by Rory Miles
Draven doesn’t say anything, but he gets up from the bed and Beelzebub leans over my body, wrapping a hand firmly around my throat and says, “You’re not a very good listener.”
“Maybe I like the pain.”
He smiles against my ear and pushes me down onto the mattress, letting his hand trail over my back and back to grip my ass.
“Undo her hands,” he commands. Draven apparently doesn’t mind that we’re changing the game because suddenly my wrists are free. Beelzebub flips me so I’m on my back, wraps my legs around him and thrusts into me once more. With the freedom to explore, I grip his ass and push him even deeper inside of me, hitting the sweet spot and move my hips in time with his.
He kisses me, the gag still hanging around my neck, and I tease my tongue against his. When he slams into me hard and makes a groaning sound deep in his throat, my heart flutters. The claiming is consummated and I feel it snap tight, linking Beelzebub and me together for life.
“We aren’t done yet,” Draven says to my smug smile.
The blindfold is undone, and I open my eyes to see his deep green gaze roaming over my body. Beelzebub rolls to the side of the bed, recovering. Draven doesn’t restrain me again, but he pins my hands above my head, wrenching them and pushing my breasts up.
Dropping his mouth to the one on the right, he bites it softly, then swirls his tongue before kissing his way to the other one. While he’s torturing me, he shifts so he’s straddling me, his hardness pressing into my stomach as he grinds himself against me. My core aches for more, but he continues his ministrations, small movements back and forth but enough to make me beg.
“Please.”
“Please what?”
“I want you buried deep inside of me.”
“What part of me? Let me hear your sweet mouth say it.”
“I need your cock, please.”
“As you wish.” He reaches down and aligns himself, probing slightly before pushing fully into me. Rolling his hips against mine, he applies a delicious pressure over my most sensitive part.
He doesn’t go fast or hard. His rhythm is slow, deep, and just forceful enough to cause a bit of friction. I move against him from underneath, wrapping my legs around his strong core and holding onto his biceps. Beelzebub is watching, and I meet his gaze as Draven and I become one, riding this wave of pure ecstasy until we break apart together, falling through the chasm of pleasure we just unleashed.
Breaking eye contact with my demon prince, I squeeze my eyes close and relish in the essence I’ve absorbed from them both. My body is vibrating with energy and I feel like I could climb the highest of Avernus’s black mountains.
Once the intense sensations subside, he rolls off to the other side of me and they both place a hand on my stomach, claiming me together. It’s the perfect way to complete the claiming with Beelzebub; my other bonded mate present and a part of whatever we’ve become. A trio of power, maybe? Regardless of my anger with Draven and the strange circumstances of this union, it is. . . magnificent.
We fall into a deep sleep, and the buzz of energy I feel carries into my dreams. I did not drink the nightmare-blocking tea, so my dreams are haunted by all sorts of nefarious creatures. At one point, I’m trapped in a dream within a dream; a child holding a knife chases after me with a speed not even Jasper could rival. Every time the tiny thing plunges the blade into my heart, I wake up running from her once again in a new dream. It’s an endless circle of death. Lady Mara’s powers reach deep into my fears and make them my reality until Draven shakes me.
My eyes are slow to open, and when they do, I have to blink a few times to adjust to my surroundings. There is no child chasing me or stabbing me. Just Beelzebub and Draven sharing my bed. We’re now in the lavender suite; Draven must have moved us sometime during the night.
Betty and Blanche are setting the table.
“How did she get in here?”
“She?”
I gesture to Blanche. “I didn’t call her this morning.”
Draven stands and picks up a delicate cup of tea, passing it to me. “It will help erase those nightmares. Sorry I forgot to give you the other tea last night. As for Blanche, you let her out last night and didn’t put her back.”
Well, I hope Betty took care of little Blanche. She’s so young. I’d hate for her to be left to her own devices for too long. I feel a twinge of guilt; I didn’t even think about how Blanche must feel. She was just born, after all. I sip my tea, watching the little being.
“Dear Mother Faerie, please tell me you are not feeling bad for the wraith.”
I narrow my eyes at Draven. “She’s just a child.”
He shakes his head. “Trust me when I say they have no emotions. She’s fine.”
I don’t voice my disagreement, but he has to be wrong. Blanche’s black face is staring at me, almost like she wants a hug. Can wraiths give hugs?
Draven snaps his fingers and they both disappear.
“Bring her back, now.” I may be a little petulant, but I’m still a little irritated with him. The bond is straining for him and it’s almost like it thinks I should forgive him. Even more reason to be irritated with him; this strange influence will give him all the power in this relationship. Unless he feels the same sort of strain.
He sighs. “Really, Shera. You’re being ridiculous.”
I set my tea aside and snap my fingers. Blanche reappears. Draven snaps his back, making her disappear once again.
“Stop that,” I growl at him and snap again. She reappears, totally unharmed, but I’m worried she’s confused, what with all the apperations and dis-apperations.
Draven goes to snap again but a strong, dark hand grips his wrist. “Leave the little wraith alone, Shera likes her.”
Beelzebub stares down the fae Lord, and finally, he concedes.
“Fine, Blanche can stay.” The way he says her name is mocking, but I ignore it and coo at the little being.
Never too early to practice being a mom. Given the sex I had last night, there is about a 29.85% chance the seed will take.
“The others will be waiting; we should eat and prepare for the trip to Avernus.”
Sitting down, I say, “Beelzebub, what happens when Lucifer learns of the claiming?”
The heir growls low in his chest. “The high lord will not harm you.”
“No, but he’ll be livid.”
“Does it really matter?” he asks. “We are going with plans to destroy everything as it stands. How Lucifer reacts to the claim is the last thing to worry about.”
I take a bite of toast; thankfully the fae bread is very similar to human bread. No weird flavors burst across my palate.
“We will attend the meeting that will be called, you will stand in front of an auditorium full of demons, and we will bring them to their knees together.”
“Such pretty promises.” Sighing wistfully, I pat his arm. “What are your plans if we succeed? Do you intend to take the throne?”
I don’t think he expected the question, but it had to be asked. I know what I plan to do, but without knowing his end game, I can’t be certain he’ll accept me.
He sets down his fork and stares into my eyes. “Is there an alternative you’d like to discuss with me?”
I grimace, considering his question. He isn’t going to make this easy. If I want to become High Lady, I have to convince the heir to let me surpass him and take the throne.
“Well, the royals have been in charge of Avernus since the beginning of our time. Despite our superior abilities, we lag behind the humans. Our world is using their technologies, we are not advancing. We’re stalling, waiting for other creatures to invent when we could be the ones innovating. All of our time is spent devouring human essence to try and grow our power, but we don’t do anything with that energy. It sits idle deep within Avernus, fueling what minimal technologies we have and otherwise rotting. What’s the point of everything if we aren’t working to better our race?”
I take a deep
breath, worried I’ve ranted on for too long. “The point is, Avernus needs a new leader. A new power structure and a new purpose. We could be so much more than wicked beings that feed off of souls.”
Draven sips his tea, leaning back in his chair and glancing to Beelzebub, waiting for his counter argument.
The demon prince searches my face. “You want to be the one to lead these changes?”
I straighten in my chair. “I’d like to be, yes.” Reaching over to grab his hand, I squeeze it. “But you are my bonded mate, sealed with an official claim. I would rule with you by my side.”
He shakes his head. “No.”
My breath catches. No?
“To turn the patriarchy inside out, you can’t have a man by your side. You must become the matriarch.”
A whoosh of air passes my lips. That is not what I expected. I had anticipated a heated debate, no arguing—Beelzebub doesn’t argue—but at the very least I expected him to poke holes in every step of my plan.
“Every leader needs advisers. Would you accept a role as one?”
He purses his lips. “After some time, perhaps. But, for what you plan to do, Verrina would be the better choice.”
I frown. “You don’t want to help?”
He shrugs. “I’ve been heir for a long time. I’ve done my fair share of assisting. I think I might like a break from the politics.”
“A vacation?” I ask. “Really?”
He nods, biting into his fae bacon. “Really.”
“Okay.” Well, hopefully Verrina is not opposed to my plan. If she is, things are going to get exponentially more complicated than they already are.
“Well then,” Draven claps, “sounds like you’re in agreement. Shera will be High Lady of Avernus and Lady of Shadows.”
“Eh, I’m not so sure about that last one.”
His smile falls. “Why?”
“Draven, you haven’t even discussed this with me. You tricked me into a fae vow, and now a bond thanks to your shadow beast, but, a demon as Lady of Court of Shadows?”
Drinking the last of his tea, he sets the cup down with a loud clank. “I don’t see the problem.”
“You know the problem. Sewyn told you only a few days ago. No one would accept this, not to mention, we haven’t even been a thing long enough to know if it will work out.”
“My beast knows. Our souls are a match.” The way he says it, like the beast knowing seals the deal, is frustrating.
“Yes, but, how will it even work? I can’t be here, especially not with my plans to become High Lady.”
“I’ll rule my court. All I ask is that you accept what I’m offering: become my partner in this world and all the others.”
I glance to Beelzebub.
“This is not an exclusive request. I recognize the nature of your being and welcome those that are worthy of you into our life,” he says, reading my worries with a single look.
Well, I hadn’t exactly planned on denying this bond with the Shadow Lord, and I do find him rather entertaining. Being Lady of Shadows, as long as I’m not expected to rule, shouldn’t be too much of an inconvenience. Plus, I can’t wait to see Sewyn’s face every day I sit on the throne. That alone is almost enough to make me say yes.
“All right. For now, I’ll be the Lady of Court of Shadows, but if things get complicated, I can’t promise to keep the title.”
Draven grimaces. “I don’t think you understand, there is no other that can take your place once it has been given. When you accept the title, it’s yours until our death.”
Well, that’s rather dramatic, but the fae are a rather Shakespearean bunch.
Blanche floats over to me, and I think she’s trying to gain my attention.
“What is it, Lassie?”
Beelzebub groans. “Your human pop culture references are ridiculous.”
“Says the man who knows exactly what I refer to.”
He closes his mouth and looks away.
That’s what I thought.
Betty hovers by Draven, and it’s almost like he’s straining to listen to the wraith. He nods slightly, and turns to us.
“The others grow impatient. We should join them.”
“I thought you said you didn’t talk to them.” I frown at him. More lies?
“I talk to the shadows, not the wraiths directly as if they were a being.”
Semantics.
“All right, let’s go.” Beelzebub leaves the room and our pointless wraith debate behind.
Draven and I share a look; a small smile that devolves into a short fit of laughter. It’s enough to break down some of the walls I’ve built to keep him at bay, which immediately puts me on edge. Draven is a powerful Unseelie fae and I’ve tied myself to him for life. With only a few laughs, I forget why I should be frustrated in the first place.
The male is dangerous, and if I’m not careful, he’ll chew me up and spit me out.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“So, we just go back to Earth and wait until Lucifer calls the next meeting?”
Jasper frowns at Naomi’s question, then flits his eyes to mine. “It’s a pretty shitty plan. I mean, someone is going to be waiting for us to show up.”
“I’m counting on it,” I say, refilling my mug with the still-steaming tea from the floral tea pot. “Once word reaches the high lord, he’ll call a meeting. He won’t wait around for another few weeks; especially not after I banished Carnivea and stole her fae prisoner. Lietta killed Liko. . . so there’s also that.”
Beelzebub clears his throat. “We should be prepared for the worst. When we get back to Earth our main priority will be gaining strength as quickly as possible. The vampires will need to feed. Shera and Dante are fully sated and already at full strength, but Naomi, you need more essence. We need all the strength we can get.”
“And what about you?” Jasper prods, earning a scowl from the prince.
Beelzebub feeds off of people’s essence by encouraging them to be boastful; every thought or word uttered in the name of pride builds up his demon energy. Though, even without the essence he’s powerful and someone I’d fear to have as an adversary.
“I’m well and full. Every world is ripe with the pride of its inhabitants. Feeding off of that requires very little effort. Why, just in Faerie alone I’ve taken my fill of essence from the lord and ladies.”
I swivel my head toward him. “You did what now? Does Lady Mara know?”
He shrugs. “Probably not, seeing as she’s in Faerie. Had she been on Earth, she may have noticed more of my effects. Her confrontation with Draven provided enough of a distraction.”
The Shadow Lord doesn’t seem to mind that he’s been feeding the prince unwittingly.
“I’ll wait for you on Earth.”
My eyes find Draven’s. “That’s not necessary. I can come to you now; the bond and the shadows will bring me to you once we are finished and it’s safe. I won’t be able to stay long though. . .” I trail off, because how can I make such promises? If I’m to be High Lady, I won’t be able to leave for a long time.
I consider inviting him to Avernus, but there hasn’t been a formal invitation extended to a fae in many centuries. Letting him in so soon after I’ve taken the throne could cause problems I don’t need right away. Not to mention, I’m not sure he’s trustworthy enough to invite to my new home.
No, I will have to visit Faerie whenever I have time. Perhaps at night while the demons rest.
“We will figure it out.” Beelzebub’s declaration surprises both Draven and me.
“Right,” I say, “we’ll plan for the future once we’ve finished. For now, let’s eat breakfast and return to Earth.”
Lietta flies in with a fresh batch of muffins with that chocolate raspberry fruit. She swats my hand when I reach for one before she’s had a chance to set down the basket.
“Shera, have some manners.”
“Come on, Lietta. Who knows when I’ll have your delicious muffins again? Let a succubus indulge a
little.”
Dropping the basket in front of my plate, she puts her hands on her hips and narrows her eyes on me.
“Listen here, Lady of Shadows. You will return to Faerie sooner than you think, and when you return, you will exercise the manners I know you have and you will not get grabby fingers on me again. It’s unbecoming on any fae, especially a lady.”
Taking a dainty bite of the muffin, I dab the corner of my mouth. “Yes, madam sylph.”
She bites her tongue, stopping herself from saying whatever it is Sewyn would have no problem blurting out.
Sewyn enters on foot, carrying a platter of bacon that Anakin and Micah requested. I haven’t seen her wings yet. Does she have any?
“Eat up while you can, demon scum.”
She hands Anakin the tray, and shakes her head when his long hair falls over his shoulder. “You should tie that up.”
Anakin sets the bacon down and quickly puts his hair in a sloppy man bun. “Better?” he asks with a grin.
Sewyn nods and gives him a weird look, one that almost seems affection. Then, she spins on her heel and leaves with purple hair flowing behind her. Lietta pats my shoulder, whispers something in a fae language I don’t understand, and follows after her.
I’ll miss the little sylphs, even the grumpy one.
Our return to Earth is without fanfare. Draven shadow transports us to his house in Albuquerque. The vampires and Naomi go to feed. Dante is full but he joins her so she isn’t alone. That leaves Verrina, Beelzebub and me alone with the fae. The little adobe house he has is completely remodeled with the finest of materials, large paned windows and has a modern chic decor. A great contrast to his gothic style castle in Faerie. Though, I guess after living in the shadows for so long, one would want a bit of light every now and then.
Waiting for the others to level up is difficult for all of us. I’ve nearly worn holes in the modern rug in the living room, so I force myself to sit down.
“Patience,” Beelzebub says unhelpfully.