The ground on the opposite shore was black just like in the city, but not trampled down. As he walked forward, ash kicked up beneath his feet, surrounding him in a smoky fog. It slightly obscured his vision of the massive black boulders that stretched out as far as the eye could see.
Smart demons avoided this area. Far too many beasts lurked, waiting to cause pain and suffering. The thought of the trespasser teleporting here alone... well, he almost felt sorry for him.
Whether the beasts get him or we do, this won’t be a good day for him.
But it served the trespasser right for entering the king’s private lands.
Slowing slightly, he squinted as he scanned the plains ahead of him. In this realm, tiny sparks fell continuously, like glowing rain. For humans, the sparks would have been painful. But he barely noticed as they fell on his shoulders and his head.
The sparks were also the only source of light out here. Which was enough for demons to see by. They were made for the dark, after all. It was the shadows created by the boulders that made this area dangerous. They provided the perfect hiding places for enemies.
As much as I want to find the intruder before my brothers do, I can’t be an idiot.
He called his blade to him and it appeared in his hand a moment later. The long silver blade was sharp and deadly, and if he needed, it could brighten with flames.
Any creature stupid enough to challenge him would be sorry.
Weaving through the boulders, he listened intently, his senses stretching out around him. Determined that nothing would catch him by surprise.
After several long minutes, he sensed something not far ahead of him. Inhaling deeply, letting his wolf senses stretch out around him, he scented something strange. It was a delicate smell, almost sweet.
What the hell could that be?
Tucking himself into a particularly shadowed area between boulders, he watched and waited. His mind racing through every possible source of the sweet scent.
A moment later, a beautiful woman strode into the clearing not far from him.
His jaw dropped, and he blinked several times to clear the illusion from his sight. And yet, she remained. This is impossible...
Her skin wasn’t bright red like most demons, but a pale red, almost tan color. He might have mistaken her for a human, if not for the two tiny horns on her head. So what is she?
His heart pounded rapidly. One thing was sure. He’d never seen such a stunning woman, not even when he was alive. Her hair was long and blonde, pulled back from her face in a practical way. And yet, it wasn’t practical at all. It was sexy. It drew attention to her flawless skin, high cheekbones, and long neck.
She was also tall for a woman, her body curved in all the right places. And the tanktop she wore? Shit. It did little to conceal her hard nipples and the sweet roundness of her breasts.
Fucking hell.
For a second, he just drank in the sight of her. Enjoying her like an incredible dish that tasted better with every bite.
I bet she tastes as good as she looks. A rumble rolled through his chest at just the thought of spreading her sweet thighs and burying his face between them.
But as she moved closer, the blood from his groin seemed to send a little back to his brain. This has to be the intruder.
As good as she looked. As good as she smelled. It was his job to deal with her.
After that, she isn’t my responsibility.
For a moment, he imagined this woman kneeling before the demon king. What would his leader do to her?
Nothing she doesn’t deserve.
Because even though the king of hell was called the devil, and feared for his ruthlessness, he wasn’t a cruel man. Jaxson wouldn’t have served him if he was. He was a fair ruler who enforced his rules and kept order over the demon realm.
I just hope this woman has a good reason to be here, or the king will have to deal with her.
Her presence, however, disturbed him. Female demons were rare, and usually had done something pretty awful to be sent to the demon realm. So what had a woman like her done to end up in this dark place? And what was more, how had she known the location of this secret portal?
Time to find out.
He eased from the shadows of the boulders and stood directly in her path, his sword held out before him in an unspoken threat. Immediately, her gaze snapped to him. And for a moment, she looked surprised.
Not frightened like every other demon who crossed paths with him. Strange.
As always, her gaze instantly moved to the scarring on one half of his face.
His stomach tightened. For some reason, his grotesque appearance bothered him more today. In the presence of a goddess, a woman whose beauty was unparalleled to any woman he’d seen before, he felt ashamed to even stand before her.
When her gaze shifted to the rest of his face and then slowly down his body, he watched her warily. When their eyes met once again, he expected repulsion. Instead, she smiled at him.
Of all the reactions he expected, a smile was the last one.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
It took him a second to find his voice. “Do you,” he stopped to clear his throat, “realize that you’re not supposed to be here?”
Her eyes twinkled in a way he could only describe as mischievous. “And what are you going to do about it?”
“I serve the demon-king. Since you’re trespassing, I’ll bring you before him, and he’ll decide what happens to you.”
Again, he expected to see fear. Again he was disappointed.
No, not disappointed, surprised. Because her smile only widened.
“I guess you have to do what you have to do.”
Lowering his blade, he shook his head. “What’s wrong with you? A normal person would be terrified.”
“Really?” She blinked her eyes slowly, mockingly. “I guess a little woman like me should be really scared then.”
He scowled. “I don’t know who you are, but you have no idea how much trouble you’re in.”
She moved closer to him, then her gaze traveled down to his crotch.
Damn it.
“Is that from the River of Lust, or are you just happy to see me?”
Is she flirting with me?
Warily, he watched as she closed the distance between them. Pushing the arm that held his sword to the side, she pressed her body against his, running her hands up his chest. Instantly, her sweet scent washed over him.
Within him, his wolf stirred in a way it hadn’t in many months. Like a puppy, it was drawn to her. Eager for more of her touch. For more of her intoxicating smell.
Like sugar. Or cookies. Or something mouthwatering.
But why was she touching him? A woman like this had no good reason to be anywhere near him.
This has to be a part of some sinister plan? Which means I should be shoving her away...
“What’s your name?” she asked, her stunning hazel eyes holding his.
“Jaxson.” Why the hell did I tell her that?
“Well, Jaxson. I’ll agree to go along without a struggle, but I’m going to require a kiss first.”
His breathing sped up and a wave of arousal swept through him, heating his blood. He was aware of every inch of her curvaceous, beautiful body pressed up against his. Closing his eyes, he tried to ignore the torturous awareness of her hard nipples against his chest.
Of course she’s not wearing a bra.
He felt like a horny teenager. He wanted to blame it on the River of Lust, but it probably had more to do with how long it’d been since a woman had willingly pressed herself against him. In the light. Where she could see his face.
Probably before I died.
Demons aged more slowly than humans. He’d died when he was twenty-seven. And after thirty years as a demon, he hadn’t aged a day. And yet, he felt as if a lifetime had passed.
“Am I not your type?”
His eyes flashed open. “You’re every man’s type, and you know it. Bu
t a woman like you wouldn’t be interested in someone who looks like I do, so what do you want?”
She tilted her head, frowning. “Someone who looks like you?”
Mistake seductress! He yanked himself free of her, his heart pounding.
Grabbing her arm, he tightened his grip on his blade. “No more games. You’re coming with me.”
She shrugged. “I guess I’ll take a raincheck on that kiss.”
His cock jerked at her suggestive words, and for a second all he could think about was her kiss. Her touch. How her body would feel clenching around him as he came.
I need to get as far from this woman as possible. As quickly as possible.
Hauling her through the maze of boulders, he tried not to notice how the tiny sparks of light seemed to cling to her, nor how soft and warm her arm felt beneath his touch. Because if his brain started down that trail, he wasn’t sure he could stop it.
They walked in silence. But every second he was aware of her. Of how confidently she moved through the dangerous lands. And how calm she seemed, despite her situation.
She absolutely confused him.
After several long minutes, they reached the River of Lust. He released her arm, considering his options. How the hell am I going to swim through the river with her, without touching her?
“You go first.” He told her gruffly, knowing if she made a break for it on the other side, he could easily catch her.
She shrugged. Then, moving to the edge of the lava, she gave him one last seductive look and dove off the edge.
When she surfaced a moment later, just a couple feet in front of him, she gripped the dark ground and drew herself up.
Her clothes were... gone. The tops of her naked breasts entirely exposed to his hungry gaze.
“Did I forget to mention I was wearing clothes from the human-realm?”
His willpower crumpled, and his thoughts turned to sludge.
Sending his sword away, he knelt down. Like a foolish sailor drawn to a siren, he leaned forward and trailed a finger along the mounds of her breasts, then down the space in the middle.
His erection was no longer irritating, but absolutely painful. I need this damned woman.
No matter the cost.
Sliding into the waters beside her, he expected her to pull away. For him to wake up and find it had all been a dream. But instead, she pulled him closer, and their mouths met in a searing kiss that seemed to stop time itself.
Her fingers wove into his dark hair, twisting him so she had easier access to his mouth. And to his shock, a little moan slipped passed her lips. As if she wanted him as badly as he wanted her.
Which is impossible.
He knew it must have been the River of Lust that had this goddess touching him, but in that moment, he didn’t care. He needed this.
Not just his body, but his soul.
He needed to feel... loved. Even if he was only fooling himself.
When she slid her tongue into his mouth, he groaned. His thoughts slipping away once more. Every nerve in his body singing to life.
Her hands went to his shirt, pulling the buttons apart with one powerful motion before she tossed it onto the shore behind them. Hungrily, she tore her mouth from his and slid her lips down his neck, sucking wherever she seemed to want and running her fingertips along his sensitive chest.
Feeling bold, he grabbed her breasts possessively, loving the way they spilled over in his hands. Squeezing them gently, an unexpected possessiveness filled him. He wished he could write his name across them. Claim them as his and his alone. Claim her as mine!
Trailing his fingers along the smooth skin of her breasts, he tried to keep his touch light and teasing until he found her sensitive nipples. Then, he brushed them, loving when she froze, breathing hard.
Feeling bold, he rubbed the sensitive peaks, drawing a gasp from her lips. Her reaction thrilled him, and he squeezed her nipples, rolling them between his fingertips until he felt her tremble beneath his touch.
Clumsily, her hands moved to the zipper of his pants. Without hesitation, she undid his button, unzipped his pants, and pulled his erection free. As her hands gripped him, he ground his teeth to keep from losing control too soon.
But the minx wasn’t done. She pumped him, slowly, as if they had all the time in the world. Her fingers grazing his sensitive skin in a way that wasn’t just sexy, it was intimate as hell.
“Fuck, woman,” he groaned, his hips moving to meet her strokes.
“You like that, my big demon,” she whispered, the huskiness of her voice raising goose bumps over his flesh. “Then you’re really going to like this.”
When she released him and threw her arms around his neck, he almost growled in protest. But then, she pulled herself up, her legs moving around his back.
He froze. She wants to have sex with me? In the light? Where she can see me? His shock was quickly replaced by amazement as she pressed his tip to her entrance.
His hands moved from her breasts to her hips, and their eyes locked. Are you sure? He waited, expecting her to change her mind. Expecting her to shove him away.
When she didn’t, a tremble swept through his body. She really wanted him. Me!
Slowly, never looking away from her, he eased into her tight body.
She moaned as his entire body awakened. Intune to every sound and movement this extraordinary woman made.
I’m going to make this so good for you that you’ll never want another man inside you. As long as you live, he promised her.
It didn’t matter how long it had been. Instinct took over and he thrust into her, sensing when she needed him to move slower and faster. Sensing when she needed him to suck her glorious nipples or stroke her sensitive clit.
Slowly, he built her arousal, watching her every movement. Feeling the way her body reacted to him. And loving every damn second of it.
Until he sensed she was getting close. Then, and only then, did he grasp her hips and let his control begin to slip. His thrusts grew harder and deeper. His cock swelled as her inner-muscles clenched around him.
“Jaxson, oh God Jaxson, just like that!” she moaned, digging her nails into his back.
He clenched his jaw, unwilling to go before she did, no matter how hearing his name on her tongue drove him wild. Even though everything within him was winding tighter and tighter.
When she shouted, her inner-muscles squeezing around him as her orgasm pushed her over the edge, his control finally snapped. He cried out as he came, filling her with his seed with a rush of euphoria that made him feel... alive. Powerful beyond his wildest dreams.
And connected to this woman in a way he couldn’t understand.
It was several long moments before his thrusting slowed, and she calmed around him. But even then, he kept himself buried inside of him, inhaling the scent of her arousal. Feeling how different her soft body was against his hard one.
Mine, his wolf seemed to growl possessively within him.
He hated that he didn’t disagree.
“Wow!” she whispered. “I always knew you’d be good in the sack, but this...”
His brain took a pathetically long time to process her words. “Always?”
She pressed a light kiss to his neck, and pulled back, that wicked smile of hers back. “Of course, Jaxson, but it’s okay you don’t remember me. You will soon.”
His hands held her hips more tightly. What the hell does that mean?
Chapter Five
Zane had almost reached the portal, and he still hadn’t seen a sign of whatever being was stupid enough to trespass on the king’s lands. Rotating his wrist, he spun his sword in front of him, bored.
That was the thing about living forever. Everything became boring after a while.
A couple of Level Three demons hissed at him from the shadows. The three foot tall creatures were bright red, with sharp spines down their backs, and rows of pointed teeth. They had the mental capacity of a dog, mostly acting on instinct rather than
intelligence. Which made them more irritating than dangerous.
But they were better than Level One’s. They at least usually knew not to challenge demons more powerful than themselves.
The thing is, today I could use a fight. Anything to mix up this mind-numbing boredom.
“Bring it,” he muttered to them, and felt a wave of annoyance when they slunk away.
He could chase them. But what was the point? He’d kill them. They’d die. And then, he’d be right back to walking around without a purpose.
Sighing, he looked up at the sparks of light raining from the sky. When he’d first come to the demon-realm, after the initial terror and acceptance of his death, he’d found the fire sparks beautiful. Almost like fireworks dancing in the sky. Now, however, he was tired of them.
He missed Earth.
Freezing, he scolded himself for wanting what he should never have. He’d gone to the demon-realm because he deserved it. Earth would be forever beyond his grasp. The sunlight. The blue skies. The scents not laced with sulfur.
The women.
Basically, everything worth waking up for.
Walking once more, he continued to spin his blade in lazy circles. Lately he’d been particularly agitated. Restless. He’d finally decided to ask Jaxson about something he hadn’t brought up in nearly five years... climbing through the realms and escaping back to the Earth. Even though I don’t deserve it. Because I can’t keep doing this forever. His eternal-brother would get angry again. He’d tell him that this was their life now and to accept it.
But he wasn’t sure he could anymore. He just... was tired of being dead.
Of not having a real life.
But as much as he wanted to bring it up today, he wouldn’t. Not on the anniversary of Jaxson’s death. His brother was already looking for a fight, and as fun as it was to annoy him, he wouldn’t risk such an important topic that day.
He reached the portal at the same time as Ian.
His youngest brother looked concerned, his dark gaze vacant.
“No trespasser?”
Ian’s head shot up. “Uh, nope. You either?”
Mates of the Realms: The Complete Collection: A Paranormal Reverse Harem Box Set Page 69
