It was a new day, a new dawn, and I’d be damned if I was planning on being on the wrong side when shit went sideways. I hadn’t chosen this life, but I sure as fuck wasn’t letting myself end up dead again, if it was even possible.
Lucian dressed as I waited, leaning against the wall as I gazed at his utter masculine perfection. Footsteps sounded outside the door, rushing towards our room. I lifted my head, listening before I peered back at the man who’d made me into this monster and took a long, leisurely look before I stepped from the wall, swallowing hard as the person outside began pounding. Lucian gazed at me as if he perceived exactly what awaited us outside. The warning in his eyes was deadly, and just that, a warning to not fuck him over. As if he sensed I was about to.
I slowly followed him from the room, a skip to my step as we walked to the main room of the Guild, staring at the utter chaos that was unfolding. The walls cracked as energy bombs exploded against them from Lucifer, who was doing exactly as he said he would: knocking on the door.
“It’s Lucifer.” Ryder’s tone was tense, angry and a hint of disbelief flickered in his golden eyes. I smirked as I considered my next move, my decision unwavering as I followed them to the glass that held Lucifer outside.
Smoke billowed around the buildings on the far side of the block, fire bathing his image as he stared directly at me. I smiled back at him, turning to watch Lucian from my peripheral view before I stepped back.
“Let’s go fucking welcome him, shall we?” Lucian growled, the hatred burning so deep that his voice made me tremble.
Too little, way too late.
I followed them out of the doors, smirking when the song began to play loudly around us. It was that song, the one he’d played as I’d fallen prey to him in his club. Marilyn Manson’s rendition of Sweet Dreams filled the night. I watched them all, staring at him as they realized the Furies had placed stones around the stairs, along with added runes and wards to hold them here, to keep them prisoner.
I exploded past them, materializing outside the wards, safely away from them. I turned, staring back at Lucian who glared at me, his eyes screaming murder as he slowly put it together. I’d summoned Luc here. I’d called him to us from his bed. I tilted my head, staring at him before I slowly moved to stand mere feet away from Lucifer, where his demons converged around him, protecting his back as he let that hypnotic gaze slowly take in my new form.
His hair was darker here than it had been in the dream walk we’d shared earlier, his tattoos hidden by the leather jacket he wore. His eyes though, they swirled with an inner fire that pulled me in, calling to me. He was the epitome of a fallen angel. He lured souls to their doom, his beauty pulling them in without warning, the monster within stealing what they treasured most before they had any clue it had been taken. He was the perfect thief, the ideal creature to reign in Hell. As I gazed upon him, I realized why God had forced his fall, forced him to Hell where he could do what God himself hadn’t wanted to do: Punish us for our sins. He was his perfect warrior, all beauty but lethal, deadly, and created to reign. His eyes danced with victory as I held my hands out, palms up in surrender as I took the last few steps to him.
“You’re even more beautiful than I thought possible, Magdalena,” he uttered as he pulled out his own blades, dropping them to the side as he stepped forward, pulling me against his body as his mouth touched, skimming against mine. He pulled me closer, turning me in his embrace as he faced Lucian. I leaned against his heat, allowing him to spread my arms wide and then place them behind me until it looked as if I was on display. I held his neck as I stared up at Lucian, feeling his rage and anger as he watched me through a murderous glare. Lucifer’s mouth lowered to my ear, sucking the lobe between his lips before he slowly kissed his way down my throat, nipping where my shoulder met my neck. His hands ripped open the dress, shredding it easily as he exposed me to their angry stares that watched us in disbelief and horror.
“You fucking traitorous bitch,” Lucian growled thickly as Lucifer laughed huskily, sending a shiver down my spine as it vibrated against me. “You were always a part of this, a part of his fucking game. And I fell right into it, didn’t I?” he demanded.
“Of course she was, she’s my queen,” Luc sneered as he turned me around, kissing me until I was moaning against him, holding on to his neck for life as he drove me over the edge with lust. I was unable to deny the pleasure I felt as he rubbed my body with his hands. He stirred to life an inferno to match the one that blazed around us; the one which consumed the world as we created our own.
He lifted me, ripping the panties from my body as he settled me above him. His cock still hidden within the jeans he wore, but then I didn’t need it out to come. I groaned against his mouth as he smiled his victory right there for the taking. All he had to do was push that throbbing cock into my core, and our deal would be locked, sealed. I opened my mouth to his kiss, the blistering heat of it making my air hitch in my lungs as I pulled away, drawing my hooded stare to Lucian’s. Lucian watched us, his own stare a murderous threat as he paced in front of the wards.
The music hit a crescendo, and my fingers trailed through Luc’s hair, holding him down as my mouth fucked his. He lowered our bodies to the ground, his wings expanding as we lowered until I was above him, rocking my body against his with need. I held his head down, fucking him with my mouth as he struggled to free his thick cock, sensing the moment he released it. I stared down as it pushed against my sex, the electrical sensation of lust shooting through me.
He pushed against my opening, and my hands lifted his head as my mouth lowered, and then I slammed him down, hard. Once, twice, pop. The sound echoed around us as I smiled down at the murderous prick who’d taken motherhood away from me. Blood exploded into my eyes, bathing my face and my mouth as I continued to pound his head against the unforgiving concrete. I stared down with a smirk that was all serial killer and no pretty as I admired the bloody heap that had been utter perfection seconds ago. Too bad it wouldn’t end his miserable fucking life.
I stood, naked, bathed only in his blood that coated my body as if it was paint. I wiped my face, licking my fingers clean as I peered down at the prince of darkness. He gurgled, already healing from what I’d done to him. The mangled mess seized, making grotesque noises as his demons gawked, unsure what to do as they stared at the mess he’d become. He turned to his side, stumbling to his feet before he turned his ruined face towards me. His wings began to move, and I turned my head to the side, studying him and every weakness he had. My own wings expanded, and I spun as he charged, severing his head, which bounced and then stopped right on the stairs, right at Lucian’s feet.
“That was for my son,” I uttered thickly, reveling in the revenge that slithered through me, the intoxicating taste of it so strong that my eyes closed and I stood there, basking in it. I rolled my head, letting loose the muscles as the magic and power rushed through me as I opened my eyes to stare at the demons who were now comprehending what had played out.
Lighting crashed close by, and then it struck everywhere. The entire night turned into day as bolt after lethal bold crashed down, slaughtering the demons who’d come to protect their prince. The night was scented in electrical current as I stood there in all my naked glory, watching as they perished, sent back to whatever dark pit they’d crawled out of. The Furies slipped into the wards, into the protection it offered, chancing the anger of those they’d earlier trapped inside them.
Once they were within, I let my Fury out. Every bit of anger, loss, and hatred let loose at once. The smell of burned flesh permuted into the night as bodies that had held the demons melted under the bolts of lightning.
Everything came out.
Everything I’d kept inside of me, power, anger, rage, and the pain. Oh, the pain was intense as it exploded from me, and punished those outside the protective barrier. I let it all go so that I didn’t have to feel it, live with it.
The world trembled as the scream ripped through my lungs, echoing with the power I unleashed. It rode the bolts down with the demons, slamming into them with the force of my emotions as I held nothing back. My hair rose as my flesh glowed with the runes painted upon my flesh. One after another, the demons popped, sizzled and then melted into nothing. The bodies of the humans they’d stolen turned to ashes, floating in the air around me. It looked like a blizzard, ashes rained around me, floating with the wind and breeze as I turned, staring at Lucian. Once the last demon had popped and exploded as my mortal head had done that fateful day I walked towards the wards.
And Lucifer thought I’d be his fucking queen? Please. I was the fucking reigning queen. The queen of the dead, the undead, and the pissed the fuck off.
Once I was inches from him, I lifted a dainty brow and glared at him. “Bitch?” I snapped.
“You…” he stopped, letting his gaze drift down my naked body which was painted in our enemy’s blood. “I was wrong.”
“You’re damn right you were,” I growled back. “If you think I’d so easily slip and land on his dick after what he did to our child, you’re not ready for me. He killed my son, so I did what I had to do to get revenge. He may not be dead, but he knows I’m willing to fight him to get to that point of our relationship.”
“He cannot be killed, not without offsetting the balance.”
“Fuck the balance. Everything can be killed. And I don’t really want him dead; I want him to suffer for the rest of his miserable fucking life.”
“And you didn’t tell me your plan, why?” he demanded.
“Now you know how I felt when you begged Katarina to let you in. Betrayal stings and you now know exactly how I felt before I slit my fucking throat. I thought you wanted her, and yet I sacrificed my life to protect you and everyone else. So the next time you think you’re doing me a favor? Don’t. Or I’ll make you feel it tenfold.”
“You’re fucking hot when you’re evil,” Spyder drawled from beside Lucian. “She’s like your evil fucking twin, but with a nice rack.”
Synthia snorted and then I was dressed, even though the blood was still crusted against my flesh. I stared at Lucian pointedly, watching as his eyes crinkled in the corners as a smile played across his lips.
“Lesson learned,” he agreed. “Let’s get inside; you have Lucifer in your hair still.”
“I may not shower for a week,” I muttered. “I enjoyed being covered in him.”
He growled, and I wiggled my eyebrows, sauntering past him as I followed the others into the Guild.
“You’ll shower, because I won’t smell him as I fuck you, Lena. Next time, warn me so that I don’t have to punish you.”
“Punish me?” I smirked, watching him as he stopped me, pulling me back as the others moved inside.
“I almost took those wards down tonight. If I had, everyone else would have died. I can get through your wards, the runes? They won’t fucking hold me now. Not being able to get you before? I made fucking sure I’d never have to go through it again, but the cost is anyone else in the general vicinity will die. Don’t do it again. You get me? Because I won’t lose you, not even if you switch sides. I’ll hunt you down and tie that tight ass up to my bed for eternity just to keep you. I can’t and won’t lose you again. Whatever the fuck you make me feel? I want to keep feeling it. So careful, because I don’t play by rules that you understand, and I don’t care who I take out if it ends with you living, or staying with me.”
“You know, they have a word for that, it’s called sociopath,” I muttered as I lifted up on my tiptoes and tried to kiss him. His hand came up to block it.
“You are not kissing me with Luc on your lips, and he is. He’s everywhere,” he growled as he indicated my entire face and then smirked. “You were a fucking sight to behold tonight, but I mean it. No more secrets where he is concerned.” He pushed me towards the Guild’s door, and I allowed it, even as I smelled the brimstone as Lucifer healed. He’d be back, and pissed.
Chapter 21
Inside the club the men paced, every once in a while tossing me a dirty or disapproving look. I got it, I’d walked Lucifer right up to their front door, but he had been coming here no matter what I’d done. My gaze moved between Lucian and Ryder; both men refused to stop pacing, and I was getting tired of the looks they kept throwing my way. I shrugged at them when they did, somehow managing to not show how rattled I was at what I’d just accomplished and how it felt.
I’d smashed Lucifer’s head into the ground until it had popped, just as mine had done when he’d sealed my death in a pretty bow. Chewing my lip, I peeked at the coven from beneath my lashes, watching them as they stared between them and me as if they feared I’d be punished. They were terrified, and they should be. Lucifer was coming to claim his daughter one way or another, he would take her.
“You do realize that you brought the fucking devil to the one place we have brought people to be safe, right?” Synthia groaned softly. Her hair hung down her shoulders in gentle waves of platinum as she stared me down. Her hands lifted, rubbing her temples as the stress oozed from her into the men around her.
I nodded as I slowly took in her stiff demeanor. She had changed from her fighting leathers into a soft, cool baby blue camisole that hugged her full chest snugly. A tight pair of jeans hugged her shapely legs, showing off the well-muscled physique of her lithe frame. Weapons were holstered, and yet I didn’t miss the fact that while they seemed relaxed, they were very much ready and on edge because of what had happened outside. They were ready to defend this place with their lives if the need arose.
“He was coming here anyway, and nothing could have stopped him if he wanted in. I needed to know why he’d sought me out, and once I had, I used it to get him to me. He is coming for his daughter; one way or another, he will make a try for her. We thought he wanted eyes on the ground since he was trapped in Hell, and once he was released, he’d forget she existed or was soon to exist, but that’s not the case. He wants her still,” I admitted. I shrugged when she continued to stare at me. “I also needed to get revenge, to show him that I am not the weak mortal who he almost beat to death that day. I needed to show him I was ready for him to buy Kendra time.”
“You could have mentioned you had a direct fucking line to him. Instead, you acted like it was no big deal and that it had been nothing. You smelled of brimstone, reeked of it, actually. You didn’t even give us a fucking clue as to what you planned to do, which could have ended badly or been a fucking disaster, Lena,” Lucian snarled, the room shaking with his anger as he let it out. Midnight eyes locked with mine as he glared murderously, inches away from me. I shrugged, smirking as his eyes darkened with his anger. I owed him nothing. “You could have given us an indication of what you’d planned, or that he was on his way instead of leaving us yanking our dicks in the dark as we stumbled to figure it out. All that little show you just did for him? It’s only going to piss him off more than he already is. It didn’t even buy us time, which it could have. We thought you actually made a fucking deal with him, so you’re very lucky it didn’t cost you that pretty little head of yours.” He rubbed his eyes with his knuckles before dropping them to reveal the unearthly blue glow as whatever lived inside of him peered out at me. “Instead, you forced me to watch you as you rubbed yourself all over his cock, knowing he intended to fuck you right in front of me as I was forced to watch it happen!”
“And? Am I supposed to feel bad for you?” I frowned at him as I shook my head, pushing my hair back from my face. “If I had told you, you wouldn’t have reacted as you did. You wouldn’t have responded at all or enough that he believed it. You’d have given it all away, so yes, I left you in the dark, but I’m not stupid, asshole. You never stumble. I wanted to see how brash and cocky the prick could be, and we now know that he isn’t afraid of us, why? Why isn’t he afraid of you and everyone else? What’s changed since h
e ran from you last time? Something has, and we need to know what. We also needed to know he was close, which he is. He isn’t leaving this area until he gets what he wants, and that isn’t something we can just hand over to him, now is it? No. He is here because his child is here, which means we judged him wrong. He cares about his daughter, his flesh and blood. So if you not knowing which side I was on hurt your feelings, suck it up, buttercup. I don’t have time to worry about your feelings right now. I released Lucifer from Hell, and now he is after my family, my blood. So I’m sorry that watching me seduce the devil hurt your feelings or bothered you, but we no longer need the witches to scry for him because I’ve tasted his blood. He cannot hide from me any longer. That’s a win, Lucian. No matter what you think, it’s a win, and we fucking needed one.”
“And if it had gone wrong, what then? If he’d suspected you would betray him, he could have fucking killed you!”
“I’m already dead!” I shouted back crossly. “He already helped kill me, and it wasn’t what he wanted to do. He wants to do whatever brings you the most pain. Not me. Killing me doesn’t work anymore because he’s already done it. He may want, now that I smashed his head into the pavement, but this has never been about me. It’s about you. I’m already on borrowed time, and I no longer fear death. I can’t, it doesn’t help us get anywhere. I’m tired of losing, aren’t you? I want to end this war before he succeeds in bringing down the doors between the worlds, before the veil falls and monsters we cannot possibly hope to win against come to this one. We can’t close the doors without knowing his plans first, and even if we do manage to close them, there are still thousands of creatures who have escaped their worlds into this one. I’m tired of fucking losing. We’re losing right now, and no matter what we are trying to accomplish, we have to start now. Monsters are feeding off the human race, devouring them to sustain life, and they need our help. I’m sick of smelling the coppery tang of blood in the air and the noxious odor of brimstone. We’re immortal, standing in a Guild that was erected to protect humans. It’s time we start doing it, and we give them no mercy. No option to return home, we slaughter anything that doesn’t belong here.”
Becoming his Monster Page 16
