I didn’t plan to lose this fight to a fucking warlock.
I was happy to have Atieno by my side in this fight. That was what I clung to as I sent a bolt toward the warlock. This time he was ready and dodged to the side.
The fight behind me was distracting. My side burned from the cut I’d received from the drakon’s tail earlier. I pressed my hand to the wound to relieve some pain. I wouldn’t be surprised if I had a broken rib. The wall was unforgiving.
I couldn’t stop now and check my wounds. Five men dressed in the same robes as Synth continued around the altar. Grandma and Fate became paler with each passing second.
Taking my eyes off Synth, I pulled as much magic as I could and sent it toward the five men. Three dropped to the ground and vanished. Sythn gave a bloodcurdling scream. I pressed my hands to my ears to muffle the sound. A few of Synth’s demons collapsed and cried in agony. He was taking out his own creatures. The sound hurt like hell, but if demons kept dying because of it, I would let it go.
“Hisss!”
“Wrath, when are you going to kill that snake?” I yelled over the sound the warlock was making. Wrath flipped me the finger before climbing back up the snake like a jungle gym.
“Die!” Wrath screamed as she stabbed the snake through the head.
The snake side of the monster dropped to the ground. It only made the dragon side thrash around more. Wrath jumped onto the dragon side, working her way up to its head. The warlock had stopped screaming. Atieno’s coat was completely covered in blood, as was Mike’s. I couldn’t see Mike’s stripes anymore.
“End this!” Sasha bellowed. She was right. We wouldn’t make it much longer if we didn’t take care of the warlock.
I sent a wave of magic at the last two men in robes. When they dropped, I let out a little sigh. We were starting to tip the scale in our direction. Once Wrath took care of the dragon, it would be better. Sasha screamed my name. Wrath flew across the room, and the dragon reared back to send fire at Atieno and Mike. I quickly pulled my magic and sent a powerful wave toward the dragon. It knocked him to the ground. Wrath had gotten back to her feet, grabbed her sword for the snakes head and stormed across the bunker, slicing demons on her way. She leapt in the air and pierced the dragon through the head.
Wrath let out a warrior cry as the dragon went to the ground. Mike and Atieno roared with her.
The warlock’s eyes flashed red, and he sent a wave of magic at the monster Wrath had killed. It came back to life, now with a missing eye. It inhaled, ready to spew more fire.
“You need to kill him!” Wrath yelled.
I wasn’t sitting there, shooting the shit with the fucker. I knew I had to kill him. I sent a wave of magic. He easily deflected it, sending it back at me. Tonight was my first time truly using my new powers. Atieno said they would come out when I drank his blood, and he was right. I just didn’t know how to use them to the full extent.
“Die!” I yelled. The demon closest to me came running at full speed. I shifted my weight to my other foot and side kicked the demon in the head. I heard the crack of his neck before he fell to the ground.
“Roaaaaaar!” Before spew a stream of fire. Wrath struck it through the head a second time. The fire stopped mere centimeters of Atieno and Mike. I let out a breath and turned my attention back to the warlock.
I noticed a globe on the side of Grandma’s cage. Drawing on my magic, I let a purple ball form. The warlock prepared to dodge my strike. But I wasn’t going for him. I was going for the magic globe draining Grandma. I let my magic go, and the glass globe shattered. The wizard dropped to his knees and placed his hands on the ground.
He let out a roar that shook the building. Pieces of the ceiling fell from where I had cracked it earlier in the fight. Atieno dodged a large boulder.
Grandma’s eyes opened and locked on me. “Believe from within,” she whispered.
I let my head fall back, and the magic took over my body. Clearing my head, I thought of nothing other than the ninth ring of hell. My body continued to suck the magic from hell, and when I opened my eyes, wind blew my hair around me. Wrath had ahold of a boulder.
I didn’t know what was going to happen. I screamed, “Ruuun!” a second before I let the magic go. The room flashed white and the remaining demons and trolls dropped to the ground. My body felt drained of energy. I had used everything I had. But it wasn’t enough. The demons and trolls were gone, but the warlock wasn’t.
Synth came charging at me, full of speed and hate, holding his spear aloft. I tried to move, but my feet felt like they were buried in concrete. I looked down to see my foot trapped to the floor, bound by purple swirling magic coming from the warlock. That was why I couldn’t move. I tried pulling but the magic held firm.
Time slowed to almost nothing. I looked toward Atieno and mouthed, “I love you!”
His lion let out a roar that rumbled the entire building, knocking Synth’s concentration and freeing my foot from it’s magical hold. I ducked down at the same time Atieno jumped in front of Synth, the spear going straight through his heart, and my lion collapsed to the ground.
“Now you will know what it’s like to lose the one you lo—” Synth didn’t get the last of his words out. Wrath cut off his head, and it rolled down the steps.
I dropped to the ground and ran my hands through Atieno’s fur. His body shifted back into his human form. The spear was still in his heart. “Do something!” I screamed. Wrath stood over me with her hand on my shoulder.
“You can’t do it.”
It was hard to see through the tears. I gripped the spear, pulled it out, and held my hand to the bleeding wound. Mike shifted back and kneeled next to me.
“You have to let him go, Pandora.”
I pressed my hands harder against the wound. “Why aren’t you calling an ambulance?”
Wrath wiped a tear from her eye. “It’s too late. Nobody can do anything.”
“I can.” I closed my eyes but was ripped away from Atieno. Mike wrapped his arms around my body. I screamed and fought to get away. Lucifer appeared in front of me.
“Do something!” I screamed.
Lucifer looked around the bunker before looking back at Atieno.
“Bring him back to me, Lucifer,” I pleaded.
“What would you give me?”
“Anything. Take anything.” I didn’t care if I swapped my life for his. It felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest. I had no reason to live if I couldn’t have Atieno. They had better just kill me. The warlock might have died, but he won tonight. He took half of my heart.
“Sign this.” Lucifer produced a parchment. The lettering was in old script. He grabbed my finger and poked the end.
I scribbled my name without reading. Lucifer rolled up the parchment and tucked it into the inside pocket of his jacket. He knelt next to Atieno and rested his hand on my love’s wound. Lucifer’s eyes flashed red, and seconds later, Atieno was coughing back to life.
I rushed to his side and wrapped my arms around a very naked Atieno. “You’re alive.”
Atieno blinked a couple times. “Of course, I’m alive.”
“No, you don’t understand. You died, but Lucifer brought you back. They wouldn’t let me save you.”
Atieno jumped to his feet. “Lucifer, what the fuck did you do?”
My dad shrugged his shoulders. “I did what my daughter asked.”
“No, you didn’t, because we both know I wasn’t dead.”
“Wait, what?”
Atieno wrapped his arms around me. “I’m immortal. I can’t be killed unless it’s with the Sword of Eternity.”
“But you looked dead and weren’t moving.” I turned towards Wrath. “Why did you think he was dead?”
“Don’t be mad at Wrath. Only a Lucifer and God knew about my immortality.”
“While you guys get caught up, don’t forget you owe me a week in hell, dear daughter.”
“No, I don’t. You didn’t save him.”
Lucifer’s lip twitched. “The paperwork said I would speed the healing, not bring him back.” And with that, the devil left.
“Lying sack of shit,” I grumbled.
The cage to the side of the table jingled. “Can someone let me out?”
Wrath walked over and broke the cage open for fate and grandma. Fate glided out. “Thank you for saving me. I didn’t see this coming.” She smiled weakly. “For saving me, I grant you, Pandora, one wish.”
“Can you bring Sasha back to life?”
With a wave of her hand. Sasha was no longer translucent. She was human again. Mike wrapped her in a hug. The beautiful lady smiled. “I will see you again soon, Pandora.” And she vanished.
“What does that mean?”
Atieno wrapped his arms around me. “Don’t care. Let’s go home and make love.”
18
“How are you feeling?” Atieno asked.
We were back at his house. Wrath promised to get Grandma home safely. I still couldn’t believe she brought Sasha back to life. Mike whisked Sasha away before I had time to talk to either of them. My stomach still turned. We hadn’t figured out who was after Sasha.
“I feel like I was hit by a dragon and a warlock.” When we arrived at his house, Atieno gave me some more of his blood. Most of the damage to my body healed as I sipped the cotton-candy-flavored blood.
“I want to bring that fucker back and kill him again,” he growled and pulled me closer to him. We had taken a shower and climbed into bed. “I almost lost you. God, Pandora, he almost killed you.” He dragged his finger up my side, pulling my shirt up and showing my creamy-white skin.
“Well, you died.” I was still mad that he didn’t tell me he was immortal and I had to wait for his body to heal.
Atieno let out a laugh. “I still can’t believe we’re spending a year in hell.”
I sat up quickly, and Atieno’s hand dropped to the side. “No. No. No. One week. The paper said one week.”
He gently pushed me back onto the bed and ran his lips along my neck up to my ear. “One week on this plane is a year in hell.”
I closed my eyes and gave in to the touch of his lips. There was nothing I could do to change the paper. Lucifer tricked me. I planned to make his life a living hell while I was there. “I think the whole thing is bullshit.”
“Don’t ever sign something the devil gives you.”
That should have been common sense, but every brain cell of mine went out the window when I saw Atieno’s lifeless body on the ground. “Don’t fake die again.”
Atieno smiled against my skin.
His touch was faint, almost felt like a feather on my body. I needed more.
“Do you want to keep talking about your dad, or do you want to lose yourself?” he asked. My heart rate picked up as he ran his lips down my collarbone. “That’s what I thought,” he mumbled against my skin. “Your skin is so soft and sensitive.”
Goose bumps broke out on my skin as he ran his knuckles under my white lace bra. I had gone on Amazon and ordered new underwear and bras. I wasn’t going to let Atieno catch me wearing granny panties or an old bra again.
“That feels good,” I whispered. “Your touch makes my body hum.”
“I can’t help it,” he whispered. “I like everything about you.”
I pressed my hand against his thin white shirt. I could feel the grooves of his chest and abs as I dragged my nails down his body. I ran my finger across the top of his jeans, and he let out a groan. Tonight was the night we would tie ourselves together forever. I had never been more certain that he was the only person I could ever picture myself with.
Atieno ran the back of his hand down my cheek. “I’m the luckiest man.”
Rain pelted against the window, giving our room the perfect ambiance for making love. It had started pouring when we left the bunker and hadn’t stopped. It was one of the most soothing sounds.
I wanted the night to last forever, and I wanted to remember everything. Slipping my hand under his shirt, I felt his warm skin. His chest vibrated as my fingers ran across his abs. When I listened closer, I realized he was purring. I rested my head against his chest, not happy with the fabric between our skin. I pulled his shirt up so I could rest my ear against his heart. The purring grew louder.
So much power dwelled in the man next to me, and he was all mine. He moved me to the side and peeled his shirt off his sexy body.
“Your touch is going to be my undoing,” he murmured.
Atieno tangled his left hand in my hair. He pulled me in for a kiss, pressing his lips gently to mine. And when they touched, lightening cracked outside. Mother Nature was in tune with how we felt when we connected. My body melted under his touch.
“You don’t have to be gentle with me.”
He angled his face and brushed his lips across mine. His tongue trailed along my lips, asking for entrance. He was too gentle. I wanted the raw and hungry Atieno under the surface. I opened my lips, and our tongues tangled together. The purring coming from his chest deepened with each stroke of our tongues. It rhythmically matched each passing swipe. He owned my body. His hand gently slid down my side, leaving a trail of goose bumps. With each caress of his hand, my body hummed for him to take me. He circled around the bruise on my side. The color was fading from his healing blood. He let out a snarl as his eyes landed on the bruise. Silly man, I was healing but not fast enough for him. And that made me fall even deeper for the man in my arms. I liked him, and he liked me. That was all I needed. This was us, and no one could stop it.
Wanting the demanding side of Atieno, I dug my fingers into his back and scraped along his spine, pulling him closer. His eyes flashed from crystal blue to green. He watched me for a second before he deepened our kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he rolled over me, propping himself up with his elbows.
“Fuck, you’re hot,” he murmured, pushing my legs apart and settling between them. I didn’t know how much more teasing I could take. I wanted to rip his jeans off and make him thrust into me. I had never been more turned on than right then. His eyes glowed green in the dark, and a flash of lightning lit up the room. Mother Nature was roaring outside, but the only thing that mattered was Atieno and me.
“Please,” I begged as I rubbed myself against his jeans.
He smiled before leaning down and placing a kiss on the tip of my nose.
He wasn't going to rush. My body might combust if he didn’t do something soon.
Atieno reached behind me and unhooked my bra with one hand. Using his other to stay propped up. Our eyes never left each other. He slowly dragged the bra off my body and ran his fingers along my skin. I reached down and worked on unbuttoning his pants. The motion caused my boobs to bunch together, and Atieno let out a sigh before leaning down and capturing my hard nipple in his mouth. The second his warm mouth touched me, my fingers faltered. I was shaky and having a hard time unbuckling his pants. Atieno sucked hard before knelling and helping me pull his zipper down. He quickly discarded his jeans and boxers. His eyes flashed as he looked down at me.
I was the only one wearing any clothing. Atieno traced his fingers along the waistband. Atieno traced his fingers along the top, and he worked my pants down, groaning when he realized I didn’t have any underwear on. He threw my pants aside and lifted my leg up, trailing kisses along my calf to my knee. My body lifted off the bed when he placed a kiss on the inside of my thigh. My body tingled everywhere with need. I couldn’t remember a time I needed someone as much as I needed Atieno.
Atieno placed each of my legs over each of his shoulders and ran his tongue along my most sensitive place. When he purred, my body pressed against him. His every move had me on edge. It wouldn’t be long before I fell, and I knew he would catch me on the other side.
His purr rattled against my nub. He worked down and plunged his tongue inside me. My hands grabbed his short hair, and I cried out.
I tugged, trying to get him to come up my body. I needed him inside me.
“Mmm,” he rumbled. “I’m enjoying myself.” I could feel his smile against my skin. He had every nerve in my body on fire, and I didn’t know which way was up.
He didn’t stop as he worked his tongue against my nub. When he put his fingers along my velvety folds and pressed in, stars appeared in my vision. My body milked his fingers. He worked to drag the orgasm out. I had never experienced anything so amazing in my life. When he went back to sucking on my nub, I squirmed. I was sensitive.
“I need you,” I panted.
He must have heard the desire in my voice, because he began kissing his way up my belly, stopping at my nipples to pay them some much-needed attention. I wrapped my legs around his waist and pressed myself against his hard cock. He groaned as I used him to rub my clit.
Atieno pressed his lips to mine. Unlike earlier, when he was gentle, this kiss was full of need. I opened my mouth, and our tongues entwined together. Atieno rocked back and pressed himself into me. I tried to use my legs to pull him in quicker, but he controlled the pace. It was agonizingly slow, but it felt so good.
“More,” I pleaded.
He reached one arm around my back and grabbed my ass. He pulled me closer.
His cock hit all the right places. “Come for me,” he demanded, and he dragged his fangs along my neck and bit.
My body exploded and I bit into his shoulder, tasting the trickle of his cotton candy blood as it trailed down my throat.
Atieno roared and pounded into me harder. I opened my eyes to see the room fill with purple magic. It wrapped around me, connecting us together. His thrusts became urgent and demanding. With each one, I felt like we were becoming one.
Fated Mates of the Underworld, Books 1-3 Page 26
