Page 8 of Grave Devil
I’ve let him do so many dark and twisted things to my body… “Guilty as sin,” I whisper into his ear before I bite down on it.
“Baby girl, you better watch yourself,” he warns as he tightens his grip around my waist. “You underestimate my self-control.”
I suck on his lobe. “Maybe we should just stay in bed all day then.”
He moans, considering it, but then leaps back. “Nope. Nice try, Mia. You’re not getting out of the Wild Hunt festivities today. Draven will have my head.”
I giggle and shrug. “It was worth a shot. See ya downstairs in thirty.”
The double walk-in shower is lined with stone, creating a cool contrast to the piping-hot water. It’s one of my favorite things about this house. It’s the kind of luxury that most people take for granted when they are used to it every day. I hope I never forget how precious this is…My own bathroom. When you grow up sharing a communal room full of showerheads, privacy becomes a distant dream.
I take my time, exploring every amenity, from the jasmine-scented soaps I’ve come to love to the luxurious shampoo and conditioner I never could have afforded before my inheritance, and the massage function on the sprayer that serves many purposes.
I giggle to myself but don’t indulge. Draven will havemyhead too if I make them wait any longer. Especially if it’s because I’ve made myself cum again without giving them the opportunity to watch.
A shiver crawls down my spine, slow like the droplets of water that linger on my skin. The poison is wearing off, which means I can feelhim. He’s so fucking close.
I’m coming for you.
I jerk my head around the room, searching for the source. But deep down, I know it’s inside me.
Soon.
“Leave me alone,” I mutter. Am I losing my mind? The thought of him not being real scares me even more. Because if I am hearing a voice that doesn’t exist, then I’m going to need to checkmyselfinto Absentia Asylum. It’s a good thing Aries’s twin sister took it over and turned it into a bougie wellness spa. I might need to reserve a room soon.
I hurriedly throw on a pair of stretchy jeans, combat boots, and a black fuzzy sweater that crops just above my belly button. I give myself a once-over in the mirror and try not to cringe at the dark circles under my eyes. I thought those would go away after I severed ties to the nightmare world.
I sponge on some extra concealer and let out a dramatic sigh. My head is a fucked-up place. No matter what I do, it doesn’t seem to matter. I traded one nightmare for another. In freeing Nox, I’ve managed to tie myself to a much darker entity.
And now I have to put on a happy face and pretend to care about the stupid traditions of this fucked-up town. When all I really want to do is get high and forget who I am. To forget about the oaths that will likely kill me or drive me mad.
“Where’s Bones?” I ask. If I’m going to get through this day without any poison, I will need his playfulness to distract me.
Draven cocks his head to the side, his expression soft but worried. He always takes my breath away. He’s so fucking beautiful. With his black hair and golden amber eyes, longfluttery lashes, full kissable lips, and sculpted muscles that stretch his black cashmere sweater so taut it fits like a glove.
“At the garage. He’ll join us later. You okay?” His gaze travels the length of me.
I nod and swallow down my anxiety. “Yeah. Sorry. I just want us all to be together.”
Sssss…
An aggressive shudder invades my body, fluttering through me from my head to my toes. I give Aries a look, wishing he could read my mind and miraculously slip another vial of baneberry into my hand.
He winks, oblivious. “Let’s go, little lamb. The seamstress is waiting on us. I can’t wait to see you in your gown.”
“My what?” That’s not a word I thought I’d hear him say in this century.
Draven cracks a rare smile. “The Wild Hunt is also for playing dress up. We each get a custom outfit to wear for the festivities.”
“Shall I go as myself then?” Nox appears from around the corner, his tail slithering around his thick thighs.
It’s hard not to lose my breath when he enters a room. I still can’t believe he’s real. It was only less than a year ago that he was trapped in my nightmares, locked in my brain since I was a child.
And now he’s here in the flesh, giving me everything I could ever want and more. I’m almost shy around him, smitten by the way he towers over all of us. With his long black hair, smooth luscious horns, and all the naughty bits that I know are hiding underneath his mundane clothing… I fight the urge to rip them all off and drag him back to bed.
“You can go as anything you wish,” Draven chirps. The long, lingering look they share doesn’t help the fluttering between my legs.
Nox’s tail slithers around my waist and coaxes me close. “I prefer not to partake if that’s all right? Thesefestivitiesare a far cry from their original nature.”
