Undeniably Hellbound (Spells That Bind Book 4)

by Cassandra Lawson

  “That’s a bad idea,” I warned.

  “Why?” Jolie asked with wide eyes.

  “They’re not all as nice as Lucifer,” Beatrice replied for me before laughing. “I never thought I’d say that.”

  “We need to go, Jolie,” I told the young witch as I took Beatrice’s hand to lead her out of the building.

  “You are a couple!” Jolie screeched excitedly, which of course drew the attention of every witch in the room. “I can’t wait to see you take an affinity test.”

  When we were out in the parking lot, Beatrice spoke. “Thank goddess we don’t have to take an affinity test. I want to avoid going to any more council meetings.”

  I chuckled as I opened her door so she could climb into the SUV. “At least, it would be more interesting than the one we just suffered through.” An affinity test sounded like an interesting meeting.

  Beatrice shook her head. “You’d think that, wouldn’t you? I had to attend two as part of a class when I was in high school. I only needed to go to one, but I fell asleep during the first affinity test, so I had to go to another one. Some are intense and exciting, but the ones I saw were so boring, I swore I’d never bond with a warlock. Even worse, they often tack on extra council business to those meetings, so the couple may be forced to wait over an hour to begin their test.”

  “Another reason for you to stay with me,” I remarked.

  “Why’s that?” she asked.

  “You won’t ever be pressured into an affinity test,” I replied. “Don’t try telling me you’d refuse. I’ve heard plenty of stories from Rainer and Xavier of witches being forced into these things.”

  “The Council of Witches is behind the times when it comes to free will,” she admitted with a sigh.

  “I’m sorry you had to see your parents tonight,” I said softly.

  “Me too,” she admitted. Before she could say more, there was a loud flash, and a spell slammed into the windshield.

  Chapter 78

  Beatrice

  “Get your head down!” Lucifer shouted.

  He didn’t need to tell me twice. I had no clue what kind of spell had been tossed at his car, but if it was enough to worry Lucifer, it was dangerous. He began stripping out of his shirt.

  Before he could step out of the car, lightning crashed down into the parking lot. I was worried it was another attack against us until Lucifer said, “It looks like reinforcements have arrived.”

  He stepped out of the SUV, and I automatically sat up, worried about his safety. It might seem crazy to worry about someone as powerful as Lucifer, but I was. He looked larger than life as he stalked across the parking lot with his black wings resting at his back. Isadora Hunt moved to his side, her power lashing out, sending lightning and sheets of rain down over the area where they suspected our attacker was hiding. Isadora Hunt was enough to draw my attention away from Lucifer. I didn’t know her well, but she’d always seemed cool and refined. Seeing her power firsthand made me view her differently. I’d heard her husband and sons could all control some element of nature, but I’d never heard anything about Isadora’s power.

  Lucifer looked seriously pissed when he stalked back to the SUV several minutes later. His eyes were black with flashes of red. By that point, several people had emerged from the building to see what was going on, and likely to make sure Isadora hadn’t destroyed their car.

  “Are you okay?” Lucifer asked as soon as I stepped out. He kept his distance, but I could feel his magic radiating from his body. My own power reached out to his, and it felt as though electricity was zipping along my skin. I shuddered in response.

  “I’m fine,” I replied in a breathy voice. “Was it my brother?”

  “It was a demon and an angel,” Isadora replied as she joined us. “They were trying to make it look like a witch spell, but they failed.”

  “I’m not sure they failed,” Lucifer remarked thoughtfully. “The angel wants me to know he’s messing with me. If he let me know about his presence, there’s a reason.”

  “I hate dealing with angels,” Isadora muttered. “You’re all pompous pricks.”

  I let out a surprised laugh. After Isadora had helped us, I was reasonably sure Lucifer wouldn’t say anything too terrible to her.

  “Arrogant witch,” Lucifer muttered before continuing. “Thank you for your assistance.”

  “I’m sure you could have handled it on your own,” Isadora began, “but I thought it would be easier to keep Beatrice safe if I helped. You may not like it, but her safety is still witch business.”

  “Enough!” I snapped. “You’re both powerful. Move on.”

  Isadora laughed at my outburst, while Lucifer stared at me as if I’d lost my mind. With his magic sliding along my body like a caress, I wasn’t thinking straight. Add to that the fact that Lucifer still had no shirt on, and I was about to melt into a puddle of lust.

  “We should go,” Lucifer said in a gruff voice.

  Much to my disappointment, his wings faded. A few black feathers floated through the air, and I reached out to catch one. I brought the feather to my face and inhaled deeply. Lucifer’s nostrils flared in reaction.

  “Quickly,” Lucifer ground out. “We need to go home quickly.”

  I nodded and did my best to make a polite exit. “Thank you again,” I told Isadora.

  “I’m glad I could help,” she replied in a kind voice before reaching into her pocket and removing a card. “This is my private number. Call if you need anything.” When I stared at the card in confusion, she continued. “You’ve impressed me both times I’ve seen you. It’s not right that you’ve had to live without an older witch to guide you.”

  “I don’t need a guide in my life,” I told her. “That might have been helpful ten years ago, but I’m doing fine on my own.”

  “Then a friend,” she offered.

  I took her card, not sure I’d ever call her. “Thank you.”

  She nodded and walked off to encourage the other witches to go back into the building. I slid into the passenger seat of the car, still holding the feather. The others had dissolved immediately upon landing on the ground.

  “Why is this feather still here?” I asked when Lucifer was behind the wheel.

  “You’re holding it,” he replied. “Since my magic is touching yours, the feather remains.”

  “Did you mean to allow your magic to touch mine tonight?” I asked.

  “No,” he admitted. “You make me lose control. I shouldn’t allow my power to touch you now, but I can’t rein it in. I need to get you home and naked.”

  I liked the sound of that.

  Chapter 79

  Lucifer

  What little self-control I had left was hanging on by a thread by the time we got back to my place. I hadn’t planned to let my power touch hers at the council meeting, but once it had, I couldn’t pull it back in. During the attack, I was too focused on killing those who dared to threaten Beatrice to concentrate on controlling my magic’s reaction to her.

  I didn’t have to look over to know what Beatrice was doing with my feather. Each time she touched it, my dick pulsed with need. If she rubbed my feather against her face one more time, I was going to fuck her in the front seat of my car.

  “Are you okay?” she asked hesitantly, reminding me that I should have already gotten out of the car. We were sitting in the garage, but I hadn’t moved yet.

  “Yes,” I rasped out. “I’m fine. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “Hurt me?” she asked.

  “I want to take you hard and fast,” I explained. “I want to possess every inch of your body. It’s going to be difficult getting you up to my room. Fuck,” I hissed out as she absently stroked my feather. “I need to be gentle with you.”

  “You don’t have to be gentle with me,” she assured me. “I want the real you, not the person you think you have to be to keep me. I want you, Lucifer.”

  And there went the last of my self-control. A growl erupted from the
back of my throat as I hauled Beatrice onto my lap. She immediately straddled me, and her hands moved to my chest. A whimper of desire slipped past her lips just before I claimed her mouth. There was nothing gentle about my kiss. I was claiming her. As my mouth hungrily devoured hers, my magic poured out of my body, and Beatrice’s magic rushed out to meet mine. They moved together like a violent current, dragging us both down into the abyss.

  “Oh, goddess,” she moaned against my lips.

  As for me, I was incapable of forming words. My own power tried to dominate and subdue hers, while hers flowed along with it at first before pushing back and then retreating. My tongue began to mimic her power, thrusting forward and then retreating. I nibbled at her lips as our magic intertwined.

  In a panic, I realized what was happening. This could not happen. Not like this.

  “We should stop,” I forced myself to say. “Our magic is bonding.”

  “Don’t stop,” she pleaded. “It feels right. Just take me. I need you so much.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked. “There’s no going back once this bonding is complete.”

  “Yes,” she said on a ragged moan. “I’m sure this is what I want.”

  A gentleman would insist we stop, knowing she wasn’t in the right frame of mind to decide this. It was the right thing to do, but I wasn’t a gentleman. My lips found hers again as I pushed her shirt up. We broke our kiss just long enough to strip the shirt over her head, and I immediately began to undo her bra. Once her breasts were free, I cupped them and stroked her hard nipples, enjoying the way she moaned into my mouth.

  I was aching to get inside of her and grateful she’d worn a skirt to the council meeting. Beatrice was just as eager. Her hands were already working at the fastening on my belt. Once undone, she quickly undid my pants and freed my dick. My breathing became even more labored as her small hand closed around my cock, sliding up and down the length.

  All the while, our power continued to swirl together, joining into an unbreakable knot. Death was the only way to dissolve a fallen angel bond once it was complete.

  “I need you in me now,” she begged.

  “Condom,” I said helplessly. “I don’t have one.”

  “I’m on birth control,” she told me. “Don’t make me wait. Please.”

  She didn’t need to beg me. I was as desperate to be in her. Pushing her skirt up, I ripped her panties off. She positioned herself over the head of my dick. When her tight body slid down my cock, I groaned.

  Each time she slid up and down my dick, our magic created a new loop, making the sensations vibrate all along my body. “It’s too much,” I ground out.

  “I feel you everywhere,” Beatrice said on a ragged moan.

  Our bodies continued to move together with a near violent need as our magic built in intensity, desperate to complete the knot. When the bonding was complete, Beatrice screamed as she convulsed around my dick. A jolt of intense pleasure moved through me, driving me to my own release.

  I called out her name over and over again as I came so hard I nearly blacked out.

  It took us both several minutes to recover.

  “Are you okay?” I panted out.

  Beatrice reached out to stroke my cheek. “I’m fine—better than fine. I know you’re worried I’ll regret this, but I won’t. Deep down, I know this wasn’t a mistake.”

  “It definitely wasn’t a mistake,” I assured her.

  Chapter 80

  Beatrice

  I wasn’t sure I could move, and I was certain I’d never be able to walk again. I’d heard that witch bonding ceremonies could be intense, but I couldn’t imagine them being anything like what I’d experienced with Lucifer. After our encounter in the SUV, he’d carried me upstairs. Dear goddess, that man had a lot of stamina.

  Looking over, I found him sleeping soundly beside me. His hair was messy, and his full lips were parted slightly. The sheet had ridden down to his hips. There was no denying he was beautiful, but there was much more to him. Until I’d touched his magic, I’d only guessed at what was beneath the surface. Lucifer had been opening up to me more each day, but he’d still held back. Now, I’d touched the darkness within him. He wasn’t an entirely good man, something I’d known. He also wasn’t an entirely bad person, despite what most might believe.

  My fingers moved along his bare arm in a feather-light touch. I had no idea what I was going to do once Desmond was located. Lucifer expected me to stay here with him. He’d been clear about his intentions from the beginning. Now that we were bound together, I was certain he felt even stronger about that. I’d never expected to live in the demon realm with Lucifer. Even when I’d first come here, I’d planned to leave. Could I leave him? I wasn’t thinking about breaking things off with Lucifer, merely whether I was ready to commit the way he wanted—not yet, anyway. I still had no regrets, but our bond complicated matters. I almost laughed at my foolish thoughts. I’d made a huge commitment to Lucifer, yet I was afraid to agree to live with him.

  “What are you thinking about?” he asked in a sleepy voice.

  “I was thinking that you want me to stay here,” I replied honestly.

  “And that scares you,” he deduced. “My world scares you, but so does the commitment.”

  “I’m not afraid of commitment,” I insisted. Was I afraid of commitment? No. I’d just bonded with the man.

  “I’ll bet it was Persephone’s idea to share an apartment,” he remarked.

  It had been her idea. She’d also been the one to decide we were going to be close friends. I’d resisted both, but my friend was quite persistent when she made up her mind on something.

  “I didn’t even think we’d be friends when I met her,” I admitted.

  “How did you meet?” he asked.

  “Julia called and asked if I could come down to Bliss to talk to Oliver, her familiar,” I replied.

  “So, you went to Bliss to be Oliver’s therapist,” he deduced.

  “No, it was actually to become Jezebel’s therapist,” I replied. “Oliver approached me on her behalf. I had gotten there early. I’d had an appointment out of the area that day, and traffic was better than expected. Since I was waiting in the lobby, Persephone had plenty of time to ask me a million and one questions about being a shapeshifter and being able to talk to familiars. After she finished asking me questions, we talked. I liked her, but I still didn’t expect to see her again. Two weeks later, we were signing the lease on our apartment. She’s a good friend, and she needed the company. She doesn’t have a familiar or any close friends out here.”

  “Neither do you,” I pointed out. “It sounds like you both needed each other.”

  “I didn’t believe it at the time, but that’s true,” I admitted. “I hadn’t realized how lonely I was. I’m used to being alone, and part of me felt safer that way. My family is a nightmare. It was better for me when they left.”

  “With your past, I can see why you’re hesitant to get involved,” he stated, rolling to his side and wrapping me in his arms.

  “Hesitant or not, I’m already involved with you,” I pointed out. “You’re as determined as Persephone.”

  “We both know you’re worth the effort it takes to convince you to let us in,” he murmured.

  His lips hovered over mine until we heard the scream.

  We both jumped out of bed. Lucifer cursed Hades’ name as he put on his boxers and raced out of the bedroom.

  Chapter 81

  Lucifer

  I was going to kill my cousin. He’d given me his word he wouldn’t try to kidnap Persephone.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Persephone screeched.

  “Hades!” I roared as I raced in the direction of Persephone’s voice.

  When I ran into the room, my wings were already out. I was ready to do battle—only Hades wasn’t there.

  “Let go of my purse, you wretched little fur balls,” Persephone shouted.

  I stood frozen in the doorway, watching th
e drama unfold. Persephone was screaming at my Hellhounds. Having never heard her raise her voice before, it was jarring. That they hadn’t attacked her also shocked me. The last person to yell at them like that had lost the lower half of their leg. Beatrice hurried into the room dressed in one of my shirts.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Beatrice demanded.

  Bix dropped the brush he was chewing on to respond. “We’re hungry.”

  “Persephone’s purse is not food,” Beatrice scolded them. “Put everything down now!”

  Tor growled at her with a coin purse still in his mouth.

  “Don’t take that tone with Beatrice,” I warned him. “You all heard her. Drop everything.”

  They did so before turning to glare at Persephone, their teeth bared and their eyes glowing red.

  “Don’t you dare look at me that way,” she warned, waving her finger at them. “Shame on you! I scratched your bellies last night, you ungrateful creatures.”

  Surprisingly, the Hellhounds all looked down and began mumbling apologies.

  “They said they’re sorry,” Beatrice translated.

  “Oh my!” Persephone exclaimed when she saw how sad they looked. “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”

  “Don’t apologize to them,” I told her. “They know better than to steal a purse.” I was lying. They didn’t know better. I should have warned Persephone to hide her purse, and I was surprised this was the first time it had happened.

  “But they look so upset,” Persephone argued. My Hellhounds all moved over to lean against her legs as if she’d protect them from my wrath.

  My life had truly been turned upside down. Everyone feared my Hellhounds. Most wouldn’t enter my home unless the beasts were locked up. Persephone had scolded them, and she was acting like they were sweet lapdogs.

  Beatrice giggled as the Hellhounds huddled beside Persephone. “They may leave her purse alone if they think she’s their newest ally,” she remarked.

  “You had better leave my purse alone,” Persephone warned them with a scowl. All four of the little beasts began to whimper. “Oh, you poor things,” she crooned as she squatted down to soothe them.