His hands made their way into my catsuit. The feel of his bare, rough hands on my naked skin made my body tremble. One arm wrapped around my waist, holding me close. The other hand palmed my right breast. My nipples ached as they strained against the confines of my bra. I rolled Lucas off me and I straddled him. He held firmly onto my waist as I shrugged out of my catsuit. His brown eyes were glazed with lust and his dark eyelashes looked heavy as he stared into my eyes, at my mouth, and then at my chest. I unclipped my bra and my generous bust bounced free. I tossed the bra to the side as a groan fell from his lips and it made a stronger desire burn through my core. “Jesus, V.” Underneath me, Lucas swelled harder against his jeans. He sat up and held me tightly against him. He sucked my nipples between his lips and every now and then his teeth would graze over the very tip, making me shudder. I moaned gratefully when he stuck his tongue into my mouth and rolled me onto my back. He moved down my legs and tugged either side of my catsuit, his eyes not leaving mine for a second. I lifted my hips a little to make it easier for him to take it off. He’d managed to take my underwear with it and I was completely exposed, watching him destroy me with his eyes. He pulled off his white shirt, exposing his fantastically chiseled chest and a tattoo of a complex dragon that curled around his left breast and halfway down his thick bicep.
“That’s new,” I panted.
“Mm. It hurt like hell, too.”
He undid the button on his jeans and kicked them off. I tried not to stare at the most handsome man I’d ever seen and the only thing I could do was gasp. He fell back onto me, kissing me everywhere, ferociously. I ran my hands everywhere—up his sides, over his chest, through his hair, and down his arms. I traced every familiar bump of muscle and every depression while he teased me by positioning himself at my entrance, but never actually entering. My pulse went haywire at the feel of his nakedness against me. I watched as his delicious lips wrapped around his finger, sucked it, and then brought it down to circle my soft clit, making me wet and ready for what he planned to give me. After few minutes, I was unable to keep my hips still and my panting increased. My muscles seized up, and I gasped as I was pushed closer to the edge. All it took to send me over were the four little words that he whispered into my ear. “Come for me, baby.”
As the sensation that built up in the pit of my stomach was released in a way that made my legs feel like liquid, Lucas’s hungry mouth took all my moans inside him as my back arched up, pressing my hard nipples against his bare chest. I raked my nails down his back as my orgasm came to an end. He continued rubbing, slower this time, and I couldn’t help but giggle as it became oversensitive. Touching each other for the first time in years was amazing, and we continued to touch for a long time after getting naked. There was no rush. I’d find Mikael later. Sex with Lucas one last time before I returned him to the Underworld would be worth it.
Growing rather impatient, Lucas thrust into me and I gasped aloud. It was painful, it was pleasurable. I closed my eyes, savoring every feeling, every emotion.
“Look at me,” he demanded. I opened my eyes and my stomach coiled just looking into his lust-darkened eyes. “I want you to keep your eyes on me.” He leaned down and tugged on my bottom lip with his teeth. “You have no idea how badly I’ve wanted you.”
“How badly?”
“Do you want me to show you?” A devious gleam filled his eyes and I was curious. I nodded. “If I hurt you, tell me to stop.”
Again, I nodded. He pulled out of me and flipped me over, positioning my ass up on an angle. I gasped as a flashback of Lucas punching a huge tree in the forest to the ground filled my mind. I’d forgotten how strong he was. He grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled it right back and my neck ached. He rubbed every inch of himself over my sensitive flesh before plunging in. From there he was relentless, slamming into me harder than he ever had. Faster and faster. Harder and Harder. Each thrust had me screaming out his name. When I looked back at him, I could see him straining to hold on. He pulled out again and flipped me back onto my back. “I want to see those beautiful eyes when I come,” he breathed.
He entered me again. We were panting and moaning. We constantly moaned each other’s names and whispered dirty things in each other’s ear. Things I’d never repeat in a million years. He hunched over me, still thrusting hard. He pressed his lips firmly against my neck as he found his own release. His hips rocked gently as his length softened inside of me. I ran my fingers up his warm, hard back and into his hair. The smell of him engulfed me and I felt drugged. And I felt hurt. Not physically—no, nothing like that. I felt hurt because this was the man I loved… and I could never be with him. When he went back to the Underworld, it would be another girl making him feel how I just made him feel and the thought alone made me sick. Lucas rolled off me and pinned me protectively to his side.
“I never thought we’d be able to do this again,” he breathed, his chest rising and falling as his body began to cool down. “I mean, I imagined it a million times in my head, but I never thought it’d happen.”
“Me either.” I traced the mean, tattooed dragon with my fingers. “Do you like being a demon?” I asked, surprising even myself. Underneath my fingertips Lucas’s muscles stiffened and he gently twirled a lock of my hair around his finger. “No, I hate it with every fiber in my being… I’ve done horrible things, V.”
“Why do you do it?”
“Because I lost everything when I lost you… Out of anger, I let my inner demon take control of my decisions, but then I saw you again and you made me see myself for what I’ve really become. The past few years as a demon, I’ve never wanted to take back the things I’ve done… until I saw you. When I close my eyes, I see you and how you looked at me that night in front of Sequin. You were so hurt… I’ll never forget that.”
The words that came from his mouth sounded like something my Lucas would say. But he’d done horrible things to people—to me. Ignoring the fact that he was a demon, could I forgive him? He had yet to show any compassion for what my Council did to me because of him… yet I showed him compassion and I let him take me because I was still so madly in love with him. I couldn’t possibly hold him accountable for what his dark side chose to do… could I?
“If you could, would you cure yourself of being a demon?”
He answers instantly. “No. I’ve done too much.”
I frowned. How can you save someone who doesn’t want to be saved? Do you give up, or do you fight for them? Where is the line that blatantly states ‘this is enough’? How much further do I have to fall for him?
The hair on the top of my head rustled as he yawned. “I’ll make you mine again tonight. When Famine has finished preparing the horses.”
My ears pricked up at Famine’s name. This could be the big break that I’d been waiting for. “Horses?” I asked curiously. I tried hard to sound uninterested.
“We have horses in Logansville—magical horses.” He ran his fingers under my chin, forcing my head back gently, so our eyes meet. An electrical current ran through me, exposing all my nerves just by the look in his eyes. “Let me turn you and we can ride the apocalypse together.”
I chewed on my bottom lip. I knew he’d ask that question and my answer was still hell no. As much as I wanted to feel Lucas inside me and have his hands roam over my entire body… I couldn’t be with him. Not like that. Sex would not happen between us again, at least not in this lifetime. And for the sake of the sex that just occurred between us, I prayed there was an afterlife even for us.
“Okay,” I simply said.
“Okay?” The look of pure shock that spread over his face was adorable and I smiled at him as I nodded. He pulled me tighter against him as his nose buried deeper into my hair. A sickening feeling crept over me. Not because I slept with a demon, but because I lied to him. I’d die before I give anyone the chance to turn me into a demon.
Even Lucas.
Vanished
Lucas
I ran my hand over the soft
mattress, searching for Violet’s warmth. Only the cool, empty surface greeted me. My eyes shot open and I sat straight up. Out the window, between two skyscrapers, I could just see the sun setting below a block of apartments. I’d fallen asleep.
“V?” I called. I waited for a response. No answer.
I launched myself out of bed and slid into a pair of drawstring pants. I threw on my white t-shirt and paced quickly toward the bathroom. It was empty. I glanced around the room. None of her clothes littered the floor and no note was left on my bedside table. So this is how it feels to sleep with someone and then they leave before I wake up? It sucks.
I had to find her. I knew she’d get herself into trouble. I don’t think she knew how to stay out of trouble. She was searching for Famine earlier and there was no doubt she was hunting for him again. But she did say she’d become a demon for me. Did she run? Did she change her mind?
”Let me turn you and we can ride the apocalypse together.”
She sucked her bottom lip in between her straight, white teeth and chewed it. “Okay.”
“Fuck!” Books spilled over the floor as I toppled the bookshelf. She played me. She lied to me and here I was, the idiot who soaked up every word she said. She never wanted to become a demon. She was fishing for Famine’s location. The sex, the talk—was it all a lie? I’d made the decision to turn her against her will and I was going to after sex, but then she agreed, and so forcing her fell to the wayside. I felt betrayed and used. Inside me a strong anger swelled. My real side hated being betrayed and my demon side absolutely detested it. The urge to spill her blood grew, but then I recalled the way she made me smile. She made me feel less evil. I thought about her naked body and perky breasts. I thought about the way she moaned and screamed my name. I couldn’t end that. I needed that again. I needed it for the rest of my life. Going elsewhere was no longer an option. I wanted her and I wanted all of her. And that’s exactly what I was going to have.
The floor moved rapidly under my feet as I stormed over to my bedside table. From the top drawer I pulled out the blade I had made for her first trip to Earth. I ran my fingers over its sharp point and soft curve at the base of the hilt. I traced the complex design that surrounded the letter ‘V.’ This was the knife that I was going to use to turn her into a demon against her will.
***
My sneakers kicked up dust as I shimmied along the edge of the stables to avoid being seen. I glanced up at the sky. The menacing black clouds that brought unnatural flashes of lightning with it unnerved me. Shade and Conquest must be back from the Underworld, which meant I had very little time left to change Violet. I slid further along the stable wall until I came to a steel gate. A muzzle ground against my t-shirt and I heard one of our horses snort, but I saw nothing else. It was too dark on this side of the stables and I didn’t like it. As I leaned against the door to my horse’s stable, her pale white coat began to glow in a white hue that bordered a pale green. She knew the end of the world was happening and she was dying for me to saddle her up. She didn’t have a name. I inherited her when I became a demon. I didn’t want her, but Shade insisted.
“Not yet,” I whispered.
She snorted in annoyance and her glow faded. I rounded the corner to enter the main barn, but before I had a chance to open the big wooden doors, Violet flew out of it and slid across the dirt on her back for at least ten yards. Quickly, she jumped to her feet and wiped the blood from her mouth. I guess she’d found Famine. Famine, in his ripped jeans and flannel shirt, stormed from the barn. In his hand he carried a pitch fork with long, rusty prongs. With a cheeky smile on her face, Violet ran at him. At the same time, Famine swung the pitchfork up over his head and waited for her to get closer. When she did, I jumped at Famine, grasping the pointy prongs and yanked the weapon from his hands. He became distracted and Violet saw this as her chance. She jumped and kicked Famine straight in the chest. He stumbled backwards and that was all she needed to knock Famine on his ass with a leg sweep. I leaned against the barn wall, watching them fight. I wasn’t going to let her kill Famine and I wasn’t going to let him kill Violet, but I was going to let them battle it out. Mostly because I liked the way she handled herself.
She straddled Famine and squeezed his throat. “Not so tough now, are you?” she growled.
“I told you many years ago, I like it rough!” He punched her in the side of the head and she rolled off him. I grabbed onto the wooden panels of the barn, forcing myself to stay put and not to tear his knuckles from his hands.
“Nice to see you, brother.” Famine half chuckled, turning to face me. “Enjoy watching your bitch die.”
He pulled her off the ground by her hair and she groaned in pain. I saw him position his knee directly below her face. A low growl rumbled through my chest as I launched at him, knocking them both to the ground. Violet rolled free as I pulled Famine to his feet. We went punch for punch. Sure, we matched each other in strength, but I knew offensive and defensive techniques. I dropped low, slamming my fists into his stomach. I ducked even lower as he swung for my face. I jumped to my feet and pounded his ugly mug before pinning his back against my chest. A few yards away, Violet hunched over on her knees, trying to catch her breath.
“Take your time. We’ve got all night,” I panted, squeezing Famine’s throat.
“You have no idea how long we’ve been fighting, so give me a break,” she panted, her chest rising and falling with every breath.
My body flew forward as Famine flipped me over his shoulders. I hit the dirt hard, my breath abandoning me for a second. I climbed to my feet and faced Famine. He stared at me, smiling that big, cocky smile.
“I’m not trying to hurt you,” I stated, “brother.”
“You don’t get to use that word. You’re not my brother. You have no sense of loyalty, or respect for us. The only thing you care about is your whore and I’m going to take that from you.” They ran toward each other. When they got close, Violet did a cartwheel, wrapping her ankles around Famine’s neck and dragging him to the ground. Famine wasted no time in jumping back to his feet and wasted not a second for a quick breath. Instead, he swung at Violet and then me.
“You lied to me,” I snapped at her, unable to wait until later to talk about what she did.
She dodged a fist that was aimed for her jaw. “You really want to do this now?” She smashed her fist into his ribs. “I’ve have bigger things to deal with than you.”
Famine directed his fist toward my face, but I blocked and punched Famine hard in the nose. A disgusting crack crepitated through the air as bone connected with bone. He went down hard.
“All you wanted was his location? For what? To prevent the apocalypse? I hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but the apocalypse is happening and you will be by my side when it does.” I pulled the blade from my back pocket.
She kept her eyes solely on Famine as he rolled around, clenching his face. “This is about more than just the apocalypse. It’s about me gaining back the respect of my Council. You took that from me.” She tightened her ponytail and wiped more blood from her lip. Her eyes settled on me and then the blade. Her blue gaze slowly dragged itself to mine, sending a wave of tingles through my chest. “I love Earth and you did, too... once,” She muttered, low enough for only me to hear.
We stared at each other, the silence speaking a million words. That was all it took for me to become distracted. Famine had climbed to his feet during our exchange. He pulled the blade from my grasp and slammed it hard into Violet’s side. Time stood still for a few moments. My heart was beating so loud that I could hear every beat drumming in my head with a deafening rhythm.
“No!” I yelled, causing a few bats to scatter. I shoved Famine out of the way and knelt before Violet as she stood, gasping at me in shock. My mouth was slightly agape, eyebrows furrowed in shock, and eyes showing my heart shatter. She fell into me, grabbing my shoulders for support. My heart sank to the pits of my stomach, then it shattered and its sharp shards dug in de
ep, making the pain I felt in my chest unbearable.
“T-there’s a blade in m-my s-side,” she stuttered as tears spilled over the rim of her pretty blue eyes, the same blue eyes that were filled with such passion and lust less than a few hours ago. Slowly, I helped her slide to her knees, her hands pressed tightly against the skin around the knife.
“I know, I know.” I reached for the blade, but pulled my hands back and ran them through my hair instead. The thought of causing her more pain sickened me. “It’s going to be okay.”
It wasn’t going to be okay and she could tell by the fear in my voice. My body began to shake with anger. The need for rational thinking went out the window. I was enraged. I rose to my feet and turned on Famine. Plastered on his face was that same cocky smile I hated so much. He was rubbing his bloody hands on his flannel shirt.
“Are you mad, bro? That’s what you wanted all along, isn’t it?”
I had tried to kill Violet this week—tried being the operative word. It took me until today to realize the reason why she wasn’t dead was because I never was going to kill her or turn her into a demon. The demon side of me might have really wanted her dead, but the Lucas side only wanted to see her face. Behind me, I heard Violet whimper.
“Don’t be so beat up about it. Shit happens. We’re going to rule Earth, man. You can have as many bitches as you want.”
I clenched my teeth. I wasn’t like my brothers. I tried to be, but they were pure evil—down to their cores. I loved Violet and before she died I had to prove it to her. The plans for the apocalypse were over. If she loved Earth so much, then I’d give it back to her. It would not be destroyed tonight. I drove my fist through Famine’s chest and grabbed his beating heart. His eyes widened and he was unable to speak. He flinched every time my fingers twitched around his heart.