He made me feel so fucking much, I couldn’t handle it. The raw, unbridledemotionthat hummed through my body as he kissed and stroked me was so foreign and terrifying I could barely breathe.
Is this what love felt like?
Because it was scary as fuck.
“Promise me again,” I choked into his neck, kissing that spot on his jaw that I loved so fuckingmuch.
He let out a content rumble, somehow knowing what I was asking for without me having to actually say it.
“I promise, baby. I promise I’ll never leave you.” The words spilled so easily from his lips, like there was no question in his mind that this was a promise he had no doubt he could keep.
I crushed my eyes closed and shivered, willing myself to believe those words.
I’ll never leave you, Shemhazai.
But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was a lie.
It was the night of the full moon, and we’d gathered in Hec’s mortal home with the rest of her coven.
It was taking everything in me to keep my panic contained. Hec, Luna, and Willow were surrounded by their people as Hecate took on this serious, general persona.
She’d come up with a plan, and if I hadn’t been so terrified Gabe would get hurt, I could admit that it was a good fucking plan and might actually work.
“We need to get Ares out of the way first. We won’t be able to break into the church to rescue my golems and kill Raz with Ares’ defenses in the way,” she explained, holding up one of the scepters we had donated to the cause.
“As previously discussed, this material is filled with magic that pushes the energy that animates demons and angels away. Luna has managed to find a spell that reverses it.” She dropped the scepter on the kitchen table, her silver eyes shining with excitement.
I reached out to touch the artifact, and my skin pricked with recognition as I felt the energy suck and pull at my magic.
I glanced up at Luna, who was smirking and stroking the head of her dalmatian familiar.
“Clever witch,” I purred, and Luna’s eyebrows rose in surprise.
“Was that acompliment?”
I nodded, removing my hand from the scepter. “Even I can recognize genius when I see it.”
Her cheeks flushed, and Hecate giggled.
“Well damn. Maybe there won’t be a cactus in your future after all.”
Gabe barked out a laugh and came to stand next to me.
“Thank Satan for that.” He hummed, rubbing his hand over my ass softly as if soothing phantom cactus prickles.
I rolled my eyes.
“Whatever. This is smart and all, but you’ll still need to be able to get close enough to hit him with it.”
“Yeah, I’ve decided you guys were right. We’re gonna use me as bait. He won’t show up at the cemetery with the golems, but hewillshow up, especially if he thinks I’m there alone.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Yeah, fuck that. You’re not going alone. You weren’t strong enough to face him when you were whole. If you go in this weakened state, he’ll eat you alive.”
“Yes, but I didn’t have a coven of my people backing me up. Things are different now. I am at my strongest when backed by friendship and community.” Hecate looked around at her coven, and they all gave her adoring smiles.
She reminded me of Lilith at that moment, and it made me love her even more.
