Unchained Beauty (Deadly Beauties Live On Book 5)

by C. M. Owens

  “Or it’d send her back to hell, since she’s still technically a true mortal soul,” I murmur to myself, feeling that sense of hopelessness fester.

  “That’s how Slade takes your place this time. He’s finally strong enough to be a viable option before she attempts to step into that portal. But his soul will be destroyed with hers if he really siphons that prison and turns it into an internal nuclear bomb of sorts. Even if there was a body to reanimate, there’d be no soul,” she states, laying it all out there so I can finally mark that desperate solution of Kya and Karma raising him from the dead off the list.

  “But now we also know this is much bigger than just Slade and Ella,” I go on, quieter.

  “Almost everyone dies,” she states like she’s finishing that sentence. “And that’s just on that day. Hannah will go on to rule, and everyone else in the world will likely be next. She’s pure demon.”

  “I’ve been in Slade’s prison,” I tell her quietly. “It is very strong, but I don’t think it’s going to be enough.”

  “He’s had to guess at Hannah’s strength, and—”

  “He underestimated my strength, because in all those timelines, I was never as strong as I really am, even without the extra dark boost of power I’ve gotten from him,” I interrupt. “That prison won’t be enough, because he used my strength as one of those damn variables in that fucking equation. I don’t have to understand the math to understand it’s wrong.”

  She exhales harshly. “It could weaken her enough to where the rest of us might can kill her,” she states quietly. “So long as he can keep her inside him until we succeed.”

  We sit silently for a few minutes.

  “He’d die just to weaken her, and there’s still no guarantees she’ll really be dead. It could all be for nothing.”

  “If we attack before then, he won’t have the power to even trap her inside him when he detonates,” Kimber states quietly. “Because he needs the cosmic burst of energy to channel all that power from the prison, since it’s not something that can be done on just any night.”

  “Regardless, I don’t know if she can even die on any other night. It’s not just Slade who can draw from that cosmic burst. The Gemini Twin legend is fiction, remember?”

  We sit quietly for another long, painful moment of reflection, digesting all we’ve learned.

  “He painted himself into the picture,” I recap quietly. “He did all this just so Hannah would look at him and Alton as beings of the same power as me, even though Alton isn’t nearly as strong. Slade changed historical facts and manipulated everything, just to paint himself into the picture as a perfect alternative to me. He couldn’t figure out how to save me without becoming strong enough to take my place.”

  She comes closer, moving to my side. “Even if he does die in your place, we all might die right along with him if it’s not enough or if it takes him too long.”

  “Hannah will be able to tap into all my power, and without divine intervention, she’ll use it to destroy everyone,” I say as I scrub a hand over my face.

  “Not if she doesn’t get you,” Kimber says on a whisper so quiet I nearly miss it.

  “She’ll just have Slade, and as you’ve seen, that will be an equal threat. We’d all still die.”

  “If his math is wrong. We don’t know that the internal nuclear bomb won’t be enough, Ella. It could—”

  “Kimber, I know without any doubt in my mind that it won’t be enough. Letting Slade kill himself just to weaken her and hoping it’s enough for us all to kill her should be a last resort. Not our entire plan.”

  The sun continues to lower, and I know I have to hurry to see Slade before I have to chain myself up in our underground cellar for the red moon.

  “Ella,” Kimber starts quietly when I continue to watch the sun and stay silent, “We’ve all thought Hannah was the mastermind for being five steps ahead of us, and now we know it’s really been Slade as the secret mastermind all along. But like I said, changing the future is harder to do than you think. Sometimes you just change the details of the future, as you saw, but not the actual events. We’re still living the same events, despite all the drastic changes he’s made; the details are just different.”

  “We’ll never laugh on that daisy bed,” I say quietly.

  “What?” she asks incredulously.

  My eyes turn and find hers, and she takes a slow step back like she’s scared of what she sees. But I know it’s just the beginnings of the moon, because I can feel it pulling at me.

  “We’ll never laugh on that daisy bed,” I tell her again. “Because Slade made everyone in my family hate him. You saw everything I did. In another thousand lives, he was one of us. We’ll never laugh on that daisy bed because we’ll never be hanging out in my room like two carefree souls. He’s already changed the future. If the good things can change, so can the bad.”

  Slowly, I stand.

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Right now?” I ask, taking a calming breath. “Right now I’m going to hurry through a magical shower and go see Slade, then chain myself up for the night.”

  Chapter 30

  SLADE

  Ella appears in my cabin, and I jump to my feet, a growl already rumbling from my chest.

  “What the hell have you been doing? I couldn’t see you for fucking ever, then I finally could see you, but couldn’t hear anything over the roaring fucking noise in my ears, and there were just ashes—”

  Before I can finish my sentence, she’s shutting me up by jumping into my arms, kissing me so hard that I don’t even realize I’ve lost my balance until I crash down onto the bed.

  My hands smooth up her back, even as her chest starts to vibrate with a telling growl of her own.

  She groans as she breaks the kiss, but I drag her back down to me and kiss her again. She gyrates her hips on my lap, and I pull her closer, tasting her, needing to know she’s really here and safe.

  She breaks the kiss and says, “I’m so sorry, but I have to go get chained.”

  Reaching beside us, I grab the vial of blood and hand it to her. “Drink,” I tell her, and she does without even hesitating.

  Far too trusting.

  She chokes it down, grimacing, and my lips twitch when she gags. “That was possibly the foulest thing I’ve tasted in my life.”

  “That’s because it’s not fresh. Dragon blood doesn’t keep.”

  “Why’d I drink dragon blood?” she asks, then darts a gaze outside just as the red moon starts to rise.

  “That’s why,” I tell her, pulling her down to me as I drop back on the bed.

  “It keeps the beasts at bay? How?”

  “Still magic to me. I haven’t dissected it myself, and the Aquarius never really cared about the why when they discovered that. It’s a well-guarded secret, since it actually didn’t further their personal agenda. Back then, the red moon gave them more targets.”

  “The Aquarius learned this,” she repeats quietly.

  Keeping the conversation quiet enough to escape prying ears, I answer, “When they controlled the rings, yes. None of the slaves imprisoned still exist from that time, aside from myself and Alton. I doubt he cares enough to repeat it, if his splintered mind even recalls it. You’re the only person I’ve told. It’s information you can determine the value of.”

  “People would drain the dragons if this got out, and our people would be at constant war.”

  “Most likely,” I agree.

  My hand runs up her side.

  “Where were you? I’ve been going out of my mind trying to see you,” I say a little calmer as she kisses the side of my neck, sliding over me, distracting me with that succubus power she’s never attempted to use on me before.

  I grow hard under her just knowing she’s using it, because I’ve had this fantasy one too many times. The Royal Succubus Experience is what I titled said fantasy.

  “I’ve never attempted this very much, since I didn’t want any results, so
—”

  “You’re definitely doing good so far,” I tell her, hissing out a breath as she starts kissing her way down my chest, the vicious howls of the night creeping through the open window.

  My hand digs into her hair, roughly tugging her head up before I lose focus, since she’s kissing her way down my body in a way I’ve never imagined would actually happen.

  She doesn’t even make a sound, just comes as I drag her back up my body, my eyes on hers as I nip at her lips. “Tell me where you were,” I say again.

  “I was with Kimber. There’s officially a block on you from seeing me when I’m not with you, unless I want to be seen.”

  “Why wouldn’t you want to be seen?” I growl.

  She pushes forward, despite my grip, since I loosen it immediately to keep from actually hurting her. Damn maddening girl.

  Her lips brush mine, and this incredibly good seduction routine she’s putting on resumes as she stays on all fours over me.

  “Because I like for you to miss me,” she says with a smirk.

  A growl vibrates in my chest, but she just nips my lips again, teasing me.

  “Were you with Alton?” I ask her more seriously.

  She sighs, then rolls her eyes. “Briefly. I felt sort of sorry for him when he started crying, so I left, since it felt wrong to—”

  “Don’t go around him again,” I bite out.

  “Okay,” she says too easily, not even arguing. Which is definitely not Ella.

  “Okay?”

  She shrugs a shoulder, pulling her finger up my chest.

  “And don’t block me out again, whatever it is you’re doing.”

  Her eyes find mine and hold as she leans all the way over to my mouth, just barely staying out of reach. “No.”

  “No?” I ask incredulously.

  She shrugs an unapologetic shoulder again.

  “Ella, trust me when I say I’ve earned the damn right to see what you’re doing at all times.” She flinches. It’s barely there, but I notice it, and I narrow my eyes. “You’re constantly getting yourself into trouble,” I go on.

  “Sorry about that,” she says quietly, though the apology sounds oddly genuine.

  “What the fuck is going on with you?” I ask her, sitting up with her in my lap.

  “You know, pushing me away on a red moon night where I feel every bit of me on fire and alive instead of crazed and abandoned by sanity might be what’s going on,” she points out, a serious expression in her eyes. “I’m trying to be seductive. I even hurried through a shower before coming over here because Kimber and I set the woods on fire.”

  “Why did you set the woods on—”

  She kisses me again, I give the hell up on getting answers from her stingy lips.

  “Show me some of your fantasies,” she murmurs against my lips, driving me out of my mind.

  I’m not going into any chains, so I knock those fantasies off the list.

  Putting her hands on the backs of mine, she drags my hands up her body, and my eyes stay riveted to her breasts when she pushes them into my face, the small sundress doing very little to cover them up, since the three buttons in the middle of her cleavage are undone. Probably on purpose.

  “Minx,” I say as she bites down on my bottom lip, causing me to hiss out another breath when she almost draws blood, teasing me more.

  “Show me,” she says again, sliding my hands up until their on her face.

  Without being able to think too clearly, I do. I give her images of about five different versions of my favorite fantasies, not wanting to overwhelm her with some of the darker fantasies. Her eyes close, and her breathing grows heavy as her hands move to my shoulders, her nails digging in.

  The bite of pain is just enough to drive me out of my mind with need, since it’s a reminder that’s she’s really here—that this isn’t just another moment where I’m closing my eyes to see her.

  Then she shudders over me, and a slow smile spreads across my lips as I study her very familiar expression, one I’ve never seen on her face until recently. It’s something that’s completely mine, because no one has ever made her look like this. Not even herself, and I’ve watched her do that to herself as well. Many times. Clearly I give her the best ones.

  “You just had an orgasm from my fantasies,” I say, my smile growing as hers begins.

  Her silver eyes open, staring down at me, then her smile broadens as her gaze drops to my lips.

  “That was definitely better than a bowling ball explosion when in the hands of a master.”

  My eyebrows lift, and…I’m not entirely sure what expression my mouth is making. It feels a little contorted.

  “That doesn’t make any sense,” I tell her, but I forget what we’re even talking about when that succubus power reignites, and she starts kissing her way down my chest again, her intent clear.

  She lifts up, pulling her dress over her head slowly, just like she has in so many of my fantasies.

  Inch by inch, her flawless skin is revealed, reminding me I’ve kept her safe, and I can’t help but touch her, sitting up so I can help her remove the dress entirely. But she shoves me back down, causing me to grin as she resumes kissing a trail down the center crease of my abs, her eyes on mine so intensely that the smile falls from my face.

  My cock actually jumps when her chin barely brushes it, and I inwardly groan when she strokes me once with her hand. Slowly, she moves her mouth toward it, the suspense building in me so tightly that I clench both of my fists just to do something with my hands.

  She gives a small lick, and my muscles all tense, trying to hold still. A devil’s smile tugs at one corner of her lips, and I narrow my eyes on her. Then her mouth seals over the head, and my eyes roll back.

  She sucks me in deeper, and a growl rumbles in the room. It’s like I lose all sense of control around her. I can’t even be quiet.

  The erotic hum of succubus energy almost puts my mind in a cloud of desire, intensifying every single touch.

  As if the sounds only fuel her, she starts a rhythm that has me fighting to remain still under her, when all I want to do is grab her head just like in my—

  As if sensing my thoughts, her hand slides over my fist, pulling it up to her hair. Inwardly I groan, because now I’m really not going to last long.

  My hand slides into her hair, and I start pulling her down harder. I forget just how immortal she is until she takes me down even farther, not even bothered by how rough I’m being. There’s a reason we’re so primal.

  I don’t hold back, since she’s granting me permission, and I fuck her mouth like I’ve envisioned doing countless times.

  There’s barely any build-up before a shot of pleasure jolts through me, and her name gets lost amongst the guttural sound that fucking comes out of me without permission. She swallows me down, not stopping until I’m pulling her off me and jerking her up my body.

  My lips collide with hers, seeming to punish her more than thank her with the bruising kiss, but I can’t help it. It’s like I want to cram as much into each moment as I possibly can.

  She moves against me, sliding her hips down, and I stop her just as Kya materializes in the room. A man in an orange jumpsuit appears with her, and she punches him hard enough to knock him unconscious, before allowing him to collapse to the ground. She rolls her eyes then turns and freezes when she sees us.

  Ella coughs back a sound, then coolly slides off me, tugging the sheet over my already growing erection and her naked body. I give Kya an irritated look.

  “Sorry,” she says, eyes wide. “I was seriously not expecting you two to be here, since there’s a red moon tonight. That is tonight, right? Because there’s a lot of howling out—”

  “Why the fuck are you here with a human prisoner?”

  “Death row meals-on-wheels for my bed-ridden, pregnant sister,” she states as if she’s been programmed. Damn incubus. He’s infected her vernacular as well. “And I stopped in to see if I could find that book you said Kane fou
nd on demon halflings. Karma was asking for it.”

  “It’s in the back,” I tell her, and she disappears into the room, then emerges with the book in her hand.

  “Sorry,” she says again, then grabs the prisoner and dematerializes once more.

  Ella snorts out a laugh from beside me, and I scrub a hand over my face. “I’m going to put up a barrier spell to keep her out,” I grumble, causing Ella to start laughing harder as she puts her head on my shoulder.

  My hand lazily runs up her back.

  “I hate her a little in this moment for ruining that for me,” I say on a vexed exhale.

  “I can promise you it wasn’t ruined. You got yours.”

  That causes me to smile, and—

  The door opens, and Kya walks through, book in hand. “Sorry. Wrong one. Should have taught me to read.”

  Then she…

  “Did she dematerialize out of the back room?” Ella asks, glancing around to peer inside.

  “I’m killing her,” I decide aloud.

  Ella just smiles as she gets comfortable beside me again.

  “The howls are pretty,” Ella says.

  “Vicious beasts are out roaming and howling and ready to rip through everything because a particular cosmic moon maddens them, and you think it’s pretty,” I state flatly. “Then again, you’re sucking my dick on a red moon night, so I shouldn’t be surprised, Princess.”

  She shoves at my chest, and I smirk as I turn more toward her, dragging her leg over my hip.

  “What would you do with the dragon blood secret?” she asks me randomly.

  My eyebrow quirks. “Considering I gave it to you so I could have you to myself tonight, I’d say there’s your answer.”

  Some emotion flickers in her eyes, but I can’t be sure what before she scoots in closer. “I mean, what would you do if you were me?”

  “I’d make a deal with Darius to get blood for the royals and your immediate circle only. You trust them, and they’ve kept bigger secrets. Then I’d spread the rumor that it was in your blood to be stronger than the moon. In a century or so, it’ll become a legend or a prophecy, depending on who helps spread the word and how they spread it. Regardless, it’ll make the family look even stronger, and strength is all that’s respected or feared in this world.”