by Eve Newton
“Fucking OW!” she roars. “Luc! Damn you!”
“I can take you in,” Darius says, plodding up behind her and reaching out his hand. “For a price.”
“You take one more step towards her and I will finish what I started!” I bellow at him as Evan also lunges forward to get between Axelle and the hideous creature.
“Humph,” Axelle mutters. “I wouldn’t take you on if you paid me.”
Darius chuckles at her and turns away.
I move myself right next to her, needing to keep her safe from everything in this monstrous place. I have seen things in here that I believed only to be in nightmares. I only happened to come across the scent of blood by accident and knew instantly it was Axelle’s. My fear for her knew no bounds. I was prepared to force my way through these gates when she appeared unharmed and as sassy as usual.
“Axelle?” a smooth voice comes through the mist surrounding the gates.
We look towards them as Luc steps through the iron bars with a thoughtful look on his face.
“You are well?”
She nods and runs to him, flinging her arms around him. “Take me home,” she murmurs to him.
I watch carefully, as does Evan, to his reaction to her. He embraces her gently and then pushes her away so he can take her hand.
He gives me a scathing look that also lands on Evan. “You found her,” he mutters under his breath. “Interesting.”
“They are coming with me,” Axelle says forcefully, giving him a fierce stare.
“Of course,” Luc says. “I said they could, didn’t I?”
“Will Dashel be allowed entry as he is?” she asks carefully, a worried look shooting my way briefly.
“Indeed,” the Devil replies. “He will only fall once you corrupt him to the point that Heaven no longer wants him.”
I grimace at his words, meant to hurt. I brush it off and try to concentrate only on Axelle. Being with her is all that matters. Entering this domain will not affect me. I won’t let it.
“I will be there to see it,” he adds with a lingering look at me before turning his sharp gaze on Evan. “You need to get back to work. Roberta is ready to kick some serious ass if you don’t start pulling your weight.” He snaps his fingers and Evan is suddenly dressed in a black, hooded cloak with every expletive known to man tumbling from his lips.
“You bastard!” he snarls at Luc.
“You didn’t think you were going to sit around doing fuck all, did you? Go now.” He snaps his fingers again and Evan disappears.
“You could’ve at least let me kiss him goodbye,” Axelle chides him.
“Time enough for that later,” he murmurs to her. “The next male you kiss, will be me.”
She catches her breath, her cheeks going pink, her eyes lowered.
He leads her through the Gates of Hell, and I step forward to follow, the trepidation clawing at me.
“Make yourself at home,” Luc says to me as we materialize into a mansion that must be his residence. “Axelle will come and find you later to take your soul and give it to me.”
My breath hitches, but this is what I signed up for. My fate is intertwined with hers and there is only one way that I can see this through to the end.
I accept it as I watch her walk away to complete the trials and become the one that will bear the child that will change the world.
~ CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE ~
Axelle
I look back over my shoulder. Dashel gives me a searching look, but then he turns from me which surprises me. I’m glad that he has entered Hell and remained intact. I’d been really worried that he would burn up, or that Luc would do something to him, but so far, all seems to be well.
“He will be fine,” Luc murmurs to me, leading me into his bedroom. “In the meantime, I have to concentrate on the task at hand. Which is you.” He gives me a smoldering look that melts my panties and makes me forget my own name.
He grabs my hand and pulls me closer. “We have something that needs addressing,” he murmurs.
My heart skips a beat and my breath goes ragged. I tilt my mouth to his in anticipation.
The long-awaited kiss is about to happen.
“I have waited a long time for this,” he whispers and lowers his mouth to mine, brushing his lips lightly over mine. He flicks his tongue, his real forked tongue, over my top lip, making me shiver.
I want to demand that he claim my mouth now, or just do it myself by shoving my tongue into his mouth, but he is the Devil. The most Alpha of Alphas. This has to be all him, so I let him tease me, with a soft sigh.
“Oh, Axelle,” he breathes softly, then, gripping my upper arms tightly, crushing them in his fervor as he smashes his mouth to mine in a fierce kiss that leaves me breathless.
His tongue, his human tongue now, is dueling with mine as we ravage each other. My heart is crashing against my ribs as my libido soars sky high.
“Luc,” I murmur against his mouth. “Take me.” My hands fumble at his shirt, but he puts his hands up to stop me.
“Just a kiss,” he murmurs back, ending what was most definitely the best kiss I’ve ever had, and I’ve had plenty in my time. The anticipation of it made it absolutely flawless.
I see the ripple that goes across the room, feel it quiver over my skin, making me go cold briefly before it moves on its way.
“Perfect,” Luc says in normal tones, with a devastating smile as he watches the ripple disappear. “It is time.”
“Time for what?” I rasp.
“To make this union whole,” he declares, stepping back unruffled. He doesn’t seem affected by our kiss at all.
It makes my heart plummet. Was it not good for him? Was it just a kiss to seal our fate, instead of the Hell-shattering, passionate exchange that I thought it was?
“We have to wait until sunset,” he continues in a businesslike way that just makes me want to weep. “Until then, I’m afraid, my dear, that you are on lock down.”
“What?” I stammer, shaking my head at the rapid rate that this momentous occasion has descended into a normal conversation.
“I assume you have passed the trials?”
I nod, feeling it deep inside me. The weight that I didn’t even know was bearing down on me has lifted and I feel the power running through me, making me strong enough to receive the seed of the Devil.
“Then you are not permitted to see anyone. You may be able to have sex now, but you will not be touched by a male until I am ready to take you. You are not to leave this residence, and no one will be allowed entry until after. This is too important for me to lose now that I’m so close.”
“Oh,” I say flatly, thoroughly disheartened by his speech.
He glares at me and my clear lack of enthusiasm, but somewhere deep inside him, he must find an ounce of sentimentality as his face softens.
“You are important to me, Axelle, because of what all of this means to me, but I—I love you,” he chokes out.
His cheeks have gone an adorable pink and his eyes are averted. It makes my heart soar. He is just being the Devil. He really does care. It’s not the most romantic speech I’ve ever heard, but I realize with a thudding heart, it’s real. I haven’t had to use my powers on him to get him to say the words and that means everything to me.
I nod, choosing not to make a big deal out of it. “Okay,” I say and flop down onto his bed and take my shoes off.
“In your own room,” he says firmly, hauling me up by my elbow.
“What?” I squeak. He’s throwing me out?
“If you stay here, I won’t be responsible for my actions after that kiss,” he says with a heart-stopping smile. “And the book is very specific. We unite at sunset.”
The book? My curiosity has reached skyscraper level high, but is shoved ferociously out of the way by my burning lust and bursting happiness. He felt it too. That kiss affected him the same way as it did me. Like we were made for each other, with just that one kiss.
“Well, now, we don
’t want to piss off the book,” I say lightly, even though my look is full of meaning.
He ignores it and ushers me out of the door.
“Wait,” I say, putting my hand up.
He hands my shoes to me in a mistaken gesture.
“No,” I say, shaking my head, dismissing the shoes. “That room. It belonged to your…your…ugh! That bitch!” I spit out. I can’t even say the name of ‘that bitch’.
He gives me a puzzled look. “Jezebelle?” he replies. “She is gone. And that room is yours, until you move in here with me.”
“Gone where?” I ask, cautiously ignoring his last sentence as it means too much to me. He wants me to share his room! He wants me to share his room! I’d figured I’d be shunted off somewhere once the deed was done, only to be brought out for sex, parties and the such-like. He wants a true partnership with me. I’d hoped, but never really thought he wanted the same. I can’t wait to be with him and my other two men.
“…pits,” he says, making me realize my wandering mind had missed what he’d said.
“Pits?” I ask, wrinkling up my nose. What is he talking about? Do I stink or something?
“Banished,” he snaps impatiently. “You don’t need to worry about her. Now go.” He gives me a not-so gentle shove. “I have preparations to make. Wear the red dress. It will bring you to me in the caverns.”
“Caverns?” I ask, but the door has been slammed in my face. “Great,” I mutter. “That fucking dress.” Of course, he wants me to wear that. I just hope that this time, I get a proper fuck when it hits the floor.
Luc
I lean against the door, struggling to keep my raging cock in my pants. Fuck, I wanted to take her so badly, it hurts. Physically hurts.
“I love you too!” she shouts through the door and then I hear her stomp off down the hallway in a temper.
I chuckle. She is as turned on as I am by that kiss.
I rub my fingers over my lips.
“Fuck,” I whisper.
That was some kiss.
Kissing has never been my thing. I have perhaps kissed half a dozen females in my whole damned life. I find it highly overrated and way too intimate, but that kiss. That kiss was beyond this Realm. It took all of my Devilish strength not to rip her clothes off and fuck her where we were standing. She wanted it as badly as I did, so I know she feels the same about that kiss.
It was destiny.
I grunt at my sappy thoughts.
But, without a doubt, the Underworld felt that kiss. The ripple was noticeable. It was the start of something huge and I cannot wait to get started. But first, I need her safe. My enemies will know now that something is afoot, and I simply cannot have this ripped out of my grasp now.
I go off to ensure that the residence is on complete lock down, nothing and no one in or out, and that her Angel is nowhere near her for the next several hours. Our first time has to be just ours. She will not be able to take any other male after I’m through with her. After she has healed, then she can have her other men. She can take her Angel and corrupt him until he weeps and falls from grace as I watch his humiliation with a song in my heart, and then I will take my woman before his eyes and fuck her until she cannot stand anymore. That thought makes me shiver. In fact, it brings an idea to my mind that I want to see through now. I want her Reaper and her Angel to bear witness to the destruction I will cause her when we join for the very first time. They may not be able to look directly upon me, but they can hear her screams as I tear into her, knowing that they cannot save her. Then I will give her to them to see to her and make her forget the horror that I will have inflicted on her as I watch them love her.
It will appease my need to make her happy, but also keep the monster inside me happy. And happy is something that they will be damn sure they need me to be.
As I am damn sure that I need my Queen to be happy. Whatever it takes.
~ CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO ~
Axelle
The nerves hit my stomach the second I walk into ‘my’ bedroom. I didn’t expect this. I thought we would just get it on and that would be it as far as the ritual went. I did not know that we were going to basically, get married.
“Fuck!” I breathe out, shaking my hands out.
I’m going to be marrying the fucking Devil.
I’ll be Mrs. Devil.
“Shit! Fuck!”
I take in a deep breath and then again, placing my fingertips to my lips. Oh, that kiss is still with me. I can feel his lips on mine, his tongue in my mouth. Fuck, it was worth the wait. I can only imagine what our post wedding sex is going to be like. I sincerely hope that it involves a whole load of pain to go with the immense pleasure I know that he will give me now.
I let out a happy sigh and sink down onto the bed.
I lie down and close my eyes, intent on having a short nap before a night of unbridled passion as the Devil’s wife.
“Shit! Fuck!”
I still can’t believe it.
I never thought about being someone’s wife. It was never going to be in the cards for me. Now, having it thrust upon me, by the Devil of all creatures, it shocks me how much I want it. I can only hope that he allows me to marry Evan and Dashel soon, as well.
I curl up and with a happy smile, I drift off, exhausted after a very trying few days.
I awake, startled out of sleep by a really weird dream. I can’t remember it, the more I try, the more it slips through my fingers.
I give up after a few attempts and decide whatever it is isn’t important. What is important is being on time to meet Luc in the caverns.
It sounds ominous. I mean, why do we have to be even further underground for our unholy union? Are we not going to do this in front of all of Hell?
I have a quick shower and upon opening the closet, I see that blasted red dress hanging up all by itself.
I pull it off the hanger and slip it on, finding the matching shoes tucked away in their red box. I wonder if Luc will want me to keep them on as he did for the ritual sex. I’m game, especially if I get to walk across his back, digging the sharp heels into him.
Moments later, I’m transported off to the mysterious cavern. It is darker and hotter than anywhere else in Hell I have currently visited. The glow of the black candles in the corner draw me over instantly. Even I can feel the evil coat my skin like an oil. I wonder briefly where exactly I am, but that thought disappears as I see what the candles are resting upon.
Placed in each corner of the altar, they flicker as I move closer. The scent of blood hits my nose, making my stomach growl. I’m starving. I want to taste it on my tongue. Have it slide down my throat in that sticky texture that I haven’t felt in so long.
Wherever I am, someone was sacrificed very recently at this altar.
I freeze as I sense a being behind me.
I turn my head slightly, but he says to me, “Don’t look. Not yet.”
His voice is deep, malevolent and resonates around the cavern, even though his tone was low. It sends a thrill through me.
He is, as his true self.
I can’t wait to see him.
I ignore him and spin around to finally lay eyes on the Devil as I have never seen him before.
Luc
I huff at her, defiant to the end.
“I told you not to turn around yet,” I grate. It hurts me to speak in this form. It isn’t made for speaking. It is made for annihilation.
She doesn’t say a word. She just looks at me with wide eyes. I’m towering over her small frame. She starts at the top of my horns and works her way down over my face, lingering on the rows of sharp teeth. Down over my chest, as wide as three men, and then stopping at my cock.
It twitches under her scrutiny.
She licks her lips and it starts to grow. I just can’t help it. The thought of tearing into her has my desire for her burning my loins.
It only increases as she reaches out to me and grips my thick, spiked length in her tiny hand. I smell the tang o
f her blood as she squeezes me, hard.
“Mmm,” she murmurs, eyeing me up as if she wants to devour me as much as I do her. It gives me hope that she won’t be reviled by what I have to say next.
I get distracted momentarily as she runs her hand up my arm as thick as a tree trunk. She hisses as my red and black skin burns her hand.
Her reaction to me turns me on. My enormous cock is aching to rip into her, but first things first.
“We need to be united,” I whisper to her in order to keep my throat from setting on fire.
She nods eagerly.
“And then we need to consummate our union,” I add and watch her closely.
She nods eagerly again, licking her lips.
“As we are,” I state in normal tones. Well, normal for this body anyway.
Her eyes go wide. So wide I think her eyeballs will pop out of her head. But then she smirks at me.
“Can’t wait,” she murmurs, eyeing up my spiked cock again.
I nearly fall at her feet in worship.
She isn’t running a mile or screaming in protest. She wants it. She wants me to take her as she is, as I am.
I thought I would have to convince her, or even hold her down while we got this done, but she is perfectly accepting. So far.
I nod gruffly, not wanting to give away my feelings. I’ve never been with a female in this form that didn’t scream or try to run. She may regret her decision later, but for now, I’ll accept her easygoing attitude. I know she likes it rough, but this is going to be something else altogether.
I reach for her hand. There is no hesitation as she takes it, placing her small palm in my massive one.
I close my clawed fingers over her and lead her to the middle of the cavern. It is darker here.
I see her squint her eyes, but then rear back as the Dark Druid enlisted to unite us appears in front of us.
He bows his head low, keeping his head firmly in the back of his hood. He cannot set eyes on his master in this form. It will burn his essence from the inside out. He turns and bobs his head slightly in Axelle’s direction. I know he has questions, a million of them, but he won’t ask and if he does, I will have to kill him. It will be an annoyance to me as I will then have to find someone else qualified to join us together, and that will take too much time.