Claimed By Her Monsters

HER DARK OBSESSIONS

AVERY SONG

Contents

Claimed by Her Monsters Playlist

Claimed By Her Monsters Blurb

Prologue: The Goddess Of Light…And Darkness

1.  Saving Our Sweet Theia And Lucifer Morningstar

2.  Awaken In The Realms Of Truth

3.  Mournful Uncertainty And Daddy Dearest: Part One

4.  Mournful Uncertainty And Daddy Dearest: Part Two

5.  A Glimpse Of Hope In The Realms Of Flaming Despair: Part One

6.  A Glimpse Of Hope In The Realms Of Flaming Despair: Part Two

7.  To The Realms Of Heaven

8.  Return To The Realms Of Chaos

9.  To The Forbidden Place Part One

10.  To The Forbidden Place Part Two

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DEN OF MONSTERS

Prologue: The Luring Serenade

About Avery Song

Also By Avery Song

This is work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright© Avery Song , 2022

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

The publisher is not responsible for website (or their content) that are not own by the publisher.

This eBook/Paperback is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook/Paperback may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient.

Cover Design by JoY Cover Designs

Editing by: Rainlyt Editing

Format: Avery S.

Do you like playlists?

Listen to this Spotify Playlist dedicated to this series. Trust me, it heightens the experience.

Claimed By Her Monsters:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2vXvBYYBEWYR7kdswdYHfP?si=805da023a48e4059

Avery S.

Claimed By Her Monsters Blurb

Where does one stand when they’re destined to rule two worlds?

A crown of light hovers over my head, a royal symbol that puts me on a pedestal that everyone envies — they long to stand at my side for the rest of the world to witness.

Death awakens the truth surrounding my creation, and I’m left in the middle of a war between three supernatural races: wolves, archangels, and monsters.

This wasn’t the threesome I was envisioning for myself…

New roles and responsibilities lead me on an unexpected path that’s far from my pack and even farther away from my destined mates’ reach, but what’s lost shall always be found.

Until then, my monsters have no choice but to claim me.

As the Goddess of Nightmares, I’ve ignited my own world of chaos, but where there is darkness, there is always light.

And for the first time in my life, I’m ready to stop running and face the real enemy at the end of that blinding tunnel.

Prologue: The Goddess Of Light…And Darkness

~NERISSA~

“Sweet Theia, wake for me.”

My consciousness struggled with the looming power that fought for my submission — overwhelming energies from two spectrums, tousling in agony with what we’d just witnessed.

What we’d just experienced.

“Ness? No. Did I arrive too late?”

I recognized that voice, and yet everything still felt so far away while my body tingled with power and agony.

“Who are you?” The lethal growl came from Atticus. His energy alone made one side of the swirling power further spike in desire for absolute control.

“Fenriz,” he whispered. “I sensed Ness’s distress.”

“You’re the one associated with Regis and Aloisium,” Atticus acknowledged.

“Sadly,” Fenriz confessed, but his voice shifted into a serious tone as he whispered, “I know this isn’t the time to discuss miscommunications, but I need you to understand that I came here on my own accord to help Ness.”

“Meaning, you don’t wish to be marked an enemy,” Atticus summed up.

“It’s not my intention, no,” he stressed. “Ness is clearly imbalanced and needs at least one of her monsters to help tame the darkness inside her.”

He paused and then the sound of his footsteps got louder as he moved closer.

“You can tell by looking at her that her elements are fighting one another.”

Atticus didn’t respond immediately, but he eventually muttered, “I’ve tried to tame the light energy fuming within her, but it spikes the darkness, which agitates the light energy further.”

“What triggered this?” Fenriz quickly asked, and I felt his chilled touch. To feel him physically after so many years felt like a damn dream — like I’d fallen into another reality that felt surreal because I didn’t have a single hope that one of my monsters would actually attempt to reach me when I needed them the most.

“I’m not sure. We were talking about a potential attack when she suddenly collapsed,” Atticus quickly explained.

“She was summoned. The other Goddess may have summoned her or something,” Fenriz determined.

“You know of her commitments?”

“Out of the three of us, I attempt to keep a close eye on Ness despite Regis’s and Aloisium’s disapproval of my clingy behavior.

Atticus huffed.

“Ancient gods and their stuck-up ways.”

“I’ll agree with you in this matter,” Fenriz noted. “If we stablize the energies at the same time and at a slow enough pace, it should calm them down enough for Ness to wake up.”

“Alright.” Atticus seemed to like the plan. “We need to be quick. I sense danger.”

“Let’s not delay then.”

I listened to their focused breathing, though I could still hear many inside the bar downstairs asking what was going on.

With the sudden blackout, there was no music or disruptive noise other than nervous shouts of worry as more people questioned what was happening.

I wasn’t sure if we were about to get ambushed, but my mind was still reeling from what had just happened. I needed to replay it in my mind once more as if I had to acknowledge every fine detail so I knew how to tackle this unexpected outcome.

I had to react and hunt down all those who contributed to this end.

“ATHENA!” The scream came from Natalia, as if she were suddenly here and witnessing the chaos that was unfolding—that I was experiencing firsthand—and I realized the other goddesses were surrounding us, watching in utter horror as it became crystal clear what had just occurred.

Laughter began to escape me, the sound nothing like my own as the smile that graced my lips only made the scornful woman before us further rage even in our obvious defeat.

“Did you think… I didn’t have a disciple, Danica?” I purred in utter glee before I laughed even harder. “You’re such… a fool. So… desperate for power… when you just gave it to the one who was destined to replace you.”

“W-What?” Danica questioned and tried to hide the fear and desperation in her eyes. “Your lies have no end, do they, Athena? No one is replacing me.”

“Ah,” I replied and giggled. “You say that, and yet the fear in your eyes is as beautiful as the dark sky above us. Let me ask you… with the goddesses all here to witness my death, did you really… really… think there wasn’t a Goddess of Nightmares?”

“You created it so that lost orphan would have a place in our ranks. Out of fucking pity!”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” I replied and giggled some more, even as I acknowledged the metallic taste of blood pooling out of me. “That’s so far from the truth that it’s laughable.”

“Admit that you’ve been working with the humans and I’ll heal you,” Danica offered in return, knowing time was precious, but I laughed and shook my head.

“My death is just the catalyst for your demise, Goddess of Light,” I declared, mocking her title and laughing maniacally. “You’ve done it, my dear. You not only fucked yourself over, but now you’ve given my disciple both roles! You truly are a fool! A brilliant fool!”

“W-What is she saying?” Natalia demanded. “What does this have to do with Nerissa?!”

“Nerissa has nothing to do with this!” Danica snapped and pointed to us. “She’s working for the humans and has been planning to sell Nerissa to Lucifer!”

“If only that were true,” I weakly responded. “It would have made dying feel more grand, but knowing what I know now, everything is in place!”

My laughter was hurting my very lungs, and black spots were beginning to form in my line of vision.

“Athena! Dammit, Danica! Stop this foolishness and heal her!” I could see the actual fear in that woman’s eyes of blue, but I knew she wouldn’t do it. Not because she didn’t want to, but for a reason far better than that.

“She can’t do it,” I whispered the truth and showed my red teeth before spitting out the pool of blood. “The Goddess of Light has been chosen. Just like… the heir of the darkness… who will take over my place.”

“That’s… that’s not possible…” Natalia whispered. “Who’s the heir of the dark throne if Athena dies?”

“Nerissa,” another spoke hastily.

“Then who’s taking Danica’s place if she can’t fucking heal?”

No one could answer and it only frustrated Natalia, who glared at Danica. “Stop being a fucking bitch and heal her!”

“I CAN’T!” Danica offered and showed her hands and arms, the last bits of white markings leaving her flesh, just like the rest of her light magic, which escaped her aura and danced in the air around us.

We all watched as the light swiftly rushed forward until it wrapped around where I knelt and began to seep into my magic incantations with haste.

“W-W-What?” Natalia was speechless. However, it felt like I was suddenly myself but still in this desolate environment.

I watched as the last specks of light magic took over my trembling frame and had no choice but to look up to see that Athena now stood in front of me—almost protectively—and laughed wildly like she’d truly won in the end of all of this mayhem.

“I present to you, the Goddess of Light,” she hummed and took a step to her left and then three wobbly steps back to show the other goddesses my position.

“Nerissa?” Natalia’s voice trembled. “You’re here?”

“I… was here when she struck her,” I whispered. “What… What’s happening? I can’t… This can’t be happening.”

“But it is, my dear Nerissa,” Athena hummed, and I felt her hands on my shoulders. I looked up and saw her smiling expression as her dark eyes twinkled with pride, but then I gasped with the other goddesses as I realized she was beginning to fade, her body turning into dark particles that were fading away.

“My time is up,” she revealed like it was such an honor to finally perish. “You’ll return to your body in a matter of moments and well, all hell will break loose.”

“A-Athena, wait. You can’t die. Let… let me heal you!” I pleaded, but I knew I wouldn’t make it in time.

“What’s lost must always be found,” she urged. Her eyes never left mine, even as tears sprouted in their dark hollows. “It’s time for you to understand that you’re worth fighting for. Even if it means the world has to suffer and watch in the process.”

“Athena! Give me my powers back!” Danica screamed.

“They were never yours, Danica,” she answered and sweetly smiled. “I present to you, the Goddess of Light…and Darkness.”

She lifted her head. The last bit of her essence remained so that her words would boom through the magical space and seal what was surely my fate.

“I, Athena… the previous Goddess of Darkness… set these words in stone.”

“NO!” Danica screamed and tried to race forward, but all of us were beginning to fade, our energies being pulled back into our designated bodies.

“Athena!” I pleaded with her one last time, but her image was practically gone.

“What is lost will always be found,” she stated again as if I wasn’t allowed to forget. “Now you must be claimed, my dear. Be claimed and your true destiny will unravel.”

I could see the quirk of her smile, even as my vision began to blur away.

“Farewell, my stolen child. I may have never gotten the privilege of raising you, but in the end, I got to experience the joy of being a mother.”

The flashback left me speechless yet again, only this time I was able to decipher and piece together the truth.

Athena…was my mom? Athena gave birth to me. I’m her disciple, but now I’m the Goddess of Light…and Darkness? It can’t be possible. There has to be a mistake somewhere. But Danica couldn’t heal anymore. Her markings were stripped from her…and were not embedded in my flesh. I can’t believe what’s happening.

Danica killed Athena…my mother. I’m the successor of two Goddess positions.

I realized I needed to get up and warn the others because things would go to hell — literally — if I didn’t reunite with the other Goddess in real life and have us discuss the truth of the frightening matter at hand.

Before I knew it, my eyes snapped open and I sat up swiftly to breathe, which only encouraged two strong hands to stop me from lean over further — or potentially passing right out because the world was spinning.

“Fuck,” I cursed and shook my head. “Trouble. So much trouble.”

“What’s wrong, Ness?” Fenriz urged, and I took a shocked moment to meet his worried eyes as I realized he really was here — in the flesh.

“How…?” I dared to ask while my eyes further widened in shock. “You’re here? You…came?”

He tried not to show just how my words invited a sense of guilt that flickered in his eyes.

“You called,” he whispered. “Your energy dropped and went all over the place and I felt deep within that you needed us.”

“Only you’re here though,” I acknowledged as I worked on catching my breath.

He slowly nodded.

“I told Regis and Alosium I’d walk if we continued to let you slip away from us,” Fenriz revealed. “That I was tired of them thinking you had to be the one to return to them versus us coming to find you.”

He shook his head and quickly corrected his words.

“No. We did find you, Nerissa. Long ago. We knew where you were. We knew the forest you found safe haven within. We should have come for you a long time ago…but Regis’s pride, Aloisium’s inability to find an explanation for your actions in a book, and…well…my cowardness, is what led us down this long path of miscommunication and heartache,” he confessed and reached for my hand to hold it tightly. “If we’re destined to turn into dust and leave this world of existence, I had to at least do the right thing. I had to do what my heart has been craving to do for years. I had to find you. To make it clear that I wish to claim you. Whether Regis and Alosium like it or not.”

“Fenriz…” I whispered and slowly looked to Atticus, who observed him carefully.

I wondered if he was trying to determine whether he was telling the truth or not.

“Why…why would you turn into dust?” I needed an explanation for that, but suddenly the sound of racing footsteps was heard, followed by guns being pointed at us from every direction.

“Don’t move!” a man screamed through his masked face. “You’re all coming with us!”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me, right?” I gasped in annoyance as I took in the fact that these pathetic humans were actually pointing guns at me, my archangel-of-death mate, and my favorite monster among the three dark gods.

I didn’t know why it ticked me off so much, but my magic went on a soaring rampage that had the men beginning to choke on their own saliva while they lost grip of their guns, which fell to the ground, one by one.

Once they were all weaponless, they dropped to their knees as the very oxygen in their lungs was being sucked out and into the atmosphere around them.

I was running on autopilot as I was now in this human leader’s face and holding him in a choke hold with a flick of my wrist. Shadows wrapped around his neck like a rope and lifted him up until his legs literally dangled and kicked for mercy.

“P-Please! S-Stop. W-We’re just doing our job!”

“Oh no, no, no,” I slowly voiced, realizing how thick my voice was as anger pulsated through me. “You’re not going to hang from there and lie to me. You picked the wrong fucking day, place, and time to fuck around with me!” I snarled and encouraged his body to be forced to move forward until he was at the same height as me.

That gave him a brief relief thanks to the shift in the air so he could breathe and speak, although my eyes were most certainly pitch black as they peered into his wild wide eyes.

“Who hired you?”

“I-I can’t—” He gasped as I tightened the rope around his neck.

“No, no, no. We aren’t doing that whole ‘I can’t say who’ shit right now because my emotions are on high which isn’t good for anyone. So you’re going to tell me who you’re working for right now, or else I’m going to kill every single one of your men, then find all your families and ensure none of them survive to enjoy Christmas.”

I could see the fear in his eyes and smell their frightened aroma thick in the air.

“All I have to do is inform Alpha Erebus that you and your lot of human weaklings pointed a gun at me and you know everyone in your fleet as well as their families would be killed by the crack of dawn,” I informed him before leaning in to whisper, “And he’ll ensure you’re all alive long enough to experience the heartache.”

“W-We made a deal!” he confessed. “We don’t know who we’re working for. I swear I’m telling the truth. We took the job from a masked woman. We know she works for some village far away, but that’s it. They hired the woman to retrieve you. Said you’re vital to freedom and acquiring all they wish. Apparently, she tried to kill you and failed. She sent fleets of wolves or something and you took them out. The job was posted tonight with the reward of us meeting Lucifer, who would help our boss, who wishes to make a deal with Lucifer! That’s all I know! My men are just following my orders!”

“A masked woman,” Atticus whispered, and I realized he was on my left side.

“A village far away,” Fenriz muttered.

We shared a look, knowing well this could be the village of worshippers that keep them existing, but Fenriz certainly didn’t know the whole story.

That the villagers have wished nothing but for them to become slaves and grant them far more than they’ve been giving.

“Well, time for you all to take a nappy nap,” I concluded and clapped my hands once. They all dropped to the floor in seconds, clearly knocked out by magic, but I didn’t feel the need to put them in a web of nightmares.

I’ll reserve my energy for the priority at hand.

“We need to keep them locked up until we can figure out who they’re really working for,” I voiced. “I…need to reach Natalia and the others.”

I began to walk away but Atticus had me in his grasp within seconds, before he pulled me right back against him.

“What happened?”

I turned to face him quickly, hoping to answer in one rambling thought and get out of there to reunite with the other goddesses, but he cupped my cheeks. I realized that they were wet, which forced me to acknowledge how blurry my vision was.

“Sweet Nyx, talk to me.” He immediately sought my honesty, but I didn’t want to speak the truth out. To acknowledge that this was truly what was happening.

That Athena, the Goddess of Darkness…is dead.

I opened my mouth to speak, only for a sob to escape, which made me press my lips tightly together while my eyes further watered.

“Nerissa. I need you to tell me,” he said soothingly and wrapped me in his arms. “We can’t help you if we don’t understand what’s going on.”

I nodded into his chest as I hugged him back and took a moment to sob. The emotions were overwhelming, but what hurt the most was realizing the truth.

That I wasn’t an orphan. That my mother…was actually Athena.

I couldn’t understand why she didn’t tell me. Why had she kept such a secret for so long? I had been stolen from her, taken by the very people she ended up needing to confront when I was brought to her as a child, but there was nothing she could have done. She could only encourage me to gather enough courage to escape that hell hole and find a pack that made me feel like I belonged.

That’s when she took me in and gave me a title of purpose to hide the truth: that I’d one day take her place when she perished.

“Athena,” I finally whispered as I pulled back and fought against my sobs. “She’s…dead.”

“What?” Atticus gasped before more footsteps arrived from our right.

We looked to see Arthur, Sawyer, and Cornelius skid to a stop and quickly glance around at the human bodies.

“There have been multiple blackouts throughout the city,” Arthur declared. “Humans are targeting places with the most shifters and trying to arrest them on fake charges. Everyone is evacuating and moving to protective shelters on neutral territories, but some shifters are fighting back.”

“We took out the fleet of humans in the front who tried to shoot at us in the bar,” Sawyer explained. “What should we do with these men?”

“Collect them and bring them to the dungeons back at the Pack House,” Atticus instructed. “Erebus already gave orders that if we find anyone who tries to hurt Nerissa, they should be captured for questioning and torture.”

“We’ll get to it,” Cornelius stressed. “But there seem to be bigger problems.”

“What?” Atticus pressed.

“There’s been a sighting of a Ghoul Terror nearby,” Cornelius confessed. “There are reports of a few of them throughout the town and in the forests. Koa and Ciel went to back up Alpha Erebrus as they make sure the woman and the children in the area are all moved to shelters, but he needs you to stay with Nerissa.”

“Fine by me,” Atticus pressed. “All three of you stay together. If you by chance cross paths with a Ghoul Terror, disengage and retreat. We don’t have the healing capabilities to deal with any injuries.”

“Yes, Alpha Atticus,” they declared and began to gather the humans with ease while Atticus looked at me.

“Athena is dead?” he whispered, and watched as I slowly nodded.

“Danica killed her. With a sword. I don’t know what happened for them to end up in such a predicament, but…Danica wouldn’t heal her.”

“Of course, that bitch wouldn’t heal her,” Atticus snapped. “She needs to be revoked of her power and punished!”

“That’s the thing,” I voiced as I sensed Fenriz behind me. He gently pressed his hand to my back to try to soothe me in some way. His touch helped a bit, just like Atticus’s hold on me, aiding in calming my revolting dark and light magic. “She couldn’t heal Athena.”

“What do you mean exactly?” Fenriz questioned. “You’re speaking of the Goddess of Light, are you not?”

“I am,” I emphasized. “But she couldn’t heal Athena. We begged her to heal her and she literally couldn’t. Her powers were being stripped from her as we watched in horror…and they were bestowed upon the next Goddess of Light.”

“So Danica has a disciple,” Atticus acknowledged in astonishment. “Can’t we reach her and bring her to Athena?”

“That’s the problem,” I voiced and fought hard to cry all over again as I looked into his eyes. “The Goddess of Light….” I took a deep breath and let it out, “is me.”

Atticus was speechless, along with the remaining Horsemen, who all paused what they were doing to look my way.

“But…that’s not possible,” Fenriz stressed as his brows furrowed. “You can’t be both.”

“And yet I am,” I stressed. “Which means shit is going to go haywire if I don’t reunite with the other goddesses and inform the Elders of what has happened.”

“Do you know where the rest are?” Atticus urged.

“I think the best place would be Athena’s place. We were all pulled to a spiritual place, so that means we all returned to where we were before being summoned.”

“Then, let’s not delay,” Atticus pressed, but I stopped him from moving.

“There’s another problem.”

“Aside from Athena being dead,” he pressed.

“Yes,” I voiced urgently as I glanced around. “I’m Athena’s daughter.”

The way they all gasped and stared at me only made it easier to hear the scream that came from the side of the patio closest to the parking lot.

I exchanged looks with Atticus and Fenriz before the three of us were racing toward the hysterical mother who pointed to a white van.

“MY CHILD! They took my child!” the woman screamed. I knew right away she was a wolf shifter, and her appearance gave me Crescent Rose vibes, which confirmed it had to be one of Natalia’s pack members.

“Shit,” I cursed and readied to sprint when men with guns came out of nowhere and pointed them in my direction.

“FREEZE!” they screamed.

“Pathetic,” I heard Fenriz declare, seconds before a wall of shadows shot up from the ground between us just in time to block out the ray of gunshots that ignited not a second later. “Go! You run the fastest!”

I couldn’t believe he remembered that, but I nodded and immediately began to sprint after the van while Atticus and Fenriz held back the humans and getting the remaining shifters to safety.

“I’ll catch up to you! Focus on getting the kid,” Atticus urged, his voice booming in my head.

Right!

The knowledge that I had backup was all I needed as I began to really sprint with all my strength. My breath was even my legs racing as they pushed against the pavement to further accelerate my pace, and my arms trekked up and down like I was an Olympic runner.

The world around me was becoming a blur as my eyes were on the prize ahead of me. They had to be driving at 100mph hour but I was managing to stay on their tail while I tried to figure out the safest way to get the child out of the car.

The back door swung open at that moment, and the sight of an AR-15 rifle pointing back at me only made me roll my eyes.

“Humans. Always playing fucking dirty!” I exclaimed in hopes they would hear my annoyed declaration as I outstretched my hands, which tingled with magic.

He started shooting, but the bullets didn’t have a chance to make it close to me before they exploded again and again, to the point that the last bullet almost exploded in the human’s face as he gasped and dropped the gun. It bounced off the road and went right off the side of the mountain.

“Y’all thought you could kidnap one of my pack children AND shoot at my best friend?!”

All I had to do was glance over my shoulder to see Natalia speeding past me on rollerblades, her hands, which were clasped together, igniting rows of flaming bullets that followed her approach.

“How about I return the fucking favor!”

This was my chance to get to the van. I jumped and created a shadow skateboard beneath my feet that I landed on before an intense gust of wind pushed me at full force — helping me close the remaining distance between myself and the opened back of the van.

“Drop down!” I told the wolf child, who immediately crouched to the floor just as I soared right into the back.

“Fuck! Intru—AH!” The man didn’t finish as I immediately kicked him in the face before grabbing a rifle from the opposite man in black and hitting him in the head with it. They both dropped to the ground just as the third guy, attempted to grab me, but I spun around and pointed the gun his way, causing him to immediately lift his arms as he attempted to back up.

But he obviously forgot that the van was wide open.

“AHHH!” The man not only fell back, but another gust of wind hit him with such force that he slid beneath the van before we drove onto a bump that sent the van out of control.

“Shit!” I was tossed to one side as the kid screamed and almost fell right out of the van. Luckily, I grabbed him with a rope made out of shadows. I tugged him with enough strength to bring him into my grasp before I rushed to the doors.

“Natalia!” I screamed and waited for her to lift her hands up in anticipation of catching the child before I tossed him in her direction. The kid screamed but was caught by Natalia not a second later before she cursed.

“Ness! Up ahead!”

All I could do was turn around and crouch down to attempt to see the front glass. My ears picked up on the panicked driver as he tried to get the van back in control.

“Those guys aren’t ours!”

“Fuck! They’re gonna shoot!”

I looked back at Natalia and screamed, “SHOOT!”

She didn’t hesitate. The flaming bullets that were meant to kill us were now the ammo she needed to strike at the two rows of men in black, who began to shoot at the van without remorse.

“Fuck,” I cursed and tried to run out of the van, but it suddenly jerked with enough force to send me off my feet, my body practically hovering in the air before the van began to spin.

“NESSA!” Natalia called out, but I couldn’t do anything but endure the ride as I was tossed like a rag doll, which made me hiss in pain as I bumped from wall to wall, floor to ceiling. I felt a bullet go right through my arm, making me hiss before another went through my right rib, but I couldn’t focus on any of that because the car suddenly jerked to the right with so much force that the windows shattered and the left side dented in — a clear indication we’d been hit by another car intentionally.

“AH! Jim! Fuck! The swamp! The fucking swamp! AHHH!”

I couldn’t even prepare for what happened next as it felt like gravity was lost while the van was suddenly off whatever form of ground was left beneath its tires and sent flying through the air.

I forced myself to push off the wall, and my body crashed into a summoned magic circle that I used as leverage to push off of and get closer to the open doors that flapped wildly from the crushing winds.

It took one more magic circle that emerged from beneath my feet to push right out of the van in time, but I realized just how far the drop was — my eyes glancing down to see the van and the crashed truck that was the culprit to all of this sinking to the thick river below.

“I swear if I’m the Goddess of Light, where the fuck are my wings?!” I cursed as my body began to drop. I hissed a bunch of curses as I put my arms in front of me to begin conjuring a spell, only for the sound of bullets to reach my ears — seconds before I screamed at the bullets that hit me all at once.

Two in my chest, and one in my arm.

The pain was completely unexpected — the whiplash of blinding agony enough to make my body go suddenly limp while my eyes rolled back.

My mind fought the odd flow of foreign magic fighting to consume my body, but my healing magic was far faster as it worked overtime, attempting to chase out whatever was in those bullets that were strong enough to debilitate me upon impact.

“NESSA!” Someone was screaming my name again and again, but I couldn’t pull out of this voided space as a memory suddenly plagued me.

“My duty is to be the Goddess of Darkness until my time is up,” Athena whispered.

I hid behind the bookshelf, moving a book from its secret slot to see Athena as she stood before a fire place.

“They don’t even want you here!” a harsh, deep voice declared. “Are you going to wait until that bitch literally kills you before you return where you belong?”

“If I must to ensure Nerissa reaches of age, so be it.”

“You speak madness, Athena.”

“It shouldn’t matter if you make no sense of it, Lucifer! You’re not here to see what I see. The true darkness formed by men whose greed is grander than anyone expects. I need to prepare her so when these humans decide to be bold fuckers and combat us beings of magic and supernatural powers, we’re ready!”

“They would be foolish to do so,” Lucifer discarded the mere idea. “They made a vow to keep the balance. However, I can gladly have my way with their kind and create a lovely army of servants with their mass deaths. We know the Four Horsemen are present upon these lands. The moment the humans fuck up, it’s over for them all.”

“They don’t believe you!”

“Then it’s a pity for them, and a form of entertainment for me.”

“You understand if the balance isn’t restored and the world ends, that means Nerissa will perish.”

“A goddess can’t die,” Lucifer huffed. “Only ascend.”

“Either way, it doesn’t matter! She’ll die with everyone else of the world. You don’t carry any pity?”

“Pity a world that causes their own problems? Pity a bunch of humans who can’t live in peace and wage wars in the shadows by hiring shifters who are willing to turn on their own? Why should I pity a race that will destroy the very world bestowed upon them? Look at all the various universal planes, Athena! We’re not the only beings of power in this galaxy. If the humans of these lands wish to perish, so be it. We can go to another universe and start over.”

“We can’t leave Nerissa!” Athena snapped.

“And why is that?” he demanded as he now faced her.

She shook in place out of pure anger.

“SHE’S OURS!” Athena snapped with so much rage that made all the lights shut down, leaving only the flickering of flame in the fireplace that managed to keep going.

The two were silent, staring at one another with intense gazes, before the man named Lucifer, who I could barely see, took a step forward — enough that he was right in Athena’s personal space while the dancing orange light from the flames illuminated parts of his face.

Eyes of scorching red with rings of orange stared at Athena with intensity while his nostrils flared as if to sniff out the lie in her words.

And yet there wasn’t a thread of deceit in her words.

“Ours?”

Athena didn’t back down, even as the tension in the atmosphere grew.

“If you didn’t have to commit to hell for such long periods of times, you would have returned to grasp the consequences of your actions.”

“If you’re aiming to make me feel guilt for my making love to you, Athena, it’s failing miserably.”

“So you carry no guilt for abandoning your child and allowing her to perish if the humans get their way?”

He said nothing as his eyes only further narrowed, until he took a deep breath through his nostrils and let it out — allowing streams of smoke to escape.

“To my office,” he ordered. She stood her ground until his eyes bled black and he held her chin firmly. “Do not disobey me, my love, or you will not like my reaction.”

She let out a huff but proceeded to leave. The door slammed closed, leaving the room to the man in question.

Sliding the book back in place, I was left to stand there in confusion as I looked at my little hands.

“A child of mine.”

I flinched at the voice that came from behind me, which forced me to spin around and look up to the man who’d just been on the opposite side. I opened my mouth to say something, but his finger pressed against my lips as he slowly crouched down until he was on the same height level as I.

He shook his head, disapproving of my attempt to scream, which encouraged me to remain silent. Even as he removed his finger from my lips, I remained completely silent while he looked at me long and hard.

“The consequences of my actions,” he muttered in disapproval while he looked at me — his hand reaching out to gently stroke my hair. “Yet a consequence can create such a beautiful being of darkness…and light.”

I blinked in confusion before I dared to whisper, “You’re not going to get rid of me?”

My question made me fear I’d be returned back to the village and punished for being rejected.

“No,” he answered calmly as his eyes softened just a smidge. “What do you fear, child?”

“Returning to the village,” I nervously spoke as I lowered my head. “Athena’s my only way out. Of the rituals. Of the torture…and pain. I disappoint the worshippers every day, but not Athena. Even when I make mistakes, she’s proud of me. Of what I do. She says I’ll be a powerful goddess one day, but the worshippers don’t want that. They only need me for the dark gods.”

“Do you like these dark gods?” he inquired.

“They’re nice in their own way,” I voiced, but I knew it didn’t really answer the question. “I don’t know them enough to say I like them, but I don’t want them to get hurt.”

“Why would they get hurt, child?” he inquired.

“Those worshippers don’t want the best for them…” I admitted and quietly added, “Or me.”

“Do you need assistance with that?”

I stared at him long and hard before I gave my best smile and shook my head.

“Not yet,” I declared. “I…I want to try to do this on my own.”

“And what if a time comes when you can no longer handle their scrutiny?”

“Then…I’ll call for you!” I voiced. “You and Athena!”

“You don’t even know my name, child,” he acknowledged.

“I do,” I huffed as he stroked my head yet again, the action making me yawn as I began to rub my eyes. “You’re…um…Athena’s…boyfriend,” I voiced first before another yawn escaped me.

“Boyfriend, huh,” he chuckled. “Guess we’ll go with that for now.”

I wanted to reply but my eyes were far too heavy, along with the rest of my body, which left the man no choice but to pick me up and rest my head on his shoulder. He continued to stroke my head slowly, until I felt the heat from the fire that made it even easier to fall asleep.

Despite my efforts, I couldn’t stop myself from slipping away, though the man’s words reached me from far away.

“When you remember who I am and can’t find the strength to fight this game of life, simply say my name, child.”

His voice continued to fade away.

“I’ll come for you.”

The vision was gone as I returned to the present, but I couldn’t stay awake as my consciousness began to fade away with the continued drop that would lead to me crashing into the depths of the thick waters below.

All I could do was think of the memory as the name reached the tip of my tongue. It took everything I had to say the single word, right before my mind gave up.

“Lucifer.”

The single name reached my ears, seconds before my body crashed into something that felt solid.

The world went black.

CHAPTER 1

Saving Our Sweet Theia And Lucifer Morningstar

~ATTICUS~

“NESSA!”

I moved faster than I’d ever run, my paws pushing off the asphalt and sending me off the side of the mountain, which gave me the perfect sight of Nerissa. One look and I knew she was on the verge of unconsciousness, but it only worsened as the sound of shots rang through the air — three bullets hitting her at vital organ points.

“NER—Fuck!” I cursed at the bullets that hit me. Three of them glided right through my body, leaving a burst of negative energy that surged through me so fast, I almost lost consciousness immediately.

With the grit of my teeth, I fought every strand of consciousness to keep my eyes on our mate — the woman our creator made just for us— as she continued to fall towards the thick swamp below that I’d heard plenty of rumors about.

It should have been far away — on the outskirts and not close where humans, shifters, and other beings of life could potentially fall and get lost in its captive hold — but this could have been the beginning consequences of Goddess Athena’s death.

And it would only get worse if my mate succumbed to its wrath.

“Arthur. Sawyer. Cornelius. Change of plans. I need you three here, NOW!”  I commanded my comrades’ aid in hopes they’d arrive and take out whoever was continuing to shoot at us.

I couldn’t focus on their replies, my attention moving from our Sweet Theia to take in the masked men who were reloading their guns to shoot another round our way. With a tsk, I kept my eyes on the prize as I returned my attention to Nerissa while my magic powered through me, just in case.

I pressed my arms to my sides to help me drop faster as I prepared to release my wings, which would give me enough force to reach Nerissa before we crashed into the waters. It would still hurt like being slapped by a wall of concrete, but I was confident in my ability to save her, which was all that mattered to me.

“Almost,” I whispered as I outstretched my arms, just as the sound of another round of bullets hit the air. I didn’t let it distract me, even as bullets grazed past me and left scratches across my flesh.

It didn’t matter how many times I got hit. All that mattered was reaching our Sweet Theia and ensuring she survived this madness.

“ARGH AHHH!” The sound of men screaming and potentially falling to their deaths was followed by another rapid wave of bullets being shot, but they were no longer being directed at us, which gave me a moment to extract my wings. They extended to their full length before flapping once, which sent me forward at jet speed.

Three seconds was all it took for me to crash into Nerissa, but I retracted my wings quickly while hugging her protectively as we were seconds from the water.

“ALPHA ATTICUS!” I heard Cornelius call out to me, but it was far too late. None of them would be able to stop the inevitable so I braced for the plunge just as I heard Nerissa’s weak mutter.

“Lucifer.”

“Lucifer? Why would she—”

Our bodies crashed into the swamp’s surface. The pain of broken bones made me gasp, which I regretted as we began to sink downward into the murky depths. As I held the remainder of my breath that still remained in my lungs, my eyes quickly opened and adjusted to the darkened depths of black and green, and I noticed loads of trash and dead fish.

We hadn’t even reached the bottom floor and I could feel the intense dread of death lurking to claim another set of souls for its vast collection.

It’s a shame that these waters didn’t know who they were dealing with.

With my free hand, I lightly pressed the mark on Nerissa’s neck, activating our bond mark, which began to make her body glow with golden light while her hair of purple and blue began to glimmer with tinsel strands of white.

It was like a layer of protection across her body from head to toe. I watched her breathe as though she was above the surface while her magic immediately began to spread rapidly as if its duty was to destroy the pollution in this water.

I was amazed by the sudden shift of energy as our surrounding waters in a 2 feet radius began to clear up instantly. The green water, which had been full of waste and dread, began to filter through into clear waters of blue that were absent of all the debris.

As magnificent as it was, I knew I needed to swim back up while I could, but something caught my attention on the crown part of Nerrisa’s head. Something that shimmered red and orange as if to grab my attention.

Securing her body against me with one arm, my hand glided through her floating strands to part them where the glowing was coming from, revealing a glowing mark consisting of a black star in the middle of a set of dual wings. One set of wings reminded me of angel wings, while the other set was clearly on fire and where the majority of the orange and red glow was stemming from.

Between the black star were lines that mimicked the rays of sunlight as the sun began to rise upon the horizon. My eyes widened as I clued in on what mark this was.

No. Who this mark belonged to. It couldn’t be…

Lucifer Morningstar…the Devil.

“Fuck,” I cursed underwater, only to peer upward and notice the massive flaming hand coming our way. I thought it had to be an illusion, but the intense heat that approached us matched with the sizzling smoke coming from two opposite elements being forced to share one space was enough to push me to shield ourselves — just in time for the flaming hand to wrap its massive fingers around us.

It was like being scooped out of a pool after almost drowning, only now we were in the palm of a giant hand of scorching flame, and the being was even bigger. Its molten eyes oozed with lava that poured down into the swamp below, which created puffs of smoke that began to rise and cover the creature’s legs up to its waist.

“ATTICUS!”

I glanced over to see Arthur, Sawyer, and Cornelius only seconds away from us. The three of them landed around my shielded barrier. I immediately expanded it until all three of them were invited into the golden bubble’s protective force, which encouraged Sawyer to drop down to Nerissa’s side as he began to scan her with his eyes that were overtaken by white light.

“Whatever was in those bullets is spreading through her veins far too quickly,” he hissed, which had Arthur and Cornelius dropping down to the opposite side of Nerissa and hovering their hands over her frail body.

Seeing her unconscious and bleeding out from multiple wounds pushed me to do things I’d never thought of achieving upon the Earth, but I tamed myself as I looked at Sawyer.

“Can we keep her stable?”

“We can,” he assured me as he continued to focus on our mate. “I can slow down the progression of the disease, at least to a sluggish enough pace that Nerissa’s body will pinpoint the source of the problem and destroy it before healing itself.”

“Do it,” I urged. There were going to be no questions when it came to protecting and saving our Theia.

“What about you?” Sawyer questioned, his glowing eyes now on me. “Can you handle it?”

“I have no choice,” I pressed and looked back down at Nerissa. I bit my lip, despising how pale she was. It made her lips look like they were on the verge of turning blue. She was still breathing, but whatever had been in those bullets would be a pain in our asses once it got to the bloodstream.

“You can assist me once we know Nessa will be okay,” I emphasized.

“Understood,” Sawyer declared and went right to work as his hands began to move in waving gestures. His left hand would move inward as if inviting positive energy into Nerissa’s body while his right would move outward as though it was extracting the negative energy out of her.

“What are we going to do about this massive giant that may potentially kill us?” Cornelius inquired.

We both seemed to glance at Arthur, who didn’t seem very concerned about the probability of us being killed.

“It doesn’t have the intention of killing us,” Arthur disclosed. “But I don’t think it’s planning to let us go.”

“If it’s not planning to let us go, where is it taking us?” Cornelius questioned as his gaze darted between us, but honestly, I had no clue where this giant was taking us.

But I had a strong hunch who its creator was…

“NESSA! ATTICUS!”

I glanced over to the direction of the call, and my eyes landed on the cliff where Beta Koa, Ciel, Natalia, Fenriz, and Alpha Erebus stood. They’d clearly acknowledged our predicament, their expressions proving they were unsure how they would get us out of this situation with this molten-created giant that held us in the palm of its hand.

The being of power let out a cry as it became clear that it wasn’t moving.

No. It’s sinking!

“Shit. The giant is sinking,” I stressed and looked at the others, who exchanged worried looks.

“Retreat!” Natalia called out to us as she waved her arms. “Come back!”

“We can’t!” Cornelius screamed back. “Nerissa and Atticus are hurt! Especially Nessa!”

I didn’t know if mentioning Nerissa being injured was a good idea, especially when the looks of intense concern morphing on all their faces only made all of this more catastrophic, but my eyes locked with Erebus before I showed him an expression of determination.

“Whatever happens, we’ll protect her with our lives.” I meant every word as I pushed the promise to him, knowing he’d hear it within his subconscious. It wasn’t the best solution as more clouds of steam began to creep upward and impact or vision, but I could still see those piercing orbs of gold with silver rings and feel the possessive power that couldn’t be tamed in an intense moment like this.

“Fail and I’ll make sure I destroy you, Atticus,” he replied, and if it was in any other circumstance, I would have laughed in mockery.

A nightmare wolf killing the Pale Rider. Priceless.

Before we knew it, we were covered in thick clouds of steam while the fingers of the giant began to wrap around the protective bubble. The others’ voices were getting further and further away, until they completely cut off as the last finger closed the distance with the others, concealing us within the giant’s hand, which left us in darkness.

“Atticus?”

I didn’t realize I was growing sluggish until a set of hands caught my shoulders.

“Shit. Sawyer?” Cornelius urged.

“Arthur, can you increase the flow of healing magic long enough for me to work on Atticus?” Sawyer urged.

“No problem,” Arthur declared. “Cornelius, can you replace the barrier with one of your own?”

“Already on it,” he pressed. “Five more seconds.”

“Atticus.” Sawyer’s voice was close as it felt like I was being maneuvered to lie down.

“Hmm?” I tried to answer but it was the best I could do as my mind grew hazy along with the sensation of the world around me.

I was sure Sawyer was calling me. In fact, it sounded as though all three of them were reaching out to me, but I kept slipping away, sinking deeper into an oasis of darkness, until I stood within a cave.

My eyes immediately lowered to look at the water. The thick shade of dark red matched the sickening scent that tickled my nostrils, confirming that the lagoon was far from natural.

A collection of blood.

In this form, I couldn’t feel the venomous emotion of anger or the tender sympathy of sadness. I was a void, just like the darkness that embraced the ceilings and corners of this hidden cave, until the sight of a little girl sparked a hint of emotion.

She walked through the cave without a light in her grasp, as if her eyes were so adapted to the darkness that she could see everything within these hidden depths.

There were dark circles beneath her eyes that lacked innocence, and her emotions were so absent, it struck a chord of pain within me to see a child carry the burdens of the world when she should be enjoying her youth while she could.

She came to a stop at the edge of the lagoon, and I noticed that markings of white and black were drawn so harshly upon her flesh that it splintered, showing deep red beneath and along the significant markings.

She wore a simple black dress and the length of her hair reached her little shoulders. The tension in her body was another red flag, while the bruises all across her arms, legs, feet, hands, and back made my blood actually boil.

She blinked her eyes once, those haunting spheres of lavender slowly scanning her surroundings until they stopped in my direction. I remained in place, knowing she wouldn’t be able to see me in this form, and yet she continued to stare and stare until her little mouth opened.

“If it’s my time to go, I’m ready.” Whether it was the acceptance in her childish voice or the exhaustion in her overall stature that made my heart sink, I couldn’t stay still any longer as I approached the little girl until I stood next to her before the lagoon of blood.

“It’s not your time, child,” I voiced first so she understood that it wasn’t my intention of being here. In fact, I couldn’t grasp why I was here, or whether this was the past, present, or future. Sometimes I was simply pulled to the call of another regardless if it was in a dream or when the individual is close to death.

“Why not?” she asked while her tired eyes remained forward. “I don’t belong here.”

I slowly lowered my gaze to look at her just as she lifted her head enough to meet my gaze.

“Your destiny is entwined in many vines,” I voiced. “But it doesn’t mean the path of life ends here, child.”

“That’s not what the worshippers say,” she voiced and allowed herself to look sad as her eyes immediately watered. “My demise is the goal. The ultimate punishment. They don’t hide their intentions. It’s clear as day, but their gods don’t see it. A pity.”

“A pity, indeed,” I voiced as I continued to observe her. “Do you wish for these gods to see the truth?”

“You can’t see something in front of you if you’re already blind.” She spoke with far too much wisdom, and it simply broke my heart that a child would be stripped of the blessings childhood delivered and forced to absorb wisdom too grand for her to truly appreciate.

“What if I gave them the gift of sight?” I offered.

“Their pride would get the best of them,” she voiced and looked at her little bruised feet. “No matter what one does, the gods are wrapped in lies and I’m unsure how to save them from the web before the spider comes to vanquish them all.”

The spider signifies their demise.

“Would you cry if they perished?” I dared to ask.

“Yes.” There was not a hint of hesitation.

“Why, child?” I wanted to understand why she’d mourn those who neither appreciated her value nor saw what was before them.

What was being plotted in their own sanctuary of worship?

She proceeded to look up into my eyes once more, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of emotion I never thought would be left after all the torture this child had endured.

Hope.

“They are destined to be claimed,” she voiced like it was so obvious. “What’s lost…must always be found. I may be lost now…but they’ll find me again, and when they do, they’ll make me theirs and save me from this cycle.”

She mustered a smile as she looked up at me, and of course, I wished to go against my own rules to save this child who somehow managed to carry a heart full of light even as she was plagued with the burden of darkness.

Two halves of one coin.

“Farewell, Death,” she whispered, which surprised me.

“How do you know I’m a reaper, child?” My scythe was invisible and anyone with magic could wear the drape of black cloth that cloaked my flesh.

She looked away as she prepared for the ritual before her.

“You’ll be one of mine one day,” she vowed and smiled again. “I’ll give you hope. Just like you’ve given me a chance to dream.”

I wanted to understand what she meant, and yet I accepted her words like a prediction that would one day come true. There was simply something about this child that told me she’d be a part of my destiny one day, and it wouldn’t revolve around my role of reaping the souls from this earth as it crumbled into dissolution, but at a time that would bring me together with others.

It would deliver me a sense of new purpose while I unraveled the destiny our Creator decided to weave in our favor.

She began to take the steps into the pool of red, her face emotionless as she began to submerge her little body into the depths of blood that surely belonged to thousands of lost souls who didn’t deserve to perish.

I yearned to stop her. I wished to interfere in such heavy ceremonies that would plague her mind like another form of torture, but that wasn’t my place. Whatever I did could either change the past or destroy her future that I prayed would be filled with light.

“Farewell, Sweet Theia.” The words left me before I could try to understand their significance, but they were enough to make the girl pause as she was neck deep in the sacrificial lagoon. She glanced back at me, and her eyes of lavender twinkled with so much admiration and love that my very heart skipped a few beats.

“Bye, Atticus.”

She knows my true name…

Looking away, she took the remaining steps needed to submerge herself entirely, which ignited hymns in a minor key that echoed from the entrance of this place.

All I could do was stand in my place as I watched the last set of bubbles reach the surface of the thick lagoon, and I made a vow in this very spot to save this girl, who would one day become a woman destined for great things.

“I was brought here for a reason,” I voiced to myself and closed my eyes. “Return me to the present.”

The world around me began to shift, stripping away the little details before it would eventually take everything until I was left in a void of darkness that would steal my consciousness and return it to my archangel form.

I didn’t bother thinking about it as I allowed my mind to drift away — my consciousness now focused on a newfound determination as I couldn’t strip the girl’s image out of my head.

“What’s lost shall always be found,” I voiced again as the rest of the world began to fade. How could such simplistic words carry the weight of promise? I could see why they ignited hope, especially in the eyes of a child.

“I will be your knight,” I whispered as if the little girl would be able to hear my declaration. “I will fight and lead you to victory, until all those who sought your demise and unhappiness are six feet under.”

It was a vow that didn’t matter what timeline I was in, for I knew within the depths of my soul…I’d keep my promise.

CHAPTER 2

Awaken In The Realms Of Truth

~NERISSA~

A deep melody sang to me in the depths of my dreams.

The song was familiar, as though it had been sung to me the moment I’d arrived in this world. Cradled in arms of love, I was swayed from side to side, while the skies of magnificent shades twinkled down below.

It was a world of light, a place where love was palpable, and I knew that I was in safe arms and surrounded by paradise.

What changed to take me away from such perfection?

The soft strokes of my head made me stir from my sleep; the darkness that clawed at me to steal me away was only shaded by a power that left me tingling in intrigue. The urgency to discover what entity prowled in my personal space outweighed the immense exhaustion that settled into my very bones, but attempting to open my eyes felt like a mission on its own.

I only managed to lift them halfway, my gaze blurry while I fought to see who peered down at me.

The lights were dimmed and surrounded by darkness, but flickers of orange danced along the individual’s face — illuminating it in a way that was both haunting and alluring.

Despite the fact that I knew nothing about this individual, I felt a sense of safety I hadn’t in a long time. It was different from my pack, monsters, or archangels. It gave off a parental protectiveness that reminded me of Athena.

My heart ached for her, and the reminder of her final moments made me whimper as my eyes began to dip. By the time they closed, I knew I wouldn’t have the energy to reopen them, but the sadness overwhelmed me.

The humming melody paused, as if sensing my depression, but the stroking of my head continued, in hopes of delivering some form of comfort. I felt like I’d failed someone who deserved to take on the role they were destined to play. Not to die at the peak of knowing the truth and be lost at the hands of death.

I didn’t want to be hopeless.

I sought to find a way to claim back what was rightfully mine.

To regain my mother, who deserved to witness me face the one who’d delayed and destroyed what was originally destined for us.

But the clock was ticking, and I had no strength to aid in such a grand mission.

“Do not fear loss,” a deep voice whispered. “What is yours has every intention of returning to you. All you must do is fight for it, child.”

The voice reminded me of the man in my memory, and I wondered if I was back in the past. No matter where I was, his words gave me a sense of relief as my tense body began to relax.

“Sleep and appease your troubled destined ones,” he encouraged, which left me feeling drowsier as I began to drift away. “The time has come to walk a path of chaos…the path for you to claim everything you deserve.”

His words of encouragement drifted with me.

Until I was pulled into my dreams.

Opening my eyes, I found myself in the midst of a library. Shelves filled with books from various timelines were perfectly displayed, like mini treasures.

I recognized this place. The dark red oakwood matched with the ancient furniture that decorated the oasis I knew had to belong to one individual who could never get bored of acquiring knowledge.

My eyes began to seek his presence while I began to walk further into the grand library. I could recall the few memories I shared within these walls — the bouncing excitement I carried to learn and be taught by one of my monsters.

To make him proud that I was working diligently to learn everything needed to be their mate.

It was a tad funny now that I thought about it.

How focused and determined I was to change myself to please a group of dark gods. The various steps I took to please another, even if it invited disappointment, mockery, or pain. It didn’t matter to me back then.

As long as I pleased my dark gods, it didn’t matter if I suffered along the way.

Then I actually figured it all out. I began to understand that the many books within these walls were groomed to feed me with what was best for everyone else but myself. It wasn’t until I was introduced to Athena that I began to discover many books that sought a woman’s empowerment.

Knowledge could be a double-edged sword, one that fought against those who wished to take advantage of your lack of wisdom but also delivered too much that left you sinking in a world of overwhelming confusion.

What was right and what was wrong? Do the books lie or reveal that not all words written can be trusted?

It was the start of my desire to rebel — to contradict all that was given to me and discover my real purpose other than being chosen to encourage a set of gods’ stability in this changing universe.

My feet came to a stop as I slowly took in the mess of chaos.

Books were scattered across the floor and tables while pages from various books littered the ground and furniture. It was as though a hurricane had formed in this very spot, leaving it a complete mess unlike the rest of this book paradise, but this out-of-order space wasn’t due to an elemental disaster.

It was done by one man, and he now stood before me with his back facing my intrigued face.

“These rituals are wrong. Unnecessary. Incorrect. What possible book did they discover to retrieve all this madness from? To torture an innocent child!” he screamed in anger. The intense emotion sent books flying in all directions.

They would crash in different ways — some managed to stay together, while others were so old and frail that the journey to their demise left sheets of paper whipping off the binds and fluttering through the air aimlessly.

“The only way to explain this is negligence. To taint what is ours…but we’re their gods! They must worship us to be bestowed our blessings. Why would that change? How dare they do all these despicable things. To hurt what was ours. To destroy what we’ve been waiting for all these centuries. It makes no sense! None of this makes sense!”

He tossed the remaining books in his grasp as he fought for breath. His body shook with frustration, as though he could no longer fathom why things had led down this path.

Why there was no manual to solve this difficult equation based on a group’s actions.

“Seeing you frustrated is weird,” I finally voiced, revealing my presence, which made him turn around quickly to confirm that I’d been standing here all this while.

As I waited for his spike of anger to come at me in the form of insults and bickering, I faced Aloisium, who took me in slowly from head to toe.

“You’re here?” he eventually whispered, as though my company was baffling to his intellectual mind.

“Am I not supposed to be here?” I countered and decided to stare anywhere else but at him because the intensity of his gaze made me feel odd in all the wrong places. My body felt hot and tingly with his sudden attention on me.

It was the first time I’d really experienced a moment with Aloisium that wasn’t centered on some form of learning. He was my professor, after all, his defined purpose aside from our sensual nights in my dreams was to teach me all I needed to learn to be theirs.

You’d think it would focus on various techniques to please them in something as uncontrollable as my dreams, but Aloisium had taught me far more than I’d bargained for. It was as if my intelligence was what truly impressed him rather than my body, which was meant to feed his desires and keep him sane.

Maybe this was why he was acting this way.

“I’m dreaming, aren’t I?” I finally declared when he didn’t really answer me. He was clearly focused on staring at me like some sort of ghost or hindrance, but usually, my dreams went straight to the steamy portion and didn’t involve…well, talking.

“So…should I strip or something?” It felt so awkward to not fight with him. “Cause this really isn’t how my dreams start.”

“I summoned you,” he finally revealed, which forced me to look back at him to acknowledge his shock. “You came?”

“Well…I mean, I guess?” I gestured to my body. I wore a simple black dress and knee-high socks. “Though, I don’t understand why you’d summon me. Aren’t I the one who always summons you? Like when I was almost dying trying to heal Levi recently. Summoning you was obviously an accident cause I was minding my own business, doing what I’m good at seeing as I broke y’all’s expectations of me by running away and all that nonsense, but I still can’t wrap around my mind that out of all three of my sinister, impatient monsters, you’d —huh?”

My body was wrapped in frost as arms trapped me in a hug so tight, I thought my ribs would break from the tight squeeze.

“A-A-Aloisium?” Never had I felt so utterly confused by his actions until today. Being held by him in an act of affection made me worry for his own mental being. “Did you hit your head? Are you delusional? Is this my fault for avoiding you guys for so long? You’re not dying, right?”

“Why the fuck are you missing?” he demanded as he held me even tighter.

“Missing?” I felt even more confused. “I’m not missing. I’m right here.”

“No one has been able to reach you for three days, Nerissa,” he muttered into my shoulder as the truth began to settle into my mind.

“Three days?” That didn’t make sense to me. “Where…did I go?”

“We don’t know,” he voiced as he finally released me enough that I could look up at him in utter confusion.

“I…I don’t know where I am, Aloisium,” I voiced and suddenly felt the need to defend myself before they thought I’d run away again or something. “I didn’t runway or anything. I…I can’t recall what happened before I lost consciousness. Athena was murdered before our eyes. The goddess had been summoned at that moment. When I came back, we were being…attacked…I think. There was a chase, and…well…that’s all I can remember right now.”

He listened to my every word, his expression actually not showing signs of disbelief.

“I can wake up,” I urged. “Wake up…and well…” I trailed off because how would I reach him? Reach him, Regis, or even Fenriz. Just the fact that I met Fenriz in the flesh for the first time in ten years was a big deal, and as for Regis, I’d told him I wouldn’t help them after he physically summoned me. If I tried to reach him, he’d simply ignore it as punishment for pissing him off far too much this year.

“I don’t know how to contact you guys,” I finally confessed. “But when I wake up, I’ll think of something. Maybe…I can ask Atticus or something.”

The mention of Atticus’s name made his expression harden as he stared back at me, which made me sigh.

“What do you guys have against Atticus, or the others, for that matter.”

“They’re our archnemeses, obviously,” he huffed as if what he was revealing wasn’t rocket science.

“Right, right,” I dismissed before it could escalate into some form of argument. “Well, I’m gonna need his help to figure shit out because I don’t know where I am outside of dreamland and he’s the last one I remember was with me before I blacked out for whatever reason. Once I figure shit out, I’ll reach out to you guys in my dreams or something and then you can go back to your philosophical readings of why the world is flat or something.”

I tugged away from him and turned away, deciding it was best to wake up.

“I’ll stop disturbing you. Try to take a nap or something because you acting like this is weird as fuc—ah?!!” I was practically tackled from behind as muscled arms wrapped around me to ensure I couldn’t take another step.

The obvious culprit had to be Aloisium, but I couldn’t mentally process that. The dark god was as emotionless as Regis, only he enjoyed displaying bouts of anger to make things more interesting in comparison to the leader of their godly trio.

“Aloisi–”

“Why?” His voice barely hit the air as he asked me the single-word question I had no answer to.

“What?” I genuinely didn’t understand what was wrong.

“Why didn’t you say something!?” he screamed, which frightened me a bit because such a sound never held a sense of irony to it.

Did he scream when he was annoyed? Yes. But screaming with enough emotion that I thought he’d break down and cry was a first.

“Say…what?” I wasn’t comprehending any of this, which left me wondering if this was my own nightmare of some kind. “I’m leaving, Aloi—”

With a blink, I was pressed against the bookshelf and staring into eyes of pink with hints of orange as they filled with actual tears.

“A…loisium?”

This had to be a dream because no way in my existence had I ever envisioned this man shedding tears, let alone in my presence.

“They tortured you! Burned your flesh with unnecessary symbols! Cut you with blades! Abandoned you in the depths of forests even humans avoid for their own sanity!” he screamed. “They forced you to soak in a lagoon of blood! Why?! What logical explanation is there for such torture?!”

My mouth was open in hopes that some type of words would come out, and yet nothing could escape my parted lips because I was finally understanding his immense anger.

He…knows. Does he know? How…how would he find out? No. That’s not what’s vitally important. The real question is…

“Why are you angry?” I stared at him with pure bewilderment, which made his watery eyes widen in dismay.

“Why am I angry?!” he spat out the words. “Do you hear yourself?”

“Sadly,” I admitted. “But I don’t get your anger. You guys are the ones who instructed such rituals. You are the ones who approved of their actions without a glimpse of what they were doing. They got your approval to do whatever was needed to make me into a bride worthy of her dark obsessions. Why are you suddenly acting as if you knew nothing of it?”

“No one asked us ANYTHING, Nerissa,” he exclaimed. “Are we that wicked? To approve of a child being beaten, tortured, ridiculed, mocked, segregated, and forced into unnecessary and baffling rituals that would do nothing but taint your energy? Those methods could have killed you!”

“And yet I’m here,” I muttered more to myself as I scrunched my face. “You…guys didn’t order them to do such actions to make me ‘pure’ for you?” I needed to make it clear that they really were oblivious to it all.

“None of us! Not Regis, not Fenriz, and definitely not me. We would never dare order such cruel actions.”

“Wow.” I almost wanted to laugh — actually no, I did end up laughing — because this was fucking madness. Those worshippers literally conned me to go through multiple sessions of torture daily for years with the purpose of being a ripe bride that was ready to be present to my dark gods, and in the end, it was nothing but bullshit.

“So you’re saying we were conned.” I laughed and shook my head. “Well damn. Isn’t this a good lesson on why it’s important to communicate with your partners?”

“Nerissa!” he snapped. “This isn’t funny.”

“It’s hilarious,” I voiced and met his gaze with my own.

I watched as his eyes further widened at the sight of my tears. I gave him a smile that surely gave away all the layers of pain I’d buried within myself in hopes of never digging them up again.

“If it’s not being stolen from your birth mom and being offered to a set of dark gods you have no association with, it’s being tortured, ridiculed, mocked, and forced into every dark ritual in the book that would do the trick of leaving one mentally fucked up,” I voiced and tried to act cheery when I was nowhere close to feeling gleeful about confronting childhood trauma. “To think I simply went through all of that because your worshippers probably wished to kill me. Actually, take that probably out. Why am I trying to defend the truth when it’s right in our faces?”

I shook my head as my tears fell before I forced myself to lift my head so I could stare into his eyes once more.

“Do you understand now? Did you get a grasp of why I did what I did? Why I tore myself away from everything I knew to venture into the wilderness that was even more dangerous in hopes of delaying you guys’ loathing? Do you get it now?’ I practically pleaded as he let me see the pain in the depths of his eyes.

“Stolen…” he began as he slowly began to process what I’d just said, but I knew we didn’t have forever in this realm as I felt my consciousness beginning to be tugged by another power.

Being called to rise from my slumber.

“I’m not yours, Aloisium.” My voice broke at the admission as I fought hard to not look away from him. “I wasn’t your destined Bride. I wasn’t the one destined to love you three and keep your essences running. Your worshippers were desperate. They were greedy to have their wishes granted. So they stole me before the ritual was complete with the set of gods I was destined to. A set of gods that are the polar opposite of you all…which makes me even wonder if I was ever destined for the darkness, to begin with.”

He was left speechless as I sighed.

“Don’t ask for more…for I haven’t fully figured it out myself, but I don’t know what else to share that will make you understand the truth, Aloisium. That will let you stop searching all these books like they can lead you to the solution as to why everything is not going as smoothly as it should,” I explained. “How can a river run smoothly if there’s a big rock in the middle of it? I never fully submitted to each of you because I wasn’t meant for you to begin with. All of this torment and struggle wasn’t ours to bear, but due to the actions of your worshippers, who are now stuck in the bed they made.”

With a shake of my head, I fought the urge to return, knowing I needed to stay long enough that I knew Aloisium understood.

“If…If I stayed, your worshippers plotted to stop praising you all. They would do it slowly the moment I reached of age and you guys began to feast on me physically. You’d be so infatuated by the new bond that none of you would notice the drop in prayers and offerings until you became so weak that you’d hardly be able to function unless you fed on my sexual energy longer. Once I became a pure addiction for the three of you, they plotted to take me away. Like a favorite toy taken from a child as punishment. They would do so with the desire of asking for more in exchange for claiming me, but they would never give you what you desire. They would take everything they need and then dispose of me, so you’d be left with nothing but broken hearts as you approached your demises,” I summarized.

He struggled to find words as my admission of what was truly happening made him realize why I’d run away  — why I abandoned them.

“Why…why didn’t…”

“I tell you?” I whispered and tried to smile, but I knew it wouldn’t reach my eyes, which showed how heartbroken I was on their behalf. “What would a sixteen-year-old say? The truth? A lie? A concoction of words that would make me sound sophisticated enough for your standards as I explained that your worshippers were plotting against you by using me as the ultimate bait?”

I let out a huff as tears streamed down my face.

“You would have never believed me and you know it. You…Regis…heck. Fenriz may have but knowing how you two are, you’d give every excuse until he was forced to agree with you,” I said. At least, I assumed that because that was how much I knew about each of them.

Despite all the years, I knew every bit of their personalities from my childhood and engraved everything into my mind so the day I’d be forced to meet them again, I’d never be at a disadvantage.

“But now you know the truth,” I whispered. “Do you understand now? Why Atticus is bonded to me? Why his men are also destined for me? Why all this fucking mess is happening?!”

All he could do was nod as his arms that blocked me from both sides lowered as if to encourage my departure.

“I don’t know where I am, but I’ll figure it out. When I do…well…” I didn’t know what to say because it wasn’t my place to find them. It was never my place to physically reach out to them. “We’ll let fate do its work.”

That was the best I could think of as I slid away from him and began to walk away. I took a few steps and stopped as if waiting for him to say something.

To argue with my sense of logic. To combat my words with scientific reasoning. To simply cause a fight so I wasn’t right…

The silence only strengthened, and all I could do was look back and see how lonesome he looked standing there.

Defeated.

It was the first time I’d ever witnessed Aloisium look so…vulnerable. As though what I’d revealed truly shattered his entire existence.

Sadly, when you really thought about it, that was exactly what the truth did.

It revealed that I wasn’t their destined one, and showed the burden and ultimate weight betrayal carried in return.

The nagging call was wishing for me to leave, but I couldn’t further distance myself from him.

I can’t simply leave him like this…

Before I knew it, I was before him once more, my eyes staring into his expression as he looked down to the floor, tears spilling from his eyes that couldn’t even look at me.

“Aloisium.” I wanted to comfort him, but would that be weird now that he knew the truth? None of us even knew what would come out of all of this.

What will be our end game?

“Did…” he began and gathered the courage to lift his head enough to meet my saddened gaze with one that tore at my heart. “Did you truly love us?”

It was a question that made the corner of my lips rise while my eyes softened as I slowly nodded my head.

“Sadly,” I confessed. “Even though you’re a bitter ass.”

He tried to laugh, but it didn’t come out right. It was a mix of joy and immense sadness, which proved this really was devasting for someone like him.

“Why did you even put up with it?” he dared to ask as he shook his head. “You knew the truth and let us antagonize you?”

“I’d rather face your wrath and hatred,” I admitted with a shrug. “If I endured it alone, at least one of us suffers versus all four of us, right?”

“How…can you be so damn selfless?” he questioned.

I was left to shrug once more. “I don’t know, honestly. A trait I have no clue where it comes from really. You’d think someone as diabolic as I shouldn’t have such a kind heart, huh?”

My teasing only made him struggle with more tears before he gripped my cheeks and whispered something I’d never expected to hear from his lips.

“I’m sorry, Nerissa.”

His apology matched with the sight of immense guilt in his eyes opened a door I’d never walked through with Aloisium. Witnessing this much emotion and actually being apologized to felt almost forbidden to experience.

When I first ran away, I pictured my dark gods and how they would apologize to me. There were so many scenarios, some that didn’t even make sense, and yet I craved their understanding. For them to finally see the light and apologize for the agony their blind-sightedness had caused. Yet this felt so different from the sense of victory I yearned for.

This felt as if he was saying goodbye…

My hands slowly reached out to lightly press against his chest, the touch only making this harder for both of us, and yet I couldn’t leave until I confirmed one thing.

“Why…does it feel as if you’ll slip away if I leave?”

He tried to hide his emotions, but it was as if the mask of fury and annoyance had completely slipped off and was unretrievable.

“The worshippers have already begun to stop supplying us with their hope,” he confessed. “All this week…we’ve tried to reach you, but it was like a broken telephone. Regis summoned you to the forest to try to talk to you, but the sight of the mark Atticus gave you insulted him. It made him and I feel inadequate, even though Fenriz pressured us to seek you out and get a proper explanation.”

“Meaning you guys are running out of fuel.” I was slowly putting one and two together, which only made him sigh before confessing, “Fenriz and Regis may be okay for now. They’ve been in your radius and that’s enough to give a boost without our sexual contact in these realms of dreams.”

“But you…” I trailed off as he looked away, almost in shame.

“If I took a chance to listen to your bickering, maybe I wouldn’t have ended up in this situation, to begin with,” he scolded himself. “It’s the punishment I’ve earned.”

Before he could say more, my hands were on his cheeks as I gave him no choice but to return his gaze to me. When our eyes locked, I didn’t hesitate to lean up until my lips pressed against his. The touch was so soft, and yet the vibrating hum of lust that kindled between us made it hard to pull away.

My arm snaked around his neck before I realized it, while his arms boldly wrapped around my waist as if to keep me in his grasp. He pressed us against the wall, our lips moving, pressing, fighting to keep each other locked in and occupied while our bodies hummed with relief.

My body grew hot against his as the two of us became so lost in our heated kiss, we didn’t pick up on our nakedness until the last bit of clothing was shredded away — by his claws. His body was shifting and his flesh tainted to onyx with a glimmer of pink and red that shimmered across his chiseled frame, while tentacles immediately wrapped around me but kept me pressed against their master as we continued to kiss passionately.

“Faster,” I demanded between kisses with a pinch of urgency, hoping he’d understand I couldn’t remain here much longer. It wasn’t on my own accord — far from it — but I could feel the nagging pull of my subconscious and knew I needed to return and face reality.

This is my chance to get lost in pleasure. A moment of relief before I return to the chaos.

“Open that mouth of yours,” he encouraged, his voice nothing like it had been previously. It was thick with authority and completely unrecognizable, but I knew this was just the monstrous version of the scowling Aloisium.

I opened my mouth and was rewarded with a thick tentacle that replaced his taunting mouth, leaving me to moan as I sucked it as if it was his very cock. I knew he could feel every stroke of my hot mouth, and his groans for more and hisses from my perfected torment proved I was doing something right.

“I haven’t gotten a taste of you in so long,” he grunted more to himself as a tentacle slipped between my legs and began to taunt my pussy folds. “But there’s no time for such luxury,” he grunted in dismay before my legs were easily lifted by the spare tentacles at hand.

He spread me nice and wide, giving him a view of my glistening pussy while I continued to suck on the thick tentacle at an increased pace. He watched every motion of my mouth, his eyes fluttering as his head tipped back. My growing need to make him actually cum pushed me to suck his tentacle like it was the best-tasting lollipop in the land.

“Nessa,” he grunted one of the various ways of saying my name before he hissed, cursed, and moaned as his head fell back entirely the moment his release slammed through him.

I took as much of his tentacle as I could fathom in this realm of illusion, to the point that it was surely down my throat. That had to be the icing on the cake to awaken the beast within Aloisium, for his tentacle moved out of my mouth in one quick movement and was replaced by his consuming lips that had the intention of devouring me, while his body firmly pressed me into the wall.

His thick rod was hard and ready for me — gliding along my folds as if I wasn’t wet and dripping with arousal. I’d forgotten about the quickened pace and possibilities these worlds had to offer, but Aloisium was going to remind me of what I was missing as his tentacles proceeded to further wrap around me like snakes until my breasts were in their domain and being flicked and sucked.

“Fuck…more of that,” I moaned between his kisses. His response was to punish me with that extending tongue of his that plunged into my mouth and went on an exploratory expedition. His cock was still rubbing me the right way, but I knew neither of us could wait any longer.

I needed him deep inside me, and he couldn’t wait to feel the scorching walls of my pussy milking his cock.

“Nessa.” That low baritone voice did things to my body that were very unholy. “I need to be in you.” He didn’t need to wait for me to give permission. He knew what I wanted, sensed it running between us and pulsing in the air. My body was urging him to do what he was begging for, and with one sloppy kiss and stare into his glowing eyes, I was left moaning in relief as his cock slid into me in one go.

I’d forgotten all about the feel of his monstrous cock. The way my pussy expanded to accommodate his baseball-bat-thick shaft invited so much pleasure, I could cum with just one thrust, but I wasn’t going to waste the rare opportunity to enjoy Aloisium’s animalistic lovemaking.

Not when he was reminding me what I was missing by taking those pills.

“I’ve missed this hot pussy,” he grunted before claiming my lips with a sizzling kiss while he allowed me to adjust around his length. I felt like he wanted to take things a little differently than normal, which was really passionate of him when he was so far into his monstrous state to be logically reasonable about my well-being versus his need to cum. “This pussy that’s ours to destroy.”

I guessed in our fantasy of monster and bride, nothing from reality was going to steal us away from this moment of lustful bliss.

With one final kiss, he secured me with his tentacles while remaining so close to me, his lips moved along my lips as he spoke.

“I’m going to enjoy this ride,” he vowed and then began to move.

“Fuck,” I groaned and fought to further relax my body as he began to hammer into me. It was sensational as well as magnetizing — his thrusts making my body burn with power that begged to be accepted by him.

I had a nagging desire that had to be fulfilled, to the point that I did everything I could to land my hands on his shoulders to cling onto them with death grips instead of letting his tentacles keep me captive. He would have denied my need to feel his chilled flesh, but this was going to be the only exception that delivered this need to grip harder — to the point that my own nails were digging into his flesh.

The pain seemed to please him further as he fucked me perfectly. The rhythm was driving me wild, my breaths erratic while the tentacles held me in place even as Aloisium picked up the pace and strength of his thrusts.

“Yes,” I moaned and opened my eyes halfway to look into his eyes. “More. Deeper. Please, Aloisium.”

He moaned, which was followed by a rumbling groan as he began to fuck me faster, his lips pressing against my neck as his sharp teeth sank lightly into my flesh. I hissed and fought to hold my orgasm that begged to rush through me because I wanted to cum with him, to feel our approaching highs begin to entwine until we reached the peak together and were lost in its euphoria

“I should have fought for you,” he grunted as I could see the beginning strain on his face that told me he was close to his release. “Fight for what we’d waited centuries for. I wanted you to realize how special you were. How…we’d never invest in a woman if we didn’t truly love her. Truly admire her. Truly respect and cherish just how strong, beautiful, and powerful you are.”

He slammed his arms against the bookshelf, further pinning me against the surface of filed books that rocked with our intense movement.

“I know all the words in the fucking dictionary…yet I struggled so fucking hard to tell you how I feel. To express what I really mean without insulting you. I do the opposite of what I wish and look what it did?” he groaned and kissed me long and hard. “I pushed you away. We pushed you away. Were’s just a bunch of fucking fools.”

He sealed my lips and really went deep as our energies began to blend together.

“Listen to me, Nessa.”

“I’m…listening,” I panted and moaned as I felt my body begin to grow rigid in anticipation of the inevitable.

“No matter what the worshippers did or that you’re destined for another,” he panted as he inched closer to his release. “We’ll fight to keep you. Fight to find you again. Fight to claim you with our dying breaths if we must.”

“Aloisium,” I moaned loudly in clear warning as my voice was a higher octave entirely while my body was as stiff as a statue. My climax was one thrust away.

“We won’t lose you,” Aloisium vowed and grunted as his body grew rigid. “You’re ours!”

He gave me one final thrust and we were gone off the cliff of ecstasy.

“NERISSA!” he cried out my name as his energy rushed through me.

“ALOISIUM!” I screamed as I felt the burst of my magic rush into him.

It felt like an exchange. The dark power within me felt like it was balancing me out in comparison to the obvious weakness between the two specific energies.

The realization made my eyes suddenly droop, and I almost slipped away at the rushing pull that wished to steal me from this world.

“A…” I tried to warn him that I was leaving, but my energy levels dropped quickly, making me realize this always happened when I went too long between dream sex sessions. It made sense since I hadn’t pleased them for a week compared to when we used to fuck every few days at least.

I still tried to fight it, but my body went limp as I felt the world of knowledge and wisdom slipping away.

Firm lips pressed against mine as the tentacles that held me released my naked frame, only for muscled arms to embrace me while aftershocks continued to pulse through me.

“We’re coming for you, Nessa. You hear me?”

I wished I could respond, but I was sinking deeper into the depths of darkness, and I only wished to stay conscious long enough to hear Aloisium’s last words.

“And when we find you, I swear, we’ll never let you go.”

It was a promise I hoped he’d keep.

CHAPTER 3

Mournful Uncertainty And Daddy Dearest: Part One

My eyes snapped open, my breathing rapid as I stared at the ceiling as if that would calm down my wild heartbeat.

My body still tingled from the intense high of that lustful dream, and my mind clung to Aloisium’s promise as if it was something he’d actually keep.

“And when we find you, I swear, we’ll never let you go.”

It was a shame that I couldn’t foolishly fall for such words like when I was a child. I couldn’t easily trust them to commit to me.

All the broken promises and wishes to be favored by them, to have them be as committed to me as I was to them.

It didn’t seem much to ask, and yet maybe it was for multiple reasons. The age difference, the time difference between the ancient ways and values of life to the new modern age of today where actions spoke louder than words.

I could probably write a book about why things didn’t go the way I imagined in this life, but it wouldn’t determine our future.

If we even had a future.

What I needed to find out was whether staying in this bonded connection would save them or lead them down a path of ultimate misery.

But could I allow them to die? To fade away forever?

With a grunt, I pressed my hands to my face, realizing how hot my body was in general. Beads of sweat were already running down the sides of my face, and I felt as if I’d run a marathon only to jump into bed and fall asleep in a puddle of sweat.

Despite not knowing where I was, I gave in to the need to shower or even bathe if I had the time to do so. My element felt off, like my body couldn’t decide what it wanted, but a bath would help me calm down.

At least I hope so because I don’t know what’s going to happen next.

The room I was in was rather luxurious in nature. The furniture was of red velvet while all the hardware was antique gold. I enjoyed the vintage vibe it delivered. It felt as if I’d been dropped into the 1800s where life seemed to be like a party.

After managing to find a female robe, I proceeded to the washroom and showered first.

One inspection of my body told me I had either been hit by a fucking truck or slammed something right on to leave so many bruises and scratches on my body.

I wanted to heal them, but the idea left me feeling tired. Maybe my body was begging for a vacation, which would have been nice after the shitshow we’d gone through, but this wasn’t the time to take a break.

Athena…

It took the simple reminder to leave me standing in the stream of hot water for who knew how long. I just stared at my feet while memories of our various interactions rushed through my mind.

She’d been one of the reasons I had hope left. One of the lights at the end of the tunnel that was always consistently there when I needed to feel the warmth light delivered.

She had been a safety net in my youth that helped me gather the courage to fight for what I wanted.

So why didn’t I get the chance to return the favor?

It dawned on me that she’d never get to see the ending of my victory. She’d never see me reach the peak of womanhood and claim what she wished for me.

I wanted to know what happened to lead her down this path of secrecy. Why she had to keep me a secret to ensure I made it this far down the road before she was slain by someone so envious and evil yet who portrayed the image of purity.

It was as if the two of them were simply the opposites of what they were: Danica was as cruel as a Goddess of Darkness should be, while Athena was as kind and loving as one would imagine the Goddess of Light.

Could they have switched positions on purpose? By accident? What the hell happened to lead us to the present?

To leave me without a mother…

It wasn’t the fact that she couldn’t be known as my mother to the rest of the world that made my heart begin to squeeze and mourn in agony, but the reality that she was the mother figure I’d always wished for.

The woman gave me a path when I was led astray by my own demons and dark thoughts. She really aided in raising me to be confident in my decisions, even when I struggled with them far too often.

No matter what I went through, I knew I’d be okay if I talked to Athena, but how would I be okay now?

She wasn’t here anymore…

I didn’t want to accept it.

I couldn’t…or else where would her legacy go?

Would everyone end up forgetting her? Even though she was such a huge impact on our magic society.

Before I knew it, I was shedding tears that blended perfectly with the droplets of water, my sobs and whimpers as quiet as I could make them as I pressed my hands to my face.

I really felt like I failed her.

I should have clued in on the little hints she gave us before it was too late. What could I have done differently?

If we’d worked faster in gathering evidence against Danica, would Athena be alive now? How would I be able to fill her shoes when I felt like such a mess right now?

I didn’t know how I was going to do it, which made me feel overwhelmed. I knew if I just took a moment to take everything in, I could formulate a plan and execute it, but doing that felt like a mission I couldn’t take on right now.

“C’mon, Nessa,” I whispered to myself. “I can do this.  I have to…or else the world will probably end, and then that will make Athena’s death all in vain. I can’t disappoint her like that…but what do I do? I need to figure out what to do.”

I wouldn’t be able to figure it out here. Not when I was a crying mess. But that thought only made me cry harder as I crouched down to hug myself.

It hurt to feel so weak. To be so vulnerable when I needed to be strong and empowering. This dual role would put me on a pedestal and force me to confront people I’d probably never met in my life, and it was scary to think about.

I knew I would have support in some way, but in this spiraling moment, it felt like I’d be walking this path all alone, and I hated that entirely.

The feeling of being alone…and afraid of the unknown future.

A hand lightly stroked my head, and all I could do was open my eyes and lift my head just enough to see Atticus, completely drenched in the water with his clothes on while he crouched before me.

“Sweet Theia,” he whispered. “Why are you crying?”

Seeing him here made my lips tremble further while my eyes pooled with more tears. I didn’t expect him to be here, and yet his company suddenly made me feel like I wasn’t going to drown in my own sorrows.

“I…don’t think I can do this…on my own,” I sobbed and hiccupped as I looked into his blue eyes that glimmered to gold as they softened.

“And who said you had to?” he inquired. “You’re not alone. Am I not here with you?”

“You could be an illusion,” I argued and sniffed. “Because you look good in wet clothes.”

That made him chuckle before he tugged me into his arms. The two of us were on the shower floor as he held me tightly and comforted me as I cried.

“It’s going to be okay, Nerissa,” he consoled. “We’re going to figure things out together and make a game plan to correct everything.”

“But…Athena…is…”

“We’ll figure that out too, my mate,” he assured me, knowing how important it was to my heart. “For now, all you need to do is let these emotions all out, alright?”

I nodded into his chest and allowed myself to cry until the tears couldn’t be shed anymore. He didn’t rush me in the slightest, no matter if it left us sitting on the shower floor for minutes or hours.

He let me cry until I was emotionally exhausted, and when it was done, he helped me shower before proceeding to draw a bath.

Once he helped me in it, he didn’t hesitate to strip off his wet clothes, leaving me to stare at him slowly as I took in every chiseled line of his muscular body.

“What are you doing?” I ended up asking when he made his way to the end of the bath.

“Scoot forward,” he encouraged instead, which gave him enough space to get into the bath and settle with me right between his legs.

“You never answered me,” I noted as he hooked an arm around me to steady my body against his.

I wasn’t uncomfortable by his bold move. In fact, I was grateful to have his company because I didn’t feel like I wanted to be alone right now. My thoughts were a mess, my energy levels even more of a tousled disaster, but having him here was a distraction, and that was what I needed in this moment.

A distraction until my heart and mind can recover from the mayhem of emotional disaster.

“Figured it’s a good position to help tend to your wounds while you relax,” he revealed as he used his free arm to lift my left arm.

We stared at my pale arm together, taking in the various scratches and bruises that made my arm look like a blotched canvas.

“You got pretty banged up,” he quietly voiced.

“And it wasn’t from sex? What a shame,” I complained, which made him chuckle.

“I feel like I could have said we had a fivesome and you’d believe me.”

“Well, you could, but I’d have to question my memory for I feel like I would have remembered being banged by the Four Horsemen,” I voiced and thought about it. “Who’s the freakiest in bed?”

“Arthur,” he voiced, which made me gasp and look back at him.

“Arthur?”

“He’s War after all,” Atticus disclosed like he was revealing something obvious. “His stamina is high and he gets turned on putting women through different things.”

“Sounds like an acrobatic nightmare,” I mumbled.

“You’re intrigued,” he whispered in my ear and brushed his lips along his mark, which made me arch slightly at the shiver-inducing touch.

“The topic is intriguing,” I muttered in an attempt to avoid how his touch did crazy things to me.

“Then what do you think the others would be like in bed?” he muttered against my flesh as his lips couldn’t help but continue to brush along the lines of the mark, which made me further relax against him.

I tried to not moan and answer the question, but it was a lot more difficult with my body craving Atticus’s touch.

“Sawyer seems adventurous. Confident in his own way. He knows all about the human body. I’m sure he’d know plenty of ways to make a girl cum,” I muttered and let my eyes close as I moved my head back to rest against Atticus, knowing it would give him more access to my neck, which he was obviously currently infatuated with.

“And Cornelius?” he asked before sucking the perfect spot that made me moan breathlessly.

“He’d watch,” I dangerously assumed as I bit my bottom lip slowly. “Until it becomes unbearable…like he’s starving to have a taste of me.”

“Perceptive,” he praised and freed my neck from his lip’s warmth, only for our eyes to lock for a moment. It was a single moment that felt like an eternity had passed between us, his eyes lowering to my lips just like mine lowered to take a glimpse of his.

Then we were kissing.

Slow, deep, so sensually soothing that it was impossible to not get lost in his touch. Kissing Atticus was the polar opposite of Erebus. It was as if time was on our side and slowed so we could enjoy every nanosecond of desire and lust that thrummed through us.

Every movement of our lips could be acknowledged and enjoyed, just like the vast emotions that hummed through our bodies and flowed through our vivid connection. I could feel how hard it was for him to hold back his arousal.

The desperate intensity to feed into his need to ravish me and yet be a comforting mate whose priority lies with his woman’s sanity rather than sexual hunger. It was different than what I was used to, which made it a bit exciting as we followed what our bodies wanted.

He deepened the kiss easily. The bruising scrutiny of his lips against mine only lit my insides up and left me greedy for more. I moved until my naked body was pressed against his, my arms around his neck while he held my hips beneath the bubbling water.

His magic blanketed me, a warmth of tingling power that glimmered in gold and white and mixed with the various Epsom salts and rose petals I hadn’t realized he’d put in the bath until this very moment as they clung to my feverish skin.

I’d admire its beauty later for all I could focus on was kissing Atticus, trailing my lips along his cheek and jaw and to his neck as I watched the way his body relaxed and took in my show of affection.

Him allowing his woman to take the lead was something empowering for me to experience. Watching every move I made please him in some way while feeling his thickness grow harder with my pleasurable execution.

When I returned to his lips, it was his turn to take over as his hand ran through my short locks just to pull me even closer to him — as if I wasn’t pressed against his naked, wet frame.

“How my Creator has blessed me,” he muttered into my mouth before his tongue probed right in to entwine with mine. We kissed until we’re gasping for air, before his forehead pressed against mine while his teeth tugged at my bottom lip. “All these years of wondering where our woman could be. Little did I know she’d be a magnificent beauty. A goddess with such divine radiance.”

He sealed my lips once more, the two of us kissing until we couldn’t bear to do only that.

Breathless, we stared at one another for a moment as he clearly debated what our next move would be.

“I want to make love to you,” he finally confessed his intentions, and I suddenly felt giddy while my stomach flipped and tousled with need.

“Then what’s stopping you?” I asked against his lips before he groaned and kissed me so passionately, my toes tingled with his love.

Everything began to move quickly, water splashing onto the floor as this man held my entire weight as he got out of the tub while managing to keep me in a lip lock with his possessive lips. It felt like we were floating now, and a mere peek proved that his wings were now out and being dried by the gust of warmth that danced around us.

I got lost in his kiss and grasped the silk sheets beneath me while I opened my eyes to take a long look at the naked god as he prepared his cock that was erect and oozing with precum while the rest of his body glowed with a golden light with prism glitter.

It was mesmerizing to stare at him, my tongue slowly moving along my bottom lip while I spread my legs further out so he knew just how ready I was for him. Everything moved so naturally, that it didn’t seem like all of this was fast, and maybe that was how love was supposed to be.

For things to flow at a pace that was comfortable for both of us.

“What a sight to enjoy,” he whispered as he took me in. “Our Sweet Theia was made to be a delicate queen for me to ravish.”

Just looking at me was turning him on as his eyes shimmered with gold and sparks of white and orange.

“A true gift. My gift to feast on,” he declared and began to rub the head of his cock against my entrance. “Are you ready, Sweet Nessa?”

I shivered at the way he said my name with those hooded eyes so full of hunger, I could cum just from their attention alone.

“Yes,” I panted and watched him smile before he leaned in to kiss me long and hard. It was so easy to get lost in each kiss he delivered, his tongue already in my mouth as it danced with my tongue, which submitted to every movement.

He released my lips only to reward me with his cock that began to inch into me. His thickness spread my walls to the max and more, which made it both painful and exhilarating. He growled into my mouth as my moan got lost in my throat, the two of us completely still for this solid moment to enjoy the way my pussy walls fluttered around his length.

“So fulfilling,” he groaned roughly before he firmly kissed me. “I want to take this slow, but damn, Theia. This is hard.”

“We can go at whatever pace we wish,” I assured him and sealed my words with a soft kiss. “I just want to feel it all, Atticus.”

That was all he needed to take the lead. He began to move, and the two of us moaned at the way our bodies hummed with tranquility. The best way to describe it was like being the last two pieces of a puzzle and finally being put into place.

I felt whole and balanced, and the immense pleasure that spiked with every thrust made me wild with need and power. It felt like we were uniquely charged, and this connection allowed us to share the energy that had been bubbling with impatience to be exchanged.

I could feel his emotions, his gratefulness to be in my presence like I was some goddess beyond his orbit that he finally got the chance to reach, touch, and devour. He respected me in some areas, admired me in others, and my beauty reeled him in as strongly as my intelligence.

It was as if I experienced everything he had when he saw me that day in the midst of the forest. He’d watched my power flow flawlessly, even if it was an energy that was the polar opposite of his. He’d fallen for me right there and then, and to now be one with me was like an early Christmas gift he didn’t expect would be given to him.

I bet he could feel my impression of him. My intrigue and fascination while I admired his sense of duty. Knowing what he’d endured to reach here only made this more satisfying, for he’d endured the pain of being a slave.

He’d been tortured, abused, and used for another individual’s moment of pleasure because he believed in my existence and was willing to endure anything if it meant he was given the woman he was destined to be with. Little did he know that goddess was but an imposter, but in the end, he finally found me.

Despite it all, the chaos, uncertainty, and an undetermined future, this moment felt like it was meant to happen. For us to come together as one and to feel how powerful and fulfilling it was to make love to the one fated for you.

“Atticus,” I panted as he began to move faster, his head nestling between my shoulder and neck so he could further taunt my body with arousal as he lightly nibbled and licked the sensitive spot.

“You want to become my sweet addiction, don’t you, Sweet Theia?” he groaned and sucked at my neck, which left me moaning louder as my head dipped back into the pillow to give him more access.

I loved how my breasts pressed against his pecs, my nipples hard and further aroused by how they brushed with every bouncing movement his thrusts delivered.

“If…it makes me enjoy rides like these, I’m all aboard,” I voiced between pants as he continued to fuck me hard and deep. He changed angles unexpectedly, and fuck, how that changed everything as I was left panting and moaning breathlessly as my climax inched closer and closer.

His moans grew louder, growls and grunts escaping his lips with each deep thrust, and I knew it wouldn’t be long for either of us before we came.

“Atticus,” I warned, knowing I didn’t have the resistance to stop myself from cumming. Everything was just too intense, the atmosphere thick with our palpable energy while pulsing shockwaves further riddled us in anticipation of our climax.

It was like I’d given him all the energy I was struggling to balance, and he’d given me his — the foreign vials of power readying themselves to burst through us at the exact same moment.

“I want to feel you cum when I do, Sweet Theia,” he urged as he rocked into me at a wild pace that would certainly push me over the edge at any moment. “Cum for me, Nerissa. Milk my damn cock into oblivion!”

With one final thrust, he sank as deeply as he could while he pinned me with his body — his wings outstretching to their fullest as we both screamed in ecstasy

“Fuck!” he cursed as his seed filled me, while my orgasm collided through my body, which left me shuddering in waves. He endured it all as my pussy milked him, forcing him to remain completely still, which I felt he had no complaints about.

I dared to open my eyes enough to witness the glowing wonderland we ended up creating from our union. Golden orbs and feathers began to twinkle down upon us while Atticus’s body was covered with vivid white markings that made him look like a summoned warrior waiting to rise at the call of his savior.

I couldn’t help but sit up to the best of my ability, my right hand lying upon his left chest pec. There was a scar there that almost ridiculed me with its presence, enough that I couldn’t help but press my lips against it firmly with the intent of its disappearance.

My lips sizzled with warmth until they began to tingle with hot power from inside me begging to aid our mate. The heat spread and danced through him and across his flesh until it was his hand that lightly laid upon the back of my neck that encouraged me to pull back.

I glanced at the spot to see it was not only healed but the scars had been replaced with markings of black that shimmered blue and purple. It was outstanding to take in the white lines, leaving him to look like a tatted masterpiece with brilliant wings of white that shifted to shimmers of gold.

“Atticus,” I whispered and further looked up to see his surprised expression, but he wasn’t looking at what I’d just done.

He was looking behind me.

All I had to do was glance back to see what had stolen his utmost attention, which left me speechless as I glanced back to witness what I never thought could be possible for the Goddess of Darkness.

White wings.

CHAPTER 4

Mournful Uncertainty And Daddy Dearest: Part Two

Brilliant white feathers from the massive set of wings shifted into shimmering feathers of black with hints of blue and purple. I was rendered speechless as I slowly took it in before I realized my hair was far longer than before.

Glancing down was enough to let me see the long strands that shifted to purple and blue at the tips of my hair — the rest as pure and white as snow.

My body was decorated in similar makings as Atticus’s. Some were white while others were black, but the balance was noticeable and mesmerizing to take in.

Returning my gaze to meet his, I didn’t know whether to be horrified or over the moon with this sudden predicament.

“I have no clue if this is good or bad,” I squeaked, which made me realize my voice had gone up a good octave.

“It’s good,” he slowly voiced as he took me in once more. “Though I think you’re out of balance again.”

“Again?” I questioned. “And why is my voice like a chipmunk?”

“It’s not that high,” he voiced as his hand slowly reached out to entangle his fingers through my long strands. “Long hair looks different on you.”

“I can’t decipher whether you like it or not,” I mumbled and watched the way he smirked while he leaned in closer to admire my face.

“Do you want me to like it?” he asked instead, which made my cheeks further blush at the idea of his sudden approval.

The intensity between us was enough for me to groan and try to push him away.

“Go away!”

“You didn’t answer the question, Sweet Theia.”

“Your existence will ruin me!”

“We’re the same element, baby. If you’re going to destroy me, I believe we’re going down together.”

“Ugh! I can’t handle your cocky confidence!”

“For asking if you’ll keep your long hair?”

I practically pushed him off the bed, which left him laughing while I got up and pointed to his naked, sculpted body which only made me pause because I was pointing directly at his cock.

His very hard cock.

“How?!” I questioned instead in horror. “What kind of sex drive do you have as an archangel?! No. Actually, you’re fucking Death. Wait a minute! Can Death have sex? Is that allowed? Who would have sex with Death? Actually, I just answered that, didn’t I? No, wait! Is there a female Death? No…that doesn’t make sense, does it? Actually, no. Does Death even have a gender?”

I crossed my arms and noticed my wolf open an eye to stare at me in intrigue. She seemed pleased to see me bickering with him, which was enough to encourage her to go back to sleep.

Mentally acknowledging her was satisfying enough to get me back on the topic at hand as I tried to figure this shit out.

“What if Death has different pronouns?!” I questioned and looked at the archangel in question as he was actually paying attention to me as if I was saying the most interesting thing ever. “And…and…we’ve been ignoring them this whole while! What if Death is non-binary? Actually…I don’t know what that means.”

Now I was stumped. I had lost whatever I’d been trying to prove.

Which I couldn’t really remember either.

“I don’t know how I got to this point of the conversation,” I finally admitted and pouted my lips.

He simply smiled before he pointed to the bath.

“Want to enjoy another bath?”

The idea was tempting as I slowly followed his pointing finger to the washroom.

“Only if you’re not in it,” I concluded and returned my gaze to him to narrow my eyes. “You’re a distraction.”

“Am I?” he quipped with a smug grin that would make me throw a bunch of pillows at him if he kept it up.

“Ugh! You make me act weird,” I huffed and tried to jump off the bed, but my wings extended which left me shrieking as my body went further up. “How do I use these things?!”

“Hmm.” Atticus admired me as I was literally rising toward the ceiling. “I think we’re gonna have to get Lucifer to help you out,” he confessed before he was up and meeting me in the air with a blink.

Taking my hand like I was a lost balloon in the midst of the sky, he guided me back down before his wings easily retracted back into his back.

“How are you able to do that?”

“You just will them to return,” he instructed.

“Will them to return,” I repeated and tried it out, but all that did was press the massive wings to my back, which forced me to drop from my floating height.

“EEP!”

“Got you.” Atticus caught me with ease before he managed to get me into the bathroom even with my wing situation.

“I’ll find time to teach you,” he assured me while beginning to drain the bath to make me a fresh one.

“Why do I feel so giddy?” I whined. This was definitely not how my personality normally was.

“It’s the light magic,” he assured me as if nothing was really wrong. “We exchanged a lot of energy during sex which is why you’re acting more…” he needed to pause to figure out the right word, “girly?”

“Girly?” I questioned and tilted my head while I crossed my arms under my breasts on purpose. “I have breasts and a pussy! Of course, I’m ‘girly.’”

“That’s not what I meant by that,” he voiced before he walked right up to me and very gently kissed me.

The sudden kiss left me flustered which was really fucking with me because I totally didn’t act like this.

“Breathe, Sweet Theia,” he encouraged against my lips before he tugged me in close. “The way light energy works is when you’re happy, your levels accelerate far faster than normal, which puts you in a state that some would call bubbly or even hyper. That doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. You’re just happy and this is your body’s way of reacting to it.”

“D-Doesn’t explain why I get all nervous around you,” I mumbled and watched the way he further smiled and pulled me in for another sweet kiss.

“That’s simply because you like me the same way I like you,” he stated like it truly wasn’t rocket science. “And there’s nothing wrong with that.”

He was right.

“So…you’re okay with these wings?”

“I have no problem with them at all, Nerissa,” he assured me before he lightly kissed my forehead. “They’re beautiful on you.”

“Even if I don’t know how to work them,” I acknowledged again.

“I’ll teach you,” he reassured me and pulled me into a soft hug. His arms wrapped around my waist to avoid my wings.

His sudden affection encouraged me to hug him back before I whispered, “You came after me before I passed out, didn’t you?”

“Did you expect me to leave you to perish?” he asked in return.

It took me a moment to reply.

“No,” I genuinely answered.

“You’re not used to relying on others to be there for you when you need it the most.”

“It’s not like I don’t want to,” I quietly admitted. “It’s just…”

“Your dark gods act a lot different than I do,” he concluded, and I slowly nodded into his chest as I hugged him tightly.

“It’s not their fault. I always tell myself that, but when you have others come into your life and treat you the way you’ve always yearned for, it makes it hard to justify what you’ve endured all this while,” I quietly confessed. “My pack treats me well. Erebus, Koa, and Ciel respect me and show me affection in the best way they know how. Then you came along, and I guess…it’s hard to wrap your mind around how easy it can be to love.” I closed my eyes and sighed. “I should be panicking about where we are or what happened prior to landing in this unknown place, but your presence just makes me feel safe. Like…no matter what’s happening in my body or the changes I’m embracing from all of this sudden madness, I feel like I can endure it all.” My arms tightened around him as I whispered, “Weird, right?”

“It’s not weird,” he whispered and hugged me even tighter while his lips gently brushed along his favorite spot. “You simply feel like you finally belong, don’t you?”

That was exactly what it felt like. His arms were a place I could call a home of safety and reassurance.

Pulling back rewarded me with the sight of my wings wrapped around us like a cocoon. The inner walls glimmered with blue, purple, and gold, which illuminated this protective space.

“I think my wings like you,” I voiced and enjoyed the way he chuckled.

“Or maybe a certain goddess is extra fond of me,” he offered.

“Maybe,” I decided to agree. “Don’t tell Erebus though. He’ll plot your murder.”

“I feel like he’ll start plotting my demise if I don’t get you back to the surface in a timely manner,” he noted with a smirk.

“Where are we?” I decided to ask, and I watched the way he debated whether to tell me. “Is it bad?”

“Not necessarily bad,” he voiced. “To simply put it, your Daddy Dearest’s place.”

“Daddy Dearest,” I voiced and arched an eyebrow at him. “I don’t have a dad.”

“Well, with Athena being your mother and the fact that you aren’t the female Messiah, you definitely have a dad,” he reasoned, which made me groan.

“Oh no. Do I have to study the bible or something?” It was so off-topic and yet I needed to know. “Listen. I know at least three Commandments and that Eve ate the apple. I ain’t reading about all the other craziness in the Bible.”

“It’s actually not that bad,” he voiced, and I gave him a look.

“There’s a dude in there who killed like seventy-five children because they called him bald!”

“2 Kings 2:23-24,” he stated the exact verse. “It was forty-two young men, Sweet Theia, and it occurred because they wished to mock a prophet of our Savior, who wasn’t afraid of serving our Creator in public.”

“See, this is why I’d fail as an angel,” I concluded. “I wouldn’t be able to translate that!”

“You don’t need to for now,” he assured me. “Why don’t we focus on one thing at a time?”

“Right.” That seemed easier to do. “So bath time?”

“Yes,” he agreed. “And I’ll get you something to nibble on until we can speak with Lucifer.”

“Wait…Lucifer?” I gawked at him. “Why are we speaking with Lucifer?”

“This is his place, Nessa,” he said with a wink while I gawked at him. My shock made my wings retract and with a blink, they were gone.

“Damn. The mere mention of the devil made my wings poof!”

“That’s your bewilderment matched with a dose of shock,” he translated instead before he began to prep the bath and speak at the same time. “We’re at Lucifer’s palace.”

“Palace?” I repeated the word and stared at him in horror. “We died?”

“No.”

“We certainly died.”

“Sweet Theia, we did not die.”

“That’s why I have wings!” I gasped. “Oh fuck. We’re in Hell!”

The poor man paused in dumping some Epsom salts to look at me.

“We’re…not in Hell?”

“No.”

“Purgatory?”

“No.”

“Well, I know for sure we didn’t make it to Heaven.”

“Why not?” Now he looked amused.

“If this was Heaven, we just did something sinful!” I stressed and gestured to the door. “We had wild, rejuvenating sex! That has to be against a law in Paradise!”

“You realize our Creators created sex as a means of procreation.”

“Yes…” I began. “But it’s sinful.”

“If abused like any addiction that becomes a negative impulse that takes your mind away from your purpose in life,” he summed up and walked over to me the moment the bath water was at a good level.

Now he was facing me again.

“We’re not abusing it, so it’s not a sin,” he concluded. “And we’re not in Heaven.”

“Then where are we?”

“Apparently an alternate world where Lucifer comfortably lives,” he revealed. “A pit stop on the way to Hell, a short walk away from Earth, and a short distance to Heaven, Faerie, and a bunch of other universes we don’t need to visit.”

“Right.” I stared at him. “You’re too calm.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” he assured me before literally scooping me up. “Into the bath, you go.”

He lowered me into the calming waters of warmth before he laid a passionate kiss on my lips.

“I’ll be back. Stay in here and daydream about my cock.”

“I bet you that’s a sin to say as an Archangel,” I pressed and watched him smirk as he rolled his eyes and headed to the door.

That made me remember what we’d been talking about.

“Wait! If we’re at Lucifer’s place, are you trying to say that Lucifer’s Daddy Dearest?!” It finally dawned on me and left me gasping.

Atticus simply looked over his shoulder and smirked.

“Wait till I tell my Creator I’m mated to the Devil’s only daughter.”

With a wink, he was gone and I was left to sink further into the tub as the news finally sunk in.

Oh fucking goddess, I’m Lucifer’s daughter!

CHAPTER 5

A Glimpse Of Hope In The Realms Of Flaming Despair: Part One

“HOW AM I LOSING?!” Cornelius screamed as he looked at the chessboard as a means to save himself from getting slammed with the magic word “checkmate.” “There has to be a way out of this!”

Arthur leaned back from his chair to glance at the gameboard.

“Nah,” he declared and shook his head. “You’re fucked.”

“You could have given him a glimpse of hope by having him move his knight,” Sawyer reasoned.

“Just for him to get brutally destroyed by the king over there? That’s simply suicide,” Arthur countered with a shrug. “Just admit defeat and make a bunch of prisoned hell bringers experience famine for a few years to let go of your immense rage at losing.”

“No!” Cornelius exclaimed. “I can’t just lose! Defeat would mark me incapable of going to Heaven!”

“For losing against the Devil?” Sawyer tossed back. “Well…hmm…now that I think about it, that kinda sounds sus.”

“Fuck! No. I can win. There has to be one way!” Cornelius huffed, and Arthur sighed.

“If you let me play, I would have won easily,” he voiced while his eyes drifted our way. “All you needed to do is…holy fucking shi—AH!”

He leaned too far back in his chair, which landed him on the ground. The distraction was enough for everyone else in the vast private library to look at him and then over to where Atticus and I stood.

I wasn’t even paying attention — my eyes taking in the mass of books that were stacked precariously in towers of bookshelves.

The floor-to-ceiling bookshelves were filled with various books. Some looked ancient while others were more modern, which had me tugging Atticus’s hand like everything else didn’t exist.

He actually stopped me from going to explore as he added a light squeeze of my hand so I could blink out of my amazement to look at him.

“Sweet Theia, you can read all the books after you ask permission to touch them.”

“Oh.” I blinked out of my daze for knowledge. “My ba…hmm?” I realized Arthur, Sawyer, and Cornelius were staring at me as if I’d grown three heads and a tail.

“What?” I stared at them in confusion as I looked down at my white dress. “Do I look weird in white?”

“No!” the three of them declared, which left me even more confused while Atticus smirked and leaned in to whisper, “Your wings, Theia.”

“Huh?” I looked over my shoulder to confirm my wings had decided to come back for the grand reveal. It had to be due to my sudden fascination with this beautiful space that made me wish to fly to the very top so I wouldn’t be disturbed as I viewed the various literature.

I’d always enjoyed reading since it was another outlet that would give me a glimpse of the world outside of the rituals and dark practices I did as a kid.

My appreciation for it only grew with Aloisium’s obsession with knowledge, but I’d never witnessed such a beautiful space for books in real life before.

“Oops,” I voiced and looked at Atticus. “They’re probably not going to go back, are they?”

“When you’re less excited,” he said with a wink that made me blush.

A low chuckle that practically vibrated through the room drew our attention to the man sitting opposite Cornelius. His eyes of lavender completely surprised me because they looked just like mine.

“You have to give props to my old man for creating your Horsemen to be entertaining enough to keep me occupied,” he began as his eyes landed on me. “I can attempt to not be a deadbeat father by meeting my angelic daughter over there.”

“Y-You’re…” I began as I really took in his appearance.

The Devil himself looked stunning, from the fine black suit he wore that probably cost a fortune to the perfection of his looks and flawless skin. His black strands were gelled back in a sophisticated style and he wore a red earring on his left side, which gave a pinch of rebellion to his appearance.

He sat crossed-legged and wore black gloves that seemed to fit the vibe he was going for with the matching suede dress shoes.

His lips were a dark red while his eyes were the same shade of lavender as mine. His skin was a bit more tanned than mine, but seeing as he was the Devil and probably chilled in Hell, which was burning hot with plenty of rays of flames, I could understand why his skin wasn’t my shade.

What captured my attention was the ring he wore on his finger. The band was metallic grey and the striking stone in the middle was black Tourmaline.

“If Athena had told me I had a daughter, I wouldn’t be twiddling my thumbs watching sinners burn in the wrath of my flames for all eternity,” he declared as he uncrossed his legs to rise up. “I’m glad to see you’re awake and healed, Goddess Nerissa Morrigan. I feel like your mother gave you that surname on purpose.”

“On purpose,” I voiced first as I pouted my lips. “Why?”

“Morrigan. Irish for ‘Great Queen’ or the rooted definition of ‘Phantom Queen.’ I guess it’s as close to Morningstar as she could get without giving it away,” he reasoned as if he was figuring this out in his mind while stating it to us.

“I’m glad you’re okay, Ness,” Arthur spoke up as he managed to get off the floor to walk over to us. “Atticus did well at healing your wounds.”

“Oh, right,” I voiced, since I’d forgotten that he had healed my wounds. “Atticus did a wonderful job.”

“Hmm? Hey, Atticus. Your scars.”

The other two archangels focused on their Alpha, who still remained shirtless but wore a white pair of pants.

I figured he’d worn little since it was hot wherever we were and it was probably easier to be shirtless to summon his wings.

I had to wear a dress with a low back dip so if my wings did make an appearance — which they did — it wouldn’t be as troublesome.

“Our Theia decided my body deserved to be rid of such imperfections,” Atticus quietly admitted as he smiled at Arthur before giving nodding glances to Sawyer and Cornelius to acknowledge them. “Haven’t been so comfortable shirtless in a long while.”

“But we met with you being a naked god in the middle of the forest,” I acknowledged the obvious.

He rolled his eyes at my commentary before he answered, “My pride when I embody my Alpha wolf persona is a bit different versus when I embody the angel side,” he confessed. “As a wolf, they were battle scars that proved I’d endured a lot to reach my rank of power in the pack. As an angel, they felt like flaws that would only hinder my chances of getting back into Heaven one day.”

He shrugged but continued to hold my hand.

“It’s crazy how powerful the mind can be when your self-esteem and confidence aren’t stable.”

He tugged me over so I could greet the others with quick hugs, then we all turned to the man in black, who rose and admired each of us.

“Welcome to my secret oasis,” he greeted as he raised his arms to make the welcoming extra dramatic. “I’m rather pleased to have my daughter and the Four Horsemen in my presence. Know that this is a sacred and private dimension that I’m not particularly eager to disclose to too many individuals, especially to men who are supposedly my enemy, but this is an exception.”

“Thank you?” I wasn’t sure if that was the right thing to say, but I followed with, “I don’t really recall how we got here.”

“Ah, yes. It would make sense for you to deal with a bit of memory loss after slamming into tainted waters head-on. Though, your lover did a good job of saving you before my summoned ass managed to get you out of that wretched swamp.”

He shook his head as though the reminder disturbed him.

“You’d think after so many suicidal and accidental deaths, the humans would request the Goddess of Light’s and Goddess of Water’s aid to clean up that sewage mess,” he muttered more to himself as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Then again, their whole world is collapsing thanks to their ignorance, so I’m not surprised in the slightest.”

Returning his attention to us, he smirked.

“You summoned me, child,” he acknowledged. “Though, it looks like I would have come down anyways seeing as you’re partially unclaimed.”

“Partially unclaimed,” I whispered. “Wait. I thought you made a deal with the humans or something?”

“Oh?” He looked intrigued as he tilted his head to the side. “And what sort of deal could the humans of all races make with me, Lucifer Morningstar, that would be so grand that I’d accept it?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted with a pout of my lips before words left my mouth without me even thinking about it. “Maybe Danica has been working with them and the Forbidden village to disturb the balance of the goddesses by killing Athena and taking her body to be offered as a sacrifice that would forcible summon your presence since she’s an unclaimed goddess and thus pinning you to the human realm and in their domain so you’ll have no choice but to go manic and destroy the world until God Almighty himself has to awaken the Four Horsemen’s true roles and ignite the beginning of the end for all of mankind.”

All eyes landed on me as I took a breath and let it out.

“Which means everyone’s fucked.”

Their silence matched with their gawking expression made me realize I’d just seen a shit ton of craziness.

“Um…” I looked to Atticus, who wasn’t spared from being stunned by my rambling. “Did I do that whole Seer thing again?”

“Yes,” he answered. “And I think you just solved all our problems.”

“What?”

“That’s why Danica’s been obsessed with killing Athena,” he stressed. “The end game revolves around summoning Lucifer and encouraging the end of the world.”

“What benefit would Danica get?” Sawyer questioned.

“And wait. With what Ness said, doesn’t that reveal that the village who stole Nerissa as a baby from Athena is actually working with Danica?”

“Fuck, you’re right,” Cornelius whispered. “But what would they get out of it? Their dark gods are connected with Nerissa, not Athena.”

“What if they want to let those dark gods perish by not worshipping them anymore so they can commit to another god?” Atticus offered in seriousness. “What if they wish to summon Lucifer so they can worship him in exchange for being granted anything they desire? It’s like in the bible where Lucifer grants the wishes of any who vow to follow him, and its instant gratification.”

“But aren’t they afraid of the consequen—” My words were cut short as the ground literally began to tremble, leaving all of us to glance over to Lucifer, who had his back facing us. “Uh…Lucifer?”

“Did we say something wrong?” Arthur questioned.

“Maybe?” Sawyer sounded just unsure as the rest of us felt before Cornelius cursed.

“Fuck…” He looked over to us with dread-filled eyes. “None of us told him about Athena.”

Oh fucking shit.

CHAPTER 6

A Glimpse Of Hope In The Realms Of Flaming Despair: Part Two

“D-Dad?” I dared to say as the ground simply shook harder. I pulled out of Atticus’s grip to walk over to the man whose back looked composed, but I could see the way his aura began to ooze out of him in waves so powerful, I felt like none of us would be able to breathe if we didn’t interfere right away

I was facing him before I knew it. The sight of his anger left me frozen in place for a moment as I stared up into the eyes of a ruthless demon.

From the growing horns of red to the molten skin of his flesh that began to bubble and spread, the elegant man known as my father was shifting into a beast who held a lengthy history of destruction and death.

And I didn’t want my men and I to be pulled into that lengthy scoreboard.

“We can’t potentially save her if you’re going to have a hissy fit, Father,” I voiced sternly, which seemed rather bold of me, but this was our chance to potentially get Athena’s soul back somehow.

Clearly, Danica needed Athena’s body for some ritual of sorts, which meant she had to have gotten to Athena’s place and taken her body somewhere.

For rituals, the body needed to be preserved — or remain fresh — for as long as possible so all that was missing was her soul.

If we’re in a place near Hell, Purgatory, and potentially Heaven, can’t we reach her before she ascends?

“You can lose your shit on those deserving of your wrath once we figure out if Athena is really dead and has ascended yet,” I emphasized. “If you’re reacting this way, doesn’t that mean you didn’t sense Athena’s death?”

He stared at me for a good minute before he blinked a few times and looked deep in thought. His skin began to shift back to normal as his horns retracted into his temples.

With a few blinks, he was back to the sophisticated man who’d greeted us, before he specifically looked displeased with my interference.

“You realize if I looked at you the wrong way, you would have perished for all eternity?” he huffed with narrowed eyes.

I simply shrugged.

“If you were really going to do that to your daughter, you would have done it eons ago,” I voiced like I wasn’t concerned that I could have actually died.

“Hmmm.” He stared at me with a hint of a pout. “You’re definitely our child. I’m unsure if I like that or not.”

“Well, you think about that and get back to me later,” I voiced and pointed to my wings. “Uh. Can you also do something about these?”

He arched an eyebrow at me.

“I can’t act like a badass bitch when these are out,” I voiced.

“A child of light complaining about having wings,” he muttered like he’d seen far too much in his eternal existence.

Well, actually, maybe he has.

“If you were properly balanced, they wouldn’t feel like a burden to you.”

“Now how do I achieve that?” I asked before I watched him reach out to flick my forehead. “Ow! What was that—”

“NESSA!”

I flinched and looked to see Dark Nessa, only she wasn’t in shadowed form.

She literally looked identical to me, minus the white hair.

I blinked at my copy as I took in her lengthy strands of black that shifted to purple and blue at the ends. She wore a black dress and carried massive black wings.

“Light me!” she cheered and crashed into me.

“AH!” I fell right over, which made me realize my wings were now gone once more. “Dark Nessa, how did you come out?”

She hugged me for a good minute before she pulled back to point over to Daddy Dearest.

“His fault!” she declared and pouted her lips as she stared at the man for ten seconds. “DADDY!” she cheered and tackled the poor man, who looked like he was second-guessing his decision.

“This is rather wild to watch,” Sawyer noted.

“It’s kinda cute seeing our Sweet Theia and her dark side, Sweet Nyx, mingle like that. Makes them look like twins.”

“Or polar opposite identical sisters,” Cornelius acknowledged.

“I think Lucifer thought he was doing something good but that just brought out chaos,” Atticus noted as he observed us.

“A miscalculation,” Lucifer answered but didn’t bother trying to get Dark Nessa off him as she clung to his neck from his left side. “Your wings keep popping out because your magic senses Heaven and Purgatory,” he revealed. “Plus, your dark half being unclaimed makes your light side far stronger than your tainted side.”

“Meaning as of now, Light Nessa is overpowering Dark Nessa,” Arthur summarized as he walked over to where I stood. “Isn’t that a bad thing?”

“Why?” Dark Nessa and I said in unison.

“If one power overwhelms the other, what usually happens,” Sawyer offered as he was next to approach where we stood, “is that there’s going to come to a point where the overpowering energy will consume the weakest link.”

Dark Nessa gasped in horror before she looked close to tears.

“Nessa doesn’t like me anymore?”

“No!” I stressed and put my hands up. “We’re just dealing with technical difficulties,” I voiced and glared at Arthur and Sawyer, who flinched at my obvious anger.

“What Arthur and Sawyer are trying to explain is that right now, Nerissa is out of balance because she’s obviously not been claimed by her monsters, who were forced to be bound to her by the deceitful worshipers. She needs to be claimed by them in order to balance her energies or else it can lead to Dark Nessa slowly dwindling away,” Cornelius decided to explain.

“Which means so will Regis, Aloisium, and Fenriz if we don’t rush back and deal with those villagers and whatever they’re plotting with Danica’s involvement,” Atticus stressed.

“So we have to go to this village and burn it down?” Arthur questioned.

“Well, after we figure out why the hell they’re doing this, to begin with. There has to be some sort of grand scheme,” Sawyer acknowledged.

“Whatever it is, the balance of the world is basically relying on us to fix to it,” Cornelius stressed.

“Well, with Theia’s help, we should be able to—”

“No.”

All four of them looked at me and Dark Nessa. My shadowed self now stood next to me, wearing the same emotionless expression I was.

“What?” Sawyer inquired as if he hadn’t heard the single word.

“No,” we repeated in unison. “We’re not going back.”

Sawyer, Arthur, and Cornelius looked at Atticus as he frowned.

“Nerissa…” he began, but he couldn’t conjure the words to try to convince me otherwise.

“Why does my child not wish to return to the place of her birth?” Lucifer decided to ask, and I realized he now stood behind me.

A mere glance up confirmed he was peering down at us, and despite the intensity of the negative conversation, his eyes were filled with calm. They looked no different from mine.

“You mean the place that stole me,” I emphasized and realized I was back to my “whole” Nessa self, which was perfect for the conversation at hand. “The place that birthed and raised me to be a Bride to a set of dark gods that weren’t even mine? The place that began their rituals when I was two? That poked needles through my hands and feet like the Lord’s son and left me hanging there for forty-eight hours to revoke the demons inside me? That place?”

He didn’t show how my words were affecting him, and maybe that was why I turned to face him while my eyes darkened as the boiling energy of anger coursed through me.

“The place that left a four-year-old out on the mountains in the freezing blizzards to determine if I was truly worthy of survival? The place that burned my hands on stove tops not to hide my fingerprints but simply as one of many forms of punishment because I didn’t want to stay up all night singing hymns to the gods I’m supposed to devote my body to at sixteen? Oh. That place that forced me to plunge into a lagoon full of blood…the blood of innocent babies, children, and women who decided the worshippers’ actions were wrong and wished to be out of it? Oh, that lovely place that made me wish I could slice my fucking wrist and bleed to death so I wouldn’t have to deal with another day singing ‘How Great is the Devil’, who ironically is my fucking dad?!”

The way my eyes bled to black should have pushed me to stop, but the thrumming force of fury wished to rage on, and what better person to take it all but Daddy Dearest, who was chilling in hell, twiddling his thumbs because he knew nothing of my apparent existence.

“That place stole me from HAPPINESS! Stole me from having a normal fucking life with my gods who were DESTINED FOR ME! That place riddled me with nightmares so FRIGHTENING that my ‘destined’ monsters had to give me pleasure to pull me out of them! I was NEVER enough for them! Never worthy of taking a single breath in their presence. All for what? Because they couldn’t have the latest cars? Latest phones? Could waltz into a cave full of gold and buy whatever their hearts desired? Men and women who wouldn’t even work! Slobs who were angry that their punishment is growing old and dying without leaving a fucking legacy. All their hatred and anger was placed on me, while their own curse left me PACKLESS! I carried that guilt every day, questioned my worth every hour! I wondered how I could possibly be a worthy bride to ancient gods that couldn’t even show me the physical affection I craved and ridiculed me until I questioned my sanity when I found out their intentions all along! You want me to return to a place that vowed to kill me? Vowed to kill all I care about, and would make it their mission to ensure I’m sinking in a swamp of death for all eternity while I get to enjoy the shattering feeling of each god fading away because of their blind-sightedness! That’s the PLACE you wish me to waltz back to when it took EVERYTHING I had to run away from?!”

By the time I was done, I was completely out of breath, my body quaking with rage as tears streamed down my flushed cheeks.

I hadn’t realized how much I’d bottled inside me, the immense hatred I’d stored in my mind for years as a child, and it had only deepened into a dark depression during those six months where all I could do was survive.

My wolf howled in sadness in my mind, and I remembered how she aided in my survival. The cold winter nights that I thought would be my last. The moments of starvation where she’d take over and thrive in any environment to get myself bits of food and water.

We’d gone through everything together with Dark Nessa as well, all for us to only return to the place that wished to vanquish us.

I vowed to never step foot in there again. To never get lost in those hypnotic hymns and be tortured by their older teachings.

I’d earned my freedom, so why would I return? To fight all over again…alone and frightened by the darkness inside of me?

Lucifer stared at me for a long time as if to wait and see if I’d changed my decision, but I stood there, glaring daggers at him despite my teary eyes and trembling frame.

I wouldn’t back down because I wasn’t going to go through that madness again.

I won’t be abused and tormented anymore.

Lucifer ended up sighing as he reached out and lightly stroked my head before whispering, “It was hard to carry the burden alone on your shoulders, wasn’t it?”

I didn’t know why I expected him to retaliate or even ridicule me for being so stubborn and childish, but his words were completely opposite of what I’d expected.

Which invited more tears to fall as I slowly nodded my head.

He nodded in understanding, and without another word, he pulled me into a gentle hug.

“They were cruel to you, my daughter. Merciless to a child who only sought to please them, to give them all they desired and more, but in the end, they betrayed your trust. They destroyed your dreams, wasted your time, and left you broken and alone to pick up the pieces of your shattered heart.”

He understood. He got exactly what they did and how it left me.

To find someone — a parent who truly understood the pain I held within for far too long — that could decipher my silent agony and comfort me for enduring so much through my life span left me sobbing in his arms in seconds.

To think the Devil, the one everyone marked as the true villain in the world’s affairs of good versus evil, was comforting his daughter in hopes he could take away a bit of that embedded pain.

“I can’t force you to go where you knew you never belonged,” he voiced when I calmed down. “But does that mean you have no intention of revenge?”

I pulled back enough to look up at him while he stared down at me with eyes of pure black — the same way my eyes had been minutes before.

“You don’t wish to leave those individuals who ruined your entire life to be rewarded with the exact methods of agony they put you through?”

He spoke slowly, purposefully, as if to make sure I grasped every single thing he was stating.

“If you don’t wish to go there, I will never force you to step foot into those lands, but then you have to give permission to take your chance at revenge from you,” he voiced. “You have to be okay with not feeling the overwhelming sensation of empowerment you’ll receive when you watch them beg for your mercy, or the relief you’ll feel when you watch them all crumble, one by one, knowing well that their suffering was only the beginning of endless torture.”

He paused again to stare deeply into my eyes as his voice dipped further in fury.

“You’ll be able to live your new life knowing your Daddy Dearest destroyed them all with a snap of his fingers instead of you getting to deliver their ends like you dreamed of when you were in the midst of those frightening forests filled with traitorous monsters who only sought to devour you?” He stopped stroking my head to gently cup my cheeks as he leaned down to gently press a chilled kiss to my forehead. “If you, my daughter, wish to give me the torch in all your enemies’ destruction, all you have to do is say the word,” he vowed. “But if you wish to seek the vengeance you heartily deserve, say it now, my Morningstar, and I’ll give you all the tools to claim what’s yours and deliver the axe of vengeance to every individual who dared to belittle your worth.”

Being given such a tempting option left me in a silent state of uncertainty as I weighed my options. Should I let him take the torch of destroying all who hurt me or take the privilege to do it myself?

My mind wanted them dead and gone, but my heart wanted exactly what he’d described.

To see them helplessly on the grounds they worshipped, cloaked in blood and in pain while they begged for my mercy. For them to suffer the cycles of agony I had daily and wish for an end that would never be their portion to enjoy.

The sight of Danica tugging the sword out of Athena’s frame nudged at my mind, and the reminder angered my soul and made me hungry to watch her own demise — up close, in person — and force her to acknowledge who I was.

The goddess who took her place.

I wouldn’t be alone either.

She’d be forced to see me with the men she hurt. The men she ridiculed and hoped would die as outcasts in a world that would reject them even as they inched closer to death.

She’d have no choice but to witness my uprising, with the men she thought would never be useful outside of sex.

Then there were my dark gods.

I wanted to let those worshippers see them thriving, for them to witness them at their strongest as they righteously stand at my side. The mere thought gave me an addicting satisfaction that I knew would only grow if I experienced it.

Did I want to lose all of that?

No matter my relationship with Regis, Aloisium, and Fenriz, they deserved to witness their worshippers’ demise. To rub it in their faces that despite years of planning their ends, karma had given them what they earned for being deceitful to the gods who gave them what they needed to thrive.

I allowed myself to really think it over and then returned my gaze to the man who patiently waited for my answer.

My father gave me a choice, knowing exactly what I’d choose at the end of my mental debate.

“I want revenge.” I said the words as slowly as he had spoken to me. “To let my Archangel gods…wolf mates…and even my dark gods witness those worshippers’ demise.”

I paused as Athena came to my mind.

“Athena deserves to be avenged. To watch her disciple take the place her archnemesis hoped to destroy,” I declared. “That’s exactly what I want.”

“Then that’s exactly what my child will get,” he assured me with a smile that made his eyes shift to their lavender shade. “And I’ll reward you with a gift in return as long as you help me reach them.”

“A gift?” I pondered as I scrunched my face in confusion.

His grin only widened before he leaned in to whisper, “I’ll bring your mother back if you can convince her to return.”

My eyes widened as he leaned back to see my stunned expression.

“You…” I didn’t want to say he couldn’t, but was that possible?

“Time is rather sluggish in the realms of Hell, Heaven, and Purgatory. However, in comparison to the human world, we’re a tad faster,” he revealed. “If this Danica and the worshippers wish to use Athena’s body for whatever mischievous rituals they need to summon me, they’ll know that the ritual needs to be done in three days.”

“Three days?” I questioned.

“Three is obviously a sacred number,” Atticus spoke up then. “Like the Holy Trinity or the Resurrection of Christ. Three days is used in many witchcraft rituals. It’s not too long and not too short, allowing whatever spell or concoction that’s being created the privilege to marinate and reach the peak of ripeness.”

“So they’re gonna have to maintain Athena’s body for three days,” I whispered, but something didn’t make sense. “How will they do that without Danica having healing magic?”

That left the others stumped, but Lucifer began to chuckle as he very gently stroked my head once more.

“What power source is still in those worshippers’ domain?” he inquired.

It clicked.

“Regis, Aloisium, and Fenriz,” I whispered. I couldn’t hide my worry. “What if they lose their energy before we return?”

Lucifer looked deep in thought for a moment before he was back and returning his gaze to me.

“They’ll be fine,” he assured me. “The Aloisium god was dwindling a bit but I guess he got a boost from somewhere.”

I began to blush at the reminder before I cringed.

“Ewww. Don’t tell me you can see my business?” I said in horror.

“No,” he said with a wink. “I attempt to respect the privacy of all living beings. Well, when I’m in a good mood.”

He clapped his hands and immediately changed all our clothes.

I was surprised by the high-low dress of white that sparkled marvellously with iridescent sequins and white lace. My hair was in a crown braid and my shoes reminded me of ballerina flats with white ribbons that wrapped around my legs.

Glancing over to my four Horsemen, I was rewarded with the sight of them in white suits, and all four of them had their angel wings out on display.

The sight only encouraged me to look back to see my wings were back, and above my head was an actual halo that twinkled in gold.

“Uh…” I began, only to look at Lucifer, who’d returned to his chair before the chessboard. Dark Nessa was now back and moving the pieces that Cornelius left behind.

“Checkmate!” Dark Nessa cheered. “WIN!”

“Wait, what?!” Cornelius and Arthur said together before rushing to the board to see how the hell she’d done it.

Atticus walked over to me before taking my hand and encouraging us to join the others with Sawyer following our lead.

Sure enough, it was clear Dark Nessa had just won even though the odds at the beginning didn’t seem to be in Cornelius’s favor at all.

“No matter the odds, there’s always one possibility of getting the exact future you desire,” Lucifer declared as he leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest.

Looking at each of us, he nodded in approval before laying out what we needed to do.

“I’m going to be sending you five to Heaven to talk to Athena. I doubt she’d be chilling in Purgatory because she’s made far too many sacrifices to be awaiting judgment,” he disclosed in a way of praise as he closed his eyes. “I’m unsure where she’ll be when you arrive. I’m pulling some strings good old Saint Michael owes me.”

He paused to grin while Sawyer leaned in to whisper to Arthur, “Did he literally say Saint Michael owes him?”

“Ya,” Arthur replied but shrugged. “I bet it has to do with his gambling problem.”

“Saint Michael has a gambling problem?” I whispered in shock.

“Not everyone is perfect,” Atticus hummed.

“But anyone can be worthy of paradise,” Cornelius added before we looked back to Lucifer.

“When you find Athena, all you have to do is convince her to return. She’ll most likely be on the first level of Heaven, which means she can potentially return to her body if she so wishes,” he revealed. “However, you have to do this quickly because it’ll take three human days for her soul to return.”

“Damn,” I whispered. “Really?”

Atticus nodded his head as he peered over at me.

“It’s why it took three days for Christ to resurrect from the tomb,” he revealed. “Since her body would be preserved and charged with the dark god power, she could potentially reclaim her Goddess of Darkness title.”

“Is that what you want, Nerissa?” I was surprised by Cornelius’s question, which encouraged the others to look at me. “Do you want Athena to take back her position as Goddess of Darkness?”

Glancing over at Dark Nessa, we shared a look before I looked back to the archangel in question.

“I’m not ready to live out this position,” I confessed without a hint of shame. “Athena did her part to train me as her disciple, but there’s a lot I need to work on to be a Goddess of Darkness.”

I paused and debated if I wanted to be so honest, but I knew none of them would judge me for feeling the way I did about the powerful position.

“I know there are goddesses like Natalia who are young and gifted, and who embraced the position that was bestowed upon them, but for me personally, I have a lot of conflicting emotions that haven’t healed. In fact, they haven’t seen the light of day until recently.”

I briefly looked to Lucifer, who nodded in encouragement in hopes I’d continue.

“I feel as though my childhood was robbed from me, which it was. My teen years were me trying to escape from the madness before six months of survival and then meeting Erebus and the rest of the Nightmare wolves, who embraced me despite my unique differences and immense power. That left me with this need to prove myself. I had to build layers and place all those fucked-up emotions into chests where I wouldn’t dare touch them. I’d never open them to face those traumas with the excuse I wasn’t ready to confront the past. Now, with all these changes and unexpected revelations, I don’t want to be forced into another role that seeks my absolute focus and burdens me with more responsibility than I can handle. How can I possibly aid all the creatures of darkness when I haven’t faced my own problems? I’m simply putting everyone else in jeopardy.”

“WE TIME!” Dark Nessa declared, and I gave her a sweet smile.

“For once in my life, I want to focus on myself. Focus on the new relationships I’ve made, the current ones that have blossomed, and help fix the ones that are on the verge of breaking. I can’t do that carrying a new position that will demand my cooperation and attention at any moment of the day. I can’t grow and make mistakes when sitting in the highest position a goddess can sit upon. I have a lot of growing to do…and I need Athena to be there with me to do it. Not simply because she was the Goddess of Darkness, but…” I paused and tried not to get emotional about it. “But it would be nice to learn from her as mother and daughter. To give her the privilege of being the mother she always wished to be to me, but didn’t have the opportunity because another thought she wasn’t deserving to experience such a privileged luxury.”

Lifting my gaze to look around, I was relieved to see their approving smiles before Lucifer nodded. “I believe that’s the best step for everyone,” he concluded and clapped his hands. “All you have to do is exit this room and you’ll be before the gate of Heaven with Michael. I’m sure he’ll hold an ounce of pity and direct you where you need to be to find Athena. If he’s stubborn, just tell him Morningstar says hi,” he encouraged with a wink.

“Okay,” I agreed before whispering, “You’re okay with helping us?”

“Am I not supposed to help my child and her mates?” he countered.

“Well…you’re the Devil,” I voiced the obvious. “You’ve been rather…tame…for the majority of our conversation. I expected Lucifer would be more…”

“Villainous in nature?” he offered, which had me nodding.

“A little,” I voiced before muttering, “With potential Daddy issues.”

He surprisingly laughed at that one.

“When you have eternity to be in your realms, you have to eventually confront your issues and get over them,” he confessed but looked up at the vast books that surrounded him. “To be frank, I didn’t grow into this person until after meeting Athena long ago.”

He allowed himself to actually smile as if he was reviewing the fond memories in his mind.

“Meeting her changed me, even though I was reluctant to do it at first. Do I still have issues that may never be resolved? Yes, but I’ve changed quite a bit and am willing to see my flaws and errors,” he confessed. “Besides, not everything is what it seems between the realms of the living and the realms of souls. Painting me as a villain is a lot easier for the human’s ability to process between good and evil, which is why it became a catalyst for many to decide whether to commit good or to commit sin. Either way, everyone experiences judgment, and how you live your life and affect others during your existence will determine your future.” Returning his gaze upon us, he further relaxed. “Regardless, I am menacing when I need to be, as I am loving to those dear to me,” he admitted. “At the end of the day, my blood and power run through your veins so why would I treat you or your destined men poorly?”

He had a point, but I appreciated his honesty and welcoming persona.

“It still doesn’t mean we shouldn’t express our gratitude for your kindness,” Atticus pointed out. The other Horsemen nodded and bowed their heads.

“We appreciate your offering of shelter, food, and protection,” Arthur declared.

“And for giving us guidance,” Sawyer added.

“We respect your cooperation and display of kindness,” Cornelius declared.

“I have one more question,” I confessed.

“Ask away,” Lucifer encouraged.

“Seeing as I was born to you and Athena, where do the light element and darkness element stem from?” I had to know. “You’re both of darkness.”

“Ah,” he began and smirked. “You’ll need to ask Athena that to get her share, but your dark energy or Dark Nessa half is one hundred percent from me.”

“Wait. So none of it is from Athena?” I questioned and looked to Dark Nessa, who squealed.

“All from Daddy Dearest!” She beamed like she was about to take over the world.

It was actually cute to witness me with such a diabolical expression, which made me snicker, along with the others.

“No,” Lucifer answered as he reached out to pat Dark Nessa’s head. “Athena was originally all light. That’s all I can say,” he admitted.

“Thank you for sharing that much,” I expressed, knowing we’d get the answers we needed. “We’ll find out the truth,” I assured him.

“Best of luck, my child,” he encouraged and quietly added, “When you’re victorious, do call me. It’s been awhile since I’ve enjoyed the mundane world.”

“As long as you don’t side with the humans and try to destroy everything,” I reasoned, and that made him laugh.

“The humans can’t offer me anything to make me side with them,” he assured me. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll leave my devilish powers at home.”

“You can do that?”

“If I must,” he replied. “It’s similar to what you’re doing now.”

“What am I leaving behind?” I inquired in confusion.

“Me!” Dark Nessa cheered, which only left us staring back at Lucifer, whose gaze softened.

“You can’t take Dark Nessa with you up to Heaven,” he revealed. “She’d disappear the moment you walked through the golden gates.”

“Oh snap,” I gasped, and Dark Nessa dramatically gasped.

“Disappear?! Nevaaaaa!”

“It’s never,” Cornelius corrected. “But Lucifer’s right.”

“Wait. How can we get away from being here then?” Sawyer pondered.

“Ya. How is that possible?” Arthur inquired.

“Because I allow all entities to be welcomed in this sanctuary,” he confessed. “I did that because Athena visited once before. It’s exactly why Nerissa was able to comfortably recover here.”

“Fascinating,” I admitted, because it really was cool to discover all these things.

“Meaning you really loved Athena, huh?”

He didn’t hide his compassion as he smiled back at me. “She’s one of the few beings I’ve never regretted loving,” he confessed. “I know you’ll obtain justice on her behalf and hopefully convince her she’s deserving of another chance in life.”

“We’ll do our best,” I vowed and looked to Dark Nessa. “We’ll be back then?”

Dark Nessa suddenly frowned before she was hugging me. “No! Don’t go.”

“I have to, Dark Nessa,” I reasoned.

“I have a task for you, Dark Nessa,” Lucifer announced, which had her attention in a heartbeat.

She now stood before the tall man in question as she jumped up and down. “Mission! Mission!”

“I’ll explain it carefully after the others leave, but you won’t be bored while they’re gone. Promise,” he vowed.

“Okay!” Dark Nessa beamed and spun around to wave at us. “Bye. Bye!”

“Why do I feel like she’s kicking us out?” Arthur pondered to Sawyer.

“Because she is,” he said with a laugh.

“Have fun,” Atticus encouraged.

“Don’t destroy the world, please,” I urged.

“Don’t talk to strangers either,” Cornelius voiced.

“That’s the most random advice to give,” Sawyer acknowledged.

“Right? You’re so weird, Cornelius.”

“Shut up,” he huffed and was the first to head to the door.

Sawyer and Arthur were next before Atticus and I looked at Lucifer and Dark Nessa one more time.

“So…we’ll see you again soon,” I quietly voiced while trying not to feel like this may be our last time seeing each other.

I didn’t want to be negative in the slightest, but I did fear that we may not see each other.

“I will be a staple in your life, Nerissa,” he whispered, and he didn’t hesitate to walk to us until he stood before me and very gently brushed the crown part of my head.

I felt a tiny spark of heat ignite from his touch, leaving me to wonder what was there.

“My mark will always lead me to you. Simply call my name with intention and I’ll be there.”

That made my lips lift in a smile as I slowly bobbed my head.

“Okay,” I whispered. “I’ll call you again when we obtain victory.”

“I’ll be waiting,” he assured me.

With one final shared look, I squeezed Atticus’s hand and the two of us turned away to the door where the others waited.

“Let’s go,” I urged with seriousness, knowing this was the breaking point of getting us the desired outcome we needed to win this unexpected battle. “To the gates of Heaven.”

We’re coming for you, Mother…

CHAPTER 7

To The Realms Of Heaven

“And why should I help you?”

I should really be helping my men with their “not so smooth” confrontation with Saint Michael, but I was so pulled by the wonderful golden gates that I couldn’t stop staring at the way they glittered so magnificently.

If it wasn’t for Atticus practically holding onto me for dear life, I probably would have waltzed right to them without permission.

Is it worth the risk? Probably. Shiny shiny shiny.

“Michael, we need to retrieve Goddess Athena and encourage her return to the living,” Sawyer emphasized. “It’s imperative we do this for the sake of humanity and all creations across the supernatural races or else the world will be on a crash course to destruction.”

“And we don’t know how negatively affected the other universes will be because of this slip-up,” Arthur added. “You have the gift of sight. You can see that this isn’t in the plans of our Creator.”

Saint Michael wore a scowl that still looked as immaculate as ever on his flawless face.

“You know I’d be bending the rules for Horsemen who decided to bring some random woman with them who’s more interested in the golden gate than focusing on the conversation at hand,” Saint Michael acknowledged. He was probably glaring at me, but I was doing exactly what he said.

Shiny gate. Shiny gate. Shiny gate.

My poor wolf was chilling in my subconscious watching my new obsession like I’d become a puppy.

“She’s just unlocked her holy powers, Michael,” Atticus stressed. “You know how easily influenced we get when in places like this without a droplet of sin. Plus, she’s the newly appointed Goddess of Light. She wasn’t trained for this position, which is why we need to speak with Athena and get her aid with all of this.

Saint Michael stared down at us — or maybe me — in utter disappointment. But I didn’t care. He huffed. “I still don’t wish to allow you access,” he declared stubbornly.

“Michael,” Cornelius’s voice was firm as he muttered, “are you really going to deny Goddess Athena’s and Lucifer’s only daughter from meeting her mother and potentially saving all of humanity because you’re an overprotective jerk?”

“Overprotective jer—” he began but his eyes widened. “Wait. Did you say Lucifer’s daughter?”

“Only daughter,” Cornelius stressed on purpose while he tilted his head further up to emphasize the sudden power he had with such information. “We were actually with him minutes earlier and he was rather confident that we’d be given access thanks to his good old friend, Saint Michal, who wouldn’t hesitate to aid us in such a crucial time. Besides, your mission is to make our Creator’s life easier as he has plenty of other things to focus on now that Lucifer is going through a phase of redemption and self-healing. I doubt He would be pleased to see one of his favorite universes being unexpectedly destroyed before the scripture’s timeline is able to fall into place.”

“Cornelius is right,” Arthur emphasized. “As the Horseman of Famine, it’s clear the world hasn’t reached the stage where we can even predict the world’s end as the holy scriptures warn.”

“Plus, we’ve only begun the spread of infectious diseases upon the human plane, and not enough people have succumbed to such waves to be considered a warning sign of the ‘End,’” Sawyer emphasized. “We cannot forget we need the goddesses’ aid in figuring out how to get rid of these ghoul terrors that are clearly human-made and are interfering with the balance and destroying other paranormal races. If we turn a blind eye simply because of our own selfish desires of revealing our true forms and enjoying the taste of death and suffering, our Creator will be disappointed in our lack of compassion.”

“There’s a lot tied to our arrival and we wish to take care of it as quickly as we can,” Atticus stressed. “Or many will die who were not destined to perish and that will leave the world riddled with spirits who can’t move on until their portal opens for their retrieval. Too many souls walking upon the earth will cause a disruption in the final trumpet call before the beginning of the end, which will lead to many losing hope of being saved by their Savior. You can already begin to see the domino effect that would happen and the negative outcome that’ll play out when the Book of Revelations begins its grand reveal.”

“I…” Michael struggled to speak as he looked at all of us.

Cornelius took a step forward to bring Michael’s attention back to him.

“I’d happily go back and let Morningstar know—”

“Alright,” Michael cut him off and looked at us one by one. “I will give you permission to enter the first level of Heaven to speak to the goddess in question. This will be the only time I allow it so I don’t want to see you four and your goddess again unless the final chapter of Earth’s existence is being played!”

“Fine by us,” Cornelius declared.

“Give me a moment to sign the paperwork,” Michael declared and proceeded to begin writing something down with a feathered pen.

“We’re going through the shiny gates,” I practically squealed, which got the other’s attention.

“If you don’t hold a tight grip on her, she’s going to literally fly away,” Cornelius complained as he looked at me like I was some hopeless romantic.

“She can’t even fly,” Arthur acknowledged.

“Ya, but I feel like Nessa can do anything if she puts her mind to it,” Sawyer noted.

“So how are we going to keep her from literally flying away?” Cornelius inquired.

I wasn’t even paying attention to what they were saying, but a hand encouraged my head to lift up enough so my eyes now locked onto a pair of blue ones.

“Sweet Theia,” Atticus began very slowly to ensure I understood what he was going to say. “The moment we pass through those gates, you’ve got to stay with one of us at all times, understand?”

I blinked a few times and began to pout at the odd restriction, but then he added, “If you obey, I’ll have a threesome with you and Erebus.”

I gawked while the others gasped, then spun and jumped up and down.

“DEAL! DEAL! TRIPLE DEAL!”

“You can’t actually be serious,” Cornelius groaned.

“Are we even allowed to talk about sex before Heaven’s gates?” Arthur wondered.

“I mean, better to do it outside than inside right?” Sawyer offered.

“Are you all finished?” Saint Michael questioned, which grabbed our attention once more. “The gates are ready to be opened. Don’t cause any trouble.”

“Got it,” Atticus spoke on our behalf before he entwined my hand in his and leaned over to kiss the side of my neck. “Stay with me the whole way, Nerissa.”

“Yes, yes,” I vowed even though I was tugging the man the next second. He sighed but I caught onto the smile on his face as the others followed us.

“Thanks, Michael. I’ll let Morningstar know what a grand help you were,” Cornelius added, which made Saint Michael shiver with an expression of dread.

“Best of luck,” he encouraged as the gates of gold began to open.

Waiting for the gates to fully open was thrilling, leaving me feeling all bubbly inside like a kid who was about to go on their favorite rollercoaster ride.

I was kind of happy that I wasn’t hyper like this all the time, or may all the gods help me for I’d be hard to keep track of.

I’d probably be skipping through the valley of flowers or some free-spirited shit.

“Ready?” Atticus inquired as he squeezed my hand.

“Totally ready.” I was pumped.

“Don’t lose sight of why we’re entering Heaven, Ness,” Arthur urged, but he had a playful grin on his face.

“I won’t!” I emphasized.

“Why are we entering Heaven?” Cornelius dared to ask.

“Easy,” I huffed but gasped as if I’d just witnessed God himself. “GOLD EVERYWHERE!”

“And we lost her.” Sawyer laughed but tugged me out of Atticus’s hold while Arthur ended up on my left side.

“Hey! Where you two going?” Atticus demanded as Arthur and Sawyer outstretched their wings and began lifting me up with ease.

“Giving our Sweet Theia the Heaven VIP tour!” Arthur declared and laughed. “C’mon, Ness! Let’s have some fun!”

“Yes!” I beamed and held their hands tightly, knowing my wings would probably be of no use right now.

“I knew the moment we got to Heaven they would act like fools,” Cornelius whined loudly so we could hear his fading comment as we soared through the cloudy sky in preparation to witness the true paradise Heaven had to offer.

“Might as well enjoy it, right?” Atticus called to Cornelius as he shot into the air to follow us. “Let’s embrace showing our world of creation to Sweet Theia.”

“I forgot how easily persuaded you three are,” Cornelius whined, but he was at our sides in a few flaps of his wings.

Welcome to the realms of Heaven.

CHAPTER 8

Return To The Realms Of Chaos

Heaven was nothing like how it was described in the scriptures.

It was so much better than that.

Words couldn’t express the immense peace that filled the atmosphere or the intense embrace of safety and relief that came from simply soaring the glamorous skies .

From blue skies one minute to sunset skies filled with various pastels the next, it was like flying through a world of cotton candy and rainbows.

The ground below was covered with various sights you could never dream existed. Rivers of gold, streams of milk and various juices. The valleys and hills were various shades of green in some parts and shifted entirely to a night oasis where the grass was now luminous purple with shades of blue.

Animals that wouldn’t exist on earth coexisted in the peaceful lands. I noticed a plentiful number of unicorns below.

The various buildings were made of gold, copper, silver, and other symbolic stones, like amethyst, tourmaline, quartz, and more.

It was breathtaking, to the point that I couldn’t help but shed tears just from experiencing a place that actually felt like home.

“It’s mesmerizing, isn’t it?” Arthur whispered as he squeezed my hand and looked at me.

I nodded and bobbed my head, before continuing to admire the oasis of outstanding beauty surrounding us.

We flew for a long time, and I noticed that none of us were tired. It was like our stamina was everlasting here, which was delightful to experience.

We passed by other angels, all of them friendly and who looked at peace with their everlasting home. I knew this was only temporary but to now experience this made me wish to return when my time on the land of the living was over.

Not just with my archangels, but with all my loves as we finally enjoyed the immense peace we’d yearned for.

The skies of pitch darkness into a world of neon lights and glowing entities. It was intriguing as our bodies shifted until we were as black as night, while our wings all began to glow a gentle pearly white.

I sensed the need to drop down to the ground and explore, which may have been why my wings decided to act upon my mental thought as they suddenly spread to their full length and flapped once to encourage our dive.

“Theia?” Atticus quietly called to me as I tugged Arthur and Sawyer along.

“Where is she going?” Cornelius pondered, but he didn’t sound mad at the potential detour.

“Maybe she senses Athena?” Sawyer offered. “Nessa?”

I didn’t reply because something caught my attention.

A flame?

It seemed so preposterous to witness when our surroundings were practically dark and illuminating lights of blue, green, purple, and gold.

To see that single flicker of flame in the midst of pitch darkness was enough to pull me right in. It could have been a trap, like a moth literally flying towards a flame, but then again, this was Heaven.

No one can carry ill intentions in Heaven.

We landed on the ground with ease, the mere pressure of our touchdown igniting the grass to begin to light up and spread as if to welcome our arrival.

We watched in amazement before a gentle giggle hummed into the air while another voice sighed in relief.

“You really are a smart one, Athena. You had complete confidence that she’d see my flame,” a soothing voice declared.

“Nessa has always been intuitively gifted. I figured she wouldn’t lose such a trait in the realms of Paradise.” Goosebumps ignited across my arms as the familiar voice ignited tears in my eyes.

The movement of light was continuing to spread, getting closer and closer to the burning fire that grew stronger as if to emit more heat with our arrival.

“I guess she gets it from me after all,” she revealed just as the surroundings around the burning flame were lit with rays of illumination that revealed the two women sitting on white mushroom stools.

Arthur and Sawyer let go of my hands, while my eyes were locked on Athena’s magnificent look. She now looked like an older version of me, from her now white strands of hair that shifted to blue and then purple ends, to the slightly darker shade of purple eyes that calmly looked back at me. I could now see the resemblance as her complexion was no different from mine while she wore a long gown of sparkling white.

Her pink glossy lips immediately rose at the corners while she raised her arms up in greeting.

“Nerissa. You did what I’m sure no one thought you’d be capable of doing,” she praised as her eyes glimmered with tears. “Come here, my daughter.”

I couldn’t get a word out as my tears ran down my cheeks while my wings flapped once to send me crashing right into the woman I thought I’d never see again.

She managed to take on the full force of my colliding hug before wrapping her arms tightly around my waist. My wings couldn’t help but wrap around her as if I could keep her in my grasp forever.

“Athena,” I quietly sobbed against her chest. One of her hands managed to stroke my head as I cried in her arms before it moved down my back, which confirmed my wings had retracted.

As though to assure me that I was right where I was meant to be.

“It’s okay,” she comforted me as I tried to calm down. “I’m sorry I had to leave you with such a huge burden. It wasn’t my intention, but it was the only way I’d be able to strip Danica of her powers before she tried to hurt you indirectly,” she revealed.

“Hurt me indirectly?” I asked as I slowly moved back to see her loving smile. She looked so different with this pale appearance and yet it suited her so perfectly.

Like this was how she was always supposed to look.

“It’s a bit of a story,” she confessed and very softly stroked my head over Lucifer’s mark. “I guess your father helped you out.”

“You didn’t tell me,” I voiced the obvious as I blinked away my tears.

“I wanted to,” she began, not hesitating to hide her sadness. “There’s so much to share with you, my love, but there was only so much I could share as the Goddess of Darkness. At least, the substitute.”

“Substitute?” I questioned. I didn’t understand.

“See, if we didn’t listen to the Elders and confronted the issue before I died, none of this would have happened.”

I blinked and glanced over to my left to see a woman who looked exactly like Natalia but older.

“Holy bananas!” I attempted to curse and realized it changed to a clean version of the swear word. “Okay. I didn’t have any intention to say bananas.”

Snickers came from my right, and I looked over to see my men standing in a row, watching our little reunion.

“Oh snap. Sorry,” I began and managed to slide out of Athena’s hold before gesturing to my men.

“These are the Four Horsemen,” I introduced. “Atticus, Arthur, Sawyer, and Cornelius. They’re also my true destined gods.”

“The Four Horsemen?!” the woman with flaming red and orange hair gasped. “So the world is ending?”

“No,” Atticus spoke up with a smile. “We’re merely here on Sweet Theia’s behalf.”

“Awwww. How supportive.” She beamed and clapped her hands.

Athena took the opportunity to gesture over to the woman in a white rhinestone dress whose hair was red as fire.

“Nerissa and her destined gods, this is Natalia’s mother, Naomi.”

“Hello, my dears,” she greeted. “What a privilege to meet you all.”

“Wow,” I whispered in awe. “You’re like the less hyper version of Natalia.”

She laughed and bobbed her head. “My girl is a wild one, isn’t she?” she offered.

“She misses you,” I admitted with a sad smile.

“As I miss her,” she replied and snapped her fingers, which triggered more mushroom stools to form. “Sit. We have much to discuss.”

After giving Athena one more squeeze, we settled down to explain everything that happened.

“So now there’s the potential chance Danica wants to use Athena’s preserved body for some ritual that involves the worshippers and the old village I came from,” I explained. “They’re going to use the dark energy from my dark gods to empower this ritual, which may push them into disappearing. The only problem I can’t solve is what their end game is.”

Athena and Naomi shared a look before they sighed.

“Danica is attempting to get her role back.”

“Huh?” we all said as we looked at the two of them in confusion.

Athena bobbed her head to Naomi, who decided to take the lead in the conversation.

“To cut a long story short, Danica originally was meant to be the Goddess of Darkness, and Athena, the Goddess of Light,” Naomi revealed. “However, at the time of delivering both their roles, the Elders sensed immense dark power from Athena. It was so grand that Athena could very well have carried both titles, but the Elders couldn’t think of someone taking on both roles.”

She looked around us before her eyes landed on me.

“However, she was actually pregnant and the immense power was coming from her unborn child, which made everyone realize Athena was pregnant. It’s extremely hard for goddesses to get pregnant because they need to essentially mate with someone on the same power level as them. What makes it even trickier is the male has to truthfully wish for a child. If both conditions are met and the goddess is unclaimed, pregnancy is imminent,” she revealed. “This is where the drama began with Danica.”

“Was she mad Athena was pregnant or something?” Sawyer pondered.

“Yes, in a sense,” Naomi began. “Despite Danica coming from a family of light witches, it was clear early on in her youth that her light energy was dwindling. She needed constant boosts from any source that could keep the problem under wraps, but it got worse when she remained unclaimed. So she sought a child in hopes of having a disciple who could take her place if there came a time when she could no longer boost her light magic. As many of you know, if an unclaimed goddess roams the land for too long, Lucifer himself will come down to confront the goddess in question.”

“Was Danica expecting Lucifer to knock her up or something?” I dared to ask.

“Sort of, especially with the news of Athena’s pregnancy. She didn’t want to lose the position of Goddess of Darkness to Athena, so she forcibly attempted to summon Lucifer, which ended up summoning a different being entirely,” Naomi revealed.

“Oh no,” Arthur said with a frown. “That doesn’t sound like it ended well.”

“She summoned the wrong person,” I commented.

“She summoned the wrong entity,” Athena revealed. “And that entity wouldn’t leave unless it got pleasure in return.”

“Meaning…” Sawyer trailed off. No one dared to say the specific word. I think we could all assume what happened.

“Ask and you shall receive,” Naomi said with a sad expression. “Despite the circumstances, Danica did get pregnant, but the child was extremely abnormal.”

“Extremely abnormal?” Cornelius pondered.

“The child was similar to what you’d refer to as a Ghost Terror,” Athena revealed. “It was basically killing Danica to get stronger, and if she reached full term, she most likely would have died,”

“So she had to terminate the pregnancy?” I asked.

“We wished to help her carry it to full term by extracting the dark energy every week or even every day if we must, but the Elders were against it,” Naomi revealed. “They were disgusted that Danica would even go to such lengths for childbirth and use her unclaimed status to summon a forbidden god. Despite what the god did to her, which was by force, the blame was put on Danica, and they decided she was incapable of birthing such an abomination.”

“All the goddesses were called for an emergency meeting with the explanation that they were exorcizing demonic energy from a victim who’d been attacked. I was the lead healer while the other goddesses gave me elemental support,” Athena revealed. “It wasn’t until afterward that the victim was revealed to be Danica.”

“They didn’t tell any of you?” Arthur gasped.

They shook their heads.

“The Elders knew better. They knew that if they told us the truth, we would have never interfered. Danica’s wish for a child was her choice. Despite what happened, it was the consequence she had to bear and take responsibility for. However, the Elders feared the child would feast on other living beings and thus become a monster that would kill many others before being tamed. In the end, it was a lose-lose situation, but the lack of communication was what left us all upset with the situation.”

“What happened when Danica found out?” I asked.

“She freaked out,” Naomi admitted. “She went into full on shock and accused us of stealing her baby. The worst part was that the damages left behind made it so that Athena’s light energy had mixed with Danica’s aura, so it got to the point where dark creatures wouldn’t obey Danica’s commands.”

“So she was essentially losing her role as Goddess of Darkness,” I acknowledged and looked to Athena. “Did that mean more of your light magic was dimming as well from the ritual?”

“It took longer to recover my light energy levels because I was pregnant with you,” she admitted with a loving smile. It was like the mere memory filled her with happiness. “Since Nerissa had so much dark energy, it flooded through me to an extent that the dark creatures began to listen to me.”

“It got to the point where Danica had absolutely no control over the dark creatures she once controlled, which essentially left her with nothing,” Naomi revealed. “However, the Elders feared with Danica’s loss of the child and then her position as Goddess of Darkness, she’d go on some sort of rampage or tell the public the truth of what the Elders plotted against her. To appease such possibilities, they decided Athena would take the throne of Goddess of Darkness and Danica would be the Goddess of Light.”

“But they’re polar opposites,” Sawyer acknowledged. “Why didn’t they think it would backfire?”

“They figured because Athena was flawless in hiding her light elements and projecting her darker side, Danica could do the same,” Naomi revealed and shook her head. “The problem is, Danica never forgave what the Elders did and put the blame on Athena for wishing her misery.”

“Is that why she stole me?” I got to the point.

“We don’t honestly know her true intentions,” Athena admitted. “I knew before giving birth to you that I wished to undergo the blessed rituals of my heritage, which are bestowed upon us by the archangels. I wasn’t going to stray away from that simply because I was now in the shoes of the Goddess of Darkness. I’m not sure if Danica thought I had some underlying ploy, but her anger pushed her to do things that were unthinkable with no logical explanation, and one of them was stealing you away from me.”

“But didn’t you know?” Atticus questioned.

“At first, no. I was like any frantic mother finding out her child was stolen from her. I knew that there was a trend going on where many babies and young children were stolen to become sacrifices, but I guess I didn’t think one could be bold enough to steal the child of a goddess.”

“Athena wished to search for Nerissa, but the shock had its share of complications,” Naomi acknowledged as she looked at her friend. “It was also making the dark creatures act erratic and risking the balance of the world. Athena was forced into a coma for a few months and by that point, it felt rather hopeless to believe Nerissa was still alive.”

“The Elders wouldn’t let you search for her, would they?” Cornelius sounded angry as his eyes narrowed on Athena, who gave him a sad smile.

“We respected the Elders for so long that it seemed like they were gods of their own. We had to listen to their words for they were knowledgeable and had a magnitude of wisdom. However, losing Nerissa made me want to leave to go search for her on my own. I would have even told Lucifer about it. I knew how to summon him. It would be simple…”

“But you didn’t because?” I asked more out of curiosity than judgment.

She met my curious gaze with a conflicted one. “The Lucifer you met was a lot different from what you read and heard from the scriptures and those who describe the devil, yes?”

“Yes,” we all agreed as we stared at her.

“The Lucifer I fell in love with…and still love has grown a lot over the years. The Devil back then was nothing like the calm man you met who helped you all reach these realms of purity. He was still ruthless and merciless to anyone who hurt those he cherished,” she revealed. “If I summoned him and told him I was pregnant and our only child had been stolen, he’d lose it. Lucifer doesn’t need morals. He was not destined to carry any. However, he’s worked on himself so he can now respect that there are various paths, worlds, and beings that need to coexist in this universe and that his anger can’t be used to burn it all down. Despite it all, I knew if I told him, he’d do everything he could to seek revenge on our behalf until his only daughter was in his grasp. The consequences were too high to risk, and I couldn’t do that to a world that may have brought me pain but had also allowed me the privilege of giving life.”

Her eyes bored into mine once more as she tried to smile.

“When I was hopeless and wasn’t sure what I’d do anymore, I thought…maybe it was good I didn’t continue to walk among the living anymore. It seemed like the most logical decision. Danica would get her position back, and I was sure they would find another Goddess of Light to take my original place. It seemed more and more logical as the days went on, and I decided to request some time off. I left with the intention of committing the deed that would end my existence.”

None of us spoke as she looked at the sky.

“I went to a calm oasis like this. The sky was starry and the world was quiet. It was absolutely perfect. A place of peace that could be my last resting place. I had everything I needed and I took a moment to simply meditate,” she revealed. “When I fell into the world of tranquility, I saw a little girl. She stared at me with confusion, as if unsure why I was thinking of leaving. I knew right away it was Nerissa. I knew in my bones that the little girl had to be my child, and I thought that meant you were gone. It wasn’t until you walked right up to me and grasped my cheeks that I realized that you were real. That those little hands were warm and gripping me for dear life.”

“I…don’t remember that,” I admitted, which made Athena smile.

“You had to be two or three, but your magic was powerful enough to find me,” she revealed. “You didn’t say a word, just held my cheeks that were wet with tears until I hugged you. When I did that, I told you I loved you and fate would unite us when she was ready to do so, and poof. I woke up.”

She sighed.

“That’s when I decided I had to keep on living. That I had to trust that the Universe would reunite me with the child that was a reflection of a time when I was truly loved by someone who wasn’t worshipping me or claiming me simply out of duty.”

“Wait. That means Lucifer didn’t um…” I tried to figure out the right way of saying it.

“Lucifer’s original intention when he came to seek me out was due to me being an unclaimed goddess, but he left me be in the beginning. We got to know each other through instances, and he eventually began to be around me in disguise as one of the dark creatures that served me. We fell in love naturally, and he decided to commit only to me, though he would allow me to love others if I truly wished. We committed to one another, and the only reason why he returned to Hell was that there were too many sinners entering Hell that needed filtering. Time runs differently there, and it’s easy for him to lose track of his duties. We never really depended on each other, but he knew if I truly needed him, I’d call.”

“Why didn’t you call when Danica killed you?” Atticus questioned. “Lucifer is calmer. He would have helped.”

“I knew Danica had to have a reason to wish for my demise. She wouldn’t be satisfied with just my death. She had to get something in return for it, which I believe she hoped would give her the ability to summon Lucifer herself. Or maybe she’s working with the humans and attempting to fulfill what they need in exchange for power or potentially a child.”

“Meaning they’ll just steal a child and give it to her?” Sawyer questioned with an appalled face.

“Human technology has accelerated in the wrong direction,” Naomi admitted. “Even before my death, humans were doing anything they could to try to create life. That’s where these Ghoul Terrors came from. They’re the failed projects of humans trying to create their own supernatural race that they’ll have control over. Danica isn’t mentally well after losing her child, and maybe she prefers an experimental child that mimics the same energy her unborn child had.”

“Even though the child would have killed her,” I pointed out.

“Yes,” Athena replied. “It’s sad and unethical, but sometimes you can’t be reasonable when you’re still grieving the loss of your child.”

“Is that why we were never enough?” Atticus inquired in seriousness. “She tortures the wolves and other creatures of light that wish for her acceptance?”

“Danica no longer knows how to express her love through kindness,” Athena revealed. “Seeing others in pain brings her a sense of pleasure. It’s as if the influence of the Ghost Terror she lost alternated her mental state and seeing others’ happiness grinds her gears while seeing others suffer enlightens her.”

“That’s sad,” I muttered. “Though it’s still no excuse for what she did or what she plans to do, especially by stealing your body.”

“I honestly didn’t think she’d go that far but then again, I’m not surprised,” Athena admitted. “I’m assuming that’s why you’re here.”

I looked to the others, noticing how they encouraged me with expressions of support.

“Yes,” I whispered and returned my eyes to Athena as I swallowed the lump forming in my throat.

“We need you back, Athena,” I emphasized before my voice barely hit the surface as I confessed, “I need you back.”

Athena tried not to show her uncertainty, but it washed over her face as she looked away for a moment.

“Who would think my own daughter who I failed in raising would be the one to travel all the way to Heaven to find me?” she hummed to herself as she returned her eyes to me that were filling with tears. “I don’t deserve to return, my daughter.”

“Why not?” I inquired. “Athena…Mom. You never got to put yourself first. You had to be someone you’re not while practically being a mother to so many who looked up to you. I know with your return to the land of the living, there’ll be immediate challenges and responsibilities…but…”

I took a deep breath, knowing I wanted to say this correctly.

“But…I want you to experience being a mother publicly. To be allowed to take pride in having a daughter and being loved by someone as powerful as Lucifer. I could tell he still loves you dearly. He almost went ballistic at the news that you were dead. I gave him hope that I’d have the ability to bring you back…to encourage you to return to where we need you…but now…”

I had to tell her the truth.

“Now…I feel selfish,” I admitted. “After experiencing a moment in this tranquil paradise…I can see why you wouldn’t want to return. How peaceful it is compared to how burdensome life felt in the mundane world. It would be mean of me to force you to return, making me no different from the Elders who forced you to be the Goddess of Darkness but…”

I want my mom back.

It was the truth, and maybe that was what made tears slide down my cheeks as I fought to not feel defeated.

“There’s nothing selfish about wanting your mother back,” Naomi whispered, drawing our attention to her as she looked between the two of us. “I think the only problem standing in Athena’s way is the main problem at hand, Nerissa.”

“Main problem?” I didn’t understand.

“Athena’s return will only mean she will have to decide either to be the Goddess of Dark or the Goddess of Light,” she voiced. “If Athena chooses Dark, she’ll be back where she was before. Being a goddess she wasn’t meant to be. If she becomes the Goddess of Light, that will leave the Goddess of Darkness role wide open.”

“Wouldn’t Nerissa be able to fill that role?” Cornelius inquired.

“She could,” Athena noted. “But is my child ready for such a burden?”

I bit my bottom lip.

“Not yet,” I confessed.

No one had much to say, which left us in a moment of silence before Naomi sighed. “I guess I could always return,” she announced, which made us all frown as we looked to her.

“Huh?” I questioned. “How would you return?”

“And which role would you take if you did?” Atticus pondered.

“Well, I was actually forced to be the Goddess of Fire,” she revealed. “I’m a dual element. Fire and Darkness. My husband was of darkness and wind. That’s exactly why Natalia can probably use fire and wind magic with ease, but hasn’t tapped into the dark powers she possesses.”

“Hold on…” I was already trying to piece it together. “But you can’t return. There’s no body to return to.”

“That’s not true,” Athena admitted before she looked to Naomi. “But…you wish to leave here?”

“It was rather lonely without you, honestly,” she confessed with a shrug. “Paradise is grand but without my best friend in the picture and everyone else still alive, it’s rather repetitive. You know I’ve always been one for action.”

“But how?” I asked the prime question.

“All goddesses who served properly and honorably have their bodies preserved,” Naomi revealed. “They do this in case a time comes when the goddesses of the past need to be summoned by the new set of goddesses. It doesn’t mean they can be revived, but their spirit can be called down to aid them with knowledge or comfort. What we’re aiming to do is an extremely rare case.”

“You’ll be the Goddess of Darkness?” I whispered to Naomi, who shrugged.

“Might as well until you’re ready to take over. I’m sure the Elders will be too shell shocked to see my annoying ass back, so they won’t have much to say, and I’m sure Natalia will be pleased with my return.”

“Then Mom can be the Goddess of Light again,” I voiced with a sense of hope as I looked at her. “And maybe get a long vacation?”

Athena smiled as she looked a bit nervous. “Would anyone wish for my return?”

“So many,” I voiced. “You’d be able to help all the light beings who’ve been tortured by Danica heal. Give them the love and affection they’ve been craving all this while. The balance would be restored…and well…we’d get to spend some time together as mom and daughter.”

I rose up and walked up to her before crouching down and holding her hands in mine.

“Please, Mom?” I whispered. “I still need you.”

Her tears fell as she lifted my hands up to gently kiss them before she pulled me into a hug.

“I guess there would be a lot more action down there than it is here,” she confessed as she hugged me tightly. “Alright. I’ll return.”

“Really?” I practically squealed as tears pooled in my eyes.

“Don’t get annoyed with me,” she encouraged, which made me laugh and shake my head.

“Never,” I beamed and hugged her again.

“Thank goodness,” Arthur sighed.

“We can put an end to Danica once and for all,” Sawyer stressed.

“Then we have to leave immediately,” Cornelius declared and looked to Naomi. “And then we have to find where your body is located.”

“Shouldn’t be hard. Natalia would know where it is. Besides, it’ll probably take me a bit longer to get back to my body seeing as I’ve been gone for much longer than Athena. Either way, you’ll have your Goddess of Darkness substitute,” Naomi explained.

“And after that?” Atticus inquired.

“Well, I’ll enjoy the life I never got the chance to enjoy the first round,” she declared and clapped her hands. “Let’s ditch Heaven and take down that banana!”

Danica…your reign is about to come to a haunting end.

CHAPTER 9

To The Forbidden Place Part One

“What does my Sweet Theia need?”

I took a deep breath before turning to face Atticus as he awaited my order.

Arthur, Sawyer, and Cornelius were already doing what I’d assigned them.

Gathering the proper materials for the ritual, alerting Erebus, Koa, Ciel, and Natalia of our return, and gathering the forces we may need just in case things went haywire.

That left Atticus, who stood before me as we stood at the entrance of the forest I’d never thought I’d return to. The mere scent of decay matched with the heaviness of dread rushing through me made me want to retreat.

No. I can’t run away. I’m done running away.

“I’m sure Erebus is going to have a hissy fit because I didn’t go see him first before deciding to be adventurous and attempt to prevent the balance of the world from being fucked over by Danica’s wrath, so can you make sure he knows I’m okay?” I inquired. “I hate having to send you, but it looks like I can’t reach any of them without Dark Nessa.”

“Easy,” he assured me, but he took a step forward and fixed a few strands of my hair that were out of place. “Now tell me what you really want to tell him and the others.”

The way that made me smile had him grinning in return before he pulled me in for a sweet kiss.

“That I love them and that I have to do this alone for the game plan to work,” I whispered against his lips.

“That sounds better,” he muttered and stole my lips once more for a deeper kiss. “I’ll deliver both messages and wait for the signal?”

“Mhmm,” I replied and couldn’t help leaning into him, enough that he embraced me tightly while allowing me to rest against his shoulder. “After we take down Danica, are we going to enjoy everyone getting along?”

“No.” He actually laughed as he pulled back to see my pouting expression. “Are you including those dark lords of yours?”

“Yes.” He knew I was. “You could get along with them!”

“Fenriz, yes,” he admitted. “The other two, meh.”

“Don’t be like that,” I huffed, but smiled. “They’ll grow on you.”

“Maybe.” He shrugged. “It’ll take time to figure that out.”

“I guess,” I admitted. “As long as I get my threesome.”

The way he smirked while his eyes darkened only further enticed his next move as he leaned over to kiss the mark that he enjoyed taunting me with.

“Will it make my Sweet Theia happy?”

“You know it will,” I muttered shyly as my cheeks began to grow red. “Though, when all of this is over and we get to return to the pack, I’ll be really happy.”

“We will make it through this final conquest,” he assured me. “Then, we’ll start a new life. All of us together.”

“Three groups of possessive testosterone,” I complained sarcastically. “My poor pussy will cry.”

“Or you’ll be very satisfied,” he suggested with a playful grin that made me roll my eyes.

“Go away. I’ve got a bitch to kill and a bunch of worshippers to capture so we can torture them for all eternity.”

“Diabolical,” he teased but gave me one final kiss. “Show her that despite all she’s done to try to destroy what was destined to be yours, you came out of this a fighter.”

“I’ll prove it to her,” I vowed. “And allow you all to witness her punishment for abusing you all for years.”

Squeezing my hand, he pressed his lips to my forehead and took a step back to summon his wings.

“Be careful, Sweet Theia.”

I grinned as I slowly nodded before I whispered, “Thank you for being a supportive mate with your fellow Horsemen.”

“Anything for our love,” he assured me.

One last look and he was up in the air and among the dark clouds that began to roll in.

“Time to be a badass bitch and fuck shit up,” I whispered.

“Fuck shit up!”

I flinched and glanced over to see me.

“Dark Nessa!” I said in relief. “How did you know I was back?”

“Fenriz,” she said simply as she offered me a box. “Kept entertained while gone!”

“Hmm?” I accepted the box and quickly opened it up to see the box of chocolate strawberries and a handwritten note.

Without delay, I picked it up and unfolded it with one hand while Dark Nessa was behind me and resting her chin on my shoulder so she could see what was written in beautiful cursive.

Nessa,

I felt your return and sent Dark Nessa over to assist you if need be. Though these strawberries aren’t apparently healthy, the dual personality mate of yours said it would cheer you up and push you on your next task.

I wish to be there with you.

To aid you…in the challenges ahead. I know it’s not something you’re used to, and that’s our fault for failing to prove just how important you are to us.

I’ve talked with Aloisium.

I know everything… How we’ve failed you…and yet you still loved us, even if it meant you had to be far away to do so.

I needed a moment to breathe slowly as I realized he, too, now knew what I’d been hiding all this while.

I know we can’t gather together and talk this out. Not until our enemies are secured and balance is returned. But I needed to make sure you knew what I wanted before this final showdown.

That you understand how important you are to me…to us.

Not because we rely on you to exist, but because despite the lies and deceit, we did believe we were destined to be yours.

We may not know how to project such things in a way that brings you affection, but I’m willing to try. Willing to learn. Willing to change so we can all be happy. I believe Aloisium wishes to do the same — even if he’s a bit more stubborn.

That made my lips lift up as I tried not to get excited at the mere possibility.

You deserve to have the ability to choose. To decide whether you wish to be claimed by us.

So we leave it in your hands to decide whether to accept our apology and allow us the privilege to make you ours.

I decided that was enough to read, or else I’d get too emotional to tackle the task at hand.

“Happy?” Dark Nessa pondered as she looked at me with a wide grin.

“Very happy,” I whispered and looked at the box of strawberries. “Shall we eat before we face our destiny?”

“Yes!” She beamed but looked like she had a question as she tilted her head. “What about Regis?”

I thought about it for a moment, before lowering to the ground and placing the box before my crossed legs so I could share it with Dark Nessa.

“If they wish to claim me, I’m sure it’s Regis who’s going to do it and confront me when he’s ready to,” I assured her.

“So…there’s hope!”

“There’s hope,” I agreed and offered her a strawberry. “Together. You and me. We’re going to take down Danica and those worshippers once and for all.”

“Take down!” she said with seriousness as she accepted the treat and waited for me to grab onto my own. “Time for them to feel the wrath of the Goddess of Nightmares!”

“Yes,” I agreed as we clinked our strawberries together.

Time to unleash the true Goddess of Nightmares.

CHAPTER 10

To The Forbidden Place Part Two

Istared at the lagoon surface as the deeply rooted aroma did everything it could to try to make me throw up.

My body was completely calm as the dual magic of light and darkness thrummed in anticipation — the desire to let them reign free on our enemies was growing with each passing second.

To think it’d been ten years since I’d walked into the thick pools of blood, drenched myself in their tainted droplets, and become submerged in the place I knew Danica was surely present and waiting for my arrival.

I felt like I was stalling as I continued to stand in place, but maybe I was intuitively waiting for the right moment to move.

For the tugging pull that would bring me exactly where I needed to be.

I was finally going to put an end to someone who’d yearned to ruin my life because of her suffering. Someone who had tampered with so many threads in my life because it brought her nothing but joy.

This would end this nightmare and the cycles of torture I’d endured and run away from in hopes of never confronting them again.

This ending will invite a new beginning where I can live and coexist with all those destined to be in my life.

My pack of nightmare wolves…

My archangels…

My dark gods…

I’d have Athena alive, well, and back in my life as my mother instead of mentor, and get the opportunity to know more of my father, Lucifer.

Life would be renewed in a way I’d never expected, and that was what made this all so important.

“Time to face this,” I whispered to myself, noticing the slight tremble in my voice.

“Always trying to do shit alone without asking for help.”

My eyes widened and I immediately turned, expecting to see the dark god in question at the entrance of the cave, but I crashed right into him.

His physical body was of stone and onyx.

I looked right up to see the scowling god, and I couldn’t fathom words because I honestly didn’t expect him to be here.

Why…

“Did you expect me to find out the truth and let you come do this bullshit all by yourself?” he questioned angrily. “You had no hope in me, did you?”

“Well…no,” I voiced and purposely rolled my eyes. “You’re not the type to come through when a girl needs him the most, so don’t try to act like you’re some kind of saint now.”

“You and that stubborn attitude of yours.”

“Says the man who’s distracting me with his anger management issues,” I huffed and turned around. “I’m busy doing rituals to save mankind so if you can go away and stop being a distraction, that would be gre—”

His hand pressed against the front side of my neck, pulling me right against him while forcing me to look up and get lost in his eyes of black that didn’t hold a pinch of anger.

It was frightening because I’d never seen this man show emotion like he was at this very moment, which left me speechless as I looked up at him.

“Regis?”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

There was the question I’d always wondered myself. Why did I take all of this burden on my own?

I could have told them, even if they rejected me or said I was lying, but I didn’t even give them the chance to prove whether they would listen to a child like me or not.

That wasn’t fair.

It was crazy how we allowed our bodies the pleasure they desired, but we didn’t use our words to communicate our needs. I’d rather shoulder the burden on my own if it meant not admitting I was too weak to deal with something so grand when I was forced into this cycle of torture.

“Because admitting I couldn’t handle this anymore made me feel like I’d lose you three,” I said, deciding to reveal the truth. “I thought that you wouldn’t want a bride who couldn’t survive the torturous actions of your own worshippers.” With a sad smile, I slightly shrugged. “I didn’t want them to steal you away from me…so I ran away. From it all,” I confessed. “If it meant you guys hated me, so be it. At least your hate would keep you alive. Your annoyance with me would keep my name on your lips and the thought of me in your minds. As long as I still held your attention, whether positive or negative, it didn’t matter. As long as it forced you guys to not disappear and be stolen from me.”

He bit his bottom lip hard, and I could see from his glassy eyes all the various emotions and things he wanted to say.

He held his tongue though, knowing well that we couldn’t have this conversation here.

Time was of the essence.

So he did what I didn’t expect.

He laid his lips upon my forehead.

The kiss was soft at first, but as it continued to linger, I felt the sudden warmth and emotional rollercoaster that ran through my senses.

My eyes widened as the place he kissed burned with power, and the other markings across my body began to burn with their own energy as if to validate that the final piece of the puzzle was being formed at this very moment.

When he broke the kiss to look back down at me, I was speechless as I felt his emotions hit me all at once.

His disappointment in himself for failing me.

His sadness for realizing the pain I’d gone through.

His anger that the worshippers had belittled me and plotted against those he cared about.

The pure happiness that I was not only safe but still willing to love him and his godly comrades.

He didn’t need to say anything for me to understand what he’d done as he proceeded to encourage me to turn so I had no choice but to face him and display the new mark on my forehead.

“May I apologize, Sweet Nyx,” he whispered first. “For taking so long to claim you. For putting my ego first instead of my intense love for you. There’s so much that needs to be said, but I know you can feel the truth. You can feel my intentions and my regrets.”

Gently resting his hands on my shoulders, he leaned down until his forehead pressed against mine.

“So allow me the privilege to not only claim you and make this bond official but also to start over. Allow me, Regis, Aloisium, and Fenriz the opportunity to court you properly and earn the right to make you our bride.”

“R…Regis,” I whispered as he pulled back and proceeded to lift my left hand. Closing his eyes, he whistled a soft melody that triggered a string of purple to ignite from his body and begin to spin around my ring finger.

My eyes widened as I took in the beauty of the glowing band as it solidified into a beautiful metallic ring that shifted between purple and blue.

“May this be a symbol of the promise made today, and that we will only marry you when we’ve proven our adoration and commitment to our goddess.”

He lowered his lips to the chosen finger which seemed to seal the deal as the ring pulsed with purpose and sent goosebumps through me.

“Now you are claimed,” he declared as his eyes met my astonished ones. “And we can now go together to defeat the one who wished to ruin us all.”

“Regis…” I smiled with eyes of hope as I slowly nodded. “I have an idea that I think can work.”

“Then?” he questioned. “Lead the way, Sweet Nyx.”

I couldn’t feel more complete as we turned together to face the lagoon of blood.

With his hand now in mine, I took a moment to embrace the wholeness that vibrated through my body before I mentally prepared myself for the final battle.

I’m claimed…and ready to take back what’s mine.

***

“SING LOUDER!”

Struggled hymns attempted to fill the tainted space of stone while the woman in all black pranced around in a manic movement.

“Goddess Danica, we’ve been singing for three da—AHH!” the worshipper began but was left screaming as her body was ignited in black flames that consumed her until she was nothing but ash.

The other worshippers trembled and cried for mercy while some attempted to continue singing the hymns that were meant for the approaching ceremony.

“You begged for a goddess of ruthlessness that could give you everything you desire, did you not?!” she screamed. Her eyes were bloodshot and she glared at the rows of worshipers that looked at her with eyes of dread and regret.

“This was your decision, what we agreed upon, and yet I’ve yet to see my CHILD! You promised me my child in exchange for Athena, the previous Goddess of Darkness who you’ll use to summon Lucifer and finish the deal with the humans. I did my portion! I killed her and took the blame at the expense of my light magic!” she seethed and glared at the worshippers, who trembled uncontrollably.

“SO WHERE IS MY CHILD?!”

“W-We’ve prayed to our dark gods!” a worshipper spoke up. “They promised to deliver. Promise to bring the child. The woman will arrive in a black cloak through the lagoon of blood next to the altar. We just have to be patien—AHH!”

She was next to perish before Danica was manically laughing.

“You believe such men would go the distance for you lot of betrayers?! They obey that child! The one y’all forced her to be mated with after I stole her from Athena in exchange for your loyalty. Why should I believe you after constant failures? After you’ve packed up and moved constant times to avoid my WRATH!”

She paced around as if she couldn’t stay still, but then she came to a dramatic stop as she sensed my movement.

“Who’s there?”

With slow steps, I walked out of the lagoon of blood, my wings emerging from my back as they dripped off the tainted blood I’d emerged from.

Many worshippers began to gasp and bow, as if they were seeing their approaching end, but the frantic, twitching eyes of Danica locked upon my cloaked frame and lowered to the bundle within my possession.

“They answered our prayers!” a worshipper screamed.

“They prevailed!”

“They saved us!”

“Thank you, dark gods!”

“We swear our allegiance to Regis, Aloisium, and Fenriz!”

“Our gods did not forsake us!”

“SILENCE!” Danica screamed, which cut off the words of praise and remaining hymns, leaving the place in silence while she stared at me.

Her eyes narrowed.

“Who are you?”

“The Goddess of Life…and Death.” My voice had been altered to be very deep, which made it impossible for her to recognize who I really was under this illusion. “Your request has been answered.”

“My request?” she asked and giggled while trying to stay still. “Meaning…?”

“Did you not wish for your child?” I asked as if I’d been insulted. “If you do not wish to be the mother of this tainted blessing, so be–”

“No!” she screamed. “Wait. I…I don’t mean to offend. I’ve…never heard of a Goddess of Life and Death.”

“Did you believe your merry-go-round of elements were the only beings of power on this universal plane?” I asked in anger. “Do not waste my time.”

I had the intention of turning around but she was at my feet and literally begging for me to stop.

“Please! Wait. I…I didn’t mean to question your role in any way. I…I’m not used to interacting as of late…but I’m capable of raising a child. Yes. I’m very capable.”

I dared to look down at her as I further tilted my head in judgement.

“Then if you believed in my arrival, why is that offering on the altar?” I asked.

“I-It was the worshippers’ idea! Yes, yes! I can get rid of her if you wish!”

“How? You do not have magic.”

“I do!” She quickly worked to retrieve a wand and a few stones. “These have the last of my light magic. I can do what you wish. Teleport her away. Anything!”

I observed her carefully.

“Teleport her back to her place of rest. Allow them to discover her body and change the narrative so it has nothing to do with you. A mother does not have time to be labeled and punished.”

“Y-Y-Yes! Right away!”

“Also get rid of the worshippers,” I declared. “They are not deserving to witness your bundle of joy.”

“You’re right! They aren’t deserving at all,” she agreed and was on her feet in a blink. “LEAVE!”

The worshippers weren’t going to make her repeat herself as they all raced out, trampling on one another to get out of the stone place.

With a boom of the door, Danica was rushing to cast the spell on Athena.

“With the last speck of light, do what I ask. Return Athena’s body to her place of rest, preserved and presentable to be discovered without a trace of my involvement. Let this be. Let this be. Ashla Re Va Nah Luke!”

Athena’s body began to fade, and I tried to hide just how relieved I was.

Almost there.

One it was done, Danica rushed to me before dropping to her knees.

“I’m ready! I’ll do anything else you ask,” she pleaded.

“You’ve done enough,” I declared and gestured to the altar. “Lay down so I can present you your child.”

“Y-Yes!” She beamed and raced to where Athena was once laying. She was in position as I began to approach, until I stood at where her head laid.

“As the contract states, here is the child you sought,” I declared and began to offer the bundle.

I watched how her arms trembled and her eyes widened in pure delight, before she took the sleeping babe of onyx.

“Oh…oh.” She began to make odd sounds as if she couldn’t comprehend what was finally in her grasp. “My baby. Sweet baby. My dark prince. My sweet prince.”

She kept singing as she laid down and huddled the bundle to her chest, while I simply turned around.

“I’ll make my exit,” I declared and began to walk away.

“This must be a dream. My baby. You’re finally here. Finally mine.” She paid no mind to my departure as I began to walk into the lagoon of blood once more. “You and me. Me and you. We shall live together and I’ll raise you.”

With one deep inhale, I submerged myself into the bloody waters once more, only to surface a second later in a pool of holy water.

“Fuck,” I cursed and looked to see the crowded bathroom in the Pack House. “Holy shit. It worked!”

“Nerissa!” Natalia beamed and was the first to hug me before pulling me out of the tub, which was absolutely stupid because we both went falling down into Sawyer, Arthur, and Cornelius.

“Ugh! Hey. There’s no space in here!” Cornelius whined.

“Shit! The plan actually worked!” Arthur beamed.

“How the hell did Nessa do that?” Sawyer pondered.

“BITCH! How did you travel from a lagoon to a fucking tub?” Natalia demanded while attempting to help me up but failing.

It was Erebus who abruptly stole me from the group and had me over his shoulder and out of the washroom in seconds.

“Hey!”

“You’re in so much trouble,” he seethed, and I groaned.

“I haven’t even revealed my epic magic trick!”

“You did this to yourself, Nessa,” Ciel called out, while Koa sighed. “She’s doomed, but I want to know what she did.”

“Follow them!” Natalia declared.

I was placed on the couch and surrounded, before I caught onto Regis, Aloisium, and Fenriz.

“Wait. You guys made it here?”

“We only had to wait for Regis,” Fenriz declared. He looked so relieved to see I was okay.

“It was only practical to come to these domains of wood and architecture.” Aloisium huffed.

Regis smirked before he muttered, “What did our Goddess of Nightmares do?”

All eyes were on me as I sighed. “I left her in a nightmare,” I declared. “She was so obsessed with wanting a child, so I gave her one. The worshippers were sent out, which would have teleported them into our dungeons, and she sent Athena back to her place.”

“How do you know Athena’s in her place?” Natalia asked.

“Cause we’re not all dead,” I voiced and smirked. “I called Daddy Dearest.”

“Daddy Dearest?” Natalia asked.

“Lucifer.”

She gawked at me while I looked to the others.

“So Danica will stay in that realm until Athena is back in her body and in good health, which will give us time to find Naomi’s body and bring her back.”

“Wait…”

I glanced back at Natalia to see her confusion. “My mother?”

I bobbed my head, though I couldn’t fight the yawn that escaped me.

“We’ll have to explain that later, but we’re bringing your mama back.”

A towel fell upon my head before it then proceeded to ruffle my wet locks.

“You’re gonna get sick,” Atticus grumbled, which made me giggle.

“My bad.”

“So wait…it’s seriously over?” Arthur looked confused. “Like…we won?”

“What? You wanted some huge ass battle?” Cornelius complained.

“Well…ya,” Sawyer added. “I thought things were going to explode and people were going to die.”

“You don’t get it,” I voiced and drew their attention to me. “If I made any form of attack against Danica, it would have led to the destruction of many. That’s why she was on that specific altar. It’s a place one can only get to through the blood lagoon, and you can only come out through a teleported means, which is why I needed the bathtub filled with loads of salts and stuff. If you do anything destructive in there while another being of power is in control, it’ll lead to all those who are precious to the visitor perishing.”

“Wait…so we all could have died?!” Arthur gasped.

“Yup,” I voiced. “Which is why taking on the worshippers when I was a child was impossible. If I disobeyed them, it would be the end of my dark gods, and I couldn’t afford that. So I ran away knowing I’d never return until I was ready to face that hidden trap once and for all.”

“Damn…” Ciel commented. “Our Nessa is a badass.”

“Thank me after I nap,” I voiced, but smiled. “There was actually one requirement I was missing,” I revealed.

“What?”

“Being fully claimed,” I declared and looked at Regis as my forehead glowed lightly to reveal the dark crescent moon that represented our bond mark. “But now I’m a claimed goddess, which allowed me to do what the worshippers knew I never could.”

“You were finally claimed by your monsters,” Natalia said, clearly on the verge of tears. “I’m so proud of you, Nerissa!”

She hugged me once more before everyone else began to hug and kiss me in congratulations for achieving the unexpected.

When I finally reached Regis, I could barely keep my eyes open, but he didn’t hesitate to kiss me before pulling me into a hug.

“You’re ready to start again?”

I couldn’t smile any bigger as I hugged him back.

“Yes.”

It’s time for me to truly enjoy my dark obsessions.

THE END.

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- Avery S.

DEN OF MONSTERS

~Masquerade of Sin~

mybook.to/DenOfMonsters

BLURB:

I woke to the soothing sound of a peaceful serenade.

However, there’s nothing peaceful about being kidnapped after being sold to the Devils of Sin.

This never should have happened because I did everything right. I accepted the invitation, attended the masquerade in the depth of the forsaken forest, and danced with whomever requested. The longer one remains, the more debt is cleared from the family name, so I danced through the night.

I survived to the final note—and let me emphasize the “survived” part—but I’m starting to realize where the real problem lies. I didn’t dance with one suitor… I danced with five Devils and each immediately laid a claim on me.

Joaquin. Talon. Dagger. Croix. Creed.

Now here I am, kidnapped and held for ransom by sick men with bigger debts and more troubles than my bankrupt family and their dark organization combined, but I’m no damsel in distress.

I’m actually stalling.

There’s a rumor that the Devils of Sin are dangerous men of royal status during the day and ruthless monsters at the peak of the night. I want to see them again… to touch and enjoy the illusions that left me panting for more.

I’m willing to enter the Den of Monsters to escape the true demons lurking in the shadows of desperation.

All in exchange for my freedom.

Prologue: The Luring Serenade

I woke up at the soothing sound of a peaceful serenade…

The ballad was enchanting, captivating my attention with its alluring melody, the notes of a haunting piano with the hymns of a soothing violin in the distance.

The sound should have easily made my consciousness fade away once more, but then there were the sweet caresses along my naked body, leaving pleasurable prickles along my flesh.

The fear began to settle in…

This harmony wasn’t a good sign. The legends from my younger years warned of the luring serenade. The melody always began on notes enriched with wonder, the sound inviting you into a state of serenity.

A sinful façade…

From a melody of ease to a symphony of pleasure, you’re kept captive as your body is touched in all sorts of ways.

Not solely by hands, but other “things.”

Brushes of fur, wet licks from lengthy tongues, kisses mixed with hot and cold, and the taunting friction of various rods—some thick and tender, others hard and rough all along the edges.

Then there were the claws, some long with sharp nails that dug into your flesh and made you bleed, while others touched you so gently, it made you feel like a precious lamp, ready to be rubbed while someone whispered sweet words that would summon your very soul.

That was what it felt like.

Your body lay peacefully in the sheets of your bed while your soul was somewhere far in a world of shadows and traitorous monsters. No matter all the warning signs, I never fought this sensation or tried to keep it at bay.

Even though I carried the knowledge of the antidote to escape the serenade’s clutches, I allowed this to commence, for the lyrical hymns shifted into a chant. It felt like I was at a grand ball of darkness, my body lying upon fine silks of red while I was wrapped with ribbons of golden cashmere viscose.

Like an out-of-body experience, my emerald orbs could vividly see my creamy white flesh, my nipples peeking out of the explicit bra that was the perfect temptation for any sinful creature in the depths of the shadows.

My underwear wasn’t dissimilar—the lacy fabric of thin cloth revealing my pussy folds that were glistening with wetness. That wasn’t the only thing that was marked with wetness; there was also the trail of tears that streamed down my face and the lingering liquid of thick saliva that ran down my fit stomach, arms, shoulders, and legs.

My neck was bruised with bite marks, the teeth indents prominently displayed in light purple, while some parts of my body were red like I’d been gripped far too hard. All of this should have frightened me, especially as the music continued to play and grow louder, but all I could do was stare, for I wasn’t scared.

I was fascinated…

What changed all of this from a horror tale was the expression on my face as I caught my breath in desperation.

The immense joy as I looked so immersed in the sensual toxicity that ran through my body in shockwaves.

My emotions tumbled between mesmerization and enviousness as I saw how sexually winded I was. I was left jealous of this doppelganger. I knew this way of thinking should have made me sick, but instead my envy grew with the next set of events. Suddenly, a creature appeared at the end of the bed.

It was a sole entity at first, the shadows wavering in an alluring dance while concealing the true identity of the being who took its time admiring my panting figure.

The sight of this creature encouraged the slight shiver building up in my body, but I wasn’t cold in the slightest.

I was blazing hot as if I were in heat and begging to be fucked by anything that moved.

My panting self sensed the creature’s presence, and all she had to do was lift her head and let her eyes do the talking.

Those emerald orbs twinkled with craving; the bewitching shade matched with my striking orange hair that glimmered so enchantingly in the simply lit abyss and only furthered my charisma.

What further impressed me was how the monster moved at her will, his body expanding like a masked darkness as its shadows crawled along the red sheets until it cloaked the bed and created a curtain that ran over the sides as if to hide what was beneath it.

My imagination sought to get ahead of the game, to envision what would be next to bestow its pleasurable actions for my doppelganger to enjoy—the immediate thought of tentacles running through my mind.

Those octopus-like arms began to creep out from beneath, their onyx flesh slimy with whatever conjured liquid pooled at its suckers. Their movement was slow, their outer skin of black blending so nicely with the shadows that stalked its advances before their inner flesh became a sparkling gold that shimmered like glitter.

It wrapped around the legs and arms of my doppelganger and tightened like a cobra securing its prey. Instead of screaming in pain, a moaning sound pierced the air as my doppelganger’s body arched and shook like waves of ecstasy were pulsing through her.

My legs grew weak and I submitted to their plea as I buckled to my knees and bit my bottom lip as hard as I could. The pain helped to keep me sane, but my body continued to shake in desperation, the need to feel exactly what my other self was experiencing burning ferociously.

I didn’t realize my hand was already between my legs, my fingers drenched with my juices as they began to stimulate my folds before diving into my hot, aching pussy.

My moan was unavoidable, the whimpering sound getting lost in the wailing moans of my counterpart, leaving me yearning for exactly what she was experiencing.

To be wrapped, sucked, and left cloaked in the creature’s slimy release.

I could only imagine what type of cum it would release. Why did that thought encourage me to pump faster? I wished my fingers were as thick as those tentacles as my inner walls tightened around them every chance they got.

My thrusts grew harder, my juices dripping onto the floor beneath me, and it still didn’t feel like enough. I wanted more, so much fucking more, and yet I was captive in my own illusion of lustful foreplay.

Where was this monster? Were there more like this? I want one of my own. I want this… all of this.

As if my thoughts were an invitation, I watched another creature enter the scenario. His appearance was intriguing, especially since he wore fine clothes that were a mix of gold and teal silks, while other parts were hidden by the very shadows that oozed out of his body in waves.

He had a slender body and was tall in height, but what drew my attention was the bunny-like head with one ear up, one ear down. The black figure was intriguingly captivating while its body held a tenderness to it.

He went straight to the top of my copy’s head, leaning down to occupy her lips before beginning to trail down her flesh which involved various nibbles and lingering bites. The fascinating delicacy further turned me on, the mix of bondage and tenderness a combination I yearned to enjoy, but yet another monster came out from the darkness.

This one was frightening, its body a vibrant red and its head carrying a crown of horns. His teeth were razor-sharp, like a true monster in the depths of the ocean, only it could breathe just fine in this abyss of darkness. Its body was as fit as a pro wrestler, but nothing could take my attention away from his massive cock that was surely triple the usual girth.

The length was just abnormal, but how my pussy quivered around my fingers that had paused during my moment of enthrallment.

This red beast had no patience as it charged to the bed and was on top of those silky sheets in seconds. It looked massive as it waited for the tentacles to spread my legs wide. My heart skipped a few beats as I noticed how a tentacle had been keeping my other self’s pussy company as it rubbed those swollen folds a few more times before latching on for a long few seconds until the other me came.

It reminded me of a vibrator as the chosen tentacle enjoyed the way my doppelganger’s body shook, and I had to admit, it was a sight I begged to keep in my mind so I could masturbate to its replay.

With one loud sucking noise, the tentacles began to unlatch themselves and then vanished under the depths of the bed. My fingers began to move again at a slower pace as I zoned in on my copy’s body that was riddled with red circles from the suckers and soaked in its clear juices.

The rabbit creature pulled away and suddenly was on the bed just between my copy’s head and the batch of pillows pressed against the headboard.

With a lift of tendril-like arms, the silky ropes around my double’s frame suddenly became ropes of red that rose off the bed and dangled her in the air like a captive maiden.

If I ever questioned my sexiness, this view only empowered me with how fucking sensual I was. Never would I have imagined myself in a bondage situation, yet I was being held captive by those crimson ropes that were wrapped around my now naked body. I hadn’t even realized the measly scrap of lace lingerie had been clawed away—probably from the nibbling beast of a bunny—but the ropes did their duty in accenting my plump breasts and wrapping around my abdomen in a crisscross diagonal pattern.

My legs were up straight and crossed, but my pussy was still visible and dripping while all the slime began to drip down onto the bed. The bunny beast reached out to wrap a chunk of my hair in his grasp but took the few seconds of domination to lean in to sharply inhale.

The noise that left its black lips was one that vibrated like a horn with a melodic touch to it. It invited two more creatures that looked identical. They moved at a slithering pace, like snakes preparing to strike.

They were naked just like the red beast that I realized was stroking himself and enjoying the lewd madness transpiring here. The duo beasts’ cocks weren’t as thick as the red beast’s, but my eyes widened in shock as they began to extend upward until they snaked around the copy’s breasts until the two cocks were back in the middle, beginning to move between her breasts at a quick pace.

My fingers moved again of their own accord as my body tingled with spikes of heat. My alternate self was already moaning up a storm, but the sound was soon muffled as the tender beast seemed to have lost its patience as it tugged at the copy’s hair—forcing her head to lean as far back as possible from her hanging position.

Without a second’s delay, the bunny’s beast cock was in her mouth. She only groaned in relief as her eyes rolled back in submission, but I knew she wanted more from the way her legs fought against the restraints.

Her pussy was clearly begging to be filled.

It was the red beast’s debut opportunity to finally take his turn, and that was when clear wings shaped like a dragonfly’s sprouted from his back and lifted him up until he was at the perfect height.

Could I be more blown away by this haunting world of illusions?

If I thought the massive member couldn’t get bigger, I was proven wrong, for its hardness was as thick as a fire extinguisher. Certainly that couldn’t fit in my copy’s itty bitty coochie.

Right?

The way my arousal spiked as I watched the thrilling hysteria unfolding with every inch that somehow managed to not pulverize my copy’s pussy left me begging to cum. My fingers began to pump swiftly and deeply inside me while the red beast let out a gnarly noise of victory.

Then they all began to move.

It was all off at first, the rhythm of thrusts all over the place, but the serenade began to play once more, the hauntingly melodic ballad dancing around us and creating the perfect pace for the monsters to follow until they were completely in sync.

I worried I’d cum before the grand finale, my pleasure beginning to rise from my core, but my eyes moved away for a short moment to see where the sound came from—and they landed on the first monster at the end of the bed.

Its eyes of golden mystery peered right at me.

Why did that only excite me? My knees further spread on whatever surface I was on, while my fingers further pumped into my pussy. I leaned back as I used my left hand to support myself, ensuring this monster violinist could see how wet I was.

Having his attention on me and not my copy suddenly encouraged me to put on a show—to prove I was just as desirable—and sweet-tasting—as the me enjoying the fivesome unfolding in the background.

I could see the hunger in those orbs of gold that began to be tainted with darkness, and what a further boost of motivation it was. I lifted my hips further and fought to meet the swift thrusts of my fingers.

I was dangerously close now, and I wasn’t sure what was going to make me cum first—the orgy happening further to my left or the possessive stare of this monster that gave me his full attention.

My body wished for my fingers to be his cock, to be kissed and sucked and covered in their monster cum. I yearned for my body to quake with aftershocks and for the tantalizing trembles of ecstasy to consume my body again and again.

I wished to be here, in this Den of Monsters, and what was just as freaky as all of this was my desire to have these very monsters.

They could please me, feed me whenever I craved their lustful touches and merciless fucks. Surely, they could sweep me away from the troubles of the surface and the responsibilities I bared on my own.

Take me away from my family, duties, and hardships of my dark, tainted world.

It was too good to be true, and yet I yearned for this very future. Somehow, this monster had to be my way out.

My stroke of salvation.

As if I’d summoned him in the heated moment, he no longer played the string instrument. The musical instrument managed to become possessed and moved of its own accord to keep the melody that began to pick up the pace.

The monster now stood behind me, its chilled hand wrapping around a part of my neck as its sharp nails dug into my flesh. My whimpered moan sounded far too beautiful, and I couldn’t help but lean back just to see this creature that was beginning to look more human by the second.

What stood out against the shadows was the brilliant golden mask upon his face, one that reminded me of a masquerade mask. It went perfectly with his silky black strands that I was beginning to realize were long with hints of silver.

With every second, more human features emerged on his masked face, but it was only his left side that was giving me a glimpse of his humanlike beauty, while his black horns came into view and curled in a maleficent way.

He was smiling… in approval?

I wasn’t sure why I’d been worthy of such an expression, but my fingers were suddenly forced out as long, frigid fingers slid into my scorching pussy. My gasp of shock was followed with a cried moan, the thick fulfillment such fingers delivered blowing my fucking mind.

My body completely submitted to his preeminence. His two fingers spread my walls as if a full cock was ramming into me without a hint of remorse.

I couldn’t believe this was happening, and yet it only got better.

A presence came from my left, and I felt the press of lips against mine before the simple kiss was followed with a deep inhale. Right away, I got tender monster vibes, but that bunny head was gone and replaced with a stunning man who didn’t dare hide his perfection.

I couldn’t recognize him, the shadows blending so perfectly against his flesh that I could barely see the details, but his black horns were clearly on top of his head, while his silky strands were a mix of aquamarine and teal.

He continued to sniff my scent as if it were a pheromone perfume that he couldn’t get enough of. My attention was forced to the opposite side as my mouth was invaded by a long tongue that didn’t just explore but went down my damn throat.

My eyes widened as I expected my gag reflex to kick in, but it did no such thing while I took in the red beast and its taunting eyes of lavender, which proceeded to dip in color until they were a striking plum shade.

Clearly, my submissive approach was rewarding me, for the red beast’s hand moved to press against my abdomen and fucking hell, his tongue was poking from the inside of my stomach.

Yup. This had to be a dream and not fucking real. Human physics don’t work this way.

My attempt to think logically was kicked under the rug by the press of not one but two lips against my flesh that sent spikes of arousal through me. My eyes darted away from the red beast just as he retracted his tongue and began to wrap it around my neck instead.

The back of my left hand was in one monster’s grasp and being kissed, while my right shoulder was also being sucked.

This was all happening as the leader of this provocative nest of monsters readied himself at my entrance and glided in to start the rhythmic movement. He fucked me so perfectly.

My moans now echoed and seemed to blend so soothingly with the music that was at its peak chorus. My eyes suddenly moved to the copy of me and there was the pair of emerald eyes.

Only they looked venomously back at me.

I should have flinched at the deadly glare, one even I had never seen before that now lay upon the lines of my own complexion. And yet there it was. The heightened image of jealousy looked far from attractive.

The tables had turned—the monsters of pleasure now worshipped me like a goddess, and all they had to do was enjoy the sweet nectar that would pool out of my quivering pussy to be mine.

At least, that’s what came to my mind.

It felt achievable, and I further relaxed while allowing my moans to be louder, longer, and more hypnotizing to the listener.

My eyes never left my copy’s, even when I felt my body at the tip of my orgasmic peak. Only a few more thrusts and I’d come undone, and I wished for her to witness it.

To realize I could be just as good as her… if not better.

“AH!” My cry of ecstasy was an octave higher than the final note from the violin, and they blended so perfectly with one another, the combination like an eargasm that would leave the audience applauding for an encore.

As if the final note had rewarded me, I felt the sets of lips press against my flesh all at once—a pair of lips on each surface of my upper thigh, a kiss to my right bicep, another on the inner arm of my left hand, just above my pulse point.

The final kiss was upon my neck in the front, right above the sternum.

The united kisses from my monsters sent me on another spiral of blissfulness, and I felt myself slipping away as my body shook violently.

Just like that, my eyes snapped open, and I rose up in haste while my wild eyes were darting all over the dark room. My ears caught onto my sharp inhales and exhales, while my body was drenched in sweat.

I quickly moved my hands past my lace panties and shivered at the sensitive brush of my quivering pussy. My orgasm was still shuddering through me. Pulling my fingers away, I examined them in the stream of moonlight that peeked into my room from the window on my right, and the sight was so mesmerizing as my tongue glided along my bottom lip.

“Shit,” I huffed. I suddenly felt so weak, I couldn’t help but fall back against the red-and-golden sheets. “That dream again…”

No matter how many times I experienced it, each time felt so fucking real and left me sexually satisfied. Who needed to masturbate when you had sex dreams every other night?

With a sigh, I reached for the nightstand and grabbed the bottle of sleeping gummies. With a flick of the lid, I tossed the final two orange-flavored bear gummies into my mouth and couldn’t care less where the bottle went.

The sound of it bouncing on the carpet was the least of my problems now as I chewed and tried to calm my swirling mind. I fought hard to grasp the image of each monster, but they were already fading away just like the rest of the world.

The realms of sleep were inviting me to return to the world of slumber, but I knew that this time around, it would be a deep one that didn’t invite me into a world of sexual jubilation.

As the dream continued to fade along with my consciousness, all that was left was a golden mask that floated in the darkness while the sweet serenade on a violin played quietly.

It grew further away with every second that passed, but it soothed me to a place of recovery. Sometimes I wondered if this was my reward for performing well, but I’d never know, for my Den of Monsters always remained in my dreams.

Sadly, they just weren’t real…

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MONSTER ROMANCE NOW:

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About Avery Song

Avery Song is a reverse harem author who specializes in paranormal, fantasy, and urban romance.

She especially loves writing strong main characters and is excited for all the books that are approaching.

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