Chasing Fate: A Reverse Harem Romance

by J. R. Thorn

  Demons shrieked as beams of laugh crashed through the shadows and splintered it like shards of glass. I held out the card and crunched my way across broken crystals and pendants that littered the floor. I didn’t bother to watch if any voodoo dolls were in my way. Hopefully I’d trample one and save myself the trouble of strangling this witch.

  I knew I was getting close to the contract when demons blocked my way to the back room and the witch stalked between them and glowered at me. “You should go to your pathetic store of flimsy fortunes and futures.”

  I flicked the card at her, making her hiss with pain as a beam of raw sunlight streaked a red line across her face. “Why, when I’m having so much fun here?”

  “Your mother is dead,” she retorted, the harsh fact threatening to bury under my skin and destroy me from the inside.

  My free hand fumbled through the cards in my jacket, but I wouldn’t draw my trump card. She wasn’t worth it. “You know what else is dead?” I asked, my tone turning sinister. “Your business.”

  The cash register. Where else would a witch that only knew sin and darkness keep a contract that sold her soul in exchange for an endless bounty of demons to devour like midnight chocolate bars? I turned the beam of light onto the counter and the witch shrieked, but it was too late.

  The demons hissed and snarled as the cash register caught fire and melted, revealing a parchment lined with gold and glittering black veins. It burst into blue and purple flames, quickly disintegrating into ash.

  “No!” she shrieked. “You don’t know what you’ve done!”

  The second the parchment disintegrated into dust, the demons turned on her. “Thought your soul was worth enough to buy us for long?” one hissed.

  “Foolish girl. You got the short end of the stick.” A malicious grin. “Time to see how your magic tastes. I hope it’s as good as I imagined.”

  Devon watched the whole affair with quiet, simmering grace. He raised a single finger that licked with flames, but I lowered it for him. “She made her bed,” I reminded him, and curled my fingers around his before leading him out of the shop.

  When we’d made it out on the street and walked quietly along the surprisingly cool cement sidewalk, Devon huffed a laugh. “And I thought I was merciless.”

  Chapter 7

  I was finally alone with Devon, but neither of us felt like playing. We’d wandered into my mother’s fortune shop and listened as the last of demonic shrieks filtered down the street.

  “Can’t people hear that?” I asked.

  He grunted. “Sometimes, but then they just think they’re nuts.”

  We went silent again, except I couldn’t digest anything that’d just happened with demonic, malicious shrieks of victory beating against the windows that were still in desperate need of a good cleaning. “Why didn’t you send the rest of them to hell?”

  That made him frown. “She almost got you. Worth it to let her suffer.”

  The witch, somehow still alive after whatever torment the demons had done to her, released one last bloodcurdling shriek before going silent.

  Satisfied, Devon stretched out a long leg as he reclined at the reading table. “I should have seen it.” He cursed again under his breath. His fist clenched and veins stood out on his sculpted forearm. “Demons in that number means a witch and big magic. Witches like to play tricks.”

  “I’m a witch,” I reminded him. I’d figured out that much by now.

  His striking gaze locked onto mine and stole the breath from my lungs with just a look. I wondered what he could do to me with a touch. “You are nothing like the creature you just disposed of.” His anger whispered away as a devious grin overtook his face. “You’re a queen to your protectors, and I intend to worship every inch of you.”

  I found myself walking towards him, a moth drawn to the flame. I wasn’t sure if he would fulfill every forbidden desire he awakened in me, or if I’d get burned. “Is that so?”

  His fingers found my hips when I closed the distance between us. I slipped onto his lap so naturally as if I’d always belonged there. His hands knew exactly what to do, where to go. He ran firm strokes up my thighs, up my ribcage, ghosting his fingers over my breasts before wrapping his arms around my back and tucking me in close to him. His stubble scratched at my cheek as he folded into my neck. He kissed the brand Jeffery had left. “You’re perfect.”

  I huffed a laugh. “Hardly.”

  His fingernails scratched along the back of my neck and down my spine and I wanted to purr. When a rumble sounded in my throat, he laughed.

  Great. A guy who could actually make me purr. How embarrassing.

  “I didn’t want this for you,” he admitted, his words low and sexy. “You’re a young woman full of life and energy. I’ve always liked that about you. I knew about you since you were born, was given visions of what you’d be like when I would finally be summoned by you to save our worlds.” He gazed up at me as he adjusted me so that I straddled him. His thumb caressed the ridge of my cheekbone. “That spark in your eye is full of light.” His hand fell. “You almost lost that because of me.”

  My hands went to his shoulders as if it were the most natural thing in the world to touch him. Lean muscle resisted my fingertips as I gripped him. I wanted to explore every hard edge his body had to offer. The flames in my stomach burned with need at being this close to him. “I’m fine,” I assured him. “The big bad witch didn’t get me.”

  His thumb continued to stroke my cheek as if he admired the flaw of freckles that speckled my face. “If you hadn’t thought to bring your cards with you, magic you shouldn’t even know yet, she would have.”

  I frowned, because it wasn’t just about my mother’s cards. That was an innate part of my heritage and it didn’t surprise me that I’d instinctually known to use it. But to Devon, the only way I could have fought demons would be with hellfire. Hellfire was a gift he had to offer me and it burned inside of me waiting to be awakened. “Why did you take me to the occult shop before cementing our bond?” I knew how he was supposed to unlock this magic within me. The stigma of being with one guy was fading with the necessity of bonding with my protectors as part of being the Keymaster. It felt so natural and so right. I grinned as my fingers wound down the open folds of his jacket across the hard lines of his naked chest. “You could have given me more weapons to fight with. Don’t you want me?”

  Challenge sparked in his gaze. “Of course I want you, but I must show restraint.” His hand returned to the small of my back and resumed the small, agonizing circles. “I know everything about you, but you’re only attracted to me because of what I am. You don’t know what sins I’ve committed to become an angel of hell.”

  I gave him a raised brow. “Is that your way of telling me you’ve had sex with lots of women?” Jealousy was an antiquated emotion, but it still spiked in me anyway. Of course a man like this would have had his fair share of women. How else would he know how to torment me with just a look?

  A smile spread across his face. “By heaven and hell, you flatter me. Only a Keymaster prepared for me could have sex with me without being consumed by hellfire.” His fingers stroked me with renewed affection. “I’m a virgin, Renee.”

  My eyes went wide with disbelief. “No way.”

  He pinched my nose. “Yes way.”

  I leaned closer so that our breath mingled. The intoxicating scent of him destroyed any defenses I might have against him. He smelled like embers and sex. “That’s fucking impossible.”

  He allowed me to run my fingers through the midnight locks that draped over his face. “I’ve waited all my life for you. Not to put any pressure on you, but that’s just how it is.”

  I wanted to kiss him so badly, but guilt bloomed in my chest. “Don’t you care that I had sex with Jeffery?”

  In response, his tongue flicked out and wet my lower lip, making me buck against him. My thighs squeezed around him as he drew me closer. “We were all made to fulfill your every need,” he whisper
ed in my ear. “I’m glad that Jeffery warmed you up for me. You know, so you won’t die when I do this.” He grinned his wicked grin as his free hand slipped up and cupped my breast. I sucked in a breath as pleasure ignited within me. “Vampiric cold will make sure sex with me won’t consume you.”

  The flames between us licked across our skin, down my arms and across his cheekbones. He was right. The only thing that kept me from being burnt to a little Ren-shaped ash pile was the solid core of cool resolve deep within my chest. It was the connection I’d formed with Jeffery and part of what made me the Keymaster.

  When the chair Devon was sitting on protested and cracked under the onslaught of heat our passion released, he wrapped his hands under my bottom and effortlessly lifted me. My desire for him ignited flames—the very real kind.

  He carried me to the wall and pressed me against it. I used its cool stone to ground myself as he rested my weight against his hips, keeping my legs wrapped around him. He explored my body with his hands and pressed light, teasing kisses across my neck and cleavage.

  “Devon?” I asked, breathless.

  His magnetizing gaze flicked up. “Yes?”

  What I wanted was impossible to describe. When I hesitated, Devon moved so that the bulge of him between us pressed against the pulsing heat of my sex. I sucked in a breath and forced the words out. “Can you take your clothes off?”

  His hands gripped my thighs. “This is part of your training.” He pressed a light kiss on my lips and I loved the taste of him. Burning embers and a drug I couldn’t describe. Whatever he was made of, I was addicted already. “You have to make them burn.”

  I shook my head and ran my fingers over the expensive leather. “But, I love this jacket… I just don’t want it on you right now.”

  His laugh sent a puff of air teasing across my neck and goosebumps spread across my skin. “Fine. I don’t think I’ll be able to deny you anything.”

  He rested me on the ground and I leaned against the wall for support. Cool air rushed in to replace his heat as he backed away to do as I’d asked. Nothing could have gotten me to take my gaze off him as he slowly peeled the jacket off his body. When his fingers worked at the button of his jeans, I spread my fingers out on the wall behind me. My breath came in short gasps and dizziness swept over me. I didn’t know why I was so nervous, but everything about Devon screamed danger and forbidden desires. I wasn’t sure if I was ready for him, even with the calm, cool serenity of Jeffery’s connection secured in my chest.

  He ran his jeans over his hips, but stopped short before I could see the full length of him. “Are you sure you can handle this?” he asked. It wasn’t an arrogant question. It was sincere and laced with concern.

  My gaze snapped up and I chewed on my lower lip. “You make me nervous,” I admitted, “but I want to keep going.”

  He took my hand and wedged my thumbs between his blazing skin and the material of his jeans. The cotton turned black as desire swept through me and flames reignited, blazing small tufts of power in the air. “Keep it in control,” he warned. “You don’t want to burn the shop down.” I heard his unspoken worry. Don’t let it consume you.

  I drew in a deep breath and closed my eyes, allowing Devon to help me push his jeans off. I didn’t dare open my eyes again. The shop would not survive my lust if I saw everything he had to offer right now.

  He pulled my jeans down without taking off my boots and I thought he might take me right there. Instead, I yelped when he knelt and pressed a hot kiss against the intimate folds of my flesh. He speared his tongue inside and I nearly lost my balance. “Lean against me,” he offered and I clamped my hands onto his wide shoulders.

  I allowed him to taste me, and holy hell was it amazing. Lights flashed across the backs of my eyelids and he continued to build the intense pleasure with rolls and swirls. Just when I thought I might explode, he stopped.

  I fluttered my eyes open and found him grinning at me. “You taste amazing,” he said, then stood and pressed a kiss to my mouth, allowing me to endure the salty-sweet taste for myself. “I think that’s enough for now.”

  My jaw dropped. “Enough?” I nearly shrieked. I’d gotten him to go full-on naked and he’d only built the raw desire I had for him by pleasuring me like that. I made the mistake of looking down and sucked in a breath at the hard evidence of his desire for me. I reached out, wanting to wrap my fingers around him and give him what he’d given me.

  He grabbed my wrist before I could get close. “You’re not ready,” he said again. “I can feel the hellfire threatening to consume you from the inside.”

  Anger spiked and I glowered at him. “I’m fine,” I insisted. “You just…” I couldn’t even begin to describe what he’d been doing to me. A blush crept over my face at how much I wanted him to do it again.

  As he backed away and slipped on his jeans and boots again, I tried to follow him, but something stuck to my back.

  I turned to find that the wall had fucking melted.

  Shit.

  “Told you,” he said.

  I rolled my eyes. “Don’t sound so smug with yourself. So you made me melt a stone wall. Big fucking deal.”

  He laughed and the sound was so open and free. It extinguished the flare of anger and I decided that maybe slowing it down with an angel of hell wasn’t a bad idea. Even though the pulsing need between my thighs disagreed with me, I was capable of playing it cool… maybe.

  I stepped to his side and ran a finger down the lines of his chest glistening with sweat as he suppressed the flames of his own desire. “Seems like I’m not the only one about to lose it. What was it like, tasting me?”

  He reached around and smacked my ass, pulling me close to him. “Don’t get too cocky. That’s my job.”

  I could have teased and bantered with him all day, but a low boom shook the foundation of the shop and car alarms blared as a crashing wave sounded from outside. I ran to the door and opened it, but Devon yanked me back just in time.

  The ground still rumbled but the rolling sound that I’d thought was rain was a black sea of birds in full out free-fall dropping out of the sky.

  “Get back!” Devon wrapped his arm around my waist as he pulled me to safety and a blanket of birds crashed to the street and demolished anything in their way. Windshields shattered and the already cracked asphalt threatened to give way under the sheer weight of feathers and bone. I’d never imagined birds could do so much damage, but they kept coming until a glistening sea of black and blood covered the ground and I thought it’d never end. When it finally did, my ears rang as if attempting to fill the sudden silence.

  Devon cursed and released me. “It’s that witch. Full of damn surprises.”

  I shuddered. “This can’t be good.” I wasn’t sure what a flood of birds dropping out of the sky meant, but it sounded like something of apocalyptic proportions.

  Devon ventured onto the street and I winced as tiny bones cracked under his boots. He searched the dark end of the line of shops where we’d dispatched the witch… or at least, I thought that’s what we’d done.

  “Leaving her to the demons was a mistake,” Devon growled. He clenched his fists and his knuckles stood out white against his flesh. “She’s made a death spell.”

  “What’s that mean?”

  “It means she had nothing to lose. The witch had sold her soul to the demons for their power, so when she realized she was about to lose her body, she gave death what it wanted.”

  I followed him out onto the street. I couldn’t haphazardly trample over the poor birds that had died because of some stupid witch. “And what is it that death wants?” I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer to that question. I hugged myself, feeling suddenly cold as I stepped through the small, broken bodies.

  Then I noticed what was so eerie about Fortune Street. No people.

  Devon blew out a long breath. “More death, of course.”

  My blood ran cold and I sprinted to one of the stores and peered inside. I bi
t my lip so hard the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. The herbal shop should have been bustling with customers. My mother liked to take me here and have me look for one of her herbs. I spotted the golden strands of wheat in a glass bottle on the far end of the store, one of the many simple finds necessary for a fortune-teller’s job. There were potions to brew and charms to bless.

  My gaze shifted down and I tried to process the horror that faced me. A silver crescent moon dangled from a limp hand, a small girl that had come into our shop only a few days ago. Tears stung my eyes. I’d kill the witch that did this… again.

  “How do we fix this?” I asked. My voice came out taut as panic threatened to take over.

  Devon’s jaw flexed before he answered. “Death is the only thing in this world that is final. There is no fixing it.” His gaze found mine and held me captive. “You are the Keymaster and it’s your job to outrun death. That’s the only way you can save those it hasn’t claimed yet. But for those it has, it’s too late.”

  He offered his hand and I stared at it. Numbly, I slipped my fingers into his. Then the screeches came.

  “Some demons survived,” he said. “Let’s go take care of them.”

  The only thing that was able to keep me from falling apart into a pathetic mess was having a mission to fulfill. A semi-circle free of the litter of dead birds surrounded the opening to the occult shop. The door rested in splintered pieces along the ground and wounded demons snarled at us. My eyes went wide. “How are they still alive?”

  Torn sinew and splintered bone gleamed from what remained of the demons that had been behind one of the taller shelves during the blast. A black scar streaking across the shop showed me where the witch had died—and taken a bunch of demons with her. Blood spattered the ceiling and I grimaced. “Do demons feed on flesh?”

  Devon nodded. “Human media has mistaken them for what you call zombies. I wouldn’t get too close. You won’t get turned into one, but a demon bite doesn’t feel good.”