“Excellent!” He said clasping his hands on the table, rocking slightly back and forth as if unable to contain his excitement. “So, when do we do it, then?”
“Do what?” I asked casually, taking another bite of pie.
“Perform the mating ritual.” He said matter-of-factly.
The fork slid from my hand and went clattering to the floor.
“The- the what?!” I gasped.
A vampire mating ritual was the bonding of souls for all eternity. It involved not only having wild, passionate sex but also being bit by his venomous fangs, forever marking me as his.
Oddly enough, I felt a strange connection to this vampire. One I couldn’t explain. Just one look at him and my body ached for his touch. It was almost like those oversized hands of his were made to explore every inch of me and my body knew it.
But how could that be? I’d never felt this sort of thing for a vampire before.
“Um thanks, but no thanks.”
He rested a hand on mine just then. His grip was soft but with a slight tightness, one that held a hidden warning. A smile graced his cheek, but his expression was serious as a heart attack.
“I am not one to give up so easily, dear Jessica. If you try to run, I will hunt you down. You can try to hide, but I will always find you. And do you know why? Because you are mine.” His tone was deep yet sweet as honey, his every note laced with the purest seduction.
“So now you want to make me your bride, don’t you still miss your mate?” I said and without warning his fangs popping free of his mouth menacingly.
“You must never ask me that again, dear Jessica. I never want to talk about her, you will never look at me the same again if I do.”
“Well now, you have to tell me!” I declared. “If there’s one thing I love it’s an excellent Ex story.”
Now this was getting interesting. A psycho vampire with a secret, one involving his dead mate?
“Didn’t we say we were moving on from that topic?” He sighed. “No more questions about my mate. You need not know anything about her.”
Maybe I shouldn’t pry any more. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt his feelings. Especially when I still needed to ask him for his help.
“Hey, I just came in here to ask you for a favor,” I remarked. “You’re the one who sprang all this mating stuff on me out of the blue. Don’t get me wrong, I’m flattered. I’ve never rolled in the sheets with an ‘A’ class ancient before. But you will not pull me into some mating ritual just because you say so.”
“A favor?” The words rolled off his tongue like sugar, and his eyes flared with interest. “Tell me about this favor.”
“Well, I’m not so keen on being forced to beat off dozens of magicals everywhere I turn. It’s murder on the nails, you understand?”
He nodded, his eyes squinting with intrigue.
“I was hoping you’d ask a few of your underlings to watch my back, help take some of the heat off. Just long enough for my booboos to heal.” I cooed, fluttering my lashes innocently.
“You are still every bit the seductress.” He said with a grin I’d seen all too often on men hoping to find their way into my bed.
“My men are yours to use as you wish, my dear. I only have one request in return.”
“And what’s that?”
“When I come knocking at your cell door, and believe me I will come knocking, you will always open it for me.”
I froze for a second; the words catching in my throat. Okay, so in exchange for his protection, I’d have to let this gorgeous, psycho killing machine into my room whenever he wanted to pop by for a visit?
I thought about it for a few seconds and it may have been too impulsive a decision, but with a nod, I stretched a hand across the table and said, “you’ve got yourself a deal.”
He shook it, and the instant his icy cold flesh hit mine, the sheer magnitude of his power hit me like an out-of-control train. I was messing with forces too powerful for me to control, and every inch of me knew I was biting off way more than I could chew.
What in Dominion had I gotten myself into?
CHAPTER EIGHT
Broderick
For five hundred years I had traversed the festering underbelly of Dominion. I was the darkness, the bringer of pain and misery.
‘Bring hell to Dominion and let wickedness Rain!’ These were the words my father, Hades, spoken to my brothers and I when we were born. For centuries I followed his commands. I brought poverty to the wealthy, sickness to the healthy, drained the joy from the world one act of wickedness at a time.
But everything changed that day, that one day I will never forget as long as I draw breath. That day I tore Father’s shackles from my body and took to the world as a free demon, a demon reborn. Though the scars still remain and my cursed nature as a creature of the night lives on, I am a monster no more. And for my salvation, I have only one person to thank. The source of my clarity, my desire to be a better man, was always her. It was all because of Jessy Gilcrest.
The sun had only been up an hour or two. Though there wasn’t a single window to cast some light in my dimly lit cell, I could feel the charge of daybreak in my bones. As a creature of the night, bright light had never been my favorite. But a connection with the earth and its movements was a benefit of having well honed supernatural power.
The grey walls of my room almost seemed to shine in the dark. My room had more furniture than most, a testament to my station. To one end was a bed, a double instead of the usual single everyone else had. To the other, I had a chest filled with clothes and a few banned hair care products and luxury items.
But the shining jewel of the castle was the oversized golden throne that sat dead center and took up half of the room. I didn’t mind. I love the feel of my throne under me. It is where I sat in quiet contemplation. Since we had sex two days ago, all I could think about was Jessy.
Suddenly my cell door rolled open, and the guard declared it was time to wake up.
The clack of high heels knocking against the floor filled the air along with the rosy scent of contraband perfume.
A guest? This early in the morning?
Marisa approached wrapping her hand around the bars of my open cell door. She swung her hips flirtatiously in her miniskirt and pink tank top. She was cute enough, as was common for demonesses, but her long blonde hair was a mess. It was obvious she hadn’t combed it since yesterday’s demon orgy pile.
“We missed you yesterday, Alpha. In the mood for a little fun today?” She said, her hand still wrapped around the metal bar of my opened cell door.
“It’s been, what? Two days since you joined us for a little fun? The other demons are speculating if you’re going soft in… certain places.” she giggled, trying in vain to mask her mocking laugh with her hand.
I rose to my feet, slowly creeping toward her. Without warning, I snatched her neck in my hand and gave it a squeeze. Her eyes blew open in surprise.
“Do I look soft to you?” I glared down at her, a chastising edge to my glare. With demons you always had to keep them in check, remind them who’s the alpha. This was the same with my male and female followers.
“Apologies alpha,” she moaned, seeming to get a little too much pleasure from the pressure of my hand squeezing around her throat.
I released her, and she gave out a cough. She then folded her arms and rested them on my bicep while looking up at me like a fawn in love.
“Please, alpha. Let me see to your needs. You haven’t fucked in two days. I live to serve you and hate to see you go without.”
She was right. I hadn’t gone a day without a good fuck in almost three years. In any given week I fucked about nine demonesses, not to mention a few harpies, sirens and a demon thirsty witch or two.
But ever since Jessy and I went at it two days ago, I hadn’t been able to so much as look at other women without thinking about her. fifty years ago when I met her for the first time. It was during the seven-year war that she
spared my life.
On that day I was awe-struck by her beauty, by her raw power. I’d never found a woman as my equal, not until her. And it was enough to make me change my life for good, wanting to be better, to be worthy of a woman like her. It was because of her that after all these years I could honestly say I was a better man than I was when she met me during the war.
After the war ended, I tried to find her. The only problem was, as Alpha of a Gilcrest Pack she was impossible to track down. Years I searched for her to no avail. One black diamond heist gone wrong and I end up in this shithole. And now I’d finally found her again! Wasn’t fate a wonderful bitch?
I sent Marisa away, and she sulked all the way out of my cell. I didn’t care; I had no interest in her or the demon orgy pile anymore.
“Alpha! Alpha! You’re awake,” Johnny said, sprinting his way past the bars of my cell. There were at least six other demons behind him, all stretching the sleep from their arms and legs. These were my most loyal horde mates and my friends.
They all looked scruffy, sporting the usual jeans and sleeveless black T’s, my horde members liked to wear this to distinguish themselves as demons.
“Know what day today is, huh Alpha? Do you, do you?” He continued, popping his face up into mine excitedly.
“No, but I’m sure you’re about to tell me, Johnny.” I jerked my head back, not prepared for this much energy so early in the morning.
“It’s greenhouse day!.” My shoulders popped up at the news, a grin gracing my face. Greenhouse day was the one time of the week they freed every prisoner from the poisons and allowed us to stretch our wings and use our powers for a few hours.
Jessy was sure to be there. I hadn’t seen her since our meeting in the library two days ago. It was like she’d vanished into thin air. She was never in the cafeteria when I was. Nor was she in her cell when I went knocking. That naughty little fae was overdue a visit, and I was determined to give it to her.
“Come on demon boys and girls, it’s time for the hunt.” After a series of cheers from my horde, we made our way across the cell block and out into the main transit hall.
Magical beings packed the hall, smiling from ear to ear, dying for their taste of sweet freedom. They all funneled towards the gates and into the Greenhouse. The gates featured a turns style entrance, the kind you would see at a subway station. As each and every magical being crammed through, they had the numbers on their arm scanned by a guard to keep a track of who went inside.
The air was light and fresh as we approached the gates and the smell of the forest wafted into the prison.
But just as my horde and I neared the gates, Alexandros stopped us. He stood blocking our path with his arms folded and five of his vampire underlings behind him standing at the ready. Rage boiled in each of their eyes making it clear they’d come for a fight. Except something told me this one wouldn’t be like one of our usual demon on vampire scraps.
Alexandros hated me. From the moment I entered the prison he’d made numerous attempts at my life, seeking revenge for the death of his mate. So, as he stood there with his men at his back, I’d expected him to come at me, fists raised.
But, to my surprise, Alexandros just stood there glowering at me and with a tightly balled fist. He snarled the words, “Broderick, I require words with you. Now.”
CHAPTER NINE
Alexandros
How dare this demon sleep with my Jessica! Of all the women he could have chosen, why her? From our conversations in the library Broderick didn’t seem to know that Jessica was Ashley reborn, and I had no intention of telling him. But whether or not he knew Jessica was my mate, I would not allow him to have her.
I assembled a small group of my strongest followers and went to find Broderick as he was about to enter the Greenhouse. The timing was perfect because with the entire prison out in the greenhouse it would be easier to find a private place to speak.
After I’d asked for a private word with him, he heeded my request and we went to speak in an empty stairwell not to0 far away.
Broderick threw himself onto a nearby step and glanced up at me, annoyed by the interruption of his silly greenhouse time.
“This really has to stop now, Alexandros. When will you move on?” Broderick sighed.
“Move on? You think you can just ruin my life and expect me to just forget about it and move on?” I said.
“Listen, Alexandros…” he said raising a hand, his expression pitying.
“No! You listen.” I interrupted, “over two hundred years may seem like a long time, but a millennium would not be enough time to make me forget my Ashley. She and I were happy and in love. And then you....” I charged for him, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and pulling him up from the step to face me.
“You used your demonic illusions on me. You deceived me into seeing her poison my blood. You made me think she’d betrayed me when she never did.” I cried, a tear spilling from my eye.
He did not move or try to pull my hand off of him. He just stood there as the guilt seemed to ebb at him.
“And then, in a fit of grief, you lost control of your powers and accidently killed her.” Broderick continued, “and then the world seemed to go silent as if all life had frozen”.
He was right. I killed her. It was me. Even though he was the instigator of the lie, it was me who killed her.
Hearing those words come from his mouth made tears spring to my eyes and they poured down my face, too fast for me to control them. I released Broderick, and he just stood there speechless for a moment before saying. “I know there is no way you will ever forgive me, Alexandros. And I know it’s no excuse to say that back then I brought chaos to many on my father’s orders. You were not the only man to suffer for the man I was. Over these long years, I’ve changed. Hate me if you want. But what was that the other day in the library? Why would you try to keep me from Jessy?”
Jessica? My tears dried immediately at the utterance of her name. Jessica. The gods had sent her back to me. Though my heart still ached, I didn’t need to cry or mourn another day because she is here with me again. But how could I allow Broderick to share her when it was his fault she died in the first place.
Moreover, if he did not know Jessica was Ashley, how did he know my Jessica at all?
“How do you know Jessica?” I demanded training my eyes on his.
“Well, I could ask you the same thing.” He asked in reply and my eyes narrowed. He gave a deep exhale and pursed his lips.
“If you must know, Jessy and I go way back. Well, I mean… I only really met her once. It was fifty years ago at the height of the seven-year war.”
Ah yes, that silly war. Had that fool, President Dominion, never revealed the existence of magical beings to the humans, they would never have waged war against us. We could have continued to live in secret, secretly running their societies with those pitiful humans being none the wiser. Things were better back then.
“So, what then? Did you fight Jessica on the battleground? I know your father, Hades planned to use the war as an opportunity to kill off the fae. Did you mean to hurt her?” I pressed.
Demons andae have been sworn enemies since the beginning of time. But the fae were not the ones to start it. It was the demons who hated them for their light. All the fae ever wanted to do was exist in this world and even that the Demons refused to allow. The moment the humans declared war on magical beings, starting the seven years war, the demons used the confusion as their chance to attempt eradication of all fae kind.
“No, I would never do that. They only sent me to steal their secrets.” Broderick’s head lowered as shame burned behind his eyes. “Hades wanted to know the secret to their power over light so he could use it to destroy them. I never wanted them destroyed. But back then I had no choice, I was merely a pawn in Hades’ sick games.”
His fist balled tight, and his eyes fixed to the floor.
“Jessica, as the leader of the Gilchrest pack was one of the most powerful
fae in Dominion. It was decided that if their secrets were held anywhere, it would be her pack’s hideout.” he continued.
“And so, you stole from her then?” I interrogated.
“No!” His eyes flew back to mine. “Okay, well I’d planned to. But her pack members caught me. Jessica could have ended my life right then and there but she spared me instead.”
“And now you think you’re in love with her?” I said, and he didn’t disagree. But the look in his eyes just now said yes.
This demon was in love with my mate!?
“So, what if I am in love with her? By the look of things, I’m not the only one who feels this way about her.” A smile tugged on Broderick’s lips then. “Seems maybe you are moving on, do you love her too?”
“I will not accept your love for her.” I said plainly, refusing to answer his question.
He then took a step closer, bringing his face right up into mine with a challenge in his eyes.
In a calm, and steady tone, he said, “I didn’t ask for your acceptance and I sure as hell don’t need it.”
His gaze lingered on mine for a long moment and neither of us said another word. He twisted his body away from mine and stepped down the couple of steps it took to get back in the corridor. He turned and walked back in the direction of the greenhouse gate.
That damned demon! I was overjoyed to have my mate back, and I would do anything to keep her with me. But Broderick was an evil demon. He was still a danger to her, one cannot just change his nature. Not for love, not for anything. He was still the demon who manipulated me into losing control and I will never forgive him for that.
I will never share my mate with the likes of that demon, not in this life or the next.
CHAPTER TEN
Broderick
That Vampire was really starting to get under my skin. If he wanted to fight me for Jessy, I’d be more than willing to take him up on the challenge. But right now, I didn’t want to think about him or his unending hatred, even if I deserved it. It was greenhouse time, and I had a fae to find.
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