Hell is a Harem [Book 1]

by Kim Faulks

  He needed touch, needed comfort.

  “I’m more than fucking ready. Now, I dunno about you, but I think it’s better the guy with a criminal record gets to do the honors.”

  Rival took a step and reached for the cutters. He lifted his head, meeting Titus' gaze. “If this shit goes south, we’ll need you doing what you do.”

  “He’s right. You can’t risk your job. Anything that brings you under suspicion is something we need to avoid.”

  He looked from me to Rival, and I saw the changed man. I’d only ever seen him as the perfect officer, straight down the line…only seeing things in black and white, and yet, here he was, dancing in the gray with a night-walking witch and a hellhound.

  He handed Rival the cutters and stepped away. I stared through the fence to the towering warehouse beyond. I couldn’t remember a thing—I reached for the back of my head, not the blow—not the drive here…I looked around, searching the compound for a car or a van.

  Under the harsh morning sun, the towering old clapboard warehouse was quiet, and sullen. Not a place for terror, and not a place for death.

  The cutters ground through the chain links with a snap. I stared at the ground, finding fresh tire marks, and shuddered.

  Heat raced, tearing through my core. I clenched a fist as, deep inside, something whispered…something dark…something dangerous.

  “You okay?”

  I jerked my head up at the concern in Titus’ voice. The cutting stilled as Rival straightened. Flames burned, flaring a little brighter as he focused on me. “Lorn?”

  I forced a smile and nodded. “All good, just trying to remember. It’s nothing…honestly, it’s nothing.”

  They stared for a second, searching the lies for a fragment of the truth. I clenched my fist tighter as Rival gave a nod and turned back to the fence. But Titus wasn’t as convinced, dropping his gaze to the strained muscles at my side, and then turned his gaze toward Rival.

  He wouldn’t push me, wouldn’t force me into saying anything I wasn’t ready to say. Rival worked fast, opening up a gash wide enough to duck through. He gripped the cut edges of the metal links and yanked. “Ladies first.”

  I flinched, and then couldn’t fight the small smile. I’d never had anyone looking out for me, not like this—and, as stubborn and independent as I was, it felt nice.

  I ducked my head and scurried through, listening to the heavy twang as Titus was close behind. A breeze picked up, something cool and urgent. I lifted my head to the morning sun and blinked into the blur. But the heat wasn’t there, not like it was a moment ago.

  “We go in together, okay, Lorn?”

  I nodded as Titus reached for the waistband of his jeans and pulled his Sig free. It hit me then…like a runaway train.

  He was human…vulnerable. I swallowed that thought and surged forward. Boots crunched, striding wide as we headed for the warehouse.

  “Stay together,” I snarled. “We need to stay together.”

  Rival glanced at me, and then at Titus, and gave a nod. In this moment, he wasn’t rogue. In this moment, there was more than him.

  We hit the corner, glanced along the side, and then made for the massive double doors. One push and Titus shook his head. “Need to find another way in.”

  Memories flashed through my mind. Tires screaming, tearing through the night. Pain lashed the back of my head, pain and terror. My pulse sped with the image. I tried to reach for my neck, just as I had in that moment, and was thrown against the side as we turned, and then turned again.

  “Hey,” Rival murmured. His fingers brushed my arm, the first contact slow, waiting for me to respond. “If you can’t do this, it’s okay.”

  I forced a smile. I’d been through worse...hell, I’d suffered worse at my own damn hands. I looked at the weathered wooden walls. “I’m good. I need to do this,” I lifted my gaze to his. “I need to see.”

  We skirted the corner as a thud echoed, and a second later it came again, calling, urging us forward. I followed Titus along the side, lifting my gaze to the high windows above.

  The soft bang was followed with a screech of metal. My heart leaped as Titus peeked around the corner and then moved. I’d never felt fear, not true fear—not my own fear. Not until now.

  The small door cracked open, only to slam shut a second later. Titus neared, stared through the opening as it opened, and then reached for the door.

  And then he was gone, slipping into the dark void. Pain savaged my chest as I stumbled, shoving forward just that little too hard.

  The hinges screeched, sending a scream through the space. I blinked, trying to force my eyes to adjust, and stared at the murky sight.

  It was the smell that hit me. Hot, and foul, bitter pennies in an ocean of filth. Acid rose in the back of my throat. I pushed in, swallowed, and then swallowed again.

  Shadows clung to the edges. I focused on the light from the high windows, following the rays down to the open space. An old boat sat to one side, and then a dark blue van.

  The van…fragments rattled around inside my head. I stepped closer, drawn to the eerie feeling of familiarity. “That’s what I was in.” I jerked my gaze up, finding Titus. “That’s the van they took me in.”

  But Titus couldn’t move. He was still staring at the ground and murmured, “Jesus.”

  I tried to move, tried to step. It was just blood, just parts, I told myself. I’d seen more than my fair share, still, the horror never leaves you. Not the witches you held as they died, and not the arms and legs left behind by a savage demon.

  I tried to push them all down. Tried to cover the horror and fear with a smart mouth and one eager middle finger.

  But, sooner or later, the things I’d seen caught up.

  Titus bent, lifting things before they fell back to the floor with a thud. Rival moved to my left, slipping away to what was a tiny office.

  But it was the van I wanted. The van with its dark secrets. The van with the smell of the demon who took me.

  “She’s not here.”

  I turned to Titus as he stood amongst the carnage. He leaned forward, sucked in a hard breath, and murmured, “She’s not here. Thank God.”

  I yanked open the back door of the van. She could’ve climbed inside, could’ve hidden until daylight and then snuck away. The inside was dark, and empty. I leaned in, touching the cold metal floor, and found the glare of white, like tiny pieces of paper.

  “Hey guys,” Rival called.

  He moved into the doorway of the tiny office. “They’re printing tickets for some gig tomorrow night.”

  “Don’t tell me,” I snarled, and snagged the ripped stub from the corner. “Wicked, right?”

  He gave a nod and then stared at the thick wad of tickets in his hand. “A little too coincidental for my liking.”

  That was the truth. Everything came back to that club. Everything came back to this drug. I leaned in, searching the darkened corners, as the gut-clenching sound of Titus gagging turned my head.

  “We need to find her,” Titus called. “I can’t let this rest. Can’t walk away from this without knowing she’s alive.”

  I climbed out of the darkness and turned. “We’ll find her. I promise you, I’ll do everything in my power.”

  A sound slipped through the air, soft, guttural, standing the hair on the nape of my neck. I turned toward the shard of light, finding movement in the dark.

  “Titus,” I called.

  But he was already moving. He was already lifting his hand, scanning the hidden corners of this place with the barrel of his firearm.

  And out of the darkness they came, slow and quiet. Silver eyes glinted in the dark. Midnight bristles stood on end.

  Fragments of white caught my gaze as Rival dropped the tickets and surged forward. White cardboard fluttered to the ground, like bits of confetti in his wake.

  But as the wolves stepped forward into the light, all I could think about was Titus. I left the van behind, lunging toward him, as Rival answer
ed the threat with a sickening snarl of his own.

  He hunkered, falling to the floor on all fours. Flames were alight in his eyes as he left the man behind—for the beast.

  Bones crunched and then snapped. He shuddered as fabric tore. He lifted his gaze, terror nailing me to the spot. “Lorn,” he whispered. “I’m sorry.”

  Chapter Twelve

  “Why?” I whispered as the first faint tendrils of power raced.

  I shook my head as darkness surged, blending with pain and terror.

  “No,” the whisper tore free as the foreboding energy raced.

  It was an unspoken spell.

  An unresolved hate.

  A desire too dangerous to have.

  I could feel it now, like a faintly familiar song that played over and over.

  Until all I could hear were the words.

  Rival shook and shuddered. He wrenched his head high, orange flames alight with need. His energy calling mine, not only called…used.

  My knees buckled as silver eyes glinted in the dark.

  But Rival was moving, stumbling forward as his arms lengthened. His legs buckled, bending and bowing.

  His thick chest curved, falling away to his stomach. Jeans dropped in a clump on the ground, t-shirt left behind in tatters as he stepped forward.

  Gone was the man…now there was only the beast.

  Not just any beast. A shadowed beast.

  I lifted my head, staring as the shadowed beast straightened and lifted his head. Red eyes raged with hellfire, as though inside he was blazing with the burning darkness of Hell itself.

  He took a step forward, swinging his head and turning those inferno-filled eyes to me. I shoved up from the ground and stumbled forward as the guttural growls echoed, blending in unison as the beasts spread out.

  There was something deeper than desire between us. Something primal, something that whispered he belongs to me.

  And deep inside I knew I belonged to him too.

  Movement drew the hellhound’s gaze as the wolf pack shuffled, allowing the Alpha to step into the light.

  Coarse ebony fur shone as he passed through the shards of streaming light. His hulking shoulders rippled, wild dark eyes glinted with an unhinged need for blood.

  Six massive beasts extended along one side and moved forward. I wrenched my gaze to Titus as he moved, drawing the barrel of his weapon high. He glanced at me, moving closer, ready to place himself between the wolves and me.

  Rival shuddered and shook, casting black strands into the air. He was half shadow, half flame. Black blending to orange, and then back again.

  “Stay back,” Titus warned, taking aim at the Alpha. “We’re not here to hurt you. Don’t change that.”

  Still they surged forward, heading across the warehouse floor toward us.

  “We don’t want to hurt you,” Titus snarled, and scanned the pack. “You don’t have to do this.”

  Silver eyes devoured his words. Black lips curled, revealing long fangs.

  Fangs that would tear and shred. Fangs that would savage with hunger. I could withstand a wolf’s bite…I’d done it before. I glanced at Rival. One bite from him and they’d be alight with the fires of Hell.

  But Titus was human…he was vulnerable…and we were outnumbered.

  Pain lashed my palm, biting and clawing with unseen teeth. I clenched my fist and moved, my boots slipping in something slick, and the scent of blood bloomed in the air.

  “What do they want?” Titus snarled, and looked from Rival to me.

  I shook my head, fighting the wave of hunger, and tried to reach the Alpha. Pain and rage mingled, flowing from his thoughts…hungry…hungry…hunt…hunt…

  “They’re beasts, nothing more. I can’t find any concrete thoughts,” I tried again, pushing through the animal to the fragments of the man underneath.

  But there was nothing. Nothing but emptiness. Nothing but need.

  “They’re drugged,” Titus growled. “Look at them, the same ravenous stare. The same mindless hunger, like you were last night.”

  I winced with his words as one of the wolves turned his head and narrowed in on Rival. That was me…I swallowed hard, trying to remember. I turned to search Titus’ face, if I hurt him…my stomach tightened, a wave of nausea engulfed me.

  I’d never forgive myself.

  The harsh gnash of teeth dragged my focus to the front. One of the wolves pushed forward, herding Rival away from us.

  “No you don’t,” I snarled, and shoved forward.

  They stalked down the middle. Dividing us…easier that way.

  Easy to hunt. Easy to kill.

  I shook my head, drawing the focus of one of the wolves. Power rose, dancing along my arm like a whisper, as one wolf slowed and then hunkered back on its rear legs.

  “Stop, Police!” Titus roared and swung the barrel of the gun.

  But the pack didn’t still, stalking forward to growl and gnash the air with wicked fangs. The wolf lunged at Rival, closing the distance with one massive lunge.

  No! I screamed. But there was no sound. There was nothing but terror that cut like a blade, tearing me open from the inside.

  The sting raced, tearing along my hand, following the line of the sigil.

  And as two wolves broke the line, one lunging at Rival, and the other at Titus, the first faint flame erupted. Heat raced, tearing along my arm like wildfire, as I screamed. “No!”

  Gunfire exploded, filling the warehouse with deafening boom…boom…boom.

  Howls punctuated the blasts, turning into terrified yelps and piercing growls as the two wolves dropped to the floor.

  “Lorn!” Titus screamed.

  I’m here.

  I tried to answer. But I couldn’t speak…I couldn't do a thing but stare as fire raced along my arm.

  Take them, that voice inside urged. Use them.

  My hand rose on its own as Rival broke into a run. I couldn’t stop it, not the power, not the heat, as Rival leapt into the air and hit a wolf head-on.

  The crunch was sickening.

  Death breathed burning kisses along my palm. I followed the touch, not tender, not perfect, nor sweet.

  Not the remnant of Titus' lips, or the seductiveness of Rival's touch.

  These kisses were unmerciful, filled with hate…filled with rage…filled with an unbridled desire of another kind.

  Titus grunted, lunging toward me as the wolf turned its head.

  Hurt it, that voice whispered inside me. Kill it. Kill it before it kills him.

  Silver eyes glinted with need. The wolf hunkered down on its rear legs. Feral eyes focused on the man who’d die to protect me. And as the wolf lunged, an image filled my mind.

  Titus, bleeding…dying. His body ripped and torn…and standing over him were the wolves that had killed him, eyes alight with hate. White fangs dripping with blood.

  Titus’s blood.

  And at the height of that cruel image, I let go.

  Let go of the fist inside my belly.

  Let go of all the whispers to be good. To be controlled. To be everything that I wasn’t.

  Fire swallowed my hand, consumed me with blazing trails along my arm. And I focused on that beast as it hit the man I loved.

  Pain savaged the wolf's mind. Pain and cruelty. I could see everything, feel everything. “Pain,” I whispered and the beast dropped to the ground. “Shatter,” followed.

  And the unmerciful snap of shattering bones ripped through the air.

  There wasn’t enough time for the beast to howl in agony as I whispered, “Fire.”

  Flames erupted, burning midnight and red. I could have everything in the moment. I could have all the power, all the rage.

  I could have it all and unleash it back to them…to all the insignificant beings in this world. I could use all their anger and hate against them…

  And unleash Hell on Earth.

  “Lorn,” Titus whispered.

  His eyes were wide, steps slow. He lifted a hand, lips movi
ng with words I couldn’t understand.

  But he was alive…I searched his face. His beautiful, strong jaw, his neck, and then his chest.

  Blood splattered his denim shirt. Bright, fresh blood. My heart thundered with the sight. “You’re hurt.”

  He frowned, and then dropped his gaze. He gripped the gun with one hand and lifted the other. “What? No…it’s not my blood, Lorn.” He ran his fingers through the slick mess. The tips came away bright red, but the fabric underneath was intact.

  Buttons popped, showing perfect skin and hard muscle underneath. He ran his fingers across his belly, taking the opening further. “Can you see? It’s not my blood, Lorn. I’m not hurt.”

  “He wanted to hurt you,” the whispered words sounded warped and strange. I couldn’t hold on to that person, to that woman Titus knew. I wanted to be someone else.

  Someone merciless.

  Someone inhuman.

  “You saved me. You saved both of us.” Titus took another tentative step. His fingers trembled, dancing in the air as he lifted his hand. “We’re okay. We’re safe now.”

  “Safe,” I dropped my gaze to the inferno dancing across my arm.

  Something had changed. Gone were the orange flames, gone was the red lick of fire.

  The flames nestled in the middle of my palm were midnight black. Glistening and hungry, alive with need…stoked with desire.

  “Lorn…don’t give in…come back to us.”

  I flinched at the gasping whisper as Rival stumbled forward.

  Gone was his beast. Gone was the shadowed hound from Hell. His pale skin was smeared, drenched in blood…the sight was a blow.

  “It’s not his,” Titus urged. He wrenched his gaze to Rival. “Tell her, for fuck's sake.”

  “She,” the hellhound whispered, “she killed them all.”

  A storm swept across Titus’s face, swirling and deadly. Lightning flared across those blue eyes as he growled, “To save us, you fucking idiot. She didn’t kill…” he wrenched his gaze to me, his words softening. “She protected, protected what was hers.”

  But it was Rival I watched. It was Rival that unleashed every brutal emotion in his eyes.