We walked through the forest in complete silence, his grip firm around my hand. Darkness descended around us, and the air grew heavy with anticipation. It was evident that something significant was about to unfold. We were still basking in the afterglow of what we had shared by the stream, and a cocoon of contentment protected us for a little while longer. Until we could no longer, and I knew we were close. "The dark ones are close. Very close. I can sense them." Sam whispered. his alert eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of danger. Always looking for danger. He turned around to me with a serious look. "The army is hidden. There's a clearing ahead, the perfect spot to catch them off guard. Wait there. They'll come to you." Sam instructed me and I nodded in understanding. "I will be right next to you, in the forest. With my entire army. If anything goes wrong, shout for help." Sam said next. Doubts creeped in. "The plan is to strike when they're near you. When they realis
Not even when I felt eyes on me. I didn't know whether it were the demons or the dark ones watching me, but I shrugged off the incredibly uncomfortable feeling and kept walking. My feet were starting to ache terribly and my body was tense from the fear. The blood on my arm was starting to try and stick to my skin. An instinctual urge suddenly halted me in my tracks. I strained my senses, but all I heard was silence—no approaching footsteps, no sound at all. I waited for ten whole seconds. "HELP ME!" I screamed desperately. Still, nothing. "HELP ME!" I cried out again. Come for me, you filthy dark ones. Smell my blood and come for me like the blood thirsty creatures you are. "HELP-" I stopped when a figure appeared— black, with long fingers and long limbs. Nothing like the strong build demons had. Its eyes burned with bright red intensity, and it regarded me with an unsettling familiarity, as if I were a long-lost family member. I didn't know where he come from; he seemed to em
"Fay."I sighed out. Sam knew not to wake me up."Fay. Please wake up. Please."I was about to tell him to shut up, until I realised I had never heard Sam say the word 'please'. It was a word he would never, ever utter. And the voice sounded strangely female."Fay!"I jolted awake, my heart racing. My best friend was looking at me through iron bars, her cheeks streaked with dried tears. "Oh my god!" I exclaimed, jumping up to her. I slammed against the hard bars separating us and reached my arms out. Elle sobbed and threw herself against me. Her warm, thin arms encircled me and we hugged each other with thick, steel bars in between us. "Fay... Oh my god..." Elle cried softly. "I know." I replied back, gently stroking her back. My eyes scanned our surroundings. "Where are we?" I asked her."I'm not sure. They keep moving. I think it's some sort of dungeon, this time." Elle answered in my ear.I leaned back to study her closely.Her cheeks were hollow. Her arms were too thin. Her eyes,
"NOOO!" Adrian roared from next to me.Fay. Fay. Fay.She was there, right in front of me. Nothing but empty air remained."NO!" Adrian roared again, charging to the spot where his wife had vanished.The entire army rushed forward. "What happened?!"Dagon demanded as she appeared on the other side of the field, Micah and Lucifer by her side. Their entire army followed, their faces etched with shock. They scanned the surroundings, searching for any trace of the dark ones. "They took her! They took my wife! They took Bri!" Adrian snarled angrily at Dagon.My thoughts could not align. I was still in disbelief. My eyes were glued on the spot where she disappeared, as if she would just magically return there. A sharp, excruciating pain shot through me. My heart, which was dark and lifeless, shattered into pieces. I felt it physically break as the realisation sank in that my Fay had been taken. My flower. My beauty. My human. My heaven.Gone.I turned to face my army. "Find them. Do whatever
Three days. Three whole days. Not a single sign. Nothing. Sammi's army had returned empty-handed, and Sam had sent them out again, telling them not to come back until they had something, anything, about the girls' whereabouts. My dove was gone. "They are alive, brother." I reassured Sammi for the hundredth time. Because of my bond with Bri, I knew that she was alive. I would know if my bonded and my claimed one was dead. "You don't know if my Fay is alive." Sammi responded, his hundredth response. We continued our relentless search through the forest, desperate for any sign of them. "She has a fear of being locked up." He said, more to himself. I already knew this. He had told me he had instilled this fear in him when he locked her in that carriage. Sammi had opened up more and more to me about his thoughts. I, as reply, had shared insights into human behaviour and needs. The 'let them sleep' part he was already aware of. They needed at least three meals a day, and couldn't hand
Silence fell as Sammi failed to recall a single name. Not that he would remember their names, anyway, if there even was one that survived. "Nobody, Sammi. Not a single living being lived longer than a day once you drank blood from them. You always take too much." Micah told him. Sammi shrugged his shoulders, like he didn't really care. "Well, Fay always stopped me." "She stopped you? And you listened to her?" Lucifer asked him incredulously. Sammi retorted, a faint smile tugging at his lips, "She can be very persuasive." A hush fell over us. Sammi's smile was a rare sight. Satan smiled? That was something to behold. "Yes, if there's one human that can handle you, it's definitely Fay." I remarked. Sammi's smile quickly faded as soon as her name was mentioned again. The nightmare returned, and when he clenched his jaw, I knew his withdrawal symptoms had returned. His teeth ached, his head was throbbing, during the night he had cold sweats, he was refusing any sort of food and liq
Black dots. They were all black dots. I didn't see any demons in front of me. They were all just black dots in the way of my goal. It was hard to remember my goal. All I wanted to do was kill. And kill I did. I became a hurricane, leaving a wake of destruction behind me. Everything turned to ruin in my wake. I couldn't remember who my own demons were, or where my brothers were. I was lost to my Wrath, forgetting everything and everyone as Satan. My teeth hurt so much, I bit into anything in an attempt to relieve the freezing pain. Nothing helped. If anything, every time I tasted blood, I spit it back out in disgust. Everything inside me was cold. Cold and dead and icy. Nothing warmed me up. I was a shard of ice, cutting into everything and everyone that met me. Black ice. I was Satan. Everybody's worst fear. We were closing in on the dark ones. I knew we were close. I could smell them, their foul stench of decaying flesh reaching me from a distance. "We're almost there." I snapp
Pain. Agony. Everything hurt. Every inch of my body throbbed relentlessly. I was burning up with a high fever, my throat was dry and my stomach was screaming for some food. The thing was, I couldn't hold anything in. There was only one thing my body needed, only one thing it craved. I never knew you could be so addicted to something. I would literally kill to have Sam's teeth in me again. And that thought didn't terrify me at all; it just made me that more furious at the monsters holding me. "Have they been fed?" The ugly leader asked the dark ones in our cells. We were never left alone. That meant the conversations I had with Elle were short and simple, in fear we would accidentally give out any information. "The bitch hasn't. The pregnant one I force-fed." The dark one holding my broken arm said. I had kicked him in the stomach a few days earlier, and as revenge, he had broken my arm. He liked holding it. Especially now, when a needle was in said arm, draining me of my blood. An
“Are we really sure about this?“ Elle asked, her voice thick with apprehension. “We’re sure.” Elyse replied firmly, her eyes brimming with hope. Neither Elle nor I could bring ourselves to object any further. There was only one wall between this room and the dungeons, which were currently empty since all the prisoners had been taken out for the hunt. That's why tonight was the perfect night to do this. Sam wouldn't be here, and nor would be any of the hunters. Adrian had been invited to the hunt, much to his delight, and so even he would be occupied for the entire night. “How exactly do we do this?” I asked, frowning as doubt crept in. Half of me was convinced it wouldn’t work.The other half—the rational part—was terrified that it might. “Did we really have to pick the creepiest place for this?!” I jumped at the sound of a male voice, my hand instinctively gripping the hilt of my knife. Dante and Reggie had entered, Dante carrying a thick black book while Reggie laughed, pattin
I smiled and tugged on Sam’s pants, pulling him closer until his body pressed against mine. The thick branch beneath us held steady, but offered no protection from the cold wind gusting over our bare skin. Sam’s lips captured mine once again, and as his hand slid across my skin, feeling my goosebumps, fire burst from his fingertips. I gasped when the branch caught fire. Sam quickly doused the flames with his ice, but I stared at the charred spot, shock coursing through me. My mouth fell open in disbelief. "What... What is this?" I asked with disbelief. “I... I don’t know,” Sam replied, his eyes wide with uncertainty. “Have you always had this?” I questioned suspiciously, turning toward him. He looked at me, clearly unsure. “No,” he admitted, glancing down at his hand in amazement. I did the same. “I think it’s you. Your fire... it’s in my veins now.” I blinked, trying to process his words. "I noticed it every time I had your blood in my system. I felt the warmth. But I couldn
I bit my lip in torment, unable to tear my gaze away from Sam’s bare upper body. The fact that my body temperature was already too high didn’t help, nor did the way Sam moved in the fighting circle, calculating his next move to defeat his eight opponents. The scar I had given him long ago with a whip stood out starkly against his bronzed skin. The crown still sat firmly on his head, a testament to his rigid posture—even in the middle of combat. I almost groaned in desperation when Sam lifted the corner of his mouth into a smug smirk, taunting his enemies. Sam was intoxicated by the fight. It had been a long time since anyone dared challenge him, but tonight, nothing could stop him. He gave his challengers a simple choice: yield or die. A number of demons already lay dead at the corners of the ring. The vampires were nearly driven mad by the scent of blood, but Lucifer had kept them in check by giving each a bottle of blood wine. They lounged around, enjoying the company of several
I followed Sam's gaze and was met with thousands of silent eyes. It was still beyond me how such a large crowd could remain so quiet. My eyes first landed on Lucifer's wife, who was yanked back harshly by her husband. Lucifer looked regal, wearing a massive crown. His purple attire suited his large frame, and he puffed out his chest proudly when our gazes met. Shea stood a few meters away with the Lust crowd, her expression disapproving. The moment our eyes met, she quickly looked down. Moving on, I saw Adrian with his arms around Elle, both beaming with happiness and pride. I forced myself to suppress a smile, wanting to appear serious, and looked further. Dagon stood with Ren, holding hands. Ren gently stroked Dagon's arm. I almost gasped when I noticed a slight bump in Dagon's belly. I nodded in acknowledgment, and Dagon responded with a serene smile, nodding back. Elyse stood near them, arms crossed, looking as fierce as any demon king. The numerous knives strapped to her bod
“Don’t be nervous.” Elle scolded me from behind. I huffed in response. “I’m so done with these public events.” I replied, wringing my hands together. “Well, get ready for a lot more. You’re going to be Queen.” Elyse commented from the side. I eyed her, furrowing my brows. Elle finished the intricate braid, adding small wildflowers to my hair. Their colors popped against my dark strands, and I smiled at my reflection in the mirror. Elyse applied a final swipe of red lipstick to my lips, stepping back to admire her work. "You look absolutely perfect. Like a true Queen." I smiled again. My throat was bare. It would soon be adorned with a ruby necklace, similar to Sam's. Small rubies dangled from my ears, and a simple gold bracelet wrapped around my wrist. My dress was black and red, massive and encrusted with gemstones. I could barely walk in it, but apparently, this was how coronation dresses looked in this realm. Except for Elle, considering she was dressed in lingerie and a see
"Two bottles and one pack of cigarettes a month. That's my offer. Take it or leave it." Sam said, turning to Rhazien. The vampire sucked on his teeth, his fangs just visible, sharp and menacing. A shudder ran through me. They looked lethal. And painful. Lucifer, leaning heavily on the table, looked desperate. Around him, the vampires shared the same tense, eager expressions. Rhazien paused, letting the tension stretch. He scanned the room, his gaze lingering on each of us before it finally settled on Sam. He nodded once. "Yes!" Lucifer cheered, immediately turning to point at random vampires—each of them stunning in their own way. Lucifer's wife was going to have a heart attack. "I'll have my own harem!" He announced proudly. Sam sighed, clearly exasperated. "Oh, hell... What have we gotten ourselves into?" I snorted, nudging his chest. "Let him have his fun." "My brothers won’t be happy about this," Sam muttered. "I just gave the King of Pride something to brag about
I watched with interest as everyone around me became increasingly drunk. I kept my distance from the wine, not wanting to cloud my mind, and leaned comfortably against Sam. The vampires danced with the grace and allure of professional performers, putting on quite the spectacle. “I have some gifts for you, Rhazien.” Sam said, cutting through my distracted thoughts. “Gifts?” Rhazien’s eyes lit up with curiosity. “For your hospitality.” Sam reached to his side, producing a packet of cigarettes and a bottle of wine. Rhazien gasped, his excitement palpable. “Is that…?” Rhazien asked, his voice full of wonder. “Yes,” Sam smirked from behind me, “enjoy them.” “What are those?” I asked, eyeing the odd-smelling cigarettes. I recognized the wine as blood wine. “Blood cigarettes,” Sam replied. I froze at the words. “A delicacy for vampires. They can’t make them themselves. The process is intricate and involves working with a lot of blood,” he explained softly. Rhazien twirled the cigare
Sam cleared his throat and turned to Rhazien. “We agree—on my wife’s condition. My brother gets to take a vampire of his choice home. I’ll supply you with at least a dozen humans every month, in exchange for a dozen vampires.” Rhazien glanced from Sam to me, then over to Lucifer, who was still dancing. After a moment, he sighed. “Deal.” “Perfect.” Sam said with a grin, extending his hand. They shook on it, both clearly satisfied. I looked ahead, noticing some women dancing sensually on the bar. Their bodies moved like snakes, swaying their hips seductively, the atmosphere dripping with allure. Sam and Rhazien clinked their glasses and downed their drinks in sync, slamming the empty glasses down with matching grins. I knew Sam was getting drunk when he suddenly pulled me onto his lap. I gasped, instinctively resisting, but his supernatural strength held me still. He pressed my hips against his and my back against his chest. His arms encircled me, and he placed another glass of w
The dark ballroom got even darker when Rhazien clapped his hands, and the dangerous tension in the room rose considerably. “Do you think they’ll dance with me?” Lucifer asked, his eyes fixed on a group of vampires. “They would be honored, King of Envy,” Credence replied. “Many of us have never had the privilege of meeting a demon.” "Why is that?" I asked with interest, glancing at the human girls twirling around in beautiful dresses, their vampire partners looking down at them like they were a snack. They probably were. “We're not foolish enough to venture into the demon realm. That would be suicide,” Credence explained, tapping her glass with her long, blood-red nails. “Nor do we invite demons into our lands. Demons are too bloodthirsty. For your King, we made a exception." "We won't shed any blood here." I promised her, even though I couldn't see her. "Don't make promises that aren't yours to make, Queen of Wrath. Your husband has quite the reputation. We know the risks we’ve