

Claiming the Dragon King

The Winter Court

A Demon’s Plaything

A Guardian’s Diary

Darkest Before Dawn

Death before Dawn

Midnight Rising -TBA

Playing with Monsters series

Playing with Monsters

Sleeping with Monsters

Becoming his Monster

Revealing the Monster

Finished Series

Wicked Knights

Oh, Holy Knight

If She’s Wicked

Book Three -TBA

MIDNIGHT COVEN BOOKS

Forever Immortal

Immortal Hexes

Midnight Coven

Finished Serial Series

If you’re following the Fae Chronicles, Elite Guards, and Monsters series, the reading order is as follows.

Fighting Destiny

Taunting Destiny

Escaping Destiny

Seducing Destiny

A Demon’s Dark Embrace

Playing with Monsters

Unraveling Destiny

Sleeping with Monsters

Claiming the Dragon King

Oh, Holy Knight

Becoming his Monster

A Demon’s Plaything

The Winter Court

If She’s Wicked

Embracing Destiny

Crowning Destiny

Revealing the Monster

Chapter One

And so it has begun. The beginning of the end. ~LB

Lucian

I peered out over the piles of burning bodies, left as a warning to the mortals. Most humans had hidden from the destruction unleashed on this world, slinking into the shadows. It was a total shit-show here, with demons and monsters that had no business running unchecked. There were more corpses than breathing people in this once-bustling town on the Idaho/Washington border.

The acrid scent of sulfur and death fought for dominance in the air, the tang of blood a soothing undertone. Another smell loomed just beyond what human senses could pick up—dark, wicked magic that clung to the city. Something was here, something that wasn’t supposed to be in this world.

Turning toward my men, I watched as they dispatched the few demons in our vicinity. Lucifer had gone to ground, hiding beyond the veil between here and Hell. He’d relentlessly started hunting Lena, pulling her to him the moment her mind slipped into stasis to rest. I intended to find the prick and rip his spine out through his mouth.

Spyder swung his blade wide, severing a giant demon into three chunks with the speed that the fuck head hadn’t seen coming. Snorting, I grinned as Spyder tilted his head at the horde of demons moving closer. It was an endless task, dispatching these sorry pricks back to hell. Lifting my hand, I closed my fist and watched with satisfaction as they imploded. Pieces of their bodies sprayed into the air, becoming red mist, painting the ground beneath our feet, but the five seconds of pleasure it took to slaughter them were short-lived. This was the fifth horde we’d removed from the streets of Spokane today.

“You know, when you do that shit, it’s no fun. They die without feeling a damn thing,” Spyder complained, frowning like he’d been denied a good fuck.

“We’re wasting time here. I promised Lena we’d find Makenna, and there’s been no sight of her for weeks. Lucifer is hiding, and I want to know where. I want to end this problem and the issue he poses for Lena. For fuck’s sake, Erie had the Prince of Lust in her fucking freezer, and she let his ass out to steal Lucifer’s army. I want scouts out looking for the prick and his brothers. If anyone knows where to find Lucifer, it’s his generals and the minions he’s kept on a tight leash over the centuries. Lucifer’s a creature of habit, and he couldn’t be too far away if he’s able to pull Lena to him when she enters stasis.”

“You told Lena what we are?” Spyder asked, wiping his blade down, even though the flames burned the blood, cleaning the dagger of the filth left from the demons.

“I did.” Eyeing Spyder, I cracked my neck, exhaling, remembering Lena’s shock at learning exactly with whom she’d fallen in love.

I didn’t doubt how she felt about me, because Lena had proven it to me. She’d sacrificed her life and that of our child to protect me and her world. Lena was a storm that I hadn’t even sensed coming until I’d been standing in the eye, unable to escape. That little witch had knocked me on my ass and shown me what true love was without ever having to say the words. I both resented and respected her for it, which sat like a boulder in my chest.

“How’d she take it?” Spyder cocked his head to the side, studying my expression. The smirk playing on his mouth pissed me off. But I let it go because he’d been beside me since the forging of this world through the blood of the gods.

“First, there was screaming and then denial. After that, Lena wouldn’t stop staring at me, and she babbled incoherently for a while. I’m certain she’s reconsidering whose dick she’s been riding. Lena is a rare breed though, we both know that. She is coming around and hasn’t tried to remove herself from my dick yet, so that’s a good sign. Not that I’d allow her to get off of it.”

“So, she took it well,” Spyder laughed sinisterly, noticing Vlad, who moved out of the shadows, heading straight for us. “Vampire, good to see you’re not dead yet.”

“Here’s the information you requested, Lucian. It isn’t much, but we got a few demons to admit that Lucifer is in the veil, just no specifics on where he is hiding. I’m not sure even they know where he actually is anymore.” Vlad’s swirling silver eyes moved faster than normal as he folded his arms over his broad chest, tilting his head to the side. “I’m not confident it’s enough details to help you find Makenna, though.”

“There’s been no confirmation that the child lives,” I muttered, glancing down at the ramblings of notes containing information that Vlad’s girls had got from their clientele by fucking them. Sex clubs had perks, and most of them came from the mouths of men or creatures not thinking anything of a woman riding a cock, asking questions. It was one reason I’d opened up several sex clubs from coast to coast, collecting intelligence on my enemies. My clubs allowed me to enjoy the best of both worlds, making it easier to slip my world into this one. “I hope Lucifer has some fucking heart left. If not, Makenna might already be dead. It would destroy Lena if that were the case.”

I’d forced the furies to return the full function of Magdalena’s emotions, even though Nyx and the other soulless beings told her she didn’t have them. Lena hadn’t completely lost all of her emotions, probably because she had managed to keep a sliver of her soul, which Hades had ensured upon her death. The rest of that soul was in my possession now, but with the seal still within Lena, she wouldn’t be able to hold any more than a tangible piece of it.

“I fear that, too. Lena has had enough people taken away from her in a very short time. We all have. Fucking wars are bloodbaths, and I know we’re still in the midst of one. Kahleena remains missing, and Syn has started hunting for her, even in her pregnant state. Luckily, Ryder and Zahruk are searching as well, never leaving Syn alone in her precarious position. I just hope that they’re having more luck than we are,” Vlad stated, pushing his fingers through his dark hair. “Any luck finding information about their daughter on your end?”

“I have my people looking for any sign of Kahleena and Makenna.” I’d promised to keep my ear to the ground for any news about Ryder and Syn’s daughter. No one inside this world would be stupid enough to fuck with Kahleena, let alone brag about stealing the High Princess of the Fae. Luckily for us, I had enough connections that there wasn’t anywhere I couldn’t reach for information, not even Hell.

“Do you think Kahleena is in this world?” Vlad asked, studying me.

“I think she might be in Hell,” I admitted as he exhaled. “That was my thoughts exactly on the matter. I have heard whisperings that one of the dark princes stole a princess, but not whom or why they did it. Until I confirm the rumor, I wouldn’t tell Ryder. He and Synthia have lost enough, and the fae don’t belong in the Underworld, searching the dark corners. I have men looking into it, and the moment I hear back, Ryder and Syn will know what I do.”

“I never thought that you showing up here would be a blessing, Lucian,” Vlad scoffed, sliding his gaze to Spyder, who had crossed his arms over his chest, watching us. “Still don’t, assholes. I’m just glad you guys ended up on our side. If I learn anything, I’ll holler.”

“Have you seen Erie lately?” Spyder asked cautiously.

“She was here about an hour ago. She created that pile of bodies and then left before Callaghan showed up on her heels. His people have begun showing signs of the sickness, believed to be tied to the curse. Some have died already. Callaghan is getting desperate, and Erie is enjoying the fight more than anything else.”

My attention shifted to the corpses Erie had placed in sexual poses. Snorting, I shook my head. Crazy bitch. She’d fought beside Synthia with nothing covering her naked breasts, never missing a beat, as if the world hadn’t changed around her. Lena had stopped mid-battle, studying Erie before peering down at her leather-clad body in the armor I had made for her. The idea of Lena doing the same as Erie made my balls tighten. Then I’d noticed the crowd of men watching Erie and pushed that need aside before baring my teeth at the bastards. Erie may not be mine, but she was like a fucking sister to me. A crazy sister, but we went back past this world and others.

“I’m returning to Lena. No offense, but I prefer her company to yours, Vampire.”

“I agree, Lucian. I’d fancy her pretty face to yours any day of the week.” Vlad bowed his head before heading back to Shadowlands, the only club left in Spokane that still stood untouched. He had Synthia and Erie place magical wards around it, creating a moving sanctuary for those in need. If humans or anything close to it tried to enter, Vlad would send their asses to Alden, and he would put them into training for the newly opened guild.

I vanished, appearing in the shadows, noting that Lena had changed out of her armor. Her caramel-colored hair was up tonight, and a few stray strands framed her heart-shaped face. Wide blue eyes with tiny flecks of green peered up at the ceiling of Club Chaos, which mirrored the night sky just for her. Lena wasn’t simply pretty; she was ethereally gorgeous. Her ample breasts pushed against her tight shirt, complementing the thin skirt that outlined her narrow hips. There was still an emptiness to her that wouldn’t be filled until I righted her world, and I fucking would. There was no universe where Lena didn’t get everything she wanted, not after everything she’d given up. I wished I could tell her about our son, but I had to be cautious, keeping my cards close to my chest to play out carefully. I wouldn’t chance to lose her over how I’d obtained him.

Harbinger was tiny and perfect, just like his mother. Lena needed to give him a suitable name that didn’t represent what he was foretold to become. He may have been born to be the harbinger, but that didn’t mean he would fulfill the prophecy.

War created monsters, and the most evil of beings became that way because of something that triggered them. Lena was the mother of my child, and I didn’t think for one moment she could create anything evil. She was pure and untainted by hatred, even after everything she’d endured. Nah, Magdalena Fitzgerald wouldn’t allow her son to become the end of this pathetic fucking rock, because this was her home. She’d get the opportunity to raise our son right, and she’d love him no matter what type of monster he was or could become.

Harbinger was in my world, waiting for us to bring him his cousin, whom he would call sister.

The thought of Lena being in my home caused my chest to tighten with unfamiliar emotions. Lifting my hand, I pressed it against my chest to still the pounding of my heart. Turquoise eyes slid toward me, and I smiled. Lena still needed some time to adjust. It wasn’t every day you learned the man you were with wasn’t even close to being human.

“Creeper,” Lena called to me, her attention moving back to the night skies. “Find anything?”

“No, but we’ll find Makenna. If I have to bring Hell to its knees and turn it inside out to get her back, I will,” I murmured against Lena’s ear, appearing beside her with a mere thought from my mind. She leaned back, melting into my body. “I missed you.” Blowing out the air she’d been holding without realizing it, her fingers slid through mine, clutching me against her.

“I know. I felt you.” Lena angled her head to the side, looking up at me. “How’s Spyder?” Her heartbeat echoed, rising to a rapid beat with her question.

“He’s in pain because of the bond he still carries, but he’s adjusting. He’ll come around, eventually.”

That fucking bond haunted me. Spyder was suffering, and we’d found no way to release him. It seemed the more we tried to break it, the worse it became. Lena had cemented the bond between her and me. In doing so, she’d mated me, and through the bond, she’d unknowingly claimed Spyder, cursing him to an endless cycle of pain.

Did I want them together? No. But through the bond, Spyder was cursed to feel us every time I was with her. I wanted him beside me. Instead, he spent his nights away from us, getting drunk and cursing the magic that continued to bind us all together. There were ways to break the bond without physical contact, but they were iffy. And on the flip side, Lena wasn’t into being shared.

Lena felt Spyder as much as she felt me, which meant there were three of us in this relationship, and worse, he wore the same fucking claiming mark I had from her. Poor bastard couldn’t even fuck someone without killing them because of the bonding. Lena had unknowingly claimed the fucker as her mate, just as sure as she’d claimed me, and neither one of us wanted her to know it yet.

Telling Lena wouldn’t fix the problem or change what she’d done. She hadn’t even realized she was claiming me. Claiming both of us through the bond with her dark magic wasn’t something that had ever been done. Furies didn’t mate, nor did they ever wish to be tied to one partner. They were sexual beings, just like the demon that had created them. We’d changed their history to prevent anyone from figuring out what the three original furies held within them and represented.

“We have to fix it. Whatever it takes, Lucian, both Spyder, and Makenna. Kendra’s soul is in limbo, and that’s because of me. She never thought I’d fail in protecting Makenna. I’ve already lost one child. I cannot live with losing her daughter too.” Turning toward me, Lena pushed up on her toes to claim my lips, sending a coil of need racing to my stomach and balls. Her hands twisted and clung onto my suit jacket as she rested her head against my chest. Placing a soft kiss on the top of her sweetly scented hair, I smiled at the innocent gesture.

Lena had a way of making the simplest action into something sexual. Both parts of her, fury and woman, were sexual beings. Together they were sin wrapped in a delicious package I wanted and needed to consume. Lena had given up on shying away from her sexuality. It was as if without a soul, she no longer clung to her human moral code.

“We’ll figure out how to find Makenna and fix Spyder, too. You’re mine now, and that means Makenna is mine to protect as well. No matter how hard it is, we will do what we must so that we’re all spared the pain. I want Spyder with us again and for him to be over you. I’m tired of sharing you with him, Lena. I’m also done playing with Lucifer. When I find him, I will cage him. You will be the one holding the key and will decide his sentence.”

“I wish we could kill him,” she admitted, and I growled in approval at the softly whispered bloodlust filling her words. I lowered my hands, settling around her waist to grind her against the growing erection her savagery created within me.

“If there were a way to do it and fix Heaven and Hell, I would rip that asshole to pieces and eat him just so I could shit him out,” I admitted.

“I don’t know why, but that was really sexy,” she chuckled, wrapping her arms around me and squeezing. My arms tightened around her, and I peered up into the galaxies of stars exposed through the club’s vast, newly built ceiling.

This woman was my world. Lena claimed me with a kiss and a firm tongue lashing that had pissed me off. She’s put me in my place from the moment I’d met her, never faltering in her conviction of what she deserved. She’d been this fierce, tiny witch with so much attitude that I’d wanted to fuck it out of her.

I’d only planned to taste her once, but deep down, I knew it wouldn’t be enough, and I was right. Creatures like me didn’t fall in love, but with Lena, she’d rocked my very foundation. She’d walked right in and crumbled the walls I’d placed around my world like some fucking wrecking ball.

Then she’d fucking died, and my entire world stopped turning. I was empty without her. For the first time since my creation, I felt at a loss for what to do. I’d wanted to destroy the entire world, to leave it an empty, lifeless void matching how I’d felt without her shining turquoise eyes or sweetly scented body next to mine. I’d felt weak, and I’d never experienced that before meeting Lena.

Now, she held my heart in her palm, and I never wanted it back. Inhaling her scent, I relaxed into the soothing fragrance of midnight mixed with magic. Fucking witches, they tended to grab you and hold on to your throat, burrowing under your skin until nothing else mattered, and nothing else ever would.

There was no world where Magdalena Fitzgerald wasn’t mine, not even when she figures out what I had done to save our son. If she tried to leave me, it would be a fight to keep her. I’d destroy the world she loved, forcing her to come with me to be mine.

Whatever it took.

Whatever I had to do, I’d do it twice.

I’d pay the price, and she and my son would be mine until the end of time.

I released Lena, watching as she moved toward a booth, realizing that pain was rippling through her once more. How would she handle the knowledge that I was the one who had allowed her entire bloodline to die? That I’d stood idly by, knowing death was coming for them? Her tiny frame slipped into the booth, and her arms folded onto the smooth surface of the table before she lowered her head, resting her cheek on it to look over the empty club. I studied her for a few moments before turning to Bane, giving instructions for the upcoming reopening of Club Chaos. He listened, but his eyes were glued on Lena, too, scenting the sulfur that filled the space around her the moment her eyes had closed.

“Lucifer is at her again,” Bane snorted, tightening his hands into fists at his sides. “That fucking bastard needs a new hobby.”

None of us liked it, but if we intervened, it would only hurt Magdalena. Lucifer couldn’t really harm her in stasis, but he could make her believe he would. I wanted to find him and murder the prick for even thinking he held any power over her.

“Lena’s safe from Lucifer,” I muttered as her chest rose and fell in the sleep of our kind. “He doesn’t want to scare her. He’s still trying to make her think he’s not the bad guy here. Hopefully, she’ll learn something about Makenna this time.”

“You do know he wants her in a totally sexual way, right? I say we take off the gloves and place a bounty on his head. It’s enough that he thinks he can take her from you, but this can’t keep happening—not to you or her. He’s toying with her mind. Eventually, it will fracture. All Lucifer has to do is convince Lena that he’s her savior. She isn’t happy with what she’s become.”

“I know that, prick. Magdalena may not like how she was reborn and what she has become, but she doesn’t want to die, either. Lucifer can only offer her Hell, and she’s not the type of woman to accept that. She’s a storm, one he has no idea how to handle. She’s mine, and he knows it. It’s why he wants her.”

I moved closer to Lena, seeing the way her lips tugged into a tight line. Her unique scent warred with the vile smell of Hell and Lucifer’s dark magic. I pushed the hair away from her face with my fingers, and she sighed, sensing me close. Lucifer didn’t understand shit about Magdalena Fitzgerald, because if he did, he’d know she was a fighter to her fucking core. He’d know that when she loved something, it became everything that mattered to her. She would put everything she had into loving it, no matter the cost. He’d learn how hopeless his task was because she’d never be his.

Chapter Two

And within the chaos, I learned to embrace his storm. ~Lena

Magdalena

Grief plagued me, breaking me apart from the inside out. The furies within me had opened the floodgates, doing as Lucian had instructed. I felt everything again. Where I’d been numb or able to disassociate from emotions before, I no longer had that ability. I almost missed the cold version of myself. I’d been emotionless and detached, able to accept death without it sucking the air from my lungs. Now, I had to feel it at one time, and that grief was debilitating.

I’d mourned my family all at once and still was. I missed them all, my mother, grandmother, twin sister, and the entire coven. The demons had spared no one. Well, that wasn’t true entirely. Kat and Dexter had escaped because they’d been locking pelvises during the slaughter. Now they barely left the room given to them, guilt-ridden at having survived the ordeal that had ended with the death of everyone they knew and loved. I didn’t believe that was living, though, considering they were miserable and refused to speak to me. However, they would leave for another guild soon, so they would be out of harm’s way for a while, at least.

Today, the pain that threatened to bring me to my knees was more intense. There was no filter and no way to dull it. Lucian had explained it was worse now because I was immortal. I felt everything deeper since I was newly born. Great, just what I needed with Lucifer hunting me, yanking my ass into his realm the moment my guard lowered.

I blinked, searching the shadows of the room in which I’d just awoken. My stomach tightened, and sliding my gaze to the corner of the room, I found Lucifer waiting for me. Had I fallen asleep? I’d only meant to rest my head for a moment.

Lucifer was once again taunting me in my stasis, which I’d learned was our version of sleeping. I heard Makenna cooing, smelled the sweet scent of the babe in the air as he moved into view, pacing just out of my reach. He was shirtless, strolling through a room bare of any identifying objects or anything else we could use to find him. It was typical of Luc, always keeping me from getting a read on his location. Not that I’d be able to figure it out without Lucian’s help.

Luc had promised me that Makenna was safe. Sadly, I bought it without proof. Today, though, I could hear her. My heart jackhammered, and I searched the room beyond where we were standing.

The moment she whimpered, Luc vanished to tend to her. I listened to him, whispering that her mommy would be there soon and that we’d all be together. Tears filled my eyes, trickling down my cheeks as he returned with her swaddled in a bright pink blanket. Lucifer held Makenna against his naked chest, gently patting her back. The only thing visible was her wispy, caramel-colored hair.

“She’s perfect, Lena. We need you,” he whispered, kissing Makenna’s forehead while holding my stare prisoner. “Come to me, and I’ll let you hold her before I punish you. You’ll like my punishment. I promise. I crave you, and my daughter needs a mother. She needs one who will love her, and you do. I feel it, you know? I feel your need to touch her, to hold her. You think to protect Makenna from me, but she’s mine. You could be too.”

“All I have to do is sell my soul to the Devil, right?” I stared at the tiny hand that waved in the air as Makenna moved. Lucifer placed his finger in her palm, allowing her little fingers to wrap around his.

“You have no soul, my sweet queen. Lucian can never love you. I can, and I do. I’ve thought of nothing else since I had you on my stage, tasting the darkness within you on my lips. I didn’t get to finish last time. I intend to remedy that.” Lucifer smiled and then turned his attention to the babe in his arms. “Makenna needs a brother, and I can make that womb of yours work again. You could have my son, and we could be a family.” He lifted his head, and we locked eyes. “Lucian won’t do that for you. Not because he can’t, but because he simply won’t chance it, not even for you. Have you figured out what he did yet?”

“No. Why don’t you tell me what Lucian did?” Magic encircled me, wafting through the room, and I gasped as my skirt and camisole turned into a wispy black dress. It barely covered my chest, opening in a deep V-line that stopped just above my pubic bone, exposing the swell of my breasts. The skirt flowed to my feet, and a breeze ruffled my hair as the soothing scent of lavender filled the air.

“That’s better,” Luc chuckled, letting his gaze slip to my chest and lower. Then, silently, he pushed the blanket down to show me his daughter. “Would you like to see your new mommy, Makenna? She’s very beautiful, just like you are my precious sweetling.”

Big, curious turquoise eyes stared up at me. Makenna’s tiny lips puckered as her small hand moved to her mouth, and she began sucking her fingers. Tears slid free from my eyes, and my heart clenched at the perfection of Kendra’s daughter. I reached for her, and Lucifer smiled, sensing my need to hold her. His dark head shook, and he turned, walking back toward the other room. I watched him disappear with Makenna, making my stomach twist with pain.

When Luc reemerged, he grinned as he ran his hands down his muscular torso, covered in pulsing tattoos. He was taller this time as well. Luc’s body was a mass of sinewy, hard, chiseled curves that promised dark, sinfully corrupt pleasure. I swallowed, dragging my gaze down his powerful body, sliding lower to the black silk pants that hugged his hips. A knowing smile curved his full, luscious mouth as he shuffled toward me. He grasped his bottom lip between his teeth, releasing it before pausing in front of me.

“I want you, Lena. I want you to be mine. You fucked me over, and I get it; I do. I hurt you. I can be a bit overzealous and aggressive, but you’re into that. Aren’t you? I watched you with Lucian, and then I saw him break you. I won’t do that to you, ever. You’ll give me a son, and we’ll raise our children together. Our son and my daughter,” he offered, pushing his fingers through his thick, silky dark hair. “Let me return what I stole from you. If you choose me, I will give you everything you want. Be my queen, and we will rule the new world together. You will be at my side, as my equal.”

“You intend to end the world, Luc.” I pulled my stare back to his dark blue indigo depths, using his nickname on purpose, watching as he shivered with anticipation from the reminder of when he had me on his stage, demanding I call him Luc. “I am from that world, not yours. I get that you’re mad at me because you lowered your walls and whispered your insecurities to me. But here’s the truth: You bashed in my fucking head. You killed me, even before I used a dagger to end my life. You are to blame for mine and my son’s death.”

“I can’t deny that,” he stated honestly, closing the distance between us. Lucifer trailed his finger down the skin he’d exposed, drifting lower until his tattooed fingers stopped before they could dip into my dress. “I’m the Devil and not a nice guy. I didn’t know you, and what I did that night created this version of you. You were going to die one way or another, no matter what I did.” He inhaled, stepping closer until my body was flush against his. “I can give you another son. I can give you the world and whatever else you want.”

“Can you give me my son back?” I asked icily. His thick lashes dusted his high cheekbones before he opened his eyes to stare at me.

Having the Devil gaze into your eyes was seduction dipped into wicked desire. Luc wasn’t the ideology of what you’d expect the Devil to be. He had weaknesses, and he’d allowed me to see them once. I’d used his vulnerabilities against him, but then the prick had prematurely ended my life that night.

“No, because not even Death knows where your son, Harbinger, ended up, strangely enough. It makes me curious, considering only a few creatures are powerful enough to recall a life from the Keepers of Souls, me being one of them. Yet when I call for his, it does not answer me. Someone either bartered for your son’s soul or stole it. I did try since Makenna would love to have him as a brother, back with us.”

“Before I died, I ensured that my son’s soul would be reborn, so it isn’t surprising to me that you could not call it to you.” I smoothed the fabric of my dress, trying to hide my grief while talking about my son. “You’re so certain that we end up together?”

“Let’s just say that I’m certain once you figure out what Lucian has done to you and your family, you’ll choose me, Magdalena. I know what happened and how you were returned to him. I know Hades made it so that only I, Lucian, and himself could bring you pleasure. I don’t see you settling for Hades to get a quick fuck when you’re in the mood. You’re not that type of woman, which is part of your allure. You need to feel love, and that’s something I have craved for a very long time. You and I want the same thing. We want to know love and for it to last the ages.” He lowered his lips and brushed them against mine.

“You could find someone else to love you,” I breathed against his kiss, closing my heavy eyelids against the temptation his mouth created.

“Why would I do that? I felt your love when you kissed me before. Sure, you believed me to be Lucian, and it was a cheap trick, but I tasted you, and you enjoyed being with me. You thought I was a monster that couldn’t be loved, but you kissed me with unguarded emotions, baring the purity of your soul to me. You knew Lucian was a monster, and yet you fell in love with him. I felt genuine love for the first time against your heated lips, and I desire that from you. You don’t put up with my shit, either. You face the Devil, yet you don’t tremble or tell me what you think I want to hear. It’s refreshing to have a woman say she wants to murder me. None before you have ever dared to do something so insane to my face.” He lifted his hand, brushing his knuckles against my cheek as I stared at him. Makenna let out a soft cry, and he turned, glancing into the room where she rested. “Think my proposition over and remember that Makenna needs you now, too. If I have to come get you, you will not like the punishment I choose for you. I’ve offered to be gentle, but that offer has a time limit, Magdalena.”

“Do I look like I would need you to be gentle with me or that I would ask you to be?” I countered, as his eyes burned with need. He smiled, revealing white, even teeth that clasped his bottom lip as a deep, sultry growl escaped past them.

“I make Lucian’s kinks look like child play, Lena. How’s Spyder handling his desire to thrash that tight pussy of yours? I hear he’s going insane from the magic they used to protect you from me. Luckily for you and me, it won’t be long before that happens. Blood magic and the strength it took for them to do that binding, well, the cost is high.” Smiling, he ran a finger along the side of my face and tipped my chin up, locking eyes with me. “See you soon, beautiful.”

Lucifer ejected me from the room, and I appeared back at Club Chaos. A quick look told me he could alter what I wore, yet he couldn’t hurt me. Lord knew he had tried several times during the month he’d spent yanking me into different places within the veil. Still, I hadn’t been able to get a location on him or sense where he was. Standing from the booth, I peered around until my eyes slid over Lucian, who stood at the bar staring at me.

His hair was disheveled, and midnight eyes with dark blue flecks glared at me as I approached him. Of course, he wore his signature suit and tie. Not even an apocalypse had messed with the sexy enigma of this man. He was the epitome of perfection, and knowing what remained hidden beneath that suit didn’t help my over-eager sex drive that came from being reborn.

“This has to stop, Lena.”

“I saw Makenna this time,” I whispered. “She’s beautiful, Lucian. She’s tiny with these huge, gorgeous eyes, just like Kendra’s. He hasn’t threatened me with harming her.” That was an actual fear, since I’d already witnessed Lucifer’s wrath. “He let me see her, and she was so close I could smell her,” I murmured as his mouth tightened.

“He’s using her to get to you. You know that,” he grumbled, pulling me close to kiss the top of my forehead.

“He asked how Spyder was. Lucifer said he’d heard Spyder was going insane. Is that true?” I questioned, and he closed down his emotions. “Lucian, is he okay? He’s Spyder, and I can’t stand that he won’t even get near here anymore; this is his home, too.”

“Spyder is working on finding a solution to our issue. It takes time. He can’t be near us without craving you, and vice versa. We agreed that it’s for the best, at least for now.”

Spyder wasn’t released from the bond after our semi-threesome. Instead of it freeing him, it had tightened, pulling us all together. It had become hard for Spyder to be in the same room with me, which bothered me. I didn’t want him in the way the bond told us we needed each other, but that didn’t matter. Magic was yanking us together, and the rope that tethered the spell was forcing a primal need. Even I felt it when he was close to me.

“Luc said Spyder would go insane if we didn’t fix it soon.”

“Luc? Now you’re on a nickname basis with the Devil?” he growled, holding me away from his body, peering down with a brow raised in question.

I smiled, looking into the angry blue eyes of my monster. “Are you jealous?”

“I don’t get jealous, woman.”

“He kissed me.” Blue flames soared to life in Lucian’s stare. His hold on my lower back tightened, and his mouth crushed against mine.

It was a kiss of ownership, and hell, if I didn’t crave it from this monster. His tongue pushed past my lips, claiming mine with an urgency that stole a whimper from my lungs. He picked me up and forced my legs around his waist as he sat me on the bar. He slid his fingers through my hair, yanking my head back as he broke the kiss.

“You’re mine, remember that. You claimed me, which means you belong to only me now, Lena. He’s the Devil, not Luc. The moment he gets you to agree to remain with him, he will kill you. I will never lose you again. If it were to happen, which it won’t, but let’s say it did. I’d burn this fucking world you love so much to the ground and go back to mine. I would reanimate you, and you’d live there knowing this world was nothing more than a memory and that everyone here died because you let the Devil get too close to you.”

“Don’t get all bent up. I used Lucifer’s nickname to make him lower his guard. He made me call him Luc on stage because I’m guessing when I screamed your name as he gave me pleasure, it pissed him off a little.” Lucian smirked, and it was a wicked one that sent a shiver of warmth rushing up my spine. “I think he loves Makenna. I think the Devil loves his daughter, and that terrifies me the most.”

“He’s never cared about anything except his own selfish needs.” Lucian cupped my face between his hands, searching my eyes before placing a chaste kiss on my forehead. I shivered, sinking into the heat his body radiated. “He didn’t notice the tracker?”

“The one you pushed into my vagina? No. I didn’t let him fondle me. He didn’t really kiss me. Lucifer just touched me. He couldn’t do anything more than that. The runes worked too, which means we’re closer to figuring out where he’s hiding with Makenna.”

“I’m afraid they didn’t work here. I’ll paint different runes on you tonight, and if Lucifer tries again, you’ll be ready.”

“I still couldn’t get any feel on where we were. It’s an empty room with nothing to identify and a nursery off the back of it. There was only one door inside the room, which led to where Makenna was when I arrived. It was strange, Lucian. He tended to her when she even hinted at crying.”

“Stop humanizing him,” he warned, leaning in to place a kiss against the soft column of my throat. “He’s no more human than I am.”

I shivered at the reminder, pulling away to peer into the galaxies that burned inside his inky depths. Lucian smirked, lifting his hand to lay his palm against my cheek. He didn’t speak, not until the shadows erupted beside us, and Spyder strode out of them.

I slid my gaze to Spyder’s ice-blue eyes, shivering with the intensity I found burning within them. He stepped back, nostrils flaring in warning while remaining focused on me. Then, slowly, he took another step away from me, moving flat against the wall. His chest rose and fell with labored breaths as his shadows slithered across the floor, reaching for me.

“Lucian, we need to talk,” he stated tightly.

My eyes lowered to Spyder’s bare chest, drinking in the sight of his body while heat uncoiled in my belly, rushing through me as a cocky smirk played on his lips. The silkiness of his shadows wrapped around my legs, caressing and promising me pleasure. I moaned, unable to prevent the sultry noise from escaping past my lips.

“Kitty, I’d stop moaning. I’m at the end of my fucking rope. That thread that started in Portland, it’s about to snap.”

“I’m sorry, Spyder,” I sighed, pulling Lucian back for a quick, chaste kiss before I jumped from the bar and headed toward the basement, remodeled to be our bedroom.

“I’m sorry too, pussycat,” Spyder whispered, his words barely registering as I passed Bane, Devlin, Layton, and the rest of Lucian’s men. I’d let them handle whatever was happening without me, so Spyder wouldn’t be forced to leave because of my mere presence.

Chapter Three

The mind is the most dangerous of places. Nightmares await us there, driven by fears and encouraged by the subconscious thoughts of the day. I once believed I’d conquered mine, but they merely bided their time, growing stronger. ~Lena

I sat on a huge, four-poster bed surrounded by crimson silk curtains. I ran my hand over the smooth, black blanket and one of the large pillows, soft as fur, covering the top. It felt like heaven against my heated skin. The bed smelled of Lucian, driving my never-ending hunger for him to new heights. Rich, amber, sandalwood, and dark desire filled my senses, lulling me into a relaxed state of bliss while I waited for Lucian to return to our room.

Luna mewled softly, stretching out before leaping from the bed and padding away to scamper off. Lucian had hidden her here, keeping her safe. Luckily, she’d survived the fallout of Hell colliding with earth. But then he’d claimed her, and she seemed to prefer him to me nowadays.

In the room’s silence, I replayed Lucifer’s words inside my head. Would I take him up on his offer? No. Did I crave to have a child of my own? Yes. Did I think Lucian had done something to secure I would return to him? Absolutely. I feared he’d done something unforgivable and detested that he was keeping it from me.

I had been around him enough to know when he shielded me from something deadly or something he thought would hurt me. He was the proverbial alpha male, assuming he knew what was best for me. Some days I craved it, and other times it drove me nuts. I also hated that since returning from Faery, Spyder refused to be alone with me, or even get near me.

Spyder and the bonding situation presented an entirely new problem for us. He wasn’t the only one fighting the magnetic attraction. Every day since the night that he and Lucian had claimed me to protect me from Lucifer, it became harder to ignore the need I felt for him.

I knew it was the bond demanding that we finish what was expected of us. I wasn’t in love with Spyder, no matter what the magic thrumming through our veins told us. I knew that I only craved Lucian and had fallen in love with him. That much was a given. Had I told him? No.

Did Lucian even know what genuine love was, or what it meant? He’d felt something for Katarina, or so he’d told me after I’d died, ending their twisted game. My stomach somersaulted at the memory, hating that it had been the last thing echoing through my mind as death claimed me.

How did you tell the man you loved he was your world? And what if he didn’t love me as I loved him? Lucian was endless and primordial. He had watched the world form and evolve during his lifetime. Shit, he’d probably helped shape it into what it was today. I was the idiot that had fallen deeply in love with him and couldn’t figure out how to tell him or express it out loud.

Turning onto my side, I screamed at finding him beside me, still dressed in his suit. He smirked, leaning down to brush his lips against mine. Heat enveloped me, and I laughed softly against his kiss at my response to his sudden appearance.

“What were you just thinking about, Little Witch?” The deep, soothing baritone of his voice drifting through me was calming. Peering into his midnight gaze, watching the galaxies swirling within them, I exhaled and nipped at his plump bottom lip.

“Changes, and how you stole my cat, asshole. She’s absolutely spoiled and impossible to please anymore.” I held his fiery stare as his lips jerked up into a smile and he growled deep in his chest, allowing the sound to slip through his parted lips. I struggled to pull my gaze from his, certain he’d let me drown within the beauty of the world’s burning in his eyes.

“Little liar.” Lucian rolled on top of me, gazing down as he captured my hands, pinning them above my head. “She isn’t spoiled at all. Luna is a good girl, just like her mistress. Do you want to be my good girl, Lena?” he inquired, lust dripping from each word he uttered. “Can I make your pussy purr as loudly as Luna does for me when I pet her?”

“Do you really need to ask?” I lifted my head, claiming his mouth softly, enjoying the flavor of scotch and the hint of citrus that I always tasted when kissing Lucian.

His grip on my hands tightened as he lowered his head and pressed his lips to my neck, kissing against the rapidly pulsing heartbeat at the hollow column of my throat. He rocked his hips, and I wrapped my legs around them, shivering as I felt him growing hard. His other hand pushed into my panties, running his fingers through the arousal his presence created.

Lucian turned his head, cocking it to the side as if listening to something beyond the door. He pulled away from me a moment before a knock sounded, and Hades strolled into the room without waiting for permission to enter.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Hades?” Lucian snapped, his question part threat and part pissed-off at being interrupted. “This is our home, and you’re not invited into my bedroom, asshole.” Lucian’s voice was tense, crisp, and clearly held a warning.

Hades’s violet eyes heated as they roamed down my body. I hadn’t changed from the dress Lucifer had placed on me, which allowed Hades a view of the rounded curves of my breasts and the valley between them. “We’ve got problems. Nyx knows her daughter is missing, and she’s on her way here now.”

I snorted at his words. Eris, the Goddess of Discord and Strife, had intervened in Faery, creating a shit-storm of problems for Ryder and Syn. It had looked like it would end with the couple separating, but they had been on to Eris’s presence and had been trying to settle the issue on their own, separately. It was more difficult on them by not working together, and the Golden Apple of Discord that Eris had hidden in the palace didn’t make the situation any easier. Ryder called Lucian and Spyder to handle Eris, who was now in permanent residence at the lowest level of the club.

“Bloody hell,” Lucian muttered, scrubbing his hand over his face. Hades’s gaze lingered on the curve of my breasts, showcased by my dress as a cocky smile flittering onto his mouth. “Get your eyes off my girl, prick. Go keep the bitch busy. We’ll be out momentarily.”

Hades nodded, smirking before vanishing into a cloud of dark smoke that reeked of wicked darkness, smothered in desire. Lucian stood, fixing his jacket and redoing the cuffs. He smiled as I groaned with the need he’d left unsatisfied, burning in my core. I started to sit up, but he pushed me onto the bed with his magic, sending a pulsing sensation between my legs. I gasped loudly, purring as I rocked my body against the powerful feeling of his magic sliding through my lower lips.

“Can’t you just send Nyx away? I need you right now, Blackstone.”

“I will soothe that ache in your tight pussy soon enough,” he growled, letting the darkness of his magic slide into my core. I was soaking wet, the desire to be taken hard and fast, which was becoming a visceral need that drenched my panties.

“I need you to fuck me, Lucian. Now, not later, please. I am soaked by how much I want you to rip off this dress and remind me to whom I belong,” I purred, knowing he craved it. Lucian loved when I begged him to fuck me. In fact, more often than not, he couldn’t refuse me if I begged.

“You think you’re the only one aching to satisfy their hunger? That lust you feel for me? I feel it for you every moment of every day, Lena. Your desires are just new and getting started. Creatures like us; we feel everything more deeply and stronger than mortals. If I had my way, we’d leave this world and go someplace else. Somewhere that we could spend eons just learning one another until there was nothing undiscovered between us,” he admitted huskily, reaching into his pants to adjust his huge erection pressed against them.

I swallowed past the swelling in my throat. The intensity of Lucian’s stare burned into mine, holding me prisoner. “Wouldn’t you get bored with me? I would be afraid that once you knew everything and had learned all my secrets, you wouldn’t want me anymore.” I sat up to fix the dress, then swung my feet over the edge of the bed.

“In all of my time alive, I’ve never craved to be with one woman. I always wanted more than just one female to warm my bed. Not even Katarina, whom I believed I loved, made me satisfied with all aspects of my hunger. Lena, you do, though. You satisfy me more than I ever thought another person could. You sate every hunger, every need, every desire I have, and I am very pleased when I leave your body. You’re under my skin, woman. Your claws are sharper, and so is the mark you’ve placed on me. Will I tire of you? Never, because you are evolving with each new day, and I will never grow weary of watching you flourish beside me.”

“You say the sweetest things when you’re trying to get laid, Blackstone,” I snorted, barely able to stifle the emotion from his words resonating within me. My chest tightened at his reply, and warmth washed through me, hoping he, too, loved me. “Nyx is a problem.” I needed to change the direction of the conversation. Standing, I moved to the mirror that opened up to reveal our wardrobe.

Suits and dresses filled the space, and heels and freshly polished shoes covered the lower shelves.

These were the items Lucian Blackstone had chosen for us to wear in the middle of an honest-to-god’s freaking apocalypse. At least he had impeccable taste. Reaching for a dress, I used my claws, ripping the neckline and down the front of the one Lucifer had placed on me. It pooled on the floor, leaving me in nothing but a skimpy pair of panties. I wouldn’t ever wear it again, not with the brimstone scent that clung to the fabric.

Lucian trailed his fingers over the curve of my hip, tracing our bonding mark, causing a shiver to snake up my spine. He’d been so upset when I’d bonded us together. I hadn’t even known that something like that could happen until I’d claimed him. He reached for the dress I’d chosen, closing the closet to stare into my gaze as he slipped the sheer material over my body, clothing me.

“I knew you’d look stunning in this,” he uttered silkily, adjusting the neckline that tied behind my throat. It had a similar plunging V-line, but it left a lot more to the imagination. The skirt flowed in soft tulle to the ground, while two splits started at my upper thighs, leaving them exposed. It was a deep navy blue that reminded me of Lucian’s pretty eyes.

Lucian let his hunger-filled gaze drop to my bare feet before lifting his hand and trailing his thumb over the scar that adorned my throat. His jaw ticked slowly, and emotion burned in his starry eyes while he stared at my reflection in the mirror.

I could easily heal the scar, but it was a reminder of what I’d lost and sacrificed to save the man I loved more than I had loved myself. I’d loved Lucian enough to protect him from the monsters that had craved his pain. I’d won their game, ending it without either of the players realizing that I was the piece that could finish what they’d started so long ago.

“You’re so beautiful, Lena,” he growled against my ear, pushing my hair away from my neck to trail soft, heated kisses over it.

“You’re not. You’re sex incarnate, dripping lust that I crave to drink up like the dirty little bitch you make me want to be in our bed. Let’s go handle Nyx so I can ride your cock. I feel like a girl who just discovered her clitoris has an actual purpose,” I mused, hiding the words I’d really wanted to say to him.

His eyes sparkled with laughter, and before I realized his intent, he’d pushed me against the mirror, capturing my stare while his hand slipped through the slit of my dress. The hand against my throat tightened, and his heated mouth opened, biting threateningly against my shoulder. I whimpered due to the control he held on me with merely his hands.

A loud moan exploded from my lips as he slid two fingers into my aching pussy. He pumped them slowly, forcing my hips to push back against his hand, riding it with a need he’d created within me.

“Harder,” I demanded, as his eyes sparkled. Yet he didn’t give me what I desired, what I craved. Lucian fucked me with his fingers in a leisurely tempo. He watched as I jerked against him with the desire for him to give me what I needed. “Don’t bitch out on me now.”

“Who is in control, Lena? You or me?” he asked, refusing to release my stare, which held me prisoner. His hand tightened against my throat, closing my airway while he crooked his fingers within me, skimming against the one spot in my body that he fully owned. I shuddered with the intensity of the tension coiling in my belly. “Now, be a good girl for me and fuck my fingers so I can taste that pussy I’m being denied by Nyx showing up. Come on, show me what you got for me, little girl.” His mouth closed against my shoulder, and he bit into my flesh as I rode his fingers desperately.

He growled loudly against the skin between his teeth. I opened my legs further, taking more as he pushed another finger into my body, spreading them wide before he withdrew the third, pumping two back into my aching flesh. I gasped from the delicious pain, moving my hips at a hurried, needy pace as I felt my arousal coating his hand.

“Messy little bitch, aren’t you? I said fucking come for me, so I can taste what belongs to me.” His lips kissed the spot where he’d bitten into my flesh, forcing his fingers deeper into my needy cunt. I mewled, slamming down onto the thick fingers, wishing it was his cock I was about to paint with my arousal.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, yes!” I howled, shuddering violently.

The pain and pleasure collided into one earth-shattering orgasm that made my knees threaten to give out. Yet Lucian didn’t relent, continuing to fucking wreck my pussy. The sound was erotic, my body sucking against the intruding appendages as he watched me coming unabashedly. His hand on my throat was the one thing keeping me upright and not sprawled on the floor in a heap of wanton need and satisfying hunger.

“Keep moving. I didn’t say you could stop riding me yet, did I? Come on, my sweet good girl, keep coming. I love the noises you make when you come for me. Give me more, Lena. I want to taste and lick your sweet essence from my fingers, and I am starving for your cunt.” He thrust his fingers against my G-spot, knowing I was falling over the edge with his dominance and power wafting through me. His magic wrapped around me, and his eyes ignited with blue flames. I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound escaped the hold he had on my throat.

“Lucian,” I whispered through heavy lust, uncaring that I sounded needy as fuck. He enjoyed the way I whimpered his name, begging for him to use his cock, which is what we both really wanted and craved to be inside my body.

My walls clenched against his fingers tightly. He watched me come apart, breaking into shattered pieces as I painted his fingers with my release. Instead of slowing the thrusting, he added another finger into my tightening pussy, stretching me. He chuckled darkly before loosening his hold on my throat. He kissed my shoulder and used the hand to thread his fingers through my hair, tilting my head.

I felt him pull out of me, then watched as he slowly sucked his fingers clean, making noises of contentment. He moaned, smiling as I kept pumping my hips, even though he’d left my body. Aftershocks continued until he’d licked the last finger clean, running his tongue over his lips and grinning wolfishly while I fought to gain control of my body.

“Tonight, I’m going to devour that pussy until it drips down my chin. If you’re a good girl, I will let you ride me before destroying your tight cunt. The next time Lucifer’s lips touch yours, I will bind you to the bed and fuck you until you’re drained and nothing more than a pile of need and desire that can’t fucking move. You’re my girl, Lena. There’s no world where that isn’t true, and I would destroy it for you. Do you understand me?”

“I’m yours, Lucian,” I replied, spinning around to lift on my toes, placing a kiss against his lips. “I was yours from the moment you kissed me outside of my house. I came back, didn’t I? As the keeper of your gates, and the seal that belongs to you, and only you; I am only yours, and you’re very aware of that, asshole. I couldn’t belong to you more, even if I tried or was permanently attached to that perfect cock of yours,” I chuckled, watching him smiling wickedly at that idea. “Lucifer said he could heal my womb, but I want your baby. He said you could do it as well. Can you give us another chance at being parents?”

“I will give you the world, little one, but I cannot heal your womb because only that which houses a soul can create life. If you had a child without a soul, it wouldn’t be something that you’d want. The child wouldn’t love you back. It would be a soulless being that never held emotion or knew what they were. You and the other furies that Nyx created know what you should feel. You can experience emotions because you once knew them with a fire that others without a soul would not understand. The sacrifice you and Joshua made was a selfless act that allowed you to be brought back to serve a greater purpose. What Lucifer is offering you, it can be done. But what you would create would be a monster. One that would destroy this world and any other they could reach.”

Tears burned my eyes and trickled down my cheeks. “I want our son back, Lucian. I want to be a mother to him. My only choice, or decision as his mother, was to free him from this world and what Lucifer and Katarina intended for him. To protect you from what they wanted you to do to our son. I deserve to be a mother.”

“You are a mother, Lena. You are a mother because you did what no one else could do for our son. You allowed him to escape a life of horror and pain. That is something only a mother would choose, knowing you’d be left with the loss and that pain. You will be Makenna’s mother when we get her back. If there were another way for you to have a child, I would find it if that is what you wanted, but not in the way that Lucifer offered. He’d demand you were his, and I’d destroy everything to get you back from him.”

“I don’t want him or his child. I want yours, but I wouldn’t let you destroy this world, Lucian.”

He smirked, letting his entire body to change while I regarded him. Souls pushed against the armor that he now wore, glowing an eerie blue color, and his eyes became a clear portal, allowing me a deeper view of his world. I lifted my hand, cupping his sharp jawline as his solid form blurred, and offered me a rare look at what he was. What he was. He wasn’t human. He wasn’t even a thing. He was everything and nothing at the same time.

“I didn’t say you’d get a choice in me destroying the world, sweet girl. I said I would destroy it, and no one could stop me if I decide to do so. Do you understand that? I am the one the gods fear and cannot control. I am the oldest living thing inside this world, far older than that little boy who offered you what you crave most, knowing your vulnerabilities because he created those weaknesses within you. Remember that because I have no mercy. I don’t care if this world continues turning on its pathetic fucking axis. I only care that you’re mine and with me. If you’re not, then I have no reason to protect this world you love so much from continuing to exist. I would swallow it whole and watch it burn without caring who suffered. You are my world, Magdalena. Without you, everything else ceases to exist.”

I swallowed past the fear and warmth of his words. Still staring up into his iridescent gaze, he lifted his hands, wiping away my tears before lowering his lips, brushing them against my forehead. I whispered his name softly, and his voice echoed through my mind as I heard the distant screams of souls crying out in pain. He would destroy the world for me. I didn’t need to question it because Lucian didn’t make idle threats, ever.

Most men bought women flowers or trinkets.

Not Lucian. No, not him.

He promised to eradicate worlds for me and murder anyone who stood in our way.

He wasn’t a hero or even cared about the archetype that the world labeled him. He didn’t play by the same rules we did. He’d probably been present when the rules were created and laughed when he was told to follow them. He was that old. Lucian was the villain, and I was the woman he wanted at his side, burning down the world if it threatened our goals.

World peace, my ass; I didn’t care about peace or rules.

This world hadn’t given a shit about me, and I wasn’t about to care about it now. Lucian was all that mattered, and as long as I was beside him, nothing else could touch what we had. I smiled, exhaling while he shimmered before me. I brushed my lips against his, pulling him toward the door as he solidified.

“Let’s send Nyx away quickly. I need you to finish soothing the ache you created.”

“Greedy little bitch, aren’t you?”

“So what if I am? You like me being greedy when it benefits you.” I laughed, closing my eyes against the sensation of his touch and the pressure of his hand against mine as he squeezed it.

“Let’s get this over with,” he grumbled, smacking my butt playfully. “My girl needs to be fucked and reminded whom she belongs to.”

Chapter Four

There’s bliss in not knowing every secret in a world, but there’s danger in not knowing the ones that could change everything. ~Lena

Lucian’s men stepped into formation behind us when we entered the bar area, working like a well-oiled machine. Each man was an extension of Lucian, doing what needed to be done without being told. My eyes slid to Bane; his expression tightened the moment he turned, his gaze drifting over me. He smirked, making the scar on his face more pronounced, but it didn’t alter the deadly beauty of his features. If anything, it enhanced them and gave him an edge the others lacked.

Layton had his dark blonde hair up in a bun, which I’d learned he did to annoy the shit out of Lucian. Unlike most men, he pulled it off and made it look sexy. His ice-blue eyes slid to mine, winking as he caught me admiring him.

Deviant, I’d discovered, could change his appearance when he wanted but chose black hair that held a blue tint to it most of the time. Moss-green eyes framed in thick, lush black lashes made his gaze look exotic. His tattoos pulsed against his light skin. The other men had bronze or sun-kissed tones, but Deviant was pale, making all his other features stand out in contrast. He was also quieter than the others and hardly ever spoke, but it was no bullshit and straight for blood when he did.

Devlin, who had finally healed after being left for dead by Lucifer, smirked at me when my gaze lit on him. He nodded his dark head at me as his whiskey-colored eyes sparkled with amusement. Devlin was the youngest in Lucian’s group and the most carefree of them all. He still held a boyish charm that had once caught my interest. That ended when I’d learned he’d been playing a part, monitoring me for Lucian before the Awakening ceremony.

My chest clenched the moment I realized Spyder hadn’t arrived with the other men. He usually appeared from the shadows whenever someone showed up unannounced. I missed him, even though it was dangerous to be around him until we severed the bond.

Last week, I’d kissed him without thinking. Lucian hadn’t been jealous or even reacted to it, because he knew it wasn’t me. The magic used in the ceremony was winding us together, which made me wonder what would happen when we reached the end of that coil. We’d been searching for a cure, but I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that both Spyder and Lucian were hiding something detrimental from me.

Nyx stood at the bar, drumming her fingers on it impatiently as she fully unleashed her power with angry waves that rushed through the room. Her black hair was up in braids, exposing her back, highlighting a tattoo of the moon among the stars that moved as if it were a living picture or a portal that opened into a world blanketed in the night. Her mercury-colored eyes narrowed the moment she caught sight of us, flashing her rage.

“Where is she?” Nyx’s voice was cold and threatening, echoing through this level of the club.

“Where is who?” Lucian asked. His tone held a silent threat. One meant only for her ears, yet, I caught it easily. He folded his arms over his chest, staring her down without a sliver of fear. But Lucian didn’t fear many things, and I was almost sure he could easily wipe the floor with Nyx should the need arise.

“Where is Eris? Where is my daughter?” Nyx screamed, losing any composure she’d held. Her face contorted, darkness spread across it, and her eyes turned obsidian.

My lips twisted into a smile as she mirrored how I looked with the darkness unleashed. I no longer had to wonder where I’d gotten my soulless appearance. As my new mother, I’d apparently taken after her in the dark and creepy-as-fuck department. Nyx’s eyes slid in my direction, and she shot through the air at me but never reached me.

She was yanked back and slammed into the bar. Spyder’s hand was wrapped around her throat, his chest heaving with anger burning through him. He pinned her there; his shadows unleashed to drift about him in wispy tendrils of inky smoke.

“You don’t touch my Kitty, you stupid, psychotic bitch. Threaten her again, and I’ll end you. Do you hear me?” he warned, his tone clear and even as if he wasn’t threatening to murder a goddess.

“You took her. I know you did!” she hissed vehemently. “You either release Eris, or I’ll tell Lust that his little creatures and keys are alive and in play again. Do you understand me, asshole?” she snarled while holding onto his hand, still wrapped around her throat.

“Eris is here, Nyx. She’s being held in a dreamless sleep. She is unharmed, which is more than she deserves, and if that continues, well, that will depend on you. Eris assisted the enemies of the fae, intending to murder a newly born goddess. Do you recall what the crime is for murdering one of your own? Final death, wasn’t it, Lucian?” Spyder asked, peering over his shoulder, meeting my stare instead of to whom he spoke.

Ice-blue eyes slid down my body with a naked hunger that Spyder didn’t bother to hide. It took everything within me not to rush to him. My bosom rose and fell as I held his stare, whispering his name so silently that I wasn’t even sure I’d said it out loud. Neither of us looked away, uncaring that it was wrong. I swallowed the lump that grew in my throat as he released Nyx, turning to look at me again.

Spyder was shirtless, and his facade for the outside world was missing. His eyes held mine, and I felt as though if I looked away, I’d cease to exist. His dark hair had turned white, a startling contrast to the dark shadows that slid over his body and around him in smokey wisps. I lowered my gaze to the curvature of his stomach, sliding hungrily over the rippling muscles covered in the inky shadows. My lips trembled as my attention traveled lower, and my heart stopped beating, taking in the inviting V-line that vanished into his pants. I ran my eyes over it, sliding them up to his hip as my blood ceased running in my veins.

I lifted my head and gaped with shock and dismay at the bonding marks on Spyder that both Lucian and I also carried. My mouth opened, but his chin jerked, stopping the words from escaping. Tears swam in my eyes, and I turned to Lucian in horror. My heartbeat thundered with the reality of what I’d done to Spyder, to us.

“Not the place or the time, Lena,” Lucian stated, his eyes never meeting mine. “Nyx, your daughter, Eris, was causing strife and angst toward a child goddess. One she fully intended to deliver to another god to be murdered. You know the law and what the price would have been if she succeeded. Eris owed a blood-debt, and couldn’t refuse to pay it. So I took her out of play and saved her life. You’re fucking welcome.”

“I don’t believe she would be that stupid,” Nyx snarled back, her power smothering the room. “I want her and the Golden Apple of Discord, Lucian. You have no right to hold her.”

“Don’t I?” Lucian snorted, folding his arms over his chest, pinning Nyx to the spot with a glare.

I only thought Nyx’s magic had been smothering. The moment Lucian and his men released their power back at her, my chest threatened to cave. I gasped for air loudly, knowing that Spyder held the ability to suck the air from the room. Shadows rushed forward, entering me before I could process what was happening. My wide, horrified eyes slid to Spyder, noting the smirk that twisted his mouth. Heat sparkled intensely in his gaze as his shadows caressed me, feeding me air. It was like having a live power line shoved down my throat and then fed ecstasy pills on top of it.

Shadows continually rushed over my skin, kissing it with dark, seductive magic that held me in its thrall while Lucian’s men moved toward Nyx, threateningly. Spyder, on the other hand, was watching me as his shadows held my body upright. He didn’t look away from me. Instead, he stepped closer as the other men took his place beside Nyx.

“Aw, Kitty,” he uttered from inside my head. “Be a good pussycat and breathe for me.”

Spyder stopped in front of me, his head tilting as he watched his magic fondle me. The shadows weren’t only feeding oxygen to my lungs; they were inside of my body, in my mind. They stroked the bond we shared, making arousal coat my thighs, drenching my sex. The heated look burning in his stare told me he was the one controlling them. Spyder was keeping me breathing and using it as an excuse to touch me where he’d never dared to before.

I was fighting the attraction. The lust was tearing me apart, and I knew it was worse for him. Unlike Lucian and me, Spyder had no release. Those bonding marks meant that if he was sleeping around, he was leaving dead bodies in his wake when he’d finished. It pissed me off that they’d known and chosen to hide it from me. Didn’t they trust me? Why hide something that I’d done without knowing?

“It wasn’t personal,” Spyder whispered inside my head, and I smirked as the shadows slid around the globes of my breasts. I felt them between my thighs, caressing my slit and my clit, while his gaze grew heavily hooded, filling with desire.

The smell of dark masculinity and spices filled the air as he inspected me, his eyes sparkling with need as mine closed. I exhaled a soft gasp, realizing I was no longer inside the bar. I was untouchable, floating in shadows as his scent erased the chaos we were balls deep in at the moment.

“Good girl, Kitty. Let that shit go and breathe for me. I told Lucian not to tell you. It didn’t do us any good with you learning you were mated to both of us without even knowing how you’d done it. I’m looking for a way to remove the bond. We’re going to be okay. I know you tried, and I won’t ask more of you than you can willingly give me. You’re a good girl, and I’m not a good boy.”

“It isn’t fair,” I admitted. “This is our home, and you’re needed here, too. Come back, and we will find a way to end this bond.”

“Can’t do that,” he chuckled, but it was empty and cold. “Right now, I want to take you from Lucian. I want to run with you and fuck you out of my system. The thing is, we don’t know if that will be enough to break the bond, and with your mating mark on me, it changes things. It changes everything.”

Lucian’s scent fought Spyder’s as warm hands touched my face. Blue fire flickered in the depths of Lucian’s eyes as they slowly moved to where Spyder held his inhuman form. My gaze held his, and my mouth opened. But Lucian simply shook his head, placing a finger to his lips, and then pointed at his ear.

We vanished together, all three of us, and I exhaled the moment we were in the bedroom. Spyder backed up, placing as much distance as possible between him and me without leaving the room. I blinked, free of the shadows that had been slithering all over me, touching me erotically.

“You didn’t need to know,” Lucian grunted, as I fought to gain control of my emotions. “You’re both suffering, and we don’t know how to fix it. You claimed Spyder when you placed that mating mark on me. We’re all fucking mated, and the time we have to fix the bond is coming to an end.”

“What does that mean?” I asked, holding back the tears that burned my eyes.

Fighting the attraction was one thing, but fighting the need to give in to Spyder was a war. My body ached with need as my sex clenched hungrily for him. Magic be damned. I wanted to shed my clothes and inhibitions and take them both until we were nothing more than piles of ash on the floor. Spyder chuckled, forcing my eyes to lock onto his intense gaze.

“What it means, Kitty, is that soon I will lose my shit. I will become unsafe. Lucian will put me down and end it before I can unleash hell, or, you know, a more lethal version of it, into this world. If I lose control, nothing could save this shithole you love so much, not even Lucian. He will take care of it before I get to that point because me destroying this place would hurt you, and I can’t handle that type of guilt.”

“I don’t understand what that means.”

“Lucian will kill me so that I can be reborn without the mating marks on my flesh or soul. I won’t be me, but I will be what I was created to be. I cannot ask you to do what you’re not willing to do, and neither will Lucian. The only other way to stop the curse’s clock is to end the one on my life.”

Pain clenched my heart, and denial rushed through me. I shook my head, certain they were fucking with me. Lucian and Spyder were best friends, and he was Lucian’s right hand. They’d been together long before I’d even come into the equation. I couldn’t lose either of them. I wouldn’t allow that to happen.

“No,” I whispered, shaking my head faster. “No fucking way is that happening. Do you hear yourself? Spyder, there has to be another way. We just have to find it. We will figure this out together.”

“Aw, Kitty. If it was that simple, don’t you think we would have figured it out by now?” He appeared before me without warning, lifting his hand to cup my face, smiling as if he wasn’t talking about ending his life. “Would you die to save me?”

“Yes,” I said without hesitation.

“I’d ask you about Lucian, but you already proved how far you would go to protect him. Only Hecate knows how to end this without us paying a higher price. You tried to free me, and it didn’t work. You did what you could, and I can’t say I regret it, either. I have made my peace, and I’m willing to be reborn to stop this volatile need you create within me. It is my choice and not yours. You will respect my decision and allow me to do this.” His thumb traced over my cheek, wiping away the tears, and before I could reply, he’d vanished from the room.

“You are not letting him die, Lucian.”

“Lena, it isn’t that simple.”

“What do I have to do to free him?” I demanded, unable to hide the tremble in my voice that made his eyes close in response. “Tell me, and I will do it!”

“The only way we found was to give the bond what it wants, and that may not end the mating link, which means he wouldn’t crave you anymore, but we’d still be mated. He’d still carry the curse dictated by the laws of the mating ritual, unable to have sex with anyone else without it ending in their death. He fears he would eventually hate you for claiming him in the mating and would try to harm you. So to protect you from himself, he chooses death.”

Chapter Five

Secrets can either destroy the world or save it. It depends on the secret and who is keeping it. ~Lena

I stood in front of Lucian, stupefied by his words, with my jaw firmly planted on the floor. Spyder would choose death to protect me from a hypothetical problem that we didn’t even know would become an issue. Lucian watched me, noting how my head shook slowly, my mouth opening, but nothing came out. When the ridiculousness of the entire situation hit me, I laughed soundlessly.

“I will do it,” I stated, holding his gaze, unwavering in my declaration. “You cannot kill your best friend. I won’t allow it. Not when the answer to the problem is so easily remedied. If the bond breaks and Spyder is freed, then he won’t have to die or be reborn, right?”

“Lena, what is required, would not be something you’d want to do. Guilt is riding you. You’re not thinking with your head. You’re thinking with your heart.”

“I don’t have a heart, Lucian. I want to free Spyder. I want you and me to be done with this shit. I don’t want to lust after anyone else except you. We can’t keep dealing with this, and there’s one way out of it. We all fuck, recreate the spell, and see if it breaks the bond.”

“And you’d be able to go back to normal? You’re not that type of girl, Magdalena. You’re not built like that. Spyder won’t do it, and neither will I, unless you can honestly say you are okay with it. You’re not. I can see it in your eyes.”

I growled while strolling toward him, and he dropped his eyes to where the sides of my breasts were exposed. Lifting my hands, I started unbuttoning his shirt, then reached up to push his suit jacket off while he stood in place. He was giving me control, curious about what I would do once I’d stripped him naked.

“You think I’m not that kind of girl, Lucian? I wanted to fuck Spyder in Portland. I craved to feel him inside of me. I ached for him. My pussy clenched with desire for that monster to sate my hunger. Unfortunately, you weren’t there, and Spyder was.” I slid my hands over his exposed abs once they were freed from his shirt, feeling the power of his body at my fingertips. “It may have been the bond, but we don’t know that, do we?” I worked Lucian’s belt while he stood ramrod straight, shivering with anger at my words. It was palpable within the room, brushing through me while I taunted him, and I didn’t care.

He thought I was the same girl he’d met in the beginning, but I wasn’t her anymore. He’d opened my eyes to an entirely new world that had been right outside of the blinders I once wore. Lucian had awoken my inner goddess, and she was a dirty bitch with an insatiable appetite that wanted him and Spyder, violently.

I removed his belt, tossing it aside before working the buttons of his suit pants. Pushing them down, I grabbed his cock, jerking it hard as I peered up into his heady gaze. He pushed me away, watching me for a moment before he kicked off his boots and pants, standing before me, unclothed. He wasn’t entirely naked, though; he was dressed in rage with his heavy cock bobbing between us.

Lucian nude was a work of freaking art. He was bathed in ink and muscles, and both nipples held silver barbells that my tongue knew carnally. Stepping closer, he crossed his arms over his broad chest, daring me to take what I wanted. Like I wouldn’t? He was mine, as surely as I was his. I didn’t stop as I closed the distance between us without stripping. I didn’t need to. I’d forgone panties, tired of him ripping them off the moment we were alone.

Lucian sat on the bed, regarding me as I straddled him. I slipped one arm around his neck while the other adjusted his enormous cock against my opening. Fuck foreplay; I needed to feel him stretching me along with that delicious ache that burned within me when he entered my body.

I cried out when I pushed down onto his thickness, shuddering as my entire body screamed with pain and pleasure. He didn’t touch me, choosing to watch me take my pleasure. I lifted, rocking slowly against him as Awolnation’s Sail started playing on the stereo inside the bedroom.

My body used his to rock slowly to the beat. Lifting my other hand, I held both around his neck, locking our gazes while grinding myself onto the base of his cock. Lucian stared at me with heavy-lidded eyes. The sounds I made were growing louder, with short puffs of air that escaped my throat. Tension built in my center, but I refused to come, knowing he wanted it from me. Lucian was a giver, and he took pleasure in the dominance he radiated; watching me come made him burn hotter.

I moaned, slowly lifting and gripping his hair, forcing his eyes to where he stretched me full. He growled huskily from the sight of our bodies joining. Gradually, I rocked my way down the cock I was riding, not stopping until I was at the base, taking every inch of him into my tight sheath.

“You and me, we belong here in this room together,” I groaned, lifting to slide back down his length. “I want to be here with you, like this, together. I want to fuck you with no one else in this room or inside my fucking head, Lucian.”

“Is that what you want, Lena? Because it sounded like you wanted to fuck Spyder without me there. It sounded like a battle you wanted to lose.”

I laughed through a moan. Then, shaking my head, I clenched down on his cock, enjoying the loud hiss of air that escaped his throat. I gyrated slowly, using every move of my body to intensify what we felt and what we both wanted while somehow preventing us from coming.

“Not want to, need to lose. I needed Spyder to throw me down and fuck me hard. I wanted him to fucking destroy me. I wanted it more than I wanted air. I watched some stranger sucking his cock, and I wanted to be that girl. I wanted to bury his cock in my throat and swallow every fucking drop of his come until he begged me for mercy.”

Lucian’s teeth ground together loudly, glaring at me while I continued riding him. Lucian slammed his cock into me, smiling as I gasped at the pain. We both knew it was the bond, but it didn’t make it easier. He was punishing me, and I intended to love every moment of his roughness against my body.

“You think I’m the same girl that you met outside my ancestral home. I’m not. You corrupted me. You fucked me in front of an audience, and I fucking liked it,” I admitted, as his eyes narrowed on me. “I got off after I left you by imagining what they saw when you fucking owned me for the first time. I pleasured myself while picturing you fucking me on that stage, making me beg you to come. I got so wet that I could drown your ass between my thighs, prick. You made me yours, and I’d never felt so free in my entire life. I liked them watching you play with me, knowing they could never touch me because I was already yours.” I lifted slowly, rocking all the way back down to his base. “You liked it too, didn’t you? You liked them seeing your fingers stretching my pussy, preparing my body for you as I sat on your lap. That’s why you did it, wasn’t it? You enjoy making people crave what belongs to you, and only you.”

“You never told me that,” he accused, his jaw clenching with his desire to throw me down and dominate me. It was in his genetic makeup, the need to own and dominate. It was who he was and what had attracted me to him.

Lucian wasn’t a Dom; he was just naturally dominant. But there was also a side of him that played and catered to an audience. He’d spread my body for that room, showing them my most private part, and then he’d forced me to ride his fingers while they’d watched us. I’d come three times later the next day, alone inside my cabin. I’d imagined him using me in the same room with those people, them begging him to taste me, and him denying them as he fucked me.

“And admit that I actually liked it? That it turned me on? I was naïve, and I thought it wasn’t right to have an audience. I was a prude witch, and you liked that about me. You enjoyed corrupting that sweet little girl that hadn’t ever had an orgasm.”

“You’re fucking damn right I did,” he chuckled, slamming up to meet my descent. “You were so fucking easy to corrupt, just begging to be freed of that propriety in which you clung. I enjoy your dark side, but I don’t like sharing you or it with anyone else, Lena.”

“I’m not that naïve girl you first met, Lucian. I’m yours. You know that. I want this with you. Right now, I’m fucking you and wishing Spyder was here with us. I know that isn’t me. I’m fully aware that it’s the bond working. I want it gone so that it’s just you and I in here.”

“You really shouldn’t say shit like that when you’re riding my cock, Lena,” Lucian warned, his eyes burning with the fiery flames of his soul. “You only want it because you don’t want to see him hurt.”

“Spyder shouldn’t be punished for protecting me,” I argued, slowing my hips to cup Lucian’s face between my palms. “And neither should we be, anymore. I knew I wanted you from the first moment our lips met. I fought it, and I am not the least bit sorry that I lost the fight to you. From the first time you kissed me, that delicious taste of darkness that came with your kiss told me I was utterly fucked. After you took me to heaven inside that club, I knew I’d want no one but you again. I’d have sold my soul to Lucifer for another taste of your lips, and I wouldn’t have regretted it one bit. That’s how screwed I was the day I first met you, Lucian. I looked into your eyes, and I saw my future with you. I didn’t even know your name, but I knew I belonged with you.”

Lucian’s jaw clenched as he leaned forward, claiming my mouth in a soul-crushing kiss. His tongue slipped past my lips, tangling with mine as he stroked it, rocking his hips. I moaned, unable to fight against the tension building in my center.

This man had stolen my soul long before death had ever claimed it. He’d knocked me off my feet, leaving me floating in a cloud of never-ending need and protection that I’d never felt before. I hadn’t even realized I was missing what he gave me, not until I’d lost everything to protect him. So now I’d do anything to keep Lucian and what he offered me.

Lucian pulled his lips away from mine, watching as my tears slipped free. “I want forever with you, and only you. I sacrificed my life to free you from a situation in which I had no business being dragged. Do you think I wouldn’t do the same for Spyder? We did this to him. You and I, because I was gullible and couldn’t tell the difference between the Devil and the man I craved more than life.”

“And if it means being with both of us?” he asked, watching me closely. “What happens then, Lena? I won’t share you with Spyder more than once. If we do this, it’s a one-time thing between us. You’re mine, and only mine, Little Witch.”

“Then we’ve bought time to figure out how to end the mating link to Spyder. You’re afraid that I won’t be able to stand myself if I do this. You’re wrong. I am sexually curious and a red-blooded woman. I have had fantasies of you both with me, and I woke up drenched from them, fucking you with arousal coating my pussy from imaging the both of you inside of me. I was with the Devil and Hades simultaneously, and I liked it, or I did, until it turned into a fucking horror show. Fact. It was hot, and I enjoyed them pleasuring me together, Lucian. I thought it was you, and until I figured out that it wasn’t, I was okay with it because you were with me.”

He growled, flipping me onto my back, staring down with rage peering out at me. His hands grabbed my wrists, smashing them down onto the bed, sending pain rocking through me. He slammed home into my body punishingly. I whimpered, shivering against him as he glared down, actually angry with what I’d said, no matter if it was the truth I’d whispered.

“We’re not talking about you and Luc fucking, ever again. You keep it up, and you won’t be walking for weeks, no matter how quickly you heal.” The warning in his tone only pissed me off more. It made me want him to carry out his threat.

“What’s the matter? Don’t like the naughty bitch you created? Or are you mad I am no longer the naïve little girl you first met?”

“I’m fucking furious that I’m aroused at the idea of watching you get fucked. You don’t think the bond is feeding me the same fucking shit you guys see in your heads? I assure you, I’ve imagined burying myself in that tight ass of yours while Spyder wrecks your pussy. I craved to hear you begging us for mercy, and we sure as shit wouldn’t offer you any. I woke up after having that dream, and I fucked you just like I’d dreamed of us together. That didn’t mean I was okay with it, because I know you’re not. I know you, Lena. You think you’re okay with it, but what if we’re fucking stuck together? You’re only thinking about the bond, but you mated with Spyder, too. We don’t know how to end that; no one does because it hasn’t ever happened before.”

“You’re wrong. If I had to ride Spyder’s cock into a war, I’d drain his balls while waging that battle to free him. I would. If that’s the cost of him getting the fuck out of our bed, I’ll do so, and I will enjoy every moment of it while you watch it happening.”

He slammed into my body again, making the tension in my belly unfurl until I was helpless to ignore the pleasure he created. Lucian stared into my gaze while forcing the orgasm to rip through me violently. The moment it started, he held me captive within it, slamming against my opening as my walls clenched, greedily sucking against his thick cock. The veins on his neck pulsed, and he threw his head back, growling as he unleashed hell on my body.

His grip on my wrists intensified, and my back arched off of the bed. Lucian didn’t stop, and he damn sure didn’t fear hurting my new body as he vigorously fucked me until I mewled and whimpered his name. My channel tightened and released as he hammered into it, forcing me over the edge with him. Our bodies were covered in sweat, my dress clinging to my skin, drenched from round one of being owned.

“You’re sure that you want this? That you’re not just saying it because you don’t want Spyder to die?”

“Of course, I don’t want him to die.” I watched the turbulence of emotions playing in Lucian’s eyes as he released my hands. I cupped my palms against his cheeks, smiling as tears escaped. “He’s your best friend, your most powerful ally, and we’re about to wage war against the Devil. Spyder is in this situation because of me, Lucian. If I can free him, I want to do that. If it takes one night of really dirty sex, and I get to experience something like that with both of you once, I’m okay with that. I am yours, and you know that to be true. Being with him won’t alter that; it won’t change us. I know who I belong to and where I belong, which is with you. I’m not afraid that it will alter anything between us, because we’re strong together. I trust you, and you trust me. I know you are mine, and I know you’re trying to protect me, but you’re not. The cost is one night for the life of your best friend, a man who’s helped me through some of the darkest times of my life. Spyder did the honorable thing and got a shit hand of cards because of it. I can do what’s right and try to restack the deck in his favor. I can do this and let him go because it is the proper thing to do here, and you know it too.”

“Others will know what we’ve done,” he warned, watching me for any sign of weakness. Lucian was a predator, and he would go for blood if I allowed him to see that I feared being with them both simultaneously.

“You once told me that no one else’s opinions mattered and that their perception of our sexual needs didn’t mean shit, that they didn’t exist here, with us,” I replied softly, searching his face. “I know what you meant now. You were right. They don’t exist here, and their knowledge of our sex life is irrelevant. I no longer care what people think about what we do. I enjoy sex, and I don’t care who knows how much of a freak I am anymore. I only care about what you think of me and that you know this won’t change us. I know because we’re stronger than that. You and I, we’ve been through hell, and we’re still together.”

“We won’t go easy on you,” he laughed, his eyes darkening with lust and warning. “For that one night, you won’t be mine if this happens. You will be ours. Nothing will be off-limits, Lena. It will be open season on your body, and there will be no mercy, no safe word to protect you. After it is over, it doesn’t happen ever again. To save Spyder’s life, I will allow it to happen. I won’t ever share you again, not with him, and not with anyone else. Do you understand me? You’re mine, and only mine, Magdalena.”

“Good, because I don’t want any mercy from either of you,” I whispered huskily, letting him hear the lust rushing through me. “I like when you hurt me. I enjoy pleasure and pain, and I enjoy when you unleash your aggression on my body. I was made for you, and you’re not gentle. Plus, I don’t break easily anymore.” I sucked my bottom lip between my teeth as he pulled back, smiling wickedly as he peered between our bodies where he sat cradled in my pussy.

“Let’s test that theory, shall we?”

Chapter Six

My fuck it bucket runneth over. ~Lena

I stood on the balcony of the guild, sensing Alden’s arrival before he peeked up to where I waited for him. I extended my wings and moved to the ledge, dropping to the stairs beside him. I’d made it a point to check on him often. He’d loved my mother, and I’d grown attached to the cantankerous old prick.

He smiled a silent welcome as we gazed out over the empty streets of Spokane. He didn’t need words to tell me he wished my mom was here, and I didn’t need to tell him I missed her, too. We’d formed a bond in her absence, one that tugged tightly in the darkness of the new world that burned around us.

“You’re getting the hang of your wings rather quickly,” he acknowledged, nodding toward my back, then tilting his head to study my face.

Alden had salt and pepper hair and soft blue eyes. He wasn’t old, but he wasn’t a spring chicken, either. He’d fallen in love with my mother, which hadn’t been part of the plan. He’d been there to observe me, to get close to me so he could study our coven and help Lucian. Love had other ideas for him, and when my mom died, she had left him with the same emptiness that plagued me.

“They’re rather handy but still a nuisance more often than not,” I shrugged, turning as a new batch of enforcers emerged from the guild, coming toward us. “How is everything here?”

“Hell on earth, but we’re surviving.” Alden turned, gazing out at the destroyed city. “Every time we handle something, some other shit comes into play. You guys figure out how to close the Hell Gates yet?”

“No, not without murdering Lucifer, who seems to be tied to them. Not that we wouldn’t enjoy it, but the balance is fragile. Lucian is seeking his sources and scouring for Hecate. Her daughters were sighted in Ireland a week back, causing havoc on the isle. How are you holding up?”

Alden turned his head in my direction, studying me before exhaling. “I miss her, Lena. I miss your mother every morning when I get up, and every night before sleep takes me away from the pain. Grief doesn’t have a time limit, though, kid. It’s crazy because we weren’t together that long, but I feel as if she took my heart with her when she died. I’ll catch the scent of wildflowers and think of her at the worst moment possible. How are you? I know Joshua and the others are still patrolling, but you don’t go out with them anymore.”

“My emotions have returned, and sometimes I wish to hell I could turn them back off again. I think it’s worse because there’s pain and guilt from not caring that my family and coven died. It was like I knew, but there was no overwhelming emotion from the losses. It was probably best that I didn’t feel it at the time, considering everything happening around me. Joshua felt more than I did, but he still hasn’t really processed what happened.” Sighing, I turned toward the demolished city, studying the smoke billowing from the building’s ruins across the street. “Lucian has grounded me. Lucifer is out hunting me, and with those have remained loyal to him, I’m more of a hindrance than help lately. He has Gluttony, Leviathan, and Greed still by his side. Erie has taken the rest of his generals. Word has it, she’s bent about something Lucifer did, and after him as well.” I chuckled as Alden shook his head and whistled.

“I’ve been finding corpses in the most awkward poses. Erie also made the mages that were topside go to ground. I have seen hide nor hair of a Druid in weeks. Of course, she blew them up recently, and if any survived, they went into hiding pretty damn deep from that woman, and I don’t blame them one bit.”

“She’s wickedly awesome,” I laughed, staring out over the trash-covered streets.

Demons had invaded every part of the city. As far as the eye could see, skeletal remains littered the ground, mixed in with the garbage that blanketed it. My nose itched with the scent of fires blending with brimstone and sex. Lucifer wanted the entire world to be like this, and I intended to stop it from happening.

“Are you here checking up on me, kid?” Alden asked.

“No,” I faced him, withdrawing crystals and dropping them on the ground. His eyebrows lifted with surprise, and a guarded look filled his narrowed gaze. “I just need protection from anyone listening. Calm down, old man. I don’t intend to hurt you,” I laughed, rolling my eyes. “I’m looking for Spyder. I fucked up, and he’s paying for it. I claimed Lucian, and I claimed Spyder too, or the furies did. Also, the ancient blood magic spell is still working. They did it to protect me from Lucifer, of which I know you’re aware. Blood magic is—”

“Dangerous, and normally doesn’t finish its course until you give it what it wants,” he finished for me. “I’m old enough to remember the cost of meddling in ancient magic, Magdalena.”

“Right, I forgot you’re old as shit,” I joked, and his shoulders shook with silent laughter. “I knew I had claimed Lucian after the spell had been cast, but I just found out about Spyder. The clock that started upon the claiming to solidify the bond is nearing its end. Spyder’s chosen death, or more technically, to be reborn instead of suffering from the bond. His death would dissolve the spell, or so he hopes.”

“Why not just give it what it wants, Lena? What is the price that you’re unwilling to pay?”

I studied Alden’s face, noting the wrinkles that had aged him since my mother died. He searched my eyes as if he’d find the answer within them. Swallowing, I considered how much to disclose, but after a moment, I decided that honesty was the best direction.

“Sex,” I grunted, and his mouth opened to the perfect ‘O’ while his eyes widened to match them. “We tried it, but I couldn’t do what was needed. Now, it’s his life on the line. He did the right thing, and the price the magic is taking would be his sanity. Considering what he is—well, let’s just say he’d make Lucifer seem more like a warm-up act. Spyder asked Lucian to put him down because he’s the only one who could. They’ve been together since their creation. I can’t let that happen.”

“Kinky.” Alden’s face turned red before he peered up at the stars. Then, lowering his eyes, he smiled. “I can’t tell you what to do in this situation, kid. That’s between you and them, and at the end of the day, we all have baggage. The only thing that really matters is how you carry yours. Do you put it back into the bag, or do you empty it so it’s not so heavy to carry? When’s the last time you unpacked some of your own?”

“Are we taking a trip, Alden?” I asked, uncertain what the hell he meant.

He chuckled, shaking his head. “Can you live with Spyder dying? Can you carry that weight around with you? You’re looking for answers, but you already made your choice. You’re going to do it because you cannot bear his death on your soul.” He rocked back and forth on his heels while scratching the back of his neck, chuckling at the absurdity of the conversation.

“I don’t have a soul,” I grumbled, exhaling. “The bond we share, it pulls us together. I need it to stop. I am in love with Lucian, and I can’t keep craving Spyder, too. It’s not fair to either of them.”

“And you, Lena. It isn’t fair to you, either. You often take yourself out of the equation, and you shouldn’t. Maybe it’s time for you to let go of your past and any lingering reservations about your situation. Do you remember when we first met? You were terrified of us. Now, you’re like family. You’ve been through hell, and you have refused to break. You committed suicide to protect the ones you loved and your unborn son that they thought to use as a weapon. You’re selfless, and that’s not something many people can say honestly. If you’re serious about being with Lucian, Lena, you need to let Spyder go.”

“I am, but first, I have to find him. I need your help with another matter, though. I’m looking for any information you can find on the original three furies and what happens when they claim their mates. Or, in our case, how to escape being claimed by furies,” I admitted, knowing Alden had a vast library with ancient tomes his people had stolen over the years. “If there’s a way to free Spyder from being bound to me, I’d like to have the solution as soon as possible. If it includes body fluids, I need to know so I can plan to do everything required all at once.”

He winced physically at my choice of words before shaking his head. “I found some things in the fae’s library about furies, details that showed what the furies were and what they protected. And, well, we figured you’d come to us for more information, eventually. I promised your mother I’d look after you, Kid. I’m in over my head on this one.”

“My mother,” I whispered, swallowing past the lump that saying her name created. “She did not know what they were. We were all in over our heads, drowning in a war that we didn’t know was happening around us. Lucian was there to protect the world, and we didn’t even realize the danger of his presence to ours or us. I had the seal within me, slumbering. If it had awoken, we’d all be nothing more than husks of flesh after it had spit out our bones.”

“This world was already heading down the highway to Hell. Now, we have shit happening that makes me wonder if we can ever come back from this. I need to show you one more thing if you can spare a few more minutes.”

“For you, old man, I will always make time.” Hearing a noise behind me, I turned to see Zahruk coming down the stairs toward us. He had dual blades attached to his back, with leather straps that crossed over his ripped chest. Eyes the color of freshly polished sapphires smiled the moment they landed on me, and then slowly moved back to Alden.

“You’ll need to remove the crystals, Kid. Zahruk is here to see the newest clusterfuck unfolding in town.”

Bending down, I retrieved the crystals while holding Zahruk’s gaze. His lips tightened, curving into a wicked grin when he reached us.

“You called for me, Elder?” Zahruk asked, his attention shifting to Alden.

“It’s just Alden now,” he corrected, pushing his fingers through his hair. “You can bring Lena with us, right?”

“She’s light and easily captured,” Zahruk stated, dragging his gaze down my curves. “Shame she got claimed so early on.”

“Careful,” Alden chuckled, his blue eyes sparkling with the secret. “She’s taken by something none of us could deal with once it was pissed off.”

“Sounds fun.” Zahruk held his hand out for mine. “Don’t be scared. You’ll like my bite.”

“You may not like mine. It’s to die for,” I returned, as one side of Zahruk’s mouth tipped up in a sinful grin. “After we’ve finished here, can you drop me off at Vlad’s club?”

“Sure thing, pretty monster.”

Chapter Seven

Once upon a time, I knew better than to walk into the shadows and play with darkness. Now, I am the darkness. ~Lena

The three of us appeared in a dark alleyway bathed in pulsing shadows and what seemed to be some kind of portal. My eyes slid over the wafting darkness that beckoned us forward seductively. Tiny rainbow prisms covered the ground in front of the swirling, wispy tendrils of dark shadows, while the sound of a beating drum came from the gloomy portal, deeper inside the alley. Or, at least, I assumed it was a drum. Zahruk toed the crystals before kneeling and using his fingers to grab a shard of one of the larger pieces. Then, bringing it to his nose, he jerked it back away from his face, tossing it down as he rose to his impressive height.

“What the fuck is happening here?” Zahruk’s voice held worry deep within his sultry timbre. “It feels wrong, even to me.”

“Good question, but no one seems to know the answer, and whatever it is, it’s spreading into our world.” Alden crossed his arms over his chest, his bushy brow raised as he glared at the shadows. “I sent enforcers into that shit, and two came out… changed, for lack of a better word. One became insane, and the other had brand-like markings all over him. Not like yours or Ryder’s, though. These markings have altered his genetic make-up. His ears are now pointed, and when he’s angry, his eyes turn entirely black, swallowing the sclera and iris. He hungers, and no matter how much we feed him, he is never satisfied.”

“They didn’t come out the same?” I asked, watching Alden’s head shake.

“When did this anomaly show up?” Zahruk asked, narrowing his gaze on the pulsing, thrumming shadows that continually sang an eerie song, sending a shiver rushing up my spine.

“It was here when we exited the shelter; after all that shit went down in Faery. We came out here because I got reports of people going missing around this area. I figured it was an otherworldly creature feeding on humans. I never expected to find something like this,” Alden grumbled, shaking his head. “There are other areas all over town where the same thing has appeared. Some are silent, and others sound the same as this one, like a war drum is beating from within the darkness.”

Zahruk stepped closer to the shadows, holding his hand out to touch one. It grabbed onto his wrist, jerking his body forward as he hissed through clenched teeth. One minute he’d been yanked forward, and the next, he slammed against my body, sending us both crashing to the ground in a pile of limbs.

“Fucking hell,” Zahruk ground out, his hand lifting with the shadow still attached to him. I groaned, not moving from beneath him as I peered around.

“Where is Alden?” I asked in a panic.

“Over here,” Alden grunted, forcing us both to turn to where he’d placed distance between him and the creepy shadows. “Next time, warn me before you decide to get frisky with the spooky dark magic.”

Zahruk grumbled, shaking his hand to dispel the wispy tendrils that clung to him. Sitting up, I spread my legs to drop his ass to the ground between them, both of us still observing the shit he’d shaken off as it crawled back to join the larger shadows.

“It’s alive,” Zahruk announced.

“Very much so,” I snorted, which drew his gaze to my bare thigh, cradling his body.

“Your bite isn’t so bad, witch.”

“That’s just to ensnare you and make you lower your guard. Haven’t you heard? Witches are wanton things that feed off of unknowing men. Witches do everything better, and that witchy magic, it’s lethal when it bites,” I purred huskily, watching his shoulders shake in amusement. “Are you laughing at me?” I demanded, offended that Zahruk wasn’t the least bit worried about my bite.

“Save it for your boyfriend, Lena. I don’t play well with other men’s women. I enjoy the challenge of claiming them, and you’re not fucking claimable. You’ve got two of the biggest, baddest mother fuckers on this planet trying to play in your backyard. I don’t want the type of fruit you’ve got down there in your lady garden. That shit’s forbidden. You make Eve, and her apple, look weak and lacking.”

“I don’t know about fruit, but it’s a man-eater,” I laughed, hearing Alden’s strangled groan. “Get up so that I can move.”

The moment Zahruk stood, reaching down, he yanked me up with him. His hand was ice cold, causing a yelp to leave my lips as if Jack Frost had bitten me. Standing the rest of the way, I stared down at my hand, noting the shadows wafting up from it.

“What the hell is this shit?” Zahruk asked, looking at his hand with the same shit sticking to it. We both turned, eyeing the slithering shadows that still made a drumming sound. “Do you hear that?” He tipped his head to the side, and his eyes glowed sapphire and indigo as he ignited his power.

The sound changed, coming out like a siren’s song that drifted over the water to lure fishermen and sailors to their doom. Zahruk stepped closer, but I grabbed hold and pulled him back. He turned, staring at me without his glamour, showing me a pretty, lethal package.

“Holy shit,” I whispered breathlessly, shuddering at the beauty of his image.

I shook at the intensity of his features, with a jawline that was sharp like glass. His ears were slightly pointed, and his eyes slanted with the inhuman glow of the fae. He looked like death personified, bathed in lust and darkness that promised untold desire. His golden skin turned translucent, with pulsing markings beneath it. His brands were gold, shifting with a powerful hum that caused my hand to move, touching his warm flesh.

“Furies aren’t immune to the fae, it seems.” He chuckled wickedly, watching my reaction to him.

“Get the fuck away from the creepy shit. You’re acting like one of those characters in the movies that go into the dark house, asking themselves, ‘what could possibly go wrong?’ plot twist; everything goes wrong. There, I saved you the curiosity of getting closer. Why aren’t these shadow tendrils going back to the host?” I asked, holding up my fingers where he’d touched me.

“Because it likes us,” he snorted, peering at the creepy substance. “And that’s a fucking problem. Where are the other areas like this one?” Zahruk looked pointedly at Alden.

“One is a block over. We should walk, though. I have a feeling that I am susceptible to whatever that shit is. So if you don’t mind, I’d rather not touch you. Either of you,” Alden grunted while eyeing us like we had the plague or something worse.

It took us moments to reach the next area, which had violet flowers growing around the shadows. The portal wasn’t moving like the other, but it seemed to spread further into our world than the previous one. I picked up a rock, tossing it into the darkness, and it spat it back out. It was no longer a tiny pebble. It came back out as a dark boulder that hummed and turned translucent while we studied it.

Narrowing my gaze, I frowned, noting the bolder had been transformed into clear quartz, with thousands of rainbows reflecting from the streetlamp. It blinked in and out, humming with the power grid that was fucked. We’d managed to gain enough electricity back that Spokane had a sliver of light. Without removing the demons, though, it was hopeless to get it back to the people here.

“Maybe not throw shit into the unknown vortex? Remember the plot twist? It goes bad.” Zahruk snorted, eyeing the huge crystal. “You said these areas showed up after we returned to tell you that Faery had been saved?”

“Around that time, yeah,” Alden confirmed. “We waited about seventy-two hours before leaving the safety of the shelter. At first, the areas were small and barely noticeable. That was when the people were starting to report that others had gone missing. The larger they got, the more civilians vanished.”

“They’re not disappearing,” I pointed out. “But they’re not coming back the same. Alden, you said one returned to you insane, and the other is changing, right? What if these shadows are altering them into something else? Maybe they touched it and had whatever the hell is climbing up Zahruk’s arm, on them too.” I pointed at his arm, where inky black shit was slithering up it now. Above the shadow was a thin layer of rainbow prisms that had been all over the ground at the first location we’d visited.

Zahruk held his hand up, wiggling his fingers before dropping it to stare at the rock. His brands pulsed, pushing the dark wisps back down to his fingertips. The moment it vanished, he held out his hand for mine. Placing my fingers against his palm, I gasped, yanking away from his grip as if he’d burned me.

“You’re ice cold, Zahruk,” I muttered, peering down at where we touched, seeing that ice had formed over the surface of my palm. “That is a trip.” Wiggling my fingers, I watched the ice shatter from the movement. Narrowing my eyes on Zahruk, I swallowed down the unease rushing through me.

“I need to get to a healer,” he grumbled irritably, tightening his hand into a fist at his side. “Alden, I’d give your enforcers a warning to steer clear of this shit for now. I’ll get some of the Elite Guard over here to examine it closer and take samples back to Faery to determine what we’re dealing with. It damn near looks like the shit that was all over on the walls of the Seelie Prison, and if that is what it is, Spokane is in more trouble than we assumed. It might be connected to whoever has Kahleena. The Unseelie that were locked in the prison escaped near the same time the Seelie did, freed by Synthia during her escape with Malachi. Asher might be able to tell us more, too. He’s around here somewhere, causing hell, I’m sure. We’re still missing a few Seelie princes, and they’re not friendly, from what Asher says. He’s also mentioned that the Unseelie that survived may have slithered out of that side of the prison as well. It’s a mess, and we’re scrambling to figure out what is going on and what sort of monsters fled that black hole.”

“So it’s not related to Lucifer unleashing Hell literally into this world?” I confirmed, watching as both men turned to look at me. “Hey, a lot is happening, and a few months ago, I was just a girl who hadn’t even had an orgasm. Now, I’m a freaking fury. I am so in over my head on what the fuck’s that I don’t even know how many I’m up to today.” I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest, glaring at both men.

“Never had an orgasm? No wonder Lucian got you so damn easy,” Zahruk chuckled, smirking as I frowned, my forehead wrinkling at the way he made it sound.

“You should go back to being the broody guy who looks like he wants to murder everything around him. I think I liked you better like that.”

“I liked you better, bleeding out,” he stated with a sinister laugh, shrugging his broad shoulders.

“Children,” Alden chuckled, running his hand over his mouth to stifle the silent laughter that shook his body. “Play nice. I’ll send out word to the enforcers and hunters in the area and make it known at the guild that these areas are unstable. Lena, I’ll pull those items we discussed, and you can drop by once you’ve found what you’re looking for at Nightshade and have addressed your problem.”

“What problem is that?” Zahruk asked, his eyes narrowing on me.

“It’s personal,” I returned, watching his head nod.

“They normally are, Lena. Empty that baggage, though, like Alden suggested, because if you collect enough of it, it will weigh you down until you’re drowning. Pretty things should never suffer when it’s so easy to fix the issues plaguing them.” Zahruk vanished before I could say anything, forcing a strangled groan from my throat. He’d heard everything, and I wasn’t sure he’d keep it to himself.

“Is he trustworthy?” I asked, feeling something icy near me.

“I’ll keep your secrets, little fury,” Zahruk whispered, brushing his lips against my ear. “Be more careful what you whisper in the future. Lucifer is listening for you in the wind. Vlad is aware you’re on your way. The club is moving now, fueled by magic from Faery. Two blocks east, catch it before it moves again. Your guy is inside, hiding from you.”

I shivered, turning to look at where he should have been, but only a hint of dark sexual energy remained in his place. Zahruk was trouble for every woman with working sexual organs. Since Ryder had crowned him King of the Horde, he’d evolved into a carnal being that leaked pheromones on unsuspecting women. Mainly me.

“I’ll escort you to the door of the club, but I need to get back to the guild,” Alden announced.

“Your offer is sweet, but I should be the one walking you to the guild to be certain you get there safely.”

He snorted, shaking his head. “Kid, I’ve been running these streets since I could walk. Also, I’m not suicidal enough to leave you alone with Lucian around. He’d have my spine ripped out through my mouth if he knew you were out here by yourself.”

“Fine, let’s go. I don’t want to spend all night chasing down a magical vampire club that is sporadically relocating to stay hidden from us. Not to mention, I wouldn’t be surprised if Spyder hasn’t already figured out I’m hunting him and has gone to ground.”

“I doubt he’s hiding that hard, Kid. Spyder is a man, and you’re a woman. He wants what you got,” he chuckled.

“Alden, really?” I gasped in mocked horror.

“I may be old enough to be your father, Lena, but I’m all man. I have working eyes, and all my parts still function perfectly.”

“I’m going to need you to stop now, considering you were with my mother.” He smirked, but there was sadness in his gaze. He shoved his hands into his pockets as we began making our way toward Nightshade.

“Your mother was quite the woman. She’d be proud of you if she were here. She was concerned about how you would adjust to what you had become. She may have worried about it, but she loved you more than she feared you.”

Chapter Eight

Here, Spyder, Spyder. Here is your chance to ride her. ~Lena

I entered Nightshade without issue, stopping at the bar to kiss my favorite bartender, Vlad, on the cheek. He laughed, shaking his dark head as his silver eyes surveyed me. Today they weren’t swirling, which normally gave me pause. Let’s be honest; swirling eyes that studied you intently should freak anyone out. He wore a tight, sleeveless shirt that exposed the tattoos, covering his arms from shoulder to wrist. Jeans hugged his slim hips, and he looked as if he’d just stepped out of a magazine for men’s physique.

“Here comes trouble,” Vlad chuckled, pouring two fingers of scotch into a chilled glass before pushing it toward me. “What brings you in here tonight, Lena? I’m surprised Lucian allowed you out with the Devil hunting you.”

“I’m not afraid of Lucifer,” I admitted, drinking deeply of the cool scotch. “It appears that he intends to lure me to him by using Makenna. He seems attached to her, playing the perfect father. It’s creepy and endearing at the same time.”

“Lucian didn’t let you out, did he?” Vlad countered, running his hand over his mouth before grabbing a towel and wiping down the pristine bar surface. “Should I expect him to come in and wreck the place to get you back?”

“No, he knows I am out and where I am,” I assured, even though I hadn’t actually asked permission. I told him my plans, but he’d laughed and walked away. “Hey, it isn’t my fault. I said I was going to speak with Alden, then to find the monster we’ve been hunting.” I didn’t dare whisper Spyder’s name yet, not until I’d finished my drink to hunt him down.

He chuckled, shaking his head, causing his hair to brush over his shoulder blades. I turned, facing the people moving around the bar. It had grown since the last time I’d been in, expanding to be a full nightclub. Magic had been used to increase the space and to fortify it against demons and other enemies.

The floor below us was used for feeding, based on whatever clientele Vlad allowed down there. Lucian had explained how Vlad brought in people who fed off humans, pointing them toward the patrons into that sort of thing. Below the feeding portion of the establishment were rooms Vlad had been using to give creatures safe harbor against the more dangerous monsters currently taking over the city.

“So, what really brings you in tonight? I don’t assume you came here to see me, pretty girl.”

I chuckled, turning to smile at him. “You could charm a chastity belt off of a nun, Vlad. But you’re right. I didn’t come just to visit. I am looking for Spyder. I heard from a source that he was here, helping you.”

Lifting the glass to my lips, I watched him over the rim as he smirked, studying me. “He’s here, down a level. You’re aware of what happens down there, aren’t you?” he asked pointedly, lifting a brow in silent challenge. “He’s assisting some people right now.”

“He hasn’t checked in with us for over a week.”

“He’s a big boy, and old enough to know what he wants, Lena.” Vlad nodded at someone over my shoulder, turning to grab a bottle from the highest shelf. I studied how he moved, gliding across the bar to retrieve a large glass, pouring crimson into it. “Spyder’s in the room at the furthest end of the hall. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. What is happening inside is consensual, and they are paying customers that asked for him specifically.”

Heat pooled in my center. Shaking it off, I rose to my feet, downing the drink. Vlad shook his head when I reached into my pocket, smirking. A woman walked up, leaning over the counter, which exposed her breasts. Her hand touched Vlad’s, and she nodded her head in silent thanks. Picking up the goblet of blood, she tipped it back, turning to stare at me. Pulling the glass away from her mouth, she smiled, revealing wicked-looking fangs.

“She’s pretty, Vlad. Is she on the menu? I’d like to taste her,” the woman stated, her tone multi-layered as she moved closer, brushing her fingers over my cheek. “I’d like to do a lot more than taste her blood, too.”

The furies within me screamed at her touch. I saw my eyes turn black in the reflection of her blue gaze. Her hand dropped, and she stepped back as a cold smile played on my lips. Yet she wasn’t scared of me, even though any sane person would have run at the sight of my face turning from pretty to grim reaper within seconds.

“I’m intrigued,” she whispered. “What are you, darling?”

“She’s a fury and off-limits, Selina. She belongs to Lucian Blackstone,” Vlad announced loud enough that at the mention of Lucian’s name, the people within earshot peered up from their conversations to look at me. I tilted my head as the blood drained from the vampire’s already pale complexion.

“I didn’t know she was his. You must tell Lucian that I had no idea you were his property,” she whispered, bowing her head. “I beg of you.”

“No harm was caused, Selina.” I grinned smugly as she turned, moving away from me without a backward glance.

Dismissing Selina and the eyes of those gawking at me with curiosity, I left the bar. I walked to the staircase leading down into the feeder section while others watched, whispering as I passed them. Then my attention shifted to the stage where Adrian sat, smiling, observing me slip away. As I’d neared the stairs to the lower level, Adrian appeared before me. Leaning against the wall, he dropped his head forward, studying me.

“You sure you want to go down there? It won’t be pretty,” he grunted, running his turquoise eyes over my face. “I think Spyder’s trying to fuck you out of his system, Lena. He’s not having much success. You should leave him to it. You hear me? You really don’t want to see what is happening inside that room.”

“I’m going down there to invite him to my bed so that he can get from me what he needs, Adrian. I got him into this situation, and I will get him out. Now, if you’re done trying to prevent me from seeing him fucking, you’re a little late since I’ve already had his cock down my throat. I’m going to the lower level to find him.”

“Damn, I didn’t see that one coming.” Adrian’s lips jerked into a devilish grin as his fangs snaked out, tugging on his lower lip. “If you ever get free, I’ll be putting my hat into the ring for a taste of you. You got a taste of me, sugar. It’s only fair I get one in return.”

“Deal, Adrian. But only if it doesn’t work out between myself and Lucian. You see, I was born to be his, so chances of that happening are zero.” His eyes flashed in amusement at my reply.

“I figured as much. I know not to mess with Lucian’s girl or him. Spyder’s down the hall, the furthest door on the left. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Noted. Thanks for the heads up,” I called back, swaying my hips as he watched me walk away.

I’d gotten more confident with the furies within me. I knew they were the ones pushing me, yet they’d been quiet for a while now. They’d become a part of me, growing silent until I was in danger. I had noticed that when something or someone new entered my surroundings, I’d hear them whispering inside my head. I’d receive a warning that alerted me to whatever kind of creature was getting close, like Erie and war drums mixed with the sound of swords clashing together. Vampires caused me to hear heartbeats, which was weirdly cute—Lucian silence, and that was eerie as shit.

I was also more open regarding life, not worried about what people thought of me. I’d lost my human fears, reverting to more end of the freaking world concerns. However, a certain numbness filled me, which I had filed away as grief from losing Harbinger. Not that I didn’t wish I had him, but wishing wouldn’t bring my son back.

I also no longer suffered his death echo or mine. I was confident Lucian had something to do with that, since he hadn’t seemed at all shocked that during the last three full moons, I hadn’t had a single one.

Reaching the end of the hall, I paused at the door, lifting my hand to the knob before tilting and pressing my head against the wooden surface, listening. No sounds escaped the room, or any of the other rooms, for that matter. The only noise I’d heard since coming downstairs had been the clicking of my heels over the tiles. My stomach tightened with unease, knowing that I was about to fight against the need to replace some female he was pleasuring, just to confront him.

Turning the knob, I entered, pausing at the multiple moans I clearly hear. There wasn’t just one female inside with Spyder. It was a full-on sex party, with him sitting in a chair, watching everyone fuck around him like he was the king of the orgy. He was shirtless, covered in sweat and shadows that bathed him in dim candlelight. The sound of passion and skin slapping together echoed through the room.

Spyder’s eyes slid to mine, holding them as the sounds increased. I didn’t look away from him, staring into his gaze as he lifted from the chair. His broad chest rose and fell as his dark head tilted to the side, slowly dragging his heated gaze up and down my body with naked hunger banked in his icy blue glare.

The entire area smelled of sex and magic, reminding me of the time Spyder held me as he and Lucian performed the spell that had cemented our bond. Spyder crept toward me, sleek muscles glistening with a fine sheen of sweat covering the dark ink of his tattoos. I swallowed down the moan that built in my throat, threatening to undo me. This probably wouldn’t go down as my brightest moment.

A man stepped in front of me, grabbing me without warning. Spyder reached for his throat, wrapping his fingers around it. I watched in silence as he sent the male flying to the other side of the room, where he slid down the wall, unconscious from the force of hitting it. The growl that escaped from Spyder had everyone taking part in the orgy, rushing for the door, fleeing the room as if the monsters within it scared them.

Spyder’s chest continued rising and falling with rapid, wild breaths as he stared me down. The shadows surrounding him pulsed, moving with his labored breathing. Tension rolled off of him in waves, and it wasn’t friendly. He would pounce the moment I moved, which meant I wasn’t moving. He stepped closer, forcing me to back into the wall.

His hand slammed against the surface beside my face, and he lowered his head, closing the distance between his lips and mine. Spyder didn’t kiss me. He smelled me as a growl rumbled up through his chest and stopped. He clasped my bottom lip with his teeth, pulling it. The coppery tang of blood hit my taste buds, and I moaned huskily, swiping my tongue against the wounded flesh.

He released my lip, lifting his head to peer down at me. “You lost, Kitty? Because I sure as fuck didn’t invite you to my party,” he hissed, peering down at my tight camisole, which did little to hide the fact that my nipples had hardened with need.

“It’s time to come home, Spyder.”

“Does Lucian know you’re here? Unprotected and alone with me?” he continued, ignoring me. His body slammed mine into the wall, and I shook my head. “You like watching me get off?”

“Yes,” I admitted, smirking as his eyes grew hooded. “You asked, asshole.”

I lifted my hands, running them over the muscles of his chest, and his cheek clenched, tightening as he allowed it. I rocked on my heels, peering into his gaze with a cocky smile tugging my lips. He smelled of wickedness, sex, and spices. He smirked, lowering his mouth to suck against my racing pulse at the hollow column of my throat, creating a need that ached between my thighs. I closed my eyes, praying I had enough strength to push him away without Lucian being here.

“Come home, Spyder. Let’s end this,” I whispered huskily. My voice came out like honey dripping from the comb.

“End this? You think you can handle that?” he asked, pushing his cock against my belly. He was trying to scare me, and a smarter girl would have run away from him. Spyder smirked coldly, his heated depths pooling with lust. Shadows slithered around me, tightening against my limbs as he allowed them to spread my body wide for him.

“I do.” I refused to back down from him.

Spyder lowered his mouth against mine, brushing his lips in a soft sweep against my cheek before he lifted his hand. He pushed my head against the wall as he cradled my neck, stroking his thumb over my jackhammering pulse. His erection throbbed, which I could feel through his jeans. Removing his hand, he slid it through my hair to jerk my head back, peering down into my gaze.

“I want to rip our clothes off and defile every single inch of your smooth, flawless flesh. Do you get it, Lena? I want to consume you. I want to hear you screaming and coming undone. More than that, I want to taste your blood as it coats your pretty body. Think you could handle that?” he hissed, challenging me.

“First off, get your pussy coated dick away from me. You don’t come at me with another woman’s arousal still painting that magnificent cock of yours, asshole. I’m a lady, and you’ll treat me as such and respect that I deserve better than to taste someone else on your dick.” I shoved him away, glaring at him. He allowed it, stepping back, turning his head as he sensed Lucian standing in the shadows of the room. “Second, you are coming home with us.”

“You knew she was on her way here, and you fucking allowed it?” he accused as Lucian stepped into view.

“I did, brother. She is persistent,” Lucian admitted. He didn’t know I’d planned to hunt down Spyder, but he kept that tidbit to himself, thankfully. I’d known Lucian would come since I’d need a ride home, and the instant he noticed me missing, he’d have tracked me.

“Take Lena and leave, Lucian. I’m at the end of my rope, and her taunts ain’t fucking helping it any. I’ve made my choice.”

“It’s a stupid-ass choice.” I crossed my arms over my chest, digging my heels in, glaring at Spyder as I lifted a brow in challenge.

“It’s my life, and I decide, Kitty.”

“It’s still a stupid fucking decision. You’re going to fuck me because that’s the option I choose.”

His eyes widened before he turned to Lucian. “Muzzle her, now.”

“Lena’s chosen this path, and I can’t say I’m opposed to it, Spyder. One night where she isn’t mine,” Lucian returned, fixing his tie. “She’s ours. Anything goes, and we don’t give her any mercy. I warned her that having two primordial beings going hard against her soft body wouldn’t be wise, but she told me how she’d wished you had thrown her down and fucked her in Portland.” Spyder’s eyes snapped back to me, narrowing as if I’d betrayed him somehow.

“I did.” I shrugged nonchalantly, staring him down. “I also wanted to suck you off and be that store worker who got to swallow that fucking cock. I’m not going to lie about what I crave or what I want. Since I died and came back a fury, I find that I’m done pretending not to want this, whatever it is. For one night, we go hard, and we end this. No offense, Spyder, but I really want you out of my dirty fucking mind. I am sick and tired of dreaming about riding your dick because, let us be honest here; we aren’t the ones creating need between us. We’re all pulled into this situation because I got my pussy licked by Hades while fucking Lucifer in a pretty damn convincing Lucian suit.”

“Keep his name out of your fucking mouth, Kitty,” Spyder snarled, and Lucian snorted his agreement. “No. It isn’t happening. Take her home.”

“You can come with us willingly, or I’ll knock your ass out and ride your dick so that I know how it feels, and you get nothing from it. Do you really want to miss out on finally feeling me from the inside? Choose.” I buffed my nails on my shirt, glaring at both men as Spyder grunted and then laughed.

“Is she for real?” Spyder asked, staring me down.

“I want this to happen. Before, I wasn’t ready. I’d been through hell, and I cared what everyone would think of me. I’m done caring because only a few people’s opinions matter to me, and two of them are standing right here inside this room, Spyder. No one else has to understand this, but we all want this to take place. We won’t know if we tried everything possible to avoid your stupid-ass decision unless we do this.”

“Lena, no,” Spyder growled, using my name, which was rare for him. “You think I can fucking live with this, your pity fuck?”

“I don’t want a pity fuck, asshole. I want you to unleash that darkness within you on me, and I’m not asking you to hold anything back,” I admitted, as his shoulders shook with laughter.

“Get out and take her with you. I made my choice. I’m not changing my mind.”

“Fuck you.” I wasn’t backing down. “You selfish prick. You might be able to live with your decision, but I can’t! I don’t want this fucking baggage. I have enough shit that I don’t even know how to unpack! I lost my child, my family, and everyone I loved, Spyder. I can’t live knowing that I didn’t do anything, and that you died because of me! Like everyone else. You don’t get to put this shit on me. Do you hear me? I can’t keep losing people. You are not supposed to die, dammit. You’re immortal. So no, you don’t get to be some fucking martyr when I want to fuck you! Okay? Okay!”

Both men stood silently, watching me wipe away the tears that ran down my cheeks. I pulled myself together and looked at Spyder. Squaring my shoulders, I shook my head, fighting down the emotion that was trying to swallow me whole.

“Your decision to die is stupid, and you and Lucian know it. You will be at the club, and you will fuck me. Understand? I’m willing, and I crave this. I have craved you since Portland, asshole. I was scared before, but I am not anymore. If I can enjoy Hades and Lucifer, then I’m pretty sure I’m going to fucking love you assholes going at me hard. No mercy. Nothing is off-limits. I will belong to you both for one night, and after that, we figure out how to remove the mating mark from each of you.”

“No,” Lucian growled, unleashing his power at my words. “Not my mark. You’re my girl, Lena. You don’t get to choose for me again. I like having your mark on me.”

My heart clenched, and I nodded before turning my gaze toward him. Lucian looked pissed, which wasn’t ever good. He walked toward me, inching into my space with his power filling the room. Lucian grabbed me, his hands gripping to my shirt as if he intended to rip it off, but I stopped him.

“Not here and not tonight, as it’s already half over. I have a headache,” I chirped, and Lucian narrowed his eyes on me. “I mean, I don’t actually have a headache. I asked Alden to grab the files on the furies. We’re not set up for the spell, and it has to be done exactly how we did it on the night this began. You said we’re doing this once. If that is the case, the spell should be performed correctly. I want this; I do. But not in some bedroom covered in other people’s stuff.” I winced, shaking my head as Lucian stepped back, smiling. “I mean, eww. Really? I’m a lady. I do have some standards for my kink. You get me? Plus, I want it to be where I’m comfortable and feel safe to shed all my inhibitions and just unleash everything. Home makes me feel that, or the club, I guess. It’s pretty much our home now. I also want to ensure that if there’s a way to remove the mating mark from Spyder, we do it because the spell might require body fluids, which you old-as-shit people enjoyed adding to all your rituals. Really, you’re all very unsanitary. I’m all for orgies, but drinking each other’s blood is a bit farfetched, don’t you think?”

“Kitty is right, Lucian. Not here. Not where I agreed to murder everyone inside this room before leaving. She’s a lady, after all.” My head swung toward Spyder, who smirked while holding my gaze. “You didn’t believe I had becoming a monk, did you? Your little mark? It kills whoever I fuck, but not me. I tried because it would have spared Lucian having to end my life.”

“The men?” I asked, curious about his position on that subject. I held my hands up. “I’m not judging; you do you, Spyder.”

He snorted, shaking his head as he trailed his gaze down my body slowly. “I’d have snapped their necks. They’re all human.”

“Noted,” I nodded. “Makes sense. I—there were like thirty people inside this room,” I swallowed, as Spyder’s lips jerk into a deadly smile.

“No mercy, Kitty,” he chuckled.

“Right…” I turned as Lucian took me in with a matching smile to the one Spyder wore. Shit. What the hell was I thinking? These two would literally destroy me, and I still wanted it. I guess I shouldn’t consider myself sane after all.

“No mercy. No rules. You’re not mine or his. You’re ours. That means you’re nothing but the woman we’ll use to get ourselves off. Our wants, our desires, they’re the only thing that will matter inside that room. There’s no safe word to tap out. For one night, you shall know what it feels like to be our toy, and we’re going to take pleasure in playing with you and doing our best to break you. If you’re a good girl, we’ll make sure you enjoy it, too. So, march your tight ass up those stairs and sit at the bar before I forget where the hell we are and fuck you right here. Now!” Lucian ordered sharply, causing my gaze to slide to Spyder’s, who watched me with naked hunger burning in his inky depths. “Now, Lena.”

I left the room, my heart thundering in my chest as the door slammed without me having to close it. I climbed the stairs, bypassing the orgy that had moved into the hallway. No one touched me, but then I could feel Lucian’s power humming through the club, which meant everyone else, felt it as well. Sliding onto the stool at the bar, I looked at Vlad, who sat with his back against the wall of bottles, shaking his head. He crossed his tattooed arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes on me.

“You could have at least let Spyder finish his deal with the paying clientele to murder them before you entered the room.”

“I wasn’t aware it was a suicide party and not just a wild orgy. You could have told me, and I’d have waited until he’d finished.”

“Liar,” Vlad snorted as he returned to bartender mode. “Let’s drink because, from the amount of power Lucian is radiating, I have a feeling you’re going to need it.”

I laughed, but it was hollow, and I was pretty certain he was correct in his assumption. Lucian wasn’t happy I’d come here without him, but then he had kept such a tight rope on me that I was beginning to feel it tightening around my neck like a noose. I may have the Devil on my heels, but the Devil had Lucian on his. Out of the two of them, I feared Lucian more.

Chapter Nine

Some girls play with fire, but I’ve learned to dance within the flames. Others discover who they are meant to be in the fire. ~Lena

Lucian escorted me out of the club, his hand against the base of my spine, which always made me feel protected, even though it was a show of ownership, one I’d learned I was more than just okay with him displaying. I scanned the road, turning to tell him about the weird holes, but he jerked his chin sharply, stalling the words on the edge of my tongue.

“Get your sexy ass into the Bugatti, Little Witch. Whatever you were about to say, it can wait until the urge to bend you over and fuck this anger out on your pretty little pussy has passed. What the fuck were you thinking?” Lucian’s eyes sparkled with rage, and the moment I opened my mouth to speak, he growled. “Get in the car! Now, Lena!” he commanded.

“Good gods, asshole. I did tell you I was leaving. You didn’t believe me, and that isn’t my fault. Maybe next time, you should take me seriously.” I scoffed, but still did as he’d asked because a pissed-off Lucian was both hot and terrifying.

I bristled with anger, moving toward the midnight blue Bugatti that sat by the curb. He opened the car door, waiting for me to slide into the passenger seat. He narrowed his eyes, and his mouth tightened into a white line, warning that his threat wasn’t idle.

One of the things I liked about Lucian was that he didn’t make threats that he wasn’t willing to carry out. I was barely in my seat when he shut the door and walked around the car to climb inside. I didn’t speak, choosing instead to pull the seatbelt over my chest, clicking it into place. His eyebrow rose at the gesture, but I lifted mine right back at him. He may not care about safety, but I didn’t want to deal with the aftermath of being ejected from the car if he crashed.

Lucian purposely left his seatbelt off as the car hummed to life. The purr of the motor caused a soft moan of pleasure to build in my chest. I loved fast cars. I was still mourning the loss of Baby, my brother’s Chevy Chevelle that had been wrecked and was unsalvageable. I craved and missed the loud engine Joshua had built. It was his prized possession. Lucian pulled away from the curb, moving through the litter-filled streets of Spokane.

“You knew better. Lucifer is waiting for you to leave the club. You want him to capture you? He won’t be gentle, Lena. He will punish you, and it won’t be anything you’ll enjoy. I hurt him, and I did so intentionally when he refused to stay away from Katarina. He wanted to know why I searched for her, needing a way to free himself from Hell. I protected her in that lifetime, and I did so by taking the one woman Lucifer loved to ensure he knew not to mess with mine. If you think you’re anything more than a way for him to get back at me, you’re wrong.”

“So give her back, Lucian. Trade his lover for Makenna.” I leaned against the door to glare at him, studying the stubble that lined his jaw, creating a hot 5 o’clock shadow. I stifled the moan at imagining his mouth between my legs.

“I can’t do that,” he hissed, peering back at me before lowering his eyes to where my thighs clenched from the image in my head. “She didn’t love him. She was a selfish, pathetic goddess who convinced Lucifer that she cared for him. She craved chaos and played with his emotions because the thought of love made him easy to manipulate. The thing is, the woman he loves cannot be allowed to be in this world. She’s inside of me, Lena.”

“Eris? The goddess of Strife and Chaos is within you?” I snorted, and he turned to look at me like I was daft.

“Worse. His lover was Pandora,” Lucian admitted, peering at the rearview mirror before dodging a large hole in the road where the asphalt was missing. “I removed the box she held, but to do so, I had to find another host for it. Without her box, Pandora is easily controlled. Like my seal, it craves destruction. Lucifer promised her that he would open it, and the first time that happened, it was a mess. I was charged with finding it and closing it before it could cause any more problems. But before I could secure it, the box unleashed slivers of darkness inhabited by monsters strong enough to threaten this plane with an ending worse than anyone would ever have expected. Pandora’s Box released the black plague in England, long before this continent had been discovered. So first, I had to capture her and then the box. Then it took more than a year to capture each monster she’d released, shoving them each back into the box.”

“What type of monsters?” I asked, expecting some new kind of creature to have been created.

“Jack the Ripper, among other humans, that the box transformed into instruments for murderous events. Most were quickly captured, so their names were never mentioned, but Jack held three slivers of darkness previously housed by the box. We handled him silently, which is why the authorities never caught him or learned his true identity. We sent him back to Hell, where he still gets off on torturing women, although now he is into sexual conquests. His shards of darkness were the only ones ripped from the form they’d inhabited.”

“Please don’t tell me Lucifer is Jack the Ripper,” I groaned, resting my head against the seat to stare at Lucian.

He smiled tightly. “Pandora created the Princes of Hell when we trapped her there. I was uncertain about bringing her box into another world, what it would create, or if it would have an adverse reaction within me, which is why I only hold her now. The box produced the seven princes, adding a sliver of its magic into each one—pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. They formed the podium of Hell, and from them were born the different types and castes of demons. Each prince leads a legion of Hell’s army, and let’s not forget Abaddon, the abyss, who is said to have created the three original furies.”

“The abyss produced the things inside of me?” I asked, hoping he was about to say he was joking.

“According to history, yes, but we changed history to state that Abaddon was their creator. The furies weren’t drawn to discord, though, which isn’t well known. Asmodeus created the furies to protect Abaddon. Of course, creators impart their genetic markers into their creations. Hence, your insatiable need to fuck, and your newfound freedom to shed your inhibitions. Since Nyx brought you back as fury, you are not part of Asmodeus’s creation, the High Prince of Hell, Lust himself. Luckily for us, Erie turned Asmodeus into her slave, continually cutting his head off to keep him in check. He hasn’t sensed Nyx bringing the furies into the new world yet. His order, the Revengers of Wickedness, will soon sense your presence, especially if you walk back into Hell, Lena. That can’t happen, so I need you to promise me that you won’t sneak out again.”

“I wish there was a guidebook that went with this shit, Lucian. You’re something that shouldn’t exist, for fuck’s sake. And Spyder, he’s—well, you know what he is. I still can’t even say it out loud, which I know has something to do with you.” I glared at him, watching his lips curl into a wicked smile. “I feel like I’m tripping over dead bodies and that I don’t fully understand all the rules. So handing Pandora over to Lucifer is not on the table. We don’t need some bitch wanting her box of destruction back.”

Lucian snorted, turning to look down a side street as his phone rang. He glanced in my direction and then spoke in a strange language that had me guessing its origin. Then, exhaling, he switched to English, including me in the conversation.

“We’re on our way.” He hung up the phone, setting it down to grab the gear shift. “Alden has the information you requested. We’ll be stopping by the guild before we go home. Do you have anything else you want to tell me? Something you forgot to mention in your hunt for Spyder?”

“Are you jealous?” I asked, narrowing my gaze at him as my mouth tightened.

“I don’t get jealous, Lena. I get evil, and when that happens, worlds are destroyed. Do you know how close you came to me fucking you right in front of him, inside a sleazy room bathed in other people’s come? You realize that I wouldn’t have stopped, no matter what the fuck happened. So you don’t get to scare me. Do you hear me?”

“I hear you, but I can’t just sit around waiting, either. You expect me to sit down and twiddle my fingers? That’s crap, Lucian. Lucifer isn’t going away, and I am not waiting a million years to be allowed to go outside.”

“Then you’ll go with me. You don’t go out alone. I’m not asking, woman. I’m telling you that you’re not leaving again until we find where Lucifer is hiding. I can’t lose you,” he admitted, swallowing hard.

“I didn’t mean to worry you.” I frowned, realizing he wasn’t speaking out of anger but out of fear, which I’d learned he didn’t handle very well. I guess when you’re a primordial being that controlled worlds and policed the gods, worrying about one little woman wasn’t something he was used to doing. “I do like the idea of you pulling over and fucking railing me, though. Interested?”

His lips jerked into a devilish smile as he slowly slid his hungry gaze over my body. His hand snaked out, grabbing my thigh, pressing it against the flesh between my legs.

“Tempting, but we’ve arrived at the guild.” Lucian exhaled as we pulled into the driveway as close as we could get with the debris and trash around the stairs.

“Pity. I’m wet just thinking about it,” I teased, smirking as his grip tightened on me. “Mmm, all business makes you a dull boy.”

Lucian grunted, grabbing the back of my head to bring my mouth against his. It wasn’t a nice kiss. It was angry and claiming. He pushed his tongue against my lips, coaxing them to open as a growl built from deep in his chest. He didn’t release me, devouring me until I was breathless and rocking against his hand, still cupping my sex.

A knock sounded at the window, causing his lips to curve into a smile against mine. His hand didn’t move from the back of my neck as he turned, rolling down his window, and grinned. I chuckled as Alden cleared his throat, handing Lucian the folder he’d been holding.

“I’ll look into the portals. Keep your fucking hunters and enforcers inside until we know what the hell they are. You should tell Ryder that Zahruk might need eyes on him for now.” Lucian was ordering Alden around like he had the authority to do so. “I will send the boys out to check shit out and get back to you. Depending on what we find, it could take longer to figure out what sort of threat the portals pose. I may be out of reach for a day or so. My club is opening tomorrow night, and we’ll be dealing with that, among other pressing issues.”

“Understood, and thank you for taking it over. Ryder and Synthia have been busy trying to find Kahleena. They don’t need more to deal with, especially with all the shit unfolding within Faery, altering and changing heirs. Last week, they had fae go missing and return with brands, but there are no caste markings on them. Faery is shifting and claiming what it needs from those within it.”

“Are you certain Faery isn’t taking from this world, too? It wouldn’t be the first time it has taken from other worlds to replace what was missing there. Synthia opened the Unseelie prison, unleashing what it held into Faery. It may have seeped into the human world, taking what it wishes to create new Unseelie princes and princesses because not all of them lived. When the Seelie and Unseelie court isn’t filled with the correct number of royal subjects, Faery will make new ones,” Lucian said, causing Alden to frown.

“Ryder doesn’t speak openly about fae politics or what that world is doing. We are aware that with things shifting, and changing that Faery may be evolving. But the shit showing up here—it isn’t something we’ve ever seen before. Not to mention, Zahruk hadn’t either, and it attached itself to him.”

Lucian smirked, lifting his hand from where he’d cradled my head. “We’re going, old man. Thanks for the heads-up that my little monster had escaped.”

My eyes narrowed on Alden, who shrugged his shoulders. “I promised your mother, Kid. I can’t fight half the shit popping up around here, let alone the Devil. Your man, though, he can. So you bet your ass I’m calling him when you show up, especially when I catch the scent of brimstone chasing you.”

“Nark,” I grunted, smirking at Alden.

“Lucian is your shield, Lena. You’re not alone. Not so long as you have him beside you. One day, I’ll be gone from this earth. Some hunt will go wrong, or some shit-show will get out of hand, and I’m off this rock. You, though, you’re here forever or until you go home with this asshole. You and Joshua, you’re part of my family now. I promised your mother that if anything happened to her, I’d do my best to protect her children. I can’t keep that promise when I’m gone, but Lucian can. Let him do his job so that I don’t go out knowing I fucked this up too.” Alden’s voice cracked, belaying his fear.

“Something going on that we can help you with, Alden?” I watched Lucian turn toward me, lifting a brow in a silent question of what the fuck? “Stow it; we’re family.”

He snorted, turning to look at Alden. “I can murder whatever is messing with you. Say the words, and they’re dead.”

“I will keep that in mind. Thank you. You two should get back to the club. Demons are out in force tonight. I’m not even certain which side they’re on anymore. Hard to tell without asking them, and they’re not the friendly sort.”

Lucian nodded as Alden stepped back, his eyes capturing my attention as a shiver of emotion rushing through me. Something was going on here, and it was big enough that the head of the guild was concerned, which didn’t bode well. My stomach sank with an unnamed sensation, and worry flittered through me as Alden backed up, holding my stare.

“Something is up,” I told Lucian the moment the window was up.

He grabbed his phone, thumbing through his numbers before raising it to his ear. Lucian issued orders in a quick, straight-to-the-point fashion before hanging up.

“Take your pants off. After you’ve done that, put your feet on the dash, and spread your legs.”

“Excuse me?” I asked, watching his expression. He turned, smirking at me as he started forward.

“I didn’t fucking stutter, and you sure as fuck heard me. Do it, now. You’re going to need to be wet for what I intend to do to you. Get yourself ready for me because the moment we hit the cut-off to Cusick, I’m finding a spot to fucking rail you against the hood of my car. So, strip and get started, and you better not fucking come until I say you can.”

Chapter Ten

When the monsters come out to play, you can either accept it or fight them. My monsters are planning to destroy me, and I came to play. ~Lena

It took a little over twenty-four hours of scanning the files that Alden had given us before I tossed them aside, frowning. I’d learned several things, but none of them did us any damn good. Turning at the sound of the bathroom door opening, I let my gaze slide down Lucian’s body with a wicked smirk dancing in my eyes.

Runes and tattoos of skulls covered his abs, along with both arms. His hands worked the button of the expensive Italian suit he was wearing tonight as he strolled into the room. Muscles rippled with every small action he made, causing his pecs to pulse and the light to catch on the barbells in his nipples.

Standing, I moved toward him as if drawn to him by an invisible thread. His midnight-blue gaze sparkled with laughter, narrowing on me when I stopped in front of him. Running my hand down his stomach, I feasted my eyes on the trail they took down the masculine contours of his perfectly ripped body.

I touched my lips to his chest, kissing just above the heart that held me beneath its thrall. This monster was mine, and I’d never expected to love him this much. But what I felt for him wasn’t just love; it was a soul-deep connection that ran deeper than anything I’d ever felt before.

“You find anything in the files?” he asked, his hand resting over mine.

“Only that the assumption is I am the key to you and Abaddon. Oh, and I am also the key to Hell, which is why it was fractured when I entered it. One key fits all doors. What in the hell were you guys thinking?” I leaned forward to kiss his chest again, inhaling his masculine scent of sandalwood, musk, and amber. “Is it bad that I want to stay inside this room tonight and just fuck you all night?” I asked, glancing up to find him smiling down at me.

“When the seal was created, its makers assumed it wouldn’t evolve, and no one would be stupid enough to fuck around with me. And to answer your second question, if it wasn’t opening night, you’d be tied to my bed, being railed into the mattress for that little taunt you did when I took you on the hood of that car you love so much.”

“I do love that car,” I teased, smirking up at the twinge of jealousy in his tone. I’d told him that I wasn’t sure which made my pussy clench harder, him or the car where he was destroying me. “But I also liked it more with you fucking me in the middle of nowhere. You, nature, and that god damned Bugatti Chevron. Mmm, I’m getting wet just thinking about your car again.”

“Imp, behave. I’d hate for you to be too sore to manage your first night as the Mistress of Chaos. What would our guests think if you arrived with me dripping out of that tight pussy, unable to walk right?” he growled huskily.

“That you showed me who I belonged to before releasing me into the crowd? I look better with your hands around my throat, and we both know it.”

“Tempting, woman,” Lucian murmured, leaning down to brush his lips against mine in a feather-soft kiss. “Get showered, and get your tight ass into something sexy. The club will be busy tonight. The line is already around the building, and it’s open to anyone brave enough to tread through demons to get here. Lucifer may try to reach you tonight. So remain vigilant, and I hope you didn’t screw up the lower level with your hostile takeover.”

“I needed something to keep my mind off other things, Lucian. You told me to put my mark on this place, so I did.”

He made a strangled sound deep in his throat, shaking his head. I didn’t move, knowing he was leaving the room after he’d finished dressing in his suit. I’d hoped to find the answers to our mating issues in the files, but nothing was documented about the furies ever claiming a mate.

“What happens if we break the bond and not the mating link?” Lucian’s shoulders dropped before he turned, eyeing me. He smoothed his hands over his crisp, white shirt that was striking against his bronze flesh. Silently holding my stare, he fixed the cuffs before pulling on the black suit jacket.

“We don’t know, Lena. I haven’t found anything that says the furies ever mated to another being. You claimed me and used the furies to achieve what you wanted. They don’t love or feel that emotion on any level; it’s new for them. You still hold human emotions because I forced the furies to free that part of you.”

“Yeah, I get that feeling when I say something is bad, and they freak out. They enjoy bloodshed and making me ravenous to use you in very bad ways. I also hate that in claiming you, I claimed Spyder. I need to make this right.”

“You’re an enigma to us,” Cupping my cheek, he leaned over and kissed my forehead before striding toward the door. He paused, turning to smirk at me. “I do hope you know what you’re asking of me. I won’t share you again. Not even with Spyder, Magdalena. You’re mine, and you have been since the moment I saw you staring up at the moon, looking so fucking lost that it awoke something within me I didn’t understand. I do now. You were created for me and only me. I’m not a hero, and you know that. You’re not the type of girl who wants a hero. You needed a villain who will destroy worlds for you. Girls like you are a rare breed that needs a monster to play with, revealing the monster within themselves.” Turning the doorknob, Lucian stepped over the threshold and smiled back at me. “I’ll see you out there, gorgeous. This better be some show you’re putting on tonight. My reputation is on the line here.”

“Trust me,” I said softly, smiling with the knowledge of what I’d set up for his opening night.

Was I nervous about running his sex club? Hell yes, but I’d looked at it from a woman’s perspective and then had help from some pretty knowledgeable people on what immortals liked. I had an entire team of dancers specializing in pleasure, and I’d reinforced the plan to shed all inhibitions and let my inner deviant out to play tonight.

I showered quickly, putting my hair into one thick braid that Lucian preferred during our sessions, controlling me inside our bedroom. Sitting in front of the vanity, I slid the thigh-high stockings up my legs, smiling at how they looked with the skull lace tops. Standing, I fixed the layers of lace that crisscrossed over my lower back and hips. The panties I pulled on over my hose were midnight colored, with muted colored skulls on the satin.

My heels were four-inch platforms, making my legs look longer and me taller. I’d need it tonight more than I would have if I’d been sitting on the sidelines, watching. Slipping my dress on, I smirked impishly. I adjusted the top that was all lace, minus the space over both nipples, which had a delicate pattern. Pulling the ruffled skirt down over my rear, I spun around to take in my reflection before adding makeup.

It was a daring outfit, but I’d promised Lucian I’d shed the human part of myself tonight while maintaining the image of still being one. He was pushing me to be a part of his world, and I wanted it with everything within me. I desired to fit in somewhere, and I no longer felt at home here.

I felt needed with Lucian—wanted.

He gave me a blanket of protection that I hadn’t realized was missing until he’d wrapped me up in it. The man was an enigma, or more to the point, he wasn’t even a man. I still could hardly whisper what he was inside my head without shuddering. How many women could say they belonged to something like him, like one hundred percent belonged to him, heart and soul?

We’d created life together; even though we’d lost it, it was ours. We’d made a being, and he’d been such a beautiful thing. My heart clenched, forcing me to dismiss the direction my thoughts were heading before I went too deeply into the depression that came with those memories.

Tonight was about discarding that part of me and taking control of who I had become. I’d become his monster, sleeping with the biggest and baddest being in the universe, and I’d played with his monster too and won. I was Lena freaking Fitzgerald, daughter of the witches this world failed to burn, who were admittedly all dead, minus a few. Frowning, I released the air in my lungs as the thought deflated my ego.

Peering into the mirror, I noticed my blackened eyes, and my spine itched at the reminder of what I was now. I wasn’t a witch any longer. I was a fury, protector to gates and worlds. I was a mythical creature created by a Prince of Hell. I couldn’t afford to look weak anymore or allow anyone to sense weakness within me. They wouldn’t hesitate to use those things against us.

My eyes flicked to the clock before I grabbed the bracelet with the tracker embedded into the trinket, slipping it on as I exited the room. Devlin leaned against the far wall, smiling at me as his soft whiskey gaze slid over my outfit. He snorted, shaking his head while Bane grunted his agreement.

“Poor prick,” Bane stated, unfolding his massive frame to push off the wall.

“Poor us,” Layton argued, his sparkling eyes filling with laughter. “Damn, woman. You plan to start a riot in the club with that get-up?”

“He stuck you guys on babysitting duty, didn’t he?” I exhaled, shaking my head while mentally starting a list of things that could go wrong with Lucian’s men encircling me all night. “Remember, tonight is important to me, too. I am proving my place here among you.”

“Your place is on his dick, and it’s secured. He adores you, little fury.” Devlin stepped closer, holding his elbow out for me to take. “We’re only escorting you to the lower level. You’re on your own once we get inside. Lucian vetted that guest list harder than he’s ever scoured through one before. He only invited trusted clientele and acquaintances to that level of the club tonight.”

I bristled at that news, even though I had expected it. Not everyone had the Devil stalking them, trying to make them into his newest slave. Lucifer hadn’t attempted to reach me beyond pulling me to him during stasis, which was strange, but he was terrified of Lucian and Spyder. Eventually, he would get tired of playing with me.

We entered the main club, and I peered up at the staircase leading to Lucian’s office, remembering the time I’d spent there. We’d wrecked it several times, yet every time I’d gone there, it was in pristine condition. The man loved organization and cleanliness. How he’d fallen for the hot mess express that I was, was a mystery.

Not bothering to waste time, I headed down the stairs that led into the darker side of his club. Entering, the staff stood at attention, watching me for any sign of weakness. The men that had acted as my shadows scattered, leaving me on my own.

“Danika, Amber, and Jasmine, with me,” I ordered, turning to look up at the window where I could feel Lucian staring at me, even through the darkened glass. How many times had that man fucked me against it, forcing me to think that the club below could see him railing me from behind? How many times had I come for him getting off on it and never told him? He had no idea of the monster he’d created, but he would soon enough.

The girls fell into step with me as we approached the bar. I nodded at Morris, the bartender, who was shirtless with barbells in his nipples, glinting as they caught the light above. Devlin sat on a barstool, his eyes raised to the window, making me wonder if Lucian’s men could see through it, whereas other creatures couldn’t.

“Morris, you procured the herbs, whiskey, and aphrodisiacs I requested for tonight, right?” I asked the moment I’d reached him.

“Yes, ma’am. There’s enough for three hundred people. Question though, isn’t the room limited to only one hundred guests?” he pried, scrutinizing me before flicking his gaze up to the window.

“It is, but most of our clients are immortals, and they’ll need more than the humans we’re supplying to whet their appetite before they head into the other rooms of the club. Are the girls ready for the stage, Danika?”

“Yes, Mistress. They’re in the uniforms you acquired, and I have instructed the men joining them on what to do for the show.”

“Servers are prepared as well?” I asked, directing the question to Amber.

“We’re ready, and they’re dressed to serve those who require their specific service. Some are clothed to indicate they’re off-limits, and the others who are open to being the entertainment are wearing the colors corresponding to their agreed-upon uses. We are distributing the menu to the one hundred guests allowed inside. As long as they follow the menu chart, they shouldn’t have an issue finding willing participants for the night. Men and women alike are wearing similar outfits so that all appetites are available to be satisfied.”

“And the others? The swings and poles are all set?” I asked, watching as Jasmine smirked.

“Dancers are at the ready below, as well as above. The ones for the bar are in costume and will enter after the guests arrive. The ones wearing body paint are receiving finishing touches, but they’ll be done in time for the doors to open.”

“Good, that’s good, everyone. Miller, help Morris prepare the trays, so the girls need only to carry them to tables when it is time. Let’s kill the lights and double-check that each of the sequences is prepared for the shows. Tonight needs to go off without a hitch, and the protective measures I’ve added need to work. It will prevent our girls from being abused or accidentally taken to feed the wrong clientele. Lucian is entrusting us to run the show, and I don’t intend to let him down.”

Tapping the bar, I watched Morris pour the amber whiskey into the glass before he pushed it to where my fingers sat. My eyes slowly flicked to the double-sided window of Lucian’s office, finding him visible as he studied me. I held up my glass to him, and he lifted his in return before we both downed our drinks together.

Setting the glass onto the bar, I nodded. “It’s perfectly aged and exactly what I wanted for tonight. Good job choosing it, Morris.”

“Thank you, Mistress,” He smirked as he glanced toward Lucian, causing my eyes to narrow on the way he watched him.

“Lucian helped you choose, didn’t he?” I asked pointedly, noting the color was draining from Morris’s face. “It’s okay. I’m not going to punish you. Next time, you listen to me. This is now my portion of the club, and every little thing will be what I expect of you. If not, I will ask him to claim your fucking soul or withhold my pussy until he does. Do you understand me, Morris?”

He blanched, knowing I wasn’t human either. In fact, the entire staff had watched me walk through the club covered in demon entrails with my wings out more than once in the last week alone. Morris didn’t answer, choosing to look at Lucian for help. My eyes slid to black, and darkness spread over my face as the furies peered out at what had offended me. Sliding my gaze to Lucian, his lips jerked into a devilish smile that made my back itch to free my wings.

I refused to fail his test, which would undo everything I’d planned for tonight. I’d spent hours on my knees, learning to serve his stuffy ass while controlling the furies within me. I was literally the worst submissive in the history of them, but I’d learned from Lucian. I could withstand an orgasm for hours, and while I didn’t come on demand, which was one of the stupidest things a man could think he controlled, I still tried!

The lights dimmed, forcing my attention to where each lighting sequence was tested with satisfactory results. Smiling in triumph, I nodded toward Lucian’s men guarding the staircase. All the lights went off as my heart thundered in my chest.

I stepped back as the lights above the tables turned on, allowing the clients to find their seats. It was showtime, and I had something to prove to the master. Everyone here called Lucian, The Master of Chaos, and I was his mistress.

Chapter Eleven

Some people enjoy being center stage, and then there are those who prefer the shadows. Tonight, I will own the shadows. ~Lena

The patrons entered and were escorted by hostesses, who took them to their assigned seats based on their previous performance and stature within the club. Once everyone was seated in their designated sections, the serving girls and men exited the hall with silver trays adorned with dangling gems, making them easy to spot in the darkened club. Boxes of assorted goods were placed on all the tables, along with a chalice of whiskey. The servers stepped back, awaiting approval from our visitors.

Each table had an assigned server, easily traded to meet the needs of each client, should they find one unacceptable. I had Devlin gather intel on the more lavish, snobbish guests to know every detail of their pleasure, likes, and dislikes. According to Devlin, it was far more than Lucian had done for his patrons in the past.

I took a quick glance through the crowd and nodded for the music to start. It began through the speakers embedded in the walls and ceiling, and I smirked as I heard Devlin’s strangled laughter. He assumed it was the beginning of a shit-show, purely based on my music choices. The Kid Laroi’s Without You, played as smoke filled the stage, but the moment he sang “can’t make a wife out of a hoe,” the music changed.

A smile played on my lips as E-Girls’ Ruining My Life, boomed through the room as dancers appeared from thin air; at least, that’s how the guests would perceive their arrival. Only a few people would be able to see the fae that had glamoured them into place. I turned to where the fae I’d requested stood, smirking as they took their seats when the girls began dancing.

The dancers were dressed in thin black lace crisscrossing over their chests, wrapping around their torsos and connecting to their lace panties. They swayed hypnotically, their siren song driven by the hum of their bodies. The moment the song ended, they dropped to their knees, slowly rocking their hips.

The ethereal sound of Kim Dracula’s Paparazzi, set the stage and the room’s mood. Swings lowered from the ceiling, draped in nude, glitter-dusted men and women, posed in provocative positions, legs open, their hands roving their bodies with the beat of the song. When the swings were in position, the next set of performers dropped from the opening above to the ground, wearing nothing but silver lines of paint, reflecting in the light as they danced around the tables. The clients clapped and smiled as they watched the naked dancers moving amongst them.

The dancers on the bar got into position, appearing through the smoke as the song switched to 50 Cent’s Candy Shop. The girls dropped to their knees, wearing only heels and panties with sparkling nipple rings highlighted by the light display.

I crossed my arms over my chest as men settled in behind the dancers on stage, moving against their bodies. Whips cut through the air, and the girls hissed as each leather strand kissed their flesh. The women on the bar parted their legs, and the crowd turned toward them, engrossed as they played seductively, albeit slowly. A nod of my head had the subs and doms waiting in the hallway, entering, wearing their color-coded outfits.

The lights moved with the dancers, while others remained on the stage, revealing the orgy unfolding as additional entertainment. It was a buffet of debauchery, feeding each high-roller, if you’d call them that, their respective need and kink. Those with stranger appetites were down a level further inside the club. I’d discovered that section during the Awakening, when I’d been rejected and ran through this place to find Lucian.

I lifted my eyes, finding Lucian staring at me instead of the party unfolding. He nodded his head, and I grinned, clasping my lip between my teeth to hide the smile, failing horribly. Then, turning toward the bar, I climbed on top, holding his stare while I accepted the microphone, waiting for the song to pause so I could speak.

When it was silent, other than the sound of the whips meeting flesh, I spoke. “Welcome to the wrong side of heaven, ladies and gentlemen. I’m your host this evening. I do hope everything is to your liking, but if it isn’t, well, we really don’t fucking care. Exits are marked for those who choose to leave or for those wishing to trespass against the Master and Mistress of Chaos. I must warn you; we’re almost hoping you will cause problems because we enjoy punishing people for such nonsense. You were given menus explaining the color-coding of your entertainment, which I see some of you have already tossed into the trash bin. Know this; you cannot select a female or male without knowing which ones will willingly meet your needs and appetite for the evening. I suggest you retrieve the menus, as exactly one hundred were printed. The dancers on the swings are open to anything, but the ones on stage aren’t for you. You may watch, but don’t touch unless personally invited to join them. They’re all collared and spoken for, and their Dom is the only one who can decide otherwise. Enjoy the show, and may you make it out of here alive tonight.” I chuckled wickedly, meeting the eyes of the clients I had purposely placed close to the bar since Lucian had marked them as troublemakers.

Devlin appeared in front of me, offering his hand as I moved down the stairs to stand at the bar. Releasing his hold, I smiled at the look of laughter burning in his gaze. I didn’t care what anyone said; the opening had gone off smashingly.

“Honestly, Lena, I don’t think anybody saw that shit coming,” he laughed. “Lucian is impressed, oh Mistress of Chaos.”

“Good, he should be. I did more for these people than he would have done. They’re enjoying the show.” I looked around as I felt shadows moving about, creating a hum within me.

My attention shifted to the stage, and there, seated on an oversized chair, was Spyder. He wore a white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing the tattoos covering his forearms down to his knuckles. His piercing, icy-blue eyes were on me, watching me with a predatory hunger that caused my entire body to tighten with need. His hair looked blue instead of black beneath the stage lights, making him appear otherworldly—as if he needed any help in that department. His lips curved into a wolfish smile, as if sensing my body’s reaction to his presence.

Lips brushed against my neck, sending a shiver of need rushing through me. Lucian’s enticing scent smothered the air surrounding me, causing heat to pool in my stomach and between my thighs. The hand he placed on my waist made butterflies erupt into flight, battling against one another to escape. I didn’t take my eyes from Spyder’s, knowing that if I looked away, he’d vanish.

“Your twenty-four hours start now. In this room, you belong to Spyder, Lena. Do you understand?” Lucian asked, causing me to shiver with need.

“I understand you, Lucian. And when we leave here?” I asked, needing to know the rules.

“You will see, won’t you? Anything goes tonight. You’re ours and nothing more than a toy we are going to enjoy breaking,” he whispered huskily, placing a soft kiss against my neck. “If he asks you to fuck him on that stage, what is your answer?”

“Yes,” I stated, without needing to think about my answer. “I am Spyder’s, and he has control inside this room.”

“Good girl, Lena. You might want to get a drink first. Take him one as well,” he ordered, stepping away from me.

“Are you planning to watch?” I asked, still staring into Spyder’s predatory gaze.

I knew exactly what Spyder was doing. He wanted me to fail and back down from what I’d demanded we do to ease the bond and sever it. He didn’t think I’d do this, but I’d known it was coming tonight. I’d felt him all night, grinding on his end of the bond we shared. He was nearing the end of the clock, and now was the time for action.

“And miss you showing him up? Never,” Lucian admitted, slapping my ass. “Move, Lena. You either choose this and no longer care what people think about you. Or you still care and will decide to back down. Unless you can prove to Spyder that you want this, he won’t agree.”

I moved away from Lucian without waiting for him to say more or grabbing Spyder a drink. It wasn’t fear making me hesitate. It was how much I actually wanted this to happen that terrified me. I wasn’t scared or feared them sharing me. Whether it was the furies fueling my desire, or my own sexual need to experiment, I wanted it to go down.

The music changed to Bishop Briggs’ River, the rhythm of the music matching the swagger of my steps perfectly. I’d chosen the song to play tonight, knowing that Spyder would grow impatient, unable to remain in the shadows where he’d hidden all day, hoping to hear or sense my fear about my plan unfolding. Moving up the stairs, I paused in front of his chair, placing my hands on my hips as I stared into his light blue gaze.

“Hello, Kitty. You look nice tonight. Black suits you.”

“I’d look better on your face,” I said huskily. “How may I serve you?” I was planning to fuck with him while I could. He’d pissed me off by staying away, which hurt me, too. The look burning in his eyes was pure monster.

“Come here, and prove to me you don’t care who knows that I’m going to wreck your fucking pussy, Lena. Everyone in this room knows you belong to Lucian and what you mean to him. They’ll never forget what you do tonight and that he allowed you to be used by someone else. That shit spreads faster than a virus, seeping into every dark corner of our world. You may think you’re strong enough to endure it today, but what about tomorrow when the sun rises and you’re no longer craving me?”

“You think I care what anyone else thinks? In this room, everyone is as sick and twisted as we are. Will I care if they know I fucked you? No. Because the only opinions that matter to me inside this room are yours and Lucian’s,” I announced loudly, uncaring that the entire room listened to us. “I await your orders, Master. My pleasure is yours to give or take. Use me, for I am yours tonight, and only tonight.”

“Get on your knees, and sit, Kitty.”

I slowly lowered myself, dropping my eyes to the floor as I had been taught. I felt everyone watching, realizing that I’d declared myself Mistress and was now being subdued. I’d planned it, knowing that Spyder would think I was too strong-willed and prideful to submit. Idiot, who didn’t want to get bitten by this Spyder?

Slowly, he began unbuttoning his shirt, freeing a wealth of muscles that tempted me to rise, kissing my way to his lips. I trembled with need, which he was probably assuming was fear. He snorted, sliding forward to lift my chin with one finger.

“Get on my lap, and kiss me, woman. Show them you’re mine,” he growled thickly, holding my gaze.

I slid onto his lap as he spread his hands on the armrests. He wasn’t going to help me out any, hoping I would fail his test. I could sense Lucian watching, and that was the only thing that gave me pause. However, this was his best friend. My pride didn’t mean shit when Spyder was in this situation because of me and my choices.

My lips found his at the same time that my hands slipped through his soft hair. I coaxed his lips to part, slipping my tongue through them to graze against his. It was a gentle kiss, seeking permission, but the moment his tongue moved against mine, I devoured him with a hunger that terrified me. Holding his head, I moaned against his mouth, rocking to show him my need for him.

He moved his hand, snaking it up around my throat, pulling me away from his lips. His eyes searched mine, heat and anger colliding at the knowledge I hadn’t switched to the furies to hide behind them. I was in control, and I’d kissed him with raw hunger. Spyder slid his hands to my hips, grinding me against the massive erection in his suit pants, studying my expression for any sign of fear.

“Why do I smell fear, Lena?”

“Because I’m terrified of how much I fucking crave you and want this to happen right now,” I replied honestly, knowing that if he sensed a lie, we’d be back to plan A, which was a stupid fucking plan.

“Stand up, and strip out of that dress, now,” he ordered sharply.

Standing, I gripped the bottom of the dress, lifting it over my head before tossing it aside. Whip lashes and moaning from the couples on stage had stalled, alerting me to the fact that we had an audience. Spyder’s eyes trailed over my breasts, lowering to my panties.

He reached forward, gripping my hips painfully, jerking me back on the chair as he searched my face again. Spyder lowered his head, grasping my nipple with his teeth, running his tongue over the hardened tip before he pulled back, swallowing at the hooded look that I gave him.

“Turn around and spread your thighs apart,” he ordered, the challenge burning in his heated gaze.

I scooted off his lap, showing the crowd my ass with my spine arched. He narrowed his eyes at the defiance in mine. I knew Lucian’s eyes were glued to my ass, and he was wondering just how fucking wet I was right now. Slowly standing, I turned, allowing the audience to take in my naked breasts. I took a step back and sat on Spyder’s lap, spreading my legs, lifting them over the arms of the chair, for all to see. I leaned back against Spyder’s chest, and my stare locked with Lucian’s, where he sat at the back of the club, knowing I’d search him out.

Spyder’s hands slid around, squeezing my breasts painfully. I gasped as his lips moved against my ear, sending arousal heating my pussy. Painfully slow, his hand glided down my stomach, pushing into my panties, and my eyes grew even more hooded than before. His finger slipped through the arousal at my apex, and he growled hungrily.

“Shall we take these off and show him how wet you are for me?” Spyder rasped against my ear, causing his heated breath to fan along the delicate flesh of my lobe.

“Lucian knows, Spyder. Look at him. He’s so fucking hard watching you play with me that it pisses him off. He fucked me last night, telling me exactly what would happen when you joined us, and I came before he’d even entered my body. I should be thanking you for the orgasm I had while fucking him, but that will only get me fucked harder tonight.”

He chuckled, pushing his fingers into my body, causing a moan to explode from my lips. I rocked against them, needing to come for him. But I wouldn’t, or at least not until he gave me permission. He kissed my throat, holding me with one hand around my waist while the other worked my pussy.

“Gods damn, you’re so fucking hot, Kitty. You want to come for me?”

“Yes,” I whispered, swallowing past the lump in my throat while holding Lucian’s stare as if he was my lifeline, and I was adrift in a sea that promised to swallow me whole.

“Too fucking bad.”

He pushed me away from him, standing to prowl toward me. “Move, we’re going to the bar to get a drink. You’re going to sit on my lap while Lucian joins us, and if you’re a good girl, we’ll take you to a room and stretch that pretty cunt of yours while we both fuck you in it.”

My eyes widened, and his lips jerked into a wicked smile. “I heard nothing is off-limits, and I fully intend to fuck you until you break. Now move, or I’ll use one of those whips on that pussy until you’re riding it while screaming my name to your pathetic fucking gods.”

Chapter Twelve

And so the Spyder took his Kitty, and he made her purr… ~Spyder

Spyder pulled me up onto his lap, spreading my legs apart as both he and Lucian watched me. My need was violent as they leisurely played with my body inside the lower level. Lucian nipped his teeth around my nipple, working the hardened bud with his tongue while Spyder continued slow, circular passes over my swelling clit.

They’d chosen to sit by the bar, facing my exposed body away from the prying eyes of our guests. The intensity between them radiating against my aching core was becoming a painful throb that refused to ease or let up.

I’d known exactly what I was asking for, but I hadn’t expected to remain within the club. Nor had I thought they would play with me while working me toward what promised to be a violent orgasm. Lucian’s hand slid down my body, as did Spyder’s, lowering further until he pushed two fingers into my throbbing pussy. They crowded around me, closing in against me. One kissed my mouth hungrily while the other dragged his lips over my neck and shoulder.

The coil in my stomach started to unravel, causing them to slow their movements. I knew they were testing me, but I was passing. I was riding Spyder’s fingers while Lucian played with my clit. Their combined heavy breathing mimicked mine. I could feel the arousal covering Spyder’s fingers, proving to him that I was into what was happening and willing to play.

“Last chance to back out of this, Kitty,” Spyder warned against my ear.

“We won’t go easy on you, Lena. You’ll take whatever we give or do to you. There won’t be a safe word you can say to escape us,” Lucian growled as both men pressed their lips against my ears. “How wet is she is, Spyder?” he asked, lifting my chin to stare into my eyes.

“Soaking and clenching me like she wishes it was my dick in her tight cunt,” Spyder replied, burying his fingers up to the knuckles.

“Don’t stop,” I whimpered, uncaring that every pair of eyes inside the club were enthralled by what these men were doing to me.

“Morris, grab me two bottles of the top-shelf whiskey. My men will be in charge for the remainder of the night. Bane will handle any assholes that get out of control. We’re not to be disturbed at all. Tell Devlin that I’ll call for him once we’ve finished with her for the night, or when she’s earned a reprieve. Spyder, take her to the room and get her ready for us. If you want, you can get started while I prepare our audience in the other room.”

I peered at Lucian, swallowing down my uneasiness at his words. His smile was wicked, and the look burning in his eyes sent a shiver of need rushing through me. Spyder turned me to face him, lifting the fingers he’d withdrawn to lick them clean. His smile mirrored Lucian’s, and he tilted his head.

“You taste delicious, Kitty. I can’t wait to feel your thighs wrapped around my face as you tremble while I feast on your naked pussy. Now, fucking move because I’m impatient to get you out of those panties,” Spyder snapped, his eyes sparkling at the way my body jerked to attention. “Afraid yet? You should be. We plan to use you as if you’re nothing more than a club girl whose sole purpose is to be fucked for our entertainment. Your pleasure comes second to ours, and by the time we’re finished with you, you won’t ever wish to be used as a toy again.”

“Good.” I glared at him, pushing my shoulders back. “Can we get started? Or do you plan to stand here and waste time?” I smirked at the desire that entered his pretty, ice-blue gaze.

“Is she normally like this when she’s supposed to be submissive?” Spyder asked, looking over my head at where Lucian stood, listening.

“Worse. Lena doesn’t have a submissive bone in her body.”

“Guess she’ll learn or be punished,” Spyder chuckled, pulling me with him as we headed toward the hallway.

Lucian leaned against the bar, watching me through hooded eyes. Lowering my gaze, I sucked my lip between my teeth, stifling the groan when I noticed his cock straining against his slacks. He was turned on, which excited me more than I already was. His lips curled into a wolfish grin, and he lifted his chin as I slipped into the hallway, leaving me alone with Spyder.

“There hasn’t been a single day since I bonded with you that I have not craved to taste your sweet pussy.”

He pulled me, and before I could figure out what he planned, his hand was on my throat, and he slammed me against the wall. His mouth crashed against mine, stealing a shocked moan from my lungs.

Spyder didn’t kiss—he owned, forcing my jaw to open to his tongue that slipped between my lips, stroking mine while coaxing me to fight him for dominance. His other hand grabbed the globe of my breast, squeezing as he rested his forehead on mine. Our breathing was labored, both struggling to keep our minds as people silently passed us.

“Dammit, Kitty,” he growled, pulling back to stare into my eyes, pleading. “Tell me to walk away. Tell me you don’t want this to happen, and I’m gone. No questions asked, and I won’t blame you. You get me? Tell me to leave you alone.”

“I want this,” I whispered, my hands coming up to slide over his hard, muscular chest. I leaned into him, inhaling the scent of dark shadows mixed with black magic. “I am not afraid of being with you, Spyder. I’m worried that once I have you, one time won’t be enough. I have to sever this bond because I am in love with Lucian, and I can’t love you too. I can’t keep you anymore or want you when I am with him. I have to let you go, and I can’t do that without knowing how you feel or what it would be like to be with you. This ends tonight, and the only way is to give in to this lust driving us. Do you not want me?” I asked, watching his eyes close at the question. The idea of him not wanting this made my insecurities rise, and a niggling fear began in my brain.

“I have tasted you a million times inside my head. I have fucked you in every way possible in my dreams, and I can’t stop craving you. Lucian is my best friend and my brother. Do you get that? You’re not just another club whore we can fuck and discard the morning after. You’re my Kitty, and the woman he’d destroy the world to protect.”

I nodded, lifting my hands to cradle his face in my palms. “Tonight, I belong to both of you. Tomorrow morning, I will be his and only his. This isn’t only about us, Spyder. It’s about him too. Lucian is stuck in the middle of us. He is tormented the most because of our shared bond. You want me, and I want you. That’s basic math and chemistry. He’s watching his girl and his best friend suffer because of a choice he made to protect me. I can’t keep doing this to Lucian. I can’t be fucking him and wishing you were inside that room with us. So, we’re going to do this, and I can honestly say that I will definitely enjoy it. Since Portland, I have wanted you, and I have never hidden it from him. I can’t, and I won’t hide anything from him. Lucian knows how I feel, and he’s doing this for us and to prevent you from having to be reborn to break the bond.”

Spyder’s mouth brushed against mine in a feather-soft kiss and then pulled away before nodding slowly in reply. He smirked devilishly, cocking his head to the side, his eyes burning with amusement and something dangerously wicked. The moment we reached the bedroom, he yanked me inside, closing the door behind us.

“Don’t say I didn’t try to give you a way out of this, Kitty.”

“I’m not asking you for an out, am I?” I argued, trembling with the need rushing through my entire system.

He chuckled before running his hand over his mouth while letting his heated gaze drop to my mostly naked body. The heat burning in his stare was enough to melt my bones, and I whimpered at the look he gave me when they rose, locking with mine. Spyder studied me before sweeping his eyes around the room we’d entered, then dragging them back to where I waited for his command.

This wasn’t mine and Lucian’s space. The place where Lucian and I lived was ours alone, so I’d asked that we use a room outside of our apartment. I didn’t want the memories of tonight in our bedroom. Lucian had pinned me against the wall after my request, claiming my lips with a possessiveness that had undone me. I could still feel him inside of me, pounding into my body as he’d fucked me harder than he had ever gone before.

“Take your panties off, place your hands on the counter, and don’t move unless otherwise instructed.” Spyder moved to the chair that sat off to the side of the room, in front of a round table, never breaking eye contact. “Let me see how wet that pussy is for me, woman.”

He leaned back in the chair, placing his hands on the arms of the chair, silently studying me. A moment of hesitation filled me, wanting and needing Lucian here, before we started. One dark brow rose, creasing Spyder’s forehead while he read the inner turmoil displayed on my face. Deciding that I could either play meek or bold, I chose bold. Fuck being timid anymore. I wanted him, and I wanted this.

I wanted them.

My fingers brushed the delicate bows that sat on my hips, pulling them until they unraveled. I held up my panties, tossing them onto the counter, turning and smirking at the heat I witnessed dancing in Spyder’s gaze.

He didn’t move or even glance down at my naked flesh, clenching with need. Slowly, I walked to the small island, leaning over it and spreading my legs apart in invitation. I arched my spine, and his grip on the arms of the chair tightened, making the leather groan in complaint.

“That pussy needs to be fucked deep and hard. Doesn’t it?” His voice was thick with gravel, the rough timbre causing heat to pool in my apex and my nipples to harden. “Cat got your tongue, Kitty?”

“I need you to fuck me already, asshole,” I answered, my voice mirroring his. The door opened, and I held my pose.

Lucian entered the room. His enticing scent added to Spyder’s rich, exotic, masculine fragrance and arousal built in my core. He slid his gaze over the curve of my ass, smirking as he moved toward me. His fingers touched my hip, slowly drifted to my slit, sliding through the sleek mess teasingly.

I felt something against my opening and gasped as he inserted the neck of an unopened whiskey bottle into my pussy. Moaning, I fought the pleasure it created while he pushed it in and out of my body leisurely. Lucian slid his other hand around my waist, running his fingertips over my clit, then pinching it—hard. I whimpered, grinding myself against the bottle he was using to fuck me.

“You like that, Little Monster?” Lucian asked, releasing the pressure he held against my clit. “I asked you a fucking question, didn’t I? I expect an answer. Do you like the cold bottle inside your tight, needy cunt, Lena?”

“Yes,” I groaned, gasping as he inserted it deeper inside me.

“Fuck it for me. I want to see your arousal coating this bottle when I remove it from your heated flesh.” Lucian growled, lowering himself behind me, sliding it in even deeper before his tongue licked around its edges at my opening, adding more pleasure while he continued devouring me. “You look so fucking dirty right now, riding a bottle of whiskey like a naughty little bitch. Does your pussy feel good?”

“Yes,” I admitted.

“You haven’t fucked her yet?” Lucian asked Spyder, slowly working my pussy with the thick neck of the sealed bottle, watching it enter my body as he blew his heated breath against my cold flesh.

“I’m enjoying making her wait for what she wants,” Spyder replied raspingly as Lucian rose, pushing my face down, continuing his task. “She’s beautiful, Lucian. Looks like a rather tight pussy for us both to fuck, though.”

“Lena enjoys pain with her pleasure. I revel in pushing her limits.” Lucian chuckled, lowering to blow his heated breath over my pussy again. He withdrew the smooth bottle, placing it in a bucket of ice, and then licked through the arousal he’d created between my legs. “Come taste her, and then we will drink before you fuck her. You’ve waited longer to enter her flesh. I made sure she was sore for tonight before allowing her to escape our room.”

Spyder rose from his chair, coming to stand behind me. Leaning over, he kissed the top of my spine, gradually working his way down my back. It sent a shudder of need dancing down the trail he kissed while Lucian walked to the other side of the counter, stroking my cheek. Spyder’s heated mouth slid right down my back, blowing hot air over my ass until his tongue slid through the arousal covering my cunt. He growled loudly, pushing two fingers into my tight opening as he worked the tip of his tongue around them.

“She does taste divine. Have you fucked her ass yet?” Spyder moved his thumb to my ass, making me tense against the foreignness of his touch.

“There’s nothing she hasn’t experienced with me unless you include what is happening tonight. Lena enjoys it when I push her past her boundaries. She’s had limited partners. Just one kittle boy that barely got a couple of pump’s into her virgin pussy before he ended up making a mess of himself. Then, of course, she let Lucifer fuck my property, and Hades tasted her cunt to prevent Lucifer from being able to breed her. She has a tight pussy, and an ass that will try to bite your dick off the moment it clenches with you buried inside it. It will take some work to get it loosened up enough to fuck.”

They talked about me like I wasn’t even in the room. My entire body was a bundle of nerves that fought against the orgasm they’d been building within me. Lucian’s fingers drifted over my lips while Spyder continued using his to stretch my pussy, testing the way I clamped down around them.

Spyder stood, sliding his hand over the curve of my ass, and Lucian kept stroking my cheek, staring at me as Spyder gradually explored my body. I was a mass of nerve endings begging to be fucked. The cool countertop was only adding to my state of arousal as I pressed my hard nipples against it.

Chapter Thirteen

A man should never let a good bottle of whiskey go to waste when there are so many delicious ways to enjoy its splendor. ~Lucian

Walking to the table, Lucian grabbed the abandoned bottle of whiskey. “Why don’t you tie her up, and I’ll pour us a drink?” Lucian suggested, and before his words registered, Spyder yanked me back against his muscular frame. Then, raising his hand, he curled his fingers around my throat while stroking my clit with the other.

“How about we just drink it straight from her pussy?” Spyder suggested, picking me up to place me on the counter.

He pushed me down flat against the cool surface, lifting my legs to spread them wider. Lucian smiled, removing the cap, and held the bottle over me. Spyder lowered his mouth to my aching pussy, snaking his tongue out to lick through it once more as I watched the whiskey pour from the bottle. The ice-cold liquid against my heated core shocked me. The moment it touched my body, Spyder was slurping it off of my flesh with the most erotic sounds of pleasure and hunger I’d ever heard. Lucian drizzled some of the liquor over my breasts, licking the tips, then sucking it from the valley between them.

I moaned loudly, rocking against their warm kisses as they took body shot after body shot. Lucian tipped my head back and emptied the whiskey in my mouth, forcing me to swallow the dark amber liquid before kissing me hard. He spilled more between my thighs, and the coil in my belly slowly unraveled as Spyder licked my pussy clean, pushing his fingers into my body while Lucian grabbed my breasts, squeezing them in his palm as he broke the kiss. Instead of touching me more, Lucian reached over my body, stretching my legs further apart to allow Spyder more access to my delicate flesh.

Lucian’s gaze held mine, and he chuckled while I squirmed. He was hard, and his eyes were even harder, yet filled with hunger. Spyder devoured me, using his tongue to stroke my clit as he pushed three fingers into my aching need. He wasn’t playing around, either. His tongue lapped hungrily, flicking my clit while I trembled from the pleasure rushing through me.

Spyder lifted his head from my sex, smirking roguishly as he found Lucian and me staring at him. He grabbed me, pulling me from the countertop, and claimed my lips, forcing me to taste both the whiskey and my arousal. Lucian studied us as Spyder walked me backward to two wooden posts positioned four feet apart in the middle of the room. I peered at the posts, knowing what the hell they were used for since Lucian enjoyed tying me to them to fuck me.

I placed one hand on each, spreading my legs apart so that my ankles touched them below. I waited for one of the men to issue a command or to permit me to come, since the tension in my stomach was becoming unbearable.

Spyder secured my hands silently, kneeling to tie my ankles into the restraints below. Instead of touching me, the sound of plastic crinkled behind me. My eyes remained locked on Lucian, who sat in his seat, swirling the whiskey in his glass, enjoying my reactions. His lips twisted into a smirk before his heated stare met mine.

Spyder pushed something cold into my pussy, and my lips parted in surprise. He slid it in even deeper, and then a low vibration started from within me. I moaned, biting my lip while Spyder walked in front of me, staring while blocking my view of Lucian. He forced his thumb past my lips, and I clamped them closed around it, sucking and teasing him with my tongue.

“Did you train her to suppress her orgasms?” Spyder asked, turning to look at Lucian, who must have nodded his confirmation. “Good, do not come, Kitty. If you do, I’ll remove that toy and fuck you hard, and I won’t let you come as I take my pleasure from you. Understand me?” I nodded, and he slipped his hand into his pocket while pulling his thumb from between my lips. He lifted his hand and grinned, revealing a remote control, which he used to kick up the speed of the vibrator he had inserted into my pussy.

I whimpered, fighting to ignore the pleasure the small, rounded, powerful toy created. Spyder shed his shirt, turning to walk to the table where Lucian sat, enjoying the show. He pulled out a cigar, offering one to Lucian, who accepted. Together, they watched me clamping down on the toy that pulsed within my core. My thighs clenched, but the restraints wouldn’t allow my legs to close in order to ease my need to come.

“Gorgeous little monster you have,” Spyder admitted, his eyes lowering to my hairless pussy that was visibly wet with the need to be fucked.

“Isn’t she, though? She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in my life. She’s even more gorgeous when she’s pissed off. Her eyes ignite and remind me of the seas we spent that decade floating in as boys before this world was inhabited by humanity. She also fucks like a storm, yet she is soft and so fucking breakable.”

“I bet she begs us for mercy before we’ve finished with her tonight,” Spyder boasted.

“That’s a given. Lena plays a good game, but she gives in easily to her body’s needs. Look at her cunt clenching down already. Her thighs are tightening, and her pupils are blown from her desire to come. I give it ten minutes before her pussy is dripping, and that orgasm lets loose.”

Lucian reached over, pouring whiskey into Spyder’s glass. Spyder held his cup up to Lucian and reached into the pocket of his slacks, turning up the toy’s vibration. I moaned, rocking my hips while fighting the need to come undone.

I could feel the arousal dripping down my thighs, which had both men lowering their stares to where I was drenched. They, however, just watched my body fighting to keep the orgasm from unfolding and unleashing. Sweat dripped down my spine. Yet they didn’t move. I opened my mouth, letting the needy moan filling my lungs escape as I tried to force my legs together to prevent the inevitable.

Spyder continued increasing the vibrations, and still neither moved from their chairs. They looked relaxed. Totally unaffected by the sight of my naked body, dressed only in heels and nylons attached to a garter. When the remote reached maximum speed, I bent forward, gasping as air exploded from my lungs. My pussy clenched, and the orgasm began to force its way through me.

“Please,” I whimpered, lifting my head without moving my body from its current position. If they wanted to see my arousal, they could get their asses over here for a closer look, where I knew they’d touch me.

“Stand up, Lena,” Lucian growled, his eyes sparkling with heat as he observed me fighting to suppress the orgasm.

I forced my body to rise, exposing the arousal drenching my pussy. The device Spyder had pushed into my body pulsed and then slowly built into a violent vibration before starting the sequence over again. Lucian’s heated gaze followed the direction of Spyder’s, watching my core tightening to hold the toy inside me while fighting back the orgasm.

“She’s about to lose the battle, brother. You should get inside her before she does. Her orgasm will suck you off while you fuck her. Her cunt is a greedy little thing that would probably take us both right now and want more.”

“If she loses, she gets fucked without the satisfaction of coming on my dick.” Spyder leaned back and started undoing his belt, holding my stare. Then, removing it, he set it on the table and grinned wickedly.

Spyder pulled the thick cigar from between his lips, snuffing it out in the ashtray, smiling, while I physically trembled with the desire to win against my body’s lesser needs. He rose from the chair and stepped in front of me. Grabbing my hair, he jerked my head back and twisted it to the side, smirking devilishly at me. His other hand undid the zipper of his slacks, easing them down before forcing me toward his cock. My eyes widened at the new Jacob’s Ladder body modification. Silver barbells pierced in a ladder formation along the shaft of his thick cock from tip to base glimmered from the light in the room.

The large, rounded head of his dick pushed against my lips as my gaze lifted, holding his before I opened my mouth. I slide my tongue over the tip before he thrust himself deep into my throat without warning. I groaned around his cock, wincing at the sound of the barbells clinking against my teeth until I’d taken him to his base. Spyder moaned, brushing his thumbs over my cheeks while he remained still.

“Damn, she’s even prettier when she’s got a mouthful of dick,” he grunted, slowly moving as I sucked his cock, hollowing out my cheeks. I slid my tongue over the pulsing member, stroking around the barbells that covered his shaft. He pushed in deeper, watching me through heated eyes. “Remember the boutique when that slut sucked me off while you watched us?” Did he actually expect me to answer when he was buried in my throat? “I fucking do, Kitty.”

He started moving faster, holding my gaze, making me take his throbbing cock into the tight channel of my throat. Tears filled my eyes, but it wasn’t from emotion. He stretched my jaw, forcing it open until it burned from the pressure. He slammed against my lips, seating himself deep in my throat to his base.

The pulsing increased inside my pussy, changing into a humming vibration that had me moaning around his thickness, twisting my hips to prevent what we both knew was coming—me. Arousal dripped from between my legs, and I lost the fight with him buried in my throat.

The orgasm ripped through me, forcing my entire body to feel the release. I cried out in pleasure around his cock, groaning as he continued to use my mouth to get off. Spyder tsked his tongue against his teeth, fucking me until he slowly withdrew.

“Bad, Kitty. Now I get to fuck you and not feel bad about it.” His husky laughter snaked down my spine as he walked behind me, slowly removing the toy. Spyder tossed it aside, and my attention shifted to Lucian, who had removed his suit jacket and tie, but nothing else. He regarded me through a heated stare that had me aching for him to join us.

I licked my lips, holding his heady gaze while he adjusted his cock. His long, tapered fingers wrapped tightly around the glass, continually swirling the liquid within the crystal. His stare lowered to my sore flesh as Spyder pushed his fingers into my opening.

Settling behind me, Spyder gripped my hips painfully, rubbing his thick cock against my pussy teasingly, slowly, while I whimpered with need. I clenched down on the wide tip that entered me, uncertain how he could do much with his full ladder. But more than that, I wanted to know how it felt from inside of me.

Spyder didn’t enter me slowly, as I’d assumed he would. Instead, when his tip slid inside my aching pussy, he thrust fully into my body. His entrance caused a scream to slip free of my lungs. He ran his hand up my spine, twisting his fingers in my hair and lifting my head, and his other hand pushed against my back, tilting my ass to allow him deeper access.

It fucking ached, burning with how far he stretched me. I felt every piercing and how they rubbed inside me, scraping over the sensitive spots in my body. My walls clenched hungrily down around him, and everything ignited within of me. Lucian’s eyes were hooded, enjoying the scene, but he didn’t move to join us.

“Bloody hell, she’s tight,” Spyder growled from behind me. I couldn’t move, but I didn’t need to. He was fucking me like his life depended on it. My entire body clenched as he battered against it, the sound of flesh meeting flesh echoing through the room. “You were right; it’s even better feeling her like this. Dirty little bitch is sucking my cock with her cunt.”

“You should see the expression on her face.” Lucian’s voice was pure lust dripping from his lips. “Hottest fucking thing I’ve seen in a while. You’re such a good girl, taking that cock into your needy pussy. You like being fucked while I watch, don’t you?” He stood, slowly moving toward me, and I refused to look away from him. His hand cradled my cheek as he kneeled in front of me. His stare held mine, and he leaned closer, kissing my mouth gently, which was a contrast to the way Spyder was fucking me hard. “You’re beautiful, Lena. You like that thick cock in your tight pussy, and me watching as you’re forced to take every single inch of it, don’t you?”

“Yes,” I moaned, feeling Spyder jerking against me. He pulled out, growling as something hot and wet painted my ass cheeks and back.

“Good girl.” Lucian held my stare, cupping my cheek in his palm. “That pussy catches you off guard, doesn’t it?”

“She definitely could use some more training on suppressing her orgasms, but I’m not complaining about her losing that one. I don’t know which one sucks better dick, her cunt or her pretty mouth.” Spyder slapped my ass, the sound of it echoing through the room loudly.

Spyder grabbed a towel from the table and wiped his come off my ass and lower back before removing my restraints. I stood, spreading my legs as Lucian touched my pussy, peering up at me as he pushed two fingers into my red, sore flesh. I whimpered from the pain and pleasure it created. Rising to his feet, he stepped closer to kiss me while Spyder came in behind me, kissing my neck. They sandwiched me between them, letting their hands rove over my heated body.

The lips, hands, and bodies pressing against mine almost made me explode from sensation overload. They weren’t suppressing their powers from rippling against my body, kissing my skin until gooseflesh broke out over it. The whole room was filled with it until the air became hard to get into my lungs. I lifted my arms over Lucian’s neck, my knees giving out with the intense, erotic pleasure wafting through me. He chuckled wickedly, pulling back to look at me as he picked me up.

I thought he’d take me with him to his chair. Instead, he placed me on the bed on my stomach. Lucian adjusted my hips, forcing my legs to part, slapping the globe of my ass hard before rubbing the angry skin. Stepping back, he growled at the way I rocked my hips, eagerly wanting more.

“Such a needy little bitch tonight, Lena,” Lucian rumbled huskily.

“I need you,” I admitted, wanting to feel him against me.

“I know you do,” he chuckled. “I’m going to finish my drink first. Spyder will enjoy you a little more before I give you my cock. Maybe we’ll play a game, or perhaps we’ll both just destroy you at the same time. You wanted to play with monsters. You’re going to get exactly what you wished for.”

“Shouldn’t we do the spell?” I asked, remembering the bond that needed to be severed.

“You think we’d drug you with magic before enjoying your needy, wet holes?” Spyder snorted. He pushed me over, and I adjusted on my back to look up at both men.

They stood over me, staring hungrily with smoldering eyes. Their bodies pulsed with raw, unchecked power that slithered over me. I swallowed past the swelling in my throat, sliding my gaze over the mass of bronzed, hard muscles. The tattoos covering their chests moved, pulsing with magic as I felt a seductive throb between my thighs. They studied me, allowing me to take in the sheer strength and masculine beauty of their bodies. Both were primordial beings that weren’t even trying to hide their true nature from me.

“Spread your legs, and show me what belongs to us, Lena.” Lucian lowered his attention to my pussy, waiting for me to comply. I did as he commanded, showing him how wet I was for them. He kneeled before me, running his fingers through the arousal. “Did you enjoy being fucked by Spyder?”

“Absolutely,” I admitted, holding his midnight gaze.

“Did you enjoy fucking her?” he asked, lifting his gaze to Spyder.

“Immensely.”

“Good, now fuck her again. After you’ve finished, we’ll fuck her together. We’re going to need her soaking wet for what I have in mind for her next. Let her come for you. You’ll love how she sounds screaming with her pussy clamping down on you. Lena, show Spyder how much you adore cock, and don’t worry about what I’ll think. Ride him, and stop being a weak little bitch. If you don’t fuck him as hard as you fuck me, we’ll both be inside that ass of yours together, wrecking it. Understood?”

“Yes,” I whispered thickly, and he stood, stepping back. My stomach tightened at his dismissal as I glanced between him and Spyder silently.

Spyder grinned, moving closer to me as he stepped over his discarded slacks. He nodded for me to slide up the bed, positioning me so that Lucian could watch while we fucked. I swallowed past the lust as he settled between my thighs, spreading them further apart.

“Are you ready to purr for me, Kitty?” he asked, smiling devilishly.

Spyder lowered his heated mouth to my pussy, studying my reaction at the first flick of his tongue. I fisted the blankets tightly, twisting them into the silk fabric as he began devouring my cunt. It was too much, causing me to struggle against the intensity of the pleasure he created. He slid his hands around my thighs, pressing them against my stomach, lifting my pelvis to his mouth while he unleashed hell on me.

“Fuck!” I screamed, coming on his skilled tongue as squiggly lines and blotches danced and swam in my vision. I would not survive them both if Spyder alone brought me to orgasm with the simple command of his tongue.

If I died like this, though, I’d die sexually satisfied. It was more than I could say for the last time I’d died. I trembled, still trapped in the endless waves of multiple orgasms hitting me at once, while Spyder chuckled against my swollen flesh.

“Doesn’t she whimper so prettily when she comes?” Lucian asked, holding my stare as I continued to tug on the blankets. My spine arched, and the room spun around me as dark, silky shadows started caressing every part of me that Spyder wasn’t touching. The shadows covered my eyes, blinding me as more hands touched me. I wasn’t certain which hand belonged to whom anymore, and I didn’t care.

This was heaven and hell.

This was also probably where I died, but that wasn’t the important thing here. I felt Lucian and Spyder, and they saw me. They saw the girl who had broken out of her cage and kicked propriety to the side. In this room, there was no judgment and no damnation. There was only the pleasure and sensation of being worshipped by monsters—My monsters.

Chapter Fourteen

Here, Kitty, Kitty. Let’s play a game called Chutes and Ladders. I’ll go first, shooting down your slippery slope, and then you can climb back up using my ladder. ~Spyder

I came five times with no breaks in between. It wasn’t until I was begging and pleading for Spyder to give me mercy that he finally climbed up my body, kissing a heated trail to my lips. I wrapped my legs around his narrowed hips and rocked against him. I felt Lucian’s eyes on us and knew he enjoyed my agony as Spyder slowly tortured me with orgasms. Lucian had probably instructed him in all the ways to make me scream and beg for mercy.

Spyder placed his hands on either side of my head, staring down at me while he moved me further up the bed. I understood he was adjusting us to show Lucian my naked sex, shining with my arousal. Spyder’s hand slid between our bodies, his fingers slowly entering my tight channel before he positioned his cock against my opening.

“Beg me to fuck you, Kitty.”

“I need you inside of me, Spyder. Please fuck me,” I purred, rocking against his thick tip cradled in my pussy. “Please.”

“Climb my ladder, Lena. One step at a time, sweet girl.”

He pushed into me slowly, forcing me to feel every barbell on his massive cock. I was sure he had more added than was necessary. However, each one sent me rushing toward an orgasm that was already threatening to unleash. Spyder buried his cock to the hilt inside my body, which clamped down hungrily around him.

I lifted my hands to cradle his face, but he grabbed my wrists, pinning them above my head. My spine arched, rocking my clit against his V-line, forcing him to lower his gaze to where he was buried within me. He stretched me, filling me until it was a delicious mixture of pain and pleasure. Turning my head, I stared at Lucian, gazing at my pussy with hunger.

I gasped as Spyder’s shadows jerked my face back to him, holding my chin and throat painfully in place. My entire body was strung up tightly by the shadows, and his gaze burned into mine. My ass tilted, and I knew it was his shadows forcing me into a position that allowed him further access into my pussy. He slammed into me hard, smiling coldly, as a soft cry escaped my parted lips.

“You will look at me when I’m fucking your tight cunt, Kitty.” He pulled out to the tip, ramming back into my body. I gasped, arching my back to escape his painful thrusts. His hands remained beside my head, and he studied me carefully as his shadows forced me back, lifting my legs and pushing them against my shoulders. “That’s a good girl. Now come for me, Kitty. I want to feel that cream coating my cock while you whimper my name to your fucking gods.”

He didn’t relent, either. He pounded into my body, angry that I’d looked away from him while he was fucking me. The moment I started to unravel, coming undone by the mixture of pain, pleasure, and being fully dominated, he rolled us. I peered down at him, rocking my hips while he grabbed my breasts, squeezing them as he stared up at me.

I placed my hands onto his chest, flattening my feet on the bed where I straddled him, capturing his gaze. This was a position that Lucian loved. Something I did to torture him when he got a little too rough with me. I lifted until only the tip of his thickness was within me, holding his stare before lowering it to my sore flesh, grazing his cock.

When his eyes lifted back to mine, I dropped. I slammed down on him hard, lifting right back up as he hissed through his teeth, peering down at where I cradled the tip once more. His eyes moved to mine, narrowing, realizing I’d taken the power from him, and I was now in control. I repeated the action several more times, adding a slow roll of my hips to make him feel every slight movement. Pussy power was a lot stronger than he’d realized. I was the one in command now, and we all knew it.

“Fucking hell, Kitty,” Spyder groaned, focused on where we connected.

I increased the pace, taking him faster and faster until I threw my head back, screaming his name as I exploded, clenching down onto his dick, rocking against the base. The orgasm started in my toes, rolling up my legs until it reached my pussy. I soaked his thick cock in my arousal, then leaned over, kissing him hard.

I felt Lucian behind me, but he still didn’t join us, which was pissing me off. If I’d wanted to just fuck Spyder, I’d have asked for him to sit silently and watch this shit happen. That wasn’t what I wanted. Something cold slipped over my backside, and I gasped as Lucian pushed the plug into my ass that he’d used to prepare me for his entrance. I shuddered, moaning at the fullness it created with Spyder still hard, buried in my wet pussy. He chuckled against my mouth, and I moaned louder as Lucian ran his fingers over the curve of my ass. Lucian’s hand snaked up, threading into my hair before he yanked me back, staring down into my eyes.

“Clean his cock, and then come sit with us. You’re being such a good girl, but no one said you got any fucking control here, did we?” Lucian’s gaze met Spyder’s, and he chuckled.

“Her pussy magic is strong,” Spyder growled, holding my hips, forcing me to remain in place.

Lucian stood there, watching me pull up and off of Spyder’s thickness. Lowering myself down in front of him, with Lucian gripping my hair, I sucked Spyder clean, gasping when Lucian’s hand refused to release me. When I had taken Spyder into my throat, Lucian held me there. I moaned as I swallowed around Spyder’s engorged, bedazzled cock. I grunted with watering eyes, looking up as Spyder took in the sight of me sucking him off while Lucian forced me to remain trapped with him buried in my throat.

Spyder groaned and then moaned loudly while pumping his hips, then increasing the speed of his thrusts, fucking my throat hard and painfully. His body tensed, and I felt him emptying inside me. I swallowed audibly, taking what he released as Lucian’s fingers pushed into my pussy, slowly fucking me.

Lucian didn’t relent or let me move away from the thick cock cutting off my air supply. Spyder watched, and heat pooled in his eyes at the sight of us. I moaned louder, fucking the fingers in my pussy. I exploded, but Lucian didn’t let the pleasure continue. He withdrew, slapping my ass.

“Good girl. Now get up and come sit at my feet while we wait for that tight ass of yours to relax enough for us to fuck it.” He helped me up, wiping the drool from my mouth and pushing it between my lips with his thumb. His midnight gaze dropped to where I sucked his finger clean. “Lose the heels and the stockings.”

I stripped out of the items as instructed and slid to my knees before him, lowering my eyes to the floor, spreading my thighs, and resting my hands on my knees. Lucian still wasn’t naked, which was pissing me off.

I hated he was in control and hadn’t felt the need to fuck me. Spyder, however, was getting off without a problem. Fear danced through me, and I worried I was misreading Lucian’s desires for anger, and it made my stomach clench. I swallowed past the lump forming in my throat as pressure built in my chest.

Still, I didn’t look up. If Lucian wished to punish me, all he had to do was stay clothed and refuse to join us. I’d wanted to explore this experience with him, and if he chose not to join in, I’d respect his decision, even though it wasn’t what I’d intended. He watched me, studying my posture before reaching down and lifting my chin. His eyes searched mine, and his expression softened.

“Come here,” he instructed, helping me to my feet. “Pour us a drink, Lena. Then you can sit on my dick while we wait for that toy to finish stretching you so that we’ll both fit.” I stood slowly, watching as Lucian undid his slacks, sliding them down to show me how hard he was. “Is your pussy wet enough for me to enter you? Or do I need to get you wetter so I can fuck you, pretty girl?” His eyes searched mine, and I exhaled with relief.

“It’s soaking wet for you, Lucian,” I admitted huskily, holding his gaze.

“Pour us all a drink. You’re going to need it for the next part, Lena,” he murmured roughly, dragging his heated stare over my body. “I find that I’m no longer willing just to watch you getting fucked. Admittedly, I wanted to join sooner, but I enjoyed seeing Spyder fuck you and learning all your expressions and features while taking and receiving cock. Do you think you can take us both?”

“Yes,” I answered without hesitation, and his eyes sparkled as his lips curled into a sinful smile. He studied my face, and I got an uneasy feeling that he wasn’t talking about one after the other. He meant simultaneously. I swallowed, straightening my spine. “I’m down to do anything once. I heal quickly, and I enjoy when you give me pain and pleasure.”

“Good answer, Little Monster.”

I poured the drinks, handing Spyder his before I turned my back on Lucian, slowly settling on his lap. He rubbed his cock against my opening, hitting my clit repeatedly while he used the arousal to prepare me for him to enter my pussy. I clenched around the tip, wanting him more than I had ever needed him before. I opened my mouth, and a moan escaped as I pushed down onto his thick cock.

They were both hugely endowed, but Lucian was thicker, and he felt like home. He also knew exactly what I liked, which gave him an advantage over Spyder. His hands snaked around me, slowly rubbing his finger over my clit as he sat back. One hand cupped my throat, bearing down as a tremor rushed through me, throbbing in my clit.

“Lucian,” I whispered. My body clamped down around his, unable to ignore the pleasure of his touch and ownership. Spyder liked to manhandle, but Lucian held control.

Everything Lucian did was calculated. Every single motion of his hips was to lift me so that I’d slam his thick cock against the place within me that he owned. The slow, circular movements of his fingers were exactly what it took to make me come for him. He was barely moving, yet he had complete control of both of us.

I rolled my hips, closing my eyes against the pleasure he created. Whimpering his name, I spread my body further apart for him. His fingers stretched across my throat, and then he stood with me, still impaled on his dick. He slammed me against the table, pulling my hair back, showing me to Spyder, who drank his whiskey, watching Lucian fuck me from behind.

“Damn, that look she gets right before she comes could turn a saint into a sinner,” Spyder murmured, leaning back to peer at me over the rim of his glass.

I lowered my gaze, moaning as Lucian fucked me hard in an unforgiving manner meant to remind me to whom I belonged. As if I’d forget that shit? I whimpered and glanced at Spyder as he fisted his rigid cock, stroking it to the rhythm in which Lucian was thrusting within me. My eyes rolled back in my head as Lucian slammed against my sweet spot.

Lucian hammered into me hard, punishing me. I wasn’t stupid. He may like watching me get fucked, but he was one hundred percent alpha, and I was his to break. He wanted Spyder to see and know the difference between him fucking me and Lucian owning me. Not that he or I needed a reminder, but I was going to enjoy every single moment of him proving his point. He held me there, grunting as I lifted my legs and tipped my pussy to take him deeper.

“Fucking hell, Lucian. Fuck me! Harder,” I hissed through clenched teeth, feeling my body already heading toward the next climax. He didn’t need me to scream that I was his; he knew it. We all did. I’d been created for him alone. He didn’t grant my release as I bucked against him.

“You come, and I will fuck you like this in that tight little ass,” he warned raspingly, removing the butt plug, and I shuddered at the loss of it. “Clean your mess off my cock and finish your drink. Then, after you’ve done both, place your hands on the table, and wait to see which one of us fucks your greedy hole next. What do you think, Lena? Think you can take that cock with all its piercings in this tight ass of yours?”

“If that is what you want.”

My body screamed for Lucian to finish the orgasm his body had promised me, but he chuckled darkly and stepped back. My thighs clenched together, and I knew he observed me fidgeting for him, needing him to fuck me more.

Reaching for the glass, I knocked it back in one drink, shifting my gaze to Spyder, who refilled my cup, nodding at it. He did this several times, and I winced as the warmth of the amber liquid washed through me. I doubted this was normal whiskey, and I had a feeling they were planning something that was about to destroy my body and mind.

Lucian’s fingers brushed against my spine as Spyder rose from his chair. I was turned to face Spyder, who leaned closer to my lips, teasingly touching his to mine. He picked me up, forcing my legs to wrap around his waist while my arms slid around his neck. Lucian’s hard body pressed into me from behind, and I felt his cock pushing against my ass.

“You ready to play with both of us, Kitten? Let’s see how well you do now. There’s no tapping out and no pleading for mercy. As I showed you before when you were coming all over my face, I have no mercy. Neither does Lucian, and we sure as fuck don’t plan on finding any falling from the sky tonight. Now be a good girl, and take his cock so I can get mine into your tight body, too.”

Lucian entered me gradually, and my ass burned from his entry, while Spyder held me tightly. It wasn’t violent, but it ached and felt wrong until he was completely inside of me, stretching me as my entire body trembled.

I moaned, rocking gently to adjust to the fullness he created. Lucian pulled me back against his chest once he was fully buried within me, holding me up for Spyder to peer down at my naked cunt.

“That’s going to be a difficult fit, but I intend to enjoy forcing my way inside you, Kitty. Let’s get it wet, shall we?”

Spyder lowered to his knees, licking my pussy, nearly sending me over the edge without warning. He peered up, waiting me out before he leaned closer, sucking my clit hard while his tongue flicked it playfully. I moaned loudly, rocking my hips as Lucian held my legs apart, spreading me wide for Spyder.

Rising to stand before me, Spyder pressed his cock against my entrance. Slowly rubbing against my clit until I was whimpering and begging for them to finish it or move. His entry was slow, too. They stretched me, causing a delicious burning ache that rocketed throughout me.

I moaned, lifting one arm to slide it over Spyder’s shoulder, while the other wrapped around Lucian’s neck. Spyder kissed me, then I moved my lips, claiming Lucian’s hungrily. Spyder carefully rocked against my pussy, watching my face as my eyes closed and my mouth opened to whimper their names. It came out as a sultry, pain-filled cry that had both men growling their approval.

Lucian moved slowly, continuing to hold me up, while Spyder started thrusting faster. It was too much and yet not enough. I’d never felt more full or sexual in my life between the two of them.

I expected to feel shame or something other than sexy.

I didn’t, and I didn’t care either.

Spyder grabbed my legs, encouraging me to wrap them around him as they worked to a seductive rhythm that had the coil in my belly unraveling. I gasped, screaming as pleasure rushed through me. My body clamped down on both of them, milking them as the orgasm unraveled like a storm growing stronger as it crashed through me.

“Fucking hell, that’s a tight fit, Kitty.”

“Come on, Lena. Is that all you got for us?” Lucian growled against my ear as Spyder withdrew.

Lucian walked us back to the bed, sitting down, still seated in my ass, while Spyder observed. My legs were spread wide, and the room spun around me as Lucian used his speed to adjust us further up on the mattress. Spyder stepped forward, kneeling on the mattress while stroking his bedazzled cock.

“Put her legs on your shoulders and fuck her hard. I want her sore and begging us to stop. She only gets this once, so let’s make it something she won’t ever forget.”

Spyder settled between my legs, staring at where Lucian slowly rocked inside my ass. It no longer hurt, becoming pleasurable. I glanced down to see Spyder rubbing his cock over my opening, and before I could prepare, he lunged forward, filling me full, too full. I gasped, struggling in Lucian’s arms, while one exited my body as the other entered, rapidly repeating the movements. It was too much at once, and I was already building for the next release, which shouldn’t have been possible.

They laughed when I tried to escape them as they stretched my body beyond its limits. Hands grabbed my legs, lifting them over Spyder’s shoulders, which sent them both deeper into me.

“Oh, my gods!” I screamed, bucking as they both continued to move in and out of me.

“I don’t think your gods are going to help you on this one,” Lucian chuckled against my ear, biting it softly before releasing it to lick over the sore flesh. “I doubt they’re willing to intervene with you getting fucking railed on two large cocks, coming like a dirty little bitch for us. That pussy and ass are full, aren’t they? Or do we need to bring someone else in to fill that pretty fucking mouth of yours too, Little Monster?”

“No more! I can’t handle more,” I whimpered, hearing them both laugh at my outburst. Spyder sat holding my legs open, peering down at where they filled me. His lips curled into a wicked smile before his eyes rose, capturing mine.

“You should see how hot you are stretched around us, milking our cocks with your tight body, Kitty. That pussy is greedy, isn’t it? You want more, baby girl?” His eyes shifted over my shoulder as he lifted me, holding me up against him, using my hips to control my movements. Lucian slipped out from behind me, and the sound of running water filled the room. “Are you ready to see just how dirty you can be?” Spyder asked through a rough, guttural tone, as he thrust inside of me once more. I felt Lucian settling back in behind me, his lips brushing against my shoulder, tracing kisses up to my ear.

He pressed his cock against my already full pussy as I shuddered violently. Fear etched in my head, and I cried out as he entered me, too. It burned, stretching me until I thought they’d rip me apart. Neither one of them moved, holding still to let me adjust. Lucian growled against my ear, cupping my breasts, while Spyder held my hips.

“Fucking hell, Lena,” Lucian whispered in a husky tone that caused my head to roll back against his chest.

Spyder pulled me down and Lucian followed. The moment they began slowly moving against my core, pleasure ripped through me, pushing away the pain. It still burned, but I could not ignore how much they stretched me and how good it felt. I couldn’t do anything more than take what they gave me. They were building speed, and I was heading toward the cliff, preparing to go over it beneath their strength and wickedness.

I exploded, screaming as I tried to escape from between them. My nails bit into Spyder’s arms as I felt Lucian slowly pulling out, his lips kissing my shoulder as relief washed through me. I was spun on Spyder’s cock, and my body contorted, and pressure was applied to my jaw as Lucian rubbed his cock against my lips.

“Open up, and give me that mouth, Lena,” he demanded.

I opened for him, licking along the thick tip, still wincing as Spyder continued to rock into my body. Lucian fucked my throat hard and fast, matching Spyder’s pace. Finally, I exploded, moaning around his thick member as Spyder’s hands bit into my hips.

“Good girl,” he growled, pulling out of my throat. Lucian waited for Spyder, who exited my body while Lucian cradled my limp form. He adjusted my legs, moving me until I was trapped between them once more.

Lucian rubbed his cock against my pussy, while Spyder ran his fingers down my sides in a feather-soft touch, sending gooseflesh over my skin. I moaned, needing to tap out. What the hell had I been thinking, taking them both on at once? They didn’t tire or even show signs of calling for a break. Lucian’s eyes held mine, and he shook his head.

“Not yet, Lena. We’re not even fucking close to being finished with you,” he growled as Spyder chuckled, kissing my spine.

Lucian entered my pussy hard, cradling my face as he kissed me. Spyder pushed against my ass, causing me to tremble when I felt every piercing as he slid inside, moaning the moment he was buried to the hilt in my backside. I clenched down hard around them, whimpering as they once again filled me to my limits. Lucian leaned back, watching me as my entire body came alive. You only live once, right? I wasn’t about to tap out and let them hold that over my head.

They worked together, both driving me to the brink of orgasm, never letting me fully reach it, neither one offering mercy. They wrecked me, using my body to contort it, drilling deeper inside me than anyone should ever be. Lucian grabbed my legs, placing my feet on the bed, hammering into my pussy as I screamed, clenching at the intensity of his inhuman movements. Lucian shed his human skin, and the world consumed me. He held me up, squeezing my tits painfully, while Spyder used my hips to destroy me from behind.

I exploded, screaming until I thought my ears would bleed.

Glass shattered, but they continued wrecking me relentlessly. Voices sounded, and still, we didn’t stop. Everything shifted around us as if we were no longer within the room, and at this moment, we weren’t. I lifted my arms, wrapping them around Spyder’s neck while I rolled my hips.

One of Lucian’s hands was stroking my clit while both men growled and made inhuman noises. Or maybe it was me. They both tensed when my entire body clenched, and arousal covered Lucian’s cock, while my ass tightened painfully around Spyder.

They grunted their release, holding my sweat-covered body until Spyder withdrew. Spyder propped me up on Lucian, who placed kisses against my face, staring into my gaze with a smile playing on his generous mouth.

No one spoke because it was just too much. Spyder turned the water on inside the bathroom, and then I heard him talk to someone. I overheard a muffled response before the sound of feet shuffling and chairs scraping across the floor echoed through the room. I started to turn my head, but Lucian grabbed my chin, claiming my mouth in a soft kiss. He pushed my hair away from my face, peering into my heavy-lidded stare.

“Hey, pretty girl. You with me still?” he whispered while continuing to cup my cheek, forcing me to stay down.

A few moments later, Lucian picked me up and placed me on the bed between him and Spyder, both touching me like I was something to treasure. Spyder lifted my leg over his hip, and Lucian entered my pussy from behind as Spyder swept the damp hair away from my face, smiling.

“I told you that you would break, Kitty. We’re just getting fucking started on you, sweet girl,” he chuckled darkly.

All night long, they used me, stretching my body to its limits. They both took turns fucking me while the other watched, then took great joy in entering me simultaneously. It was endless. By the time we’d finally begun the incantation, I was so mentally fucked that I wasn’t sure if I hadn’t tried to fuck all of Lucian’s men, no longer able to decipher which one was Spyder or Lucian. I only knew the absolute pleasure that consumed me. I’d heard the chanting, felt both men fucking me while others observed, moving around the room to prepare for the spell needed to remove the bond.

Chapter Fifteen

You learn a lot about limits when you do stupid shit you knew was a bad idea from the start. ~Lena

Red welts covered most of my skin on display, bathed in the light of a candle’s flickering flame that sat on a table in the room’s corner. Lucian and Spyder had exhausted me and left me sore, using my body in every way imaginable. I’d thought I could handle whatever they did, but ‘whatever’ turned out to be too much to take into some of my body cavities, so they’d taken pity on me and given me mercy. Some parts of me just wouldn’t fit them both, and they’d agreed on that matter.

Lucian held me in his lap. His arms wrapped protectively around my stomach, holding me up. He kissed my throat, whispering encouragements while his men stood surrounding the bed on which we rested. He kept me grounded, holding me while the room blurred. Lucian and Spyder had drugged me to help me let go, allowing the magic to rip through me and undo what the bond had made me feel. I wanted it to end, and they all did too.

Spyder passed a goblet around, and everyone added a few drops of their blood. It was an actual reenactment of the first ceremony, done to the mother-fucking letter to be certain that we did the spell right this time. The same runes were painted on us and the surrounding walls, and candlelight flickered throughout the room, creating shadows that shifted from the slightest movements.

Spyder watched me, his eyes hooded with the reminder of what we’d done for hours. I didn’t look away from him. I wasn’t afraid of facing him in the aftermath of the dirty hot sex we shared all night long. However, my body was too damn sore to take them both at the same time again, so this spell needed to work.

I’d lived that fantasy once, which was enough for me.

Spyder’s lips jerked up into a devilish smile, as if he was reading my mind. The reversal spell had better work. I’d given the bond every fucking position possible. I’d been a sticky, drained, sore mess, and they had bathed me after the sinful shit they’d done to my body. They’d filled me with their essence, and by the time we’d finished, I had them leaking from everywhere it could, causing a blush that had imprinted into my bones to burn my cheeks. They’d laughed it off, but hadn’t been impressed by what the incantation required of us in the end.

Some things shouldn’t ever be done. And the old gods? They were some sick, twisted bastards, wanting a little too much from people if you asked me. Unfortunately, they hadn’t asked. I had enough protein from both men to last me a lifetime and in pretty much every orifice. Sure, we’d washed between, and some shit was done inside the shower. But where was Jesus when these other gods were coming up with these incantations? Even Satan would blush at the shit requested for the spell to be reversed.

I no longer questioned why Spyder had refused to ask me to perform the spell. The number of times it wanted bodily fluids was stupid. There was also the fact that they’d taken me several times before ever starting what the magic required.

Luckily, Lucian had the foresight to drug me, explaining what had to be done prior to offering me the tonic. Sure, it had tasted like ass, but I was glad I’d agreed to take it before the freaky shit actually started. Blood, biting, sex, and more sex. It was probably a good thing I couldn’t get pregnant because with as many times as they’d fucked me, my womb would have tried to end it for us.

Spyder painted the runes onto my body once again, studying my expression while Lucian continued holding me up from behind. I was boneless, which, of course, made Lucian’s men chuckle. Or they had until Lucian and Spyder threatened to eat their hearts while forcing them to watch. They weren’t playing around, either.

The men began chanting, and I blinked as dark magic entered the room. My head rolled back, watching the flickering candlelight as Spyder pressed the cup of blood against my lips, smirking, remembering the last time.

“Not on your life, asshole,” I whimpered, tensing at the thought of it.

“Already ruined it, Kitty.” He smiled as I took the first sip.

They passed the goblet around the room once more and then the dagger for each man to refill it with their blood. They didn’t stay wounded from their cuts, but then they weren’t human or from this world.

The cup was handed to me again, and I drained it as the chanting reached a crescendo. The coppery tang of blood danced on my tongue, flavored with musk, wine, sage, and a hint of frankincense. Dark erotic magic rushed through the room, forcing my body to pulse while the chanting continued.

Spyder lowered himself between my thighs, doing just as Lucian had done last time. One quick lick through my arousal, and then he turned his head and bit into my thigh. I screamed, coming from the moment his teeth pierced my skin. The other men moved forward to do the same; then, everyone changed places. Lucian kissed my shoulder, sliding his lips over the mark where Spyder’s scar had once been.

Several sets of teeth broke through my skin, severing flesh as fangs marked my body. I screamed out in agony, crying as the magic in the room intensified. Blood pounded like a drumbeat in my ears, and the men stepped back. Spyder slipped from the bed, and then Lucian was in front of me. I peered up at him as he positioned himself against my opening.

He pushed into my body, and I winced at the pain it created. His hands set beside my head with his knuckles pressed into the mattress, and he growled, lowering his heated lips to mine. A dangerous smile played on his mouth, which whispered against mine. “Do you know what’s even hotter than watching you get fucked, Magdalena?”

“No,” I whispered, achingly sore. Lucian’s girth hurt inside of me, but then I’d taken Spyder and him so many times that I wasn’t sure how it hadn’t swollen closed, with an out-of-business sign placed at the opening.

“Reclaiming you,” he purred huskily, gently moving against me. “Reminding you why you belong to me. From now on, you’re only mine, sweet girl.” His eyes held me prisoner.

He rocked against my body as the magic slowly pulsed around us. My eyes slid to Spyder, finding he was the only other person inside the room. Enormous, black leather wings spanned the width of his back, produced from his shadows. Spyder smirked as I watched the shadows swallow him from sight.

“Thank you, Kitty,” Spyder’s voice whispered against my ear as his presence left the room.

“I am yours, Lucian. Even if I hadn’t been created for you, I’d still want to be your girl. I never wish to be shared again. You’re enough. You’re my world, and I was yours from the moment you kissed me. I love you.”

He watched me, sliding his gaze over my face. “I would destroy worlds for you.”

I blinked, frowning as he started moving against me. He fucked me hard, using me in every way possible. Every way imaginable. He didn’t go easy on me. He went hard and harder. He left no part of me untouched, working my body in ways that would have made most immortals blush. When we were finished, we were both nothing more than a pile of mangled limbs, lost in the dreamless sleep of stasis.

When I finally woke, it was inside our bedroom. I lifted from the bed, peering at Lucian, who sat beside it in an oversized chair. I smiled sleepily, stretching my limbs as he walked toward me, pushing me down to claim my lips.

“Morning,” I whispered against his hungry mouth.

“You’re absolutely gorgeous, Magdalena. I can’t believe you allowed me to take you all night after what Spyder and I did to you.”

“It was only you. I can never get enough of you, asshole. Where is he?” I asked, watching as Lucian backed up, giving me room. “Did it work? Please tell me it worked, Lucian.”

“The bond is severed, but the mating link is still there.”

“But he doesn’t have to be reborn, right? We can figure out how to end this shit, and he can be free of me, of us.”

“We figured out a few things after you finally passed out. I don’t think it was you who claimed Spyder as your mate. We believe the furies did, and they did it to punish him. They have tried to make him atone for events that happened in the past a few times. They weren’t strong enough to get to him before. I think they found a back door through the magic we’d used, which gave them access to him. You were bonded with Spyder when you claimed him, allowing the furies to claim him, too. He isn’t mated to you, Lena. Not in the way we assumed. He’s mated to the furies within you. They’re vengeful beings that ensure those who do wicked deeds pay for them in blood. Spyder has escaped them before, and now that we know what we’re dealing with, he will do it again, somehow.”

“So the bond is broken. No more sex, right?”

“You almost sound afraid,” he chuckled, lifting a brow and running his nose against my jawline. “Or is it disappointment I hear?”

“No offense, but my vagina and pretty much all of me never wants to experience that again. Once was enough for me, thank you. I don’t feel like anyone should ever do that more than once. You guys are fucking savages. I need to bathe in holy water, and I need that bath to be inside a room with sage burning and a priest to baptize my ass.”

His lips curled into an unguarded smile, and he leaned over, kissing my forehead gently. “Good. Once was too much for me, and I wanted to murder him for making you scream in pleasure. I don’t like sharing you with anyone, after all. Not that I didn’t like it or enjoy watching someone else fuck you, but I prefer you only get fucked by me.”

“Was he here?” I asked, swallowing down the uneasiness at the idea of Lucifer observing us inside that bedroom. Lucian had created a glass wall from a special material that only allowed the Devil to see what happened in the bedroom. The glass had shattered when even the furies had reached their limit at being between Lucian and Spyder.

“Lucifer was here last night, but he only saw what you allowed him to see. He watched us with you, and we let him witness our pleasure until we needed to begin the spell requirements. That means he may become unhinged if he really wanted you for his bride. From now on, you don’t leave here without an escort. Not even to step outside. You’re either with Spyder or me. We’re the only ones here who can fight the Devil to protect you.”

“But without the bond, Spyder won’t be able to find me now.” I swallowed past the emptiness where the bond had been. I’d known releasing him had downfalls, but more benefits, too.

“You’re still his mate.” Lucian’s tone had changed, growing angrier with the words. “Even if you aren’t responsible for claiming him, the results are the same. He can find you if we need to, and so can I. With the Hell Gates open, Lucifer can’t hide you from us. There’s nowhere he can run with you that I cannot follow, Lena. I will always find you and protect you.”

I shivered as my heart clenched. I’d told Lucian I loved him again. And, while he hadn’t run away or moved out of our room this time, he hadn’t said it back to me. It hurt deeply, considering everything we’d been through together. I didn’t need some huge declaration of love, but I needed to know where we stood. Why was it so difficult for him to say the words back to me?

“Don’t do that, little one. It was just sex,” Lucian growled, lying beside me to pull me against his body, enveloping me in his heat. “You can’t feel shame for what you enjoyed, and I know you. You liked it, and I don’t regret allowing you to experience it once. I’ve always pushed you to be open about your needs and your pleasure. You’re mine, and that’s all that matters. We severed the bond, and we figured out where to start, freeing Spyder from the furies who claimed him.”

That much was true. I couldn’t regret releasing Spyder. He once wanted to slit my throat but ended up embedded into my soul as my friend. Sex with Spyder wasn’t something that would ever happen again. I refused to let it affect us or our friendship.

Life was too damn short to let something like that place a wall between us. I felt relief knowing I hadn’t personally claimed him. It was one less guilt that I had to carry around. Less baggage I’d need to unpack.

“So, I won’t feel the need to be with him ever again, right? The compulsion that Spyder and I had is gone?” I clarified, watching the way Lucian’s eyes narrowed on me.

“Yes. Unless it wasn’t the bond creating your sexual fantasies about him,” he murmured against my ear. “If that is the case, I will have to kill him after all.”

I chuckled, smiling, only to realize he wasn’t joking. “I’m certain it was the bond. I never wanted to even be in the same room with him before we did the spell. You and I are together, and I’m not craving Spyder anymore. That’s all that matters, right?” I waited, and he smiled, kissing my cheek without returning my sentiment.

“You should get up and shower. The club is preparing for another party. After the results and feedback of your first one, you are now in charge of the lower club, just as you requested. I am impressed by what you did, Lena. It was an erotic show that received rave reviews from the clientele. I’m also considering your color-coded outfits for the other levels of the clubs.” He moved from the bed, grabbing his jacket before turning to smile at me. “Come on, get moving. Haven’t you heard? Hell is empty, and all the devils are here. Tonight should be interesting, especially if Lucifer comes to challenge me for you. After last night, I expect his challenge to come promptly.”

I sat up, holding the blankets against my chest while Lucian walked toward the door. He paused, turning to look back at me with a grin playing on his lips before disappearing through them. Every part of my body ached, and some parts that I hadn’t even known could hurt—did.

Where did I fit in now? I’d been so sure that Lucian had wanted me here. I thought he loved me, yet he still hadn’t said the words or even hinted at how he really felt. It may be a moot point to him, but I needed at least some confirmation other than he’d destroy worlds to keep me. Sure, that was sweet, but it also made me feel like he was only claiming ownership and not anything beyond that. Love might be a human emotion, but he’d made the furies turn that shit back on, not me.

I laid back down, staring at the door he’d vanished through before a weightless feeling took hold of me. My eyes closed, and the scent of brimstone burned my nose. Opening my eyes, I gazed around the room, finding Lucifer leaning against the wall. He was dressed in jeans and a tight shirt that looked enticing against the mass of muscles I knew lay beneath the material.

“I should fucking kill you,” he snapped, watching me through narrowed eyes as his mouth pulled into a tight line. “I guess I should be impressed that you survived them, right? I offer you love, a womb, and children, Lena. And you settle for being their whore? I thought you were different. What do they have that I don’t?”

“Heart, Lucifer. They have a heart, whereas you have a black hole.”

“Did he have a heart when he bartered for you to never live through losing your son again? Do you know what he gave in return?”

“No, Luc, I don’t. Why don’t you tell me?” I snapped, irritated at everything and everyone today with the emotional overload unfolding within me.

Lucifer pushed off the wall, strolling closer as his wings expanded behind him. His violet eyes glowed a mix of blue and violet while he smiled coldly. Studying me, he placed his hands on the altar, where he kept putting me during our visits. “Your entire bloodline, Lena,” he laughed chillingly, surveying my face. “He bartered their souls for you. Even if Makenna hadn’t killed Kendra, your sister would have died. Your bloodline was the cost he paid without your permission.”

“You’re lying, asshole. If Lucian had done that, then Makenna would have also died, and she is very much alive.”

“Makenna lives because part of her soul belongs to me. Therefore, Lucian couldn’t claim her in his bargain. I am what saved Makenna from the reaping.”

“Lucian wouldn’t do that to me, ever,” I chided, swallowing past the swelling in my throat as I laughed soundlessly. “He knows what my family meant to me.”

“Then ask him, Magdalena. Ask Lucian what the cost was to free you. You don’t experience your death echo anymore, do you? You haven’t since the day you lost your beloved family. They’re not able to be summoned from their graves, are they? You’ve asked witches to try, and they fail every single time. You know that something happened to their souls even if you won’t admit it, fearing you’ll never see them again. You just didn’t think Lucian would be the one to do something so horrifying to you and to those you loved. I may be the bad guy, but I didn’t kill your fucking family, Lena. Why don’t you ask the monster you love what he paid to free you and him from ever having to watch you slit that pretty throat of yours again? I get it; I’m the Devil. You won’t believe me, so go ask your precious Lucian.”

I sat up on the bed, blinking, the heavy scent of brimstone and sulfur clinging to my flesh. Frowning, I peered around the room before grabbing clothes to head into the shower. Lucian wouldn’t have done what Lucifer claimed. Right?

Sure, Lucian had said he would destroy the world for me, but kill my family to free me from the death echo? He wouldn’t dare. They were my family, and he knew how much they’d meant to me when I’d been alive.

Showered, changed, and with my emotions all over the place, I left the apartment to search for Lucian. If he had done those things, what would I do? What could possibly have given him the idea that our relationship would ever be okay if he had?

Lucifer hadn’t held his usual cockiness this time. He hadn’t cared if I believed him or not, which told me I had to ask Lucian. The implications caused my heart to pound painfully against my chest as worry consumed me. Why wasn’t Lucifer concerned about me asking Lucian unless he didn’t fear me doing so, because he’d spoken the truth?

Chapter Sixteen

You never know true pain until it rips into your chest and tears out your soul. ~Lena

I walked silently through the empty hallways. My heartbeat thundered deafeningly in my ears, growing louder with everything step I took closer to the upper floor and bar area. Fear of how far Lucian had gone to protect me made it worse, knowing that he didn’t even think as humans did. Lucian had no limits. His ethical compass pointed south of the border, and it never moved.

Lucian knew how much my family meant to me, so if he’d done this, it could destroy us. I didn’t think he would do this to me. Not after everything I’d already sacrificed for him. Right? My life had been altered; my world changed because of Katarina and Lucian and the game they’d enjoyed playing. Everything about me and my life was burned to the ground, and I had no one but Lucian now.

I entered the club’s main level and scanned the people seated around the bar, searching for Lucian. He sat beside Spyder, who turned, studying me through narrowing ice-blue eyes. A blush heated my cheeks as his lips twisted into a wicked smirk, slowly turning back to say something to Lucian. Lucian turned, speaking to Spyder as I made my way toward them.

My body tensed, still sore as shit from the things they’d done to me. Not that I regretted it one iota. I’d enjoyed all the dirty, twisted shit immensely. I wasn’t ashamed of being a sexual creature or bothered by anyone knowing.

The furies inside me drove that desire and created a never-ending desire to be fucked, hard. They may have believed they were judge, jury, and executioner, but they were also sex, need, and lust. Their needs slithered through me, making me feel like I was perpetually in heat.

I shoved that thought away from my mind, focusing on what was important. Walking to the bar, I clenched my fists tightly and squared my shoulders. I prayed Lucian would tell me Luc was lying and that he hadn’t done what the Devil had said. If Lucian had, he’d admit it because he didn’t care about keeping secrets other than who he was, which I now knew. Pausing behind him, he spoke without turning to look at me.

“You’re needed below. The staff is waiting for you to decide what sort of show they’ll be performing tonight.” Lucian pulled out a piece of paper to hand it to Bane, who gave me a curious glance.

“Lucian,” I whispered through trembling lips, and he turned, taking me in.

“You’re not dressed to entertain,” he grumbled, peering down at my clenched fists, narrowing his eyes before dragging them back to mine.

“Did you barter my family’s souls for mine?” I asked, unable to prevent my fear from entering my voice. He didn’t flinch or even blink at the question. Lucian didn’t move, holding my gaze in silence. “Why aren’t you saying no?”

“You should leave it alone for now, Magdalena,” he warned.

“Tell me you didn’t do it.” I all but begged him to lie to me. My words came out thick as tears pricked my eyes, burning them. “Tell me you didn’t barter my family and my coven. Why don’t you deny it, Lucian?”

My stomach clenched as my heart dropped to the floor. I felt sick, physically sick, as Lucian held my stare, not even bothering to look upset at my accusation. Tears ran down my cheeks, and I shook my head slowly. My words got stuck on the lump at the back of my throat, coming out brokenly.

Why didn’t he deny that he’d done anything to them? My family and my coven had been turned into demons, and Lucian had put down my grandmother himself, removing her head because he wouldn’t have been able to remove the demon possessing her. My bloodline was wiped out—only Makenna remained.

I stared at him, struggling to get words out past the swelling in my throat. His jaw ticked, and he held my eyes without looking away. My head continued to turn one way and then slowly moved the other as it shook, needing him to deny it.

I’d never even considered how it would have been possible for them to be possessed because I had placed the devil trap marking on them. That meant someone had to have intervened to remove the marks, and whoever had done that would have had to have been very powerful to do so without the coven realizing it.

“Please say something,” I whispered, despising the pain that was ripping me apart from inside.

“Go to your room.”

“Gods dammit, Lucian! Say you didn’t do this! Tell me you didn’t allow those monsters to slaughter my family,” I snarled, hating the tremor of agony that filled my words.

“I can’t tell you what you want to hear,” he stated, watching me through unfeeling eyes. “I see you and Luc spoke this morning.”

“No. You don’t get to turn this on Lucifer,” I whispered as a sob escaped my chest. “What did you do? Tell me, Lucian. Make me understand what the fuck could have been worth sacrificing the souls of my entire line. Tell me it wasn’t to spare me from having to relive the death echo or from you forced to watch it. Tell me why.”

“Bane, Layton, take Lena back to our room and lock her inside. She’s not to leave until I say otherwise,” he said, studying me as I backed up.

“I’m leaving,” I announced, barely above a whisper, only for Lucian to laugh coldly at my words. He carefully undid the cuffs of his dress shirt, rolling up the sleeves. Dismissing him, I started for the doors.

I didn’t care if the Devil himself was waiting outside for me. I needed to get away from here, away from him. Lucian hadn’t even cared enough to tell me why he’d done it. They were my family. The coven hadn’t needed to die to protect him or me. Innocent lives were lost so that we wouldn’t be inconvenienced? Fuck that!

The moment Layton pushed me forward, the doors opened, and Lucian grabbed me and tossed me over his shoulder. I screamed, gasping as the air was sucked from the room. Power rushed through me, forcing my hands to slide together by my wrists behind my back. I struggled as a throbbing started in my chest, burning my lungs. Shadows slid against my lips, and then air slowly filled my lungs while Lucian continued walking to the hallway with me awkwardly flung over his shoulder, my hands still locked behind me as if held in chains.

I couldn’t move, and the more I tried to break free of the magic holding me, the more painful the throbbing in my chest became. When we were out of the bar area, he dropped me to my feet, slamming me against the wall. His fingers curled around my throat, forcing my gaze to meet his.

“I do nothing without a good reason, Lena. Do you think you get to run away from me now? You don’t. Lucifer told you that to hurt you, so don’t start assuming he’s your fucking savior,” he snapped, his eyes glowing blue as he glared at me. “Now walk, or I’ll make you walk. It’s your choice. Decide now.”

“You fucking killed them! They were my family, Lucian!”

“I didn’t kill them. I just didn’t stop them from dying. Now walk, or you can get where we’re going thrown over my shoulder,” Lucian growled, stepping back to glare at me.

I stared at him, shaking with anger, while he waited for me to choose. I lifted my hands to shove him away, but his magic wrapped around me, preventing me from forcing him away from my trembling form. I fought against it, screaming with frustration and rage at being denied the ability to move. I felt his hold tightening, and then I broke free with a smile curving my lips. He grunted, biting his lower lip as his eyes began glowing with liquid blue flames.

His entire body vibrated with power, sending his magic directly at me until I dropped to my knees, crying out. Lucian kneeled, lifting my chin with a single finger, surveying my face. His lips curled into a devilish smile, and he spoke in a strange language that had me rising to my feet with his fingers still on my chin.

Lucian’s massive body crushed mine against the wall hard enough that my teeth clattered together. A groan slipped from me as he cradled my jaw, stroking my lips. He lowered his mouth, brushing it against mine before nipping my bottom lip while his power wrapped around me, enveloping me in the sheer force of it.

I couldn’t move a muscle or push him away as he held total control over my mind. He touched his forehead to mine, still speaking in the foreign language that held me silent, awaiting his command. Numbness filled me, consuming my mind, and his voice soothed me from within, as my eyelids grew heavy and my body grew pliant against his.

“You don’t get to leave me, Lena. I warned you. You are mine, and that which slumbers within you was created to stand beside me—only me, which makes you mine regardless of how you feel or what you want. Stop thinking with that useless human heart of yours before I rip it out and remind you that you no longer need it. Now, move your sore ass back to our bedroom, where you will wait for me in our bed. Move, woman,” he snapped harshly, his voice layered as if the souls within him spoke at once.

My body obeyed, jerking forward and immediately walking toward the staircase that led to our bedroom below. I could feel Lucian’s stare burning my back. Anger rushed through the air between us as magic forced me to do as he’d commanded, with no control over my mind or body.

I was nothing more than a mindless toy, marching to my master’s orders. Hot tears continued to roll down my cheeks as his betrayal burned through me. Anger pounded in my head, and even though I struggled to take control, I couldn’t break whatever spell he’d placed on me.

The furies within me were eerily silent, and yet I knew it was them who he controlled. I had only a sliver of a soul left, which should have made it impossible for him to use against me. That meant he was once again using the furies against me.

The door opened before I reached it, and I continued walking until I was seated on the bed. My spine arched and my legs parted slightly. There was no heat burning in his gaze, only anger and a look that promised me he was in full control right now.

He exhaled slowly, studying me while I waited silently. “Lie back on the bed, and spread your thighs apart.”

My body complied, lying back onto the soft mattress that reeked of his scent. My feet lifted flat on the bed, sliding apart before my knees parted and dropped open. He stared at me as tears trickled down my cheeks.

Lucian stepped closer, his fingers pressing against the tender flesh of my pussy. He held my face, continuing to stare at me. The sound of fabric ripping reverberated through the room before cool air touched my pussy. His long, slender finger grazed the tender flesh of my sex, already sleek with arousal for him.

“Tell me to fuck you, Lena.”

“Fuck me, Lucian,” my voice echoed out in layers, bouncing off the walls. It sounded creepy and sad. It wasn’t me replying to him. It was them. They answered to their master, and I was merely along for the ride as their vessel.

“Is your pussy sore?” he asked, pushing two fingers into me.

“Yes,” I whispered, unable to close my eyes against the intensity of his gaze. His body continually pulsed with magic, creating an actual quiver that was currently vibrating against my aching pussy.

“Turn over, and get on your knees,” he demanded, watching as I complied.

When I was in position, he lowered his mouth to drag his tongue through my apex. Lucian licked and kissed my swollen entrance, preparing it for him to use. He chuckled as a husky moan escaped my throat. I could not ignore the pleasure he made me feel, even if I wanted to stab him at that moment. He lifted, ripping the shirt I wore from my body. My chest heaved, but the pain was momentary and was quickly gone.

I whimpered as he pushed something into my pussy, kissing me there again. A vibrating sensation started, and he shoved me back onto the bed, and I rolled over to spread my legs for him. My hips bucked, moving wantonly for him to use me.

“Do you see how easy it is for me to keep you? How easily I control you? I didn’t kill your family, Magdalena; I just didn’t stop it from happening. I have never been the good guy. You keep trying to make me into your hero, and I’m not. I don’t care about your world or the humans you are hell-bent on saving.” He leaned down, slowly licking through the arousal building at my core. His deep, sultry growl almost had me begging him to fuck me. He had full command of my body, and the furies held the power of their need and mine.

“You’re not to remove that toy, and you’re not to come while I’m away. You can shower and listen to music while I’m working. If you push me, I will leave you like this until I have finished hunting down Lucifer, taking his daughter from him. I promised you Makenna would be safe. I intend to keep that promise. I vowed to keep you safe, and that nothing would happen to you. I never said the same for your family or coven. Never them, Magdalena,” he said coldly. “I don’t care about the humans because every living thing dies, eventually. You are immortal, and sooner or later, this outcome was inevitable for your bloodline.”

He moved closer between my legs, inspecting my aching pussy as it pulsed with the vibrations of the toy he’d pushed deep into my core. Lucian leaned over, sucking my swollen clit between his lips, roving over it with his tongue sluggishly.

I moaned loudly, unable to ignore the pleasure his kiss between my thighs gave me. Fingers slipped into my slit, and he made a strangled noise, as if my cunt were the most exquisite thing he’d ever tasted.

“Come for me, Lena. Come for me once before I watch the sinners in my club get fucked, knowing you’re inside my room, on my bed, being erotically tortured. Come on, sweet girl. Let me taste your arousal so that every time I imagine you tonight, I taste what is waiting for me when I return,” he murmured thickly, moving his fingers as he lifted his head, watching me trembling.

I arched for his kiss, needing his mouth back on my pussy. He didn’t help me. Instead, he allowed me to gyrate with the slow, unhurried movement to the pulsing ball that was humming inside my core. Whimpering, I closed my eyes, knowing he hated when I did so.

My lips parted on a gasp as pleasure washed through me. The short orgasm didn’t ease the need for him to fuck me. In fact, it only made me want it more. He laughed wickedly, knowing how it would affect me.

“Throughout tonight, I’ll increase the speed,” he said, holding up the remote, “So that you know I haven’t forgotten about you.” His hand rubbed over my stomach, grabbing the globe of my breast to squeeze it while he smirked. Leaning over, he clamped his teeth on my nipple, teasing the heated peak as he swirled his tongue around it, meeting my stare.

“Lucian,” I groaned, hating him and wanting him in the same breath.

“If you allow Lucifer to take you into his realm, I will punish you when I return tonight. You’re finished going to him. You wished to be part of my world, Lena. So fucking be in it and stop placing your human rules and laws on us. I’m not human, and neither are you anymore. I told you from the beginning that I wasn’t the good guy. I am the villain, and you knew that and still wanted me. You claimed me, not the furies. You took me to be yours or murder anyone else that I fuck. That was something you did on your own. You may not have understood what you were doing, but it doesn’t change that you did it.”

His lips brushed mine, and he smiled against my mouth. “Be good and take only one bath. I want to taste how wet you are for me when I come back here tonight and devour this cunt that belongs to me. You might consider adding some bath salt to your water. It will help ease the pain of me taking you again because I won’t be holding back when I return. I intend to fucking destroy you until the image of you coming all over Spyder’s cock is removed from my mind, and I know you’re still mine.

“If I smell brimstone upon my return, I won’t remove the toy before I wreck your firm ass. I now know that you can accommodate me and it together and that you enjoy being stretched as the pain makes you scream and come. Would you like that, Lena? Would you like me to stretch you, destroying these tight holes that were fucked last night and you looking so fucking hot while it happened?”

“You’re an asshole,” I whimpered, and he smirked, shaking his dark head.

“Now you’re getting it.” Lucian kissed me softly, then pulled back, standing at the edge of the bed. “Spread your legs apart, lift your back, and wait for me to return. If you’re not in the bath, then I better find you like this waiting for me to decide when I’m ready to fuck you. This is how I will keep you if you try to run from me. Do you understand why I’m doing this?” he asked, never taking his eyes from mine.

“No,” I swallowed, answering honestly.

“Because our fates are tied together, now that we’re mated. If something happens to one of us, it will weaken the other, and if I were to weaken, it wouldn’t be just your world that suffered the consequences. It will be all the worlds connected to it. You chose this for us without ever considering the outcome. I’m responsible for more than just this world. If I grow weak, there wouldn’t be one world safe from the monsters that descended on it, destroying anything and everyone they touch.”

Lucian smoothed his hand down the side of my face, tipping my chin up, forcing me to meet his eyes. “I’ll see you in a few hours. Maybe after you’ve realized that you could have this,” he said, waving his hand over my prone body, “or the life I’ve offered you with the freedom to leave this room, you’ll behave for me. Don’t make me reveal who I truly am because that monster doesn’t care if you’re a mindless being as long as he can sate his endless hunger on you. To me, though, you’re the woman I would gladly destroy anyone and everything to protect. You should choose which version of me you want before I return tonight.”

Chapter Seventeen

Some women are born to rule, but Lena, she’s a natural-born queen that was created to sit beside me on my throne. There’s so much she doesn’t see, but I intend to show her. ~Lucian

Lucian

Leaning against the railing, I stared out at the club, studying the people dancing, feeding, and openly fucking on the dancefloor. Many patrons were drunk and high, oblivious to the monsters using them and hunting them inside my club.

I’d revoked the feeding laws for most of the Otherworld beings. After all, it wasn’t like their existence was hidden and still a secret. But, if the humans were stupid enough to be in a club known for entertaining such creatures and didn’t take precautions, then they deserved what befell them.

Gazing down at a female, I watched her legs raise as two men fucked her. Her hands were around a vampire’s throat while an incubus demon took her from behind. The look of wonder in her eyes pissed me off and reminded me of Lena’s gaze, hooded with lust as Spyder and I fucked her. My threats hadn’t mattered. Lena and Spyder knew who she truly belonged to in that room, filled with lust, sex, and magic. She was mine.

I wasn’t so certain that I would allow Spyder to keep those memories. I didn’t enjoy the fact that he knew how dirty and perfect my woman was. She’d shed her human skin and embraced the monster she’d become while handling us both.

No woman had ever taken us both more than once, but Lena had held her own between us. My attention shifted to the bar, and I snorted, finding Spyder watching the same scene I’d been observing. His ice-blue gaze left the trio, lifting to lock with mine, and I saw anger burning within them.

Turning away from Spyder’s glare, I headed toward my office. I knew Spyder would be there before I reached the door. Bane nodded in my direction, studying my posture to guess the shit he’d have to clean up this time due to my temper.

Usually, Bane used his magic to fix what Lena and I wrecked inside the office. More often than not, she’d come in angry and fuck that frustration out on my dick. I preferred that form of anger management, but she’d tried to walk out on me. Lena thought she could escape me? Fuck that and fuck her. That wasn’t happening, ever.

“Why the fuck didn’t you just tell her the truth?” Spyder demanded, entering directly behind me as he stepped out of the shadows he used to travel.

I exhaled, moving to the sideboard inside my office to pour some whiskey. “It isn’t your place to question me, Spyder. Don’t confuse me sharing her once with allowing you to dictate what becomes of her. I permitted it because you’re my oldest friend and brother, and I didn’t want to lose you. I knew Lena wouldn’t understand you being reborn. I also wouldn’t want anyone else at my side when this shit collapses, and I have to decide whether to save this world or watch it die again.”

“I don’t give a fuck about her right now, Lucian. It isn’t about Lena. This about you and what you fucking deserve,” Spyder snapped, running his fingers through his hair. “She’s hurting, and you could fix that pain she is housing. Tell her the fucking truth. She will understand that you did it for her and that because she had escaped Death’s reach, creating an echo that came at a hefty cost, you had no other choice.” He shook his head, glaring at me before continuing.

“The moment she broke Death’s grasp on her, her entire line was linked and marked to replace her in the ground. Tell her about Harbinger, and make her see what you did and why you did it. You fucking spared her mother and the coven. You also gave her grandmother a painless death that you damn well know the reapers wouldn’t have given her. When Lena messed with magic that only the gods may use, she marked each of her family members for death. Not you, asshole. You want her to think you’re her villain, and you’re not.”

“I can’t tell her shit, Spyder. I won’t risk my son’s life just because she fucking hurts right now. Lena continues to go to Lucifer, which can only happen if she’s willing. Until that changes, I will not tell her about our son. Lucifer can read her mind and all her thoughts. If she knew her son was alive, so would the Devil. She doesn’t need that guilt. It’s better this way, and I can easily control her.”

“It isn’t easier. You panicked because you’re afraid Lena will choose to leave you. That pisses you off, and you wanted to make sure she didn’t leave. I get it; you’re addicted to the little minx, and why shouldn’t you be? She’s amazing, Lucian. She checks all your boxes. Lena is everything that you wanted in Katarina, without her selfish, petty bullshit. You won’t keep her like this, though, and we both know it. You want her? Tell her the truth.”

“Since when did you become a fucking sounding board of reason, asshole?” I snorted, holding his stare. Spyder shook his dark head, then grunted, scrubbing his hand over his mouth.

“I wouldn’t need to be a fucking sounding board if you weren’t a dick,” he returned with a chuckle. “Tell me you’re not fearful of her leaving you.” When I merely continued to glower at him, he smiled. “That’s what I thought. You’re afraid you will lose her, and you’ve never lost anything. Lena fucking died, and you had to deal with it, and now that she’s back and in your grasp, you don’t want to chance something happening to her.” Spyder chuckled, knowing he’d pegged it on the nose. “It’s not that easy, though, is it? Because we both know how much her family meant to her, and you can’t just tell her how you feel. You can’t tell Lena that you love her or that you sacrificed her family and coven to give her the one thing she wants. Luc is a problem, but he isn’t the only fucking one. If Lena is captured and confronts her actual creator, gates will start to open, and she’d be lost.”

“I’d fucking kill him first, Spyder. I’d decimate him and Hell to keep her with me,” I declared.

“You know Erie has Asmodeus. If you are smart, you will handle him before he figures out the furies are back. If he finds out and runs to Luc, shit will go sideways fast. Luc likes Lena, and that is the only thing keeping him from turning his little visits into a horror show.”

“If Erie cannot control Asmodeus until I’ve finished what I started, I will end him,” I admitted, exhaling past the worry that thought created. I trailed a finger over the condensation on my glass, remembering Lena’s tears, and my stomach coiled at the reminder.

I hated her tears, but the idea of Lucifer knowing our son lived would be a fucking disaster. The sadistic prick had already offered a womb to Lena, aware that any child she birthed would be attached to my seal. It wasn’t that I hadn’t wanted a child with Lena. But until everything came together, it wasn’t a possibility. We’d created a monster, and while I wouldn’t care if we did it again, she would. I’d enjoy making one with her or an army of them.

I sat at my desk, snorting as the memory of Lena first entering my office, angry at being punished, replayed inside my head. Fuck if I hadn’t wanted to bend her pretty ass over my desk and show her exactly who the fuck she was messing with. Magdalena had been a fire that burned so hot it had scalded me. And hell if I hadn’t needed to feel her against me. That witch left her mark on me, burrowing deep beneath my skin.

Lena wasn’t that girl anymore, though; she’d changed. I carried that guilt and pride, which was a strange combination to feel. She had grown bolder, unafraid to take or demand what she wanted from me—from the world. She was chaos and beauty, combined with a purity that I didn’t deserve. I knew she was too good for me, too innocent. If anyone from my world figured out that she still housed human emotions, they would tear her apart. Emotions were a weakness, and weakness would be used against you.

Pouring more whiskey, I reached into the drawer, pulling out another glass. I detested that Spyder had fucked Lena, but I hadn’t hated watching her get off. The only good thing that came out of the ordeal was that he was no longer thinking about her sexually. So what the fuck was he doing caring about her emotional state?

“Fuck you,” he rumbled, lifting black eyes to hold mine. All human exterior melted away, and we relaxed into our chairs, swallowed by the shadows. “I fucked your girl, asshole. Get over it. You enjoyed breaking her and watching that pussy get fucked. I know you. You pushed it to go further than it needed to go. You wanted her to ache and never crave that shit again. If you hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been allowed to enjoy all that her body had to give.”

“Are we done talking about her pussy?” I snapped, staring at the glass as it spider-webbed from the pressure of my hold. “Keep my girl’s pussy out of your mouth, Spyder.”

“It was a delicious pussy, though,” he teased, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, staring at me. “I don’t crave Lena like that anymore, Lucian. In fact, I could take her or leave her. I do, however, care about her emotions because if you unleash those furies, they’re coming for me, brother. You and I both know that. They want revenge for what I did, and it’s fucking justified.”

“That’s your problem, and you know I’m right fucking here if or when you need me. I’ve always been beside you, asshole. That much is a given. The only way those bitches escape Lena is if she’s dead. That isn’t fucking happening again. The only weapon that can kill her was tossed into the Unseelie Prison, inside Faery,” I admitted, running my finger over the rim of the glass.

“She asked if you loved her, and she didn’t understand your reply.”

“She will get it when she’s ready to recognize the gravity of it,” I grunted, hating that she expected words. Fuck words, they’d never done shit.

Humans wanted pretty words. Hollow words whispered as the sweat cooled from their bodies after a hard fuck. They were just that, words. I wouldn’t ever say them again. I’d heard people say that shit in a moment of passion and then ask me to take the person’s life in the same breath while perspiration still bathed their brow. Words held little meaning, but actions were undeniable and spoke louder than anything else.

I knew she loved me. I hadn’t needed her to say it for me to know how she felt. She’d proven it to me. Lena had taken her life to prevent my suffering, which spoke of something much deeper than love. She was a selfless creature. One that was too fucking pure to hold the monsters inside of her. Fuck, Lena was too pure to have fallen in love with me, the fucking monster that had others trembling at the mere mention of my name.

Me? I’d destroy this entire universe to protect Lena, and I’d told her that much. I’d stood aside as her lineage was snuffed out. I couldn’t intervene on their behalf because magic had consequences. Lena had come back, and in doing so, dominos had tipped over.

One life from a bloodline coming back could be ignored. Three lives weren’t allowed. There was a steep price, and I wasn’t allowing Death to take Lena or Harbinger from me again. So, I’d agreed to let her bloodline pay the cost because not even I could stop it from happening. Not that I would have, anyway. Her line would have died, eventually, and she’d have hurt because of it.

Watching people die a slow, painful death wasn’t pleasant for those who didn’t age. I’d watched countless others die of old age, rotting from the inside out. Complicating matters, I’d cursed her line long ago. They were all born cursed, and they’d died that way, too.

The curse made it easier for me to find them and their coven when they were reborn. However, this time there wouldn’t be a rebirth because their death was final because of Lena’s action and becoming immortal.

I’d ensured that her family had a quick and painless death by allowing demons to consume their souls. They had felt nothing from the moment the demons inhabited their bodies. It had been simple and easy, providing the best possible outcome for them.

Death enjoyed giving pain when he and his reapers collected a soul owed to him. I’d prevented that, which was a miracle, considering everything happening at that time. That was my kindness, and she’d forgive me, eventually. She had to. We had a child together who waited for us to return to him.

Reaching into my pocket, I turned the knob on the toy, imagining her squirming in my bed. My dick twitched, excited about how ready and needy she’d be when I returned. Lena was wild when she was pissed off, and it made her unpredictable. I smiled, lifting my attention back to Spyder as I pushed the small remote back in my pocket.

“Tell me, brother. Is she on your bed crying out your name in anger or pleasure?” Spyder asked, steepling his fingers in front of his mouth.

“Both. I don’t half-ass anything with Lena. What did you discover at the address I sent you to check out?” I inquired, changing the subject.

“Exactly what you thought it was. The Unseelie prison is contaminating this world and remaking what it was missing. My guess, Faery claimed Asher for the light heir, and in doing so, the balance between dark and light fae became too unbalanced. Faery does not know what the darker portion of its world is creating. Ryder sent word that Zahruk is having issues, having sprouted huge black wings seemingly overnight.”

I snorted, shaking my head. “He’s the new King of the Horde, so wings aren’t unexpected.”

“I thought that, too, but they’re not like Ryder’s. He is worried about his brother because those wings look more Unseelie than that of the horde. Zahruk touched that shit inside the alley, which means that Faery may have claimed him to become an Unseelie prince. Interesting fact? Lena held hands with Zahruk and had that substance on her as well.”

“That’s a fucking problem,” I grumbled, narrowing my eyes on Spyder as I exhaled. “Why would she touch him?”

“Stop being a jealous asshole. Zahruk helped Lena off the ground, where they’d been knocked back. Alden was there too, but he hasn’t shown signs of being affected by the substance. The Guild has gone on lockdown, but the word from inside the guild is that shit is going wrong. I sent Devlin in to see what he could discover, but they’re locked in the shelter. My fear is this. With only a few of the original Unseelie and Seelie free and accepted by the fae, is Faery creating more to replace the ones that it lost? Or are there other beings that escaped when Synthia freed Malachi, producing an army of new fae princes?”

“Bloody hell, that would be a fucking mess.” I exhaled, lifting my glass to my lips, downing the whiskey.

“Exactly.” Spyder sat back in the chair, shaking his head. “I’ve already sent word to Ryder and Syn, explaining the situation. I’m guessing that when Synthia opened the gates to that prison, the Seelie weren’t down there alone. Each world within Faery has to have a balance, just like every world outside of it. If I’m the other caste of fae inside that prison, and I’m pissed off, I want revenge for being left behind. Only I don’t have anyone remaining to direct that anger at, so I aim it at the only thing left.”

“Danu’s daughter,” I snorted, leaning against the desk, watching the shadows that twisted around Spyder. “And she’s untouchable with Ryder at her side.”

“So if you can’t get to her, who do you go after?” he countered, smirking.

“You take her most prized possession,” I answered offhandedly, hating the pathetic games that creatures played. I reached into my pocket, turning the device up to max, peering at the clock. “That’s only if there were Unseelie still alive within the prison when it was opened. A newly born prince wouldn’t be upset enough to walk into the palace and capture the princess. He wouldn’t have the balls to do it, taunting them after the fact. That would suggest that Kahleena is being held inside the Unseelie prison, and something as old as Ryder himself has his daughter.”

“Who is still young and naïve and shouldn’t even be out of diapers yet, technically.”

“You saw her, asshole. She’s beautiful and all woman. She aged within the City of the Gods. She’s not a child, and he won’t treat her as such.”

“Ryder and Synthia are going to murder whoever took her,” Spyder chuckled.

“If they find him,” I returned before peeking back at the clock.

Lena had been in my bed for five hours, unable to remove the device I’d pushed into her tight channel. I needed her to know she couldn’t escape me. The idea of her leaving and ending up in Lucifer’s hands made my stomach churn. I knew what he would do to her. He was a selfish prick, and he would punish her. The last woman he’d reprimanded spent days on a stage, being tortured by demons until she’d finally succumbed to the wounds they’d inflicted.

He’d break my girl, and I’d destroy his fucking world into dust and ruins. I was bound by laws where he was concerned, but there was nothing big enough to stop me from destroying this universe if Lena died. Lucifer knew that, which was why she’d never die if he got his hands on her. He’d put her in one of his cages, keeping her alive to pull her out and use as entertainment or wreck her when he remembered she was there. I wouldn’t allow that to happen, ever.

“He knows you’d destroy him and his world. Lucifer may be hell-bent on revenge, but I have a feeling he actually likes her, Lucian. He craves love, and Lena is special. Hell, even without that bond, I don’t want to see that girl hurt. I’ve never met a woman who was as selfless as Lena. She had waged a war against monsters, and she’d won. She died, but Lena fucking won and ended your pain. You may not say the words, but you love that girl. I do too.”

“You aren’t touching her again, asshole.”

“No, and I don’t crave to fuck her anymore. I like Lena and I care what happens to her. She died, ended up with three furies inside of her, and she is holding them. Name one other being in history that held all three furies without going insane within days of receiving them. Even though those bitches live within her, Lena still has this innocence that shines through her pretty eyes. When Lena looks at you, her entire heart is in that stare. You’re one lucky prick. Had I been five minutes earlier, I could’ve been the lucky one to get the worst submissive in the history of mankind.”

“Asshole,” I grumbled, holding Spyder’s obsidian gaze, swimming with inky shadows. “She’s not submissive, but she plays it well. I enjoy her fire and her need to disobey.”

“You like punishing her. Admit it,” Spyder snorted, holding the glass to his lips, downing it quickly. One thousand-year-old scotch was wasted on him and Lena. Neither appreciated the fine taste of it. “That’s why she’s inside your room, writhing on your bed while you hold that remote, driving her pleasure to an unbearable level. You knew she wouldn’t fuck you after what she learned today. So, you improvised. How’s that reclaiming sex going? Is she yours yet, or is she dreaming about climbing my ladder?”

“You know I’m going to have to remove the memories of you with her, right? I won’t spend an eternity hearing about her pining after your ladder, and I ain’t doing that shit to my dick.”

“It enhances the pleasure of both participants, asshole. She came hard enough on it. You should think about getting one. She enjoyed it,” he snickered. “Lena’s a fucking climber.”

“She also enjoys me without your bedazzled cock around,” I countered, standing to go back to her. “See what the others have learned and get eyes on Alden. Lena is attached to the old bastard. Have Devlin check-in on Joshua and the other furies and assess how they’re managing without Nyx.”

“On it,” he stated, rising from his chair to lean over the desk. “Lena is worth fighting for, Lucian. If you don’t make her see reason, you will lose her. Maybe not in the sense of actually losing her, but that doesn’t mean she won’t vanish in other ways. Women are fickle as fuck, and you can’t predict how they feel or react to shit. She also needs to know where she stands with you. You’re all she has left, and right now, she’s not sure about that either. You’re a cold bastard, and you have a good reason to be. But Lena, she’s your girl, asshole. Stop fighting her and allow her to fight beside you.”

“If I could just come out and tell her and be assured that our child was safe from that asshole, don’t you think I would? Harbinger is safe for now, but that’s because only you, me, and Death know he’s alive. He’s in stasis, and that is where he will stay until I can get her to understand or end the threat Lucifer poses to him.” Glaring at Spyder, I shook my head.

“Go, she’s waiting for you.”

“I know she is,” I chuckled, but it wasn’t her body making me need to get back to her. It was to see her with my own fucking eyes, to see that she was still safe. Leaving her was an issue, one that fucked my head up since she slit her pretty throat in front of me.

I exited my office, moving through the club, feeling eyes on me every step of the way down the hall. I knew Lucifer was watching, and I also knew he wanted Lena for more than just to torture, too. He wanted her because she could love a monster. Lena was a different breed, one who didn’t let a rough exterior bother her.

She’d looked beyond my hardness, loving me regardless of my cold detachment. I’d put that girl through hell, and we were so close to the finish line. Once I was done here, and Lucifer was in a fucking cage, we’d finish what I had planned for Lena. We’d be free to live without worry or looking over our shoulders, waiting for the sky to fall.

Entering my bedroom, I grinned at seeing her spread out, covered in arousal. Her scent drifted to me, and I felt a twinge of regret at not smelling brimstone and sulfur. So I was a sadistic prick who took pleasure in fucking her hard and angry sometimes. She enjoyed it, too. Moving to the bed, I leaned over her, finding her eyes barely open as her lips parted, and a sultry moan escaped her throat.

“I’m going to kill you,” she whispered through parched lips.

“Why don’t you try to kill my dick with that tight, wet pussy of yours to start?”

“This is a new low, Lucian. Even for you!” she seethed, pumping her hips while following me with her heavily hooded eyes.

“You’re so fucking pretty, Magdalena. You look ready to be fucked, are you?”

“I needed you hours ago. Now I’m beyond caring, asshole.”

“Then I guess you won’t mind waiting until after I’ve showered, right?”

Chapter Eighteen

The most beautiful creatures tend to be the ones with nothing to lose. They’re free of restraints and no longer bound by a code in which they once lived. Lena, well, she is untethered, free of anything that could be taken from her. She doesn’t understand that I’m laying a foundation that will never crumble beneath her pretty painted toenails. ~Lucian

Lucian

Lena shifted her narrow hips, moving them up and down with blatant need. The arousal pooling between her thighs made my tongue burn to sample it. Her body was addictive, but her arousal tasted like a fine wine that should have been outlawed due to its sweet, deliciousness. The sounds she made caused my dick to jerk, knowing she waited for me to fill her until she fucking ached from it.

Reaching into my pocket, I withdrew the remote to the small toy that had been pulsing inside her all night. My finger slid over the button, taking in the way her body lifted from the mattress. Her sweet noises turned to moans, grunts, and plaintive cries for that orgasm she’d been denied while I saw to the needs of the club.

Striding closer to the bed, I removed my tie and smiled down at her hooded gaze. Her fragrance was heaven, bathed in sweat and pleasure that drew me in like a wolf scenting blood in the air.

I’d been drawn to her the moment I’d watched her peering up at the moon, seeking the darkness she craved. Lena’s mind was beautiful and as addictive as her curves. I missed the smell of her soul, but enough of it had been replaced that the gentle fragrance clung to her naked body. It was pure and uniquely her scent, which I loved.

This slip of a girl had shocked me, forcing me to want things I’d promised myself never to crave again. One taste of those innocent lips, and I’d fallen into the gentleness of her soul. I had Lena in every way possible, and yet I got excited each time I thought about being inside her tight pussy, fucking her hard, or even lying beside her while the world slumbered.

I’d never enjoyed sharing a bed with anyone, but with Lena I craved the simple things—the things most people took for granted until they were gone.

“Do you want to touch me, Lucian?” Lena whispered huskily. I swallowed hard at the lust burning in her eyes as arousal dripped down her pretty cunt, drenching her ass with how far she’d been spread for me.

“More than I want air, or to breathe, Lena. Are you ready for me?” I asked, leaning over to hover against my mouth close enough that my breath fanned against her swollen pussy.

“Yes.” Her hands unclenched the bedsheets she’d ripped with her nails; her need to come, violent. “I want you. I ache for you.”

“I know you do, but I’m not ready to play yet,” I admitted, turning to kiss the inside of her thigh, nipping it with a hunger that was raw and brutal.

Lena was witty, and smart girls just tasted better. The spice, sass, sweetness, and audacity they held went straight to their pussy. It made her that much more delectable when she came on my tongue, and I preferred her to come there for me.

Pulling back, I removed my dress shirt, watching her eyes lower to my tattoos. I had more ink added in the last few months. I’d added her name to my body, wanting to claim her in the event that anything happened.

I would never feel helpless again, like I had when she’d died. I’d almost destroyed the world, but it would have hurt Lena if I had. She wouldn’t have wanted it to happen. That thought alone had stopped me from sending this shithole into the downward spiral from which I wouldn’t have returned.

Reaching for the button of my slacks, I watched her slender fingers dance over her belly. Smooth skin, with a few delicate runes I’d done to connect hers to my own, sat on her hipbone.

Her creamy caramel-colored hair was a mess of curls, which fanned out behind her head. Her small hands grabbed her breasts, squeezing them before pushing them together. I curled my lips into a wolfish grin, knowing she was tempting me.

Lena had learned how to push me past the brink of my need, forcing me to fuck her when she craved my cock. Luckily for me, she always wanted my dick. Hell, there had been times when she’d climbed into my lap in the car, freeing my cock before she’d slid down my rigid length, uncaring that we were driving 120 MPH down a highway.

Turquoise eyes, the color of troubled seas, lowered to my dick as I freed it from my slacks. Kicking off my shoes, I grabbed my dick, watching her hands move to her aching, pulsing pussy that was drenched from hours of endless torture.

I knew that if I released her from my hold, she’d be coming in that instant. Then she’d attack me. Lena hated being controlled unless it ended in multiple orgasms. Her gaze trained on the bead of come that dripped from the head of my thick cock, licking her lips while watching the slow, easy strokes of my hand.

“Get up and lay on your stomach, Lena,” I ordered, knowing that she hated me playing with her tight ass. I didn’t care, though. She came hard when I fucked it, and she may never admit to it, but she enjoyed it. I’d taken it hard after Spyder, reclaiming every part of her, which I intended to do tonight, again. She did as she was told, and I took in her perfectly round ass, watching as she waited like a good girl. “Lift onto your knees, and spread your legs so I can see your wet pussy weeping to be fucked.”

She complied, and the hum of the toy forced her tight channel to clench, her arousal visibly covering her needy cunt. Going to the closet, I punched in the code, opening her toy box. I’d let her pick out a few things and some I’d chosen to use on her. Lena was a wanton thing, driven by her curiosity and sexuality. She liked to please me and was open-minded about a lot more than she had been when she cared what the world thought of her.

Grabbing the anal plug and a larger one meant to play in her tight channel, I moved toward her, leaving the closet open. Stepping up to the bed, I watched her pussy quiver, smiling at how wet she was.

Sliding the plug through her arousal, I pushed the tip against her tight bud. She tensed, her soft moan turning into a whimpered sound as I forced it deeper. Slowly, she relaxed until only the jewel was visible.

I chuckled as her sounds grew needier. I didn’t bother pulling out the small bead, pushing the toy into her opening while it stretched to accommodate both.

Gradually, I used it on her, never letting it get close to the other one, which I knew was driving her insane. Swallowing the groan at the sight of her stretched, sore pussy, I turned on the vibrator. And gods damn, she was drenched in her enticing arousal.

I’d wanted to hate watching her fuck Spyder, but she’d been hotter than hell. Taking us both and never begging for mercy had also shocked me, giving me new ideas on how to please her gluttonous appetite. She’d left me needing to reclaim her because she had enjoyed two of us pleasuring every inch of her tight, hot body.

I watched her slowly backing up onto the toy, chuckling at her readiness to be fucked. It wouldn’t come easily for her this time. Tonight, I was removing the other man from her mind, reminding her again to whom and what she belonged. I also needed to remind her why she couldn’t leave. I wouldn’t allow it, not even if I had to chain her up by the throat and attach the other end to my own.

“Who do you belong to, Lena?” I asked in a gravelly tone, unable to keep the edge of need from my voice.

“You,” she moaned in a manner that made my balls tighten with the need to drain inside her hungry throat.

“That’s my good girl,” I growled, leisurely using the toy while her body quivered with the need for more. Stroking my cock with my other hand, I shivered at how badly I wished to release my need inside of her welcoming heat. “I suggest you relax and stop clenching that tight pussy, Magdalena. It will be a long night of me utilizing it. I want your fingers to rub that clit of yours, slowly. I’m showering to rinse away the smell of stale sex and overly perfumed women that tried to take your place tonight, since you weren’t beside me. I hope that you’re over your anger by tomorrow so that you’re once again at my side when I am in the lower levels.” I exited the bedroom, leaving her in need of release. Lena looked as if she wanted to murder me, but then she usually did right before she fucked me as if her very existence depended on it.

I felt her anger, even though outwardly she expressed nothing. I hated making her realize I would not stand around and be her fucking savior. I knew I couldn’t prevent her family from perishing. I couldn’t intervene because no one stole from Death without repercussions. That asshole would have taken her because I’d have mortgaged my soul to get her back. And he fucking knew it.

Turning on the water, I stepped beneath the spray, letting it cleanse the smell of the debauchery from my flesh. The world shifted, and I smiled as the soft scent of baby powder filled the air. Stepping out of the shower, I grabbed a towel from the rack, wrapping it around my hips before peering at my surroundings.

The space was decorated in soft colors, with a large four-poster bed against one wall. The blankets were the color of snow, with silver pillows covering the top. Chains sat hanging from the wood frame created to hold Lena.

On the wall were pictures of her I’d taken from the first time we’d met until now. I had crafted the entire room with her in mind, including the hidden panel that held items I’d retrieved from the cabin she’d lived in before it had blown up, splintering into nothing more than firewood.

A rocking chair sat beside the bed, one that I’d imagined her sitting in while holding our son. I’d wanted to tell Lena a million times, but until the threat of Lucifer and the other bastards hunting her was over, I wouldn’t chance our son’s life. Sliding my attention to where Harbinger laid in a protected incubator, I smiled as his little arms moved in sleep.

Magdalena had granted me the perfect son. He was tiny. He’d been just starting to grow within her womb when she’d given her life and his to save the world. She’d also done it to save me from having to murder my son.

She’d proven herself to me by her sacrifice, staring into my gaze as she’d ended her life. It still haunted my dreams, and even when awake, I could still see the look of love burning in her pretty tranquil sea-colored eyes.

The shadows behind the incubator moved, and I stared at the nanny who attended our son in his stasis. Larkin was a gentle soul, one I’d been given as a debt from Death. She’d been murdered because of the blood running through her veins, paying for the sins of her father. If she’d lived, she would have become the Queen of England, but she hadn’t realized her father’s murderous bride’s intent until death had claimed her.

She bowed, and her dark hair covered her face. Lifting her head after a moment, she smiled, which made her almond-shaped brown eyes sparkle. Then, stepping from the shadows, she slid her stare to my son, waiting for me to speak.

“How is the little prince today?” I asked, putting my hand on the incubator, watching the runes come to life with a blue glow, igniting a spell. The moment the magic lifted, I opened the door, placing my hand onto his slumbering form.

Lifting Harbinger from the incubator, I held him against my chest, inhaling his scent deeply. He had black hair, wispy but thick. His skin was soft and warm from being in the heated box. If he opened his eyes, they would be the color of the midnight skies, banked with sparkling golden flecks. Lena said it had looked like I’d swallowed the entire galaxy in my gaze, and she was damn close with her assessment. My son held the same power, which would be a gift and a curse.

Running my nose along the top of his head, I cradled him against my chest, closing my eyes. I’d never thought it possible to father a child, but Lena was a miracle, one that had given me the perfect son. I prayed he would hold the same belief in me that Lena did, and had the same fire that his mother held within her.

“He remains in stasis, Lucian,” Larkin stated, her soft voice echoing through the room. “Harbinger is strong, though, like his father. He fights the stasis in which the Sandman holds him. He says that our little prince is dreaming of his mother. To Harbinger, she is the world.”

“He’s not alone in thinking that,” I muttered, knowing how he felt.

His baby-soft flesh reminded me of how precarious his life was at the moment. I’d brokered a deal with Death, and I wouldn’t undo it, either. Lena didn’t understand what coming back from the dead had done, creating a ripple that ended her line. I could have intervened, but not even I knew what price Death would ask for both of them back.

Her grandmother had known what was about to happen. I’d given her the option of dying with or without pain. She’d chosen well, and in doing so, she’d never felt or seen anything once the demon had taken possession of her body. Sarah had also left Lena a letter, as had Kendra. They’d understood why they were dying and that it was inevitable.

You didn’t escape death, and if you did, you paid a hefty price in doing so. I’d offered to prevent Kendra from joining the others, but she’d accepted what was coming.

I’d asked her to choose between herself, Magdalena, and both of their children. She’d chosen to follow her family and permitted me to protect the three who remained. I’d also asked more of Kendra, knowing that I’d need a way to save Lena in the event that something happened.

Kendra had allowed me to place the runes on her wrist, freeing her soul to be reused inside her twin, which was a perfect match. She could never house enough to allow the seal to grasp onto, but there was a suitable amount to regrow Lena’s soul continually, so that she held her emotions. And as much as I needed Lena to think like an immortal, I loved her feelings because they were a part of what made Lena who she was. Kendra had agreed that Lena needed to remain herself to raise Makenna in her absence.

I lifted Harbinger higher into my arms, holding him to my chest to place my nose against his forehead. The thought of Lena finding out that our son was alive caused something within me to heat as warmth spread through me. I’d been cheated from seeing her swell with my child, carrying him inside her body. She’d been cheated of that too, and so much more.

Did I want to replace enough of her soul to allow her another child? Yes, but with the seal still inside of her, it wasn’t an option. We would create nothing more than a machine that focused on destruction, slaughtering anything and everyone that stood in its way. I couldn’t give her that. Neither could Lucifer.

Sitting in the rocking chair, I exhaled while listening to the sound of my son’s strong heart beating with the life flowing through him. I pushed my fingers through his dark, wispy hair while he made soft noises in sleep, his little mouth puckering as if he suckled nutrients. For several moments, I held his tiny, perfect form against my chest, knowing his mother waited for my return.

“Your mother loves you so much, son,” I admitted, kissing his forehead before leaning forward. I cradled him in my hands, staring down at his heart-shaped face and glowing eyes that studied me. “Hello, little one. I’m your daddy, and soon you’re going to meet the woman we both adore.” He watched me with galaxies burning in his gaze before his lips puckered and then spread into a smile. “You have her smile, Harbinger. Let’s pray you have her fight and integrity. She’s a beautiful being, inside and out. She loves you so much already. I’ll get through to her and make her see that you’re waiting for her.” His eyes closed, and I placed a soft kiss on his cheek before standing and making my way back to the incubator.

Carefully, I put him back into the box that could only be opened by me, Spyder, or his mother. I didn’t trust anyone else with his life. I’d brought him home, to my palace.

Here, he was protected by an army of souls indebted to me, but the idea of leaving him alone was unnerving. I’d done too much to lose him or Lena, and I wouldn’t, even if she wanted to go away from me. I’d built this room the same week I’d learned she hadn’t died. I created it to protect her from my enemies, but it would also serve as a pretty prison if she intended to leave me.

I hadn’t been willing to lose her then, and I sure as hell hadn’t changed my mind. Lena was embedded into my soul, ingrained into my life. The idea of her coming here to my home created excitement to see it through her eyes.

I had a feeling that she’d love it, simply because our son was here, and we’d be together. She was simplistic that way, and it was one thing that drew me to her. Lena didn’t need attention all the time, nor did she want fanfare. So long as she had people she loved close at hand, she was happy.

“Soon, his mother will join us here. Spyder will alert the palace before her arrival. You should begin removing those who are within it for now. I want it to be only us for the first few days to allow Lena some time to adjust. I want everything perfect for my Queen when she’s ready to let go of that world and become a part of this one.”

“She will be welcome here, Lucian. She is our Queen, and you are our King. I will see that this world is ready for her arrival, along with her new home. Should we prepare to seal off the entrances to the Clubs of Chaos, or do you intend to leave them open?”

“I will not cut her off from that world if she chooses me. If she is forced to stay, I will seal the portals within the realm, and that world will be closed off to us until otherwise needed. See that the bed I wanted for her is finished and positioned to view the left side of the palace.”

Placing my hands on the incubator, I locked my son into its protection, peering down at him for several moments. His eyes grew heavy from the heat inside, aided by the sleep sand that sat beneath his blanket. Once he was asleep, I turned on my heel, strolling back to the shower stall that opened into my home and Lena’s realm.

Chapter Nineteen

There’s a beauty in her violence and peace in her eyes. In all my time alive, I’d found nothing like her. Magdalena is wild, untamed, and imperfect. She’s the light in the darkness and the fire that heats my flesh. ~ Lucian

Lucian

Soft moans met my ears as I entered the human realm. I smirked, creeping toward the sultry vixen, making the delicious sounds. Lena’s eyes held mine when I stepped into the room. She was covered in a fine layer of sweat that beaded on her brow, causing the hair to stick to her face. I growled at my desire to run my mouth over her lower lips, painted in arousal, stroking her swollen pussy with my tongue until she pleaded for mercy.

“Such a messy girl.” I licked my lips, her hips moving as if I were already buried in her naked heat. “Do you need help to clean that up?” Her glare narrowed on me, sliding down the dry towel that clung to my hips. “You want to ride it? Beg me, and I’ll consider fucking you, Magdalena.”

“Die in a fire, dickhead,” she growled, yet her eyes had locked on my growing cock with hunger blazing in them.

“I’d watch that mouth of yours before I fuck it.” Her expression flared with heat, and a deep, trembling moan left her lips as her body tried to force the orgasm past the magic suppressing it.

It was an erotic thing, watching a person unable to reach climax, quivering violently. Lena’s body was flushed pink from the intensity and desire that rushed through her in crashing waves. My gaze dropped to her sex, noting the way her muscles tightened, begging to be filled.

Stepping forward, I pushed her legs apart, peering at her quivering pussy. The toy still hummed loudly inside of her core, and she was clenching those walls with the need to release continuing to build. Lowering my head between her silken thighs, I latched onto her clit, flicking it quickly with my tongue. Her scream filled the room, and I groaned before pushing my tongue through the deliciousness of her cunt, ensuring I made loud sounds that painted her cheeks red with embarrassment. I loved making her blush, knowing I gave her everything when I ate her pussy. The noises she made, combined with mine, were natural, even if she didn’t agree. My attention lifted to her face, and her eyes grew wider until they rolled back with pleasure from the intensity of my mouth buried between her thighs.

Her moans grew louder, sexier in volume. I chuckled as she reached for my hair, intending to yank my face back to her greedy pussy. I slid my tongue over my lips, barely containing the growl of need that rumbled from my chest at tasting her pleasure. Pushing my fingers into her tight pussy, I withdrew the still humming toy, setting it on the bed between her thighs. Tossing it aside, she gripped her hands on the blankets, needing to come. Her hips moved, enticing in their simple motion of need.

Lowering my lips to her pussy once again, I curled my hands around her thighs, slowly enjoying her cries of pleasure while I held her stare. Then, lifting my mouth far enough away for her to hear the words, I released her from the compulsion not to orgasm, but only that one.

“Come for me, Lena,” I growled, moving back down between her legs, ravishing her as she screamed, fighting against the intensity of the orgasm thrumming through her.

She was wild, and it was a good thing I’d locked my arms around her because she was screaming my name while trying to escape the pleasure of my tongue spearing into her pussy. I moaned loudly, sucking her sweet nectar as I continued forcing the orgasm to increase until tears were running down her face, and her sobbing turned into actual shrieking while she bucked against my hold, bruising my lips with her cunt.

“Gods damn, woman. You taste like you need to be fucked. Tell me to fuck you and mean it. I want to feel your walls around me, milking my cock while I drain my balls inside your haven.”

“Lucian,” she growled, her body still clenching and releasing. Her eyes were unfocused, and her rose-colored nipples pebbled as she continued to tremble while the orgasm refused to release its hold on her pleasure.

“That’s my name, Lena, but that’s not what I told you to say, though, is it?” I asked, climbing up her body to peer down into her hooded gaze. I teased her opening with my cock, already covered in her juices. “You won’t leave me, woman. I won’t ever permit it. You’re mine, now and forever.”

“Fuck me, please,” she whispered huskily. “I’m going to die if you don’t, asshole.”

“I wouldn’t allow that to happen, either. Not even death can take you from me now, sweet girl.”

I pushed into her tight channel, feeling it clamping down hungrily on my cock. Flipping onto my back, I forced her to take me deeper into her pussy, using her hips to rock her on my thick cock. Her perky tits bounced, the rosy buds tightening to painful tips begging to be tasted.

She was Heaven and Hell. Lena was every poem about love and pleasure that I’d ever heard recited. She was my calm, and I was her strength. We fit together as if we’d always been one piece that had found its way back to the other missing half, becoming one. Her eyes closed, and I tightened my hold on her hips, and they open to mere slits, parting her lips to utter my name like I was a saint, teaching her to sin. Maybe I was, and perhaps she was a rare prize I hadn’t won, but she was mine as much as I was hers, and we both knew it on a level so deep and profoundly life-altering that neither of us whispered it to the other. There was fear in opening up, exposing souls to someone else. Fear that once they saw all the dark and ugly parts, they’d back away and never wish to see them again.

I loved Magdalena, but she deserved more than words. I’d given in, saying the words to Katarina. I needed to give this woman, this little witch who had sacrificed everything for me, something more. She had burrowed into my world, and now I couldn’t imagine it without her. That was dangerous and terrifying. It was thrilling and horrifying that without her, I couldn’t breathe. One tiny witch had enthralled me, the biggest mother-fucking asshole who could destroy an entire universe without thinking twice about it, with her smart mouth and enough sass to last me a lifetime and more.

“You fucking dickhead,” she moaned, moving her hips. “I hate you. I fucking hate you, but I love you, too. You’re the most infuriating asshole on the planet!” Lena stared down at me with tears rolling down her cheeks. Only she could get off angry and cry while being so pissed off that her emotions became unhinged. I loved her crazy mind and the way it felt too deeply to process only one emotion at a time.

Lena was never just anything. She was everything all at once, and I craved that from her. She got mad, and those tears escaped her tight hold. She’d be sad, but then she’d laugh in the middle of it over something else. Magdalena held all her emotions on her sleeve and didn’t care who the hell knew how she felt. When she wanted to be fucked, it was in her strut, her eyes, and the way she’d bite her bottom lip, smirking at the dirty shit playing out in her mind.

She rose onto the balls of her feet that were positioned on each side of me on the mattress, and placed her hands on my chest, lowering herself, then slowly rolling her hips. She lifted to my tip, forcing her pussy to clench tightly before dropping back down to the base, screaming as I grunted. My balls tightened, and I watched her repeating the movement, knowing this shit turned me on and pissed me off at the same time. I loved watching her stretch around my cock, forced to endure pain and pleasure while she seated me deep in her narrow channel. I knew it fucking burned when I was fully within her body, and I knew it ached for her to continue without me staying in her tight cunt.

I started to rise, intending to suck the taut pink nipples taunting me, but her hand landed higher against my chest, slamming me down. I lifted my eyes, finding hers filled with rage. A smile played on my lips before I grabbed her arms, tossing her onto the bed with a single move before painfully forcing my cock to the base.

“I didn’t give you permission to take control, Lena.”

“I wasn’t asking!” she shouted, yet she was soaked the moment I’d thrust into her. Lena may not admit it, but she loved being tossed around and fucked hard.

I thrust into her while holding her arms, bracing myself on her body to plunder her tight, wet pussy. My eyes held hers prisoner, forcing her attention to where I wanted it. She lifted her legs, taking me even deeper until I was thrusting against the one place she wanted me most. Magdalena fought me, trying to remove my hold from her arms so that she could have some control. I wasn’t permitting that to happen. Right now, she was mine, and I was the alpha male to her alpha female. I’d thought she was a beta when I had met her, but there was nothing meek or gentle about her, not unless she allowed you to see that side of her.

“Who is in charge, Lena?” I went still, allowing her to buck against me, giving us both pleasure with her wild movements and need.

“I am!”

“You’re not,” I laughed wickedly. “Now, be my good girl so that I can make you come on my cock,” I grunted, rolling my hips to meet hers as her eyes rolled back with pleasure.

She moaned.

She begged.

She gasped and swore.

She never took command of me.

Lena whimpered, pushing my body, trying to take back some semblance of control. It enraged me and turned me on. She fucking pushed my buttons as much as I pushed hers. Finally, I let go of the reins and slammed her body down, holding her throat to claim her lips. When her tongue slid against mine, something inside of me snapped.

A growl escaped me, and everything turned red with the need to reinforce my claim within her mind that she belonged to me, that we belonged together now and forever.

With each new sound made deep in her throat, I fucked her harder. By the time her noises became incoherent, she was crying out in pain, forcing me to lift my head, finding her watching me with a pleading look in her eyes. Slowly, I realized I’d unleashed my true nature on her soft body.

I withdrew from her, hating myself for losing control. I sat on the edge of the bed, dropping my head into my hands. I wasn’t worried about breaking her, but I also didn’t enjoy hurting her when we fucked. She had limits, and I’d never crossed the line, not even when Spyder had joined us. I respected her in and out of bed, and I’d just unleashed hell on her already sore cunt.

“You’re free of the compulsion, Lena.”

I’d expected her to attack my exposed back or scream and rage at me. I didn’t expect to be jerked back onto the mattress and forced into her body. She redirected the anger, fucking me while fueled with her wrath.

It was violent.

It was messy.

It was everything that we were combined and rolled into one action.

She fucked me like she was at war, and I was the only victory that mattered in her world. She lifted her hands, slapping me as her scream of agony filled the room. Grief, she was fucking me with her grief, unleashed and ripping her apart from the inside.

Her head dropped back as tears rolled down her cheeks. Lena didn’t stop rocking, forcing me to watch her pain unfold on my cock. I wanted to tell her why I’d done what I had, but until she stopped allowing Lucifer to take her into his world, I wouldn’t chance exposing Harbinger to that monster, who wouldn’t hesitate to use my son against me.

I lifted my hands, and she slapped them away as I smiled, seeing the defiance burning in her eyes. She wanted pain because that was how she handled being in it now. I grabbed her, throwing her down on the bed before I stood, prowling around her.

“You want me to hurt you?”

“You’re fucking good at it, aren’t you? Every time I think you’re done hurting me, you do it again. Do you like to punish me, Lucian?” she whispered, her voice hoarse from screaming her need for hours on end.

“I do, I so fucking do. You scream so pretty for me when I’m wrecking you, Little Witch.”

I grabbed her hair, flipping her onto her back, positioning her to take me in her throat. I didn’t give her time to argue. I thrust into her tight haven, hearing her gag around the thick cock buried in her warm depths. I grabbed her throat, cutting off her airway as I began pumping into her mouth. Her cries around my cock only added fuel to the fire she’d lit.

The moment her face started to turn purple, I withdrew, grabbing her hair again to flip her over. Lena liked rough sex, but this wasn’t just rough. It was me reclaiming her, all of her.

I pushed her knees apart, lifting them into the air, forcing her face into the bed, and entered her tight, sore pussy hard. I wasn’t gentle or easy on her, either. I knew her limits and understood she might be angry, but she was enjoying this. She wanted it rough, hard, and without mercy.

“Messy fucking cunt, you got here. Do you need more in it, Lena? Or is this sufficient for your greedy pussy to get off on?” I taunted, feeling her pussy quivering as the orgasm erupted, clamping her tight flesh around my cock until I almost emptied into her heat. “I’m guessing I’m still adequate at pleasing you. Tell me I’m not enough,” I snapped.

“You are more than enough,” she whispered softly, causing my stomach to tighten from the emotion in her tone. “You’ve always been plenty for me, Lucian.” Her pussy tightened, threatening to come again.

Instead of allowing her another orgasm, I pulled out, rag-dolling her up from the bed. I clasped my hands on her throat, forcing her up against the wall before she jumped, wrapping her legs around me.

“You dirty little girl. Who the fuck do you belong to? Who makes this pussy purr the loudest?”

“You, you fucking asshole. I’m yours! I hate you,” she snarled, pushing her pussy down onto my cock. I slammed her against the wall again, filling her until my balls slapped against her ass. She lifted her arms around my neck, and I laughed coldly, lowering my lips to her pretty pink nipple, biting it as she howled, coming hard on my cock.

I was brutally pumping into her body, hammering her ass into the wall until the plaster began breaking away, peppering the floor in the dust. She dragged her nails down my shoulder, leaving a trail of blood that had me trembling with pleasure.

Reaching down, I grabbed her thighs, forcing them further apart to rail her harder. It was violent, delicious, earth-shattering sex that had her screaming and hissing. Yet she took me and demanded I give her more.

“I hate you too, Lena. I hate that you’re fucking perfect for me. I hate that I enjoyed watching another man empty his cock into your tight, greedy cunt that belongs to me, and only me! I hate that you’re the most beautiful creature I’ve ever met or been with. I hate that you’re so fucking gorgeous that I can’t take my eyes off of you. I hate that I enjoy knowing everyone wants to fuck you, but that you’re mine!”

I ripped my dick out of her, throwing her on the floor to see her spreading for me, her ass lifting, understanding what I wanted from her without needing to be told.

“I will do whatever is necessary to keep you. I will destroy anything that stands in my way or threatens your safety. Now get the fuck on the bed, and give me that ass, woman.”

She laughed, turning over to glare up at me with desire and anger burning in her pretty, glowing blue-green eyes. Her wings spread out behind her, and she rose to her feet, slowly backing up.

The idea of forcing her to allow me to do as I wished through compulsion turned me on, knowing she fucking liked the sadistic nature of me. I enjoyed not having to hide my sinister disposition from her or that I could return from murdering someone still covered in their warm blood, and she’d fuck me before I showered.

I stepped closer to her as she climbed onto the bed, turning her pretty ass toward me as an offering. I caught her smirk before she hid it from me. She’d regret presenting me with her ass with how pissed off I was that she’d changed my reclaiming into angry, violent sex.

Lena was total chaos. She was warm whiskey after a winter storm. Lena made anywhere I was; feel like home as long as she was there, too. It was a new feeling for me. I’d never felt it with anyone else before her. Her beauty had drawn me in, but that was only part of the reason I wanted this woman. I needed to feel this sensation that she created. I needed my home, and that was Lena.

“You ready to scream for me, witch?” I asked in a guttural voice.

“If you think you’re man enough to make me, prick.”

“I’m not a man, Lena. I’m your fucking monster. You wouldn’t be happy with some limp-dick human because he wouldn’t dare throw you down, and fuck you like your pussy was the battle he waged. You aren’t that sort of woman. You’re bred differently. You need pain and pleasure to get off, and a monster that isn’t afraid to play with yours. If you try to leave me again, I’ll take you to my palace and let you watch me destroy this world you love so much. There won’t be anything to come back to by the time I’m finished here. Now, be my good girl and do as you were told, so I don’t have to punish you. Well, not any more than I already intend to do, anyway.”

“You wouldn’t dare, Lucian.” Her eyes flared with anger, but there was fear in them, too.

“Wouldn’t I?”

“Lucian,” she whispered, but I heard the excitement in her tone.

“Shut up and come for me. When you’ve had enough orgasms, you can clean up your mess so that I can wreck your pretty, tight ass, too.” I’d wanted her ass, but I craved her pussy more. I craved it with a hunger that could never be satisfied, and I didn’t think she’d ever tire of me fucking her, either. My girl was a monster, one addicted to me as much as I was to her.

Chapter Twenty

Some men needed a high-five in the face with a frying pan. Lucian was one of those men. ~Lena

Magdalena

Days went by, and Lucian still hadn’t released me from the bedroom. I’d spent this time stewing, watching him return from overseeing the club, only to be fucked senseless. Luckily, it usually ended with both of us exhausted, which left little time for fighting.

I wasn’t stupid. I knew what he was doing to me. Lucian was trying to keep me sated and tired while he was within the room, drained to nothing more than a boneless heap of blissfulness when he left it.

Today the melancholy was reaching a toxic level, and everything around me was muted. I’d been stuck inside my head since the moment Lucian had left the room. My mind raced, knowing what he’d done. Had he murdered my family himself? No. But he hadn’t prevented it from occurring, and he’d known it would happen. He’d chosen to do nothing, nor would he explain why he’d stood by and allowed demons to slaughter my coven and family.

I’d sacrificed my life for my family, too. I’d known that they would wind up caught between Katarina, Lucifer, and Lucian’s quarrel if I didn’t end the game. It was basic math, and even though I hated and had failed math, I’d done the simple addition in my head. If the situation hadn’t been addressed and completed, there would have been collateral damage that neither side would have minded. They didn’t care who was harmed in their fight or who suffered because of them. I did, which had ended badly for me.

I’d protected Lucian, but I’d also safeguarded my bloodline, which was everything to witches. We were taught that our lineage should be protected at all costs, even if it meant ending our own life to save others. It was why the witches clung to the Awakening in the first place. Life should have been simple. I ought to have taken Lucian’s advice, ran away, made pretty babies, and lived a mundane life as a human. I hadn’t, and now I was trapped in his bedroom, held prisoner with the Devil chasing me.

Instead, I’d slept with Lucifer, unknowingly, of course, but it still happened. I was in love with a man that wasn’t even human and what I’d thought impossible to be real. I still hadn’t been able to wrap my mind around that shit.

I’d created life and fallen in love with the idea of being a mother, knowing that it wouldn’t ever happen for me. I’d made one choice as Harbinger’s mom. And that had been to prevent him from suffering or becoming something that his father would have had to put down. I’d discovered my brother was alive, and he’d chosen to remain away from Lucian. Unlike the others of my kind, I couldn’t do that.

I was being held captive by the man I loved, the same prick repeatedly making choices for me. Lucian didn’t ask me or even consider that I may want something else. He continued to do what he thought was best, and those decisions were huge and held life and death matters. He’d protected the coven for me, knowing all along what he was going to do. So why do it at all?

It didn’t make sense, which made my brain itch and my heart ache.

Then there was Lucifer.

The bastard, who had brutally used my sister, impregnated her with a Nephilim and then stole her while Kendra lay bleeding out. Now, he seemed the perfect father. He actually seemed to care about Makenna, and he’d kept the name Kendra had chosen for her. Lucian assumed it was all an act, but I didn’t think it was.

Nothing made sense anymore.

Fucking monsters!

Tears filled my eyes, slowly running down my cheeks as a soft sob of frustration and confusion flittered through me. I wanted to scream and beg Lucian to explain his actions and why he’d done what he had to me. I needed to understand his choices because I was helplessly in love with him, and I wasn’t certain we’d make it through this if he’d just stepped aside, choosing to allow my family to be murdered.

I felt the weightlessness before my head spun. My eyes blinked, and a shudder rushed down my spine as I peered around at white marble walls that sparkled like diamonds. Huge pillars sat inside the room, with silver mineral veins running through them. Radiohead’s Creep played through speakers low but soothingly. I shivered again, dragging my gaze to the shadows where Lucifer stood.

He watched me through dark, indigo-colored eyes. He was shirtless, with messy hair that looked as if he’d spent hours pushing his fingers through it. He exhaled but didn’t make a move to clear the distance to where I had appeared on the altar. His stare was pensive, as if he regretted something. Luc scanned down my body, his eyes heating at the small, thin gown I wore, which left a lot more flesh exposed than should be in his presence. His gaze rolled back up to my face, a frown tugging on his full, sensual mouth.

If lust had an image, then Luc’s father had dipped him into the jar, sprinkled him in sin, and unleashed him out on womankind everywhere. Everything about him was created perfectly, right down to the stubborn set of his strong jawline and washboard abs that slid to a seductive, pronounced V-line, vanishing into his pants.

“You’re so gorgeous, Magdalena,” he whispered huskily, pushing off of the wall to walk toward the altar.

“I wasn’t dreaming this time, Luc,” I replied, uncertain how he’d pulled me to him without my consciousness being lowered. I usually had to be drifting into stasis or deep within it for him to yank me to him.

“No, you weren’t. You were crying, and I couldn’t stand the salt of your tears. I shouldn’t have told you what Lucian did. I find it difficult to taste your pain lately. Normally, I enjoy it and creating tension between you and him, but not this time.”

“You’re the Devil,” I pointed out, as he stopped in front of me, smirking.

“So I am,” he agreed. “That doesn’t mean that I don’t have emotions or a heart, Lena.”

“Is that what this is about? You’re upset because I called you out for not having a heart?” I asked, searching his face. He looked—ashamed, and my heart thudded against my ribs. I slid my eyes back to his, holding the indigo orbs that peered through me as if he sensed more than I showed him.

“Admittedly, I wanted to hurt you because you drew blood first. If you’d been anyone else, you’d be nailed to my wall, being torn apart for my entire court of villains to see as a warning.”

“Why not just keep Kendra alive, Luc? She was literally another version of me,” I grunted, watching him.

“You’re wrong. I didn’t start out hurting your sister. I tried to court her, but she only saw what everyone else sees when they look at me.”

“And what is that?”

“A monster,” he whispered, allowing his skeletal wings to unfurl from his back. His eyes slowly began to glow, turning the color of silver obsidian. Thick black tattoos that started at his fingertips slipped in whirls along his wrist, crawling up his shoulders and down his shirtless sides. Power hummed around us, and I fought to hide the rush of pleasure I felt at looking at his perfectly dark, sinful form.

Lifting my hands, I touched the pulsing glyphs that held tiny barbs on them. I didn’t pull away or make a sound as one pricked my finger, drawing blood. He hissed at my touch, studying the way I slowly examined him with my fingertips. His skin was hot. But then everything about the Devil and his palace was hotter than any other locale I’d visited.

“You’re nothing like Kendra was, Lena. You don’t see a monster when you look at me. What I can give you or promise you isn’t the first thing that slips from your tongue. You don’t want anything from me, and you’re not afraid of me. There’s a realness to you that your sister didn’t have. You’re pure and unafraid of me and what I truly am. You don’t care that I am the Devil and could give you anything you ever wanted with the snap of my fingers.”

“What did Kendra ask of you?” I pried, lifting my eyes to meet his piercing stare.

“She wished for power and magic. I asked if she would willingly pay the price for such a request. My offer was to end the life of Kendra Fitzgerald. She told me she was Kendra, which is how I found you, Lena. I then asked her for your life, and she refused me. She denied the Devil for you.”

“And you raped her for it?”

“I didn’t rape Kendra. Inside the abbey, that was an illusion for Lucian. I wanted him to think I had because it was part of the plan to make him lose his mind. I thought he loved you or her, rather. I believed I had misread his feelings, but I wasn’t wrong after all. I just had the wrong twin, and he knew it. Kendra, though, I asked her to be with me and formally courted her. She was easy to charm, and I enjoyed her in my bed. In fact, we spent an entire week there creating our daughter, Makenna. The thing was, Kendra tried to abort our child, and for that, I gave her to my men. She told me I’d planted a monster inside of her, and maybe I had. But she’s such a beautiful little monster, Lena. I was grateful that Kendra grew to love our daughter before she died. I suspected her feelings, but they were confirmed when she asked you to protect and watch over Makenna.”

“What is it you think you’re going to get from me?” I countered, unwilling to discuss Kendra anymore with the man that had allowed her to die.

“Who says I want anything?”

“Your eyes do,” I stated, cupping his cheeks while searching his gaze. His hands lifted, covering mine, while he closed his eyes briefly. “What do you want, Luc?”

“Can’t I just be a man, and you a woman?”

“No, it could never be so simple, Luc. You’re the Devil, and I am something—else.”

He exhaled, leaning closer as a smile played on his lips. “Do you know why my father kicked me out of Heaven? The real reason? Not the version I made up or created to make him into a sinner.”

I licked my lips, shivering at the heat his body sent pulsing against my form through the skimpy gown. His eyes lowered to the action, slowly lifting back to mine while he pressed against me, kissing my cheek.

“I don’t know the truth, Luc. I know you tried to say he’d slept with the Devil, but you’re the Devil.”

“No, he was too pure and saintly for that. It was a terrific rumor to make people think he wasn’t as good as he pretended to be.” His eyes grew distant, as if remembering the past. He shook his head, leaning back to peer at me through a guarded expression.

“Was he Adam?”

“No,” he laughed, a sparkle of mischief dancing in his gaze. “Adam and Eve wouldn’t have ever created life had he been Adam. My father wouldn’t dare soil her garden or taint his persona in the eyes of those for which he cared. No, but I was in the garden.”

“You were the serpent,” I stated, but he shook his head.

“No, I wasn’t the serpent. My mother, Lilith, was the serpent inside the garden. I was blamed for it, but I was only watching Adam and Eve. I wanted to know what was so special about humans. My father preferred them over us, and I needed to understand why. So I’d snuck into the garden, which was off-limits to our kind. It was forbidden to speak to or interact with them, but I needed to see for myself what he saw in his humans that would make them superior to us.”

“Emotions?” I guessed, watching his lips jerk up in the corners before his tongue slipped over the bottom lip, pinching it between his teeth as he laughed.

“It was more than just emotions. That was part of it, though. Humans were strange creatures to us. Even the gods were curious about them and why my father had taken such an interest in them. Nyx was among those who noticed, hence me adding her into the mythos about Adam and Eve. My mother, Lilith, also wanted to know what my father found so perfect about his humans. It turns out that he liked them for all the reasons he punished us. They could not ignore sin and had flaws.” He ran his thumb over his bottom lip, tilting his head while watching me.

“I snuck into that garden, wanting to understand what drew my father to them. Instead, I studied them from the shadows as Lilith whispered temptation into their ears. Adam tasted Eve’s lips, and I wanted to be him. I watched Adam lay her down in that orchard and push his cock into her body. I wanted to feel her around me. He loved Eve, and I wished for her to love me, too. These were my father’s favorite creatures, and yet they were breaking all his rules. I thought my father had tested them, and they failed that test.”

“You watched Adam and Eve?” I asked, scrunching up my nose as he smiled wickedly. It was amazing to hear about them and to know that he’d been inside the Garden of Eden. It may have seemed perverted to others, but who else could say they were getting the actual story from the Devil himself?

“Adam and Eve were the first creatures to fuck in that way. Or, they were the first ones in our world. Angels didn’t get that right or feel anything because it was forbidden. Of course, I watched Adam grunting over Eve’s sweat-covered body. I smelled her arousal, and saw it on her naked pussy too, and whispered it into the wind that he should taste her there. He did, and he made it sound as if she was the rarest delicacy when his tongue ran through her pink petals. I wanted to become him and taste her cunt for myself, but I was still holding on to the fact that she was the forbidden fruit, and the apple wasn’t.”

“That’s disturbing,” I snorted, and his tongue jutted out, tracing over his lips while he held my stare captive. He moaned, smirking darkly as his gaze grew hooded.

“I bet you still taste like heaven. The flavor of your pussy is still on my lips, Lena. You came so hard for me, dripping down my chin while you fucked my mouth. You made the most erotic sounds for me.”

“Did I? I don’t recall,” I snorted, glaring at him while he chuckled.

“I’ll never forget how you tasted or the noises you made.”

“Focus on your story, or send me back, Lucifer.”

His eyes lowered to my gown, and his nostrils flared before he laughed soundlessly. “I was curious, but then who wouldn’t be? It was the first time a man had lain between a woman’s thighs, and she was fucking hot. Eve was perfect, created in the image of how my father thought women should look. So I remained in the shadows, observing as Adam pumped his cock into Eve’s tight opening. I saw the look of such utter pleasure in his eyes, and I wanted to feel that desire, too, and what it felt like to be within a woman. To feel something so fucking pleasurable that it sparkled from Adam’s eyes and made him scream maddeningly as he continued pummeling her delicate flesh,” he paused, lowering his stare to my body with need boiling in his gaze.

“But that wasn’t all I wished for, sweet girl. They were in love. It shone from them like a light that couldn’t be snuffed out. Eve watched Adam as if he was an extension of her being. It was as if they were so deeply embedded into one another that one would perish without the other. I craved to know how it felt to have someone so in love with you that no matter what happened, they would rather die than be without you.”

Frowning, I searched his darkening gaze before exhaling. “And you told your father how you felt, and he sent you to hell because of it,” I guessed absently.

“Of course, I told him. He was my father, so I shared everything with him. He had never exposed how cold and merciless he could be until I confessed that I wanted to feel love from a woman. I was once his favorite son. I thought maybe, just maybe, if I were like Adam and Eve, he’d love me as he once had. I informed him of what I’d witnessed and that his children could have that, too. I told him that his humans and angels could live together and create a perfectly balanced race. I told him I wanted to know what a woman felt like in that manner. How Adam had looked between her thighs and the pleasure he had taken from her body.” Luc laughed sinisterly and planted his hands on the altar, watching me as his stare turned cold, ruthless, and hard with his words. “He said he had bigger plans for the angels and that coupling with humans would interfere with his master plan. He sent me to Hell and that same day and placed a curse on angels and humans that mated. He created—”

“Nephilims,” I finished his words, hating the way my stomach flip-flopped, knowing that it was why Kendra had died. “He made certain that you wouldn’t chance to lie between a woman’s thighs. He cursed the mother to perish for the monstrosity they would create together.” I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “Back then, you were an angel, Lucifer, which meant you were still pure?”

“I was. Had I known what my father would do, I would never have chanced it occurring. I love women, which is no secret. I was thrown into Hell for wanting what the humans have with the promise that he would bring me home once I’d learned my place, and I’d atoned for wanting what wasn’t mine to have. My father acted like my wanting to feel love was so fucking wrong, but the humans with all their sins weren’t punished like I was. Not even close. He allowed them to live and populate the earth.”

“That couldn’t have been easy for or on you.” I pushed the hair away from my face, noticing the coldness that washed over Luc’s features. The muscles of his neck tightened, and he snorted loudly.

“Do you know what happens to an angel when he enters Hell? Their wings rot to bones, becoming useless. Then, they burn for centuries, charring the bones until the angel transforms and grows into the wing of the monster they become. Wings are the most sensitive place on an angel’s body and have more nerve endings than a woman’s clitoris. After that, Hell claims the angel, using barbs to hold them down, making them into monsters that are never sated or satisfied. There’s nothing but an endless hunger and the need to quench it. Pain that never ends still rips you apart, no matter how long you’ve been there. It is the most horrid way for an angel to go on living, and my father never even tried to get me out. He forgot about me, and eventually, I started hating him.”

“He sounds like a difficult father, Luc,” I uttered hoarsely as pain danced in his deep blue gaze.

“He is not my father any longer, sweet Lena. I’m what this place has made of me. I am the Prince of Hell. I became the monster he accused me of being, and all because I simply wanted to know what Adam had felt with Eve; love, unconditional love for someone else besides myself or my father. I am the monster that Hell needed,” he stated, wincing before he stepped back.

“That’s horrible,” I whispered, unable to imagine the horror he’d felt at being abandoned and left to suffer endlessly. “Nyx said God slept with the serpent and created your race…” I admitted hesitantly, remembering an entirely different conversation with the goddess. “Wait, you watched your mother telling people to fuck, and didn’t think to look away?”

“Nyx wasn’t inside the garden. I started that rumor to get back at my father. Rumors have a way of becoming a version of the truth to the uneducated ear, and it was one of my better lies that got around. You should hear all the shit I created about myself, Lena. You’d be scarred over the stories and would feel sorry for me. What happened to me was horrible, but I adapted. Now I am simply the monster ruling Hell. I am not his favorite son or his beautiful avenging angel that reaped the souls of those bound for Heaven. Gone is the boy who would have wrecked the world to please his father.”

Lucifer smiled as his appearance shimmered, his wings turning white, growing fuller as his skin became iridescent with a pearlescent sheen. Violet eyes watched me, searching my face while his black glyphs turned silver, sparkling in the sunlight, which I was guessing was an illusion.

“Yeah, sorry, Luc.” I smirked at his beautiful image that shimmered in front of me. “I prefer your darker persona much more to this one. This version is a little too sparkly for me. I feel like maybe you should wear a dress, and that harps should strum as a choir sings about your beauty. Give me bad boy Lucifer any day over this pretty boy.”

His lips jerked up into a genuine smile that knocked the air from my lungs as he returned to normal, sucking his plump lip between his perfectly white teeth. His dark head shook, and he slowly turned toward the sound of a babe crying. My heart slid into my throat as my eyes swung in the noise’s direction.

“Makenna,” I whispered breathlessly.

Luc spun, staring at me while I looked toward the muffled cries of the baby. Hesitantly, he walked to me, holding out his hand. “Do you want to meet her? She’s beautiful and looks just like you.”

“I can’t see her and not touch her. Its torture,” I admitted, swallowing thickly as tears burned in my throat.

Lucifer studied me through narrowing eyes. Slowly, he stepped closer to place his lips against my cheek, kissing the tears I hadn’t realized had escaped my eyes. His tongue darted out, tasting them before he moved back, studying me.

“Then hold her, Lena. But know this; I will kill you if you try to take Makenna from me. She is my daughter. I have grown rather attached to her, and she is mine to love selflessly. Come, she’s scared to be alone for too long. Much like your tears, hers hurt me to hear.”

I blinked, slowly jumping down from the altar to smooth out the skirt of my nightgown. I slid my hand into Luc’s as we started walking through the large marble room. He smiled wickedly, his fingers laced through mine, raising my hand to brush a soft kiss over the knuckles.

It took a few minutes to reach a bright pink room that he tugged me inside. My heart stopped and restarted until it was the only thing I could hear as my feet rooted in place, tears swimming in my eyes while I fought the emotion warring through me.

I peered at the tiny form, kicking and waving her arms inside the ivory crib while making sweet cooing noises. Luc went to Makenna, releasing my hand to pluck her gently from bed, mimicking her sounds to soothe her, causing a smile to play on her mouth.

Lucifer smiled back at Makenna, the perfect picture of a father doting on his tiny daughter. Tears slipped free from my hold, slowly trailing down my face. I marveled at Kendra’s daughter, smiling at the Devil with no fear. Her chubby cheeks held dimples, which she had to have inherited from him. Her hand moved to his mouth, and he kissed it absently while she laughed at his antics.

Stepping back, I took in the sight of him holding her, curling her into his arms while she continued smiling up at him like he was her world. Lucifer’s lips brushed Makenna’s forehead, and I frowned at the image of them together. It wasn’t what I’d expected, and it didn’t appear to be faked, either. He smiled at her, turning to look at me with a wicked smirk on his full mouth.

“You look scared, Lena.”

“I’ve never held a baby before,” I admitted, barely above a breath, as he laughed at me. “She’s so beautiful.” He nodded, continuing to hold my gaze while he stroked Makenna’s back softly.

“She takes after her mother, who was very beautiful indeed. I’d like to believe she has some of the Devil inside of her too,” he stated with a softening smile playing on his full lips. “She looks like you, too. Makenna has your eyes, hair, and smile. The way she loves blindly, uncaring that I’m a monster—” he said thickly as if his throat was swelling with emotion. “I think she gets that from you, Magdalena.”

He moved closer, handing Makenna to me before I’d realized his intentions. She fussed, peering up at me while I stared at her in wonder. Tears continued rolling down my cheeks as my heart clenched painfully. She was tiny, weighing next to nothing in my arms. Her hand lifted, brushing over my shoulder while I took in her features.

“Hello, Makenna. Your momma would have loved you so much. You’re perfect, aren’t you, sweetling? You are loved and missed by—me.” I swallowed down the realization that no one else lived to miss her or see how truly beautiful she’d turned out. Her hair was our rich, caramel color, framing wide, curious turquoise eyes that reminded me of the sea after a storm had passed.

Time went by, but I couldn’t look away from her. I felt at a loss for words and what I could offer her. Lucifer loved her. He would fight to protect her, even from me. Makenna peered back at me, her inquisitive stare holding mine while I ran my fingers through her wispy curls.

“You love her unconditionally, don’t you?” I asked, lifting my gaze to lock with his.

“Absolutely, without question,” he stated, smiling at her while she cooed. “She likes you, Lena. She lets no one else hold her, not without screaming her displeasure to the heavens. I had thought about changing her name, but it is something her mother gave her. I think she will like that about it, don’t you?”

“I do,” I admitted, wondering if I was going insane or if the Devil actually loved his child. “Is she your first?” I asked, curiously.

“That I know of, yes. More often than not, I don’t stick around to find out if I’ve fathered a child. If they’re mine, their mother doesn’t survive long enough to ask for help with them, either. To be honest, I wasn’t certain I’d be able to create life after my father had finished with me. I knew the cost Kendra would pay for it, but I didn’t know you at the time, Lena. I’m not sorry for creating Makenna; I can’t be. She’s too perfect to regret.”

“She is perfect,” I admitted, watching her with a tightening in my chest that physically ached.

I lowered my lips to her forehead, feeling the heat coming from her. Makenna was a Nephilim, and they were dangerous creatures. Could I protect her? I couldn’t even escape the apartment where Lucian held me locked away, not that I’d really tried yet. Luc was a protective father. He was attached to Makenna, which was visible by the way he watched over her and cared for her.

I held her out for Lucifer to take her back, noticing how his eyes lifted to hold mine. I smiled tightly, noting his narrowing gaze as if he thought I was rejecting her. Something changed in his posture, and I shook my head, knowing he was assuming wrong.

“I miss my child, too, Luc,” I whispered brokenly, and he nodded his head in realization as he retrieved Makenna from me.

“For what it’s worth, Lena, I am sorry. Grief and rage had fueled my actions. Katarina had a plan that seemed like a good idea to make Lucian pay for what he’d done to us. I hope you understand that I regret my part in it now that I know you. Makenna wasn’t a part of this fight, so when Lucian comes for me, remember her. Eventually, this will spiral out of control, and she’s innocent.” He leaned closer to me, brushing his lips against my forehead as the room started spinning around me.

I appeared back inside the bedroom, lifting my gaze to the darkened corner. I found Lucian sitting in the shadows, studying me as a deep growl escaped him. Leaning forward into the light, he steepled his hands in front of his mouth. His posture was rigid and deadly, and his eyes burned with anger.

“Did he hurt you?” he asked softly.

“No, but he allowed me to hold Makenna. He loves her, Lucian.”

“Lucifer doesn’t care about anything or anyone except himself.” He stood to remove his suit jacket, slowly folding it to set it aside. “Be careful with him, Lena. He may have been an angel, but he’s long since abandoned any decency he once held. I’m going to shower, and you will join me. I intend to rest without smelling him on your skin, let alone knowing you allowed him to taste your tears. Come, I enjoy my showers with you more than I do alone.”

Chapter Twenty-One

To be hurt by those who love us is a lesson. We should learn from it and seek more. Those who love us teach us the hardest lessons. But to never learn from them would be a tragedy. ~Lena

Soft music played inside the bedroom, drifting into the steam-filled bathroom. Lucian washed deliciously smelling soap over my body, ridding it of Lucifer’s scent. I wasn’t stupid or fooled into dropping my guard. I could feel the anger radiating off Lucian in soft waves, slithering over my flesh in a warning. He was pissed off that I’d been with Lucifer, but it wasn’t like I’d gone to him willingly.

I grabbed the rose-scented shampoo, lathering it into my hair while he stewed behind me. He hadn’t spoken, but I didn’t need words to know what he thought. I had no reason to ask him what his problem was, just like he didn’t need me to tell him that I hadn’t asked his permission because it wasn’t warranted.

“Finish up and rinse Lucifer’s touch from your body,” he growled, stepping out of the shower into the steam rolling out of the stall. “You’re being presented to the club tonight as my Queen, Lena. I won’t have my guests catching that asshole’s scent on my woman. Do you understand me?” His angry, sexily rasped voice caused my thighs to clench with need.

“I understand, Lucian,” I replied, rinsing the soap from my hair before adding conditioner. Turning, I peered at where he stood outside the shower.

Steam billowed around him, drifting off of his body to add to the steam already filling the room. It was so thick that I could barely make out his pretty midnight gaze. His head tilted forward and followed the suds slowly dripping over my breasts. Or maybe he was looking lower? I couldn’t be certain with the room holding more steam than a sauna.

I washed every inch of my skin, scrubbing it until it was raw to eradicate Lucifer’s cinnamon and brimstone scent. I pushed my fingers against my clit, and I groaned with need from a single brush against the swollen nub.

How many days had it been without reaching climax? I’d lost count after he’d fucked me so hard and made me shatter to oblivion with the orgasms when he’d reclaimed me.

Once again, he had ordered me not to come in that foreign tongue, which meant I spent days fucking him, never climaxing until permitted to find release. Not that it wasn’t hot, or that those orgasms, when given, weren’t some of the strongest ones of my entire life. In fact, I was beginning to crave them more than the ones that came in between when he’d released me from the compulsion to come freely.

I was a masochist at heart, and we both knew it. I loved when he took control and owned my desire. He played my body like a musician, learning a song for the first time. Every chord he played, every hymn he hummed, and every music note ended in pleasure, and I would sing right along with him.

Wringing out my hair, I stepped from the shower and paused. Lucian was no longer inside the bathroom, and I could still hear the music playing from the other room. I reached for the towel, but my hand came up empty, my fingertips brushing over the cold metal hook where it should have been waiting for me. Fanning the steam away from my face, I turned to switch on the fan, but fingers curled around my throat, and I was forced back against the wall.

Lucian’s mouth crushed against mine, causing a gasp of surprise to escape me. His tongue brushed mine, demanding I kiss him back. Lucian’s long fingers lifted, four splayed against one side of my jaw, while his thumb applied just enough pressure to make pain burn from where he forced my mouth to open wider.

His other hand lowered, and before I could even think over what was happening, his foot made my legs spread wider, causing me to moan as he thrust his fingers deep into my aching pussy. He wasn’t gentle, nor did I want him to be. His kiss was angry, and his fingers mirrored it, punishing me.

My tongue slid against his, and our teeth clashed as he dominated me. His thumb worked small, short circles over my clit, mirroring his tongue’s movements inside my mouth. I could feel my arousal drenching his hand as I gasped and then cried out when he stepped back, leaving me empty and grieving for his touch. I panted, fighting to catch my breath, when he grabbed my hair, jerking my body around by it without warning.

I lifted my hands to stop the pressure he was causing on my scalp, but Lucian growled, slamming my upper half face down on the marble sink. Placing my palms against the cold surface, I tried to turn around, but his hand landed on my naked ass cheek hard, punishingly. I whimpered, crying out as it struck once more, and then again. Fingers rubbed against the sore flesh, but only momentarily before he did the same to the other side.

“You disobeyed me again, Lena.”

“It wasn’t my choice to do so,” I groaned, rocking my backside for more.

His deep laughter filled the room before his hand landed again, the sound echoing as he spanked me. I whimpered from the pain, shivering at the burn of the handprint he’d surely left on my cheek. His fingers slowly trailed up my spine, dancing their way to my hair. Sliding them through the wet strands, he twisted them, yanking my head back. I moaned loudly, sensing the other hand cutting through the air before it slapped my other cheek painfully.

“I don’t believe that any more than you do.” He lowered his mouth and brushed it against my shoulder, trailing a scorching path to my throat. Lucian kissed the side of my neck, creating pleasure, even though his hand continued punishing my ass. “Lucifer can only take you if you’re open to him. That means you’re allowing the Devil to bring you into his realm. You are mine, not his. Only mine, Magdalena,” he growled, nipping the skin on my throat in warning.

His fingers slid through the slickness between my thighs, and two entered me hard and fast. I whimpered, rocking against him while he spread them inside my aching pussy. Lucian was mad, which meant everything he did was to create pain and then pleasure. He didn’t allow me to come, but I knew it would be earth shattering and brutally euphoric when he did.

“This is mine, isn’t it?” he asked through a voice heavy with gravel.

“Yes,” I replied without hesitation.

He released my hair, lifting my hips, forcing me to balance on the counter. His cock pushed against my pussy, brushing along my entrance while I waited for him to fuck me hard and fast. The tip of his dick shoved into my body, and when I started to move back, so did he.

“I didn’t tell you to fuck me, did I?” he snapped, causing my eyes to widen at the tone of his voice. “If I wanted you to slide down my cock, I’d have fucking told you to do so, witch. Now, be a good girl, and put your face down flat on the counter, and leave this needy pussy where it is.”

“Lucian,” I growled, fed up with the attitude and how he was using my body lately. “I need you to fuck me.”

“I know what you need and what you want. You should have thought about that before I returned to find you whispering that bastard’s name from your pretty pink lips. I scented your readiness for him, Lena. That means he smelled your pussy dripping for him, too. Do you want him?”

“No,” I replied honestly. “He’s beautiful and deadly. I’m not blind, Lucian. Nor am I immune to the angel of sin, which he is. That doesn’t mean I want to fuck him, asshole. It means I’m a red-blooded woman with a working libido. The thing is, I choose you. I’ve always chosen you over anyone else. I have no intention of fucking the Devil.”

“He doesn’t know that, though, does he? You are allowing him to think he stands a chance with you. It won’t end like you think it will, woman. He won’t care if you’re willing or not when he comes for you. Lucifer will try to take you, and it isn’t a question of if he will make a play for you; it’s when,” he growled, slamming into my body, causing it to burn painfully from being stretched too far, too fast.

He withdrew just as quickly as he’d entered me. Lucian grabbed my waist, lowering me to the floor before he spun me around, glaring at me. His hand threaded through my hair, jerking my head back before he sucked against the thundering pulse at the hollow curve of my throat. His nose brushed against my collarbone, and then he moved away from my body.

“Do not fucking move,” he warned thickly, his tone raspy and filled with gravel while his dark stare held mine trapped within his endless galaxies of stars.

Lucian left the bathroom, only to return carrying a dress and other items in his hands. He exited once more, returning with his suit still on a hanger. Once he’d placed it on the hook, he extended his hand, offering me nylons.

“Put them on, slowly,” he ordered, stepping back, uttering foreign words that made the room light up with runes that danced on the walls all around us.

I bristled beneath his stare but accepted the thigh-high stockings, gradually rolling them up my legs. His heated glare burned my flesh, and his silence only added to the uneasiness inside the bathroom. He handed me a lacy bra next, but the moment I began to put it on, he gripped my wrists in his hands, jerking them up as he claimed one erect nipple between his teeth, rolling the puckered flesh with his tongue.

A shudder of need rushed through me, and my head rolled back on my shoulders. His husky laughter caused goosebumps to slide over my skin. His teeth sank into the delicate flesh of my nipple, and I mewled with need at the intense combination of pleasure and pain he created. His tongue continually ran in a circular pattern around my nipple, sending slivers of pleasure shooting toward my pussy.

Once again, he stepped back without warning, leaving me to wobble on my feet. Carefully straightening my spine, I realized he was toying with me, and I clasped the front of the bra together between my aching breasts. Lucian’s smile jerked further up on one side of his face, then the other, as he lowered his sultry bedroom gaze to my clenching sex, soaked with need.

“If you are trying to drive me insane, you are doing an amazing job of it, asshole,” I grumbled, uncaring that I sounded like a pouting child who was being denied their favorite sweet.

“I’m claiming you this evening in front of the entire club, Magdalena. After tonight, no one will wonder where you belong within my world. Lucifer is being allowed inside, as well as others who’ve taken an interest in you recently.”

“And where is it I belong, Lucian?” I asked, hating the tremble that entered my voice. His eyes slid over my face, studying the way my lips quivered in question.

“Not on Lucifer’s dick or anyone else’s,” he snapped harshly.

“That much is a given. You don’t need to claim me in front of the entire club to drive that point home. Everyone knows who I belong to.” My hands landed on the edge of the counter while I awaited his argument or explanation.

Lucian didn’t care about other people or what they thought. He’d proven it over and over again, time after time. He was a law unto himself, with his men the driving force behind the blade he wielded. So why was he catering to the masses unless he felt insecure or believed I was plotting against him?

“Rumors have made the rounds about me sharing you with Spyder. There have been offers to fuck you coming in left and right, Lena,” he stated sharply, moving forward to crowd the space surrounding me. His earthy scent slammed into me, and his hands covered mine on the counter, locking me in place as he pushed his weight against my small frame. “They assume I have finished fucking you and that I will pass you around now that I have shared your body with another.”

“Why would they think that?” I questioned, holding his heavily hooded gaze threatening to drown me its turbulent depths.

“I have never allowed a woman back into my bed once I shared her body with other men. You are the only woman I have shared that I still claim as mine, Lena. They assume I’m going to walk you out there tonight and allow them to gang-bang your needy holes for entertainment, announcing that I am done with you for good.”

I swallowed while searching his gaze. My heartbeat stopped and then thundered at a dangerous speed. He leaned closer to my lips, brushing his against mine. He didn’t kiss me, though. Instead, he whispered against my mouth when my eyes closed against the intensity that his nearness caused.

“I’m claiming you as my Queen of Chaos. You are mine now and forevermore. I will murder anyone or anything who thinks to take you from me.” His hand released mine, cupping my cheek and kissing me softly, growling as he swallowed the moan that escaped my lips. “I will be your King, and you will be my Queen, Magdalena Fitzgerald.”

“You are already my King, Lucian. I don’t need you to wear a crown to tell me who you are or that I commit myself to you willingly. If you are a saint, I am the disciple that bows at your altar of worship.” I nipped his bottom lip, trembling at his heat pushing against my half-naked body.

He grabbed my hands once more, spinning me around until I faced the mirror that lined the wall. Then, placing them on the countertop once again, he slid his foot between mine, parting my legs until I was spread far enough for his hand to slide between my thighs, stroking my drenched cunt that made me want to cry out to be used by him.

“I love how wet you get for me, woman. You’re fucking soaked and ready to be fucked, aren’t you?”

“You know you always turn me on, asshole. You need to fuck me, now,” I groaned while lifting my ass, exposing just how wet I was to his greedy stare.

“I know what you need. The thing is, you’ve been naughty and should be taught a lesson. I am done with you waking up covered in Lucifer’s scent. You are on my side, Lena, or you’re not. You should decide where you want to be,” he growled, pushing his fingers into my body slowly.

I moaned as he spread his fingers apart inside my aching need. His mouth skimmed over my shoulder, brushing gently against the exposed skin at the base of my neck. I felt his cock against my sore ass cheek and forced myself further on his fingers. He chuckled huskily and then nipped the flesh between his teeth, causing me to gasp, hurting where he’d bitten me.

“Do you feel what you do to me, Magdalena?” he asked, rubbing his erection against my ass. “You want this?” he continued in a husky tone that dripped sex.

He withdrew his fingers, caressing his silken head against my pussy. I trembled violently with need. Lucian teasingly pushed the thick tip into my clenching channel, but his hand on the base of my spine prevented me from forcing him deeper into me.

Lucian exited my body, sliding his cock through the slick wetness of the arousal that coated my sex. It throbbed with a steady pulse I felt against the silky flesh of my cunt. Lucian muttered huskily as he slapped his cock against my clitoris, causing me to moan unabashedly with how much I craved for him to wreck me.

“I need you, Lucian,” I pleaded, not above begging him for what we both wanted and craved. “Fuck me,” I whimpered thickly, spreading further apart to allow him more access. “I am yours, asshole. Use me.”

“I don’t want to just use you.” Growling angrily, he stepped back, and I remained where he’d left me, hanging onto the counter. “Do not move, Lena.”

He left me standing alone against the counter and deprived of his touch, dressed in nothing more than stockings and a bra that barely covered my nipples.

Cool air drifted over my exposed sex, fanning against the red, sore cheeks that he’d punished. He returned several moments later, and something round, cold, and pulsing was thrust into my pussy.

“If you’re a good girl tonight, I will fuck you. I will even allow you to come on my lips and anywhere else you wish if you manage to behave and do as you’re told.”

“Like a good little bitch?” I snapped while trying to stand, but he pushed his hand between my shoulder blades, shoving me back down on the counter. “Why even bother allowing me out of the room if you only intend to collar me on stage? You could easily just threaten your clientele without all the theatrics.”

“Because I need them to understand what it means for me to claim you. I need you also to realize that you’re mine, only. It seems easy for you to forget that fact and that I won’t share you with the Devil.”

Lucian lowered behind me while still easily holding me down. His tongue slid through the heated flesh of my apex, as pleasure pounded through my core violently.

I squirmed against his lips, causing a tremor to shoot through me as he found my clit, sucking it between his teeth before flicking it with his tongue in short, quick movements that took me straight to the edge of the orgasm he’d forbidden me from reaching.

“Lucian,” I whimpered as I gripped the counter I was pressed against harder.

He made indecent noises while he sucked my clit, cleaning my pussy where he’d made it drip with arousal from a need only he could sate. The denial of allowing me to come was agonizing. Lucian was knowingly edging me, and every few days, he’d let me orgasm for several hours until it became painful to do so.

“Mmm, you’re fucking delicious, Little Monster. I could drink your pussy for hours and never tire of tasting you come for me. You’re my favorite meal and dessert to consume.” His voice was lust dipped in sin that wrapped around me, driving my body to a pile of mush at his feet. “Finish getting dressed. No makeup tonight, Lena. I want to present you in your true form, with nothing to distract from your natural beauty.”

“Makeup enhances beauty,” I muttered, beyond frustrated with him.

I felt like a piece of meat that he and Lucifer were fighting over. Lucian wanted me at his feet, collared and owned. Lucifer wished to punish me and claim me, but there was more he wanted from me. They both craved ownership, but neither man spoke about loving me. I’d escaped death only to be surrounded by corpses.

“So it does, but some women don’t need it. You’re one of those women,” he muttered. “There will be others inside the club tonight that might act on Lucifer’s behalf, Magdalena. I want you to remain with Devlin and Erie tonight when I am dealing with the others. Once I have openly claimed you, you will go to Erie, who will guard you from Lucifer while I am otherwise occupied.”

“Are you ever going to tell me what transpired with my family, or why you allowed them to die without trying to prevent it from happening?” His emotions shut down, and his eyes turned hard while he watched me searching his face. “You can take down monsters, and even the Devil himself, fears you, Lucian. You could have prevented what happened to them, and you chose not to. I need to know why you did nothing to help them. Please.”

“Get dressed and behave tonight,” he stated, turning on his heel to exit the bathroom, leaving me standing deserted and alone.

Lucian hadn’t told me where I fit in his world, other than I was his. He expected me to stop allowing Lucifer to pull me to him. The thing was, I didn’t know how to keep it from happening. I also wasn’t stupid. I knew Luc wanted more from me than just to be his bride. He had ulterior motives, which I understood. He was the Devil, and if Lucian thought I craved him, then he didn’t know me at all.

Lucifer had ruined my life and ended it, literally. He’d impregnated my sister, which resulted in her death. Hell, they both had destroyed the life I had, yet they seemed to choose to forget their part in what had ultimately happened to me and what I’d become.

Lucian wanted to own me and to keep me at his side.

Lucifer wanted to marry me and make me the Queen of Hell.

Lucian meant the world to me, but he continued keeping secrets.

Lucifer said he would give me the world, but he, too, was keeping things from me.

I didn’t know where I belonged anymore. I missed my brother, who hadn’t even tried to contact me since we’d returned to Club Chaos. My grandmother would have had the words to ease my apprehension and anxiety. My mother would have held me, promising that I was strong enough to endure the changes in my life. I had never been more alone in my life than I was right now, and I was surrounded by men all the time.

Staring at my reflection, I frowned. Erie was here, and she was crazy. She’s also a woman, and I felt like I could talk to her. I missed Kendra, telling her everything that was happening and having her listen and throw out encouragement when needed. I’d never noticed how much I craved female companionship until it had been taken from me.

Smiling, I quickly finished dressing and brushed my hair, excited at the idea of Erie being here. She may have been bat shit crazy, but she was a blast to be around. She was also blunt and a breath of fresh air in a world full of stagnant immortals that didn’t understand human emotions.

Stepping into the bedroom, I smiled at finding Spyder leaning against the door, watching me.

“Hello, Kitty,” he murmured, his gaze dropping to the sexy midnight-blue dress Lucian had chosen for me to wear. “Do I need to reinforce how important it is for you to behave tonight? Or do you understand the warning Lucian gave you?”

“I’m aware that the Devil is in the details,” I muttered, smirking at the way his brows shot up his forehead. “I get it. I need to act right and sit at his feet like a good doggie. When he’s finished pissing on my leg, I will find Erie and hand her my leash until His Highness returns for me. Anything I missed there?” I asked, returning his smirk.

“You missed a few pretty important things if you think that this is just him pissing on your sexy thigh, Kitten. You should watch what he does and what he is saying. You’re expecting flowery words, but he isn’t that sort of person. Open your fucking eyes, and use that brain of yours.”

“I don’t expect pretty words, Spyder. I just need to know where I belong and that I’m more than just a woman he craves to own. I need to understand why he approved of my entire bloodline being slaughtered, doing nothing about it. Lucian could have easily stopped that from happening. Tell me I’m wrong. I’ll wait,” I stated, crossing my arms over my chest to glare pointedly at him. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. I deserve to know those answers. He owes me that much, Spyder. I gave up my fucking life for him.” I paused, swallowing the angry tears that threatened to choke off my words.

“Do I think he did it out of malice? No, I don’t. I don’t blame him for their deaths, but I want to know why he allowed it to happen. I was born a witch. To me and my kind, our bloodline is everything. The Awakening was designed to ensure the line continued to breed the next generation while waking the dormant powers within us. For generations, we lived within the shadows, hiding from Lucian. And now they’re all dead, and the game he played has ended, freeing him. Expecting an answer to why all of my line is now deceased isn’t asking too much from him. Is it?”

“No, but you’re being hunted by the Devil, Kitty. That makes it hard to include you in shit that is happening around us. If Lucian tells you why he did it, Lucifer will know that answer, too. As I said, this isn’t an easy situation, and you’re not dealing with someone who is used to trusting women. He loved Katarina. The same day he uttered those words, she betrayed him and opened the box containing the seal. She even went so far as to curse him, weakening him so that her coven could attack and murder him. She was the only woman he’s ever told that he loved, and to her, it meant nothing. You’re anticipating that he should say those words to you, Magdalena. Stop expecting to hear them and start watching his actions. Now come on, we’re going to be late for him to claim you openly, which is something he’s never done for any woman.”

We stepped into the hallway, where the other men waited for us. Devlin smiled, his eyes sparkling with amusement. Bane snorted, dragging his heavy stare down the length of my body to the strappy heels Lucian had chosen for me to wear.

I wasn’t an idiot. Lucian had personally selected every piece of clothing and jewelry I wore tonight with purpose. The dark midnight dress was sexy and delicate. It stopped mid-thigh, allowing a glimpse of skin between it and my nylons.

The necklace I wore, an infinity sign with three black diamonds in a platinum setting, wasn’t extravagant, but it was beautiful in its simplicity. The dress curved around the globes of my breasts, permitting just enough cleavage exposed to be sexy, yet not too much that was visible to prying eyes. I’d left my hair free of bands and had foregone my usual braid, letting it flow down my back in gentle caramel-colored waves.

“You look beautiful tonight, Kitty cat,” Spyder whispered from where he walked beside me. “He dressed you to show you off because, unlike most women, you are gorgeous in your own skin. You’re confident, and that in and of itself is beautiful and empowering. Could you do me a favor this evening and behave? I know shit is crazy, and your emotions are up in arms, but a lot is happening this evening inside the club. Lucian needs to focus on the creatures attending, and you’d be doing me a solid if you gave him a break and behaved for just tonight.”

“I was already planning to behave. Not because you’re asking me, but because Lucifer will be here waiting for us to fuck up. I don’t intend to allow that to happen.” We started up the steps as the music began playing on the upper levels. “I can play my part well without instructions. Lucian wants a pet, so I will sheath my claws for one night.”

Lucian appeared on the staircase, peering down at me while sliding his heated gaze over my dress. His midnight eyes paused on the sheen of gloss that covered my pink lips, and my smile lifted, daring him to argue about the light makeup I’d added to enhance my appearance. It wasn’t for him, anyway. It was for me. It was amazing what a little mascara and lip gloss could do to boost a girl’s confidence.

Chapter Twenty-Two

The brightest eyes hold the saddest thoughts. Lena isn’t grasping what I am doing. I am showing the world she’s mine. It’s something I’ve never done for anyone. I’ve never cared what the world thought of me, but I need them to understand she is my choice. Lena is my world, and it would cease turning without her inside of it. ~Lucian

Lights pulsed in rhythm to the music that thumped loudly in the club filled with bodies gyrating against one another as I stood silently, studying the faces in the crowd. When I found Lucian, my gaze didn’t leave his, not even as he descended the stairs as the clubbers parted for him like the Red Sea parting for Moses.

Lucian’s powerful physique demanded respect. Tonight, he wore his usual attire of a midnight-black Italian suit with a crisp, clean white undershirt beneath it. His hair was immaculate, with every strand perfectly in place.

Pausing in front of me, I rolled my eyes back to his face, and he smiled down at me with a predatory gaze. Lucian didn’t care that his presence screamed viper or that everything about him promised pleasure mixed with pain. He was the definition of a predator. I was Red Riding Hood to his wolf, and he’d already dealt with my grandmother.

“You look beautiful, Lena,” he stated, uncaring that I was still angry at him for his actions and behavior. “Are you ready for tonight?” His tone didn’t indicate he cared if I was or wasn’t prepared. He was, and to him, it was all that mattered.

I dipped my chin, and he smirked before looking over my shoulder to where Spyder stood, waiting for further instructions. Lucian stepped beside me, sliding his hand to the small of my back, displaying the possessive gesture of ownership. His touch sent a shiver of need and desire dancing through me. He ran his fingers over my exposed flesh, causing my nipples to harden from the simple, innocent contact.

“Careful, woman,” he growled, turning to meet my eyes as a sinful smile played on his mouth.

“Or what, Lucian?” I asked, emboldened by the lust dripping from his raspy tone.

He chuckled at the huskiness of my voice, carrying the proof of what his touch did to me buried deep within every word I’d spoken. “Careful, or you’ll end up fucked on the stage once we reach it.” He turned to smile at me, slowly bending closer to brush his lips against mine. “I have it on good authority that you enjoy the attentions of an audience while being fucked. Tell me I’m wrong,” he purred.

His long fingers trailed over my spine as we started forward. Once again, the crowd parted to allow us through, moving toward the wall to watch us. I hated the focus, but I was grateful that we didn’t have to push our way past them, too. The women were openly eye-fucking Lucian, sending anger rippling through me as my back itched to free my wings, to cleave them into two halves.

As if he sensed my anger, Lucian chuckled, moving his lips close to my ear. “Behave, woman. They can admire all they want, but I only want you. Look at them, Lena. Do you see the way they stare at you with envy burning in their gazes? The men are curious as to just how good your pussy is to have claimed me, while the women wish they had one as tight and hungry as yours. Let them desire me and take it as a compliment. I do the same when the men lust after your sexy body. They’re shallow. They do not know how brilliant you are or that your heart is what I crave most from you.”

“I hate that you always say the right thing, Lucian,” I muttered beneath my breath, realizing he’d hear it, anyway. His deep, rich chuckle forced my attention to where he looked at me with a knowing, heated gaze.

“You’re the most beautiful woman here. You’re also the most loyal and unwavering for things in which you believe. If I asked any of those women to change their views to be with me, they’d lie and agree with anything I asked of them. You’re not like that, though. You fight for those who are weaker and have been hurt. You hold on to your beliefs no matter that they don’t align with my own, and you challenge me daily. You’re also the most stubborn, hard-headed, obnoxious woman I have ever encountered, and I enjoy that about you, too.”

Tears pricked my eyes as we paused on the landing leading into the lower level. I could hear the bass from the spelled music below and felt my body growing compliant with every beat. My spine arched, and Lucian’s finger’s lowered to the curve of my back, brushing against the base, where he’d tattooed a single rune that allowed me to sense when someone was watching me from behind. It worked on everyone but him and Spyder.

“I will meet you on stage,” he announced, vanishing into thin air before I could argue with him for forcing me to walk to the stage alone.

Spyder moved to my side, and I rolled my eyes as Avenged Sevenfold’s Hail to the King started thumping throughout the club. I adored the band and had fucked Lucian to this very song more times than I could count. It fit him perfectly.

“You ready for this, Kitty?” Spyder grabbed my hand, pulling it to his lips, placing a soft kiss into my palm. “The room is filled with elite clientele and those known for gossiping and spreading rumors. I won’t allow you to suffer because you freed me. Nor be made out as a whore because you let me fuck you to break the spell.”

“I don’t care what they think of me, Spyder. Wolves do not worry over the thoughts of sheep. We simply eat them and rid ourselves of their mindset. I enjoyed fucking you and being shared between you and Lucian. I don’t regret it, and neither should you. It was an experience I won’t ever forget. I’m glad it was with you and not someone else. If this is to spare my reputation, it’s not necessary.”

“This isn’t for you, Magdalena. Tonight is for our guests so that they don’t end up murdered for trying to get to that naked kitten in your panties. They assume Lucian is finished with you, and the events of tonight will signify that he will never be done with you—ever, Kitty. You’re Lucian’s, and he’s claiming you as the queen of his kingdom. Do you understand that?”

“Yes,” I whispered, even though I wasn’t sure why or what it fully meant.

We started down the stairs slowly because I was certain Spyder was aware of my history with heels. I’d learned to live in the damn things lately, since everything Lucian had bought for me seemed to look sexier with high heels. My appearance enhanced his, and he expected me to compliment his attire when I was at his side.

When we entered the second floor of the club, the music changed. Theory of a Deadman’s rendition of Wicked Games started, and I recalled hearing it play before the world had burned to ashes around me.

I closed my eyes as the memories flashed through my mind, fed by the music playing. I swallowed back the tears that threatened to fall as I opened my eyes, holding Lucian’s stare.

I knew without needing to be told that Lucian also remembered the first time we’d made love here and had chosen this song on purpose. The day I’d spilled my guts and told him I loved him, he’d reacted badly, very badly. It had set off a chain reaction, landing me into the trap Lucifer and Katarina had been making.

Spyder and I walked forward, and my heartbeat began thundering against my ribcage. The entire assembly of patrons went silent, and all eyes were on me as I moved toward the stage. Spyder’s hold on my hand tightened, and I could feel his shadows wrapping around me in comfort.

My eyes remained locked on where Lucian sat on a chair that looked more like a throne than anything else. The high back of the chair was silver, etched in runes glowing an eerie blue. The power inside the room was stifling, and no one had to tell me it was Lucian, unsheathed and unleashed as a warning to those present.

We paused at the stairs briefly, and Spyder dropped his hold on my hand. Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I peered at the pillow that sat on the stage at Lucian’s feet. Anger at what I thought was about to happen erupted from me, causing my eyes to water.

He was going to sit me at his feet, which was just another display of ownership. I climbed the stairs silently and waited mere feet away from him while the guests and party-goers observed. Lucian rose from the throne, leisurely eyeing the crowd before he closed the distance between us. He lifted his hand, cupping my cheek with his palm, searching my face. The song ended, but neither of us moved or spoke.

Lucian remained in front of me, our eyes locking before his gaze dropped briefly to my mouth. His thumb trailed over my bottom lip, and he lifted his eyes, holding mine captive. Everyone in the room went silent, uncertain of what was happening between us.

My anxiety rocketed into worry, mingled with uncertainty. What was he doing? Was he changing his mind? My chest rose and fell with labored breathing.

“You are mine, Magdalena Fitzgerald,” Lucian whispered. This level of the club was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. “From this day on, you are mine and only mine.”

Lucian leaned closer, claiming my lips hungrily. One hand wrapped around my neck while the other left my cheek to slide down the open back of my dress. Lucian didn’t make it a practice to kiss me in front of a crowd. I could probably count the times he had on my fingers and toes, but this kiss felt different from all the others.

This kiss was deeper and caused my toes to curl. I moaned hungrily against Lucian’s mouth, allowing him to control the pace and the kiss. He pulled me tightly against his heat and ended the kiss, peering down at me. If I had a soul, he’d be staring into it, but I’d lost it to protect him and our son.

“You’re the queen of my kingdom, Lena. No other will ever sit with me nor hold the position I am giving you here, tonight. You are forevermore, my woman.”

“I have always been yours, Lucian,” I admitted because it was the truth.

From the moment he’d kissed me outside my ancestral home, he’d placed his name on my ribcage. It went deeper than that, though. This monster had walked into my life like a storm and unleashed something unexplainably right when everything had gone wrong.

Lucian had kept me safe, even when I’d understood he was the bad guy. He had picked up my broken pieces after Todd had attacked me and had known exactly what I’d wanted and needed from him. When the world had turned against me, Lucian protected me, even though he’d thought I’d purposefully slept with him to awaken my magic.

For good or bad, Lucian was my end game. He was the part of my life that I couldn’t live without. No matter what I ended up as or where I sat, whether at his feet or by his side, I was his. It wasn’t only the furies within me that wanted him. I wanted him.

I loved Lucian, and the thing scaring me most right now was not knowing if he needed me as much as I needed him.

Without him, I was lost. I had fallen in love with him, but more than that, I wanted forever with him. Lucian was my soul, and even though I’d lost mine, he kept me grounded.

He was my warmth when I was cold and my security and protection when I did stupid shit.

Lucian’s smile was blinding while he watched me, taking my breath away with the unguarded look burning in his gaze. He slid his eyes over my face, grinning and pulling me in for another kiss as an animalistic sound escaped his throat. His tongue traced my lips, pushing through them to find mine. He subdued me easily, groaning as I melted into the strength of his body.

When the kiss ended, he pulled me with him toward the throne that sat in the middle of the stage. I started to lower myself onto the pillow, but he tugged me back up, slowly shaking his head.

“You do not sit at my feet, Magdalena. You sit with me or beside me, but never beneath me. You are the one I chose to be with me. You’re not my submissive or my pet. You are mine, and that means you’re my equal. You’re the woman I choose to be with forever.”

I swallowed past the lump that formed in my throat with his words. Tears flooded my eyes as he smirked, sitting on the throne, before pulling me down onto his lap. His hand slid to my thigh, exposed from the slit in the material of my dress.

I surveyed the crowd, who continued staring at us silently. The weight of their stares made me fidget, but Lucian’s fingers began working small, circular patterns on my leg, comforting my uneasiness.

Lucifer stood at the back of the room, his violet stare burning a hole where Lucian touched me. His hand slid around my throat, lifting my chin as he placed a gentle kiss against the pulse thundering at the base of my neck.

“He wants what isn’t his to claim. Only you can send him away,” Lucian growled, knowing right where my eyes had landed.

“I am yours, and only yours, Lucian. He knows that because I have told him who I chose and to whom I would always return.” He placed a soft kiss on my throat, and I felt his lips curling into a smile. “I love you now, and until the world crumbles to ashes around us.”

I waited for him to replicate my words or admit how he felt about me. The only answer I got in return was a wicked chuckle that caused my nipples to harden with his heated breath, fanning the exposed skin on my throat and shoulder. He lifted his hand from around my stomach and cupped my breast, running his fingers over the sensitive tip hidden beneath the thin fabric.

“He has tasted your cunt, and desires to drink from you again. Should I spread your succulent body and show him what he can never have?” he asked huskily.

His question sent need pulsing to my core, and there was no hiding the arousal that drenched me. Lucian’s dark laughter confirmed it, yet he made no move to do as he wished—what we both wanted.

“You’re not saying no, Lena,” he mused loudly.

“I’m not saying yes, either,” I returned, moaning as his hand lifted, encircling my throat in a show of possessiveness that made my thighs clench together.

“Look at Lucifer,” he ordered. “He’s imaging being me at this moment. He wishes he was touching your pretty throat to feel your pulse growing faster while your entire body hums with need for him. You want me to fuck you right now, don’t you?” He moved his hand, grasping my chin, his fingers sprawling across the bottom of it.

“I do, but not here. Not in front of Lucifer or your guests,” I whispered huskily, unable to hide the tremble of need in my voice.

He chuckled, kissing my shoulder. I didn’t need to see him to know he was daring Lucifer to make a move for me. His eyes were trained on the Devil, the fucking Devil, and he was challenging him openly.

Lucian lifted my leg, parting my thighs to reveal the lace panties I wore. I was soaked from his endless teasing, and the toy was still seated in my core, lightly buzzing from where he’d left it on, torturing me endlessly.

Lucian’s hand slipped around my throat, and his lips brushed against my ear. He spoke in a foreign language, which made Lucifer’s image shimmer as rage played over his face. Violet eyes turned red, and his boned wings expanded to blot out the sight of Spyder behind him.

I felt something burning on my wrist, as if a branding iron was searing it. Strange words in ancient writing covered my skin in a molten orange glow. I didn’t balk or so much as whimper while I held Lucifer’s enraged gaze.

“It says, Forever in Life and Death,” Lucian uttered softly, slowly kissing the sensitive skin below my ear.

“You branded me?” Like cattle, I didn’t state out loud, knowing every immortal within the club hung on our every whispered word.

“As my Queen, Magdalena,” he corrected, making my stomach tense as my heartstrings frayed. “You are linked to me in a way that not even death can argue. Now everyone in this room has seen the words forming on your flesh and knows you’re mine and only mine. I have never claimed another as I am openly claiming you now.”

Swallowing past the swelling in my throat, I turned his words over in my mind. Tears flooded my eyes, but I blinked them away rapidly. He wasn’t declaring his love. Lucian had declared ownership in front of the guests who watched us. He’d branded my flesh as if claiming a cow that would graze in his fields.

Chapter Twenty-Three

And so the monster claimed his prize, showing the world his devotion. But the pretty prize didn’t grasp that her life was his to take. ~ Lucian

On stage, Lucian and I watched the people who lingered on the lower level. The club was packed tonight, and I didn’t need to be told that more immortals than usual had shown up to see what Lucian would do with me. They’d assumed he would declare me free to claim and himself back on the market. Relief flooded through me that they were left disappointed in that aspect. But I had to stay focused because Lucifer was here. So were Nyx, Hades, and other immortals that had played a role in what I’d become.

Lucian lifted his hand to my throat while lowering the other. I shivered at the heat of his touch as it moved south. He cupped my core, and I moaned, melting into the power of his body. He was showing Luc what he’d never get and what he’d claimed tonight.

“Lucifer is pissed off that you’re so near, yet out of reach,” Lucian whispered in my ear. “Hades is trying to bend my mind to figure out how we bypassed his little parting gift for me.”

“Which gift?” I asked, distracted by Luc standing close enough that I could smell the gentle scent of brimstone and cinnamon that clung to him.

“The one that ensured you could only be with him, Lucifer, or me,” Lucian answered. “He banked too much on his magic and powers being absolute. He never imagined you’d find a loophole. He is curious how Spyder entered the equation.”

As Lucian spoke, Hades’ lips twisted into a smile, and he lifted his chin in acknowledgment at hearing Lucian’s words. Nyx, on the other hand, looked like she wanted to murder us both. I hadn’t seen her since she came to the bar demanding her daughter’s release. Lucian had instructed his men to deal with her while he’d handled me, discovering what the furies had done to Spyder.

“You are quiet tonight, Lena,” he stated, forcing my attention back to him.

I nodded, allowing Lucian to adjust me on his lap to face him. Sliding my gaze over his beautiful bone structure, I frowned. “I’m just lost in my thoughts,” I admitted, because it was the truth.

“You’re gorgeous this evening.” He cupped my neck, bringing my mouth to his.

The kiss was slow and sexy as his tongue slid over my lips, demanding entrance. When his tongue touched mine, it dueled for dominance as the room faded around us. His hand remained on my neck, tilting my head to allow him better access to my mouth. Moaning, I rocked my hips as lust ignited within my core. He pulled back, chuckling at my response to his unhurried kiss.

“You need that itch scratched, don’t you?” he growled huskily.

His midnight eyes sparkled with laughter, knowing damn well the subtle buzzing of the vibrator within me was driving my body to a level of need that bordered on torture. Lucian had lowered the velocity of the vibration, but only a little. His free hand roamed over my back as I straddled his lap, peering at him from beneath my thick, dark lashes.

“I need you, Lucian.” I swallowed, barely able to hide the need and lust that filled my throat, creating a steady pulse in my pussy that throbbed for him. “You’ve made your point. Now sate my hunger, asshole.”

“I like you on the brink of insanity. Crazy bitches fuck so much better than normal ones. You’re wet just thinking about me stretching you, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” I replied huskily, uncaring who heard the raw desire filling my tone. “I ache, and you’re the only one I want to soothe that need. I get it; you want me to know who I belong to and to remember it on a deeper level. You’ve driven that point home, but you’re not driving that big, hard cock into my cunt yet. If I have to be crude to state my case, I can be. You want me to strip myself naked and ride you right here? I will. I will ensure all our guests see how much you make me scream when you’re fucking me. I don’t necessarily care if they watch. I only want you to make this visceral need end, now.”

“You would let me strip your succulent curves bare and fuck you here and now?” His eyes surveyed my face before moving to study the response of the crowd behind me. “I would act upon your request, but there are people here I don’t want knowing what you look like naked, Lena. I prefer not to let them see what is mine. From this point on, you’re only mine in that aspect. You broke the connection that was driving Spyder insane. You saved him by allowing him to have what the magic needed, but that ended. So, too, did your stent of voyeurism with the patrons of my club. I have claimed you openly, in a select way that makes us both exclusive to one another. I am off the market and menu now, and so are you, Lena,” he stated firmly, his tone carrying authority.

I swallowed, staring into the depths of never-ending stars that lit within his gaze. His hands lowered, gripping my hips to drag my apex against his rock-hard length. His lips jerked into a sinful smirk, and I moaned loudly, dropping my head back as he forced my clit to hit against his cock.

“Be a good girl for me tonight, and I will make sure you come until you’re exhausted and sated of that need driving you to be bold right now,” he replied, holding my gaze as I opened my eyes once more, uncaring that it was heavily hooded from lust, and need. “You’re the most exquisite thing I have ever in my life encountered, woman. You’re a fire that burns without being kindled and one that will never be put out. I would end worlds for you and anything or anyone who thinks to harm you.”

I heard gasps coming from the crowd, as if his words meant something more. Or maybe they feared he would destroy this world for me? Leaning closer, I rained kisses across his jawline, slowly working my way from one side to the other. He chased my kiss, which emboldened me. Nipping his lip, he growled from deep in his chest, the sound building as it rose to his lips.

“Brazen wench,” he chuckled.

“You like me all over you, or you would have just given the clientele a verbal warning. You want everyone here to see us together, so they would visually know that I am yours. This is for them, not us. We know in our hearts, who we belong to, don’t we?” I asked, praying to any deity listening that he offered me confirmation.

He smirked, holding my stare until something rustled beside me. I closed my eyes as every instinct within me sounded, blaring that there was an incoming threat to Lucian. My wings opened, ripping the back of my dress as they expanded.

I moved without warning, slicing my wings toward the threat as I spun, sending a roundhouse kick at the decapitated body, following through to kick the head into the crowd.

Blood painted those close to us, and my power unleashed, giving a warning to anyone else threatening Lucian or me. A hush fell over the club, and the record scratched to a halt as the music stopped.

I hissed loudly, letting the anger and rage I’d felt escape through the club to those inside the room. A deep chuckle forced my attention to Lucian, who watched me with laughter sparkling in his darkening depths.

“I believe she only intended to offer us drinks, Lena.” His brow rose as his gaze dipped to the tray that sat on the stage, expensive scotch spilling out from the green bottle. The scent of it deflated my ego, and my wings slowly curled before folding back into my spine.

I silently slid back onto Lucian’s lap, throwing a peeved look at the crowd, who remained silent, covered in splatters of blood from the serving girl. Bristling in place, I turned to narrow my eyes on Lucian as he leaned back, enjoying my frustration.

“You should really put bells on the servers, along with flashing nametags. It would extend their lifespan, immensely.”

“Or you could not kill them.” he laughed.

“Or that, but the other aforementioned items would include me being able to tell them apart from a threat or the downstairs girls.” I’d once kicked a server out of Lucian’s bedroom, assuming she’d been his choice for the night. If I’d needed to, I would have removed her physically from that room where I’d first been with him.

“You spilled our drinks.” He ran his fingers over the inside of my thigh, a move meant to calm my inner emotions that rose at the knowledge that I’d just murdered an innocent. “I’d prefer to drink it from your pussy.”

I shivered at the memory of him doing that, along with another one of Spyder and him drinking it from my body. He growled softly, pushing the hair away from my shoulder before tracing it with his lips.

Spyder approached the stage with a second bottle of scotch, as if he’d been plucked and delivered to me from my memories. He smirked, tilting his head before placing two chalices on the table beside the throne. Once he’d filled them both, he held them out for us to accept.

“A toast to my King, and brother, and the woman he’s chosen as his Queen to rule his empire at his side, forever. To Lucian and Magdalena Blackstone! Master, and Mistress of Club Chaos, and everything attached to the title,” Spyder declared, holding out a glass flute of his own.

The crowd cheered loudly, even though most didn’t appear to approve of the toast. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the women weren’t happy that Lucian was claiming someone other than them. The men as well seemed disappointed by the lack of show they were receiving this evening.

We drank the expensive citrus scotch as Spyder smirked and winked at me. Then, leaning forward, he spoke softly to Lucian, “Erie is here, and so are the others. If you’d allow it, Devlin and Bane will escort Magdalena to her.”

“Good. Is she sane tonight?” Lucian asked, but Spyder’s eyes sparkled with mischief as his mouth twitched.

“Define sane, brother,” he chuckled.

Lucian groaned, placing the glass down to rub the bridge of his nose. “Is she of sound mind, at least?”

“I assume so, but she does appear to be wearing—Callaghan.” Spyder rubbed his hand over his mouth before peering at Lucian.

“Excuse me? Because it sounded like you said she’s wearing Callaghan.” I narrowed my gaze on Spyder’s shoulders, which moved in silent laughter.

“She’s what exactly?” Lucian asked, backing up my question.

“She’s wearing parts of him at the very least,” Spyder confirmed.

“Fucking Erie,” Lucian groaned, which caused a burst of laughter to escape me. “You think this is funny?” he asked, hiking one eyebrow up to his hairline.

“It’s Erie, so yes, it is funny,” I snorted, covering my mouth with my palm as more laughter bubbled up from the look of frustration on Lucian’s face.

“You’re sure she’s wearing—”

“Her estranged husband?” I offered, as Lucian searched for the best description to use. Laughter bubbled up from my chest, bursting from my lips before I could prevent it from escaping. “It’s funny. Who hasn’t wanted to wear their husband at least once?”

“Sane people, that’s who,” Lucian grunted.

“She’s wearing a leather top that appears to have Callaghan’s chest piece on it and a matching hoodie, similar in color to his hair. I do believe she added her name on it right above the heart, though. She’s also dressed in a Hawaiian skirt and thigh-high boots with actual witch charms on them. The whole ensemble screams crazy.”

“Will she be sensible enough to ward off anyone attempting to take Lena?” Lucian asked, his stare sliding out through the crowd, not finding the one in which he was searching. “Lucifer is gone for the moment, but I don’t put it past him to try for her after we head below.”

“Erie seemed sane of mind, but the outfit says otherwise. Maybe she’s trying to mislead her prey?” Spyder offered, shrugging his wide shoulders. “I did explicitly tell her to protect Kitty with her life, and she fully agreed to castrate anyone and defile them with their penis if they touched our girl.”

“That’s good enough for me. You’re to stay beside Erie, Lena. Do you hear me? Do not leave her sight or even step out of her reach. It would take Lucifer mere moments to get you, and while I’m certain my wards would prevent him from escaping with you, we don’t want to chance him hurting you.”

“I get it, Lucian. I’ll be a good pet and stay put, okay?” I growled, narrowing my eyes on him, and he glared at me with an uncertain gaze. “I won’t do anything stupid. I promise.”

“Be good for me, and I will handle that issue between your legs once I’ve finished my meeting,” he promised, kissing my cheek, allowing me to stand as he joined me.

Lucian yanked me against his body, showing me exactly how he intended to fix my problem. Resting his forehead on mine, he cupped the back of my neck to trace his mouth over my collarbone before brushing his lips across mine in a whisper of promise.

“We may not see him, but Lucifer isn’t gone, Lena. Be careful and don’t disobey me. Not tonight, please,” Lucian pleaded in my ear, barely loud enough to be heard. He stepped around me, leaving, as Devlin and Bane walked up beside me.

I exited the room with Spyder and Lucian close at hand until we reached the staircase that led onto the top floor. I silently watched their backs as they walked down the hallway, vanishing into thin air, which meant they’d gone into the lowest level of the club, where I’d been forbidden to go. Nothing down there was safe, apparently. Or Lucian didn’t trust me enough to let me know what lay beneath, in the darkest part of Club Chaos.

Lucian had claimed me openly, making it known that we were exclusively involved. It should have settled my fears, yet it didn’t. Lucian hadn’t said how he felt or what it meant to be claimed openly to immortals. I didn’t need him to tell me he loved me, per se, but I did need to know how the asshole felt. Were we a forever-together thing, like he’d said, or a just until he tired of me thing?

I needed the security, which was important to me after losing everyone and everything I loved because of him. Did I need to keep myself at arm’s length? The one time I’d opened myself up and told him how I’d felt, he’d lost his shit and moved out of the room we’d shared. Now he felt fine with declaring me his and that I’m off-limits to others, but he had that before I’d dropped the L-word, and he’d been okay with that arrangement, too.

My entire life was up in the air, and knowing how he felt about me wasn’t asking that much. I wanted to know if I should plan on what comes after he catches and locks Lucifer up and makes sure I’m safe. Perhaps it was asking too much because he didn’t feel the same about me?

I’d died. And that had shaken him, but maybe that was playing into his emotions? I just needed him to cement where we stood so that my foundation could stabilize, and I’d feel better understanding the situation surrounding my family and coven.

I searched the clubbers until my gaze halted on Erie. She was dancing like no one was watching, her eyes wide with wonder, while her body twisted and gyrated to the song. A frown marred my lips as I took in her outfit, shivering at what was left of Callaghan this time.

“Holy shit, she’s literally wearing him,” I whispered, jumping when Devlin hooted with laughter at my side.

“That’s disturbing and strangely hot,” he grunted, pushing his long fingers through his dark hair. “I don’t know if I want to put my dick in her or hide it from her,” he admitted, shaking his head while a small smile played in his full mouth.

“Hide it,” Bane snorted. “On a scale of crazy from one to ten, she hit bat shit a millennium ago. Let’s get closer so Lucian will stop stalking Lena.”

I glanced up the stairs, seeing Lucian staring down at me. “That isn’t Lucian. It’s Lucifer,” I swallowed, dropping my gaze to find Erie peering up at him, giving him a one-finger salute. “Let’s go.” I walked to the goddess, watching Lucifer, who once again glamoured himself to appear as Lucian.

This time I could tell them apart. Whatever the furies were able to hear from the immortals, it alerted me to Lucifer by echoing the sound of cries mingled with the chime of strumming harps.

The closer we got to Erie, the louder the sounds of war drums and the clanging of swords became. The furies sensed Erie’s and Lucifer’s true identity and blasted their sounds within me. Wide, vivid blue eyes dropped from the male to land on me, a smile playing on her lips as she held her arms out, wiggling her brows.

She may have been bat shit bonkers, but Erie was beautiful chaos in motion, and for all her flaws, she had a heart unmatched in pureness. But her craziness guaranteed that you didn’t want to get on her other side, the one that made her your enemy.

Chapter Twenty-Four

And though she is little, she’s big insane. ~Erie

Erie bounced across the dancefloor, making a beeline for me. When she was close enough, she threw her arms around me, hugging me tightly. I laughed loudly at her tight hug, followed by lifting me from the ground before setting me back down. The sound of my laughter was carefree until I brushed against the leather of the top she wore.

Leaning back, I smiled at her, wrinkling my nose. Her wide, bright blue eyes studied my face, slowly roving over it before she patted my arm.

“I need a drink!” she shouted, even though I could hear without her screaming over the music. “You want one?”

I nodded, allowing Erie to drag me back to the bar where my guards waited for us. The moment she’d gotten close to me, they’d stepped back, which I was certain Lucian had instructed.

Sitting on one of the unoccupied stools, I turned as she wiggled her nose and changed her outfit with magic. Sliding my gaze around those nearest to where we sat in the corner, I frowned.

Magic was forbidden on this level. Usually, when the club sensed magic, wards exploded in a warning. Lucian had safeguarded the humans, ensuring that they couldn’t have their free will or choices altered by the influence of magic. The food and drinks from the lower floors wouldn’t pass through the threshold to the upper levels, either.

Once I was certain no one had noticed or planned to freak out over it, I slid my attention back to Erie. She was leaning halfway over the counter, with the bartender’s shirt bunched in her hand, twisted into her fist. He was leaning back, his wide, horrified eyes almost comical as she shouted our drink order to him.

I could have taken pity on the poor guy, but he was the same asshole who’d gone to Lucian after I’d given him a list of supplies I needed for opening night. I smiled at him, but it was all teeth, letting him know he was on his own. Turning back to the dancefloor, I watched Lucifer lean against the wall, staring at me with an expression that made a shiver rush up my spine.

His chin dipped, and a sinfully beautiful smile played on his mouth. It was weird to see him pretending to be Lucian once more. I had nightmares of him masquerading as Lucian after that first time. But lately, they’d turned into a fantasy.

“Don’t look at it, and it will go away,” Erie snorted, her vibrant stare following mine to where Luc watched us from afar. “He won’t dare get close to me. Lucifer knows I am hunting him and have been for a while now.”

“Why are you chasing him?” I asked, interested in knowing why Erie was after the Devil. “Does he have something you need or want?”

“It’s personal.” She smiled, but it was sinister. “I have someone he wants, and he has something that belongs to me. Plus, I have decided I’d look better on his throne than he does.” She shrugged, causing me to open my mouth, then close it, dumbfounded.

“You’re going to take the throne—of Hell—from the Devil?” I rapidly spat the question. My brows shot up while she snorted.

“Yes, of course. They’re paired. And who better to become the Queen of Hell than me? I’m perfect for the position.” The way she said it, it was matter-of-fact, as if she’d been working a while on the reasons she’d be an excellent fit for the job.

The bartender returned with our drinks and placed them in front of us. I closed my eyes, inhaling the heady scent of ambrosia. The drink smelled of heaven, even though the hangover would be more hell than anything else. I picked up the cup, downing it in one gulp as Erie chuckled.

“I was going to ask how you’ve been, but I think you just answered me,” she snorted, holding up her cup to clink it against my empty one. She chugged hers while studying the bartender. “He doesn’t seem as if he enjoys working here.”

“He and I don’t get along right now. Lucian tasked me with opening the lower level. The bartender decided to go through Lucian to double-check that he was okay with my selections, even though I was charged with organizing,” I explained, extending my cup while holding his stare. “Refill it, or you’re going to need to explain to Lucian how you ended up headless on the upper level.” His green eyes widened and dropped to the empty glasses we held out.

He retrieved them, refilling each with the glowing blue liquid, before hurrying off. Wrapping my hands around the cup, I turned back to Erie, who studied me. Chewing my lip, I fidgeted under her watchful eye.

“Do you hear that?” she asked, cocking her head to the side. “It’s like a buzzing sound.”

My cheeks heated with embarrassment. I hid it behind the glass, drinking deeply of the ambrosia. It was one drink an immortal could actually achieve a buzz from, or if you drank enough, you’d get fall-down drunk on the stuff. Either would be welcome tonight.

Three glasses deep, we were back on the dancefloor pulsing with the crowd, dancing to Machine Gun Kelly’s I Think I’m Okay. My head swam with the buzz I’d achieved, and a smile played on my lips. I lifted my arms with Erie’s, and we swayed our bodies, bobbing our heads to the beat. Belting out the words, we laughed as people moved away from us, giving us room to let loose.

I could make out Devlin, Bane, and Layton in the crowd, each watching for any threat. The song changed, and Erie wrapped her arms around me, buzzed from the drink as it filtered through our systems.

“I love ambrosia and the warmth it leaves behind,” she sighed, smiling brightly, while resting her head against my shoulder. “So, what has gotten you so upset?” she asked, unsurprisingly.

Erie may be bat shit crazy, but she was observant. There wasn’t much that would get past her or go unnoticed beneath her perceptive gaze. I shrugged, allowing her to pull me with her back toward the bar, where she waved emphatically for the bartender.

“Spill it, woman. I know Lucian has you cooped up here. You’re alone, like me. Girl talks help, or so I hear.”

“I am alone, Erie. I feel it to my core. I miss Kendra and my mom. Lucian and the guys are great, but it’s not the same, you know?” I admitted, groaning at the idea of purging my problems.

“I hear ya, Lena. Trust me. I am alone most of the time, too. I don’t trust many people, and those I do trust normally think I’m insane,” she replied.

“Well, you were wearing Callaghan when I came up the stairs.” Pointing it out causes a bubble of laughter to escape my throat, which was luckily replicated by her giggle.

“He deserved it, trust me. Callaghan is so worried about saving his race that what I need or want isn’t considered. He tried to kidnap me and thought taking me home would make me feel things once more. We’ve changed, though.”

“How did he end up as your wardrobe?” I asked, sipping deeply from the nectar of the gods.

Erie smiled, licking her lips before shaking her head. “He planned to trick me, and I didn’t appreciate his plan. He used fertility medicine a few months ago, and it didn’t work out for him.” I gazed over her shoulder, where Lucifer studied me, his eyes locking with mine while he stood less than three feet from us. “Anyway,” she said, waving her hand around. “He took me home, drugged, bound, and fucked me on the cliffs where we’d once recited our vows. I thought it was romantic until I tasted the concoction in my drink. I returned the favor, drugging him before I tied him to the cliff’s walls and took his skin and head.”

I blinked slowly, dragging my eyes back to her. I wasn’t certain what I’d expected, but that hadn’t been it.

“Do you love him?” I asked.

“I’d destroy the world to protect him,” she replied softly.

“Does he love you?” I continued, wondering when they’d gone wrong. Somewhere in their history, they’d turned from lovers to enemies.

Her red curls bounced as her head shook from side to side. “He wouldn’t destroy anything for me. Probably not even a supermarket. Callaghan is more worried about saving the people we cursed in our war. Just once, I’d like him to vow to destroy the world for me. Shit, if he wanted me to be with him for something more than just saving a race, I’d possibly be able to forgive him. The thing is, he doesn’t talk to me like I matter. I’m nothing more than the womb he needs to fill, and that isn’t something I will allow him to achieve. I am more than that,” she admitted, frowning, causing her forehead to wrinkle.

“I hear you,” I replied, nodding. “Lucian allowed my bloodline to die and did nothing to prevent it. They were savagely murdered, and he knew it would happen. I can forgive him for being some medieval monster, but I need to understand why. I deserve that, right? I don’t know where I fit into his world, either. He wants me. That much I do know.” Pausing, I creased my brow at her pitying stare.

“I am irrevocably in love with him, but he doesn’t allow me to know how he feels, Erie. I feel lost, and I hate this feeling. It’s like I came back with a purpose, and now it’s changing daily. I don’t need him to declare his love for me in some big gesture, but I hate feeling like I’m in limbo. It’s like the ground I am standing on is trembling, and I am just waiting for it to crumble beneath me.”

“Lucian was hurt badly when Katarina betrayed him. You know that. He lost his shit when you died, Lena. I watched it unfold and then was called in to build a cage to contain you, or what he assumed was his seal manipulating your corpse. Imagine never losing control, and then it’s just gone. Lucian has spent his entire life holding command on worlds and immortals that depend on him. You walked into his life, and he wasn’t sure what to do with you. You shook his foundation and made the ground tremble on which he stood.”

“I doubt that very much,” I muttered.

“Sometimes foundations have to break so that new ones can be built,” she returned, studying me.

I considered her words, nodding my understanding while running them through my mind. Was that the issue? Was my foundation crumbling so that I could stand with Lucian? Did he want me that close to him? I knew he cared deeply for me and wanted me. That much was obvious, but what if that wasn’t enough and he tired of me? What if he didn’t allow me to stand with him because of what had happened in the past?

“Don’t do that, Magdalena. You’re going to what if yourself back into the grave. That buzzing isn’t going away. I think it’s following us.”

“That’s me,” I admitted, and her eyes widen before they lowered to my abdomen.

“Oh, you kinky bitch! I dig it,” she chuckled.

“It’s not like that. Well, it is. It’s a device, which tracks my location while also allowing Lucian to torture me slowly,” I groaned, scrubbing my hands over my face with embarrassment. “It’s been days since he allowed me to find release, and he enjoys having that power over my pleasure. Almost as much as he likes keeping me locked up inside this club.”

“Wow, that’s pretty caveman of him. I knew he was into the kink, but withholding it for days? That’s some next-level bullshit,” she snorted, frowning. “How long has it been since you’ve been outside?”

“A while now. At least a few weeks, but I did sneak out to go check in on Alden, and bring Spyder’s stubborn ass back here.”

“Let’s fix that,” she stated, not explaining what she’d meant while reaching over to grab my hand.

The world started swirling around us, and my stomach lurched with nausea while Erie hummed out loud. I groaned, grasping onto her arm for dear life before solid ground once again sat beneath my feet.

She smiled as I continued fussing over my surroundings, perpetually spinning violently. I didn’t release my hold on her, not even as the world became clear.

Brimstone and sulfur burned my senses, and I gasped as something akin to a branding iron bit into my wrist. I heard a loud popping noise and then screeching as my attention moved to what had assaulted me, and I sighed. Violet eyes held mine as I saw Lucifer’s hand attached to my wrist, but no longer connected to his arm.

“Not today, Satan. It’s a girl’s night out. Besides, you need to file the correct paperwork with Lucian to get permission for some alone time with her. I doubt he’d allow you any alone time with Lena, though. Now shoo. It won’t be too long before he comes looking for her,” Erie stated, as if she hadn’t just severed the Devil’s hand from his body.

Lucifer vanished, and the thick scent of cinnamon and masculinity clung to my skin. I closed my eyes, turning my head toward Erie before opening them once more.

She was dressed in her goddess outfit, and her naked breasts were on full display. Twin swords sat in her hands, and the Raven Guard stood around us. Everything happened so swiftly that I hadn’t even realized it until they surrounded us.

Erie tossed her blades into the air, where they turned into black feathers that drifted to her skin, becoming tattoos. Reaching toward me, she smirked and scrunched up her nose, plucking Lucifer’s hand from me.

My heart thumped against my ribcage, and my gaze swept over the red, charred flesh where Lucian’s mark had flourished on my wrist, along with the ancient scrawl of words. Lifting my stare, I studied how Erie held Lucifer’s hand up, dropping it into a bag as if it was a trophy.

The men around us vanished as rapidly as they’d appeared, and I opened my mouth to speak, closing it when I sensed someone else in close proximity to us.

A masculine tsking sound alerted us to the fact that we weren’t alone. Adrian’s sea-green eyes skimmed over Erie’s body once, rolling back up to her face.

“I know we don’t have a dress code, Goddess, but it isn’t Rock Out with Your Tits
Out night at Nightshade. Cover those perky things before you end up starting a riot,” he purred, nodding at me in hello. “We should get inside if you’re coming. The club is about to move again.”

“Is that what it is doing? And here I thought I was going insane because I kept getting lost!” She exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air, then placing them on her hips. “I’m not crazy after all!” Adrian and I shared a knowing look before she rolled her eyes. “Did you hear that? It was the sound of my bell dinging in the back of my head. If my eyes roll any harder, they might just roll away. Let’s go, Lena. Maybe if the club moves enough, Lucian won’t catch us so quickly.”

I followed her toward the door, where Adrian held it open with a smile that lit inside his turquoise gaze.

“Ladies first, I insist,” he murmured, sweeping one arm toward the bar where Vlad stood, arms crossed over his chest, observing us. “Something tells me all hell is about to break loose?”

“Uh, that’s an accurate assumption,” I agreed.

“I’ll begin clearing out the club to prepare for Spyder and Lucian, then. Please, have a drink on the house, woman. You’re going to need it,” Adrian snorted, moving past us as we headed to where Vlad watched, a perturbed expression in his stare.

“Bloody hell, this night just won’t end,” he grumbled while procuring three glasses, filling them with top-shelf whiskey.

I studied Vlad’s posture, frowning at how he glanced between Erie and me and a table full of women. I’d never witnessed Vlad drinking before, and something told me we weren’t what had him the most frustrated inside his club tonight.

Chapter Twenty-Five

The world was on fire and burning around us, and I merely wanted to burn with him. I wanted to feel the flames I saw in his stare consume me until only ashes remained. ~Lena

A rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s I’m On Fire was playing on the speakers, and there were only two tables with patrons inside the Nightshade tonight. I scanned the few who remained, noting that Vlad’s stare lingered on the table filled with women.

“Penny for your thoughts?” I asked, smiling when his silver gaze slid toward me.

“I don’t suppose this is a permitted field trip?” he returned, shifting his gaze between Erie and me. When neither of us said anything, he exhaled, shaking his head before sliding the bottle closer to us. “So what brings you beauties in tonight?” Vlad crossed his arms, giving us his full attention.

“Lena has Lucian problems, and I killed my guy, again,” Erie popped off as if she was explaining the weather.

Vlad’s brow lifted, and his gaze slid between us slowly. “Elaborate on both issues,” he snorted, gazing toward the back of the room where the last stragglers were moving to the lower level, which was a sanctuary for creatures. “Something is buzzing.”

I grimaced, shaking my head before groaning. Before I could explain, Erie chuckled, patting my shoulder.

“That would be Lena’s pussycat,” she beamed like it was something cool. “Lucian stuck a vibrating tracker into her vagina and hasn’t let her come in days. He’s more archaic than I believed him to be,” she blurted.

My cheeks heated as silver eyes locked with mine. “Days? That’s sadistic and just mean-spirited. Did you piss him off, or is he priming it for fireworks?” Vlad asked, scrunching his brow in question.

“It’s punishment for trying to leave him.” I briefly explained why I was upset with Lucian, and Vlad stared at me with a blank expression. “It’s Lucian, Vlad. If anyone could have stopped my family and coven from dying, it would have been him. They were everything to me.”

Vlad exhaled before unfolding his arms, placing his palms on the bar to give me a pitying look. He was speechless, which said a lot. He’d never been at a loss for words before. After a moment, he grabbed the towel and began wiping down the counter in front of us.

“Is something wrong, Vlad?” I asked, worried.

“You died, Lena. You slit your fucking throat in front of us. All of us. If Lucian did something to bring you back, I don’t blame him. If he sacrificed your family and your coven to make that happen, then he did so with their permission. They were mortal, and mortals die. That’s just how the fucking world works,” he growled, causing my stomach to tighten with unease.

“Just because mortals die, it doesn’t mean immortals get to choose when or how they die, Vlad. They deserve to live, too.” I swallowed the tears that threatened to escape. “To witches, their line is everything. My line ended with me, and those who lived shouldn’t have had to die for me. Nyx and Hades intervened for Lucian, but I don’t blame him either. I just want to know why he chose what he did. I just need to understand why they died. They’re my family.”

“You’re right, Magdalena. I know they were. It’s just been a fucked up night here. The guild was attacked, and there’s been no response from within it. I sent word to Synthia. But they’re dealing with shit unfolding in Faery right now. It seems that some of the fae have transformed, while others have gone missing altogether.”

“Alden was instructed to go into the catacombs, which were turned into a safe room. Lucian placed men outside of the guild, and I’ve not heard that it was attacked.” I drank from my cup while considering that Lucian probably wouldn’t have told me the news.

“From the outside, it looks like a bomb went off,” he admitted. “From what I could see of the inside, it appears untouched. I tried to gain access, but wards alerted me moments before doors began sealing around us. I have people stuck inside, unable to get out.”

“Vampires who cannot get to sustenance,” I finished for him.

His dark head nodded before he looked between Erie and me, where a dark-haired woman stood, glaring at him. They stared silently at one another until she spoke.

“I want to know why you did it,” she whispered while her vibrant green eyes held his.

She was ethereal, with oak-colored skin and midnight hair that wafted to her lush hips in gentle waves. Dainty fangs were visible behind ruby-red lips that tugged into a frown. Her camisole top snuggly held her ample breasts in place, revealing a hint of a lace bra beneath it. Leather pants hugged her thighs, hidden under the impressive mid-calf leather boots with three-inch heels. She wasn’t tall, yet her presence seemed to hold Vlad’s undivided attention.

“You have mistaken me for someone else, darling,” he said softly, his gaze slowly lowering to her mouth.

“No, I didn’t and you know that. I can feel you. You made me, and I want to know why you did it. Who the hell were you to fight Death and steal me from him?” she hissed.

“I didn’t. I have never even seen you before tonight. You can stay, but if you do, I suggest you get below before the doors lock for the night. We’re closing early.”

“I’m leaving, but you will answer for what you did. I want to know why you turned me and left the others to their fate. It sucks, doesn’t it? When the past comes back for you, and they’re not grateful for what you did?” She stepped back, smiling coldly, before tilting her head. “Careful, ladies. This one bites, and his bite is to die for, isn’t it, Vladimir?” she hissed with tears in her eyes. They fell, leaving a red trail in their wake before she turned, exiting the club without the other women.

“What was that about?” Erie drummed her fingertips on the bar with her gaze still on the door through which the woman had exited.

“A case of mistaken identity,” Vlad growled, turning away from us before bottles began exploding behind the bar.

We ducked beneath the counter, staring at one another silently. Slowly, we peeked over the counter to find Vlad staring at us, with the bottles still in place and perfectly fine. Peering down, I eyed a piece of glass that sat on the floor, missed.

“It’s safe, Lena,” Vlad grumbled, returning to wiping down the wooden bar top. “Erie, I wouldn’t be too upset if you placed wards tonight. There’s an abundance of demons fucking up shit outside, and I don’t fancy dealing with them tonight.”

“On it,” she chirped, jumping off the stool and walking to the walls.

I studied Vlad, hating that he was suffering. Obviously, he didn’t plan to elaborate or speak about what just happened. Instead, we sat silently until he pushed a glass toward me, smiling while leaning closer to where I sat.

“What other problems are going on in that pretty head of yours, Lena?” he asked softly, his eerie stare holding mine captive.

I could hear the slurping of blood, the click of fangs, and the pounding of heartbeats coming from within him. Vlad was a problem solver, one who spent most of his time tending bar inside his establishment. He didn’t need to, but I was guessing he did it because it was one hell of a way to gather information on the pulse in the city.

“I feel like I am standing in quicksand. Like the foundation I once stood upon, is crumbling and everything is shaky. I love Lucian. I love him with every part of my being, but he doesn’t tell me how he feels. I don’t know where I stand with him or if I have a place inside his world once this shit with the Hell Gates and Lucifer has ended. I don’t have a game plan for once in my life, and I don’t know what to do.”

“You think Lucian will ever allow you to leave him? When you died, he was helpless for the first time in his entire existence to do anything to save you. That shit does things to a person. He has never faced that type of situation before. Lucian’s never lost control until you. My guess is, you scare him. You’re a weakness his enemies can use against him. Ryder was like that at first, with Synthia. She terrified him. He fell hopelessly in love with her amidst a war, and he feared they would use her against him. She was the one thing he couldn’t live without.”

“Yeah, but its Lucian we’re talking about, Vlad. What could he possibly fear? I am immortal. I already died, and I came back. I don’t need him to tell me he loves me. I just need to hear that I’m more than something he owns or that I am simply his property.”

Vlad snorted, nodding at my wrist. “Do you know what that says?” he asked.

“No,” I admitted. “Lucian placed these words on me tonight in front of the immortals within the lower level.”

“Ask him what it means, Lena. Ask him to explain the meaning in detail and allow him the opportunity to show you who you’re ending up with before you do anything stupid.”

“Like leave after I promised I wouldn’t?” I asked, watching his eyes sliding over my head.

“He left you in the hands of someone capable of protecting you. He had to know there was a strong possibility that Erie would make an escape with you in tow, given half the chance,” he chuckled.

Power rippled through the club, and a shiver rushed down my spine. Erie laughed, clapping beside me while returning to her chair.

“Fred! You didn’t die. Did you miss me?” she asked, which was followed by a masculine baritone that made the furies within me shriek or something. They were making noises I’d never heard them ever make before.

“No, I didn’t miss you at all,” the male grunted. “I did have the most amazing dream. You were disemboweled and torn apart by rabid hellhounds. Pity I woke from it to discover you still breathed the same air as me. I’m going to have to talk to that male you’re bumping pelvises with and give him some pointers on how to end you.”

I turned, staring into startling blue eyes that skimmed over me before coming back abruptly. The male wore a suit, the white cuffs standing out against his olive-colored skin. He had black hair that looked as if it had blue highlights in the dimly lit club. A smile played on his lips while he studied me carefully.

“Hello, my darlings. What a pretty shell you’ve chosen this time,” he purred, which caused the furies to echo the sound, followed by something akin to sighs exploding from all three. His hand lifted, and Erie growled in warning.

Everything inside of me pulsed, and no matter how much I wanted to pull away from this man, I couldn’t. It was as if his touch controlled all of me, or more to the point, the furies. Lust ripped through me, and my body grew heated with need.

A soft moan mingled with a sob, which had my hackles rising, even though I still couldn’t pull myself from him. His gaze held me prisoner, while his touch turned me into someone else, something else. Fear ripped me apart, and the longer he touched me, the more I succumbed to his power.

“Get your hands off of her, Fred. She’s off-limits,” Erie warned with a tone I’d never heard her use before.

“Of course, she is,” Fred chuckled. “She belongs to me and only me now. I created the furies, and whoever they inhabit becomes mine. I dare anyone to intervene against me.”

“Challenge accepted, asshole.” Lucian’s voice exploded into the room as something wet and warm splattered against my face.

Lucian’s rage was palpable. His glowing blue glare met mine, and I exhaled the breath I’d held. The wards began shrieking and pulsing inside the club until Lucian whispered in a foreign language and disarmed them. His armor pulsed, swirling in eddies around his large frame. The male’s body crumbled to the floor, and Spyder grabbed the head, tossing it in a bag before he threw it out the door.

“Lucian,” I swallowed, relief at him coming for me, making my limbs heavy.

“Do not fucking talk, Lena,” he warned with barbs in his words. Turning, he leveled Erie with a murderous look. “I asked you to protect her inside my club, Mórrígan. I warned you not to leave with her, and you agreed to the terms.”

“Oh, no. You don’t get to ask the crazy goddess to babysit and not expect me to steal the babe.” She chuckled but straightened when he didn’t laugh her off. “Lena is safe.”

“You call that safe? He wasn’t supposed to know she held the furies inside her. Period. She didn’t look safe, Mórrígan. Had Asmodeus left with her, he would have been within his right to claim her. You think he’s on your side? He isn’t. He’s on the side of whoever can offer him the most to add to his body count and stature in the hierarchy of Hell, Erie. Lucifer owns him, and if you think Asmodeus won’t run and tell him what Lena holds in her, you’re crazier than you’re pretending to be.”

“Everyone knows she houses the furies, Lucian. That’s not a secret,” she stated, narrowing her gaze on him before slowly shifting her focus to where I stood. “It’s not just the furies, though, is it? You hid something within them, didn’t you?”

“If you value our friendship, Mórrígan, you’ll cease speaking of it right now,” Lucian warned in a barely audible tone.

“Done,” she agreed without question. “Lucifer followed us here. I have something for you,” she said smoothly, holding the bag with his severed hand. “I believe the words you are looking for are, thank you, Mórrígan. I couldn’t have done it better myself had I thought of doing such a thing.”

“You used her as bait. I will never thank you for using Magdalena as a fucking lure for the Devil. Had you slipped up, she’d be gone right now. You fucked up and broke my trust.”

“I asked her to bring me—”

“You keep your mouth shut until I say otherwise,” he snapped, using the compulsion he held to enforce me to comply. My lips closed, and my stomach sank at the anger burning in his stare. Lucian wasn’t just angry; he was hurt. “I’ll deal with you when we get home.”

“Are you staying long enough for a drink?” Vlad asked, pushing a bottle of scotch toward Lucian.

“No, we won’t be staying. The guild was attacked.”

“I know. I sent word to Synthia and Ryder, since they alone can bypass the codes and locks that sealed the lower levels,” Vlad disclosed. “There have been some developments in Faery that are keeping them from leaving. They should be here within the next few days.”

“I’m aware,” Lucian grunted. “Contact me if they arrive, or send word to my club.”

“Will do. I’m sure we can use the backup to breach the lower levels.”

Lucian nodded, grabbing my arm before the floor fell from beneath me, and the entire room spun in a circle. I gasped for air, fighting to get it into my lungs. One moment we were in Nightshade, and the next, we were inside our apartment. Before I’d even been able to process what had happened, a chain was clasped around my wrist, and Lucian’s broad back was marching toward the door, which sat open.

“Lucian!” I cried, jerking on the chain that was attached to the wall behind the bed. “Lucian?”

His back straightened, and he turned, staring at me. “I asked you to behave for one fucking day, and you couldn’t even give me that. You’re so fucking busy running headfirst into danger that I can’t focus on what is important because I have to come and save you. Now, you don’t have the freedom I’d granted you. You will remain here while I finish the meeting to protect my world and everything in it.”

He slid through the door and slammed it closed behind him. I stared at it for a moment before I screamed his name again, rushing forward to pound on it. My wrist protested where the metal bit into my flesh, but I didn’t stop yelling or hitting on the door until hopelessness rushed through me, and my voice became nothing more than a whispered scream.

Chapter Twenty-Six

They say love is a battlefield, but they forget to warn you about the landmines you walk through unknowingly. ~Lena

Days passed me by in utter silence. No one came to check on me or even to see if I still lived. Music hummed softly through the bedroom. Mazzy Star’s Fade Into You replayed for the fifth time in the last hour. Feathers drifted in the air from the subtle movement I made, remnants of the once glorious bed that was no more than torn shreds of cloth and feathers.

Sitting up, I frowned at the disarray of the ruined room. I’d lost my ever-loving shit by day three and had gone on a rampage. Nothing stood in one piece inside the bedroom, closet, or bathroom except the bedframe and one dresser.

The tinkle of Luna’s bell chimed, and I turned my attention to where she sat, batting her paw at the feathers. Behind her lay a pile of Lucian’s clothing I’d wrecked, ripping through them with my claws while laughing at the image of him discovering his beloved suits, nothing more than shreds of material. The satisfaction, imagining the look on his face, lasted for a mere moment before the silence reminded me he’d have to return to even notice what I’d done to them.

Slipping from the remnants of the bed, I peered around the room, growling as a fresh wave of anger and frustration entered me. The toy Lucian left implanted within me hadn’t buzzed since the first night of being locked away to let me know he remembered me or that he was thinking about me. In my fit of rage, I’d thrown it at the door, where it was currently embedded into the wood.

“Let me out! Lucian! Spyder! I know you’re there, assholes!” I snarled, even though I couldn’t sense them. I couldn’t feel anyone or even hear the heartbeats of the guards usually positioned outside the doors.

The first time Lucian had locked me in the room, their presence had offered comfort, knowing he hadn’t forgotten about me. This time, there was only the sound of soft music playing outside the room. Inside there was only silence, eerie, soul-crushing silence that broke me apart, a little more with every loud click of the minute hand on the broken grandfather clock I’d pushed over, shattering oak that was probably older than the ground on which I stood.

I slid my fingers over the smooth surface of the dresser. I started to lift it, fully intending to send it flying at the door next. The drawer opened, and my gaze lowered to a photo of my family. My heart clenched as warm tears burned behind my eyes, pricking them as the tears threatened to fall. Picking up the picture, I gazed at it as the music stalled, and I was plunged into complete silence.

It was an older photo of us taken before Joshua had gone to basic training. In the portrait, we looked normal, happy even, unless you looked closer. Had we ever been normal? No, it had just been an illusion that we’d swallowed up because that’s how we’d wanted to appear. Joshua’s face appeared haunted, and my eyes were focused on something to the left in the picture.

Whatever I’d been staring at, it was beyond the focus of the camera. Behind Kendra was a light that almost looked like a spirit or orb of magic. My mother’s smile was fake and didn’t reach her eyes in the slightest. My grandmother—well, she was staring ahead with a fearless smile and expression, as if she knew the horrors that would befall us, fully intending to meet them head-on.

Setting the picture on the dresser, I reached into the drawer, withdrawing the backpack I’d left behind inside this club when I’d died. Dumping the contents on the floor, I lowered to the ground, picking up a photo of a dark-haired woman, the same bitch I’d put into my grave.

She’d offered my soul to me in exchange for Lucian’s seal. I had sacrificed my life and my son’s life for this seal, and she wasn’t getting it. When I refused her offer, she countered by trying to force me to accompany her to retrieve a special box that she said only I could touch.

I’d already been through hell, and I wasn’t stupid enough to trust some stranger who offered to help me. I’d learned my lesson about trusting anyone by then. Smiling, I recalled the look of rage in her sky-blue eyes as Joshua and I tackled her. I’d used her waist-length hair to tie her up while Joshua fetched the chains, wrapping them around her body before tossing her inside the coffin in my grave. She’d wanted a box, just not the one she’d gotten.

Next, I picked up Joshua’s car keys, which were the only things left of his Chevy Chevelle after I’d wrecked it. Lucian and Spyder had gone back to salvage it for me, but it had been a total loss.

Frowning, I remembered Joshua telling me who he really was and what was going to happen soon. I’d laughed at him so hard, even though my ribs were broken, I’d fucking laughed at him, trying to convince me he wasn’t Benjamin and that either Kendra or I would die soon.

Tossing the keys onto the dresser, I retrieved another set of keys belonging to my old apartment. How simple life had been back then. I had no idea what horrors awaited me at home.

My biggest worry was blending in and turning in assignments on time without using my magic. I’d spread my proverbial wings, and I’d never even made it off the ground. How naïve was I to think I could return, awaken my magic, and just fucking live my life?

I placed them beside the other keys, fishing around the drawer for more mementos of my past. Brushing my hand over a leather pouch, I plucked it out, frowning at it before scrunching up my nose and tossing it aside.

Reaching forward, I ran my fingers over my family portrait, fighting the swelling of my throat as their laughter echoed inside my head. Turning in place, I chucked the pouch at the wall, screaming in frustration at the life I’d been ungrateful of having.

I’d been blind to the beauty of my life and the pureness of my family’s love. I had craved more without ever realizing magic was pulling me backward. Lucian had already begun dragging his pieces back to cast the dice.

He’d started this game to find Katarina, which had also drawn me home. I’d never been free of the magic that had terrified me because I’d been born to it from the beginning; me to the darkness, and Kendra to the light.

My attention slid to the pouch that dropped to the floor, expelling its contents. Swallowing past the knot in my throat, I eyed the silver charm that rolled across the hardwood before settling at my feet.

Kneeling, I picked it up and frowned. It was the charm I’d pushed into my purse inside the abbey that came from Luna’s old collar, and it sparkled in the light. Holding it in my palm, I moved around the side of the bed, sitting on the hard wooden surface of the bedframe.

Opening it, I pulled out a tiny note before setting the charm on the bed beside me. Chewing my lip, I unrolled the parchment, and as I did so, it glowed with magic as it expanded. Narrowing my eyes on the masculine scrawled words covering the thin piece of vellum, I recognized the handwriting.

In a world filled with darkness, you are the light that I seek. There is no sun without your smile, nor night without you in it, Magdalena. I know you won’t understand why I must do this, but I cannot fathom the thought of a world in which you are harmed because of me. I’d rather set you free than live knowing you’re no longer alive. Forgive me. I never expected a creature like you, and now that I have you, I cannot bear the knowledge that I have to take away everything you love. You will hate me for this. But once the pieces were set into motion, they could not be undone. Please know that with the darkness, you were the most beautiful light that shone from within. ~LB

I wrinkled my forehead, exhaling slowly as my chest puffed out. What the fuck? How had I not remembered to read his note, one I’d known he had placed into Luna’s collar? Luna chased a feather in front of me, and her collar jangled as she rushed by, pursuing it blindly.

I kneeled on the floor before Luna, where she had caught and was playing with her prey, and I stared at her diamond-studded collar. The asshole really was spoiling my cat. I undid the clasp, watching as she gave chase to the next feather in line. Opening the charm that dangled from the collar, another note appeared. It, too, had been spelled and was glowing as it enlarged to its normal size. I slid my gaze over the writing, swallowing past tears that ran from my eyes.

You are my home in which I wish to plant roots and grow. You were a surprise that somehow snuck up on me. You sunk your talons into my heart, melting the ice that encased it, protecting it from those who had hurt me. You are my warmth. You are a storm that threatens to upturn my world and leave me in tattered ashes. When you’re with me, I am grounded, and that terrifies me the most. When you’re in my arms, my world is right. No one has ever made me feel the things I do with you. One day, you will see beyond the walls of your mortal limitations that still hold you captive, realizing that words are nothing. Sentiments and promises can easily be whispered, but what I feel for you isn’t something that can be said out loud. It’s wordless, selfless, and so much deeper than words could ever reach. You are my world and my everything.
~LB

I read the messages together and then read them several more times. Tears blinded my sight, blurring the words while I fought the sobs threatening to escape.

He loved me. Lucian Blackstone loved me and had felt that way before I’d ever whispered those words to him inside that bedroom, which seemed like centuries ago.

That sadistic prick loved me, and he’d forced me to realize it on my own! He’d expected me to take the subtle hints and see beyond the mortal way I’d been raised. The idiot had left me flopping on the ground, trying to grasp on to a lifeline when he’d loved me the whole time!

I’d been forced to watch memories of Lucian telling Katarina that he loved her, and that had told my subconscious that he was capable of saying it.

In those dreams, though, he whispered those words while murdering her. There’d always been a catch in his voice past the first initial time he’d killed her. In that one lifetime, he’d loved her. He had been returning to tell her how he felt, and she’d been running away because she’d betrayed him to the coven.

The sound of the doorknob turning captured my attention, ripping me from my mind. I stood, staring at the doorway as Lucian stepped through it, silently peering around at my wreckage. The temperature inside the room dropped noticeably, and Luna bounced into the closet, drawing his attention to his wardrobe, which lay shredded in a pile.

“Woman,” he snarled.

“You’re an asshole!” I shouted, grabbing the nearest object to throw at his head. He moved, ducking seconds before it would have hit him. He stepped closer, his face not giving away the anger he felt. The tic in his jaw hammered, alerting me to his fury even though nothing else screamed danger. I grabbed the leather pouch, throwing it at him, and he reached up, catching it before he roared.

“You ruined my suits?” he snapped, his chest heaving as he tossed the bag aside, stalking toward me. The look in his pretty stare was almost comical, if there wasn’t pure rage burning inside them.

“Every single fucking one of them!” I screamed back, smiling as I folded my arms across my chest. “You chained me to the fucking bed, dick!”

His attention moved from the pile of ruined clothes to my body. Silently, he took in my sheer nude panties and the tight camisole top I’d tied on the side where his stupid chain was attached.

I hadn’t bothered putting anything on while in lockdown inside a room that no one else even bothered to enter.

I grabbed for the next item, but he lunged, snatching the chain fastened to the cuff. The tic in his jaw hammered again, and the room erupted in raw, unfiltered power, causing my skin to prickle with awareness.

“You want to do this, little one?” He yanked the chain, sending my body forward without warning. “Let’s fucking do it, witch,” he grumbled in a multi-layered voice that made my thighs clench together.

The tracker embedded in the door hummed, and I grinned as Lucian followed the sound with his eyes, then growled. “I didn’t give you permission to remove the device.”

“Well, I wasn’t going to keep it inside me for days while you left me locked in a room. It’s unsanitary.” He watched me through a heated stare that slid to my panties as I snatched the clock that he’d tossed aside and sent it sailing for his head. It impaled the wall beside him, causing his anger to spike.

“Is that all you got, Lena?”

I grabbed for the chain he held, pulling on it as I growled in frustration while he stared at me with knowing eyes. “You’re a fucking prick. You think you can lock me up?” I let my wings unfurl, and they tore the shirt from my body. His eyes lowered to my breasts, a wicked smile spreading over his full, luscious mouth. “I am not your fucking pet, asshole. I will not be locked up, do you hear me? You cannot cage me!”

“You’re caged right now, aren’t you? You sat inside this room like a good little bitch for me. If I wanted you caged, Lena, you’ll be fucking caged. If I wish for you to be on your knees sucking my cock while you choke on it, you will fucking take it. If I want your body spread out on the bed so that you’re available for me to fuck, you will be. You’re in my world, not yours. Your world is gone. I know because I’m the asshole who watched it fucking crumble and lit the match, ensuring it burned to ashes.”

I flew at him, slapping his beautiful face as unchecked tears trailed down my cheeks. A sob ripped from my throat brokenly. I reached up, shredding his shirt to reveal his impressive body. Lucian grabbed my wrists, slamming me against the wall, hard. Sheetrock cracked beneath my back, poking against my spine as Lucian glared down at me.

“You think you can actually hurt me? You can’t. You don’t seem to grasp the gravity of what is coming for you. You believe yourself to be free, but you’re not. You haven’t been free since the moment you walked into my club and kicked Linda out, sealing your fate with mine. I told you that if you chose to stay, you would be with me forever. I wasn’t stupid enough to think I could fuck you out of my system. You’re not the kind of girl that could ever be replaced because you’re a fucking addiction that hums through me like a drug.”

“I never agreed to be your fucking pet, Blackstone,” I snapped back. His hand lifted, curling around my throat as he smirked down at me devilishly.

“I never asked you to be a fucking pet, Magdalena. I asked you to be on your best behavior for one fucking night. I was dealing with shit that you set into motion by agreeing to the terms of the fucking Goddess of Night and the God of the Underworld. I was protecting you, and you were too busy running headlong into fucking danger.”

“Five days! You left me here for five fucking days on my own,” I returned, pushing him away from my body.

He slammed against me, laughing wickedly as I growled from between his massive frame and the wall. I gripped his suit, glaring at him as we both breathed heavily.

“You’re immortal, and five days is nothing when you have eternity,” he snapped. Recapturing my hands with one of his, he pressed his forehead against mine. “Get the fuck over it, Lena.”

“Get over it?” I snarled, fighting against the hold he had on me.

Deep, rich laughter bubbled from his chest as he used his other hand to press against my core. My chest rose and fell from the utter frustration I felt.

“That’s what I said, wasn’t it?” he asked softly.

“You assume I should respond to shit as an immortal, but I have only been one for a few fucking minutes, Lucian. You expect me to trust you, but you won’t trust me. Trust is built on a foundation, and mine is crumbling.”

“So build it back stronger. You’re not weak, Lena. You’ve never been weak. You never stay down, ever. You get back up because it’s ingrained into the very fiber of who you are. A man’s world starts with a woman because she’s a solid foundation. She is a home which he returns, knowing it is a safe place to rest his weary bones. Anything you give her, she strengthens. She may shake your world up and break your foundation, but only because she needs to rebuild it to fit herself beside the man she’s chosen. That is what you are to me.”

“I know,” I whispered, leaning my head against his chest as a sob escaped me. “I know what I am to you. I know because I feel the same about you. You’re my forevermore, Blackstone. You’re my light in the darkness and the storm which rages around me. You’re my comfort and my safety. You make me whole.”

He released my hands, cupping my face, forcing my gaze to meet his. My stomach tightened, finding his eyes bare of his shields. He nodded slowly, slamming his mouth against mine, causing a sob to escape my throat. The kiss was earth-shatteringly beautiful, as if we’d never get another one in this lifetime.

Lucian lifted me, turning me toward the bed, then paused, tearing his lips from mine to look at what remained of the mattress and covers. A dark eyebrow rose with a silent accusation burning in his pretty stare.

“It offended me.”

“Apparently,” he grunted in frustration. Tilting his head, he peered around the room, then dropped me and smiled. “The floor it is, Lena. Get on your fucking knees, and suck.”

“Gods, you’re so romantic, asshole.”

“You’re in trouble, Lena. You disobeyed me, and now I’m going to punish you for it. On second thought, get your ass on that ruined bed. Lie on your back and open that pretty mouth of yours.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Lovers are blind idiots that never realize what they have until it smacks them in the face. ~Lena

I licked my lips, and Lucian watched as I meandered around the ruined bed, lying on the only spot that hadn’t been destroyed. Lucian’s eyes burned with a vibrant blue glow that pulsed with the sound of drums. Like Erie, something within him pounded like a war drum.

He positioned himself behind me, his hands tilting my head back, and his thumb trailed over my mouth as I looked up at him. I ran my tongue against his thumb, and his jaw clenched when I took it into my mouth, sucking his finger.

“Good girl,” he growled in a rough, gravelly tone that seemed to wrap around me.

He replaced his thumb with the thick tip of his cock, running the velvety soft skin over my lips. I caressed it with my tongue and heard him gasp when I licked the bead of come that had escaped. I felt his eyes on me, watching as I fought against the chains, needing more control than they allowed.

Lucian leaned over, fanning his breath across my stomach, forcing more of him into my mouth as he slid his fingers through the mess of arousal he’d created. Without warning, he thrust forward, entering my throat until I groaned around him as he buried himself to his base. His deep, husky chuckle filled the room as he slowly pulled out an inch, thrusting forward again.

“Fucking hell, you’re so wet for me, Lena. Have you been this wet the entire time?” he asked, not expecting a reply since he was fucking my mouth.

I drew my tongue in circles over the sensitive underside of his thick, pulsing cock. His fingers entered my pussy, and I moaned around him, hollowing out my cheeks while sucking him off. He withdrew his fingers, placing his hands on the insides of my legs while he went harder against my mouth.

My thighs clenched with need, hating that his sounds of pleasure created a fire in my belly. Lucian’s position gave him full control, forcing me to take what he gave without complaint. The salty taste of him turned me on, knowing that if I could see his face, there would be the look of pleasure burning in his gaze that I craved from him.

Lucian didn’t slow down, pumping his hips mercilessly as he fucked the tight channel of my throat. Black dots filled my vision, swimming in it as he forced me to take what he gave. His heated breath fanned my needy core, causing a pulse to thrum in my pussy. I moaned as he slid his tongue between the lips of my sex, lapping at the arousal coating it. I lifted my knees, and my ass rocked to escape the pleasure he was creating.

My clit was already swollen from rubbing against it in my need of release from the past few days. Every inch of my body was sensitive from the endless state of arousal he’d forced on me. He laughed as I wiggled away from him, swallowing him repeatedly with the need to drain his cock. My teeth skimmed his skin, and he latched onto my clit, pounding even harder into my mouth, and I gagged as he hit something deep in my throat.

Lucian backed up, peering down at me while he pushed harder, deeper into me. His eyes turned back to the glowing blue that exposed his true nature. His fingers pumped into me, and I groaned as he forced his way into my pussy. My back arched, and a scream fought to escape past the cock that took up every inch of room in my throat.

My body started shaking, but Lucian just watched me sucking his cock. It wasn’t until tears started escaping my eyes from how far he stretched my throat that he acknowledged he was choking me. I didn’t need air when the furies joined us, but without them, I did. I started going limp as he withdrew from me, leaning down to kiss my lips.

“How much do you need to come right now, Lena?”

“More than I needed air with your cock fucking my throat, asshole.”

He snorted, moving around to the other side of the bed. I spread my legs apart for him and reveled in his expression while he took in my state of need. I lowered my hands, smoothing them down my body, and the sight enthralled Lucian.

He studied my face, knowing that I was beyond caring how I looked. His magic has prevented me from self-soothing, so I needed to come, and I needed to do it now. He settled between my thighs, slowly kissing the inside of my leg until his mouth hovered over my core. His fingers slid over and around my opening, drenched in an embarrassing amount of arousal.

“You should see yourself through my eyes, so fucking gorgeous and ready to be fucked. Beg me to fuck you, Lena. Tell me you’re my good girl, who needs to be fucked like a naughty, disobedient pet.”

“Fuck you,” I growled, yipping, as he bit playfully into the flesh of my thigh. “You’re infuriating!”

He laughed. The fucking asshole laughed before his mouth descended on my pussy. Lucian devoured it until I was screaming with the impending orgasm that refused to come. Tears leaked from my eyes, and I bucked against him, forcing him to slide his arms around my thighs, holding me in place while I thrashed on the bed.

A sob exploded from my lungs as I closed my eyes. I blocked Lucian out, fighting the pain from denial while he devoured me. It wasn’t pleasurable. It was torture, causing an endless ache that pulsed against my swollen clit. My nipples had hardened, and sweat beaded on my throat while he lapped hungrily against my pussy. His power withdrew from the room, but it didn’t stop the ache from the orgasm that refused to break free.

My body started to go lax, as it had once the pain became too much to handle from the endless state he’d forced me to endure. He lifted away from my pussy, slowly climbing my body to peer down into my gaze. He cupped my face between his hands, forcing me to look at him.

The look flaming in his eyes told me he was aware of what I felt and the pain that should have been pleasure. Pain with pleasure was one thing, but without it, it was merely torture. He slowly pushed into my body, lifting me with him until I straddled his powerful thighs. I whimpered at how far he stretched me, creating a burning sensation inside of my walls, which clenched against his cock.

“Wrap your arms around me,” he ordered.

I did, too mentally exhausted to argue with him. Lucian gripped my hips painfully, using them to lift and move my body. I lowered my head against his shoulder, hating him for making me respond to his. He traced soft kisses against my shoulder and groaned as my body shuddered from pain.

“Come for me, Lena,” he growled, and I trembled around him.

He lifted my face, and I opened my mouth as the most intense orgasm of my life rocked through me. The scream ripped from my lungs, filling the room as my pussy clamped down on him, causing him to grunt while he watched me shatter. The room spun around us, and light exploded behind my eyes. My vision swam with a kaleidoscope of sparks and colors that momentarily blinded me.

“Fucking hell,” Lucian grunted, holding me in the pleasure his body gave me. His hands released my face, lowering to my hips as I lifted my feet flat on the bed, shoving him down onto the ruined mattress.

I bounced on his cock, using my feet to reach the tip before dropping and rocking as I lifted back to the bulbous head. He watched me, sitting up, resting on his elbows while he thrust up, meeting my every downward stroke as I fucked him hard and slow.

I dropped forward, claiming his mouth hungrily, and he groaned, pushing his tongue past my lips to duel against mine. Lucian rolled us without warning, fucking me hard and fast as I fell into another earth-shattering orgasm that had tears of relief flowing. His galaxy-filled depths held my stare prisoner as he pumped his hips, faster, harder, with no mercy as my arousal coated his length.

“You’re so fucking beautiful, Lena. I could spend an eternity watching you come for me. Do you understand?”

“Shut up and move, asshole,” I demanded hoarsely, my throat destroyed from Lucian fucking it and screaming my orgasm until the glass shattered. Lucian smirked, lowering his mouth to my puckered nipple, biting it hard enough to make me cry out. He chuckled against my breast, lifting his head to glare at me.

“Shut the fuck up and come for me. Do you have any idea how fucking hard I’ve been, knowing that you’re in my bed, drenched with a swollen clit? Do you think you’re alone in this torture? I almost demolished my entire club because staying away from you has been a fucking nightmare, woman. Now come for me because I need you sore and fucking wrecked for putting me through that shit.”

“Whose fault is that?” I whimpered as Lucian pushed my knees up against my shoulders, peering down at where we were joined.

“Damn, you burn so hot for me, Magdalena,” he growled, pulling out of my core to descend on it with his mouth. I howled as he sucked on my clit, flicking it with his tongue until everything within me broke apart. His thumb replaced his lips, and he groaned against my pussy as he lapped against it greedily. “Bloody hell, you taste like heaven on my tongue.”

“Lucian,” I moaned, using my legs to flip him onto his back, settling myself on his mouth. He growled, watching me as I writhed, grinding onto his tongue that speared into me. The noises he made sounded like he was drinking me as he fucked me with his mouth. It set off a chain reaction, and my wings snapped free as I exploded. “Fuck! Fucking hell, you bastard.”

Lucian laughed, staring into my eyes as I tried to lift free. He gripped my hips, using them to force me back down as he made inhuman noises while flicking his tongue inside of me. When he finally lifted my body, I stared down at the arousal coating his mouth with wide eyes as he slid me along his muscular frame, forcing me down until his thickness entered me violently.

Lucian smiled as I lowered my mouth, jutting my tongue out to taste my arousal on his lips. I was so engrossed in the kiss that I didn’t notice the weightlessness as we floated in the air. The entire room lost gravity, scattering the debris from my tantrum as it drifted around us. I gasped when my back touched the ceiling, placing my hands against it.

Lucian simply placed his hands on either side of my head, trapping me there as he fucked me harder. My mouth crashed against his, and I whimpered at the intensity as he slammed his cock deep into my body, driving yet another orgasm through my system.

“You’re my home, Lena.”

“And you’re mine, Lucian,” I whispered, watching him pull away from my lips to stare at me. “I love you, I always have.”

“Remember that.” He studied my face as he slowed his movements, tensing and moaning with his release. “You’re home to me. I can’t breathe without you, Magdalena. You’re my fucking air, and without you, I will destroy everything. You’re not out of trouble, though. You do not know what you did.”

“I’m sorry for leaving,” I admitted. “I didn’t know Erie would take me away from here.”

“If Lucifer had gotten to you….” His words trailed off, but I’d caught the emotion in his tone. “You can’t do that again. You have no idea what the fuck is at stake.”

“Then tell me. Make me understand, Lucian.”

“I can’t,” he growled, and I clasped onto him as we slowly floated back to the bed while gravity returned.

“Because you don’t trust me? I have given you no reason not to trust me.”

“You won’t stop going to Lucifer, Lena. You put yourself in danger every time you go to him.”

“I am not going to him, asshole. He’s pulling me to him. He has done it without me even being in stasis. I don’t know how to stop him from taking me to him,” I argued.

“You have to not want him to take you,” he snorted. “You don’t get it, woman. If you die, I die. You claimed me as your fucking mate. If I die, everything I have ever captured or claimed will be unleashed onto this world you love so much. If that happens, it’s game fucking over. You are my fucking weakness, and if anyone figures that out, you will become a target for my enemies. From the moment of my creation, I have never been vulnerable until you. There’s another thing, but I can’t tell you what it is until you can stop wanting Lucifer to take you away from me. You say you love me, and I don’t question it, Lena, because you’ve proven your loyalty and love to me by sacrificing your life. But you are placing us both in danger. Do you get that?” Lucian adjusted beside me, pulling my body against his while peering into my gaze.

“My seal is a living thing, Lena. It’s one of the three furies within you, the one that craves chaos and destruction. The seal lives and breathes to execute what it was created to protect—me. The second fury is judgment and the protector of Pandora’s Box, which houses the essence of the seven sins. The third and final fury is the keeper of Abaddon. No creature has ever been strong enough to house all three of the furies at once. Nyx assumed they would fracture and attach to one of the others she brought back, like your brother. She failed to calculate how fucking strong and powerful you were or would become. You can unleash Hell and the seven deadly sins into this world simply by touching the locks. You’ve become the key, Lena. You locked one fury within you, attaching it to your form with runes. She slumbers, stolen from the other two furies within you. I need to know how you did that because we have to put the other two down.”

“I can’t do it again, Lucian. The cost was my soul and the sacrifice of our child. I had to give up our son to a primordial being and the one thing I valued most in life. It left me an endless void of nothingness. I am soulless and don’t have a spare to recreate the spell. Not that it would matter, because I have nothing else that I value as much as I did my soul except for….”

“Except?” he asked, watching me.

“You,” I whispered, observing the way he smiled while my heart pounded painfully against my ribs.

“Then we keep you safe, Lena. Asmodeus knows his furies are back, and you can be damn sure he’s aware of what they hold within them. At one time, he was my friend. Now he’s Lucifer’s bitch. It doesn’t matter what Erie thinks or what Asmodeus says. An oath binds him that he made to Lucifer, and the only way he gets out of that bond is by unleashing Pandora from that box and freeing the power she stole from him by placing it into her box as one of the seven sins.”

“You think Asmodeus will betray Erie?”

“I don’t think, Lena. I know. The moment he is free of Erie, Asmodeus will be forced to return and carry that news to Lucifer. When Lucifer learns how to release his one true love, he will seek to do so at any cost.”

“Great, and I am the key to unlocking that box.” I swallowed past the lump forming in my throat. “And you’re the one thing standing between Lucifer using me and unleashing an entirely new level of hell onto this world. Would now be a bad time to point out that with the Unseelie prison open, the one thing that could kill me is once more accessible?”

“I’m aware.” Lucian leaned forward to place a soft kiss against my forehead. “I have men inside the prison already. Spyder has his shadows searching every inch for that dagger. We’ll find it and figure out how to destroy the fucking thing.”

“Why didn’t you tell me how you felt?” I asked, and his lips jerked into a wicked smile.

“I told Katarina that I loved her, and she used it against me. I failed to see how selfish and vicious she truly was. I promised to never repeat those words for as long as I exist. They’re just words that hold no meaning. Actions show how people really feel.” He searched my eyes before continuing. “When you took your life, I knew how you felt about me. You sacrificed yourself to spare me pain, and that told me everything I needed to know about you. You’re selfless and pure, Lena. There’s no world where you’re not mine because I would destroy them all to get you back.” Lucian pushed the hair away from my face, smiling at the way I narrowed my eyes on him.

“I knew you were mine from the moment I saw you. Not outside your ancestral home. In Oregon, when you watched the waves rolling in to crash onto the beach. You’d pulled me to you, and you were the most exquisite thing I’d seen in a very long time. It wasn’t your beauty that called to me, though. It was the loneliness I saw in your pretty eyes that matched the same emotion within me. It was also the soft scent of darkness that beckoned me to play with it. Like seeks like, discovering what it craves most no matter what stands between it and what it needs. That’s why you’re mine. You’re the other half of me that I’ve spent lifetimes seeking and hadn’t found until you.”

“Is that it? I thought it was my sparkling personality and the first woman in history to tell your ancient ass to get bent.”

“That was part of it, and that you looked into the eyes of a monster, and you wanted to play. You weren’t afraid of me, even though you should have been.”

“Maybe you’re not as scary as you think you are, Lucian Blackstone.” I pushed him down and smiled as he settled back, placing his arms behind his head, watching as I slid onto his cock. “You owe me so many orgasms, asshole.”

“Are you planning on having your way with me, Mrs. Blackstone?” he challenged, his eyes sparkling in challenge.

“Indeed, I am, Mr. Blackstone. And you have yet to marry me, which means I am not your wife yet. You want me, put a ring on it, asshole. Until then, shut the fuck up and fuck me like you hate me. I’m fucking starving for you.”

“Good,” he growled, lifting me by my hips to slam me back down. I gasped, shuddering at the delicious soreness he’d created. “You’re so fucking hot when you think you’re in control.” He rolled me beneath him as he slowly thrust into my body. “I almost want you to keep pretending you are, but we both know that you’re not. Now scream, because I’m going to show you how it feels to be mine again, and you will be a good little girl and take it for me.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

There was peace to be found in violence. Lucian had shown it to me, and even in our darkest hours, he’d made me see the light. ~Lena

I woke to feathers floating in the surrounding air. Lifting from the wrecked bed, I stretched out my sore, overused body. Lucian had sent me to church more times than I could count. We’d spent days in the bed discovering each other, or more to the point, accepting that we were actually in love with one another. It had been the best sex of my life, but I wouldn’t be admitting to it anytime soon, in case he thought it had anything to do with torturing me endlessly.

Standing, I winced at the pain between my thighs but smiled, remembering him growling my name and then moaning it in the same breath. The man was insatiable, and had enough stamina to rebuild the entire world. Moving to the bathroom, I turned on the shower and headed back into the bedroom to gather something to wear.

Hanging on the corner of the bed was a single navy blue dress with an A-line bodice. Beside it, dangling from a red piece of lace, were panties. I chewed my lip, rolling my eyes that he’d probably be removing them with his teeth tonight. The man had a ferocious appetite, and I was glad for it, considering mine was the same.

Grabbing the clothes, I headed back to the bathroom. Stretching my neck and stifling a yawn, I placed the garments on the counter and slipped into the shower. The water felt good against my sore body. I leaned my head back against the tile wall and closed my eyes, expelling a sigh of bliss. Everything seemed good, too good to last.

I’d become cynical. I knew that every time the world appeared to fall into place; it broke apart. Lucian had promised to find and bring Joshua back here to talk, since I couldn’t leave the club. The problem was that Joshua feared being stuck to Lucian’s side, just like me. He didn’t realize that it was the fury and seal within me that had caused that reaction when I’d first returned to life after becoming one of the soulless.

I washed up and turned off the water, stepping out of the shower as the mirror blurred. Rubbing my eyes, I opened them and gasped. The bathroom changed, shimmering to reveal an orchard that had trees with ripe, red fruit hanging from the branches of lush green limbs. Dressing quickly, I blew the air out of my lungs while eyeing the scenery suspiciously.

“An orchid filled with apples? Hmm, I wonder where the serpent is hiding,” I chirped, knowing it was one of Lucifer’s illusions. “Lucifer, oh Lucifer, how I loathe thee,” I sang it, my tone expressing boredom and tiredness I felt to the sliver of my soul.

Once I had the dress on, I stepped into the image and peered around at the deep valley that rolled on as far as I could see. Inhaling, I frowned, scenting Lucian in the breeze. It was as if he was right beside me, but a quick twirl in place proved he wasn’t anywhere within sight.

My feet moved over the softest grass I’d ever felt in my life. I bunched my toes together, pinching the grass gently while I moved deeper among the trees. The scene changed, revealing an elegant courtyard with spiraling towers that reached into the clouds. I stood on the border, between the courtyard and orchard, silently waiting for my tour guide to appear.

Inhaling deeply, I narrowed my gaze at something new. Mere feet away, a woman studied me through glowing green eyes. I smiled at her, and she backed up, running from me.

“Wait!” I called out to her retreating form, but she vanished.

“She’s come,” a voice said, but looking around didn’t reveal who or what had said it. “Our Queen is home where she belongs. She’s more beautiful than he said she was.”

“Who said that?” I demanded, searching the direction in which I’d assumed the voyeur had stood. Only nothing was there. “Lucifer? This isn’t funny anymore.”

The scene changed, revealing high cliffs that had precarious, deadly-looking rocks up the sheer face of it. I slowly approached, gazing up at the towering height to the top of it. Of course, I was within Lucifer’s dream world, which meant nothing could happen to me here.

I started climbing, hearing the voices, asking why I’d be crazy enough to risk the insane climb. My fingers ached by the time I’d reached the top. Hefting myself up onto the last rock, I stood, brushing my hands off on my clothes.

“Oh, wow,” I whispered while peering out over the landscape.

Rolling valleys spread across the east, while a vast ocean of tranquil seawater covered the north. To the west, a palace that looked like it had been plucked from a magical gothic kingdom sat, surrounded by waterfalls with the same Caribbean blue-green water flowing from them. I turned south, taking in immense mountains that looked like some shit you’d see in National Geographic magazine, stretched out as far as I could see, reaching for the heavens.

“Hello?” I called, cupping my hands around my mouth to smirk at the loud echo that exploded through the world. “This is unreal,” I admitted, peering down the cliff I’d scaled moments ago. Frowning at the idea of climbing back down, I scanned the ground, learning it was some sort of rock pillar and not a cliff at all. Upon further inspection, I found a silver box sitting in the center.

“What is she doing now?” a disembodied feminine voice whispered.

“I can hear you. Show yourself,” I growled, searching the small area where I stood yet still appearing to be alone.

“Where is he? If she is here, how is he not with her? Did she come—alone?” a male asked, causing me to spin toward his voice.

“This isn’t funny. Show yourself, now,” I ordered, looking around.

“She cannot see us, right? We promised to remain out of sight. He would be so angry if we disobeyed his orders.” The woman sounded thoughtful, but there was actual fear in her voice.

“Either show yourself or get the hell away from me, now,” I seethed, unnerved at the idea of not being able to see a threat this close to me.

“Do you think she came for the babe?” the male asked his female companion.

“What babe? Is Makenna here? Please, she’s in danger.” My voice trembled, causing them to go silent.

“Apparently, she didn’t come for the babe,” the female announced. “We should go, Cain. If he discovers us here close to her, he will consume us again. We’ve seen her beauty and know what drew our king to our new queen. She’s exquisite and perfectly matched to him.”

“Indeed, so she is. Her eyes, though, they’re filled with pain. Can you see it? You would think she’d be more akin to the other’s taste. His shadows would devour her and deliver her from them with his power. I wonder why our king claimed her first since he vowed never again to fall for a mortal.”

“You are indulging in your fantasies again. The Shadow Lord will never cave to your lust, Cain. Really, these delusions you have of him, and your need to continue pandering to gossip is what landed you here in the first place.”

“I’m very aware of how I got here, Catlin,” the male said, both oblivious to my questions as their voices got further away from me by the moment.

Frowning, I turned to the silver box that looked large enough to stand inside. Moving closer, I ran my fingers over the outside, watching as glyphs ignited on the ground around it. Then, stepping into the box, I screamed as it dropped straight down without warning. It halted, and I tripped on my rush to get out of it, staring at it like it was possessed.

“Where the fuck am I?” I asked absently, standing to dust off my dress as I glanced toward the palace.

There was only one way to figure out where the hell I was, and it was by heading to the one place that was sure to have people that weren’t invisible. Walking down the hill, I paused at the entrance to the courtyard, waiting for someone, anyone, to appear and send my ass away or welcome me inside. Neither happened, which led to me to entering like some creep on my tiptoes.

Inside, I struggled to keep my jaw off the ground. There were statues and fountains everywhere I looked, and flowers blossomed as the scenery changed. The day became night, and snow fell from the sky. The gentle fragrance of night blooms and other nocturnal flowers filled the air. I strode toward a glowing bloom, lifting my fingers to brush them over the radiant petals.

Soft music began playing, forcing my attention on a statue that held a harp. I frowned, stepping closer, and saw the strings move with no one touching them. Beside the statue was a pool of gleaming water, and my mouth opened in awe and then snapped it shut. Peering into it, I noticed what looked to be souls swimming in the translucent depths.

Kneeling, I stared into the bottomless pool of souls, leaning forward and reaching out to dip my fingers into the water, but something touched my shoulder. Turning, I searched the vacant courtyard, slowly moving my gaze back to the souls. Finally, I reached into the pool, grabbing one of the wispy souls, and screamed as it burned me.

Cradling my hand against my chest, I stood and gazed around at the ethereal beauty of the place in which I’d found myself. Lucifer had to be fucking with me. He’d always been in the immediate vicinity when I’d arrived in whatever landscape he’d conjured.

He’d never actually put much effort into creating an illusion like this, though. The only place that had ever felt real was his castle, which had sent chills down my spine from the wailing I’d heard in the distance as I’d held Makenna.

Glancing at my fingers, I winced at the red, raw flesh resulting from touching the water. Sucking my bottom lip between my teeth, I looked at the huge, foreboding doors that sat atop an enormous obsidian staircase. Taking in my surroundings, I noted the blanket of snow covering the path into the courtyard and the gate that I hadn’t heard close behind me.

Unlike the other places I’d been to, this one wasn’t sending off warning bells. It felt—right. Good gods, I wasn’t ever going to admit that out loud and hear Lucifer bragging or using it against me when he sucked me into his realm.

Starting for the staircase, I listened to the whispering wings that grew harsher as I got closer. My bare feet moved slowly over the sheer, sleek obsidian stairs. I frowned when I looked down and saw a golden sheen left behind from my steps, like footprints following me. What the hell?

Pausing at the doors, I wondered exactly how I should announce my presence. Did one have to be invited into a palace, or were you supposed to go inside and then reveal yourself? In the movies, footmen or something similar would open the doors, right? A moment before I would have knocked, covering my bases, the doors opened.

“Because that’s not freaking creepy, right?” I muttered, stepping inside.

My eyes grew rounded as my jaw dropped at the breathtaking beauty inside. Obsidian flowed from the stairs, covering the floors. Massive glittering chandeliers hung from cathedral ceilings created of stained glass, allowing even more light from the moon to enter the palace.

“Hello?” I called out, listening as my voice echoed throughout. Paintings of landscapes, battles, and mythical creatures covered the high walls. Yet, nothing visible gave a clue as to where I was or who owned this magical land. “Is anyone here?”

I felt like Alice after she’d fallen down the gaping hole in the ground. Only I was missing a cool cat and rabbit to show me around. Frowning at the thought, I crept further into the interior toward a grand staircase, pausing as my foot touched the step and my surroundings changed to reveal images of me?

Everywhere.

“Now I know it’s you, asshole,” I muttered, rolling my eyes at a picture of me naked, lounging on an enormous bed. My hand rested beneath my head, and my eyes were closed. I looked—sexy. Not that I would admit it, since the creep had taken the photo in the lower level of Lucian’s club. A sheet covered my bottom half, leaving my breasts exposed. Someone had gone wild with Photoshop because they had never looked that good. “Creep, did you enjoy watching me sleep?” I screamed up the staircase, expecting to hear Lucifer’s laughter.

The images on the wall changed, revealing me in other locales, causing my brow to furrow. Where the hell had he been when he’d taken these photos? And why were they at angles that looked as if he’d been standing right beside me?

A soft cry started from up the stairs, and everything within me went still. Tears burned my eyes, and my feet began moving toward the faint cries of an infant. My heart thundered painfully against my ribcage, but when I reached the landing of the staircase, the world began to spin around me.

“No! No, please,” I whispered as weightlessness overtook me. The palace spun around me, and I turned my head, trying to focus on a large door at the end of the long hallway. “Harbinger,” I sobbed, but my voice didn’t come out loud enough to be heard.

Hands touched me, and I peered up into Lucian’s worried stare.

“Lucifer?” he questioned softly. Worry deepened his midnight eyes, darkening in question.

“I don’t know,” I replied, sitting up from the bathroom floor. Lucian pulled me to my feet, staring down at me before he grabbed my fingers, holding them up to inspect them.

“Where were you, Lena?”

“I don’t know, but it was amazing,” I stated, frowning as I leaned against Lucian, inhaling his soothing scent. “I heard him, Lucian. I heard our son crying. I couldn’t get to him, though. The world started spinning, and I lost the door. I’m crazy, right? I thought it was Lucifer, but it felt—safe. I felt safe there.”

“Did you touch anything?” he asked, still staring at my fingertips.

“A pool, one that had souls swimming in it,” I admitted, watching his eyes narrow on me. “Something bumped me, but I couldn’t stop myself from reaching for them.”

“Indeed, who wouldn’t want to stick their hand into a pool filled with damned souls?” he muttered, pulling me with him.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Into the fray we go, unknowing that life will never be the same. ~Lena

Ryder and Synthia were finally able to leave Faery to help us get into the guild. We drove to Spokane to meet them in silence. Neither of us spoke about the bodies littering the highway. There wasn’t much you could say about the surreal, macabre scene. We exited the Cusick cutoff road and had to wait for Lucian’s men to remove several abandoned cars that sat on the road.

Once we started forward again, I swallowed the bile that burned the back of my throat as we passed the rock faces lining the four-lane roadway. Someone had hung humans over their edges, dangling corpses on ropes. From their looks, they’d luckily been deceased before being strung up for shock value.

Demons loved instilling fear in the living, and humans were afraid of death. It made them brash in their need to escape the boltholes in which they’d hidden. Those who lingered had survived the first onslaught of Hell being unleashed into the world. It forced the demons to hunt harder, to look deeper.

The bodies displayed on the rocks lining the side of the highway told others that the guild had gone silent. Previously, Alden had led others to clean up the deceased, giving them a proper burial. Now that enforcers weren’t leaving the guild or scurrying through the shadows, fear fueled the community like a wildfire. I could smell it and sense it around me.

If I looked hard enough, I could see into the shadows to catch sight of the demons waiting for prey to fall into their grasp. I couldn’t, however, see humans. That was good and bad. It meant the humans were hiding, but that they also weren’t foraging.

“These people are going to need food and supplies,” I stated offhandedly, turning to look at Lucian’s side profile. His jaw ticked, but his soft exhale and nod confirmed he’d do it nonetheless. “Medical supplies are a necessity. I could put together a guide for natural remedies and make some tonics to include in the packages.”

“You think they need shampoo?” he snorted, tightening his grip on the steering wheel.

I narrowed my gaze on him before I undid my seatbelt, immediately drawing his attention to me. Crawling onto Lucian’s lap, I straddled him, cupping his face between my hands. He jerked his face free as he lifted his eyes over my shoulder to see the road.

“I think small comforts bring up the morale when tragedy strikes. I believe stupid shit like shampoo and tonics to ease ailments will make them realize that there are still people out here fighting for them. It’s not always about the big things.”

“Erie is collecting humans, Lena. She has been doing so since this shit started. I discovered it a week after the Hell Gate opened, allowing demons to enter this world. The humans we’ve found wandering are taken to her shelter beneath the city. She’s been using an old bunker to house them, and Zahruk was taking them supplies when she couldn’t. The humans know they’re not alone. You can make them whatever tonics, soaps, and shampoos you fucking want, and I will see they are delivered to them personally. However, you won’t be venturing out to deliver shit no matter what happens, agreed?” he growled, settling his eyes on me as a wide smile spread across my face.

“You’re just a big softy, aren’t you?” I countered, lowering my lips to his throat. Gently, I nipped his neck and ground my need against his cock. He chuckled wickedly, turning his head to allow me more access.

“If that turns you on, I’ll be certain to find every last human living in this shithole and save them,” he purred huskily, growling when I pulled back, narrowing my stare on him.

“If Erie’s saving them, then why are so many hanging around?”

“Believe it or not, some want to be worn by demons.” This revelation deflated the subtle hint of hope I’d felt. “Some live on anarchy and crave the high demon’s promise to them. You can’t save everyone. Hell, we can barely save those who want to be saved, so trying to ensure the ones who don’t want it would be a tremendous waste of time and supplies.”

Crawling back into my seat, I silently pondered his words. It made sense. You couldn’t save someone who didn’t want to be saved. Sure, you could explain the repercussions until you were blue in the face, but it boiled down to what he’d said.

“Look…” he started, but I cut him off.

“It makes sense. I understand some people are hopelessly lost.”

“When did you become so agreeable?” Lucian snorted, reaching over and grabbing my thigh.

“I can be reasonable,” I scoffed, placing my hand over his and rolling my eyes at his wide, shocked expression. “What? I can be. Sometimes I take a little longer to see it, but then I’m still trying to look through rose-colored glasses. I don’t want to believe that people are evil or that they would throw away their lives to be used as Habitat for Humanity, demon style.”

“You’re the most infuriating woman I’ve ever met, Magdalena,” he laughed, causing my chest to tighten.

It wasn’t because he upset me. In fact, his declaration spread warmth through me. This creature loved me, and he’d proven it over and over last night by kissing every inch of me. Lucian would never say the words, but he had shown me through his actions.

I’d been blind to it because in my short time on earth, I’d never known real love. Not the type he showered on me. He protected me, even from my own mistakes. It was in the simple things he did for me, the way he held me at night, curling his massive body around me while softly talking until we both gave in to the need to refresh our minds, and slipped into the velvety darkness of stasis.

Sure, I felt like an ass for not realizing his feelings for me without having to read the notes, but it was us in a nutshell. We were chaotic creatures, ones that loved blindly, uncaring what the world thought of us. I had been in love with him since the moment he’d picked me up after Todd was inhabited by demons and violated me.

Lucian caught me when I fell, but he allowed me to fall and learn things on my own. He knew I preferred to pretend I was still human and as if I hadn’t lost my humanity and soul. He let me be who I was before I’d protected him, and that made me love him even more.

“Alden is resourceful, Lena. Stop believing the worst has befallen the elder. He didn’t get to where he was from being weak.”

I blinked, peering at Lucian across the center console, smirking. “I wasn’t thinking about Alden.”

“Then what were you thinking about just now?” he questioned, slowly rubbing his thumb over my thigh.

“Todd, and how you were the only one who knew what I needed at that moment. At my darkest point, you held me up and kept me together. You barely knew me then, yet you understood me better than anyone.”

“It didn’t take much to figure you out, Little Witch. You just needed time to compartmentalize what had transpired and climb out from the wreckage. I should have followed you home and kept you safe, and it wouldn’t have happened at all.”

“No, you shouldn’t have.”

“Magdalena,” he started to argue, but at my exasperated groan, he stopped.

“That was the first time I knew I was falling in love with you. I wouldn’t change it for anything. You held me through the night and allowed me just to experience life. When did you know you were falling for me?” I asked, wondering if he’d tell me.

“When you took my entire dick down your throat,” he stated with a straight face. My mouth opened and closed, and he snorted. “The first moment I met you, Lena. Your soul shone so fucking brightly that it blinded me. You left me awestruck, and there was a familiarity to you I couldn’t explain. You felt like someone had turned on the heat, and for the first time since my creation, I felt warmth sinking into my frozen tundra of existence. I wanted to kill you to stop it from spreading, but I had to know where it would lead. I had to know you and taste what shouldn’t ever belong to something as dark and cancerous as myself.”

“You think you shouldn’t be loved, but you’re wrong. You’re an asshole, but you’re my asshole.”

“You say the sweetest shit.” He smiled, leaning forward as he looked through the windshield at the dark clouds gathering above us.

“Looks like a storm is coming,” I stated softly, nodding up at the sky.

“That’s not a storm. That’s what happens when demons congregate in one location, causing an imbalance of the normal atmosphere with their unearthly presence. Lucifer senses you’re no longer hidden and are here. This is a bad idea.”

“So was leaving me home alone,” I pointed out, which didn’t seem to ease the tension inside the car. “I can’t hide forever, Lucian. You’re here with me, and Spyder is literally clinging to the roof as your backup. I’m safe.”

“You’re not safe, Lena. You won’t be safe until he can no longer reach for you,” he snapped, anger and power rushing through the vehicle. Thunder clapped loudly above us, and Lucian jerked the car to the left, as lightning stuck where it had been. “Put your seatbelt back on, now.”

I didn’t question it or point out that I was immortal. Instead, I fastened the belt and scooted closer to him. Lucian’s hand on my thigh tightened as shadows slithered into the backseat from the open window.

“Our presence has been noticed, and the scent of demon stench is insufferable outside,” Spyder announced, leaning between us. “Nightshade should appear in front of us within the next few moments. The others are taking defensive positions around us now. I’d hold on to your panties, Kitty.”

“She’s not wearing any.” Lucian turned the wheel abruptly, jerking the car hard right. I yelped, surprised by the quick motion.

“What in the… Left!” I screamed, right as a demon fell onto the pavement in front of us. Lucian turned the wheel to the right, and we all ducked as he slammed directly into the bastard, spraying the windshield of the Humvee in blood.

We rose in silence as Lucian switched on the wipers, which screeched as they smeared the blood over the tempered glass. Another demon hit the hood, and the Hummer drove over the body, jostling us as if it had been more than just one we’d hit. It was possible, considering it was hard to determine through the bloodied windshield. Lucian pressed a button on the steering wheel that sprayed Rain-X on it, and I turned to look at the calmness he displayed.

I was still staring at Lucian as he put the Humvee into park and opened the door. Spyder placed his hand on me reassuringly before Lucian yanked open the door and pulled me out.

No sooner had he ripped me from the car, Nightshade appeared before us, with Ryder, Vlad, and Adam standing silent sentinel and a pile of dead demons on the ground at their feet.

“It’s raining demons,” Vlad stated. “I never thought the weather would need to include a chance of demons during the day and brimstone by night. But, to state the obvious, it should. Let’s get inside, shall we?” he asked, sweeping his arm toward the glowing door, which was covered in eerie blue runes.

“I don’t think the weatherman is reporting the truth anymore,” Spyder snorted. “He’s probably given up trying to decide what to say in explanation for this shitty weather.”

I was escorted inside, where friendly faces turned to offer their welcome. Smiling, I took in Synthia’s swollen midsection. She glowed with her pregnancy, and even though I could tell that worry for Alden plagued her mind, she still offered a friendly smile.

Ristan sat beside her, his hands folded in his lap while he spoke quietly to a man next to him. Not a man, Asher, whose dark hair was pulled back, and his iridescent eyes lifted, locking with mine in open curiosity.

“About time you guys got here.” Synthia stood, wrapping her arms around me and hugging me tightly.

I didn’t need to tell her how worried I was about Alden. I didn’t need to say it because she was terrified of losing the old man. He was like a father to her, having raised Synthia after her adoptive father was murdered.

“Sorry, it was a long drive through the country. The weather lately has been terrible and only seems to be getting worse with the guild’s silence.”

“He’s okay, Lena.”

“How do you know that, Syn?” I countered softly, allowing her to pull back just enough to stare down at me.

“Because he has to be.” She swallowed past the thickening of her words. “Because he has to be, and no other answer will do.”

Chapter Thirty

A fae, a demon, and a monster walked into the guild—it’s not a punchline. It’s our reality. ~Lena

We stared down at a map that sat on a large round table in the middle of the club. Drinks were distributed while Synthia and Ristan explained the layout of the guild to everyone inside the room. Ristan had played an intricate part in rebuilding the guild, which he’d pointed out when Lucian had asked why he was barking out orders instead of Ryder.

Ryder scoffed and turned to Synthia. A silent look passed between them, as if they remembered something private. I smiled at the look on Synthia’s face as Ryder tugged her closer, placing a soft kiss on her forehead before turning her toward the map, hugging her from behind, his hands resting on her swollen belly.

Lowering my eyes to not appear like some creeper watching their every move, I shifted my attention to find Lucian studying me. A small, knowing smile tugged at his lips as Ristan pointed to the map.

“That’s the secondary doors. If the demons got past the first doors, the second ones should have sealed, locking them out. Erie helped us place runes here, here, and here.” He indicated several places on the map, slowly lifting silver eyes to Lucian that swirled much like Vlad’s. “If the demons bypassed these securities, then we need to worry that something bigger helped them get inside.”

“And by something bigger, he means Lucifer. When we built the guild, we didn’t add the fucking Devil to the list of shit we needed to ward against,” Synthia stated, tapping her fingers over the markings of the catacombs. “We did, however, reinforce the tunnels to withstand anything, and I mean anything.”

“Not anything,” Lucian corrected. “I can easily bypass wards, and any other protections that Erie can place,” he pointed out.

“Yeah, well, had I realized you were an actual thing, I would have added it to the list of shit to prepare for,” Synthia grunted, shaking her head while staring at the spot her fingers traced.

My gaze slid to her abdomen as her other hand absently stroked an area of her stomach that moved. The babe within her quickened, and a small smile touched her lips before she caught me looking at it. Synthia’s hand landed on the table, and I locked gazes with her.

“He’s really active,” she explained. “It calms him when I rub where he is.”

“How do you know it is a boy?” I asked.

“I know I carry a son,” she stated firmly. “Mainly because someone I lost said I would carry his soul into the new life and be his mother.”

“Dristan,” I swallowed, remembering how hard his loss had hit them.

“Yeah,” she grinned. “I’m really hoping the babe has his wild hair. He had the most beautiful hair I’ve ever seen.” Both Ryder and Ristan chuckled at her words. “What? He did.”

“So the plan is to go in expecting the worst and hope for the best?” Vlad asked, leaning over the table. “Lucifer could be the one who smashed through the front of the guild. After all, he’s aware of Lena’s fondness for Alden. It would be one way to draw her out.”

“I don’t think he counted on a full assault team of creatures coming to the rescue,” Zahruk stated, forcing my eyes to where he stepped out of the shadows.

“Holy shit, what happened to you?” I gasped.

He had huge black wings that looked soft, yet deadly. Thick black and silver brands pulsed over his shoulders, pounding audibly inside the room. Vibrant blue eyes held mine, the thin black surrounding the blue expanded, filling his eyes until it swallowed up the whites. On his shoulders, beneath the wings, were blades held by a harness with several other weapons secured to the leather. He now looked like sex had met and had a love child with desire, and Zahruk was the child left behind from the affair.

“Remember those inky shadows that crept from the portal in that alleyway Alden took us to investigate? It seems that when they latched onto me, they liked what they saw and enhanced me a bit,” he snorted. “The better question is why the shadows didn’t like you, Lena?”

“Because I protect her, and no one would think to fuck with anything attached to me,” Lucian answered, pulling me back against his warmth. “How’s the hunger, Zahruk?”

“Endless,” he replied, tsking his tongue against his teeth. “I also occasionally shriek instead of making words.”

Asher snorted and jumped down from where he’d been sitting on the bar. “I told you, it’s how we speak. It’s also how the Unseelie communicates. You’re evolving.”

A high-pitched shrill ripped through the bar, and I clapped my hands over my ears for fear they’d begin bleeding.

A dark-haired female with iridescent eyes was facing Zahruk, shrieking in an earsplitting noise that had my brain pounding. Zahruk shook his head, responding with the same sound.

I screamed the moment the noise became too much to bear, and all eyes turned to me. Lucian growled in their general direction, and it was enough warning to make Zahruk and the female switch into actual words.

“Why did you scream?” Synthia asked, the only one catching on that it actually hurt my ears for them to speak as they had.

“It was splitting my head apart,” I admitted.

“You shouldn’t have heard it, though. Did anyone else hear it?” Synthia asked, searching the faces around the table before zeroing in on me. “Didn’t think so, but you did.”

“I don’t know why I could hear it. It sounded like shrieking. It vibrated inside my brain and hurt.”

“It’s because she’s in a human form,” Lucian explained. “She may have died, but her body remains human, fueled by the furies for their immortality. Without them, she’s just a human. Humans aren’t immune to the fae, which includes the Unseelie and Seelie. No matter which god or goddess crafted the species, they’re all creatures who prey upon her race.”

“Which is why my compass is pointing me to her to feed,” Zahruk admitted before holding his hands up, palm exposed. “I didn’t say I would, only that I craved to feed on her, Lucian. Believe it or not, I don’t want to taste that forbidden fruit. Lena has enough men trying to snack on her already.”

“Remember that,” Lucian growled, tightening his hold on me before placing a soft kiss against my throat, sending a shiver rushing through me.

“That shit isn’t helping me, asshole. Everything is heightened right now, including smell and knowing when a woman is responsive to a male.” Zahruk glared over my shoulder as Asher snickered beside him. “Fuck you, rainbow boy,” he snapped.

“Cool your balls, Zahruk. Soon enough, your transformation will be complete, and you will be able to turn it down a bit. Until that time comes, you can find someone who isn’t taken to ease that ache,” Elysian snapped back, her rainbow-colored eyes holding his in a challenge. “Go find Freya. She’s about to hit a dragon heat cycle. She’ll be so hungry she could eat a village of men with her pussy.”

“Fuck that noise. I don’t fuck anyone I have to see again,” Zahruk admitted, pain entering his gaze.

“Don’t even right now,” Synthia warned.

I glanced between them, making a mental note of the tension in their silent stares. Zahruk looked saddened, while Synthia appeared—detached. It was as if she had closed off her emotions or refused to feel whatever had briefly flashed in her electric-blue gaze.

“Back to the cluster fuck we’re about to walk into, ladies,” Ristan announced in a cheery tone, even though it didn’t reach his eyes.

We were all fucked up in our own ways, I realized. There wasn’t a single person inside the room that wasn’t fighting some sort of demon, and some were bigger than others, like Synthia and the Fae. They’d lost people, yet you wouldn’t realize it unless you noticed the pain shining from within them.

Lucian’s lips against my throat had me sinking deeper into his arms, needing the comfort he offered while I listened to Ristan.

“If the demons succeeded in reaching the catacombs below, they could be holed up down there. We packed it with enough supplies to last through another cold war.”

“Our fear is, if one of the changelings, a human transitioning into an Unseelie prince or princess, is inside, well, he or she could have done a number on them. It would explain why no one is contacting us from within the guild. Alden has a direct line to Vlad, who has one to us,” Synthia informed.

“I also gave him a cellphone that calls out directly to me. He hasn’t used it or answered it, either. I had Bane calling on the hour for the first week and once every five hours after that. Alden never picked up,” Lucian stated.

Synthia’s eyes widened slightly. “Thank you for that. You didn’t have to do that, but I’m thankful you did, Lucian. It’s been a relief knowing that Vlad and Adrian weren’t the only ones monitoring him. Alden told me that you had men on him, but he assumed it was for a more sinister reason.”

“Magdalena is attached to Alden, and therefore I ensured he was never out and about without backup. Not that he needed it. He is very adept and has more survival skills than most immortals nowadays.”

Synthia laughed before an anxious sigh escaped her. “I’m counting on that to get him out of there alive. I’m worried about the amount of time that has passed. We don’t know what we’re going to find down there. He would have called if he could.” Synthia voiced our fears, shoving the truth down our throats. “Alden wouldn’t want us risking our lives for his. If any of you don’t want to do this with us, I understand. I won’t judge you if you back out now.”

“That’s not happening,” I stated firmly. “Alden loved my mother and made her happy. I can never repay him for that. I can, however, fight for him.”

“He’s been there for all of us,” Vlad entered the conversation, shaking his head as he shoved his hands into his pockets. “Alden brought you and Ryder together when he suspected what you would become. He forgave me for turning Adrian because he knew Adrian’s end would be violent. He’d known it because he foresaw it happening through the aid of a seer. Alden got involved when the guild fought to murder innocent fae, and he stood between them and us when Shadowlands was bombed and destroyed by the mages. There’s not one person inside this room he hasn’t helped.” Asher coughed, clearing his throat. “Other than this asshole and his sister, even though I do believe he stepped in to help Elysian when she went in search of a mascot.”

“He told me I couldn’t bang teenage boys because it left an impression.” We all stared at her before she rolled her eyes. “He was nineteen and such a gentleman. Anyway, he showed me how emotions could be tied to humans and that they became clingy when feelings entered into fucking.” The men snorted, but Synthia’s gaze met mine, and we shook our heads at Elysian’s announcement.

“Okay, so no one wants to sit this one out? We have no idea what is waiting inside that place. It could be the Devil, or it could be Unseelie princes,” Syn continued.

“Or princesses,” Elysian pointed out. “They need to balance us, and in order to do so, they’d need to create some girls. You know I’m a whole lot of woman.” She wiggled her hips and then shoulders in an awkward move that looked like she was trying to dance. “Tough crowd. Are we ready, then?” she asked, but the door opening caused us all to turn, staring at the new face that entered.

“I’m coming with you,” Erie announced, skipping across the room until she reached the table. “So, who are we killing?”

“Anything that fucks with us,” I muttered.

She laughed girlishly, clapping her hands loudly. “That sounds like fun! Mount up, Riders of the Storm!”

Everyone stared at the Goddess of War, who wore full armor and weapons gracing almost every inch of her. She was also covered in blood, with bits and pieces of flesh all over her body.

“Erie, who or what is all over you?” I questioned.

“Everything that tried to fuck with me!” she chirped, waggling her brows emphatically.

“Oh boy,” Synthia groaned.

“And girls!”

“Fuck,” Lucian muttered. “I smell human, Erie.”

“One, but he was housing a nasty inside of him. I handled it, and a family lived because of it. I won’t be made to feel bad on that one, Lucian.”

“Agreed,” Synthia and I said at the same time. My eyes met hers, and we smiled as the men snorted. “Let’s do this.” We said together, knowing what the other would say.

It was Alden, after all. The guild elder fought for what was right. The same man who had chosen to die as a mortal because he believed he would find peace in the afterlife. Our group of immortals began checking weapons and donning armor as we prepared to exit the club. We didn’t know what would be waiting for us inside the guild, but at least we wouldn’t be left wondering if they were alive or dead within it.

Chapter Thirty-One

We’re one mad decision away from becoming a reality show. ~Lena

The front of the guild looked as if a bomb had gone off from within it. Glass shards reflected the sun setting from the east, and brimstone mixed with the tang of blood clung heavily in the air the closer we got to the entrance. No one spoke, unable to put into words the emotions we felt at the sight before us.

I’d never seen the guild in disarray, and it got worse as we reached the top of the staircase that led up to where the front door once stood. Inside, we saw bodies littering the floor, and nothing moved. There were no signs of life.

An eerie calmness radiated through the gaping holes of the building. A soft hum of magic played through the air, and from where we stood, we could see the runes and wards had been disabled. My stomach sank with the realization that the chances of anyone being alive within were dismal at best.

“That’s not good,” Synthia whispered thickly.

Her shoulders drooped and her eyes watered with unshed tears. I felt her emotion, experiencing the same heart-wrenching pain of loss that I’d sensed the last time I’d been on these stairs, preparing altars for my family to be burned for burial. It was déjà vu all over again.

“It doesn’t mean they couldn’t reach the shelter below, Pet,” Ryder offered, pulling Synthia against his tall, lengthy frame to wrap his arms around her. “Alden is smart and resourceful. He would have protected the orphans of Faery from being hurt or murdered with his last dying breath.”

“I know he would, but that’s also what scares me. I can’t lose him too, not right now,” Synthia replied, leaning back to escape Ryder’s comfort.

My attention slid to the charred remains on the ground. Something had turned the enforcers into overcooked corpses. The smell of brimstone in the air was due to the bodies being blackened in death, but the tang of freshly spilled blood was off.

“How did the guild look untouched from the street, then revealed the damage as we got closer?” I knew I hadn’t imagined it looking like a strong, fortified building.

“Glamour, young one,” Ristan answered, giving me a tight-lipped smile before swinging his attention back to the shambles of what had once been the strongest structure in the Inland Northwest. “We needed it to look intact to others, allowing us time to get here without the site being disturbed. We didn’t want humans coming to see that the one thing standing as their protection and protectors had fallen to the enemy. The illusion is a spell that was activated the moment the guild was attacked.”

“But you weren’t able to get here,” I pointed out. “So the humans think they’re still protected, and the truth is, without the guild, they’re not. They’re sitting ducks for demons remaining inside this world that want to inhabit the humans.”

Ristan exhaled slowly, blowing the air out of his lungs before he replied, “Sadly, that is exactly what took place.”

“I should have been here,” Synthia groaned. “I was so busy dealing with Faery that I missed the seriousness of the situation.”

“I was here, Synthia, and by the time I realized what had happened, it was too late for any of us to enter without you and Ryder,” Vlad grunted beside me. “We’ve passed by the guild and saw the broken glass, but I didn’t notice how badly it had been attacked with the complications happening here.”

“We’ve all had obstacles lately. We have failed the one person who never let us down,” Synthia replied, exhaling as she wiped away the tears that had formed.

“I understand the charred stench of brimstone, but not the coppery tang shit that is making me gag,” I interrupted, hoping to get an answer for the scent of fresh blood. “You smell that too, right?”

“We do, but maybe humans gained access and cut themselves on the glass. While it is blood, it isn’t a lot, or so I think based on the stink coming from inside,” Syn offered in explanation. “Or someone within is still bleeding.”

“I can hear heartbeats inside,” Vlad announced. “They’re weak but viable.”

“It could be some of the enforcers Alden brought in from the other guilds after they fell,” Erie stated. She buffed her nails on her leather skirt, shrugging when we turned in her direction. “I have been helping the old guy with shit lately, since everyone else was busy. He also took some of the creatures that were in my shelter, offering to train them for me.”

“You’ve been assisting Alden in replenishing the guild with enforcers?” Synthia asked, her hand moving over her stretched stomach.

“I have since we’re gathering an influx of beings to the area. They need to go somewhere that they can be a part of the solution, instead of being another problem the guild tries to handle alone,” Erie pointed out, making perfect sense. She occasionally shocked us with her sane persona. Erie was brilliant when she applied it and scary when she let her crazy out to play.

“What’s the plan? Having potential victims inside changes things.” Vlad pushed his hair away from his face and tipped his head, as if listening for people within the guild. “We can grab the survivors and bring them out as we find them. We’d need someone outside to protect them in case more baddies appear unannounced.”

“Sinjinn, set up a makeshift medical bay on the street. I’ll get more people here to assist and a few healers in the event we need them to deal with whoever got caught in the crossfire of whatever the hell happened here,” Ryder ordered, smoothly taking control of the situation.

I glanced at the men standing behind us, noting their full war ensembles, decked out in wicked-looking armor and weapons. Synthia shimmered with magic, her curves covered in translucent armor, and her twin obsidian blades caught the evening light sparkling with power.

Erie giggled, the sound making the hair on my nape rise as she changed out of her clothing and into her goddess glamour. Ristan was the only male to respond, his eyes lowering to where the blue woad had been painted in Celtic writing over Erie’s breasts, her long war braids helping to obstruct the view.

Peering down, I scanned her bare feet with an uneasiness before shifting my attention to the glass we were about to walk through.

I turned back to Erie, as her mouth opened, releasing ravens that shot straight into the guild, leaving black feathers drifting to the ground in their escape from the Goddess of War.

“That’s disturbing but strangely cool,” Elysian stated, her iridescent armor doing little to hide her miniskirt and spaghetti strap camisole top. Instead of swords, she had daggers that lined the side of the titanium-like protective gear she wore.

Lucian grabbed me from behind, brushing his heated lips over my spine. Power erupted around us, his hand slowly trailing up my stomach to grip my jaw tightly.

“This may tickle a little, sweet girl,” he growled into my ear, sending gooseflesh rushing over my skin.

The souls from his armor wrapped around my legs. Shimmering blue and translucent hands and arms wrapped around me. My stomach tightened with unease, although a serene sensation filled me while they writhed along my body, turning solid blue to match the armor Lucian wore. His lips kept tracing comforting kisses against the soft skin on my nape, and a faint smile played on my lips while the souls continued wrapping me in his protection.

“That’s a neat trick,” I admitted.

“Be a good girl, and I may let them help me get you turned on tonight, Lena,” he chuckled huskily. “I look good on you.”

“You do, you really do.” I gasped as they started covering my chest. I felt it all, right down to the very marrow of my bones. He’d left just enough of an opening on my spine to allow my wings to escape if they needed to.

Shadows slid over my body, and I trembled at the iciness of their touch. Power rushed through me, and I lifted my hands that were holding twin swords created from shadows.

“Can’t let you have all the fun. Now can I?” Spyder asked, winking at me as he gave Lucian a pointed look. “The moment you need the swords, lift your hands, and they’ll be there, Kitty.”

I dropped my hands, watching as they vanished. Raising my hands again, the swords reappeared instantly. A soft bubble of laughter escaped my lips as Lucian nipped my neck, grumbling at Spyder’s interference.

“You done?” Lucian asked, releasing his hold on me once the armor had conformed to me like a second layer of skin.

The substance covering me was a shimmering blue color that emitted a soft, illuminating glow. It looked similar to the water within the landscape I’d slipped into just this morning. A shiver rushed through me, and I turned, staring at Lucian with the knowledge of where I’d been today.

“It wasn’t Lucifer?” I whispered, and his lips jerked up into a mischievous smile. I blinked slowly, turning at the sound of feet crunching over the glass. “This conversation isn’t over, Lucian.”

“I’m sure it isn’t, little girl. It is for now. Move your pretty ass,” he ordered, even though I’d already started in after Synthia.

The first few rooms we entered were covered in charred bodies. It looked like someone had placed a furnace within the guild, trying to turn it into a crematorium instead of an institute of enforcers. Ristan bent down beside one, grabbing something from a deceased’s hand.

“The demons had the key to unlocking the runes. Someone from inside had to have given it to them,” he grunted, handing the blackened piece of leather to Synthia. “They’re the only things burned.”

I gazed around the guild, noting his correct assumption. The bodies were charred and barbecued. It reeked of sulfur and brimstone from the moment we’d stepped through the shattered windows. The tang of copper was still present, but the deeper in we got, the less tangible it was in the air.

We walked past the wards, and the walls slowly began humming in a warning. Synthia placed a hand against the surface, and the alarms turned off.

I scanned the wall, watching as runes ignited. The entire place was covered in protective markings. So how had something or someone gotten past them to gain access? Then the answer came to me.

“They were inside when the wards were activated.” I nodded to where the charred remains had begun smoldering again, like they were trying to resume burning. “Look at the corpses.”

“I guess the runes worked, but didn’t continue working once whoever was inside had turned them off,” Synthia announced. Her gaze slid over the smoke wafting up from the bodies with a smile. “I think something with knowledge of the guild was within because how else would they know to send in others to absorb the damage? These deaths may be intentional.”

I had to agree with Synthia. There were several corpses on the floor, and more littered the hallway through which we were passing. There were even more human remains and creatures in each room that had ventured into the guild with the wards and runes active.

The men snorted their agreement of her assessment, but it was Ristan who kneeled beside a crumbled, blackened form and ripped the arm off of it. Standing, he held the arm out in front of Synthia, who exhaled slowly through her mouth.

“Shifter would be my guess,” she concluded while taking in the inhuman nails protruding from the hand. “It could be Adrik Stanislav’s people. He was bringing them in a few weeks ago.”

“Adrik was on the list to be watched, wasn’t he?” Ryder asked, his arms pulsing with black and gold brands that matched his stare.

“From what we learned, he was removed from the list.” Synthia nodded to where another corpse sat, with bones that had once been wings. The entire outline beneath the body was a wingspan, but the only thing left were grimy bones broken in several places. “That’s an angel, isn’t it?” she inquired, grunting as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“Indeed, it is,” Lucian confirmed. “Shifters, angels, and whatever the fuck that is, came here for a reason.” Lucian nodded toward something that was at a minimum of nine feet tall, judging by the bones left behind. “We need to figure out why and if those below are alive. I can still hear the faint beating of hearts, but it’s almost as if they’re moving away from us.”

“The question is, are they running from us or away from whatever else is in this tomb?” Vlad asked, tilting his head to the side.

Scraping sounded deeper in the guild, causing all of our attention to move toward the noise. My hackles rose even as I lifted my hands, knowing that it could be anything inside these tunnels.

All of us crept forward, weapons at the ready, while the men covered our asses. I swallowed down my worry that Alden may be on the ground, in the mess of remains that filled the pathway.

Rounding the corner, we all peered down the staircase that led to the guild’s lower level. The catacombs had been where the guild had started. It was hidden beneath the city when the humans had been oblivious that hunters protected them from the shit that went bump in the night.

Something shifted at the bottom of the stairs, and then a shrill scream split through the air. Everyone paused, turning to look at each other to see if anyone had caught sight of what the fuck it had been.

The minute we turned back toward the darkened staircase, a blur of motion moved again. Screaming erupted from below, and the heartbeats that had been slow moments before began thundering with fear. Lucian stepped beside me, and Ryder did the same with Synthia.

“Down into the darkness we go,” Ristan snorted, winking at us while he took the lead. “Say your prayers and get whichever God you worship on the line.”

“That’s encouraging,” Synthia muttered beneath her breath, allowing Ryder to take a position in front of her pregnant form. “Whoever is down here is terrified of the creature that made that noise.”

“Like caged rats that know something is coming to grab one of them up for testing,” Vlad whispered.

“Why are we whispering?” Erie’s wide, blue eyes slid through us before she snorted. “Whatever it is, it’s oblivious to our presence. It’s hunting them while we’re seeking it. It isn’t afraid of us.”

“It should be,” Lucian grunted, winking at Erie.

“It has no idea that death comes for it, nor that war rides beside him,” Erie sang in a singsong voice that had everyone giving her a look of unease. “All we need now is Famine and Pestilence.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

There’s bliss in the unknowing of what tragedy will unfold next. I wish we could remain there, just on the cusp of knowing, but numb to what will come for us. ~Lena

The lower level of the guild was bathed in shadows. Nothing made a peep as we reached the bottom of the staircase. The walls were covered in fresh splatter from what appeared to be arterial blood, sat above the bookshelves, explaining the tangy scent. Dim light from a backup generator offered enough illumination that we could make out crumpled forms on the far wall.

Ristan paused at the foot of the stairs, looking toward the guild library. No one spoke, and the sadness that filled the air was thick enough to make you choke. He stepped back without warning, and Synthia reached for his arm, preventing him from escaping.

“Too many fucking ghosts down here, Flower,” Ristan uttered softly, his voice cracking. “I’ll go help above. I can’t be down here right now.”

“I understand,” she replied, nodding her head. “I’m sure they can use some assistance, or will once we figure out what we’re dealing with down here.”

He vanished from sight, and a silent look passed between Synthia and Ryder while Zahruk replaced Ristan in the lead. Swords with jagged edges covered the blades he held, pulsing with power, causing the furies within me to acknowledge them. They hummed like they were singing a song that tethered a thread inside of me.

Zahruk’s head tilted slightly left, and his gaze narrowed on me as if he sensed my interest. When he moved closer, his mouth opened, and a shrill scream erupted from his throat. Lucian stepped next to me, awarding Zahruk with a warning glare. He shook his light brown hair, dispelling whatever the hell had just come over him.

Zahruk opened his mouth to speak again, but something else answered him. The sound was like nails over a chalkboard and grating enough to make ears actually bleed. Several more shrilling cries filled the lower level, coming from multiple directions.

“That’s not a good sign.” I slid my gaze over the furthest corners of the library. “We’re being watched.”

“Obviously,” Spyder chuckled. “I think we need to work on your skills, Kitty. We’ve been under surveillance since the moment we entered this building.”

“I’m new at this shit, asshole,” I shot back, searching for whatever was observing us.

We started forward to the source of the erratic heartbeats, each one of us hugging the shelves while we moved through the darkness. The fluorescent lights buzzed, making so much noise that it sounded like we were in the midst of filming some low-budget horror show from the eighties.

I followed behind the others, peeking between shelves until something caught my attention on the floor. Swallowing down the fear etching up through my system, I grabbed Lucian’s arm, stopping him from following everyone else.

There was a winged beast in the middle of the aisle, watching us through dark obsidian eyes. The immense creature was kneeling, shoulders hunched as its wings slowly rose, aiming toward us where we stood motionless, staring it down. Its mouth opened, releasing a scream that had me clapping my hands over my ears. Then, just as quickly as it started, it ended. The aisle was vacant. The winged creature had vanished, and we looked around frantically, trying to find it again.

“Where the fuck did it go?” I asked, directing the question at everyone.

Spinning in a tight circle, I gasped as the lights extinguished, bathing the room in darkness. I grabbed onto Lucian, turning to where I felt shadows wrapping around me as the screaming from the other room turned to a slurping noise.

I closed my eyes, allowing the furies to fix my sight, knowing when I opened them, I’d be able to see again.

We entered the chamber off of the library and paused.

“Holy shit,” Synthia whispered, echoing my thoughts.

In the far corner were more winged creatures that spun on us, abandoning the women on the floor who stared sightlessly at the ceiling. They looked just like the one we’d seen in the other room. Their huge silver wings expanded with claw-like tips, and dark glyphs painted their flesh, pulsing as if alive.

“Oh my gods,” I whispered as the middle one moved closer to us.

The creature slithered toward us, its gaze holding mine as it opened its mouth, hissing. Tears burned my eyes as I shook my head. He hadn’t wanted to be immortal. Alden had chosen his path and planned to die as a mortal, yet here he was, a full Unseelie prince with wings and all.

“How the hell did this happen?” Synthia whispered, her words coming out choked as she spoke them.

“Why is he not like Zahruk?” Erie asked, turning her gaze toward Zahruk, who shrugged.

Ryder grunted, pushing his fingers through his dark hair, shaking his head. “Zahruk is fae already. Alden was human. They’re not the same species. Humans that change—they have to go through the transformations that the breed suffers. My guess is, Alden is in transition. It seems that the Unseelie prison claimed him as one of their princes.”

Alden looked majestic. His salt and pepper hair was thicker, darker. Light gray eyes switched from blue to obsidian sheen as he studied us. His brands were silver and black, and his large wings appeared soft and beautiful. His mouthful of serrated teeth, on the other hand, didn’t look gentle in the least.

The other creatures beside Alden turned their heads, listening to something. Ryder’s eyes swung to the doorway. Before anyone could prevent it, the newly created Unseelie shot toward us as Ryder swore vehemently. Just as they would have slammed directly into us, all the Unseelie vanished.

“Jesus, fuck!” I shouted, shock and adrenaline flowing through me.

“Where the hell did they just go?” Synthia demanded, rushing into the vacant library.

“Someone called them, and they chose to answer that call,” Ryder informed coolly. “They’ve decided on a king, or they’ve chosen to serve the existing one. Only a king can summon princes.”

“They have one,” Zahruk stated. “He’s calling them to him right now. I can feel it within me, the need to go to him.”

“Do me a favor, and don’t answer,” Ryder grumbled, his inner frustration exposed in his voice. “Pet, you need to open the shelter so we can check on the children.”

Synthia nodded, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. “Alden didn’t want this.”

“No, he didn’t. It can’t be undone, though, and he’ll have to come to terms with it, eventually. Right now, all we can do is see if the children and enforcers made it into that protective chamber before Alden began feeding with the others.”

“I can’t put him down, Ryder. I won’t.”

“I second that,” I stated, nodding at Synthia. “Alden is family. He’s our family.”

Synthia nodded, her tears falling with mine as she came closer, hugging me while everyone else watched. It was heartbreaking to know Alden was turned against his will, making him an immortal now. Normally, I wouldn’t feel bad about that, but it was Alden. He’d chosen to live the rest of his life as a human or as close as possible. Now that wouldn’t be happening.

Synthia released me, drifting toward the doorway leading to the enchanted walkway that opened up at the shelter’s entrance. The runes swirled to life around us the moment we stepped foot into the hallway.

“I don’t think they tried to get in,” she stated.

Synthia brushed her fingers over the walls, and a chime sounded that echoed through the tunnel we’d entered. Pausing, I turned to look back past the men behind us. The passageway had changed once we’d walked through it. My eyes rounded, and Lucian chuckled at my response.

“It’s magic, Little Witch. It’s almost as magical as you when I’m buried deep into your…”

“We can hear you, asshole.” Zahruk snapped crossly. “I’m trying to ignore the fact that your girl here smells needy, which you’re causing. So unless you want me and everyone else here to notice that shit, hold that thought until we’re out of this fucking tunnel that is preventing her scent from escaping. Thank you.”

“Someone is snappy today. If you need to eat, I can be your dinner,” Erie offered, winking at Zahruk, who smirked at her wolfishly.

“Careful, Imp, you’re looking like a whole damn meal right now,” Zahruk laughed darkly, a heated gaze burning in his eyes as they traveled down Erie’s frame. “I’m trying hard not to gorge on any female yet. A second transition with me might break records on how long one can take to satisfy the hunger within the beast.”

“Was that supposed to be a determent? It sounded more like incentive,” I muttered, watching Synthia’s head bobbing in silent agreement.

“Lena,” Lucian growled.

“Pet,” Ryder echoed, a warning laced his tone as his wife chuckled, even though it was empty.

“Don’t worry. I’m way too pregnant to deal with another fucking fairy, Ryder. You’re enough for me, husband.”

“Good, wife,” he rumbled in a deliciously wicked voice.

Synthia placed her hand on the metal door, which glowed with a mix of rainbow-colored runes. A gentle hymn began, sounding almost angelic. The door slowly slid open, revealing an empty room. Gradually, we entered with a foreboding feeling rushing through the group while we peered around.

“Stanislav, are you in here?” Synthia asked.

“Holy shit, it’s about time you got here,” a feminine voice whispered. A woman with cherry-colored hair slid out of the shadows; her complexion was pale, adding to the dark circles beneath her eyes.

“I guess praying to the Goddess of the Fae while her subjects are trying to eat you, actually worked, huh? I told you she’d come,” a male stated, striding up to stand beside the female. “I cannot put into words how glad I am to see your faces right now.”

“Adrik, Ivy, I’m happy to know that you survived.” Synthia’s relief was visible in the way she exhaled and removed her armor with magic. Adrik’s eyes lowered to her swollen belly, and he chuckled.

“That explains the delay, huh?” the male’s smokey gaze rose, and he slowly blew the air from his lungs. “Shit went bad fast, here. Alden—he turned. He went out to get a few enforcers, and when he came back, he told us to get inside the shelter and close it until you or someone else arrived to release us. I think he knew what was coming. We didn’t have any communication other than the two-way radio, and when he asked us to come out, I just knew. I knew it wasn’t really him. Alden said he was starving, which is what happened to Lars after the black goo had infected him.”

“Alden is gone,” Ryder stated. “The children?”

“They’re fine. The children didn’t enjoy being locked up so soon after the last time, but they handled this situation better than I would have anticipated. The few changelings we had are being kept separate from the fae until we figure out their niche, but they’re adapting here. The orphaned fae are flourishing. While most do cry at night for those they lost, they’re doing well. We were getting short on food, so we rationed it since we didn’t know when anyone would figure out what had happened here.” Adrik nodded to the alcove where little ones watched us.

“They’re little monsters,” Ivy snickered, but she wrinkled her nose at the children who did it right back to her and laughed when she stuck her tongue out. “But they’re good kids. Not a single one of them freaked out when days turned into a week. I can’t say I didn’t write you off as my hero.”

“I don’t blame you there. I was preoccupied trying to find my daughter. She was taken when we were crowned and has been missing ever since. We can talk more about that later. For now, let’s get you guys out of here and to someplace safe.”

“Club Chaos has enough room for everyone for a few days. They can go there until you can take them to Faery or find another location to house them,” Lucian offered, tugging me back into his arms.

“Thank you, Lucian. I can’t express how much that helps us at the moment,” Ryder stated, nodding to Adrik. “Help them pack their belongings. Until we can refortify this place against the new threat, it won’t be safe for you or them to stay here. We’ll secure the exit while you get them moving.”

I turned toward the doorway, exiting, with Lucian right behind me. As I left the tunnel, something slammed into my body, knocking me sideways. I gasped in pain, slowly pushing off of the ground where I’d been thrown. My gaze met Lucian’s as his eyes rounded and he shouted.

My gaze followed his, finding a pair of violet eyes studying me. Lucifer smirked, tilting his head as he walked to where I had gone down. The earthy scent that mingled inside the room was off from his usual aroma of cinnamon and brimstone. He was dressed in armor, his chest covered in what looked like platinum metal, but it shimmered with his movements.

“Do not touch her, asshole,” Lucian warned.

“Oh, I intend to do a lot more than just touch her, Lucian.” Lucifer chuckled. In front of me, he smiled seductively, using his pointer finger to lift my chin. “Hello, beautiful. You shut me out, so I’ve come to claim what will be mine.”

“I am not yours, Lucifer. I won’t ever be yours,” I whispered. “Don’t do this, Luc. Please don’t do this.”

“Too late,” he stated, pulling me up with him.

Another male stepped from the shadows as I prepared to fight my way back to Lucian. Asmodeus laughed, shaking his dark head while he studied me. He was dressed in a dark suit, his hair pulled back into a leather strap, with a few stray pieces framing his angular-shaped face.

There was a coldness to him that terrified me, but the furies inside me beamed with pride, chiming in my body at his presence.

“I wouldn’t attack him, woman. Lucifer might have a soft spot for you, but I assure you that I do not. I only care about those things within you. I don’t care about the shell they’re using. Now, be a good girl and tell Lucian goodbye,” Asmodeus ordered, shoving his hands into his suit pockets, a darkened look blossoming in his depths. “It is a beautiful shell, though, isn’t it?” he asked, turning toward Lucifer. “I may have to taste her as well, brother.”

“Lena is mine!” Lucifer exclaimed.

“For now,” Asmodeus replied. “I’m going to need my furies back for what comes next. I do believe they’re the only thing keeping this shell alive, aren’t they?” He directed the question to Lucian, who had gone deathly silent, his hands balled tightly at his sides.

The space between us reeked of brimstone now. I felt the familiar heat that sizzled around us; the obnoxious stench of sulfur that clung to the air made my throat constrict. It was a struggle to get air deep enough into my lungs since every breath I took increased the amount of sulfur I inhaled.

“I said, tell him goodbye, bitch,” Asmodeus growled.

“Goodbye, Lucian,” I replied like a sheep heading to the slaughter.

Fear spiraled through me as I realized I was standing inside Hell. They’d opened a Hell Gate within the guild and had hidden it from us. I’d walked right into it without knowing it was here. The walls began glowing with crimson veins that exposed the flames of Hell in their cracks.

“Luc,” I pleaded, but he shook his head, cutting me off.

“I gave you a chance to come to me willingly, Magdalena. You chose Lucian, which was a bad decision, considering he will never love anything ever again. If you beg me, I may lessen your punishment, pretty witch.”

“You think this barrier will stop me from finding you?” Lucian asked, his eyes glowing with the eerie blue of his world leaking from them.

“Long enough for us to free Pandora and open her box. After that, I’ll be sure to take your bitch’s head and send that sliver of your soul back to you,” Asmodeus taunted. “She, however, won’t survive this if you come for her. I promised Luc that I wouldn’t murder the bitch outright. Apparently, he is as addicted to her pussy as you are. Why is it you both weaken over a tight cunt? There are literally thousands of them readily available to be used, yet you both pick one to fight over. It’s pathetic, really.”

“Fred, you fucked up. You think I’m crazy? You’re about to unleash something that causes me to appear sane on my worst day. Let Lena go, and we’ll discuss your punishment later,” Erie injected, her eyes slowly sliding between Lucifer and me.

“Send me your guy, Mórrígan. I’ll show him how to handle you by using this one as a demonstration. I bet she makes the sweetest music as she’s being dissected. When Pandora is free, I am coming for you, Goddess. Mark my words, you will be inside my freezer once Hell is fully opened, and the world falls to those it has condemned. Now, we’re leaving. Oh, but before we do, Magdalena, is it? Kiss Lucifer and demonstrate to your man how easily your loyalty can be swayed.”

“No,” I growled, but I was already turning toward Luc. His violet eyes scanned my face, watching the silent tears of frustration rolling down my cheeks. “Please stop, Luc. You don’t want to do this.”

“No, but I will enjoy it, Lena,” he whispered. His hand came up to cup my jawline, wrapping his fingers around my cheek. His lips lowered to mine, softly brushing across them as his tongue swiped against mine. I opened to his kiss, not because I wanted to do so, but because the furies were in control. “Come on, Lena. I won’t hurt you,” Lucifer growled, cupping me behind the neck to claim my mouth hungrily.

I could feel the anger pulsing from Lucian and Spyder. I heard angry muttered words and knew I was about to be dragged to Hell, literally.

I lifted my hands, feeling the swords within my palms, but before I could bring them up to fight against the Devil and Asmodeus, something slammed into the back of my head, and darkness rushed up to me, blanketing me in nothingness.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Lena’s here, finally—the one time she shouldn’t be. I crave her soft curves and the burning intensity in her gaze. She is everything I want and need. The only problem is she isn’t mine, and I know it. That’s half the attraction to her. She’s forbidden fruit, and it always tastes so much sweeter than the fruit you can have. ~ Luc

Consciousness went in and out, and I sense heat surrounding me. My eyes felt like they’d been glued shut, and my mouth was dry from the acrid taste of brimstone covering my tongue. I gagged, unable to prevent it from happening as I tried to get upright.

I lifted my hand, skimming my fingers over the giant goose egg on the back of my skull, and moaned in pain at the slightest touch.

I could feel the weight of Asmodeus’s stare on me without having to look at him. He had redressed me while I’d been asleep.

A soft, crimson sleeveless dress covered my curves with a silver necklace holding up the sheer material. Peering down at my chest, I rolled my eyes, finding my body exposed through my clothing.

“You’re so fucking pretty, aren’t you? Is that what they fight over?” Asmodeus’s deep, rich tone infiltrated my mind, forcing my attention to where he leaned against the wall of the room. “It can’t be your soul, as it seems to be missing. That’s how you ended up with the furies within you, isn’t it? Someone intervened on your behalf and saved you from death. What is so special about you that men are willing to destroy worlds for a single taste?”

“I don’t know what the hell you’re rumbling on about or why you care. Just go away,” I groaned, still struggling to get upright.

“I don’t care, but I am curious why Lucian wants you. You see, he’s never wanted anything so mundane before. You’re beautiful; I’ll give you that. You look like you could suck a mean dick, but I don’t think either of them would start a war over some bitch with a mouth like a vacuum.”

“It’s my sparkling personality that they’re addicted to,” I stated, holding his gaze. Asmodeus wasn’t just good-looking. He was sexy, with a persona that screamed he’d fuck you while figuring out how best to dispose of the corpse when he was done.

“I heard you almost gave Lucian a child.” he persisted.

“Almost, but Lucifer and Katarina stole that from us. Any more painful shit you want to shove down my throat?” I asked, daring him to continue.

“My dick, but I’m afraid I’ll end up as inflicted and lovesick as those two assholes did with a simple taste of your honey pot. I bet it’s magical, isn’t it? A magical snatch, huh? One created by the Goddess of Magick to lure unsuspecting males in, trapping them in the vise before they even realize you’ve done it. Is that what it is? Part your legs, and show me what they have tasted, woman.”

“How about no?” I snapped, glaring daggers at him.

“Part her thighs for me, my pretties,” he growled, speaking to the furies within me as he slowly pushed off the wall, walking toward me.

Panic ripped through me as my legs were parted, covered by nothing more than the flimsy dress I wore. Asmodeus grabbed one breast, testing the weight of it in his palm. His thumb swiped over my nipple, chuckling wickedly as the peak hardened from his touch.

I held his stare, hatred and fear mixing into a glare that had him smiling in response. His lips lowered to brush against my ear.

“Can I fuck you? I hear you enjoy it, and even allow others to join you and Lucian in your chambers. I can show you Heaven, or I can show you Hell, little girl. I think you might even enjoy Hell. You strike me as the type of woman who fucks as hard as you fight.”

“You have a hand that would be more responsive to your cock than I will be. Use it and leave me alone. Or do you like forcing women to fuck you? Is that the only way you can get them on that dick of yours, Lust?” I challenged, watching as his lips jerked into a devastating smile.

“I am Lust in the purest form, Magdalena Fitzgerald. I am your darkest desire, and I am your most forbidden fantasy. I am what every male craves to be and what every woman craves them to become. You are wet for me. I can smell you and know exactly where and what you want me to do to you. I know because I am the emotion burning through your needy cunt right now. Those pulsing walls—they clench because I’m near. When you are wet, it is because I ensured women could become slick so that men weren’t forced to fuck a paper bag in the guise of a pussy. No one would enjoy sex if women weren’t wet enough to be pleasurable. Of course, I could have made it a useless piece of flesh, other than birthing a babe, but with the fallen wanting something off-limits to be sin, I forwent my first choice.” His fingers slid over the inside of my thigh, slowly trailing dangerously close to my sex.

I could feel it—the power Asmodeus held over my need. My body couldn’t ignore who or what he was. Asmodeus was a crowned Prince of Hell and one of the strongest commanders of Hell’s Army. He was also the one that Erie had claimed to have kept in her freezer.

My stomach clenched with his husky laughter that tickled along my neck. His teeth pulled at my earlobe, and a sharp pain stole a yelp of surprise as he bit into my delicate flesh.

“Do you think Lucian would still want this body without what lives within you? I can sense his seal, woman. It isn’t you that Lucian and Lucifer want, is it? It’s what you house inside of you that call to them.” Startling blue eyes met mine as he pulled back, settling between my thighs. “You house Lucian’s seal, and therefore he wants you close to him so that he knows where it is at all times. The furies I created to guard the seals worked out in his benefit, but you can’t fucking feel me. That son of a bitch had you custom made for his dick, didn’t he?” he asked coldly. He grabbed my hair, forcing me to look down at where his fingers pinched my sex, but I hadn’t felt it at all. “You’re not immune to me, not entirely. I could fuck you, and you wouldn’t feel me. Who brought you back?”

“Hades brought her back, asshole. Now, let her poor pussy go. Lena is a lady; treat her as such, brother.” Lucifer watched me from the doorway, his bright, vibrant gaze sliding over my body while Asmodeus stood, turning to look over his shoulder. The Devil leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his naked chest. “Finally found a woman you can’t charm, Lust?”

“I could shut that part down and allow the furies to lead her corpse about, asshole. I’d be careful, Lucifer. You may be a Prince of Hell, but you’re not the only one who can rule it. I suggest you have a chat with this shell and ask her about what she houses inside of her.” Asmodeus growled, pulling me closer to whisper in a strange language against my ear. I closed my eyes as something within me slowly unraveled. “Soon, she won’t be able to control her thoughts. She’ll be my pretty little mindless thing that does anything I asked of her. Isn’t that right, my little monsters?” Asmodeus smirked down at me as chiming started in my head. I whimpered at the sensation of the furies flurrying in me.

Fear snuck up through my mind, even as I felt them clawing inside me. It was as if they were trying to crawl their way out of my body. Pain ripped throughout me, piercing my brain as cackling sounded in my head.

I groaned, blinking past the blinding light that flooded my vision. When my sight came back, it was brighter, as if the furies enhanced it. They’d improved all of my senses.

My gaze slid over Luc, noting how beautiful and enthralling his presence really was. Everything within me lit up like a wildfire burning through a wheat field in late summer.

Shoving down the emotions and how my body responded to him, I pleaded with my eyes for Lucifer to stop this now.

“I know what she holds within her, Asmodeus. It’s no secret she contains his seal. That wasn’t what drew me to her, though. You’re wrong about her pussy. It tastes like heaven and is sweeter than any forbidden fruit in father’s garden,” Lucifer returned, winking at me as he pushed from the wall and walked toward me.

“You think she houses one seal? Each fury holds a seal, Luc. They were each created to house one separately. No one has ever been able to hold all three furies and seals within them. Not until this little witch came alone, anyway.” Asmodeus smirked down at me as he rose to his full height. His hand cradled my chin, forcing it up while he continued holding my hair in a painful grip.

“I am aware that she was the key to opening the Hell Gates. What other seal would she hold that would be worth hearing about?”

“Magdalena knows. I can see it in her worried expression.” Asmodeus chuckled, releasing my chin while continuing his hold on my hair. “Lucian didn’t tell you what happens when that seal is freed, did he? How the furies would seek out a new shell to contain them? I bet he just planned to keep you hidden in his world so that you never could touch that fucking box.”

“Lena?” Lucifer asked coldly, his tone stern and warning danced in his glare. “You hold the key to Pandora’s Box?”

“I do,” I replied softly.

Lucifer snorted, his arms uncrossing as he watched me through disapproving eyes. “You hid that from me?”

“You act as if we’re friends, Luc. You bashed my fucking head in until brain fluid leaked from it. I slit my throat to protect my son from being used to punish his father. You took everything from me, and now you expect me to trade secrets with you? I didn’t even know what I held until recently. I wouldn’t have told you anyway, because she isn’t inside Lucian anymore. When you and Katarina forced me to end my life as Lucian watched, he unleashed his grief onto this world, and with it, Pandora.” I stood, wrenching my hair away from Asmodeus’s hold. I lifted my hand, curling around Luc’s strong jawline.

“I know, because Pandora was at my grave as I crawled out of it. I placed her there, secured with the chains they’d used for me to keep his seal secure in that wooden box. Pandora came back months ago, but she didn’t come for you, Luc. If she loved you as much as you deserved to be loved, you should have been the first stop on her new world tour. You weren’t. She didn’t love you. She loved the idea of what you could give her, just like the other women in your life. You deserve to be the one someone runs to, not forgotten and discarded. Not an afterthought. Everything you’ve done has been to gain the purest form of love. That’s why you wanted me, even though you know I will never love you as I do Lucian. Love is something that has to be freely given. You can’t force it.”

“I really wish you would shut the fuck up, Magdalena,” Lucifer snapped, shoving me backward until I tumbled on the bed. “I’ve tasted your pussy, and that wouldn’t have been something even I could have managed if you’d really loved Lucian. If your feelings for him were so fucking pure, then you would have seen the ruse of me pretending to be him. You didn’t, did you? No, that’s right. You rode my fucking lips while coming for me. I ate that pretty pussy until it wept all over my face.”

I swallowed, slowly righting myself on the bed. Lucifer watched me with heat burning in his gaze, his vines slowly escaping from his body to wrap around my legs. Barbs bit into my flesh, causing a strangled cry to leave my lips. I fisted my hand into the blankets on the bed and closed my eyes, lying back as he spread me wide.

“You weep so prettily, sweet one.” Hands gripped my ankles, and I yelped, feeling him pulling me apart. The vines wrapped around my thighs, tearing into the flesh as I screamed from the burning pain they created. “Your blood smells sweet, pretty girl. Do you intend to fight me or fuck me? I can’t tell because you’re crying, and yet you’re fucking wet for me. Aren’t you?” Lucifer asked, lowering his lips to trace them over the inside of my legs.

“Lucifer, stop. Please,” I whispered through my teeth, chattering against the debilitating pain.

Vines continued running up my body, leaving small tears in my skin until sticky blood caked my legs, stomach, and arms.

“Isn’t she the sweetest thing you’ve ever seen?” he asked, ignoring me while allowing Asmodeus to see his handiwork.

“I’ve seen much sweeter, Lucifer. If you intend to fuck her, do it quickly. Lucian will be here shortly, and when they come, they will take her. Not even the armies of Hell can stop him. I’ll return shortly. I suggest you fuck her out of your system, as she may not survive what is coming.”

The door to the room closed behind Asmodeus, and the pain of the barbs lessened immensely. I sagged against the bed, lying in the blood that stuck to my flesh.

His lips brushed my neck, and I closed my eyes against the pleasure that Luc’s touch created. I couldn’t ignore that he brought pleasure, or that I wanted to destroy him in the worst way possible.

“Lena, why didn’t you tell me about Pandora?” he asked, dropping soft kisses over my throat.

“I didn’t know who she was until a few days ago,” I admitted, unable to lie to him.

“But you now know it was her?” he pried, no longer hurting me.

He’d recalled the vines and lifted, staring down at my body. His hands softly stroked my sides as I trembled from pain and lust. I wasn’t stupid enough to believe it was merely Lucifer causing the reaction. Asmodeus had spelled me with a single whisper against my ear, one freeing the monsters within me.

“I need an answer, Magdalena.”

“Yes, it was Pandora. She asked me to come with her, to open a box she had hidden. She knew what I held inside of me, even before I did. She was at the graveyard when Joshua came to dig up my corpse. I’m sorry,” I said in a hoarse tone that exposed how dry my mouth was.

He studied me, turning as the sound of footsteps coming down the hallway echoed toward us. Lucifer picked me up, forcing me to straddle him as he bunched my dress behind my rear. He lifted with me in his lap, yanking down his pants as a sob slipped free from my lips.

“Shh, pretty girl. You’re safe for now,” he promised, as his hard, rigid length slid against my naked sex. “Moan, or we’ll be doing this for real, Magdalena.”

I stared at him, silently wondering what his game was here. I whimpered, and he growled, turning us on the bed. His eyes pleaded with me, and he turned to peer toward the door, slowly bringing his violet gaze back to mine.

“You’re going to have to come because that isn’t something Asmodeus would miss,” he urged. “I’ll be gentle, I promise. I didn’t think it would come to this. There’s a lot more happening than you are aware. Don’t hate me, Lena.”

His fingers found the ball of nerves at my apex, and he worked it into circles as the door opened, and he began pumping his hips.

“Dirty little whore, I bet you would take every demon in Hell into this sweet haven, wouldn’t you?”

“Luc,” I murmured, gasping as the tension in my belly started to uncurl. Tears rolled down my face, painting the bed with my blood.

I cried out as the orgasm built, driven by the Devil ringing my doorbell. Literally. He growled through his teeth, pressing his forehead against mine as I exploded for him. Wetness painted my stomach, and I whimpered, writhing beneath him as vines slowly slid around my body, drinking the blood they’d drawn.

“You planning to join us, or are you just enjoying the show?” Lucifer asked, looking over his shoulder to where Asmodeus stood, holding Makenna in his arms.

“We just came to watch and ensure you defiled Lucian’s whore. He’s coming. I suggest you get her set up on the altar and prepare to trade her for the box. I want it back.”

I felt the subtle change in Lucifer. He didn’t like Asmodeus holding his daughter. He also hadn’t enjoyed what he’d done to me. It made the hair on my nape rise in apprehension. Something else was happening here, something a lot more deadly than even Lucian knew.

The moment Asmodeus left the bedroom with Makenna, Lucifer was up, adjusting his pants.

“Do not do anything stupid right now, Lena. There’s a bathroom through the doors. Clean up and be ready when I return for you. If it’s between you or Makenna, you’re not making it out of this realm alive.”

Lucifer gazed down at my body, wincing before he strolled out of the room, leaving me confused and alone. What the hell was happening? Lucifer was worried, and if the Devil was concerned, the entire world should be, too.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Pain was good. It reminded you that you were still alive. I wasn’t going out like this. I couldn’t, not now. Not since I knew Lucian loved me. ~Lena

I’d cleaned up as best as I could, and a fresh dress was waiting for me once I exited the shower. It wasn’t as sheer of material as the red had been, but you could still see my form through it. Silver bracelets sat on the counter beside the necklace Lucian had given me. My fingers brushed over the symbol, knowing he would come for me.

The sound of knuckles against the bathroom door drew my eyes up to Lucifer in the mirror. He watched me through my reflection, gradually taking in the swell of my breasts the dress had left exposed. He moved forward, settling in behind me. Searching my gaze, he slowly lowered his mouth to my thundering pulse. He slid his hands to my waist, pausing there while he exhaled.

“What is going on, Luc?” I whispered through trembling lips.

“Haven’t you heard? Hell is empty, and a new world order is being decided tonight. Your lover is coming to destroy me, which will eradicate Hell entirely. It will unleash this realm into yours. Asmodeus was promised a realm to rule, and now he’s chosen yours. If I don’t give him what he wants, I will appear weak, and that isn’t something I can afford to do anymore.”

“He’s going to open Hell into the human realm?” I ask as darkened eyes lift from the curvature of my breasts to lock with mine.

Lucifer didn’t reply. Instead, his fingers rose to my jaw, gripping it to turn my body to face him. His mouth crushed against mine in a devastating kiss that rendered me stupid.

I struggled, but a dark growl behind us stalled my fight. I wrapped my arms around him, allowing him control while Asmodeus watched us.

Something within me warned that if I fought Lucifer, Asmodeus would join in, and he wouldn’t fake raping me, play games, or even attempt to be gentle. I wouldn’t survive him, not without some major trauma. Asmodeus was colder than Luc and didn’t play by the same rules as anyone else I’d ever met.

With Erie, he was stiff and didn’t shoot the shit. He told her he wanted her dead, and he wasn’t kidding when he’d said it, either. She was insane enough to think she’d controlled him, but he’d escaped her freezer somehow.

“You do enjoy her, don’t you?” Asmodeus asked with genuine interest.

Lucifer chuckled, breaking apart from me to lower his gaze to my kiss-swollen lips. “I take pleasure in knowing that Lucian will realize everything I have done with her and that she was willing. He thinks himself in love with her, but women are all the same. They’re faithless, selfish creatures who only want power and a throne to rule. Do you want to taste her, Lust?” Luc asked, turning to face Asmodeus, holding my arms apart, displaying me for the Prince of Lust to ogle.

Dispassionate blue eyes slid over my exposed cleavage. Before I could argue it, Asmodeus was pressing against me. He laughed darkly as he gripped my chin, peering down into my eyes.

This creature was death personified. He may leak lust from his soul, but he also screamed of carnal pleasure from pain.

Lust lowered his lips, brushing them against mine softly. His teeth pinched my bottom lip, nipping it until I moaned into his mouth. His hand slid around my back, holding me against him as Lucifer stepped back, watching us. Fingers danced over my skin, sending a wealth of pleasure and mixed emotions rushing through me.

“I’m the demon who personified lust, Magdalena. You can’t fight me. Nor can you deny me what we both want. You’re soaked for me. Your body is doing what it was made to do. Right now, your stomach is tightening right along with that sweet cunt of yours. Your nipples are hard, begging to be suckled and nipped hard enough that it aches, but not so much that it actually hurts. You enjoy men controlling you in bed, but never out of it. You get off on others knowing you’re aroused, but not enough to invite them to your bed. Tell me I’m wrong, Lena.”

“Fuck you.” I swallowed, listening to his sinister laugh as he backed up, staring at me. “They enjoy your fight, but I don’t. You think they will want you when you become mortal again? Will they want the soulless being driven by a monster she trapped within her? No, because he will cage you to do what is right. Lucian will lock your useless body up and spend the rest of his life looking for a way to save your pathetic corpse from his monster. Now, finish dressing because I am anticipating quite the show tonight.” He stepped back and clapped his hands, slowly dragging his gaze over my new hairdo and makeup. “Perfect.”

Asmodeus left the bathroom as quickly as he appeared. Lucifer stared at me, his gaze holding mine, and he nodded slowly. “Remember Makenna is innocent, Lena. She isn’t a part of this. What happens tonight? Well, it will decide if the world will remain the same or if a new king shall arise and lead the humans into damnation,” he whispered, pulling me closer to his body. “If he hadn’t gotten to you first, could you have loved me?”

“I don’t know,” I replied, uncertain if that loaded question would set me up for something sinister.

“Because I’m the Devil?” he countered.

“No,” I answered, cradling his face between my palms. “Because love is selfless, and I’m not sure you have the ability to be that. You are reckless, but you want love so badly that you try to force it, and that isn’t how love works. You can’t take people at face value. Pandora isn’t what you think she is, Luc. If I was yours, and I’d been stolen from you? I’d have moved Heaven and Hell to get back to you, and you’d be the first thing I’d run to when I got returned. She was more interested in opening that damned box.”

“She’s charged with keeping it closed, Lena. You don’t know anything about her, so keep your fucking mouth shut. We’re done now. Do you understand me? When we walk out of this room, I am not your protector. I am your tormentor. I will not be gentle, either.”

He grabbed my arm, forcing me to run to keep up with him. His hold on me ached, biting into my flesh as he pulled me behind him. I didn’t have time to ask him what would happen, but then I’d been wrong about him. I couldn’t trust him to protect me, nor could I depend on Lucian to get me out of here.

They weren’t worried about Lucian reaching us, and that terrified me almost as much as the coldness I felt from Lucifer. He yanked me forward and shoved me toward a stone altar. Candles were lit all around the room, and on the side of it lay a crib, where Makenna slumbered. Gazing at her, I turned a moment before Asmodeus nodded at someone behind me.

Something crashed against the side of my head, and I whimpered as my vision swam. Blood pooled at the back of my head, and I reached behind me to touch the throbbing ache when another blow landed, and darkness swallowed me entirely.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Hell is full once more, but not with demons. Monsters have invaded and have come to play. ~Lena

The sound of men arguing woke me from my pain-filled nightmare. I blinked, staring up at a midnight sky. At least, I’d thought it was the sky. My head pounded, and the arguing got louder, adding to my headache. Turning my head to the side, I peered at the men that were screaming at one another.

Lucian stood outside the room’s barrier, his eyes glowing with anger, and Spyder was beside him, as were Ryder, Zahruk, and the other men. Lucifer and Asmodeus were with me on the other side. I tried to sit up, but hands gripped my shoulders, forcing me to peer up into black, sightless eyes.

“You’re not creepy or anything, right?” I muttered, staring at the demon holding me down.

I was weakened from blood loss, which I was certain had been their plan. I gradually turned my head to find Lucian watching me, his face giving nothing away. His entire form hummed with power, but I couldn’t tell what he felt.

If I had to guess, I was going with him really wanting to say ‘I told you so!’ right now. Not that I blamed him, but I’d been with him when I was taken.

“You will hand Lena over to me, now,” Lucian demanded.

“Or what? You can’t walk through the runes made to lock you out,” Lucifer snapped, crossing his arms over his chest while Asmodeus chuckled.

“You can have her once we’re done with her,” he offered, turning to nod at a demon that left the room.

I coughed, unable to get enough air into my lungs in my prone position. My eyes fluttered closed, and I slowly inhaled, only to cough more as something inhuman filled my nose with the putrid scent of death.

“You think I won’t rip this realm down to the baseboards? Give me my seal back, now. I won’t ask you again,” Lucian demanded, sending a strong buzzing noise of power rushing through the room. “These runes only prevent me from coming in the front door, asshole. I’ll come through that fucking floor if I need to.”

“You know you won’t survive topside, Asmodeus. Let our Kitty go, and we will help you take it over; scout’s honor.” Spyder thrummed his fingers on the barrier, his shadows searching it for any weakness but finding none. “Tick Tock, asshole. You piss Lucian off, and he’ll redo that pretty face of yours right after he fucks it.”

“Speaking of fucking, Luc here fucked your whore. She even enjoyed it, coming for him,” Asmodeus said crassly. “She smells deliciously wicked when that kitty is getting petted. Doesn’t she, Lucifer?”

“She’s intoxicating, Lucian. I see why you want to keep her. The thing is, you don’t need her coherent to fuck her, do you? Because I’m pretty sure that Asmodeus found a certain box, and once it’s opened by Lena, her life cycle of being soullessly driven by the furies ends. It’s a win, right? Asmodeus gets his throne in his own realm, which he was promised. I get Pandora back, along with her box being opened, allowing her to slaughter the worthless humans. You, you get your corpse back with the seal still contained inside of it. I fail to see where anyone isn’t happy here.”

“Minus the fact that Magdalena will be dead, asshole,” Spyder spat out, glaring murderously at Lucifer.

“Semantics, Shadow. She is already dead, isn’t she? Her soul is no longer inside of her, and no matter how hard you fucking try, you can’t figure out how to save her. Now you know how it feels to be helpless. It’s not a nice feeling, is it? Oh, that’s right. You were powerless before when I bashed her fucking head in, and you got to watch her slit that pretty throat of hers.”

I turned my head, peering across the room where Makenna had been placed into a medieval highchair. Turquoise eyes watched me, and she smiled, making the purest sound of joy that was out of place in the horror show playing out in front of her. Tears pricked at my eyes, and I made a soft sound to her in reply, causing the demon behind me to slap me.

He lifted his hand to assault me again. But Makenna made a gurgling noise, and then the demon let out a shrill cry before he imploded. The babe laughed, waving chubby arms while I gawked at her.

Holy fucking shit! Someone needed to get Jake from State Farm on the phone for this child because she was going to leave destruction in her wake.

I opened my mouth, but the screaming returned as the men argued. My wings itched, forcing me to free them, cutting through the rope holding me in place.

Slowly, I sat up, staring at Lucian while Asmodeus and Lucifer faced away from me. My body felt wrong, and the back of my head ached so much that my vision swam with each subtle movement. The demon that had been sent away reentered the room, turning to look at me where I was perched on my elbows, doing my best to get upright.

Eyes the color of a dark well slid to the remains of the other demon that bathed the wall with goo. The demon shifted his attention to Makenna, who continued making sweet noises. He bared his sharp, elongated teeth in her direction, and she waved her hands in the air, oblivious to the demon that was looking at her as if she was dinner.

The demon slowly made his way to where the Prince of Hell and the Prince of Lust stood, arguing over stupid shit while my head felt as if it once again had fluid escaping from it. I pushed up from the altar, using my wings to help as I fought to get my feet beneath me.

No one looked at me, even though I knew Lucian, and those who had come with him saw my movement. I stumbled forward as Asmodeus turned, smirking while he watched me through narrowing eyes.

“I don’t remember giving you permission to move. Do you? I must say, your perseverance is something to acknowledge, but we’re not to the part where you get to play with us yet, Magdalena.”

“Gods, you’re an asshole,” I muttered crossly, leaning back against the concrete altar that had markings all over it, along with dried blood. “I don’t know who does your housekeeping down here, Luc, but you should get a refund. I think the last victim’s blood is still crusted to this thing.” Cold violet eyes slid to mine, his lips curling inside a snide smile.

My bravado wavered, and a violent shiver snaked down my spine. I just had to make it past Lucifer and Asmodeus to reach Lucian, right? Makenna cooed and my heart sank. I wasn’t leaving her here.

I’d been wrong about Lucifer, and I couldn’t leave her behind. Swinging my gaze toward my sister’s daughter, I swallowed down the tears, knowing that both of us wouldn’t be getting out of here.

If I ran for her, Lucifer would be on me in seconds. That meant I’d have to throw her through the barrier, which left me behind.

My eyes swung back to Lucian’s, finding him shaking his head, reading my mind. I stepped forward, and Asmodeus made a tsking noise as he palmed the dagger in his hand.

“You know, I knew there was something different about the furies the first moment I sensed their arrival. My girls wouldn’t be fighting so hard against me. You’d be helpless to do anything other than what I demanded. Yet you fight me, don’t you, little girl? You’re not entirely soulless, after all. Are you? Nah, someone has been feeding you slivers of their soul but also something else. Lucian has been slowly bonding them inside of you, and no one was aware of it, were they?” Asmodeus asked, gradually making his way to me. “No matter, you see, I always have a backup plan. I had my men fish this dagger out of that prison where Lucian tossed it months ago.”

Lucifer moved closer, smirking wickedly while Asmodeus spoke. My eyes slid between them, holding Lucian’s stare while the two Princes of Hell walked toward me.

“Do you know what one little prick of this dagger will do to you, Magdalena?” Asmodeus asked, his dark blue gaze sparkling with laughter.

“I have a pretty clear picture of what it will do.” I didn’t move a single inch from where I stood, holding onto the altar as my feet refused to hold me up.

“Do you know it is the one dagger that can kill a Nephilim, too? It was actually made to do that, which will rid Lucifer of that pesky creature left behind by your sister. Once you and she die, your line is gone, isn’t it?” he continued. “I guess we should make that happen, shouldn’t we, Lucian? Lucifer has been distracted by the monstrosity that he created, neglecting what’s really important. And you, Lucian? You're supposed to be inside your own realm. Your time is finished here, and with this soulless bitch out of the way, your reason for remaining has disappeared.”

“Fred, you’re so fucked if you think that shit will work,” Erie snorted. “You’re getting duct-taped to the freezer this time.”

“You’re just in time to watch me slaughter this bitch, imagining she’s you, Mórrígan,” he chuckled.

“You’ve been naughty, Fred. Do you honestly believe if you kill Lena, you get to walk away from this? I promise you; you don’t. There’s too many of us and not enough of you left to try your hand and think you have a winning one.”

“Let’s see, shall we?” Asmodeus lunged toward me, but something else slammed into my body before he could reach me. I gasped at the agony in my chest, staring into violet eyes that widened in pain. “You fucking idiot! You weren’t supposed to die yet!”

“Makenna,” Lucifer whispered, blood splattering from his lips to paint my face. I pushed him away, rushing to the babe.

No sooner had I reached her and tossed her at the barrier that Asmodeus got to me. My wings flared, and I rounded, sending them cutting through the air. He shrieked, jumping back as his eyes turned red and his wings exploded from his spine.

Asmodeus lunged, and I backed up, dodging one attack after another while he tried to stab me with the golden dagger, pulsing with untold power.

His hand sliced through the air, forcing me to go in the opposite direction, but he grabbed onto one of my wings. Bone snapped, and he laughed as if we played a game.

A shrill cry of pain escaped my chest as he twisted my wing, sending my body flying to the floor. I arched off my spine, tears blinding me as I stood.

My wing hung limply behind me as the other flapped, unbalanced without the other one. I slid my gaze to Lucian as he and the others remained motionless, watching me lose against a much stronger creature.

Lucifer had taken a dagger to his chest for me and he was down. Lucian couldn’t get through the barrier, which left me fighting alone.

“He can’t save you.” Asmodeus pulled out what resembled a music box and held it toward me. “Open it so that I can kill you and end your suffering.”

“I’m not an animal, bitch. I don’t need to be put out of my misery.”

“Touch the fucking box!” he snarled.

I shot forward, slamming my hand against his arm, which sent the tiny box sailing to the people outside the ruin-covered barrier.

Asmodeus howled, turning to look at them as we fell to the floor. His wild eyes came back to mine, narrowing as he peered between our bodies.

“You stupid bitch, why would you do that?” he asked.

“Because you don’t get to rule my world. Enjoy Hell, asshole,” I whispered, coughing up blood before I glanced down, staring at the dagger protruding from my chest. “You lose.”

“You’re fucking dying, and you think I lost?”

“Do it,” I growled, sensing what was about to happen.

Fire erupted around us, and Asmodeus howled in pain. Twin swords scissored through his neck, removing his head as I fell toward him. Lucifer plucked me up, falling to his knees as he held me.

“I’m sorry, Lena. I had to get that dagger away from him,” Lucifer whispered through his pain. There was a black hole in his chest, one that spider-webbed through it. “I had to protect my daughter from him. I’m so sorry I failed you both.”

“Bring Lena to me, now,” Lucian snarled, his eyes landing on the dagger that remained in my chest. “Luc, if you ever want to see your daughter again, bring her to me.” His voice shook with emotion, and yet he remained emotionless on the outside.

Lucifer pushed up from the floor, teetering on his feet while he carried me toward Lucian. He skidded his foot against the runes, and then Lucian yanked me from his arms.

I watched Lucifer fall to the ground; his shoulders slumped in defeat. Demons slowly started flittering into the room, whispering their plans for him.

“Bring him, Lucian.”

“No,” he hissed, shaking his head at me.

“He saved me, or tried to. Bring Lucifer so that he can heal and the balance isn’t destroyed. The world has enough horror happening. Don’t let this add to it. The world doesn’t have Alden anymore, and I’m dying. I’m asking you to protect him until he can face what he created.”

“Grab him,” he snarled, holding me tightly. “I have a plan, Lena. I need you to trust me. Please trust me.”

“I trust you because I love you. And I know you love me too, even though I’m reckless and fucked up bad this time. I messed up the backup plan.”

“Plan B isn’t going to work now,” Spyder stated.

“Then we go with the original plan I had,” Lucian announced. “Get the others to Club Chaos, now. Time is running out. I am calling in all the favors I have collected since the beginning. Find the debtors, and tell them I am collecting.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

In no world was Lena leaving me again. I’ve plotted and planned, and I had no intention of ever letting go again. ~Lucian

There was a somberness that came with dying. I’d made a choice, and I didn’t regret it. I’d protected Makenna from death or the Prince of Lust to be more accurate. Asmodeus had turned against Lucifer, who had tried to protect me. I hadn’t anticipated it, nor expected the Devil to intervene on my behalf.

Lucian cradled my limp form in his arms, and I did my best to ignore the pain slicing through my chest. It felt as if the dagger was trying to tear itself into my soulless body. I whimpered, unable to stop it from escaping as he jostled me.

Blood pounded in my ears, obscuring my ability to hear what the others said around us. I could feel the immortals’ power and knew everyone sensed they were fighting a losing battle.

Lucian’s lips brushed my cheek before he placed me onto a stone altar, peering down at me with pain burning in his stare.

“Hold on for me, Lena. Just stay with me a little longer,” he whispered, pressing his forehead against mine.

“I love you,” I murmured. I lifted my hand, curling my fingers around his cheek while fighting to stay conscious. “I will always love you, Lucian. From now until forever,” I finished, coughing blood droplets into the air.

“Don’t do that,” he said softly. “You don’t get to tell me goodbye. I am not letting you go, ever.”

I laughed at the balls of his statement. Of course, Lucian Blackstone was bossing me around on my deathbed. He was willing to fight Death himself for me and commanding that I don’t die. Only something like Lucian would be stubborn and make that demand.

My lashes dusted my cheeks as the pain lanced through me, and a scream bubbled up from my lungs. Lucian grabbed my hand, holding it while he chanted softly, igniting candles within the large, opulent chamber where he’d brought me.

He watched me shout and struggle to get air into my lungs while the dagger pushed deeper into my chest. Midnight-blue eyes held mine captive, swallowing me whole while I fought to get through the piercing fire burning itself into me. My back arched and buckled as I thrashed around.

“Help me, Spyder.” Lucian grabbed one arm, intertwining his fingers through mine, while Spyder did the same to the other hand. “Breathe, Lena. Just breathe, sweet witch. You’re going to be okay. You hear me? I will fix this.”

The pain was debilitating. It started in my chest and shot through my body like spider webs through glass. I was losing my grip on remaining coherent.

I was fading into nothingness that I’d willingly agreed to in order to protect my son from becoming a tool used to hurt his father. I didn’t get a chance to move into the fade or be reborn. I’d sealed my fate by fighting my destiny, which had been to hurt the man in which I’d fallen hopelessly in love.

“Stay with us, Kitty,” Spyder ordered, his ice-blue stare locking with mine.

“Be good to Lucian and help him after I’m gone.”

“Fuck that noise. You don’t get to leave us. You’re stuck with us forever, Kitty cat. You hear me? Just fucking hold on, they’re coming,” Spyder snapped, his eyes slowly glowing as the air in the room grew thick with unease.

Lucian’s voice was rough, dripping with emotion as he spoke to the others that stood near the altar. The earthy scent of sage filled my nostrils, burning as Erie and Synthia lit copious amounts of it, chanting a protection spell for the magic being readied.

The moment the candles were set alight, they shot into the air. Shadows swayed on the walls, moving without being cast. It was as if the light called them here, drawing them to us.

A shiver of unease rushed through me as a familiar scent of magic drifted over my exposed flesh. Blinking, I tried to see past the blurring of my vision. Panic crawled up my spine, clawing its way into my mind as I remained alert but unable to communicate coherently.

“Just breathe, Lena. In and out, you’re not leaving me now,” Lucian stated firmly, his tone holding the authority and calmness of his position. “Hades is here,” he announced, and as I watched, a blinding blue light ignited in the room, swallowing the shadows.

“You rang?” Hades asked, his violet-blue gaze sliding over me before his chest rose and fell with a labored breath. “Lucian, no, no fucking way. You can’t do this. You know it is forbidden.”

“What will they do, Hades? Fight me? They can fucking try. I have never asked for anything from any of them. I am asking for this. I am demanding this one thing be done. I will not lose her again. They can do this one thing for me.”

“They’ll have to fight me too, Hades,” Spyder said, and then more voices echoed his words.

Hades’ stare held mine, his dark head shaking before he scrubbed his hand over his mouth. “Have you asked her if she wants this?”

“Don’t fucking do that,” Lucian warned, his anger palpable in his tone. “Lena doesn’t get to die here. You understand? She’s going to accept what is about to happen.”

“I didn’t ask if you wanted this, Lucian. I asked if she did, or if you’ve talked to her, and if this is what she wants,” Hades returned, unbothered by the tone of Lucian’s voice.

“I want to live,” I whispered weakly, fighting to remain coherent enough to understand what was happening around me.

Hades’s eyes remained locked with mine, watching for any sign that I wasn’t able to decide my fate. He slowly blew the air from his lungs, fighting whatever war was happening inside his mind.

Prying his gaze from mine, he looked over my prone form to where Lucian stood, glaring murderously at him.

Pain assaulted me, rendering my mind useless with how thickly it wrapped around me, consuming my thoughts. I slid my attention to Lucian, who watched me with anguish burning in his stare. His hair was messy, sticking up every which way from running his fingers through it, pulling on it while he waited for Hades and the others.

“You heard her,” Lucian interrupted, sliding between Hades and me, obstructing my view. “Call them, now. Call her, now.”

“Persephone doesn’t come for me, pun intended,” he snorted. “I’ll call for them, and they will reach out to her. What is it you intend to offer them for Lena, Lucian?” His words held a grim undertone. “Their price will be steep, and I’m not sure you’re prepared to pay it.”

“I will deal with that when the time comes to give them what they want. Call them, now, Hades. I cannot hold her here indefinitely from Death,” Lucian growled.

A deep, soothing chuckle sounded in the room, and everyone turned toward Thanatos, who leaned against the wall, holding his scythe over his shoulder.

“No, you cannot. I’m guessing that isn’t what you called me here to deal with, though. You want her soul back. Right?” Thanatos stated firmly.

“I will get it from you, Thanatos. You will give it to me or die. You owe me, and I am collecting the debt now,” Lucian hissed, his armor slowly wrapping around him, while Thanatos stared with a calculated look.

“I want Spyder to call his favor in, too. After all, I heard he’s rather fond of the female also,” Thanatos returned, pushing off the wall as his scythe vanished into a puff of black smoke. “Her soul has frayed after all, and you’re going to need someone to sew it back into place. Choose because you’re out of time, and I’m about to reap what little is left of her soul.”

“Not yet,” Lucian growled thickly. “Lena, hold on for me.”

I coughed, sending blood splattering over his armor-clad chest. Spyder’s hold on my hand tightened and I whimpered. The dagger was barely visible through my chest now, as the pain jackhammered through me endlessly. The blade was steadily sinking into me, as if seeking an escape through my back.

“That looks painful,” Nyx’s honey-laced voice announced to the room. A sliver of darkness drifted over me, and then her face became visible. Her hand shot out, curling long fingers around my jaw. “Poor, sweet girl. You just can’t fucking stop throwing your life away, can you?”

“It may have helped if you hadn’t placed Asmodeus’s fucking keys into her damn corpse,” Thanatos snorted. “He’s all giddy at the idea of running earth as his kingdom.”

“Give a man a throne….” Nyx recited.

“… And he’ll call it home,” three voices chimed as raw, unchecked power rushed through the room, stealing the air from it.

“Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos,” Lucian said, his tone cold and merciless.

“Monster, we’d say it was a pleasure, but it never is. You brought us here, and think to blackmail us?” the three Fates spoke as one, sending goosebumps over my flesh.

“I am calling in your debt, all of yours debts. Help me save Lena’s life, and I will free the one you’ve asked me to release in exchange for her immortality,” he stated, and the others seemed to still at what he’d offered.

“Your word that it will be done?” one asked as they separated into three separate beings.

The Fates appeared as three younger-looking women, and power pulsed from them. Their attention shifted to me, where I stared at them, the rattle in my chest becoming more pronounced.

“She looks close to death, does she not, sisters?” Another one asked, humming the words softly.

“So close that Thanatos stands ready to reap her soul, even though she doesn’t have one to take. Interesting, but more so are the dead surrounding her as she circles the drain. Why are they here?” The third asked softly.

“We cannot touch her with those impure things within her, Lucian. Handle it, and finish what you started by freeing Asmodeus from the Goddess of War’s freezer. You ruined my favorite show with that stunt. The afterlife and such has limited dramas lately. I’m rather irked you did that, but more intrigued that you freed him to kill the woman you love. A bold move, or at least I thought it was until you called for us.”

“Asmodeus was the only one who could free the furies and unbind them from her soul. He served a purpose, and I’d already begun the steps to bring her back free of them. I want Lena to live without the furies inside of her. She’s earned that freedom.”

“And if she decides to live without you?” one Fate asked, twirling silver twine in her hand.

“Then that will be something I will have to live with,” Lucian stated.

“Kill her,” one Fate demanded in an excited tone. “End this life and the pain she’s enduring. Prove to us how far you are willing to go to free her of what you’ve done to her.”

“Not until her soul has been replaced, and her parts are corrected. When she is reborn, she will come back whole. There will be no trace left of what she has endured. That includes my seal. Bring them in, and let us begin,” Lucian whispered, turning to look at me. “Be brave, my sweet witch. I’ll be waiting for you when you come back to me.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

I found peace in nothingness, and Lucian fought for me. He refused to let me go. In a world full of Prince Charming’s, I’d always choose the villain. Lucian was my forever, even if that time was to be short-lived. ~Lena

The room shifted. Or maybe I was losing my grip on reality. The scent of sage grew more robust, and the altar I was on lifted from the ground, slowly spinning.

I peered through hooded figures that appeared as their loud chanting echoed around us. Large stone pillars surrounded us, and beyond them lay rolling hills that spread vastly out into the terrain. Fires shown sporadically on the hilltops, sending clouds of smoke into the starry skies above us.

The pain had lessened, which I was certain wasn’t a good sign, and I could no longer see the handle of the dagger protruding from my chest. Numbness was settling in, and with it, a sense of calm that had me floating on an endless sea of waves. I felt like I’d been placed on a ship and sent out to sea.

Whispered voices started, forcing my attention to the hooded figures that circled where I lay on the altar. Witches, I realized absently.

My mind wandered with their chants, giving in to the familiar taste of the magic they were using. Spyder still held my hand, his shadows slithering over me while he peered down at me. I searched his gaze, turning as someone else moved closer to my side.

“Magdalena, I need you to agree to what needs to be done to save you,” Lucian begged, his tone hoarse and filled with an emotion I couldn’t place. “It is going to hurt, and that cannot be avoided. You’re going to want to die and will probably beg me to end it. I won’t, because losing you isn’t something I will allow to happen. You’re my home, and I can’t lose you again.”

I opened my lips to speak, but nothing came out. My chest no longer rose or fell with air, and I blinked past the tears that refused to fall. Panic began to rise through me, swallowing me entirely. Lucian’s eyes studied my face, watching as the realization sank in that I was already dead.

Spyder’s hand tightened on mine, his sober look now making sense.

I’d died again.

The furies which were being ripped from me with the dagger were the only thing keeping me alive. It was no longer me driving because there was no part of me within my body.

“You’re still here with me, Magdalena. Spyder is holding you here. His shadows have you, keeping the soul that was inside of you, within him. You’re still my girl. It’s okay to be afraid. You can be scared, but you can’t give up on me. Trust me, little one. I’m going to fix this, and you will be fine. I promise you that,” he stated, leaning over to kiss my blood-covered lips with his warm ones. “Allow me to save you. I need you to want this, Lena. Say yes.”

“Yes!” I didn’t speak it out loud, but he’d heard it somehow.

I didn’t want to die, not after just discovering the stubborn asshole loved me! I held his stare, watching his lips sliding into a bemused smile. He shook his dark head, pushing the hair away from my face before he moved back, turning to nod at the people on the hillside that tossed more sage into the fires. Sparks filled the sky, sending embers into the night.

“Her body temperature is dropping. It’s time to get started,” Lucian announced. “She’s agreed to this. You all heard her agree, begin.”

He stepped back, and I slid my gaze through the robed figures, watching as they pushed the hoods back, staring down at me. If I had a working heart, it would have beaten wildly at what met my gaze.

My mother smiled sadly, her eyes swimming with unshed tears. My grandmother stood beside her, looking at me as they began softly chanting. I fought to speak, to whisper their names while they all chanted, their voices fluttering over me with a comforting melody.

Pain began burning in my chest, and I jerked against it. My back lifted off the altar, and the pillars with glowing blue lights turned crimson. Blood poured through them, painting the earth in a copper river that flowed up the mountains and hillsides.

Inwardly, I screamed along with the furies. It felt like we were all being torn apart or separated. It was debilitating pain that had my entire body shaking against what was being done to us.

It wasn’t normal pain. It was ripping me apart as if my genetic makeup was being rewritten with their words. I began flopping around, held only by Spyder’s grip while he watched over me. Fingers gripped my shoulders, slamming me down while the spell continued rushing through the circle.

Blue light shot into the night sky, the symbol of magic painting the image into the air above me. I was in the middle of a huge pentagram, one filled with powerful magic—the magic of my bloodline. My eyes moved to my mother, who watched me carefully.

Lucian hadn’t killed my family. I don’t know how I knew this to be true, but I did. I saw it all playing out in my mind. He hadn’t just stood by while they’d been murdered, as I’d assumed, or not for the reasoning I’d thought, anyway. They’d brokered a deal, one to ensure a member of our bloodline continued.

Black magic, mixed with forbidden magic in the air; Lucian had known they were marked for death, and he’d allowed them to be slaughtered because it was an easier way out than what the cost for meddling would have been.

Something wet began leaking from my orifices, and I felt a hand on my forehead. Thanatos peered down at me, his eyes sliding to where Lucian stood with the Fates, watching the witches work.

Hades and Persephone stepped up at my feet, each one grabbing a foot before they started whispering in a strange language I couldn’t understand. Panic was shooting through me even more with their appearance. Thanatos leaned down and brushed his lips against my ear, kissing below my earlobe.

“Do you accept the return of your soul, Magdalena Fitzgerald?” he asked huskily.

I blinked, turning to look at Spyder, who nodded, squeezing my hand tightly with encouragement. Fear filled my core, knowing that something big was happening here—something I couldn’t understand.

The seal was in my womb, and if it was unleashed, it would end the world. I didn’t know if that was the plan, but I refused to let it to escape and slaughter everything and everyone.

“That won’t happen, Magdalena,” he said, reading my thoughts. “Lucian wouldn’t allow it, not even for you. It’s been handled. Do you accept the soul you lost? Or do you deny what I offer?” Thanatos repeated.

“I accept. But not if it’s evil, cursed, been used to do shady shit, or anything to that accord.”

“Beggars cannot be choosers, Lena. I only played with it a little; I promise,” Thanatos chuckled darkly, sending a rush of something worrisome through me. “She accepts. Your turn, Kendra.”

I blinked at the name Thanatos spoke, watching as my sister removed her hood, stepping beside me.

“Hey you,” she whispered thickly, leaning over to kiss my cheek. “I have something for you. You need it now more than I do. I didn’t get to say goodbye before, but I bartered for that and to leave you with a gift. One of us should have a happily ever after, right?”

Her hand touched mine, sending warmth rushing through me. I watched her, unable to speak, But I knew she would hear my thoughts.

“I failed you, Kendra.”

“No, you didn’t, Lena. You protected Makenna from death. You were there when she needed you most. I didn’t actually expect you to fight the Devil for his daughter. I never thought Lucifer wanted her, but he adores her, and he loves her. I asked you to protect her and to remind her of me often. I always knew I would be the one to die and that you would go on. Even now, as you lay here dead, you’re filled with life, Magdalena. You’re meant for more, and we all realized that. You’re the light that shines in our darkest hour.”

“We’re all dead, Kendra. I fail to see how that can be considered shining,” I screamed internally. “Look around us. Our bloodline is all here—dead.”

“You’ll have more children, and you will keep the line alive. You are eternally blessed.”

“I can’t have children. My womb is a prison for Lucian’s seal,” I argued, doing my best to ignore the screaming of the furies.

“Yes, you can. We’re interchangeable, right? My gift to you, sister, is my womb. It was spelled within my body, saved by our coven for you. You will carry us on with you,” Kendra whispered, leaning against the altar. “Not all of us are dead. Some of us were stolen from Death, and placed where neither it, nor he can ever reach us. Have faith, Lena. Parts have been moving while you adapted to your new life. You’re not meant to house evil, and those things within you turn evil when in the presence of their maker. You didn’t think we’d let the bloodline die out, did you?” Kendra asked, tilting her head. “We’re witches, sister. We live for the line and to keep it going. While you were falling in love, we were setting the stage to guarantee you survived. Your death tossed a wrench into the design, but Lucian helped us fix it easily. Inside Club Chaos, in the hallway outside the room where your body lay, I made a deal with him to ensure you would come back to us. I was already dead before Lucifer ever touched me. Witches, right? The end goal is all that matters, and to make sure that one of us continued, we all agreed to make that sacrifice. I love you, Lena. Find me when I am reborn, and bring me home where I belong.”

I tried to move my hand, but she shimmered in the breeze and vanished as red-hot pain shot through me. The hands holding my limbs and body tightened while the chanting reached a crescendo. My body twisted and turned as something built in my chest. My throat was filled with vile matter, and my mouth was forced open as black flecks escaped, bursting into the night air.

I tilted my head and peered off into the distance. I no longer moved or felt the furies within me. Someone reached into my rib cage, fishing around inside as a sickening, wet sound filled the air.

Persephone stepped up closer to me, her eyes sliding over the mangled mess of my chest. “Womb,” she stated in a crisp tone. Adam came to her side, handing her a black sack before peering down at me. His eyes were filled with regret. “Give me room to work. Lucian, join Spyder at her side, and prepare to receive the other womb.”

Persephone’s hand pushed into my stomach, and I screamed. I screamed. I came alive in anguish, debilitating pain that had every inch of me feeling everything she did. Her wide blue eyes briefly met mine before she continued.

My entire body vibrated with power and pain. It was the sort of agony that no one should ever feel. I felt her inside my stomach, fishing around in my body. She hummed, watching me as I proceeded to scream, a shrill shriek that hurt my own ears in volume.

“I am Life, and so even the dead feel me, Magdalena. I am sorry about the pain, but in order to save you, we didn’t have time to subdue or lessen it for you,” she explained in a soothing tone. “This is going to sting a little, sweets.”

Her hands ripped my womb from me, and I opened my mouth, screeching as I begged her to stop. My words were jumbled and tears burned my eyes as I pleaded for it to be over. It was too much, and endless. It felt like she was tearing me apart, rearranging organs, and doing so with a butcher’s blade.

Lucian watched Persephone lift her hand, grabbing the blackened, rune-covered womb from her hold. I saw him placing it into the box, one that glowed with ancient crimson-colored words before he opened his mouth and fucking ate it.

This had to be an acid trip gone wrong. He hadn’t just really eaten a fucking box, right? I didn’t have Hades’ part-time wife redoing my insides with red-hot pokers, and my dead family wasn’t really standing around as it all unfolded.

Nope.

Life wasn’t this twisted.

More pain started, and then I felt it. I could feel my soul against my skin. I screamed, begging and pleading, pleading and begging for them to stop. It was wrong. It was right. Nothing made sense.

I sobbed brokenly as Lucian swallowed hard, watching me cry harder than I’d ever cried in my entire short lifespan.

It ached, like everything was on repeat. I felt it all from the moment of my birth until my life had ended at my hand. It was like being forced to watch the lamest, low-budget film with a shitty ending.

Thanatos hummed, his golden needle slowly working while I screamed at him to stop hurting me. He turned me away from Lucian, who had stepped back while they worked.

My eyes slid to the Fates, seeing them thread a spindle. I blinked as one spun the fiber while another held out the length. The third was holding a pair of shears, watching it all with a bored expression on her face.

The thread glowed blue, the size of it getting shorter as they whispered, bowing their heads together. Thunder clapped in the distance, and lightning struck the ground.

The immortals gathered around the Fates as if they sensed someone else coming. I stared through them, ignoring the growing masses while pain continued to tear me apart. Atropos opened the scissors, smiling as she slid them toward the fiber.

The moment she began to close them shut, everyone working on me stepped back, and the thread turned blood red, breaking her shears before she could cut through it. Numbness swallowed me while everything faded away to darkness.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Rebirth wasn’t something I wished to endure, but neither was dying. I’d fought too hard to live, and I sought the life for which I fought. I wanted Lucian above anything else. I needed my monster, and I wanted to be his, the monster he adored and loved above all else. ~Lena

The sound of people talking nearby woke me. I blinked, staring up at the cathedral ceiling above me. Every ache and pain made itself known immediately. I trembled uncontrollably while something blocked my vision of the colorful roof. I opened and closed my eyes as my stomach rumbled, and everything seemed to grow to an unbearable level.

“Stop screaming!” I shouted, listening as my voice echoed around me.

“She lives,” Lucian murmured. “Welcome back, gorgeous.”

“I had the strangest dream,” I muttered, grunting as my belly growled once more.

I blinked slowly. I hadn’t felt my stomach rumble since I’d died. My hand moved to my tender abdomen, and I winced. My mouth was dry and tasted like I’d swallowed one of my mother’s concoctions that never seemed to cure ailments, but always added a few more to the complaint list.

“How do you feel, Lena?” Lucian asked while pushing hair away from my face.

I tried to get up, but he prevented it with his hand against my chest.

“Careful, it is going to take a little while to remember how to move correctly,” he said cryptically. I stared at him, narrowing my eyes while I replayed his words.

“Did I die again?” I questioned skeptically.

“Not entirely.”

I groaned, closing my eyes, then opened them to look up at him. “It wasn’t a dream, was it?”

“Nah, Kitty,” Spyder laughed from where he stood beside me.

“Why am I sore? I feel. I feel everything.”

“Because you’re yourself again, Magdalena,” my mother whispered.

I sat up, grateful that Lucian caught me before I could topple off the altar where he’d placed me. My lips quivered as tears flooded my eyes.

“Momma?” I sobbed, covering my mouth with my hand as emotions slammed into me. “Grandma?” I all but screamed, staring at them both.

“Easy, Lena,” Lucian warned. “You’re basically human again. Your body needs time to adjust to the change.”

“How is this even possible? You died! I burned your bodies on funeral pyres!”

“You set fire to our corpses, but Lucian claimed our souls. Here, in his world, we’re real. It was the only way he could save us from what we’d done to ensure our bloodline would survive. When you died, Lena, we used the sand to see which one of us would live. The answer was you, and you needed to be yourself again to continue the line. Lucian knew what we’d done, and he made us an offer. He allowed us to choose who would go on without being born into a cursed loop,” my grandmother explained. “He offered us a chance to live inside his world and to be able to watch our line go on through you.”

“Kendra?” I asked, watching their smiles drop.

“She wasn’t capable of accepting the offer because of Makenna. She couldn’t die before her daughter was born. We were created to protect our children, even if it meant shielding them from ourselves. Kendra made a deal with Lucian without us knowing. She allowed him to shield her womb so that he could place it back into you when the time was right. You’re whole again, Lena. You’re a witch, one that will never die or be cursed by any being.”

I slipped from the altar with Lucian’s help, moving closer to them as my mother held out her arms. I reached out, touching her as a sob broke free. She was solid and whole. She wrapped around me, hugging me closely before she placed a soft kiss against my brow.

“My sweet girl,” she whispered thickly. “I am so sorry that we had to make you think we didn’t want you. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, pretending to be afraid of you so that no one suspected what we’d done.”

I inhaled her familiar scent, wrapping my arms around her to hug her tightly. “It’s okay.”

“I had to do it to make the demon believe Lucian would suffer because of our plans. Lucian told me how you could be saved, but that he’d need an entire coven to help him. I wanted to be here with you. Now we will always be together, Daughter. Once Kendra is reborn, we will bring her here, too.”

“No,” I whispered, shaking my head as I pulled back to gaze at her. “She will be born mortal. She will live again without us or any immortals interfering with her life. She wished to be human when we were children. She didn’t want to be awakened into her powers. She only did that for you. We will watch over her, but we won’t interfere until she is old enough to make a choice and decide her fate.”

“But she may not choose us,” my grandmother pointed out softly.

“That’s her decision.” I paused as the sound of crying tore through the room.

I stood motionless, listening for the cry. My feet moved on their own, and slowly, I turned to where I’d heard it coming. I heard it again, and my heart hammered, thumping wildly as I stared up a familiar set of stairs.

“It sounds like someone is awake,” Lucian murmured against my ear.

Tears filled my eyes, swimming in them while I listened for the noise again. A soft cry that almost sounded like a whimper echoed through the room. I took another step toward the staircase, noting that both Spyder and Lucian moved beside me, ready to catch me if I fell.

I whispered the spell to displace air and space, appearing at the top of the stairs. Turning, I peered down at the shocked faces. Obviously, they’d forgotten that I had the grimoires of the dead witches within me. I hadn’t. I vanished again, arriving inside a white bedroom with a large four-poster bed and shimmering curtains of silver draped over the iron rods over the bed.

A woman’s voice filled the room. “Can I help you? Unfortunately, this area is off-limits…”

I turned, staring at the woman before my eyes lowered to what sat behind her. My breath caught in my lungs, and I slowly, clumsily walked toward the rune-covered, clear box. Tears dropped from my cheeks unchecked as a sob broke free from my lungs. My knees threatened to give out as I touched it, watching as the cover vanished.

Inside the small incubator was Harbinger, his midnight eyes watching me as I fell apart. My entire body shook with the unchecked emotion rushing through me. My legs were wobbly, but strong arms wrapped around my middle, holding me up.

“Oh, God,” I said on a breath through the tightness of my throat, turning to peer up at Lucian, who smiled down at me.

“Not quite, but he’s gotten me the closest to feeling like there’s something heavenly within this world, Lena. Meet our son. He’s been waiting for you,” he whispered, kissing the back of my head.

“It isn’t him, right? Just his soul?” I murmured, uncaring that I was a mess. I had tears blinding me, and my nose was threatening to run along with them down my face.

“It’s him, Magdalena. I wasn’t about to let them take what we’d created together.”

I reached my trembling hands down, running my fingers over his baby soft skin. My mouth opened, and a sob ripped from me as I scooped him up.

Our son made a cooing noise, and I spoke softly, sweetly to him, unable to make coherent words as I lifted Harbinger into my arms.

Lucian helped me to a chair, where I sat, staring at the child I’d lost to protect as well as the world and the man I loved.

My eyes rose, holding Lucian’s gaze with wonder. “He’s real,” I whispered, afraid if I spoke too loudly, he’d vanish. “Our baby.”

“Our son,” Lucian confirmed. “Our son who is in need of an actual name.”

“He’s pretty perfect, Kitty,” Spyder stated from the doorway. “He must get that from you because we know he didn’t get it from his dad.”

“You both knew and didn’t think to tell me?” I asked, realizing that they’d kept this from me, too.

“I couldn’t chance Lucifer learning about him through your mind. I tried to tell you there was more in jeopardy than I could explain. If I had told you everything I’d planned, shit would have been put into place to prevent it from happening. I wanted you to have a life of your choosing, Lena. I didn’t want you to be locked into one you settled for because it was the only option you had at the time. I wanted you to be yourself again and choose your path.”

“You were planning to change me back this entire time?”

I peered down as Harbinger stretched out, cooing while he watched me with interest. He knew who I was without me saying it. I looked at the ceiling, and the pictures changed, projecting images of Lucian and me throughout the time we’d known each other. It was as if he’d opened a window into my soul, showing our son every perfect image that I’d never even realized we’d made until now.

“Of course, I did,” he stated, watching me adjust the babe in my arms. “You were born a witch, and you chose to come back for the Awakening. You wanted to be one, and family was important to you. I wanted you to be yourself. The same woman who walked in and knocked me on my ass the first time I met you. To me, you were perfect, just as you were created to be. You didn’t choose to become soulless; that decision was made for you because you weren’t ready to give up living. You allowed your soul to leave, which hindered the plans I’d made to ensure you could never be killed.” Lucian moved closer, kneeling beside me to touch Harbinger.

“The moment you told me you loved me, you began to die, Lena. Katarina had cursed me to murder anyone that I ever fell in love with again. I acted badly, I admit. But then you died before I could protect you from that curse. I explained to Kendra what would happen when she had Makenna. She would allow us to end the pregnancy to save her life, or we would start working to save you from what you’d done. I wasn’t accepting that you were gone, so we went through the motions because it was all we could do. I worked on this plan that would have been perfect, except you allowed Nyx and Hades to put the furies into your corpse.”

“Because I didn’t know what else could be done to stop death from occurring,” I stated, watching as his lips curled into a smile.

“You didn’t trust me, and I don’t blame you. You were trying to protect me while I was protecting you. I should have known you were selfless and pure and that you would stop at nothing to keep those you loved from harm. You surprised me, but you also taught me a few things too. Now, there’s an entire room of people below waiting to make sure you’re okay. Name our son, because when we present him below, I prefer to give them his actual name. Not the one his mother screamed in rage as she broke apart, fulfilling her end of a promise.”

“Benjamin,” I said without hesitation. “Benjamin Harbinger Blackstone,” I murmured, kissing his dark curls. “Did he get anything from me? He looks like you, which I’m not complaining about, but he could have at least looked a little like me.”

“He has your attitude when he’s hungry,” he offered, watching as my mouth opened. “And I’d like to think he’s as pure and perfect as you.”

“I’m not putting him down,” I whispered.

“You have to put him down so we can get you showered.”

“I’m not letting him out of my sight,” I argued.

“Lena, you are. Because I really need to kiss his mother and hold her for a moment. I watched you get stabbed—again.”

“Because you freed a freaking prince of Hell, which wasn’t very nice,” I grumbled, hiking an eyebrow at him.

“Don’t give me that look. Only Asmodeus could unlock the furies from inside a body. Killing the host and removing every trace of its soul was the only other way. I did what I did, and I’m not fucking sorry.”

“Not even a little?” I asked, watching his lips tip up at the corners.

“No, because you’re here, and you’re holding our son, Magdalena Blackstone,” he whispered thickly, leaning forward to kiss Benjamin while I looked at them. “I wouldn’t change a single thing that happened. It all brought us here, together in the end.”

“I love you even if you’re the most stubborn, pig-headed male in the entire universe.”

“Remember that, woman. Now hand me our son. He’s still growing and requires rest.”

I peered down at Benjamin, smiling as he looked up at me. “I told you I’d find you and bring you back. Your daddy is pretty amazing, but don’t tell him I said that. He’s already got a head big enough that he needs his own realm to house it.” I kissed my son’s forehead, gently handing him to Lucian. Silently, I watched as he stood with Benjamin, carrying him to the incubator, where he cried loudly and appeared back in my arms.

Chuckling, I glanced at his father, who tilted his head, hiking one eyebrow to his hairline. Lucian turned toward us, crossing his arms, watching me rock the chair with our son snuggled close.

“I’ll tell the others that you are cleaning up,” Spyder muttered from the doorway, observing us together. “He may look like his father, Kitty, but that boy has claws like his momma. I’ll see you guys in a little while. I’m sure no one will complain too loudly when I pull out the good stuff to drink and celebrate our victory.” He winked, vanishing from the room as Lucian walked to the bed, sitting in front of us.

“Now, this is a home I want to come back to.”

Chapter Thirty-Nine

He’d saved us. Lucian was the master at games, and while I’d been trying to find my footing, he’d been saving me from the things trying to consume me. He’d rescued our son and freed me from what I’d done. He’d kept his word and given me everything I wanted. ~Lena

I’d never expected to escape death a second time. I saved Makenna from Asmodeus, knowing that the dagger he held could kill me, but it didn’t. Instead, it had broken the hold the furies had on me. Lucian knew Asmodeus was the only one who could remove the furies from within me. He’d freed him from Erie’s mansion and ensured he gained access to Lucifer.

Lucian had been plotting to get my soul from Thanatos this whole time. He’d used the debts owed to him by other gods, making sure everything was in order. Lucian even had my coven here, minus Kat and Dexter, to do the spell to bring me back from the brink of death.

Lucian saved and protected our son and never let on that he had him back, even when I’d grieved for Harbinger in his arms. He hadn’t been able to save Kendra, but he had ensured her soul would be reborn, and no longer cursed from what Katarina had done to it for her to be free of the spell that was bound to her.

The man seriously knew how to keep a secret, which was honestly refreshing and terrifying at the same time. When I’d fallen in love with him and whispered those words out loud, I’d unraveled a curse that had started to play out. One Lucian realized would end with my life, only it wasn’t by his hand, but mine.

I’d thought I’d won Lucian and Katarina’s game, but he hadn’t quit playing it, ever. While I’d been adjusting to my new life, he’d been fighting to get my old one back. I’d come to terms with what I’d become and rolled with the punches, but he’d never accepted it.

I peered over at Lucian, where he was settling Benjamin into his bed. We had our son with us, and I had my life back. We were together, and he loved me. Lucian Blackstone loved me, with all my flaws and insecurities. He didn’t judge who I was or that I’d always wanted to remain a witch.

I no longer had wings.

I didn’t have American Horror Story eyeliner anymore.

I was whole.

“You’re sure this isn’t a dream?” I asked for the hundredth time in the last hour we’d been holed up in the nursery. “It seems too good to be true, and that usually means it is.”

“Does this feel real?” He leaned over to grip my chin before his mouth crushed against my lips.

I moaned at the delicious taste of his lips. His other hand went around my back, yanking me up until I was pressed against his warmth. Lucian’s tongue slipped between my lips, claiming mine in a loud, urgent-sounding growl that had my core tightening with need.

He pulled away, pressing his forehead against my brow before he swooped down, picking me up into his arms. Lucian didn’t ask if I was ready to leave our son before he marched to the connecting door.

He held me close instead of placing me onto my unsteady feet, stopping at the entrance of the nursery to whisper words in a strangely soothing language that had runes dancing over the pastel walls of the babe’s chamber. Closing the door, he walked me toward a large, marbled room that had a splendid tub in the middle of it.

“This is beautiful,” I whispered thickly.

“It’s the one you dreamed of fucking me in once. I plucked the details from your mind, knowing that one day you’d be here to make good on that fantasy you were having inside your pretty head,” he admitted, placing me gently onto the counter.

He lifted my gown off and over my head, tossing it aside. His large hands cupped my breasts as he peered into my gaze. Leaning forward, I chased his lips, but he refused to allow me a taste of them. I winced slightly at the movement, and he smirked, slowly running his fingertips down my belly.

“I wasn’t willing to lose you, Magdalena. I couldn’t let that happen. So I freed Asmodeus, knowing that his greed and his need to rule would lead him to Lucifer. He needed you there to open Pandora’s Box, but I removed her from the coffin where you left her and placed her somewhere safe. I hated that you would be in pain, but I wanted to give you back everything you had lost.”

I held his face between my palms, smiling at him. “Thank you, Lucian. You’re a good man, even though you’re not really a man at all.”

“I am a monster,” he confirmed.

“Yeah, but you’re my monster. I’m not concerned about what you are or that some great force created you to house the evil beings threatening gods and humans. I only care that you’re mine and that I love you.”

He leaned closer to me, brushing my lips in a feather-soft kiss that sent a shiver rushing through me. I hadn’t noticed how the furies inside me had numbed my emotions and senses. In this form, I could smell the heady scent of masculinity that clung to him better. I could see every speck of impurities and perfection in his gaze.

Lucian had eyes that sparkled with actual galaxies in their depths. I saw the souls within them as well. He was unguarded, and yet he never completely allowed his shields to drop. I’d learn to accept that he wasn’t human, and he’d never be fully able to lower his defenses.

“I wanted to tell you so many times about Benjamin, Magdalena. Every time I came here, I imagined what it would be like when you learned he lived. Your family, if I’d said anything to you about them the others would have known what I intended to do, they’d have ruined my plans before they had begun. What I did for you is not allowed. You cannot bring back the dead, and I intended to do so.”

“I wasn’t dead, though, not really.”

“You were. You were simply a body that the furies were consuming. When you slumbered, I fed you parts of the souls I’d captured to keep the furies from completely devouring what was left of your soul. That was why I trapped you in our bedroom at the club. The thought of you being away from me and them eating your soul and leaving your corpse—it would have been the end. The furies cannot remain inside someone without a soul to consume. Once they had finished feeding on you, they would have moved on to another soul. Hades and Nyx, they didn’t realize how much the three furies would devour.”

“I was dying?” I swallowed past the lump that formed in my throat. “They were killing me to escape the hold I held on them?”

“From the moment of your rebirth, yes. Luckily, you were resurrected with a large portion of your soul, or larger than you’ve held since. You’re missing the portion they consumed. It isn’t something I can get back.”

“And we don’t know what part it was, either. Do we?” I questioned carefully.

His dark head shook as my hands dropped into my lap. So, I was missing parts of myself. Was I upset about it? No. Because losing it didn’t change how I felt about Lucian or our son. To me, those were the things that mattered most.

“Are you going to miss it?” I asked as he stepped back to start the bathwater.

“No, but you will. Souls are important, and without knowing what it was you lost, I can’t foresee what will transpire. I should have acted sooner since I was aware of what was happening within you.”

“Are you asking for forgiveness?”

“I don’t know, Lena. I have never had to admit that I screwed up, and here I fucking am, telling you I fucked up.” He turned around, peering across the room to where I sat.

I slid from the counter, smirking while he watched me walk toward him slowly. I still didn’t have full control of all my limbs, but I had enough to reach him. Pretending to wobble, he rushed forward, steadying me on my feet. I chuckled, watching his gaze narrowing on me as I recited the spell in my head.

One minute we were in the bathroom, and the next, we were inside a masculine bedroom that smelled delicious, like him. I slipped my hand beneath his shirt, skimming over the hard, chiseled muscles of his chest. Then, lifting on my toes, I claimed his lips gently.

“I can’t miss what I don’t know is gone, Blackstone. I have my family and my son back because of you, and of course, I have you, Lucian. Makenna is here with us, and Lucifer is healing in the cell where you placed him. I have all that I want and need. I am alive because of you, and so what if you set shit into motion? You gave me everything I’ve lost. We can have lots of pretty babies. We can live.”

“Lena,” he started to argue, but I shoved him onto the bed, shaking my head.

“Don’t you Lena me, Blackstone. You don’t get to regret anything that’s happened. What you can do right now is fuck me like you hate me. Show me how rough you can be, and make it hurt so good for me,” I murmured, sliding the panties off over my hips, exposing how wet he’d already made me.

“You’re barely healed, woman.”

“And? I want to feel you inside of me, and I want to start making babies, because we’re going to create so many pretty children, asshole. I want them all.”

I snapped my fingers in the air, and Lana Del Rey’s Gods and Monsters started playing through speakers around the room. Lucian watched me stalking him to the bed. A wicked smirk played on my mouth as I snapped again, and his pants vanished, revealing his hard cock.

“Mine,” I growled huskily, watching the way his eyes grew hooded at the sentiment.

“Mine,” he mirrored it. “Fuck this,” he snarled, slamming into my body.

His hand gripped both wrists, holding them to the wall above my head. Lucian’s mouth slammed against mine as his other hand cupped my ass, lifting me.

I felt him against my opening, sliding through the slick mess he’d created. He entered my pussy hard and fast, and his cock stretched and filled me until I gasped against his kiss.

“Lucian!” I screamed, fighting to get my hands freed of his grip to touch him.

“Louder,” he demanded, slamming into my sex as it clamped down around him, hungrily taking what he was offering. “Fucking hell,” he moaned, not letting go of me as he continued pumping into my body with urgency.

Our muffled moans and cries echoed off the walls as I heard water splashing onto the floor from the bathroom. I didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was getting him deeper, taking him into my soul that cried out in bliss at him being within me.

“I can feel you.”

“I’m fucking you,” he growled, moving us toward the bed without missing a beat.

“No, I feel you in my soul again,” I whispered, barely above a breath.

I could feel him further inside me than he’d ever been before. It was as if he’d replaced the furies, but he hadn’t. He’d freed me, and in doing so, my soul was singing with his presence inside of me. He spread my legs apart, slowly rolling his hips while he studied me.

“You’re mine forever, Lena.”

“And you’re mine. Now give me what we both need, asshole,” I groaned, gasping as he slammed to his hilt in my cunt. “Fuck yes!” I moaned, whimpering as he let loose, fucking me hard and without mercy.

He held my hips, peering into my soul as he fucked me until the muscles in his chest tightened, and he snarled his release while I shattered into a million pieces beneath him. Lucian dropped on top of me, claiming my lips as he exhaled.

“I think the dead heard us that time,” I grunted, shoving him up and off of me. “Do you intend to carry me to the tub and wash my hair?” I questioned.

“Get your sexy magical ass into that tub, Lena. I have someone to deal with while you are freshening up,” he stated, pushing up from the bed.

I watched his firm ass moving across the room to push open a large closet that revealed rows of suits. The man was an enigma who enjoyed the finer things in life—a life we would be sharing. I fell back on the mattress, staring up at the galaxies of stars that were visible through the ceiling. Time passed, and yet I didn’t do as I’d been told.

“This is beautiful.”

“Not as beautiful as you are to me,” he whispered, forcing my attention to the closet door, where he leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his naked chest. “Bathe, because your mother and grandmother have been driving me bug fuck crazy to get to you. There’s also another surprise for you waiting below. He can’t stay long. This world doesn’t want him here. Not any more than he wants to be here.”

“Joshua?” I asked, sitting up to look at Lucian with hope flaring within me.

His dark head nodded, causing uneasiness to fill my chest. I’d changed, but he hadn’t. I turned, eyeing Lucian as he saw me putting the pieces together.

“He’s dying, isn’t he?”

Once again, he nodded. “They’re soulless, Lena. Not endless. Once the soul left within is consumed, they cease to exist. Joshua’s soul isn’t salvageable. He remained hidden for too long, and the fury inside of him has fed well. Once it’s gone, you’ll lose him forever.”

Chapter Forty

And then peace came, and the world was right if even for only a moment in time. ~Lena

When Lucian said my family was waiting for me below, I thought he was talking about the castle, but he was talking about Club Chaos. He explained that the doors leading inside were a gateway and that the club was actually in his world, which explains why I have always felt at home here.

Peeking out of Lucian’s office, I saw my family speaking with Synthia and Ryder below. It didn’t take much to figure out what, or whom, was the topic of their conversation.

My mother’s shoulders shook, as did her dark blonde hair. Synthia was offering her comfort. But I knew they were discussing Alden, and that the silver lining of that situation was that he was still alive.

“Do you think Alden can be saved?” I asked, turning to look at Lucian, where he sat with Benjamin cradled in his arms.

I still didn’t believe that this was real. The man I loved was holding our son, and nothing had gone wrong yet. I guess when you expected chaos around every corner; it was hard to believe what was real and what wasn’t anymore.

I’d been through so much in such a little amount of time that everything seemed amiss, even though it was right.

“Maybe we should wait to introduce Benjamin to anyone.” Panic rushed through me as I wrung my hands in front of my dark blue eyelet dress.

“You remember the last time you wore that outfit?” he asked, ignoring my question.

“It was when I came here to apologize for accusing you of murdering a poor woman,” I snorted. “A woman that you actually did murder, I might add.”

“I did, but she’d murdered her husband and her children. She’d asked me for a favor, and I had granted it. Her request was to go unpunished for her crimes. I accepted it but chose to collect that payment instantly.”

“Did you know what she’d done?” I countered, narrowing my eyes on him as my heels clicked over the newly tiled floor.

I’d been told that this flooring choice was because it would be easier to clean after one of our fights. Apparently, carpets had been too difficult for Lucian’s men to pick out pieces of glass and other items spilled. I twirled my hair, smirking as Lucian glanced at me with a needy, predatory gaze.

He nodded slowly, sliding his hungry stare down my body. “I always know, but back to the dress. I wished for nothing more than to remove it and bend you over my desk. I had never been more aroused or hard in my entire existence. I wanted to hear your sweet screams and feel your pussy clamping down on my cock while you yelled my name to your fucking gods.”

“Innocent ears.”

“He’s in stasis and doesn’t understand a single word we’re saying. I could set Benjamin down and make that dress go away,” he offered.

I snorted, turning to look at the picture that adorned his wall. It was of me, holding Benjamin in my arms, smiling as I kissed his soft black curls atop his perfect head. No longer did I see the woman he’d once obsessed about covering his walls. They were now decorated with images of the three of us, and that hit me harder than I’d expected. I turned, studying the way Lucian observed me.

“It was always you,” he said softly, as if he’d just had an epiphany. “I couldn’t figure out what it was about Katarina that I thought I loved. I know now that I didn’t love her. I fell for the soul that would be born from hers: you, Lena. I fell for you before you were ever real. Your eyes are hers, and yet I never believed them to be pretty until they were yours. Your hair is the same color with a few different shades added as a highlight, but on you, it’s more. And your soul isn’t hers. It is yours, and yet it was created from her. I never loved Katarina. I loved the soul she would eventually create.”

“You’re not making any sense,” I returned, canting my head to peer at him.

“I can meet a soul centuries before the final one is cemented. I am eternal and can tell you which life would have been the hardest or sweetest before that version of the soul is ever born into a bloodline. Katarina generated your line and had a hand in making you. I sensed it, but I missed it somehow. I never enjoyed fucking her, but you? I can’t stay out of you. You’re like a fucking drug, and I need a fix. I didn’t like kissing anyone, not even her. Your lips draw me in, and fuck do I want to feel them against mine, and around my cock.”

“You always have a way with words, Blackstone,” I teased, crossing my arms over my chest, glaring pointedly at him.

I replayed what he’d said as a look of wonder burned in his eyes. Then, a woman appeared from thin air, accepting Benjamin from his father before she vanished as quickly as she’d come. Frowning, I shook my head as my mouth dropped open.

“You loved me?”

“I fell in love with you before you were even born. Katarina wasn’t what I wished for, ever. I wanted what she would create with her soul. It explains everything about you that has been a mystery to me.”

“So you’re trying to get out of the fact that you had shitty taste in women?” I countered, as he slowly crept over to where I stood. “Everyone makes mistakes, Lucian.”

“I didn’t, though. I just chose the wrong soul and at the wrong time. Katarina was selfish and petty. You’re selfless and pure. She cared what others thought about her, but you don’t.”

“I did,” I corrected.

“No, you really fucking didn’t. You went away, and you used a spell that made you appear plain and lacking, and we all know that’s a fucking lie, Magdalena. You’re gorgeous and draw the eye of those around you without even trying. You just don’t know how beautiful you are. I’ll change that.”

“We have guests waiting for us below, and if you keep sweet-talking me, my panties are going to combust.” I lifted on my toes to kiss him. “I don’t care if you knew or not that I was the one you’d fall in love with, Lucian. I only care that you never let me go.”

“Never,” he promised, cupping my head to hold me against his lips. “Fine, but the moment we’re finished below, you’re getting fucked in this dress, on that desk.”

“Fine,” I said, smiling as his eyes turned into slits.

“Say it again, woman.”

“Nope, not happening, Blackstone. I’ve learned that you never give idle threats. After we’ve sent our guests away, you can fucking rail me on your desk and show me what your fine ass can do to me.”

“Fine,” he returned, watching my mouth.

“It’s a deal,” I chirped, spinning on my heel, allowing him to watch my ass from behind. He’d wanted me to say fine. If I had, I’d have been bent over that desk, my panties in his hand, and his dick buried in my heat.

Opening the door, the men on the other side came to attention, staring pointedly at me. I smiled, wrinkling my nose while stepping out of the office.

“Gentlemen,” I said softly. “I love your asses, too,” I admitted after a moment had passed.

“We like you too, Kitty.” Spyder slid his gaze over my face and grinned. Lucian cleared his throat, and Spyder winked at me. “Would you like to take the stairs or try out the new shiny silver ladder I had installed while you were gone? It’s not like any other ladder you’ve seen, and our patrons really like holding onto the edges and sliding down the slick surface.”

I cleared my throat, buffing my nails, then stared at them as if they held a layer of dirt. “I’ll use the stairs. I’ve slid down a ladder a few times in my life, but stairs seem to suit me better.” I swallowed past nervous laughter as flashbacks from our time in bed together replayed inside my head.

“I should hate you, Lucian, for taking those memories of the three of us from my mind, but judging by Lena’s reaction, I’m going to enjoy guessing what the fuck happened in that room,” Spyder admitted.

A sense of somberness fell over the men, and I turned, staring at Lucian, who watched Spyder with an uneasy expression.

“What is it?” I asked, pleading with Lucian to tell me what was happening.

“Not here, Lena. Not right now. Tonight we celebrate our victory. We still have to figure out Asmodeus’s next play and contain that prick in Hell. Lucifer is still below. You need to decide what happens with him and his daughter. Your family is also here and waiting to see you. They’ve been driving me insane for months. So enjoy the evening, because tomorrow all hell might break loose,” Lucian admitted, which seemed to lighten the air around us.

“Lucian,” Erie interrupted, stepping out of the shadows with a serious look in her sky-blue eyes. “I’d like to have Asmodeus back and your permission to handle him however I see fit.”

“And what do you intend to do?” he asked softly. His perceptive gaze slid over Erie’s face, slowly narrowing his eyes on her. “You’re attached to him, aren’t you?”

“In a way, he’s my friend. You set him on a course, but he also betrayed me. I plan to put him back where you found him. After all, you did steer him in the direction of his actions. Maybe not the part where he acquired the Unseelie blade and tried to kill Lena, but you knew he would come for her. You probably expected me to take her from Club Chaos, allowing Asmodeus the opportunity to find her.”

There was an accusation in her tone, one that made the hair on my neck rise. Her gaze slid to me, narrowing with the same look she’d given Lucian.

“I had no idea that you’d take Lena from where she was safe, Erie. I did know that Asmodeus was close to you, but I assumed he’d come here and that my plan wouldn’t put Lena in jeopardy.”

“In more jeopardy than you releasing the one being that could remove the furies from within Lena?” Erie asked, tapping her finger on her chin. “Or more than using me to draw your enemies out, to mark them,” she wondered out loud.

“I never should have questioned your loyalty to me, Erie. For that, I am sorry.” Lucian apologized. At that declaration, Erie dropped the angry look and clapped her hands.

“Party time?” She grabbed my arm and yanked me behind her toward the people expecting us below. “Everyone is waiting for the new Mistress of Chaos!”

I laughed, following her, my heels clicking on the tile as we descended the stairs. At the bottom of the staircase, I dragged her back a step. Joshua stood at the bar, staring at me with a smile that lit his eyes.

“Joshua,” I whispered as he came toward me.

“Lenny,” Joshua said the moment he reached me, hugging me to him. “Blink twice if you need to escape this shit show.”

I pulled away from him slightly, smiling until I caught the blackness swallowing his pretty blue eyes. His dark brown hair was longer than he normally allowed it to be, and there were dark circles beneath his eyes, highlighting the lines that shouldn’t have been there. He was aging.

“What happened?” I asked, but he shook the question off.

“This night is about you, Lenny. Not me. I’m sure you know what’s going on. It isn’t happening tonight, though. You’re free, and you look amazing.”

“We will figure it out, Joshua.”

“Sure,” he said, appeasing me, even though his smile no longer touched his eyes. I rushed back into his arms, knowing he didn’t feel the loss I felt and that I sensed what was happening. Or maybe he did. I was losing him again, and nothing could stop it this time because his soul was too far gone.

“I love you, Joshua,” I whispered.

“I know, Lenny girl. I know you do. I should be able to return the sentiment, but I can’t say it because I won’t mean it. That part of my soul is gone. I loved you in our first life. You’re my sister, and you will always be my Lenny.”

He pulled away, leaving me rooted in place as he vanished through the doors. Both mom and grandma watched him go as Lucian spoke softly to them. I wanted the floor to swallow me whole, but I knew I couldn’t leave yet.

With a heavy heart, I moved to where Lucifer sat, staring at me. There was a quietness to him that almost made me shrink away from what was coming. He smirked, sensing it before I reached him. His violet-blue gaze studied my face, and then his dark head slowly shook back and forth.

“Joshua will come to me because of what he did and became in this lifetime. I’ll make sure he is safe, Lena,” he promised. At my shocked look, he frowned. “All beings who escape death come to me. They’re not welcome in Heaven once they’ve received their immortality. He’ll be reborn, but he won’t be your brother anymore. He will be a recycled soul that never fits into this world. They normally become those that are lost, never understanding the shit haunting them from their past life.” Lucifer turned, grabbing a drink from the bar.

“We need to discuss Makenna.”

“She’s staying with you and Lucian. If she can? She’s not safe with me right now. I am being hunted by angels once again. If they find her, they will kill her.”

“I was going to say that she should stay with you. Does anyone have any good news?” I asked, as Lucifer downed his drink and rapped his knuckles on the counter for more. “Kendra said you loved her and that she belongs with you.”

“No, she didn’t. She has no idea what happens down there or what I am.” He snorted, draining his glass. “I have Cassidy, and Helen in Hell, being tortured endlessly, and I enjoy watching them suffer. They’re being skinned alive and then slowly burned until they are nothing more than a meal to consume. Once the last morsel is eaten, their bodies are made whole again, repeating the process on an endless loop throughout eternity.”

“Oh, that sounds lovely.” He turned to look at me mid-drink, with his brows raised to his hairline. “I mean, I wouldn’t want to try it out or anything. But it seems a fitting end to the likes of that pair.”

“How’d that asshole get you? What did he do that I didn’t, Lena?” Luc asked, scanning my face as if I’d give it away.

“I fell in love with him first and wouldn’t let him forget that I was worth loving,” I admitted, nodding at the bartender, who placed a cup in front of me, pouring a drink. “I will keep Makenna, Lucifer. I will love her as if she was my own, but you will still be in her life. I can’t begin to understand the decisions your father made when he cast you from Heaven and abandoned you, but you are not him. I know you would not forsake Makenna and that you want to be a part of her life, and so you shall be, in whatever capacity you choose.”

He snorted, downing another drink. “You almost fucking died, and I hated myself for being the reason for it. You’re quicksand, Magdalena. You’re fucking quicksand.”

Lucifer turned, smiling, as he noticed something over my shoulder. He leaned in before I could guess his intentions and kissed me on the lips. Backing up, I stared at him as if he’d lost his fucking mind.

One second he was on the stool, and the next, he was sailing through the air without anyone having touched him. I watched his body break the wall, cracking the plaster as he smashed against it, slowly sliding down. He landed on his feet effortlessly, fixing his suit jacket before he winked at me.

Shifting my attention back to my drink, I found Lucian on one side of me, and Spyder standing on the other. Smirking at their jealousy, I lifted my glass and sipped from it.

“Was that necessary, Lucian?” I inquired.

“No, but it felt good.” He grinned wickedly and leaned over to whisper in my ear. “Now you’re getting spanked before you get fucked on that desk.”

“Care to make it a show? My memories of that time are missing, so I don’t know if she enjoyed it,” Spyder snorted, and a gust of wind sent my hair sailing into the air. I turned, staring at where shadows were barely touching the wall before Spyder emerged from them, smirking. “Here, Kitty cat. I got some catnip for that pussy.”

“I’m almost glad you erased his memories. Although, I think he is enjoying this more than if he had them,” I muttered.

“Indeed. Go visit with your mother and grandmother. I intend to steal you before I allow them all in to see our son,” he stated openly, and once again, the entire bar turned to look at us. Freaking immortals and their seriously enhanced hearing. “If I didn’t want them to know about Benjamin, they wouldn’t.”

“Don’t get inside my head,” I snorted, turning to face him.

“I’ve never been in your head. I read your expressions. I see your thoughts displayed on that beautiful face, and I know how your brilliant mind works. I just really enjoy taking my time and getting to understand the woman in which I intend to spend eternity with.”

Chapter Forty-One

Some people want flowery endings, but us? We just wanted a moment to enjoy that our struggles and pains were over and that we’d found our perfect ending. ~Magdalena Blackstone

We watched the people mingling, celebrating life. It felt surreal, returning from death and having everyone come back, or most everyone. I was losing my Joshua to Nyx, who had knowingly created the soulless to handle the coming apocalypse simply because she didn’t want heaven falling.

I didn’t know why she hadn’t wanted that to happen. Once her furies consumed Joshua’s soul, it would go to Lucifer. Somehow, knowing that he had my brother’s soul instead of Nyx gave me some bit of comfort.

Eris had been returned to her mother, Nyx, with the condition that she stayed away from Faery, the human realm, and Lucian’s world. By the time Lucian was finished telling her who she couldn’t come into contact with, it had ended up being pretty much everyone.

As expected, Eris threw a fit when she found out that Lucian would not be handing over her Apple of Discord. He chose to keep it hidden for the time being, but my instincts told me he had plans involving this spelled fruit.

Synthia was dancing with Erie, even though I was fairly certain that what Erie was doing couldn’t be considered dancing at all. Synthia would pause every few minutes to laugh, shaking her head and holding her belly. Ryder, on the other hand, watched, his eyes glowing every so often. The love they shared was the shit of legends.

Alden was inside Faery, hidden from their world in the cells below the High Fae Castle. He’d been supplied with ample food, if that’s what you called the willing changelings. My mother couldn’t leave the club or Lucian’s world, and had finally accepted that she wouldn’t get an ending with him. Alden couldn’t enter Lucian’s work in his current state, either.

He was transitioning to become fae, an Unseelie prince to be exact, and Synthia and Ryder had been tight-lipped on what would happen. Zahruk was handling it a lot better if you considered his endless brooding an improvement. Ryder was worried about him as well, but there wasn’t much anyone could do to stop what was happening.

Lucian had agreed to search through his library, which surpassed all others. I’d decided to assist him, because I was curious about what I’d find inside a never-ending library. All the pieces seemed to be falling into place, yet there was a lot still coming apart.

Everyone here was going through something, but no one showed it outwardly. We’d all become accustomed to shielding our emotions, so if you walked in and looked at someone here, you’d never know what they were feeling.

You wouldn’t realize Erie’s ex-lovers were hunting her and that the survival of an entire race rested on her producing a child.

You wouldn’t see the pain in Ryder and Synthia’s eyes or the worries they held for the daughter taken from them that they had yet to find.

Zahruk, though. You’d know something was up with, but you wouldn’t see that he’d been altered by magical goo in a dark alleyway that had spread, changing him into an Unseelie prince. I wondered how that will work out with him being the King of the Horde.

Lucifer was a sad kid, rejected by the father he loved, but by looking at him, you wouldn’t know that all he wanted was to love someone. You wouldn’t know that he had a child that was his moon and stars, and she was, too.

Lucifer loved his daughter and had every intention of protecting her with his dying breath, but I doubt he could ever die. He loved Makenna enough to allow us to take her, because he feared what would happen to her if he failed to protect her.

We were all misfits, and not a single one of us allowed it to show. We hid the pain and the proof of the hell we’d been through with fake smiles and kind words—well, most of us. Some merely grunted and walked away.

“What are you worrying over, Witch?” Lucian asked, wrapping his arms around me, pulling me back against his silent strength.

“That life happens, and that it did so during the small moments. Those small things had ended up being bigger than any of us had assumed they’d become. It was the instances you never notice until it’s too late to hold on to them. My grandfather once said that everything happens on its own time. It’s up to you to grab hold and know that it is important. I think I finally understand what he meant.”

“He sounds like he was wise and taught you to be like him,” Lucian murmured against my ear.

“He was, but he died early. I wish I had more time with him before he moved on to his next life,” I admitted.

The music changed, forcing my attention to where everyone else was looking. Bob Seger’s Old Time Rock & Roll started, and Spyder was on the floor, dancing. I laughed when he waved his arms in the air as the others joined him.

He held his hand out for me, and I scrunched my nose up in reply. Lucian grumbled, and Ryder echoed the sound beside us. I slid from the chair, walking to Spyder, as Synthia and Erie joined him. By the time I got to the dancefloor, I almost had to fight my way through to Spyder. He had a smile on his mouth and a wicked twinkle in his stare. Grabbing my hand, he twirled me as I quickly found the beat, dancing with him as Ristan joined in, spinning Synthia around us. Erie grabbed Zahruk, who dug his feet in, shaking his head while she forced him onto the floor.

Spyder was singing to the song, and before I could say otherwise, we were dancing in a line, with hands on each other’s hips, moving through the dancefloor. I laughed as I peered down the line, finding Hades, Persephone, the Fates, and my coven dancing with us while the men at the bar watched, glaring at Spyder, who’d gotten everyone up and having fun during the catchy song.

When it wound down and changed to Bob Seger’s Night Moves, Spyder grabbed my retreating form and pulled me back out onto the floor with him.

He scanned the crowd before settling his icy-blue gaze on me. “Hey, Kitten,” he whispered, leaning his forehead against mine.

“Spyder,” I replied, and yet I’d known it was coming. My stomach sank and my heart cracked.

“I have to leave for a while. Not forever, and this isn’t a goodbye. I have things from my past that I have to deal with and shit I need to do on my own.”

“The furies?” I asked, swallowing past the lump forming in my throat.

He didn’t reply, but he hadn’t needed to. Lucian had told me that Spyder and I were still connected, but not on the level we’d been when the furies had added to it. It was more of a magical connection now. One we’d chosen to keep. That hadn’t saved Spyder from what the furies did to him. I nodded, letting him know I understood what was happening as I felt tears welling up.

“Hey,” he whispered, tipping my chin to peer down into my eyes. “None of that, Kitty. You’re immortal, and we’re forever. It won’t seem like very long, but until we learn where the furies have gone and what they’re planning for me, I can’t take a chance on them getting inside that palace. Not with the babies there now. You and I both know that they’re easy targets, and the furies don’t care about who or what is in their way. They don’t include themselves in their own rules, the selfish bitches. I’ll be back the moment I can do so safely.”

“That’s what was happening in the hallway, wasn’t it?” I asked softly.

He nodded once more, sliding away from me as Lucian slipped in, taking his place. I rushed to Spyder, hugging him tightly.

“Come home to us when you’re finished with them. Promise me you will be okay,” I demanded, peering up at him. Spyder kissed my forehead and untangled himself from my hold.

“I can’t do that, Kitty. I won’t make you a promise that I don’t know for sure that I can keep. Keep them safe, brother,” he said, leaving us to watch him dissolving into shadows before he vanished.

“He’ll be okay. He’s a drama queen about this shit,” Lucian stated, kissing my neck. “Your son wants you, and Makenna needs you as well. Lucifer snuck out when the dancing started, and I don’t think he’s coming back for her anytime soon.”

“I need a moment,” I said, turning to wrap my arms around him. “Did Lucifer say anything about the Hell Gates?” I asked.

“They’re closing, but it won’t be quickly. He said they’ve been shutting for a while. He just chose to keep that to himself until now. The demons will still be here for quite a while, given how many escaped. We’ll help the surviving enforcers at the guild hunt them down and end their time on earth.”

“You did this for me. Everything you’ve done since I returned. Why? I mean, I get the whole saving my life, but Vlad could have easily brought me back as he is.”

“Because I wanted that girl who got in my face and refused to back down,” he stated. “I wanted you as you were born to be. I wanted the hurricane that walked into my world and knocked me on my ass. You’re the first woman ever to look beyond my face and see inside of my mind. You, Lena, were an unknown, and by the time I’d started figuring out the puzzle that is you, I needed all the pieces. I wished to hold them together, but I broke them. I did that even though I never intended to hurt you. So answering your question, I wanted the girl I’d met, and I didn’t want her to lose any part of who she was because of me. You taught me what was possible, and I am never giving you up now. You looked me in the eye, and you didn’t blink. No other creature alive has ever managed that, not even Spyder. You’re the part of me I didn’t know was missing until I lost you. I never want to feel that emptiness again.”

“Thank you for loving me as you do, Lucian. I don’t need you to say it, not when everything you do to show me how much you care for me.”

Theory of a Deadman’s Wicked Games rendition came on, and he smiled. “I do believe that this is our song, Lena. No.” He interrupted when I opened my mouth to argue the meaning of the song. “It’s about what happens when you have an attraction that isn’t good for you. I knew I was bad for you, yet nothing could have stopped us from being together. Eventually, we’ll find another song that fits us as our family grows. Music is important to you, and you need us to have that connection. I personally prefer FMLYHM’s Seether, but if I played it right now, you’d end up bent over that bar while I made that song have an entirely new significance for you.”

“Is that so?” I asked, smiling as I clung to his suit jacket. “Maybe I’m into that.”

He laughed, shaking his head as he grabbed my hand, leading me to his office. “Kinky, woman. You’re no longer on display for others, because I’m a selfish prick that intends to keep you for myself.” I smiled at the jealousy of his tone, allowing him to pull me into the room before he closed the door behind us. “Do not strip. Place your hands on that desk, and do not fucking move.”

I bit my lip, turning to smile at him as the memories of the last time I’d been in this room in this position came back. “I don’t think so, Blackstone. You may own everything inside this world, but you don’t own me.”

His eyes narrowed as I crossed my arms over my breasts and gave him a pointed look. My hair was done up in the same style I’d worn that night. My heels were also the exact shoes as well. He wanted his fantasy, and he’d dressed me to play the part. I’d play it alright, but he’d get that Lena, and he would fucking love it.

“Witch, unless you want that pretty ass of yours to be too sore to sit, I’d follow my instructions.” He slowly began to unbutton his shirt, freeing the wealth of muscles there. Next, he undid his belt, watching me through the slits of his eyes. “I’m going to enjoy this, Fitzgerald.”

“You can try, but you’re the most conceited asshole inside this town.”

“I own your town, woman.”

“Everything but me,” I whispered.

“Oh, but you’re the reason I fucking bought this city. I only wanted one thing in it, and that was your gorgeous ass, on your knees, begging me for mercy.”

“But you don’t have any mercy.”

“Didn’t say you’d get it, Witch,” he chuckled, letting his belt fall from his hand. “I only said you’d beg me for it.”

“You wish, but here’s the thing, asshole, I don’t beg. Not unless it is to get something I want, and I don’t want you…”

His hand curled around the back of my neck, and he yanked me to his mouth. I moaned against it, whimpering when he broke the kiss after only a moment of connecting me to it.

“That’s what I thought. You’re wet, aren’t you? I haven’t touched that naked pussy, and it’s already weeping to be fucked, isn’t it?”

“Not at all,” I lied, slowly moving back.

“Show me how not wet you are, Witch.”

I shivered, smiling as he tilted his head, studying me. He was the predator, and I was his prey. This man had moved the world to free me from what I’d done to myself—to us. I’d taken his choice away, and he’d never damned me for doing that.

Instead, he’d done all that he could to get everything back to the way that it was and to fix what had happened to me because of his and Katarina’s game.

He’d loved me selflessly, and I returned it to him without caring what he was or that he wasn’t even a man.

This creature was my world, and I’d finally found my place here, in his arms.

Chapter Forty-Two

Lena is home, and by returning to us, we found a home in her beauty. She is my forever, and I intend to give her everything she’s ever wanted. Plus, we’re going to make so many little monsters that she never tires of hearing them call her mommy. ~Lucian

Lucian - Three weeks later

A smile curled my lips at the look of pleasure on Lena’s face. I’d spent hours last night fucking her until she’d been sore, but under no disillusion as to whom she belonged to now.

I scanned the curve of her hip, sliding down to the swollen flesh of her pussy. She slept once more, finding dreams waiting for her, when her mind silenced and her lashes brushed against her cheeks.

I’d never expected to fall for the foul-mouthed, saucy vixen that told me to get fucked. Lena had been an unknown, and those were dangerous. Magdalena had kissed me, and I’d melted for her. I hadn’t ever felt that with another, not since the moment of my creation. Her lips were a drug, and I was the addict that craved them endlessly.

She’d burrowed into my soul, and I never wanted to let her go. It wasn’t about sex with Lena; it was deeper and went to an entirely new level. I never wished to leave the warmth of her embrace or her pussy. She didn’t care that I didn’t say how I felt with words that held no meaning for me, not when she understood that I’d been showing her all along by my actions.

Katarina hadn’t been the one I’d craved. That realization had floored me. Yet Lena hadn’t cared in the slightest about the revelation. I, on the other hand, had been left reeling at realizing I’d never loved the selfish bitch that had betrayed me.

I’d confused the emotions I’d felt for Katarina with what I’d feel for Lena when she was created. With the ability to sense unborn souls, I’d known which would be evil or more than what they should be. I’d felt my future inside Katarina, and had mistaken the sliver of emotions I felt with her for something else. Love. I’d thought I loved her, but it wasn’t her at all. It was a child from her line that would become my world.

Lena moaned and rolled over, stretching out on the bed while I peered at her from the shadows inside the room. Turquoise eyes, the color of the clearest seas, opened. A soft groan escaped her pretty lips as she awoke to the ache from me taking her for hours on end.

The stretch of her limbs uncovered her perky tits, and my gaze lowered to her flat stomach as a smile played on my mouth at the tiny heartbeat that sounded from her womb. It was strong and healthy. I’d wasted no time in giving her another child, not with my overwhelming need to watch her swell with my babe seated in her belly.

Her hand slowly slid to her stomach, and I wondered if she suspected she was pregnant or if she craved what had been stolen from us as much as I did? Lena sat up, her arms reaching over her head, while a satisfied grin slid over her luscious lips.

In my entire existence, I’d never anticipated that I’d find someone like Magdalena.

She was a selfless woman that didn’t expect or want anything other than to be accepted. I had never met anyone other than Spyder that hadn’t expected something from me. Yet here she was, and she was all mine.

“I can smell you, Blackstone,” she said huskily, sleep clinging to her words.

I didn’t speak because I didn’t need to. Lena knew I watched her, which was why her smirk turned wicked, and she lay back, spreading her legs to expose how swollen she was from the evening we’d spent in our bed.

Our bed.

My home was hers, and she actually preferred it to her world and had admitted it to me last night.

Yes, there was sadness from knowing she would lose Joshua again, but this time she’d gotten to say goodbye. He’d come back long enough to do what he hadn’t done before. Joshua had spent hours here and had met his nephew and niece. He’d said goodbye to the coven, and he’d left to fade into nothing more than a corpse.

Lena had lost her sister, Kendra. But I’d known both couldn’t continue to exist. Lena hadn’t understood that Joshua didn’t simply murder Benjamin. He’d hunted him down with the intention of killing him, sensing he held the other half of his soul. Magdalena and Kendra hadn’t gotten to that point, but they would have, eventually.

It was the cost that was paid for splintering souls between two bodies. Joshua had murdered his brother, even though both of the men had intended to kill the other, claiming what they sensed was missing. He hadn’t told Lena the truth about what had occurred or that his father had been present and died to keep that secret.

Magdalena stood, her eyes sliding around the room, but not finding me. I surrounded her, in the air that she breathed, in the wind that ruffled her soft caramel-colored curls. Lowering my gaze, I slid it over the new marking I’d placed within the furies mating mark. The infinity symbol adorned her right hip, glowing against her tanned flesh.

Instead of continuing to look for me, she showered and slipped into a soft crimson dress that left her upper thighs bared for my hungry stare. Opening the balcony doors, she exited the bedroom onto the open veranda. The cool air entered the room, forcing me to follow her outside.

“I can feel you, monster,” she uttered huskily. “You’re all around me right now. Aren’t you, Tartarus?”

I smiled, slowly wrapping my arms around her waist while inhaling her intoxicating scent deep into my lungs.

“Always, Witch. I am constantly here with you,” I murmured, kissing below her ear. “What do you see?” I asked, allowing her gaze to become mine.

The sun was rising over the mountains in the distance, and souls were stirring among us. Glowing pools of water became present, and we watched in silence as the souls slipped out of the water that refreshed them, strengthening them to feed me their power.

A butterfly slowly moved through the morning wind, struggling to reach the most beautiful being inside the realm. Lena’s hand reached out, offering the soul a place to perch against the soft breeze I’d created to ease her overheated skin.

She laughed as the wings extended, slowly brushing against the palm of her hand before the being took flight once more.

All around us, souls peered up at their new mistress. I was almost jealous of them, taking her in for the very first time. I’d been a selfish prick, keeping her inside to know this was real. The souls I’d collected looked on in wonder and awe at the woman who was now a part of my world.

Magdalena didn’t just fit in; she was already a part of me. I lowered my hands, cradling the babe that we’d created. I wanted to tell her what we’d done together, but I also wanted her to discover it on her own.

Her last pregnancy had been filled with tragedy, but this one wouldn’t be. This one we’d experience together and watch our child grow inside of her; this child would be born out of love and would not know the horrors Benjamin endured.

“What do you think of your new home?” I asked, slowly enjoying her subtle curves.

“I think our daughter will love it as much as I do when she arrives. I believe she will feel her father in the wind, and see his imprint on everything she sees. Like I do, Lucian. I see you everywhere, and it makes me love this place without question. You created it from your soul, and it sings to mine.” Her hands slid over mine, and she pressed them tighter to her belly. “We will need to choose a name for her. I was thinking about Laurie. It means laurel or sweet bay tree, but it is also the symbol of victory. She is our victory prize, after all.”

“I love it,” I whispered, kissing her neck. “And I love that you consider her as such, Lena. You’re mine. You’re my prize for never wavering from my post here. In all my time, I never thought to be worthy of such a beautiful prize. You’re my world, and I intend to spend the rest of our time together, proving that to you.”

“You don’t need to do that. I know, Lucian. I know that I am yours and that I belong here with you. I feel it in my soul. The same soul you gave back to me.”

I swallowed past the lump in my throat at her words. I’d never wanted her to sacrifice her life for mine or to protect me. But she had.

I’d called in all my debts to get the girl I’d first met back to me. I’d used others to regain everything she’d lost here, to build a home she wanted to stay in so that she could be near her family that she loved dearly. If I could have found a way to bring Joshua here and shield him from his fate, I would have. Some things couldn’t be fixed. But even in the darkest hour, we’d created a life together.

“I don’t have to do anything, Lena. I want to teach our children right from wrong and that when they find the right person to love, they should never stop showing how much they mean to them. Life isn’t promised, but it is precious. Now, your son wishes to see you and Makenna needs us as well. She feels alone, and we need to make this place her home, too.”

“I love you for that,” she whispered, turning in my arms to peer up into my soul. “Thank you for finding me and giving me a place that I belong. I couldn’t imagine a life without you in it, Lucian. I wouldn’t want it if you weren’t with me.”

The End

About the Author

Amelia Hutchins is the USA Today bestselling author of the award-winning series Monsters, The Fae Chronicles, and Nine Realm series. She is an admitted coffee addict, who drinks magical potions of caffeine and turns them into magical worlds. She writes alpha-hole males and the alpha women who knock them on their arses, hard. She doesn’t write romance. She writes fast-paced books that go hard against traditional standards. Sometimes a story isn’t about the romance; it’s about rising to a challenge, breaking through them like wrecking balls, and shaking up entire worlds to discover who they really are. If you’d like to check out more of her work, or just hang out in an amazing tribe of people who enjoy rough men, and sharp women, join her at Author Amelia Hutchins Group on Facebook.

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Other Series by Amelia Hutchins

Legacy of the Nine Realms – Epic Fantasy Series

Aria and her sisters return to the human realm of Haven Falls to find one of their own is missing. They soon discover things have changed in the human realm and that nothing is what it seems, including Knox, the egotistical, self-centered, frustratingly gorgeous man who declared himself King during their absence.

Sparks fly when the two enter a fiery battle of wills as Aria learns she is more than just a witch in the Hecate bloodline; she is much, much more.

Will Aria embrace her savage side to find her sister and save her family, or will she burn to ashes from his heated kisses and burning hot embrace?

Knox has ulterior motives for being in Haven Falls and never expected the little witch to show up and brazenly challenge his rule.

It was supposed to be easy; get in and get out. Move pieces into place and set the stage for the war he’s been planning for over five hundred years. Aria is his sworn enemy, but something within her calls to him, and he hates himself for craving the fiery kisses that have reignited his cold, dead heart. One taste and he thought he could get her out of his system. He was wrong.

Will Knox let go of the memories of the past, driving his need for revenge that will destroy the pretty little witch he craves, or will he push the boundaries to fight for and claim what is his by right? Either way, war is inevitable. And nothing will stop him from reaching for what is his.

Begin the journey with book one—Flames of Chaos

The Fae Chronicles – Paranormal Romance Series

Have you ever heard of the old Celtic legends of the Fae, beautiful, magical, deadly, and a love of messing with humans just for kicks and giggles?

Welcome to my world.

What started as a strange assignment leads to one of the most gruesome murder mysteries of our times, and my friends and I are set and resolved to find out who is killing off Fae and witches alike.

There are a couple of problems in the way. I hate the Fae, and the Prince of the Dark Fae is bound and determined that I work for him. He’s a rude, overbearing, egotistical ass with a compulsive need to possess, dominate, and control me. Oh, did I mention that he is absolutely sex-on-a-stick gorgeous, and he makes me feel things that I never ever wanted to feel for a Fae?

Every time he touches me or looks at me with those golden eyes, he seems to pull me further under his spell, despite my better judgment.

My friends and I can’t trust anyone and nothing is as it seems on the surface. Not even me.

My story begins with me—Fighting Destiny

Monsters – Dark Fantasy Romance Series

My coven has remained hidden in the shadows for centuries. We’ve avoided the ‘real world’ altogether, hiding from monsters and other creatures sharing this planet.

We found refuge in the Colville National Forest, nestled in a town protected
by magical barriers. But our powers are locked by an ancient curse; one meant to protect us from being found.

Until now.

The past has a way of repeating itself. A new game is beginning, and no one is safe.

He’s coming for me.

He’s hunting.

The monster we’ve run from for centuries has found us.

How far will this deadly game go?

How far will I be able to take it, or will he destroy me and everything I care about?

Will the one thing I can’t live without be the key to destroying and undoing the past?
Or will the past destroy me before I can save the people I love from what I’ve done?

Begin the ride—Playing with Monsters

Bulletproof Damsel – Urban Fantasy Series

One sassy female weapons master who doesn't get out much.

One alpha-hole who lays claim to her the moment he sets eyes on her.

Remington is a weapon in the hands of her enemies, and Rhys intends to use her.

An ancient family feud between the infamous Van Helsings and Silversmiths who once made their weapons legendary...

What could possibly go wrong?

For Remington Silversmith? Apparently everything.

When Remi comes face-to-face with Rhys Van Helsing, the world will never be the same again.

One little Bullet incites war—Bulletproof Damsel

Moon-Kissed – High Fantasy

Alexandria Helios is on a mission to find her brother. Landon disappeared on his quest to find the Sacred Library that holds the cure to the moon sickness affecting their people. There is one problem. Alexandria’s journey will take her through the Kingdom of Night and directly into Torrin’s path as the head of the Night King’s army. He’s egotistical, sexy, sin incarnate, and everything she knows she shouldn’t want, but his whispered promise of dark desires awakens something deep within her that makes him hard to resist.

Torrin didn’t expect the lead assassins of the Moon Clan to walk into his trap. Alexandria has ignited something within him he thought was gone, and he knows he shouldn’t crave her, but he does. She’s a fire in a world of ice, bathed in blood and moonlight that calls to the darkness within him.

Secrets are unraveling as both are tossed into a ploy that neither is destined to survive. Can they find common ground and work together to defeat the darkness? Or will the world come crashing down around them as they tear each other apart?

Anything can happen once you’re—Moon-Kissed