Page 50
Over the years I’ve been called many things. Blue Devil. Crossroads demon. Monster. Later, titles like The Beast of the Woods, Devil Dog, and The Wraith Hound made the list. Of all the titles I’ve had over my many years alive, not one has made me feel like this.
The word hangs in the quiet air of the vaulted foyer like a golden thread, vibrating straight through our shared core and setting every nerve ending on fire: “Mate.”
No fear. No frantic plea for mercy.
The Devil Dog’s six glowing crimson eyes widen in the dim light of the hearth. The towering, thirty-foot nightmare form goes completely still beneath the gentle weight of Bellamy’s arms.
Then, the beast trembles.
A low rumble begins deep in our chest, so heavy and dense that it vibrates against the floor. The Devil Dog is purring. The sound echoes throughout the manor, intoxicated with satisfaction. The beast lowers its head and presses its snout into the crook of Bellamy’s neck, inhaling the sweet, heady scent of his skin, and the glowing mark humming against his pulse.
He calls us mate, the cryptid whispers through the link, its feral mind weeping with a dark, primal ecstasy. The human is ours. The human belongs in the dark with us.
He is not just ours, I reply from the deep recesses of our soul, my own demon core surging with possessive heat. We are his. Now, yield this form.
The beast yields willingly, melting back into the shadows of my soul like ink dissolving in warm water. The extra limbs collapse inward, vanishing into shadows and reforming until I’m back in my demon form, standing in front of our mate.
I wrap my arms around Bellamy’s waist before my feet even fully settle on the marble, pulling him against my chest. “Bellamy…” I murmur into his dark, wavy curls. “My beautiful, dangerous bird.”
Bellamy pulls back just enough to look up at me. His green eyes are blazing, bright, and unbothered by the fact that he was just embracing a shadow monster. His hands move up my chest, a triumphant laugh escaping his lips.
“You saw the Devil Dog’s true form. You felt the blood lust in my veins. The satisfaction we got when we devoured a soul. You should fear us. You should be cruel like the others, yet somehow you aren’t.” I breathe with awe.
“Even if the whole world tries to turn on you with their cruelty and hatred, I will not. I will always protect you, the way you protected me. I told you,” Bellamy whispers, his tone laced with a dangerous, intoxicating warmth. “I’m not afraid, Vesper. I trust you.”
My heart flares with dark, possessive feeling I can’t control. I lean down, capturing his lips in a bruising kiss. Bellamy opens his mouth for me instantly, his tongue tangling with mine as his fingers slide into my hair, holding me close as if he never intends to let go. The shadowy blue mark on his neck flares with a brilliant, steady light, pouring a rush of pure, happiness straight through the soul bond into my heart.
A discreet, polite cough echoes from the eastern archway.
I pull back slightly, keeping my arm firmly around Bellamy’s waist, turning my head to glare at Killian.
The wraith demon is leaning casually against a marble pillar, a silver pocket watch spinning casually between his fingers. His amber eyes flick from the spot where Gregory used to stand, to the two of us wrapped together in the center of the room.
“As much as I hate to interrupt this tender family reunion,” Killian says smoothly, a sharp, amused smirk touching his lips, “the house smells like sins, wet Devil Dog, and dead mortal soul. I assume you two want the foyer pristine before morning?”
“Handle it, Killian,” I reply, grateful my friend offered. I need to take care of my mate.
“Consider it done, my lord,” Killian replies, bowing his head with mock deference. “I shall ensure the manor is spotless while you two… recover.”
“Thank you, Killian,” Bellamy adds, offering a warm, genuine smile over my shoulder before he yanks on my hand.
Killian’s smirk softens into a rare, genuine nod of respect toward my mate. “Sleep well, Bellamy. You put on a hell of a show tonight.” With a soft ripple of shadow, Killian turns toward the hearth, unleashing a gentle wave of grey mist to scrub the lingering residue from the floorboards.
I don’t wait another second. I slip my hands beneath Bellamy’s knees and lower back, lifting him into my arms. Bellamy lets out a quiet gasp before laughing softly, wrapping his arms around my neck and resting his forehead against my jaw as I carry him toward the grand staircase.
The climb up the stairs feels different tonight. The ancient stone walls of the estate no longer feel cold and lonely. They feel alive, humming in harmony with the bond vibrating in my chest. The manor itself seems to be buzzing, welcoming my protective shadows.
When I push open the doors to my chamber, the room is quiet. Peaceful. The black sheets on the mahogany bed are pulled back, inviting and pristine, while the adjoining master bath glistens with steaming hot water that smells of dried lavender, cedar oil, and sea salt. Looks like my staff is feeling extra generous today.
I carry Bellamy straight past the bed into the bathroom, setting his feet gently onto the floor beside the large stone tub. Bellamy presses against me, his hands wandering up and wrapping around my horns, his green eyes scanning my face with tenderness. My tail wraps around his leg possessively. It’s as if every inch of my body wants to touch him.
“You gave control to the cryptid,” Bellamy notes softly, his thumb tracing the grooves of my horns. “I can tell, it was the first time. It meant a lot to the Devil Dog.”
“It wanted to protect you,” I murmur. “We both did. When he tried to point that gun at you—”
“He couldn’t hurt me,” Bellamy interrupts gently. “Not with you here. Not with the link. I knew the moment I walked down those stairs that he was already dead.”
I lean down, resting my forehead against his, taking a deep, steadying breath. “I spent three centuries believing I was meant to be alone, Bellamy. I thought my nature was too violent for anyone to ignore. And then you walked onto my crossroads and into my territory.”
