Chapter one
Soothing Paradise, Seething Hell
Mymate’smarkswerecold as ice.
Eros’ scar on my shoulder, Corry’s over my heart, and the three of Sterling’s over my throat... They all throbbed dully, a chilling numbness freezing my nerves the further Vincent carried me over the Atlantic Ocean.
The last time Vincent’s fae side had gotten out of hand, he’d flown to his home realm, and it had almost killed me. Or at least, it felt like it had. The bond had been stretched so thin that it felt like it had barely been there at all. The monster inside me had thought Vincent had died and mourned the loss of her mate. I was almost relieved that she was dormant within me, sated and satisfied from the frantic graveyard mating.
She wouldn’t feel the growing distance between the rest of her mates.
Too bad I needed her strength to overpower Vincent’s monster. She was taking a nice nap while I froze my ass off, half-naked in the arms of a bird monster who was literally carrying me off to the land of fairies to be his baby mama.
It was hard not to resent her. I mean, it was my fault. I shouldn’t have indulged my darkest side and let it take the driver’s seat.
A few minutes. That’s all it had been. That’s all it had taken to murder Lexi. The regret over the hybrid’s death was bittersweet. Yes, she was a frigid bitch. So I wasn't exactly broken up over her being gone. But killing her was a dangerous move. If the succubi's body was found, it would put Sterling in a tight spot with the Elders, and we didn’t need them as enemies in this war. The odds were against us as it was.
Plus, by killing Lexi, I’d supplied Vincent with enough pain to take on the form of his full monster, the one that had the power to travel to his realm. How could I be so fucking stupid?
All because I’d been so drunk on hate and lust. Mixed with Vincent’s potent masculinity and feral hunger, it made for one powerful cocktail that would come with some pretty serious downsides.
Like potentially being pregnant.
Nope. I couldn’t think about that right now. I had enough shit to worry about. I reached up, clutching the storm glass needle that would lead me to my mother. I had to find Sapphire Lockheart. I had to figure out what was up with Corry and his blood magic. I had to stop my father from using Dagon’s necromancy to reclaim the vampire throne.
I glanced up at the fae who cradled me against his chest. I felt so small in his arms. My skin against his was like fire and ice. Soothing paradise and seething hell all at the same time.
“Calm yourself, Little Monster,” Vin said in his guttural baritone that betrayed just how far he’d fallen prey to the thing inside him. “Your tiny heart beats so hard. Soothe it. We’re going someplace where you can carry our child to term safely.”
I blinked up at the male, the myriad of emotions whelming up inside me, jamming in my throat and making it hard to breathe. “What child? We fucked an hour ago. It doesn’t happen that fast.”
“But itwillhappen.”
The unwavering certainty in his tone sent a bolt of fear flaring through me, swiftly followed by a stab of fury. I hated being scared. “Why are you doing this?”
“You are my mate. The future mother of my child. You are my whole world.” His voice was tight and hushed, making the bare skin pressed against his prickle.
“Your whole world? You have some way of showing it.”
“You bet I fucking do,” he growled lowly, making my breath catch and my lower body pulsate. “I’m saving you from a war you can’t win.”
“You don’t know that!”
“Your stupidity will get you killed, girl. I won’t have that happen. You’ll be safe in your new home.”
“Home?” I said, feeling so dismally angry that it was almost funny. I laughed. I kept laughing, feeling like a crazy person as my red hair whipped in the sea breeze, and my barking laughter synced up with the occasional seagull caw. “From what I’ve heard of Fairie, it’s a rabid jungle. I can be naive, but I’m not stupid, Feral. This isn’t about keeping me safe from the war with the vampire king. This is about you not wanting Sterling to impregnate me first.”
Vin’s fae-black eyes narrowed on the horizon. He didn’t need to answer me. The withering silence was all the confirmation I needed that I’d hit the nail on the head.
“You’re a selfish pig.”
He dropped his glare, his eyes meeting mine. When my heart stuttered, his lips tugged into a haughty smirk which gave his expression an imperious bite. “Is it so selfish to want to honor my father and continue my line? Is it selfish, wanting nothing for myself but a son so that my mother might meet her grandchild before she meets her grave?”
The harsh bend in his tone sent a shiver up my spine. “I understand that. But the vampire king is going to be here in two days. We have a war to fight. You can’t just whisk me off into the sunrise to another world so we can play house in the jungle. I’ve got the coven to think of. A throne to protect. Other mates to care for.”
The fae bristled at the mention of my other mates. His upper lip peeled to reveal his deadly fangs. “My other side doesn’t take issue with your little harem, but I do. You should be mine. Only mine.”
Not this again. I wanted to tell him off, but I held back the rebuttal sizzling on the tip of my tongue. There was a part of Vincent that had come to terms with the fact that I wasn’t a one-mate kind of woman. But it was this greedy, bestial nature of his that still held fast to ancient instincts. Dark fae didn’t share.
