Thank you for putting up with late nights and solo trips to the library. You are my everything
To everyunpublished author with a dream: You’ve got this. Whether it takes a month, a year, or a lifetime, never give up.
To Lin:
Thanks for believing in me and having my back
Author’s Note
DearReader,
Justaquicknote:thisnovelisintendedforthosewhoare18+.Itdoescontainmultiplespicyscenesofasexualnature,in somecaseswithmultiplepeople ThisbookisaWhyChooseParanormalRomancewithaHEAending,althoughitisthefirst novel in a series that contains multiple books about the romantic exploits of different characters, they are intertwined and connected.NoteverybookintheserieswillbeWhyChoose.Themaincharactersinthisbookwillshowupinotherstoriesas wellandthiscouldpossiblyleadtofurtherdevelopmentsintheirstory Thisbookcouldalsobereadasastandaloneshould youwishit,inmyopinionanyway.
Iwouldliketoofferthefollowinginformationupfrontintheeventthatyouwishtonolongercontinuereadingitthereafter, andletyouknowthatsomesensitivetopicsarecoveredinthisbook.Iwouldhatetotriggeranyone’spersonaltrauma.Imyself tend to not care about trigger warnings, but for the sake of my readers I’ll add some below Feel free to skip it if trigger warningsarenotyourthingoryoudon’twantspoilers.
dragonfire ale (n.)Brewedonlyinthedragonrealm.Islethaltohumans.Thealehasanextremelyhighanduniquelyblended alcoholcontentdesignedtointoxicatedragons.Note:Adultdragonsareincrediblytoleranttomostformsofalcoholand sedatives,soitdoesnothavethesameeffectonthemasitdoesotherspecies.
Tuo narttu, suolistan hänet kuin vitun galhild kun saan hänet käsiini (Finnish/Fae)ThatBitch,I’ll gutherlikeafuckinggalhildwhenIgetmyhandsonher vampire (n.)Animmortalbeingwhofeedsoffotherbeingstosustaintheirimmortallife.Thiscanincludebloodthroughbite orotherreceptacle,throughapsychicconnectione.g.emotions,memories,graymatteretc...orthroughsexualintimacy, otherwiseknownasuccubus(female)orincubus(male)
He movedlike the night.Stealthy,silent,andominous.Darkness anddanger clungtohimlike a shroud.His brightblue eyespiercedtheeerilyquietalleywayasheprowledtowardhisprey.Hishaplessvictimwasinstinctivelypetrified,yet stillcompletelyunawareofthefatewhichawaitedhim.Thewordswhichwereabouttoslitherthroughtheairmayclue himin, though. Unless he was particularlydimwitted or had a self-inflated ego the size ofa Goodyear blimp, chances were pretty good he was within moments of wishing he’d worn an adult diaper With ease Roth set the cloaking bubble around himselfandhisvictim.Noneedtofreakthehumansoutwithwhatwasabouttogodown.They’djustseeanabandonedalley andfeeltheneedtokeepmovingon
Alreadythestenchoffear filledtheair betweenpredator andprey,alongwithatingeoffalsebravadoandinflatedego His target’s name was Nigel, accordingto the intel he’d beenmind slapped withpre-mission. Nigel, the true monster, rose fromhis crouched positioninthe dirtyalley, his former excitementno more thana distantmemoryas he sized up whatwas headedhisway.Nigel’svictimwashiddenbehindthedumpster.Hispostureshowedanegothatwasthinandpuffeduplikea balloon Beforethescumbagcouldutterevenasingleword,aninvisiblehandsqueezedtightabouthispalethroat,cuttingoff preciousoxygen.Lifesustainingairamonsterthelikesofhimshouldneverhavetheprivilegeofbreathing.
Nigel’seyesflaredwide,panickedflailingensued,andsoonthetangoffreshurinejoinedthestenchoffear.Yep,thereit was Allbravadoandegodisappeared
This one was almost too easy, no fight at all. What did one such as himhave to do to get a good fight these days? A challengeeven?Someonewhowouldn’tbreakatthefirstparlortrick Ah!Butwasn’tthatmostoftenthenatureofthemonsters for whichhe was sent to hunt? Those preyingonthe weak, feedingtheir thirst for power, control, pride, and greed. Their hunger,satedonlybythetortureandsufferingofthosetheysoughttocrush,wasolderthancreationitself
Bydivine grace, or rather, decidedlythe opposite, not a drop made contact withhim His lips quirked upwards at the thoughtofhisoriginsandhisboss’tweakstotheirpowers.Takingoneofhisblades,hedippedthetipintothegapingwound andgaveitaviciouslittletwist,justfor shitsandgiggles;theHellfiretookover anddrew outthediseasedandmankysoul. Like a moth to a flame, it entrapped the essence securely in the fire-protected reservoir at the core of the lethal steel Hephaestus’setchingsgaveitanextra-strongwardsothatonlytheblade’sownercouldextractit,andthenonlyintothecareof oneoftwowells
He feltno guiltatwhathis job entailed. Mostofthe souls he collected, like this one, were notfitfor this world. These werethesoulsthatcouldn’tberecycled Theoneswhocouldn’tberedeemed Theygotnosecondchances ItwasaHellofa job,butsomeoneneededtodoit.Andasitwashisdivinerole,hemayaswellenjoyitandtakeprideinit,right?Andthissoul definitelydeservedit,judgingbywhathesensedontheothersideofthedumpster.
Pain and agony called out to him, not by sound but by spirit Ahunger for life, a fighting spirit All he had done just moments before and ithad takenbutmoments to end thatsorryexcuse for a life was forgottenas he was pulled forward towardtheessencewhichcalledtohim
He knew whathe’d find before he saw her, butstill, his heartjolted inhis chest. She laythere, battered and broken;so muchblood.Armsslicedinintricatepatterns,andherdresscutawaytorevealherruinedtorso.Severalribsplayedpeek-aboo with the night air, shining white amidst a sea of crimson, matching her platinum blonde hair matted in the quickly congealingblood. So manymarks littered her body, so muchdesecrationofa humanvessel. How she was still alive was a miracleinandofitself
Startlingsoftgrayeyes flickered withfire as she glared daggers into him. Theyseemed to swirl withangryshadows of theirownthelongeryoulookedintothem Withadeep,gaspingbreathsheleapedtoherfeet,bloodstilldripping,herclothing stillruined.Herpalefeatureswerealmostincandescentwithrageandfrustration.
“Thanks,asshole,”shesneered.“JustwhenIhadhimwhereIwantedhim.Argh!Andjustlikethat...”Sheliftedherright handandsnappedherfingerssharply “Aperfectlygoodmealgonetowaste NowIhavetostartalloveragain WhichmeansI have to relaxmystandards. It’s notthateasyto find souls that evil onsuchshortnotice, youknow. Whatever.” She sighed ratherdramatically “Idon’thavetheluxuryoftimetonutthisshitoutwiththelikesofyou,andIgetthefeelingyouwon’tjust handhimoverso...I’mouttie.”
Ashestaredafterher,thebloodandbruisesmeltedaway,thetornandbloodstainedclothingreplacedlikenew Herskin was flawless and knitbacktogether withnarya scar. Her hair was now as red as the blood thathad beenall over her, the blonde ofbefore was nowhere to be seen Pausing, she threw himone lastlookover her shoulder and tensed, takinginhis eerilystillshadows,thepulsingredglow inhisblade,andliftedadaintybrow.Hisheartpoundedinhisearsashesaw her delicatefeaturesclearlyforthefirsttime Notthemaskofillusionshe’dwornmomentsbefore,butwhathehopedwasactually her true face. Aface so beautiful it tookhis breathand held it hostage. All hint of vulnerabilitygone, a swirlingsense of OtherRealmlinessreplacedthe‘human’he’dsensedearlier.Unlessittoowasjustanotherillusionorglamourorwhateverthe fuckshe’ddone
“Nexttime,leavethemtome.AtleastI’dhaveputhimtogooduse.”Shesmirked,torehergazeawayfromhis,andraked itdowntohis bootedfeetandupagain “Oh,andtell your Boss Man,or whatever he calls himselfthese days,“We’ll meet again”.Ifyoucouldsingit,that’dbeabonus,butit’snotessential.”Withasaucywink,shestrolledaway,herhipsswayingas shewhistledaoncefamiliartuneandslippedaroundthecorner.TheechoesofthatoldVeraLynnsongnowstuckinhishead. Hewasleftstandingtherewithalookofstunnedbewildermentchasingacrosshischiseledfeatures,evenashiscocktwitched behindhisbuttonfly.
ROUNDING thecornerontothestreet,herspinewiltedjustabit,hershouldersslumped.Painlaceratedthroughherentirebeing likeburninghothookspullingatherinsidesfromalldirections,tearingthroughlayersofmuscleandskin Theagony,madeall the more intense bythe stampedingofher heartas ittried to escape the confines ofher chest, threatened to bringher to her knees.Thiswasheragony;thiswasherunsatedhunger.Thebaneofherexistence.Thecruxofhercurse.Thiswaswhatforced her to seekout those capable of suchdepravities as that wretchedly evil scumback in the alley Even though the Shadow Houndhaddestroyedthevessel housingit,shecouldstill feel thepull ofthefesteringsoul now housedwithinhisblade.So tempting,yetsofaroutofherdesperatereach
Such an easy little puppet to manipulate. So obvious a display of weakness as he sought to show his strength, his perversionofpower over theinnocentandvulnerable Tit-for-tat,he’dhavebeentheonefoundslainbehindthedumpster in thatdarkanddingyplaceasthelight-filledtheskyonabrand-new day,nother.Onelessvillainhauntingthenight.Untilthat infernalHoundhadcuthisstrings.Anddamnhimforit.Thatwasmeanttobeherreward.Herservicetohumanity.Takingout the trashwhile savingthe innocentfromthe beastnow tearingaparther chest–her whole being–as itraged and begged and demandedtobefed.Andshewouldhavegivenhimasgoodashehadgivenher.
Sure,herpainhadbeenmutedasherhungerforhiswretchedlyevilfeelingswasbeingsated,butitstillhurtlikeamotherfuckingMacktrucktakingrepeated exceptionto your immortal existence. And italways leftthe taste ofashes restingatthe backofhertongue Atastethatstayedaroundforatleastaslongasittookforhertosiphonoffthemuchtastierandbrighter emotions frominnocentbeings. Small, barelysatisfyingamounts that wouldn’tbe missed. Once upona time she’d tried for more...Shethrewoffthethoughtasguiltthreatenedtoimmobilizeher.
Alas,oneday,therewouldbeareckoning Shecouldfeel itinherbones,inherblood,butshewasdetermineditwould only be on her terms. Those bastard Hounds were in for one hell of a rude awakening when the time came. As for those assholesuponhigh?Well Hellhathnofurylikehers
Witheachstep,itfeltlikeshewasbeingimpaledonarailroadspike,herbodyseekingtoexplode.Asherenergywaned, her shadows tookcontrol and curled around her, carryingher throughthe portal to the mostdangerous place a humancould ever fear to go, a place that not evenshe wished to go, and she definitelywasn’t human. But, desperate measures meant a hybridlikeherhadtotravelintoTheDemon’sDen...
AS JEZZIE HIT THE DECK,shenoticedoneverypainfulfact:hershadows,uponenteringtheportal,hadretractedintoherbody, takingwiththemanychanceofcushioningherlanding.Ifsheweren’tinsomuchpain,soclosetodeath,she’dalmostthinkit funny,especiallyifit’dhappenedtosomeoneotherthanher.Asitwas,everypartofherbodyhurtlikeafrailoldlady.Looking downatherhands,shenotedtheashenhueofherskin,adry,flakyqualityspreadingoverher
Fearfully,sheknewhertimewasrunningout.Problemwasshehadnothingtotradeforwhatsheneeded.Withfranticeyes she scanned the room, her mind spunwithpossibilities as she tookinthe myriad ofbeings, all ofquestionable and dubious character.Whatwouldshebewillingtodotocontinuetoexist?Andwasherexistencereallyworthit?
Elegant loafers leading up to expensive, tailored trousers filled her vision as her eyes shuttered up and down in slow blinks Ithurttotiltherheaduptoofar,soshesavedherselfthepainandstoppedtryingtocatchaglimpseofhim Hereached downahandtotouchherface,andhershadowsmadeonemorefeebleattempttoprotectherastheysnappedathimlikewhips atthecircuslionsshe’dseeninmoviesasachild Shepushedherselfagainsttheclosestwallwiththelastofherstrength Her eyesdidn’tmakeitbackupagainfromtheirlastslowblinkdown.
EIGHT YEARS LATER . . .
Fuckingfucknuggets. Those shitstains needed anass kicking, and she was justthe bitchwiththe balls to do it!Ifonly they’d come within three fucking feet of her. If only she could leave this blasted room. Stupid anti-portal wards.
Unfortunately,theycouldsensehowdangerousthatwouldbetotheirsurvival,theirlimitedbraincellskeepingthemback whenevershehadthestrengthtofollowthroughonherthoughts.Andyes,okay,sohermotherwouldwashhermouthoutwith Lysol if she could hear her thoughts right now And Lord, did she wish she was here to do just that, but even her mother couldn’tfind her inthis rankpitofiniquity. Lord knows she was probablygoingcrazy, turningover everystone earth-side tryingtofindher Butshewouldn’t Theportalhadbeensealednowexceptbyexpressinvitation Atleastshecaredenoughto try. There wasn’tanyone else who would, except AuntRai Rai and she’d vowed never to step footinsucha place. She’d probablynevereventhinkofitasapossibilityanyway.
But, sucks to be her, she’d gone and fed her need for emotions first and a soul part second. Demons love souls, and Demon’s Denhad always had a steadysupplyof corrupt, and sometimes pure, souls goinginand out. The demons traded amongstthemselvesandthedarkestofwitches Theyhadareputationamongstthosewiththeconnectionstoknow whereand whattolookfor,andluckilyJezwasfriendswithacoupleofwitcheswhoskirtedthefinelinebetweendarkandlight,when theneedarose
Exceptsomeasshathadraidedtheplaceforillegalsoultradingjustdaysbeforeheremergencyarrival.Theangelsonboth sides detestedthe trade,andthe onlysouls currentlyinresidence belongedtothe owner ofthe ‘portal entryonly’dive One Balthazar Morrigan. The Tzar, as he liked to think of himself. Ballzy, as she preferred to call him. Somehow he always managedtoevadethemwhentheycametocall.TheSOBneededhisballsremovedwithabluntspoonandshovedsofarup hisownasshe’dneedveryinvasivesurgerytoremovethem Thedamnsexyfuckerwasadeviouslittleshitthathadpreyed uponherweaknessandcaughtherunprepared.He’dlaidonthecharm,claimingtowanttohelpher.Hershadowshadlashedat himhardandfastforawhile Protectingheruntiltheytoofeltthesharpedgeofherhungerandlosttheirwill Succumbingto thepromiseshe’dmade,urginghertoagreetohisoffer.Shefellforthecharm,andintohisbed.Realizingtoolatethatshe’d havebeenbetterservedmakingadealwiththeDevilhimself.Shelethermindwanderbacktoherarrivalinthisprisonofhers ...
face all up in hers. Her head instinctively craned back to create some personal space, and she scrambled as best she could off of him, landing inelegantly in a tangle of her own limbs at his feet, looking up to see his soft smirk and twinkling eyes He looked at her with the concern of a parent watching a youngling flounder and fall as they learned to walk It was kind of nice. She’d never had a male look at her that way before, having been raised by her mother’s best friend, a witch. Aunt Rai Rai kept most men at bay She was kind of prickly about it, but would never say why That look of fatherly concern quickly disappeared though as he took in the sight of her cleavage, exposed to him by the disparity of their positions Her fucked up daddy issues didn’t seem to have a problem with the switch They were just glad that someone seemingly wanted to take care of her.
THINKING BACK ON IT,shefelttheurgetovomitslideupherthroatandthetasteofbiletouchedhertongue.Whenshefinally metthefuckerwho’dfatheredher,shehopedtheseshitassfeelingsofinadequacyresolvedthemselves Otherwise,she’dhave tofindashrinkwhodidn’tthinkshewasutterlybatshitcrazy.Whatwithallthesupernaturalshitthatwasherlife.
HE MADE her comfortable on a matching velvet covered chaise She knew he’d spoken, but she wasn’t tracking the conversation well enough to make sense of the words or even the sound of his voice. Pain shot white-hot needles through every cell in her body as she lay in that supine position Soft hands tilted her face toward his, and he held her gaze with a steely determination.
“Listen closely, luv,” the pet name rolled off his tongue and somehow added to his allure “You are close to the end I can sense it, just as I can sense some vamp tendencies within you. Which makes your presence here even more unexpected, since vamps are pretty clearly on the ‘No Entry’list I don’t know what exactly you are, and without knowing, I’m not sure I can fix what ails you So, you need to tell me, young one What exactly is it you need me to do in order to save you?”
Her eyes flashed to his, judging his intent as though the scales of justice lay in her gaze. She knew better than to trust a stranger, even less so the likes of him The owner of this place was feared and whispered about in the most hushed of tones, and clearly he was the owner, the way he commanded those in this place and not a single soul had questioned him or made a move toward her
But she was desperate too. Without a soul to fill the well of her hunger, she would perish, slowly and agonizingly. Like the vampires in the movies she’s always loved to watch. Come to think of it, he looked like that one TV vamp she’d crushed on so hard not too long ago The bleached blond British one who had a streak of asshole a mile wide and an accent that had made her panties wetter with every syllable . . .
“Back on track, luv Come on, time to focus Time is something you don’t have much of,” he reminded her “Let’s start nice and easy. What’s your name?”
“J J Jez Jezzie,” she stuttered out, hating the weakness of her voice and how hard it was to move her lips and tongue. She wouldn’t tell him her whole name. Names were powerful things.
“Okay. Jezzie, luv, tell me, what do you need me to do to stop this madness?” His voice sounded like warm mulled wine on a freezing winter’s night
“S . . . Soul,” she uttered between clenched teeth. “Need to . . . eat.” His brows swept up toward his hairline with those three little words She wanted to giggle at the look on his face, but couldn’t summon the energy
“Oh, luv, you came to the right place, but we are fresh out of full ones. We got raided last week and everyone who isn’t me got cleaned out ” Her heart sank to her toes at his ominous words His finger lifted her chin back up from where it had dropped onto her chest
“Not to worry though. I happen to have some coming in soon, but until then I can still offer you a part of one to tide you over I don’t know how you’d eat it though I’ve never heard of anyone doing that Not even a vampire or a demon ” His curious tone invited her to share, but her lips remained locked as those secrets were definitely not for his ears.
“I’ll just need you to sign a standard indemnity and liability form It is common practice with the sale of souls, even if I give them away, ” he said with a flirty wink. “Let me just grab one and something to sign with.”
He strode behind the bar, and she suddenly noticed that the place was completely empty, save for a few demons cleaning up the open area Picking up glasses, wiping down tables, righting tipped chairs and sweeping floors They paid her no heed. Upon his return, she found a mug placed into her hands as he gently held his over hers, holding her shaking, weak ones steady
“My finest house beverage, luv. It’ll put hairs on your pretty chest, no doubt, but it should give you enough of a boost to get through the legal formalities Especially since this soul will be a gift, rather than a sale I do have to cover my ass, especially since no one, to the best of my knowledge, has ever eaten one before.” He coaxed it to her lips, but she leaned back a fraction, her reaction stopping him.
“What is it?” she asked, suspicion lacing her words “What’s in it, exactly?” Her words were forced, taking all of her
breath and energy to utter.
“This is what I call McGinty’s Lost Bet, it’s my special moonshine So named because a lass I once knew, quite well, made a bet with me Of course, she hadn’t stood a chance of winning A lovely lass, she was A story for another time perhaps,” his chuckle was quite infectious, she almost felt her brittle lips tilt up.
“It’s made from mashed maize, luv, corn Not as common as most moonshine, but this one has a kick that most nonhumans can handle. Humans though, not so much. Come, drink up and let’s get this done. You’re fading faster than I like.” Amidsize demon approached and placed a small locked chest on the table next to the man, and it occurred to her she didn’t know his name. Or maybe she did, but she couldn’t for the life of her remember what it was.
“Name?” was all she could get out in a last ditch effort for control of her decisions
“Balthazar Morrigan, at your service Please forgive my lack of prior introduction I’m sure it must have been offputting. Now, drink up. Time’s nearly up. ”
And drink she did It burned like the fires of Hell and coiled into every recess of her body, loosening her tight muscles, and easing the strain in her chest. Her lungs inhaled deeply and her heart thundered in her ears. He was right, she felt no pain, and oh my, did it feel good
“It won’t last long, luv, so let’s get this done and give you what you need, shall we?” His gentle reminder grounded her somewhat. She took another sip at his insistence, she figured it couldn’t hurt, she’d already had one after all, right? Mmm, after the burning disappeared it kind of left the taste of popcorn on her tongue, the nice buttered kind you found at the cinema. Her thoughts drifted off slightly on a few different tangents . . .
THE DAMNED MOONSHINE he’dsaidwouldtaketheedgeoffandhelpherfocushadbeenlacedwithasedative,andsomething else,someraredrugthat’dallowedhimtocontrolhertosomedegree.Somethingstrongenoughtohaveworkedonahalf-angel hybrid like her. Years later the chattyCathy, otherwise knownas Ballzy, had admitted itwas strongenoughto workonfullbloodedangels,andevensomedemigods.
Ithadn’tmade her tell the truth, or evenoffer up her secrets, as muchas he’d wanted itto. He’d seemed surprised she hadn’tansweredanyofhisquestionsaboutwhatshewas Whatithaddonethough,wasopenheruptohiscontrolthroughthe powerofhisdirections.Atetherthatdidn’texactlymakehertrusthimcompletely,butitdidleavehercompliantandopento suggestion Hermindalmostpushedtothebackasifit,andherbody,werenolongerhers Ifhe’dtoldhertodancenakedon thenearesttable,shewouldhavehadnochoicebuttocomplylikeapuppetonstrings.Ifhe’dtoldhertoadmittosomeheinous crime?Shetotallywouldhave.
Becauseofthesedative,shebarelyrememberedanythinguntilthenextday,apartfromtakingaknifetoherpalm.Thescar stillgracedherskinandwouldn’tfadecompletelyuntilshewasfinallyfree.Notthatsherememberedeverreadingtheblasted form He’dtoldhertosignandsignshehad Stupidassedidiotthatshewas
Evenafterthatshithadwornoff,she’dfallenforhischarmingactandintohisbed.Thankfullyonlyonce,andeventhen,the image of the darkstranger fromthe alleyhad superimposed himself over Ballzyto get her over the line Boy, whenshe’d realizedwhathe’dtrulydone,she’dhitthefuckingroof.
Theoneandonlytimehe’dmadethemistakeofgivingherafull soul,he’dlosttwothirdsofhislittledemonminionsin lessthanaminute Ifshehadn’talreadysignedthatdamnedpieceofleatheryhidewithherblood,shewould’vebeenfreeand clearsoonafter.Alas,onceshedid,shecouldn’tescapehimuntilthecontractthatboundherwaseithervoidedbyhim,orhad fulfilleditsobligationsdowntotheletter.Itprotectedevenhissoulfromher.Shecouldbarelysensethething,letalonesample a small sip, almost like it was locked in a vault inside his chest, hidden fromher Amystery she wanted to unravel She couldn’ttakeitduetothetermsthatboundher,sowhyhideit?
Unfortunately,wellfortunatelyforthem,demonsoulswerefilledwithpoison Yeah she’dfoundthatoutthehardway OneofBallzy’sfirstfuckeduplittleexperiments.Spendingfourweekswrithingonahardasrockfloorthrowingupwhatfelt like all ofher internal organs, burningup withanuncontrollable fever, thendivinginto the freezingdepths ofhypothermia, before flat lining multiple times. Only to wake up to her body flooded with white-hot, raging inferno of pain and demons lickingatherpoisontainted,sweatslickedskin.Whichhonestly,ifanythinghadremainedinherstomach,itdefinitelywouldn’t haveremainedthereafterthatexperience
Ballzyhadreallykickedintogearwithhisfunandgamesafterthat.Thankfullyshe’dmanagedtohideherneedtofeedon theemotionsofothers,orthatshecouldsensethemaroundher Therewasnowayinanyrealmhe’devergetthatinformation out of her. His obsessionwithtryingto figure out what her fire-like shadows and soul eatingabilitymeant was dangerous enough.Sure,they’dhadtheirmoments.Sometimesshewon,mostlyhedid.Itwashisdomainafterall,andshewasn’texactly atfullstrength.Nordidshehaveasmanyyearsofexperiencebehindherashedid,yet.Technicallyshewasstillababyinthe
He seemed to delightinher torment. Torturingher withkindness, though, itwas somethingwhichappeared to be a new concepttohim,before he switchedtostringingher upandallowinghis demons tosniffaroundher,justsohe couldsee her shadowsandwatchastheylashedoutathisminionsastheytriedtotouchher.Their seeminglyinsubstantial,oilyhandshad reached out to caress her, three-inchlong, scalpel-sharp claws sliced throughher flesh, arms longenoughand reflexes far quickerthanhersinherdisorientedstate,astheirtongueslengthenedandcurledtowardherfromwhattheyassumedwasasafe distance Theirgrotesquecocksthickenedandbobbedinherdirection
Only when they lay slashed and broken against the rough rock walls of his dungeon, and her shadows had subsided, retractedbackintoherbody,wouldhereleaseher.He’dtakenhertohisquarters.Quartersheinsistedsheshare.Quartershe’d locked her inside of, like the prisoner she truly was Her emotional hunger was sated, yet wrath burned in the pit of her stomach.
Thankfullyshe could hurthimtoo, so longas she didn’tgo too far Ifshe killed himitwas game over for bothofthem, apparently. Notthatshe was willingto testthe validityofhis claims. Butshe’d pissed himoffso muchthateventuallyhe’d placedher inthis fuckingcell,withits clear windows Meaninghecouldwatchher whenever hewanted,socouldhis little minions.Andshecouldn’tdoadamnthingaboutit.Notinherhalfstarvedstate.
SpeakoftheDevil...Atthispointshe’dprobablywelcomethatmaleovertheonecrossingthethresholdofherlavishly decoratedprisoncellwithopenarms Hisalmostblackeyesskatedtothetrayshe’dleftuntouched Herstomachflippedand growledwithurgenthunger,thescentofrichandwell-preparedfoodteasedheroverlysensitivenose.Toobadher shadows hadrefusedtolethertouchit,nottomentionshe’dfelthisexcitementashe’dplaceditthere,lettingherknowaboutthedrugs he’d tainted it with. His lips quirked up at the corners, his amusement plain to see. His eyes sparkled with a mixture of admirationandrageasshegavehimadoublemiddlefingersalutefromherperchonthebed.Noteverymealwasdrugged,but he’drampeditupthismonthwithonlyoneinsixmealsbeingclean.Prettysureherealizedshe’dgivenuptryingtopretend she’deatenanyofit,andhewasnowjustenjoyingtheshow.
He eyed her longlegs, takinginher forciblyrelaxed pose as she watched himfor anysignofwhatthe playofthe day would be. If it weren’t for his constant ultimate bastard behavior, she’d have considered him classically handsome; he certainlythoughthe was a hitwiththe ladies Smoothand charmingwas his surface polish, too bad he tarnished so easily Funnilyenoughfor someonewhoclaimedtolovetheladiesandthattheylovedhim,theynever camebackfor seconds.One tasteofBallzywasmorethananywomancouldstomach.Thankfully,Jezhadn’tevenbeenabletostomachthat.Herstomach hadrevoltedtheminutehewasdone.Notthathe’dtakenthehint,unfortunately.
“What,nothungry,luv?”hetaunted.
She was torn between laughing in his face or telling himto ‘shove off’in her own parody of his bloody accent As a teenager, naive and innocent, she’d thought that character the epitome of sexy British sin. Until she’d met Balthazar. He’d crushedthatsecretfantasyunder hissoftItalianleather loafers,andhedidn’tstandachanceofreignitingit Well,tobefair, none ofher old secretfantasies did itfor her anymore either, notthe sexual ones anyway. Notsince her encounter withthe ShadowHoundhadledhertothisongoingpredicament.Thatwallofmuscle,thoseeyeswhichscreamedhot,hard,unrelenting sex, and barelyrestrained violence His shadows had evencalled to her own Utter craziness, because thatwaycould only leadtoherdestructionandpain.She’dneverseehimagainanyway.Especiallynotanytimesoon.
Huh, whatdo youknow, Ballzyhad used her momentarydistractionto crouchbeside her and was currentlystrokingher hairwithgentlefingers.Asmuglookofburningdesirelithisfeaturesandhislipsformedwordsherearshadn’tcaughtupwith yet
“That’s right, mylittle bird, singfor me. Moanfor me again. Iknew you’d come around. We are goingto have so much fun.” His lips pressed againsther ear, his freakishlycold breathcaused shivers ofdisgustthroughher body. Ofcourse, the dipshitmisconstrued themas shivers ofdesire Jezclosed her eyes and tilted her head closer to him His bodyrelaxed, his armsmovingtogatherhercloser.
Her shadows warmed beneathher skinina wayonlyshe could feel Theywere so intune withher, some would sayan extensionofherself,buttheywerejusther,apartofher beingthatreactedlikeanyother bodyparther brainsentsignalsto. Evenastheyprotectedherwhenshecouldn’tthinktodosoherself,withoutconsciousthought,theyweresoingrainedinher psychethattheyseemedtohavealifeoftheirown.So,whenhestrokedhispalmdownoverherhipandalongherthigh,before tryingtosliphisfingersbeneathhershortgreenskirt,fieryshadowsseepedfrombeneathherinacoiledrope.Reachingdown untilhissemi-hardcockandballsweretrappedinagallowsknot Tighter,tighter,andtighterstill
The moment he realized what was happening, he froze, his breathstallinginhis inhumanchest. Still, she increased the pressureuntilhiseyesjustaboutbuggedoutofhisoverlymanscapedface,hisjawpopping Leaningforward,shetouchedher nosetohis,hergazedrillingintohimwithflamesflashinginhereyes,likethebiblicalfiresofHell.
whathe’d do ifhe suspected her subconscious fixation. “Mmmm. . . boy, your inferioritycomplexwould magnifytenfold. Thereisjustnocompetition,BabyBallz.”
Thankfuckshe’d managed to atleastbargainhimdownto fourteenyears, sixless thanhe’d intended. She onlyhad six more years before the contractended Onlysixmore years ofhidingher secretand hoardingher strengthlittle bylittle, one minuscule soul scrapata time inthe small well hiddenwithinher body,until she was strongenoughatthe verymomentthe contractends,andhecomestorenewit Becausehewould Hisplanhadalwaysbeentokeepherhereforever Butshewould prevail.Shewouldsmitehisassandturnthisplacetoashes.
Hewokeinacoldsweat,theimagesstillflickeredinfrontofhiseyes,despitehis‘eyeswideopen’state.He’ddreamed ofher,again Andconsideringhiskinddidn’tdreamatall,thatwasamiracleinandofitself Nowaywashegoingto tell anyone abouthis nighttime fantasies, though. Notevenhis brothers and sisters inarms knew he’d beendreaming, anddefinitelynotofsomewomanfromanalleyeightyearsprior Thedreamshadstartednotlongafter Hisshadowscontinued toswirl andrace aroundhiminhis agitation.Despite thegriefandterror,the anger andhopelessness he’dfeltfromher and himselfinthosemomentswhenhedreamedofher,hisdamnshadowsneverfailedtocurlaroundhiscockandwakehimtoa raginghard-on Every Damn Time
Wherewas theshe-devil?He’dlookedfor her everytimehe’dventuredoutofthefortresssincethatnight,whether duty called or otherwise Hopingto see her, talkto her, figure outthe puzzle she’d lefthimwith She was nowhere He’d made discrete inquiries. Nada. He’d stopped short at evenmentioningher to his fellow comrades his brothers and sisters not evenLuchadgottenthemessageshe’dwantedhimtorecite.Everytimehe’dthoughtaboutmentioningithe’dfoundhislips quirkingupatthememoryofher sass andbeauty,as his brow furrowedinbewildermentateverythingelse.Nowaywas he goingtolethisfellowHoundsseehimsothoroughlythrownforaloop.Hedidn’tthinkLucneededthatontopofwhateverelse wasgoingonwiththeguy NotthattheGeneralhadcaredtoshare Still,Roth,hell,allofthem,hadpickeduponhowtheBoss Manhadn’tbeenhimself,notsincethe1940s.Theywould’vehadtobeobliviousfuckingidiotsnottohavenoticed.Ofcourse, Dantehadbeenthelastofthemtodosoandtheyhadn’tletthelittlepunkliveitdown
Hissheetsweretoowarm,twistedandtangledaroundhislong,muscular legsastheywere.Evennakedhisskinfelttoo hot,the air toohumid As thoughthe flames inher eyes were still burninghimup His handmade its waydown,pullingthe dampsheetfreefromhiswaist,hisbackarching,hipsthrustingoftheir ownvolition,evenbeforetheroughskinofhispalm grazedhisthrobbingcock.Atthefirsttouchofhishand,hisfingerswrappedaroundhisrigidlength,hisballsdrew uptight, andajoltofsexualelectricityshotstraightuphisspine Tinglesfiredinhisbrain,herimageflashedclearlybeforehiseyes Halfnaked,herlong,dark-redhaircaressedherexposedskinasshelentbackagainstasteeldoor,hereyessparkledandagrin ofpurewickednesscurledthecornersofherfull,lusciouslips
Now though, itwas gettingridiculous, he hadn’thad sexwithanythingother thanhis hand and his mattress inover five years His brothers and sisters had noticed ofcourse, but he’d fobbed themoffbypretendingto go offwithhumanwomen everynowandthen.Itseemedwitheverypassingyearherholdonhimgotstronger itwasreallystartingtopisshimoff.
Ashisroomfinallycamebackintofocusaroundhim,thelightfromHell’siridescentgoldensunbathedeverysurfaceina finelayerofstardust RothsnortedattheironyofHellbeingcoveredinaglittery,shimmerylight,castingitinaheavenlyglow, whenallearthlyrepresentationswerequitetheopposite;darkness,monsters,andfierydamnation.Hethrewofftherestofhis sheetsandblanketsandstormedhiswayintohiscompletelyblackbathroom,hopingthecoldfallofwaterwouldwashaway the evidence ofhow muchhis mysterywomanaffected him. His? He didn’tevenknow who she was. Evenifhe did, she’d neverbehis Noonewouldeverbehis Neveragain
Maybeshewasawitch?Itwouldexplainhowshe’dmanagedtoenthrallhim.Heck,she’dhavetobeaprettypowerfulone though,sincehiskindweremeanttobeimmunetothepaltryeffortsofwitchkind Itborelookinginto,nonetheless Ormaybe shewasasirenofsomesort?Possiblyevenafaeenchantress?Thatonewasabitfar-fetched.Thefaewerelockedoutofthe earthlyrealmoveramillenniumago,anywho’dslippedthroughthecrackstostaybehindwouldhavelosttheirmagicasthey losttheir connectiontoothers oftheir kind.Onlyinlarge groups couldtheymaintainstrongmagic for sucha longperiodof time.
Whenthe Almighty got pissed at your entire race or species, they definitelydidn’t do so by halves, that was for sure Althoughsomewouldarguethey’dbeentoolenientintheirpunishmentofthefae,mostjustfeltsorryforthehumansunlucky enoughtogetstucktherewiththem
Argh, he needed to stop thinkingabouther, evencontemplatingthe puzzle she presented was givinghima headache this morning.Hishandsranthroughhisdarkhair roughly,tryingtorubthetensionfromhisscalp.Anintensesenseofimpending doomalmost sent himto his knees, his breathtrapped inhis lungs. Rubbingabsentlyat his right shoulder as a lickofheat flashedunderhisfingertipsheexhaled,freshairagainfilledhisoxygenstarvedlungsasheforcedonefootbeforetheother.
Withlimitedtimebeforetherestofthefortress’inhabitantsateeverythinginsightwithinthedininghallhe’dhavetohitthe gymhard and fast. Withthat inmind he headed to the shortcut onlyhe and a few others knew about, because heck, they’d designedandbuilttheplaceafterall
Rothpassed Sethand Havoc as he made his waydownthe corridor toward the hauntingpaintingofa faceless woman, dressedinavelvetgreengownfromabygoneera.Thedark,stormyskyandrockycliffsfellawaybeneathhersmall,slippered feet One look at his face had the two men nodding quickly in passing before facing forward with military precision and continuingontheirwaytothedininghall.Smartboys,Roththought.Theyweren’tintheDevil's13,andtheywouldneverbe, buttheyweredamnedgoodattheirjobs
Atfirstonlyelevenofthe original angels were chosen bynone other thanthe Almighty to joinwiththe shadows and carryoutthesacreddutythey’dbeenassigned Oftheothertwo,onewascreatedafterhismortaldeathandtheotherwasthe firstShadowHoundborntoangelparents.TheywereLuc’smosttrustedfriends.Thefacttheshadowsthey’dbeenbornwith had caused their once white wings to turnravenblackwhenthey’d reached their majoritywas justanother reasonwhythey weresomuchcoolerthanGabe’sgangofnitwits
The Blessed Reapers weren’talways so bad. Iftheycould justfind Michael and draghis ass backto heavenhe’d have thembacktohow theyusedtobe Doingtheirjobsandstayingintheirlanes ButMikehadgonemissing357yearsagonext Thursday, and the Almightyhad ‘temporarily’assigned Gabriel to his job. Gabe was still pissed he wasn’t permanentlyin chargeyet AfacttheShadow Houndsnever failedtousetotheir advantagewhentryingtoannoytheshitoutofthestuckup prig.WhattheAlmightysaw inthetosser wasanyone’sguess.JustthethoughtofhimhadRoth’s lipcurlinginasnarl anda correspondinggrowlpassingbetweenhisclenchedteeth.
Still, so muchhad changed withoutMichael atthe wheel ofthe other team The Almightywas playingitcloser to their proverbialchestthesedays.Gabehadrampedupthedemands.
And Luc, well, Luc was Hell onwheels whenitcame to game time He was a mastermind athis job as General ofthe Hounds.Hell,he’dbeencreatedspecificallyforit.Thiswashisdomain.ButevenLuchadstartedactingalittleweirderthan usual.Hisintensefocuswasgone.Anewunpredictablesidehadslowlystartedcreepingin,andtheywererunningoutofideas astohowtohelphim.
Soft whimpers and whines came fromthe two domesticated and non-shifting hellhounds who lay on either side of the fireplace.AmongthefirstoftheirbreedLuchadcreatedthemtobeutterlyfearsomeandcompletelyloyal.Nowtheylookedup atRothwithbig,sadeyesbeforetheyreturnedtheirmassiveblackandmidnight-blueheadstotheirpawsastheywatchedthe KingofHelllosinghisever-lovingmind,andalltheycoulddowascry.
Roth backed up, closing the door quietly He didn’t think Luc had even noticed himenter; despite how he’d been the completeoppositeofstealthy.Nope.Notevengoingtotrytoprocessthatmindfuckrightnow.Besttoleavewhateveritwas foranotherday.
Theyhada meeting,sans Luc,inless thantwohours tobrainstormideas abouthow tohelphim.Justthe Devil's 13.An hourafterthatwastheirregulardailybriefing,whichLucwouldoversee.Thankfully,whenitcametothese,Lucwasstillon point The conference call withGabe and his tighty-whiteylittle top knots seemed to bringout the old Luc The bringer of hellfireandash,vengeanceandwrathtoallsinners.PossiblywhyhehatedGabesomuch;theyalldid.Notthattheycouldput a finger onwhy, butthe asshatsettheir inner radar off, and there was justsomethingabouthimthatdidn’tadd up Whythe AlmightyentrustedhimwiththeBlessedReapers,theso-calledAngelsofLight,andsuchasacreddutywasbeyondthem.It wasalsobeyondtheirpaygrade,tobehonest.Notthattheyreallygotpaid,notinthehumansenseofthewordanyway.
ShakinghisheadRothcontinuedthroughthesurprisinglywell litandcobwebfreehiddenpassagetotheprivateelevator that would take himto the gymbelow. Ready to work his body to the point where the past few hours disappeared into a welcomehazeofexhaustion
He was never late He hatedbeingthe lasttoenter a room,as ifbynotbeingreadybefore everyone else meanthe’dbe ambushed by something, or someone. The fact they’d all noticed, and made a point of acknowledging his tardy entrance, rankledhisforcedcalm.Itmadehisskincrawlandhistemperflared.Stoppingforbreakfasthadbeenamistake.Abigone.No matterhowmuchhelovedoldMrsBriars’ssweetfaedumplingswithroseandhoneycaramelsauce,theyweren’tworththis levelofanxietyandparanoia.
Lockingdownhisinternaldemons,Rothcockedhisbrowathisfriends,gaveLilyawink,andheadedstraighttothebaroff to the side ofthe double doors to grab a glass ofCardhu. He kepthis eyes onall oftheminthe mirrored glass behind the polished black, fully stocked bar Three fingers worth should take the edge off; he had a feeling he’d need it Especially because they only had fifty-five minutes left to get down to the business of discussing their esteemed leader’s increasing disconnectionfromreality.
Lookingaround at their amused faces, he acknowledged that while theyfound it amusing, he could trulytrust eachand everyoneofthemtohavehisback.Theywerehisfamily,hislifeline.They’dpulledhimbackfromthebrinkmoretimesthan hecaredtoadmit
Caineassessedhimfromadeceptivelycasualpositionupagainstthefarwall,hisbodyneverfullyrelaxed,withhisblond, shaggyhairhewasmorereminiscentofa1990ssurferthananangelcreatedneartothedawnoftime Caine’sgreengazebore intoRoth,probing.HetooknoteofRoth’sreactions,hisbarelyleashedtensionandunease.He’dmethiminthegymearlier, hell,itwas prettymuchapartoftheir dailyroutineatthis point.Bothofthempushedtheir bodies tothelimits,punishingly, tryingtooutrunthedemonsthatplaguedthem Andtheybothhadmorethanone Butneverinhisimmortallifewouldhewish to bear the burdenthatweighed downonCaine. There was a reasonthe manwas builtlike a mountainwithmuscles which rivalthoseofprowrestlers-turnedmoviestars,Rothwasnevergoodwithnameslikethat Cainecastigatedhimselfeveryday forapasthecouldnot,andwouldnot,havechanged,andafutureheknewwasasunavoidableastheknowledgetheAlmighty hadchosenthisfateforhim His‘gift’washisunendingpunishmentandtorture
Lookingawayfromhis bestfriend, his gaze skittered over Athon, Marco, Deus, Malphas, Lily, Perri, Andy, Ares, Fynn, andMalech,beforecomingtorestonDante.Theclassclown.Notonetomissanopportunitytobeasmartass,thecockylittle shitbegantoopenhismouth Malphasclearedhisthroat Whatdoyouknow,Dante’smouthsnappedshutwithanaudible click.Interesting...
“Wedon’thavemuchtimebeforetheothersarrive,sowe’dbestgettoit,”Malphasstated,drawingeveryone’sattention back to the reason for their covert meeting. They were becoming increasingly regular the more Luc faded away. If angels suffered fromhuman ailments, one would think Luc was slowly succumbing to Alzheimer’s disease. It would be the easy answer, clear-cutand definite. Thatwas notthe case. Mortal diseases, neurological and genetic conditions, simplycouldn’t surviveinthebodyofoneofthem.However,theycouldstillgetsick.Anangelwithacoldwasonehundredtimesworseto dealwiththanahuman Nothim,ofcourse,hewasasstoicasever
thinginthe angel realms,andwhile Luc alreadyhadMichael,he’dalsocreatedhis ownfamilyofbrothers andsisters well beforethe time ofthe Choosing.Inhonor oftheir familial bondthe Almightyhadchosenthemall tohouse the shadows,and fulfilladestinytheirmightycreatorrefusedtosharewithanyone,noteventhemosttrustedcollectorofpropheciesandfates, themostloyaloftheAlmighty’scounsel,Leraie,knewtheexactreasonforthebondingofangeltoshadow.Atleast,shehadn’t deignedtoshareifshedid,anyway
“Well,I'mprettysurehe’sdoingthesameashewaslasttime:sporadiclossoffocuswhennotperformingofficialduties,” Perrivoiced,hopeheavilylacedthroughherwords Hervoicewassonaturallysultrythatifyoudidn’tknowanybetteryou’d thinkshe was partsiren. . . or a phone sexoperator. ThankGod she couldn’tread minds though, because ifshe could, that thoughtinanyone’sheadcouldleadtotheirimmediatecastrationordisembowelment,iftheywerelucky.Growingbackanut wasworsethangrowingbackbothlegsandaspine,allatonce,somethingheknewfromexperience Atthememoryhisballs drewuptight,asiftryingtofindrefugeandprotectionwithinhisbody.
Athon made it easy for him, as always, paving the way and starting himoff. “What’s new, Roth? Luc done something strange,myman?”Histannedarmscametorestonthetableinfrontofhim,hisattentionfocussedsolelyonRoth.Voicesoft andhusky,withanedgetoitonlyRothever seemedtonotice Likethesharpedgeofablade,softenedbythesatintouchof desireasitstrokedhimlikealover.Itturnedthewords“myman”intothesoftcaressofalover’shand,asifmeantforhisears alone Heknewhowtohelphim,he’dalwayshadtheknack,thataffinity,forpullingRothoutofhisthoughtsandintoconfiding almostanything.Almost.
Itwasprobablywhythetwoofthemhadbeensomuchmore,onceuponatime.Butthatwasbefore.BeforetheBigBad BitchhadscrewedRothover,andhe’dswornoffanythingthatlastedmorethananightortwo.She’dscrewedoverAthontoo, to a lesser degree. And yet, he knew he could countonhimfor anythinghe needed, to keep anyconfidence and offer sound advice Athonwasthewiseoneoftheirlot,themostempathic,themostunderstandingandpragmatic
Then she had sashayed her way into his brain, that damn redhead. She became his second greatest secret, and it was startingtoscarehimevenmorethanopeninguptothetrustedfewinthisroom Theyknewhim,whathewasathisworst,athis weakest,andalsohisgreateststrengths.Yet,this,he’dkeptfromthem,andhedidn’tevenhaveadecentexcuseforit,notone whichheldupunderanykindofscrutiny.
Athondeserved better thanthat. He sometimes found himselfwishinghe could be better for him. The onlygood thingto comeofthissituationwiththemysterywomanwasthathisshadowsandbrainweresotiedupinknotsthatrandomerections wheninclose proximityto the male across fromhimbecame a thingof the past Focus, Roth Share and care time was in session.
“Yeah,actuallythereis IwasheadingtothegymviathepaintingtunnelthismorningwhenIheardsomethingoddcoming fromLuc’sroom...SoIrushedintocheckonhim.MorelikeIbarreledinwiththegraceofapanickedrhino,butwhatever,” he added,aimingfor a little levityas he pausedtogather his thoughts,buthurriedonwhenhe saw the worriedgazes ofhis comrades
“Butwhatmysterydowehavethatcangainhisattentionlikethat?Michael’sdisappearancehasn’tdonejacktokeephim withusandnormalsincethegoddamn1940s,andallofourothertasksarefleeting.Wecollectsoulsforeternaldamnationand police the illegal activities of the darker elements of the supernatural realms before delivering themto the Praesidiumfor
assessmentandtheAlmighty'ssentencing.Lucdoesn’tevendirectlyoverseethatpartanymore.Whatthefuckhappenedback then? He up and disappeared for sixmonths, leavingCaine incharge so he could have a break. Fine, everyone needs one sometimesandhe’dbeenlivinghisworksincethecreationoftime Butthenhecomesbackonlytolockhimselfinhisroom, rippedtheplacetoshredsandattackedeveryonewhosomuchasmovedinhispresence,beforehesubsidedintowhateverthe fuckthisis”Ares’frustrationandfearwasclearashisrantcametoanend Luciferwasthegluethatheldthemtogetherasa team.Hewas,no,istheirGeneral.Theyweredoingtheirbest,buttheyneededhimback.
Headssnappedup,eyeswidened,andjawsdroppedopen.You’dsweartheywerepelicanscatchingfish.Orthoseweird clowns at carnivals that youhad to throw balls at At that thought Rothcouldn’t containa chuckle The image ofballs, the reproductivetype,notthehardplasticorbouncykind,inalloftheirmouthsflashedthroughhisbrain.Andthatwasit,helost it Betweengasping,wheezingbreaths,anduncontrollablemirth,hemanagedtoconveytheimagerytothemastheylookedat himaghast.
All heads turned inthe directionofthe newcomer Onlyone personcould command the attentionofeveryone ina room beforethey’devenlaideyesonhim.Thepowerthatwasbarelycontainedinhisaurawasbeyondbelief,andhisessenceasthe KingofHell well lived up to legend. He’d terrified mensince time began. He’d seduced more womenthanevenhe could recall,andthey’dlovedeveryminuteofit.
This time none ofthemcouldcontaintheir mirthanditwas less todowithhangingballs andmore withthe sightbefore them.Danteevendroppedtothefloor,rollingaroundlikeapiginmud,tearsstreamingdownhischeeks.Therewasnodoubt whowasbehindit.
AbewilderedLucgazedatthem,hisbrowfurrowed.
“Care toshare whatyouall findsoamusing,boys andgirls?” Came the honeyover steel voice thatsentshivers downa lesserbeing'sbackbutthatcouldsendanyonehewishedtotheirknees
His eyes hardened and Dante smirked He liked to pushtheir buttons, and pushingLuc’s usuallybroughtbackthe Luc of old,atleast,forabit.LucgentlypriedPerriawayandguidedhertoherseat,beforeheadingbackandleaningagainstthebar. Hiseyesflashedandsparklesofgoldswirledinhisdarkbrown,almostblackirisesashelockedgazeswithDante.
Lipscurlingintoasinistersmirk,Lucraisedhishandsandslidthemthroughhishairbeforebringingthembackdownwith acasual eleganceuniquetohim.Henow lookedlikethatHadescharacter fromthe Descendants,onlylessrougharoundthe edges Fucking Dante had made them all binge-watch that shit last week The fucker had been planning this all along AdmittedlyLucrockedthelookandRothsensedwhatwascomingnext.
“Thanks,D,IthinkI’llkeepit”Heflashedhimagrinfullofteethandawinkbeforeturningtopourhimselfadrink Dante’s face wentslack, the color inhis cheeks leached away. Yeah, he’d fucked withthe bull and Luc had himbythe balls.RetributionwascomingandDantehadgottenwhathe’dwanted.
Lucifer,athisfinest,wasinthehouse
Ashegazedathisreflectioninthemirrorbehindthebar,Lucfelthisgriponrealityslipping.Asteadyslideintomadness. Theamused,yetcautiousfacesofhisfriendsreflectedbackathim,butallhesawwerepalegrayeyesanddarkredhair. Hisfavoritecolors.Theonlycolorsheeverwishedtosee.Moonlightcreatedahaloaroundherperfectface.Shewas here withhimnow, he could feel her, could almostreachoutand touchher silkysmoothskin Whydidn’tshe speak? Why didn’tsheruntohimwithopenarmsandslidehersoftcurvesalongthehardplanesofhismuscledbody?Hecaughtaflicker ofbluefromthecornerofhiseyeandfeltheramusementdeepinhisverysoul Strengthfilledhim,renewedhim Shebeganto fadeaway,andhewasthrustbackintothepresent.Morehimselfthanhe’dbeenforalongwhile.Hiseyesonceagainlanded onhisnowbluehairedreflection.
Behind Samcame Havoc, Seth, Eli, and Abbie. The latter was so distracted bythe screeninher hands that she didn’t noticetheboysinfrontofhercomingtoahalt Andthree two one yep,shehitthewallofstonethatwasEliand bouncedbackwards,andwouldhavehitthefloorhadElinotreachedbackwithlightningreflexesandwrappedherwristinhis firmgrip.
As they passed Luc and the rest of the teamthey nodded their heads in acknowledgment and respect Seth and Havoc though,theyavoidedRoth’sgazeandalmostbowedinsupplication.ThattoldLucallheneededtoaboutRoth’sheadspacethis fineday
LuchadtriedforcenturiestofindMichael.NotjustMichael,buthisGrandConsortiumtoo.OnceGabetook‘temporary’ control, whata laughthatwas, ithadn’ttakenlongfor Michael’s inner circle to either be forced out, disappear, or abandon shiptosearchforMichaelthemselves.
The third stringers were now Gabe’s go-to lackeys. He’d manipulated those weaklittle shits into believinghe was their tickettothebigleagues,andthey’dslurpedthatshitupliketequilaoffastripper’stonedstomach.
Justthen, Gabe’s sour, pinchlipped face flashed up onthe screen, and for a briefmomentanimage ofGabe, chestbare exceptforsequinednippletassels,spreadoutonatabletopwithhisgangofidiotsalloverhimlickinghisabsappearedinhis mind Anamusedhuffescapedhim,andhislipsturnedup,whichcausedGabe’salreadyseverefeaturestodarkenwithbarely
