by Ashlee Sinn
“You threw a knife at me,” I said. Bending forward slightly, I prepared for another attack.
“You tried to stab me first.”
I shrugged. “You’re interfering with the legal collection of a soul.”
Jericho smirked again. “This is out of your hands, Soul Snatcher.”
Across the room, I watched Otis watching us. For a man so close to death, he seemed rather content. His focus was mostly on Jericho…and his wings. I rolled my eyes. “Are you ready, Otis?” I asked without turning my gaze away from the angel.
“No.”
“I told you, you can’t have him,” Jericho said again.
“Really?” I blinked myself behind Otis and grabbed the old man’s throat. “Come on, Otis. Let’s go.”
As the life started to leave my mark, I felt his soul coming to the surface. It struggled against his skin, knowing that I was waiting on the other side. With a smile on my face, I continued to squeeze. It was almost in my hands.
“Stop!” Jericho shouted, throwing his arms out in front of him and sending another attack my way.
Using Otis as a shield, I swung myself behind my mark to avoid being hit by the light beams streaming from Jericho’s hands. The old man’s body started to shake and convulse, yet his soul suddenly felt unreachable. Jericho chanted the same few words over and over as the light shot across the room toward us.
My hands burned. My skin stretched against the heat. And I screamed up into the air as I tried to fight against him. Otis’ soul slipped somewhere deep inside, just out of my reach unless I went in there myself. “What are you doing?” I yelled at the angel.
He continued his incantation, eyes closed and lips moving faster and faster.
The inside of my chest exploded in a fog of pain. I dropped Otis and fell against the counter for support. I’d never faced off with an angel before, but I knew Jericho was doing something that could cause me serious harm. I tried to blink out of his reach, but it was futile. I tried to scream, yet my lips were stuck in a howl of agony where no noise could escape. I felt my body disappearing from the inside out and there was nothing I could do about it.
I thought about my sister and Mammon and how disappointed they would be when they heard how I’d met my end—a fucking angel. Ashby would laugh. Mammon would bring me back from the dead just to kill me all over again. And I’d forever be known as the spawn of an archdemon who couldn’t hold her own.
“No!” I shouted, trying to stand. Jericho spoke louder as Otis slumped to the floor. “You son of a—”
And then it stopped.
In an instant, I found myself on the ground outside the antique shop with no more pain blasting through my body. On my knees, I looked up at the passing crowd who didn’t even seem to notice that I’d just appeared. Turning my head to see inside, a dull, white light glowed from the back of the shop. Was Jericho healing Otis?
“I don’t think so,” I grumbled to myself. Pushing up on my feet, I stumbled to the front door and grabbed the handle…only to have it burn my skin as I tried to get inside. “What the…?” Yanking my hand away, I looked down to see the mark of the cross singed on my palm.
That sonofabitch magically cock-blocked me.
“Jericho!” I shouted at the top of my lungs. The angel didn’t answer, of course. And a few seconds later, the light disappeared from the inside. I tried the handle with my other hand, only to get burned again. I tried to blink inside, but I couldn’t pass through the barrier Jericho had created.
There was no way for me to collect this soul.
“You’re fucking mine,” I growled, looking up into the sky. A man and a woman walked past me, eyeing up my strange behavior. But when I glared back, they quickly ran away. I knew my eyes were glowing red because I was furious and in pain.
Had Mammon known? Had this been a set up?
“No,” I said to myself. “No, she wouldn’t do that.”
But something was going on and I was too pissed right now to confront my sire. So, I thought about where I could go to cool off for a while. Only one place came to mind, and the second I visualized the interior of the apartment, I disappeared from the street.
The darkness of the apartment took me by surprise. It was the middle of the day after all. But Stefan had pulled the curtains and lit candles to illuminate his very well decorated bachelor pad. I didn’t see them a first, still too distracted by my encounter with Jericho, but when a heard a woman’s moan, I froze in my steps.
“Shit,” I mumbled to myself, trying to ease away from the sound.
“Arabella?” Stefan lifted his head from the other side of the couch, shirtless and sweaty. He wiped at his mouth and sat up completely. “Well, this is a surprise.” The smirk on his face grew, even when the woman beneath him moaned his name again.
I wrinkled my brow and shook my head. “Sorry, Stefan. I should have called first—”
“Nonsense.” He stood, showing me his incredible chest and the pair of jeans he wore on the bottom half of his body. “I’m almost done feeding.” Then, with a wicked grin, he glanced down at the woman beneath him and back at me. “Unless you want to join?”
While I’d dabbled in that over the years, I really wasn’t feeling very giving right now. Shaking my head, I looked behind me toward the kitchen area to find a place where I could disappear for a while. Stefan walked around the couch and approached me with his hands out.
“What’s wrong with you?” He sounded genuinely concerned and I smiled at my friend.
“I’ve just had a rough day.”
Stefan’s fingers brushed up and down my arms. “Sounds like you need to forget about it for a while.”
I knew what he meant and I couldn’t stop my grin. “I don’t know. I think I just needed to take a few minutes to—”
“To not be in control?” His voice oozed sex every time he opened his lips. And while I knew it was his nature, it didn’t make me feel any less special when that attention was turned on me. “Come on,” he breathed, grabbing my hand and pulling me past the sleeping woman on the couch. She was completely naked and completely out cold. Sometimes Stefan took a little too much energy, forcing the human into a deep recovery sleep.
We continued through his living room and into the wide hallway. The room at the end was his bedroom, but he pulled me through a door on the left before reaching it. His sexy grin caressed me as he watched my reaction. No windows and all black—this must be Stefan’s play room. My insides shivered with anticipation.
“Arabella, I want you to forget all your problems and just focus on me,” he whispered.
While I thought that sounded like an excellent idea, I couldn’t force myself to get there. “Stefan, I don’t think I can—”
“Enough!” he shouted, stopping my words. Stalking closer to me, he breathed into my ear. “I. Control. You.” Then he grabbed my pants and yanked them down to my knees. I stood still. Waiting. Anticipating. “Give me your hands,” he commanded and when I held them out in front of me, he quickly slapped a pair of handcuffs around my wrists. As he stared into my eyes with a mischievous and devilish grin, he lifted the cuffs over a hook dangling from the ceiling. With several slow clicks, he raised the chain until my arms were pulled high above my head.
Saying nothing else, he dropped to his knees and unzipped my boots. But when I moaned, he slapped me on the ass so hard it stung. “You only speak when I tell you to.” His hands returned to my legs and in no time at all, I was standing there, strung up to the ceiling, wearing nothing but my sweater and bra. His fingers scraped down my thighs, ending at my ankles where he tied a piece of fabric to each.
And then he pushed them out to the sides.
One leg at a time, he spread me out wide, tying me to something solid on the floor. I hung freely in the air…and loved every minute of it. Stefan stood, staring eye to eye with me. He suddenly grabbed my chin and squeezed hard. “Arabella, the Soul Snatcher, the spawn of Mammon…you have done something very bad.”
His lips crushed against mine, his tongue pushing inside my mouth and filling me up. I kissed him back, furious with my need for release. If there was something Stefan excelled at, it was making a woman forget about her troubles. His hands slipped beneath my sweater and he slowly started to pull it up over my breasts. Rocking my hips back and forth, I begged him with my actions to give me the pleasure I wanted.
But Stefan loved playing this game. And the demon in him loved to torture.
His mouth found my nipples, hard and sensitive, and he sucked on them until I shouted his name. Another slap on my ass had me whimpering. “You don’t get to speak,” he reminded me.
I bit my lips, loving the lack of control and almost forgetting about Jericho. But as though sensing the thoughts in my head, Stefan bit down hard on my breast and pulled my hips against his erection. “Thoughts on me, Arabella.” His finger slid against my folds and my knees buckled. Jericho? Jericho who?
Stefan let out a deep chuckle as he slipped two fingers inside. With the heel of his hand pressing against my sex, I was at his total mercy. He could have ripped my limbs away and I would have still requested more. Slowly and methodically, he pumped in and out of me while his mouth sucked and nipped and pulled on my hardened nipples. The heat began to build, and as though knowing this, Stefan abruptly pulled away and left me wincing for more.
“Beg, Arabella. Tell me what you want,” he cooed.
I opened my eyes and licked my lips as I met his gaze. “I need more,” I pleaded.
Stefan raised a brow and gave me a wink a second before he dropped to his knees. Pushing my thighs apart even more, he buried his face between my legs. I gasped as his tongue pushed inside, his nose brushing against my already swollen clit. He worked his magic, his demon-given ability to seduce and please, until I couldn’t feel my toes anymore. As the pressure built and I tried to free my hands so I could push his face against me even harder, my orgasm exploded from my body with such force, I screamed into the air. Stefan continued to flick his tongue against me while I rocked my sex back and forth across his face. With my feet tied and my hands locked above my head, the complete feeling of submission did something amazing to me.
I never lost control.
And Stefan had changed that.
Still reeling from the waves of ecstasy pulsing through my limbs, Stefan stood with that same mischievous grin on his face. “Feeling better?” he asked lightly.
I could only nod.
“Well, I’m not done with you yet.” His eyes glowed a bright blue, showing me just how much he was working to stay in control too. He pushed his finger under my breast and let it trace along my ribs as he worked his way around me. Stopping at my rear, he quickly grabbed my chin and thrust my head back against his. “Now, don’t make a sound.”
Shivers ran down my neck and over my shoulders with his threat. I’d never let Stefan have this much control over me, and a part of me wondered why I hadn’t trusted him to take me this way before now. Trust came lightly with demons, but Stefan and I had a solid relationship…and I was pretty fucking sure we would be playing this game again.
I heard him unzip his jeans just a moment before I felt him enter me from behind. I bit my lips hard enough to draw blood, doing my best not to call out as I enjoyed the feel of him pushing into my center. Filling me up completely, my moist folds welcomed his thrusts. His hand slipped around to my front, a finger brushing my clit in a circular motion while he pounded me from behind. With each hit, my body spasmed. And in no time at all, I was enjoying the intense pleasure of another orgasm pulsing through me. My legs weak, my arms tingling, I was thankful for the cuffs as I didn’t think I’d be able to stand on my own.
Stefan pulled out of me and kicked his pants off to the side. Hanging my head in satiated exhaustion, I waited for him to untie my legs. Then he lifted the cuffs off the hook and placed my bound hands behind his head. Facing me, he kissed me softly on the lips a moment before digging his hands into my thighs. He lifted my legs so that I was straddling him…and pushed his giant cock inside of me again. Breathing up toward the sky, I let him walk us out of the room and down the hall toward his bed. With him still buried firmly inside, I squeezed my muscles tight, enjoying the feel of him hardening beneath me and the way my sex tingled with each move.
Stefan laughed as he sat on the edge of his oversized bed. With me on top, hands still cuffed around his neck, I closed my eyes and began to rock back and forth. In and out. In and out. This time, I had control of the movements. Or at least he let me think I did. My body felt heavy, sluggish from my multiple orgasms, but I couldn’t stop fucking the incubus. He had stamina that would outlast the best of them…in fact, he hadn’t released yet. That thought gave me another burst of energy, so I lifted my arms from over his neck, and pushed him back against the bed. His eyes glowed as I had my way with him. Rocking my hips back and forth, I pressed his hands against my breasts, forcing him to comply. My sex bounced against his stomach, bringing me closer and closer to my third release. His erection throbbed inside of me, hardening each time I slid my folds against him. Stefan closed his eyes and dug his fingers into my sides. I pumped faster and faster, screaming into the air and squeezing him tight. He was close. I was close. We fit together so perfectly.
Stefan shouted my name and thrust his hips up into me. His warm seed exploded inside of me at the same time my body shattered into a million pieces. Or at least it felt like that. Earth shattering orgasms—I’d only ever had them with Stefan—and this was no exception. We rode the waves together as each of us had our fill. Stefan’s hips stayed high while my body weakened around him. I felt exhausted, and satisfied, and not nearly as angry as I’d been when I first arrived. Collapsing on top of Stefan’s chest, I said, “Thank you.”
He ran his fingers through my long, blonde hair and laughed. “Of course.”
Letting out a sigh, I was surprised by how tired I felt. “I can’t move my limbs.”
Stefan froze beneath me and then gave me a kiss on the top of the head. “Sorry, I can’t stop myself sometimes.”
I looked at him, “You took energy?”
He nodded.
“That’s okay,” I said as I laid my head back against his chest.
Still rubbing my head, he waited a few moments before asking, “Do you want to tell me what happened?”
“Not really.”
We stayed on that bed for what felt like hours. My eyes drifted close several times, and at one point, when I opened them, I was no longer handcuffed and I was lying naked under Stefan’s black satin sheets. Turning my head to the side, I felt the incubus snuggled up against my side, humming something under his breath.
“Is that Mozart?” I asked.
He smiled and squeezed my hip. “He’s my favorite.”
I rolled onto my back and placed Stefan’s hand on my stomach. “How long was I out?”
“Twenty minutes.”
“Really?” Licking my lips, I thought about that for a minute. “I never sleep.”
“Again, sorry.” He brushed his hand down my lower stomach until it reached the top of my folds. I spread my legs a little wider, giving him the space he needed. But he never went that far. “What happened to you today?”
Turning my head to look at him, I saw him eyeing up my right hand which now sported a burn scar. The cross pattern was red and puffy and would probably disappear by tomorrow, but Stefan had seen it and now I felt obligated to explain.
“A fucking angel,” I grumbled.
Stefan froze. “What?”
With a sigh, I gave him the cliff notes of my encounter. “And the thing is, I’m not sure if Mammon knew about this or not. She’s the one who sent me after Otis. She suspected he might have a protector watching over him, but I wonder if she knew it was an angel. A powerful angel.”
“She wouldn’t do that to you. Didn’t you say she gave you a dagger?”
“Yeah.”
&
nbsp; “Then she sent you in there armed.”
“But he got away. The angel got the upper hand even with Lucifer’s dagger by my side.” I rolled into him and buried my face in his chest. “She’s going to kill me,” I groaned.
“She’d never do that,” he said with a chuckle, holding me tight. But then he stayed silent for far too long.
“What is it?” I asked.
“I’ve been hearing…grumblings. About the demons wanting to reveal themselves. I wonder if this angel has something to do with that.”
Jolting up, I looked down at Stefan. “What?”
He stared the ceiling, pushing his arm behind his head. “I thought they were just rumors. But with the shifter’s Big Reveal, there are some of our kind saying that it’s time for them to show their true nature to the human world.”
“But that would destroy everything,” I shouted.
“Agreed.”
“Are the angels interfering?” I asked.
“I don’t know.” Stefan grabbed my hand and kissed the palm. “But Jericho’s interference with your collection can’t be a good sign.”
I leaned forward and quickly gave Stefan a kiss on the lips before jumping out of bed. “I have to talk to Mammon.” Looking for my clothes, I fought against the dizziness still lurking from Stefan’s energy grab.
He handed me my panties and smiled. “Can I give you a piece of advice?”
“Sure.”
“Be careful with her. My sources say this push to have the revelation is coming from a few archdemons. Mammon could be one of them.”
I hopped up and down trying to squeeze my leg into my pants. “What about your sire?”
“Asmodeus?” Stefan said with a smirk. “He enjoys the human form too much to compromise exposure and risk losing access to them.”
Raising my brows, I agreed with him. “Maybe it’s Otis.”
“What?”
“Maybe there’s just something about Otis that forced angels and demons to fight over him.” The more I thought about that scenario, the more I realized I needed to talk to Mammon.
