I moved slowly, keeping my hands down at my sides until I took my seat. He remained outside the room until I placed my hands, palm down, on the metal tabletop. After a moment, he came in and joined me, his watchful gaze staying down on my hands."I brought you some blueberry muffins. I hope you like that flavor. If not, I can bring you something else later." Even though he didn't respond, I still felt hope since he was willing to sit down and hear me out. "Detective, you saved my life, and I am eternally grateful for that. I don't know how to repay you, and I know nothing will be equal to the debt that I now owe you, but I will do my best to try."He looked quickly up from my hands to my face before back down again. "I like blueberry." He mumbled beneath his breath, and I let out a sigh of relief."They told me your kids have been coming to visit. I didn't know you had kids. How old are they?" His shoulders dropped slightly, and I could see him relaxing as he thought of his family. I
Demetri's P.O.V. I couldn't say what I was feeling when I was ripped away from my mate and brought back to the home I had come to peace with never seeing again. It was true that I had missed my home, but as I was being torn away from Seraphina, I knew I would give my home up in a heartbeat for a life with her in it. I had fallen to my knees in the barren field that surrounded my castle. The loose dirt shifted beneath my weight as I realized that I couldn't help her. Time worked differently here. There was no way of saying if she was still in battle, if it was months later, or if she was even still alive. I could go to her, and visit the human realm again, but it would take time. By the guards quickly surrounding me, I knew I would be stuck here for the foreseeable future. There was no escaping notice now. "Your highness! You've returned!" One of the guards stated. The obvious announcement sent frustration through me. My wings broke free from my back as I took my true form. My nail
Demetri's P.O.V.I groaned as I rolled over, feeling the heat of the sun on my bare back. Flashes of red with a large man towering over me came to mind. I watched as he smiled, the long pointed teeth seeming familiar but still unsettling to me. The large horns on his head were unlike anything that I had ever imagined."You wish to return?" He said his voice like a multilayered growl. I bowed my head respectfully as he stared down at me with amusement."Yes, Sire.""You have fallen in love with a human? That makes you useless to me." I held my head down as his voice grew louder, signaling that he was getting closer. It didn't matter how powerful I was. He was stronger than anything to be found in any realm.I could feel my magic pulsing beneath my skin as he drew near.Suddenly, a large splash of cold liquid doused my body, and I sputtered as I spit the mud from my mouth."Is he drunk?" A soft voice asked as I rubbed my hand over my face, trying to remember what I had been dreaming abo
One Month Later"I'm sorry it didn't work," Meredith said from the seat next to me as I stared out the window, watching the passing desert to the side as we sped down the highway. "We'll find another way."We had tried everything short of digging a hole down to the underworld. A séance had fallen flat with a minor demon coming through instead, trying to have a little fun in the world of the living, only for them to immediately regret it when both Meredith and I put them in their place and shut the connection on them."It's okay. If he wanted to, he would have come back by now, at least to visit. Shit, he could have even sent Akuji to give me a message, but no. There has been nothing. Maybe I should just let it go." Meredith reached over and grabbed my hand, squeezing it."You can still try summoning him back." She offered, but I shook my head quickly."And risk either binding a different demon to me or end up forcing a man back into my life who doesn't want to be a part of it, to begi
*** A low growl filled the room, originating from the man breathing deeply next to me as if he were trying to restrain himself. "I will go easy on you this time, Seraphina, but don't expect it next time." Even though we hadn't had a first time yet, the idea of a next time had the dampness between my legs growing. The possibilities of what he would do to and with me were endless. "Not as your mate," I shook my head slightly as I leaned in closer to him, inhaling his masculine scent. "This would strictly be fucking." His arm shot off the back of the couch, his hand lacing in my hair and pulling on the back of my neck tight enough that it was on the verge of being painful but not quite enough to hurt. My head tilted up to look at him as he spoke, his lips dangerously close to mine. "You may have me bound right now, my little witch. But, when I take you, I will be the one in charge. You will do my bidding." His chest rumbled again as I licked my lips while he spoke. My tongue betrayed
I had to pry my feet from the hardwood floor. The shock had cemented me in place, but as I examined the royal purple and deep red fabrics hanging around the room, I felt the need to explore more.My hand reached forward as I turned in the doorway and faced the wall. The fabric was silk and slipped through my fingers as I grabbed the edge and lifted it. Beneath the cover were more symbols, some were hand-drawn, and some were etched into the wall.It baffled me, and I took a step back, releasing my hold on the fabric."Oh, what were you two up to?" I whispered as I spun around, overwhelmed by the discovery. Out of all the fucking things they could have had up here, this was the last thing I would have guessed.I walked across the floor, the symbol beneath my feet giving me an uneasy feeling as I made my way toward the book. The unrealistic hope that they were reading Pride and Prejudice flew right out of my head as I approached the aged, tan pages and the u
My body didn't want to move as I stood shaking in front of the seemingly indestructible man if I could call him that. His pure black eyes did not allude to him being human. His large build was both intimidating and alluring.It also prevented me from being able to squeeze by him as he blocked the doorway. As he had just threatened to kill me, escaping was my only option. There was no way I would be able to fight a man of his size off."What are you doing in my house? How did you get in here? My security system has already alerted the police, and they will be here any second." I took a step back, giving in to the terror that was swimming through my bloodstream.He chuckled again, my eyes widened in surprise at the way my body reacted. The noise sent a jolt of warmth and dampness straight to my core."You have no idea, do you, my little witch?" He pushed off the doorframe and stepped into my room, closing in on me and causing my breathing to pick up. I glan
Demetri stood on the other side of the kitchen island, watching me with his scrutinizing gaze as I tapped my fingers on the granite countertop. There was something about having his eyes on me that made everything feel like it was happening in slow motion.I was overly aware of every move and every breath during every second that passed while his gaze was on me. It was like I had forgotten how to move naturally, and I had to second guess the movement of each muscle. His remark about keeping me around for a while, did not ease my fear. It only increased it as I now had the cloud hanging over me, wondering when he would turn on me.The slow dripping of the coffee machine did nothing to break the tension, and I found my fingers moving from the cold surface to the mark on my inner wrist, rubbing and pressing down on it once more."If I accidentally let you roam free when I summoned you, why are you still here?" The words tasted bitter on my tongue as I still had a ha
One Month Later"I'm sorry it didn't work," Meredith said from the seat next to me as I stared out the window, watching the passing desert to the side as we sped down the highway. "We'll find another way."We had tried everything short of digging a hole down to the underworld. A séance had fallen flat with a minor demon coming through instead, trying to have a little fun in the world of the living, only for them to immediately regret it when both Meredith and I put them in their place and shut the connection on them."It's okay. If he wanted to, he would have come back by now, at least to visit. Shit, he could have even sent Akuji to give me a message, but no. There has been nothing. Maybe I should just let it go." Meredith reached over and grabbed my hand, squeezing it."You can still try summoning him back." She offered, but I shook my head quickly."And risk either binding a different demon to me or end up forcing a man back into my life who doesn't want to be a part of it, to begi
Demetri's P.O.V.I groaned as I rolled over, feeling the heat of the sun on my bare back. Flashes of red with a large man towering over me came to mind. I watched as he smiled, the long pointed teeth seeming familiar but still unsettling to me. The large horns on his head were unlike anything that I had ever imagined."You wish to return?" He said his voice like a multilayered growl. I bowed my head respectfully as he stared down at me with amusement."Yes, Sire.""You have fallen in love with a human? That makes you useless to me." I held my head down as his voice grew louder, signaling that he was getting closer. It didn't matter how powerful I was. He was stronger than anything to be found in any realm.I could feel my magic pulsing beneath my skin as he drew near.Suddenly, a large splash of cold liquid doused my body, and I sputtered as I spit the mud from my mouth."Is he drunk?" A soft voice asked as I rubbed my hand over my face, trying to remember what I had been dreaming abo
Demetri's P.O.V. I couldn't say what I was feeling when I was ripped away from my mate and brought back to the home I had come to peace with never seeing again. It was true that I had missed my home, but as I was being torn away from Seraphina, I knew I would give my home up in a heartbeat for a life with her in it. I had fallen to my knees in the barren field that surrounded my castle. The loose dirt shifted beneath my weight as I realized that I couldn't help her. Time worked differently here. There was no way of saying if she was still in battle, if it was months later, or if she was even still alive. I could go to her, and visit the human realm again, but it would take time. By the guards quickly surrounding me, I knew I would be stuck here for the foreseeable future. There was no escaping notice now. "Your highness! You've returned!" One of the guards stated. The obvious announcement sent frustration through me. My wings broke free from my back as I took my true form. My nail
I moved slowly, keeping my hands down at my sides until I took my seat. He remained outside the room until I placed my hands, palm down, on the metal tabletop. After a moment, he came in and joined me, his watchful gaze staying down on my hands."I brought you some blueberry muffins. I hope you like that flavor. If not, I can bring you something else later." Even though he didn't respond, I still felt hope since he was willing to sit down and hear me out. "Detective, you saved my life, and I am eternally grateful for that. I don't know how to repay you, and I know nothing will be equal to the debt that I now owe you, but I will do my best to try."He looked quickly up from my hands to my face before back down again. "I like blueberry." He mumbled beneath his breath, and I let out a sigh of relief."They told me your kids have been coming to visit. I didn't know you had kids. How old are they?" His shoulders dropped slightly, and I could see him relaxing as he thought of his family. I
The hallway she brought me down was eerie and off-putting. The white walls were bare, and the off-white laminate flooring was scuffed and dirty. We passed several doors, but no people. I continued forward. My anxiety got significantly worse when a man in a lab coat rounded the corner ahead of us before turning off into one of the rooms, only for me to discover it was an office as we walked past. It made sense that they wouldn't keep their patients in the front of the building, but the fact that they had to keep them here against their will at all made me feel nauseous. "Is Detective Sullivan doing okay today?" I asked, and the woman looked over her shoulder at me with a small smile. There was a tightness in the corner of her eyes that told me I wouldn't be able to take her words at face value. "He hasn't been here long but is doing a little better every day." She lifted her hand, gesturing me to turn to the right as we reached the end of the hallway. There was another door we had to
It was amazing how quickly I recovered. Meredith had brought me a thermos of tea every day until I was released from the hospital. The medical staff was in shock at how quickly I had been able to heal, and I hadn't looked back since.It had only been a few days, but if I had my way, I would never be in a hospital again… unless I had kids. But, even considering the possibility of that with anyone other than Demetri made me uncomfortable. I still hadn't heard from him, much to my displeasure.While settling in back at home, and hanging out with Meredith as we tried to find something in her family's collection of books that would inform us how to find the way to Hell, my mind kept getting pulled in another direction.There was still something that I had to do. The guilt was eating away at me, especially after watching the news clip on it.When Meredith pulled it up, she thought it was hilarious. I had to agree, but as the one who was involved and probably did that to him, it wasn't funny
I don't remember much of what happened next. It wasn't until several days later that I woke up in the hospital. Detective Thompson came down to get my statement shortly after I woke up, and thankfully, Kendra joined him. I had no idea what I should or shouldn't say, so I kept it simple.I explained that she admitted to killing everyone, including my grandparents, and had broken into my house, intending to finish me off. Each time I tried to ask about Sullivan, Thompson redirected me, refusing to provide me with any information.The empty hospital room was cold and unwelcoming. People kept coming in and out, poking and prodding at my surgery sight, tilting me from one side to the other every hour or two, or giving me pain meds. They never let me sleep. Then, they would send some peppy bitch in to ask me how I had slept the next morning.I was ready to rip her throat out. All I wanted was to be left alone, so I could sleep and cry in peace. It wasn't just the trauma of the situation. I
I struggled to get to my feet, my eyes meeting Detective Sullivan's as he lay on the ground. I wasn't sure if he was in shock, playing dead, or if he was actually dead. All I knew was that I needed to get far enough away from Isla that I could come up with a plan without her being able to hit me.The sound of the scuffle behind me made me pause, and I knew I couldn't just leave Demetri there. He was my mate. I loved him, and I would be damned if I let her take him from me without a fight.As I spun on my heels, there was a loud crash, and I looked up in horror to see she had thrown Demetri against the side of the house. The surface cracked and caved in from the impact. He flopped onto the ground, limp and unmoving. Instead of a scream of horror, a shriek of rage bubbled up. Isla looked over at me, a look of satisfaction on her face. I lifted my hands, but she flicked her wrist in my direction, and I collapsed to my knees before falling to the side.The pain was significantly worse thi
"Ms. Hastings, I'm going to need you to come with me." Detective Sullivan stated. The disgust on his face was evident as he stared at her, never taking his eyes away as he began to move his hand behind his back. "I am so sick of you worthless humans trying to stick your nose where it doesn't belong!" Isla screeched before throwing her arm to the side, releasing a burst of magic. Detective Sullivan had a brief moment where he looked startled before the blast hit him. He flew through the air, flipping multiple times before he landed on his stomach on the hard ground. My hand flew up to cover my mouth in shock and terror when he did not move. His eyes remained closed, and I could see blood running down the side of his face. "What is wrong with you?" I screamed. "Oh, shut up! You're next!" Isla turned to Demetri and me. He immediately stepped forward, so he could try and block any incoming attacks, causing Isla to smirk. "If you know what I am, then you know I am a king. If you touch