I raised my hands, about to make this kill bloody and long, when she cried out again. I cut my gaze toward her, and her face contorted in fear and pain. I was stunned for a second, not knowing how to compute this facial expression I had never seen on my rose’s face before. It was one I hated with my whole heart. I never thought I would dislike any face my rose made, but this one, I never wanted to see again.
My anger rose tenfold, wanting to change my plans and take this faerie to a secluded location where I could slice him up and work his body in so much agony that her pain-filled face would pale in comparison to his. I wanted every single cell of his body to feel on fire, then I would peel his skin off inch by inch and slice his wings into thin strips, making them useless. Having the shame of ruined wings would be felt down to his bones, truly broken from the inside out. Then I would snap all his bones and make a mess of his face, turning it into roast beef before getting a mage to heal him so I could do it all over again, having him repeat his own hell for days until I exacted my vengeance.
When another soft cry came out from her beautiful lips, the faerie whispered, “That’s what you get, bitch.” I couldn’t hold myself back as I gripped his head with both hands and twisted them to the side and snapped his neck with a swift crack. His neck ripped, and ruby-red liquid seeped out from the tear in his neck because of how hard I yanked. I threw his lifeless body to the side, taking some of my residual anger out on him as he smacked into the wall with a hard thud. I didn’t spare him another glance as I stepped up to my rose, her eyes sparkling like pink diamonds in the moonlight as I held my hand out to help her up.
I really meant to just help her up, but once she was close, I couldn’t help but pull her into me. I couldn’t resist the urge to smell her hair and feel her skin. Having the real her in my grasp.
For once, I said what I felt when I felt it. With her, I didn’t need to hide myself. I wanted her to know me, to understand who I was and the bond we had. One that surpassed organizations and revenge and called me to focus on the woman of my dreams right in front of me.
I kissed her, not knowing what else to do since I couldn’t focus on anything but her eyes and mouth. She was shocked, her mouth cracked open, and her pearly white fangs peeked out at me to say hello. I had daydreamed about this for as long as I could remember. How those fangs would feel sinking into my skin. I’d seen how she could make it pleasurable, and I wanted it. I wanted her to take me, devour me, make me hers and finish this bond we started over twenty years ago so I could finally be hers. By her side where I belonged.
When she moaned against me, the sound shook me to my core. I felt like my world had just opened, and I was finally able to breathe, able to find some light in my shadowed world. My dick grew hard as I envisioned her moaning over and over again. I wanted her to moan for me forever.
It was sexy when I heard them through the orb, when others caused her to make a similar sound, but having her make that sound because of me, for me. No, that was straight up orgasmic, and I wanted to strip her here and have the whole world experience how I could make her feel.
Then I heard them. They were coming for her. The ones that didn’t protect her.
I’d had half a mind to stay and scold them, to tell them what a horrible job they had done taking care of her. I knew Rayla had a wild streak, I wasn’t stupid, but that just meant you needed to have someone with her twenty-four seven. I thought Cosmo knew better.
When I saw a flash of fire and golden hair, I knew it was the Winstale heir. I didn’t have time for them, for the others that wanted to covet my rose. I also was not ready to have them see me, not yet. I had plans for my rose that needed to happen before any second introductions.
She had her face turned toward them, smiling. A piece of me hated that they were able to receive her smiles so easily. I wanted her attention to be on me and only me. My chest tightened, and my fingers splayed as I wanted to yank my rose back into my arms and disappear into the night with her. I had to remind myself I wasn’t ready. Not yet.
I examined her one last time before I let my powers overtake me and disappeared into the shadows of the alleyway. When she turned to me, my name on her lips, I almost broke cover and ran back to her, telling her I would never leave her again, but I held back.
Falcon slid next to her, her body shook, and I overheard them talking. He convinced her she needed his blood to expel the wild magic faster. I stayed in my darkness as he convinced her to feed from him and then cursed at myself for not realizing this beforehand, because it could’ve been me to give it to her. My blood turned cold as I gripped the side of some random building, wanting to rip it apart as I watched this mage take my place.
I was captivated as a moan slipped from his lips as she sucked, and my rose was oblivious to his cry as she was consumed with her need for the life-giving elixir in his veins. I sat in my sad, dark corner, seethed in jealousy, not able to take my eyes off them, watching every glorious second.
Soon. I will have my time soon.She will be mine, and I won’t have to be a spectator anymore. I would be the one providing her with all that she needed. All of it. It’s not that hard to see, as she owned all of me anyway. It was about convincing her to take it. That’s all I needed.
As soon as Cosmo showed up, shocked and raged at the situation he found himself in, I knew it was my time to leave. I needed to get back, my uncle would be wondering what I was doing.
My darkness swirled around me, and I blinked, transporting myself down the street to where I hid my bike. While I was powerful for a demon, I found it annoying my transportation range was only a mile radius from where I was before. It helped with assassinations, sure, but if I had a wider reach, I could’ve made myself known to my rose sooner, our connection stronger.
I swung my leg over my bike. It was the same make and model as my rose’s. I wanted her to always be comfortable around me, which meant making sure everything around me was something she was used to. Especially since I had plans for us.
I made my way down the windy roads, going farther into the desert. It was so hot here, everything around was either dying or thriving. I smirked as I thought of Rayla. She would thrive anywhere she went, even in the ever-changing hell or faerie lands, probably becoming queen of them if she had the chance.
I made my way around the Frenchman Mountains. The shimmer of the secret entrance to our base came into view, and I passed through the shield. The Devils’ tattoo throbbed as I spoke the word and entered.
I looked up at the concrete building and felt nothing. This place had never been a home for me. It was more a place where I trained, a place I grew up in. Kevin, my uncle’s main mage that made my skin crawl when his eyes landed on me, was a powerful earth mage. Probably one of the best out there, but he still only excelled in one form of magic, while the Syndicate had the powerhouse of the two Winstale men excelling in more than one field each.
I learned early in life that Kevin was a jealous man who coveted the Winstales’ powers. He was desperate to show his worth, and I think that was how he and my uncle got together. Both always reaching for more. So, when Kevin came up with a way to be able to not only keep our house hidden, but also move it with ease, as long as it was made out of earth materials, it was a win-win for my uncle. Always moving us around to ensure we didn’t get caught.
I parked out front and jogged up the stone steps. I had no doubt that whatever he had planned tonight with that Breken guy was ruined, and he would be pissed. Which meant he would want to take that out on others, including me, if we didn’t perform. I needed to face the beast as soon as possible or it would get worse later.
I entered the redwood door and walked down the hallway to get to my uncle’s study. I heard a few crashes, wood and glass breaking, and a bellow echoed through the hallways. People paused in the shadows as they shook in fear. I took a breath as I rapped my knuckles on the door, waiting for his answer.
“Who is it?! Who the fuck would disturb me now?!” His rage grew louder the more he spoke, and something else crashed into the door.
I gave off no inflection, keeping my tone low and dull. “It’s Lex.”
I waited for a beat as he took a breath, stomped toward the door, and yanked it open. His face was red, his mouth pulled up into a snarl as he barked, “Well, get the fuck in, boy!”
I nodded as I turned sideways and glided past him into the room. Glass crunched under my shoes, and he slammed the door. His desk was turned over, books scattered across the room, pages ripped and scattered throughout. I resisted rolling my eyes at his tantrum as I waited, standing straight with my hands behind my back.
He was suddenly in my face, snarling, “Tell me that you’re not an incompetent fool and have information for me.”
