The soft click of the door shutting behind Kastiel left the suite feeling unnaturally quiet.
I stood frozen in the middle of the luxurious room, my heart still hammering against my ribs. The space was undeniably beautiful, and the low hum of magic was oddly soothing. But it only made me more aware of how alone I was.
I’d always enjoyed my own company, but I felt as though an integral part of me was missing. Even with a thick door and magic wards between us, the mate bond pulled at me like an invisible tether. Every time I thought about the way his dark eyes flickered with restrained fire when he looked at me, my aura sparked dangerously under my skin.
I’d starved my demon for so long, and she wanted to devour him.
I pressed both hands to my stomach and tried to breathe through her desperate shove against my mental shields. But it didn’t work.
The sparks kept jumping along my arms in erratic little arcs, brighter and more frequent than usual. Being this close to my fated mate was making everything worse. The pull was constant,like a second heartbeat I couldn’t silence. And every time it tugged, my power responded with another crackle of white-blue lightning that I had to frantically shove back inside.
I was worried I couldn’t keep it contained. That the next spark would turn into something bigger, and I would instinctively reach for him through the bond I was trying to resist.
The idea of making him want me because my aura demanded it made my chest tighten until I could barely breathe. That wasn’t how a mating should begin. He needed to be free to choose me with a clear mind, unswayed by my supernatural allure.
And without any interference from my father.
I could already picture the disappointment in his eyes if he found out that I’d been unable to control my aura. His berating tone when he reminded me that Virelyn blood was supposed to be controlled, powerful, and useful. Not unstable and hidden away like a liability.
To distract myself from my fear, I explored the other rooms of the suite Kastiel had put me in. My quarters at home were luxurious, but they paled in comparison to the decorations The Abyss chose for me.
The bedroom was warm and inviting, the walls a few shades lighter than the living room. The light-gray bedding was the perfect contrast, and the forest-green chair in the corner provided a great pop of color. All the little touches made my chest ache because the hotel offered me comfort I wasn’t sure I deserved.
There was even a copy of a newly released cozy mystery on the table next to it that I wanted to read. So I did just that, curling up on the chair and losing myself in the story until my eyelids started to droop, only a couple of chapters in.
Making a mental note of where I left off, I set the book down and stood to stretch. Then I walked over and sank onto the edge of the large bed, my fingers twisting in the duvet.
The mate bond hummed again, and another spark danced across my knuckles. I hissed and clenched my fists, forcing it back down.
A quiet knock sounded at the door, and I knew who it was before I saw him.
I stood on shaky legs and walked into the living room. Kastiel stood in the doorway, filling the frame, as his dark eyes scanned me with that same intense focus as earlier.
“I need to check the wards in the suite and make sure everything’s holding.”
His explanation was believable, but the bond I hadn’t accepted yet was still strong enough for me to know it wasn’t the whole truth.
I wasn’t ready for a conversation about that, though. So I simply murmured, “Of course.”
The moment he stepped fully into the suite, my aura reacted. A bright spark jumped from my fingertips toward him before I yanked it back. His only reaction was the red flames in his near-black eyes flickering brighter for a moment.
I wrapped my arms around myself and stayed near the bedroom door, watching as he walked the perimeter of the living area. His presence filled the space. Every step he took tugged the mate bond harder, making it difficult to remember why I was supposed to keep fighting it.
I wasn’t sure if I was strong enough to keep him at bay. Kastiel was a powerful demon, but the combination of the mate bond and my allure would be too much for any man to resist. If he succumbed, I wouldn’t be able to protect him from my succubus nature.
Desperate to keep him away, I blurted, “I’ve never fed. Not once. I’ve never used my powers on anyone. I’ve spent years making sure my aura never touched another person because I was terrified of what it might do. Of taking away someone’s free will.”
Kastiel turned slowly toward me, his powerful frame going still. His dark eyes widened slightly, the scar along the left side of his face tightening as his jaw clenched.
“You’ve never…” He trailed off, as if the idea was so foreign he couldn’t quite process it.
I shook my head, my cheeks burning. “I know what succubi are supposed to be. What we’re expected to do, even though the woman who gave birth to me was never around to offer guidance. But I couldn’t risk it. And now I’m here, with the bond pulling at me, and I’m terrified that if I ever let go even a little, I’ll ruin you. I’ll twist something inside you without meaning to, and you’ll never know if what you feel is real or just my power taking what it wants.”
He stepped closer, shadows curling at his feet. “You think I wouldn’t know the difference between your power and what I actually want?”
His question hung heavy in the air between us as hope coursed through my veins. He seemed so certain, as though he had no doubts about mating with a succubus who had no control over her powers.
Before I could respond, a low crack split the silence. A small rift began to tear open near the far wall, jagged edges of darkness leaking thin tendrils of black smoke. My stomach dropped as the hope withered inside me.
