Den of Psychos

SERENADE OF MADNESS

BOOK ONE

AVERY SONG

Copyright

“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.

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Cover Design by Sanja Gombar

Editing by: Rainlyt Editing

Format: Avery S.

Contents

Copyright

Den of Psychos Blurb

Prologue: Bang Bang

1.  I’m Crazy In Love With You

2.  The Ultimate Price Of Secrecy

3.  Panicked Anxiety And Anticipation

4.  If Its A Show They Want, Let’s Give Them One

5.  Protecting An Unknown Future

6.  Midnight Killing Surrounded By My Monsters: Part One

7.  Midnight Killing Surrounded By My Monsters: Part Two

8.  Car Hoods, Guns, And Gambles

9.  Gowns, Masks, And The Physical Confrontation

10.  The Test Of The Forbidden Forest

11.  Introducing The Surface Of The Masquerade

12.  Bid Of Fury At The Hand Of A Rapist

13.  Dance With My Psychos Of Madness

Stay Connected

Den of Monsters Sneak Peek

Prologue: The Luring Serenade

ABOUT AVERY SONG

Also by Avery Song

Den of Psychos Blurb

I woke up to the chilling sound of gunshots.

A soured deal, a raid of vicious men, and a blow to my head contributed to my psychosis.

My name is Eloise Genevieve, but the rest of the world calls me crazy.

Can I really blame them?

After all, I speak to the monsters who have known me since that Devil’s Raid. Sweet, sinful men, who are just as royal, powerful, and merciless as I wish to be. I’m the only one who can see them, and that’s the problem.

I want more than to just see.

The older I get, the stronger these urges become.

Their company isn’t enough for me anymore.

I yearn to touch them, hold them, kiss them, and make love to them.

They tease me every night, with a blindfold across my face to keep their monstrous appearances secret, but I know better.

I know everything about them.

The Masquerade of Sin is finally here, and this will be their chance to claim what’s always been truly theirs.

I may have enemies waiting to strike, but that’s the least of my concerns.

For they have never played a game with a psychotic monster, and I have all the right cards to win.

Welcome to the Devil’s Playground!

Prologue: Bang Bang

S ilence is deafening when death is knocking on your door.

The lull of quietness after an array of gunshots wakes me from the depths of slumber.

That was what made tonight different, frightening, as I laid upon the fine silk sheets of my bed within my chambers.

I knew from the hint of smoke in the air that my safety net had been breached. My safe spot had been intruded upon — inviting this eerie sensation into the atmosphere that yearned to forsake me when I’d become so familiar with its uneasy invitation.

It was heavy — like a blanket of fog descending upon the mansion in the early hours of the night — but maybe death wasn’t what I feared the most.

“Alert the south side of the mansion. We’ll ensure no one comes down this hall.”

“Should we alert Miss Genevieve?”

“She’s but a child. Do not distress her unless necessary. I’ll make a special request for James’s assistance. He’s been hired to keep Eloise safe many times. He’ll arrive swiftly due to the urgency of this matter.”

“Make haste! We don’t have much time.”

It was laughable to listen to their whispers that were far from quiet. The anxiety in their voices alone told me there had to be some sort of disadvantage here.

My parents must not be home. Are they away on a mission? At a ballroom party? Father enjoys gambling with mother in tow. Have they been kidnapped after a grand loss? Or worst-case scenario…dead.

If the third option was true, it would be the most logical assumption to have. Why else would anyone have the guts to go against my family?

The Genevieves were feared by many and even at such a young age, I knew why we were so frightening. Those with money, power, and fame, weren’t the right empire to pick a fight with— especially if they were the puppeteers that controlled the biggest drug network in the Underground of Boston

Adding our alliances with the Bellerose and Fançois families, even a mere child could conclude what a miserable idea it would be to try to attack any one of us.

Which is why tonight is odd.

I sat up without making a sound and was out of my king-sized bed and sliding beneath it to retrieve everything I’d need to defend myself.

It was quick, a reminder of all the training I’d done in the midst of the day and all the times when I was enjoying “nap” time.

Being born a Genevieve, I was forced to learn one thing: no one will come and save you before you’re riddled with bullets.

So you had to be able to save yourself.

If you can’t do that, you take out as many as you can and go down with honor.

The only problem with that mentality was that it didn’t take much consideration for little girls like me. What honor would there be if I died?

Guess I may find out.

I heard the shuffling noise long before anyone else — my body moving silently in the darkness as I ensured I had everything I needed strapped around my white nightgown. I quickly lifted my bountiful curls, using a thick clump of my own hair to tie the rest into a messy bun.

I only had a few more seconds to get into the closet. My skipping movements were but a silent leap before I stepped onto the right wooden plank. The closet doors opened without making a creak while the insides that were once filled with hung clothes parted away to reveal a stoned path of darkness.

With a grin, I got in and turned around to face the doors that were beginning to close. It was as the hangers began to go back in place and the transparent wall began to form before me that I caught onto the screams and gunshots.

“They’re here,” I muttered as my blue eyes drooped.

A part of me had hoped this was one of many drills, but as the rounds of gunshots filled the air and the scent of blood drifted to my very nostrils, I knew today would be marked in our history as something I either survived to hear years after or my name was remembered as the last heir of the Genevieve Empire that died a true fighter.

Maybe accepting death was scary…

The door to my bedroom slammed open; my heart began to hammer against my chest as my ears heightened further to catch onto every word that was snarled in the darkness.

“Fuck! Look everywhere. We need that little girl. She’s our golden ticket to blackmailing the Genevieve Empire!”

“Under the bed and in the closet!” another instructed.

I remained completely still, knowing my immobility was what maintained my hiding place behind this magic wall. The moment I moved, the transparent wall that surely looked like a wall of darkness would fade entirely and leave me completely exposed.

“Not here, Boss,” someone called. “She has to be in the closet. There are no other hiding spots here and the window is obviously locked.”

“Check the closet!” The Boss sounded nervous as if he wasn’t sure about this apparent game plan. I wasn’t really sure about it myself, because I’d never seen anyone stupid enough to mess with the Genevieve Empire in my entire existence.

Did I mention I was seven?

At least I was smart for my age – smarter than these men who were desperate to capture and use me for their own ploys. I’d learned at the age of three that I was a golden child that all of Boston would love to possess if it opened the gates to financial abundance.

That was what happened when you had parents who enjoyed flaunting their wealth to the masses of envious individuals who were borderline poor but didn’t possess the pride to admit their born circumstances.

It probably was the contribution to my sad childhood that forced me to grow up fast, but we didn’t get to choose what family we were born into, did we?

That would be far too kind.

The closet doors opened and I looked into the frantic black eyes of a man cloaked in a neutral shade. Even though he was masked, the few bits of his flesh that were exposed were drenched with sweat and a few dabs of blood.

“She’s not here, Boss.”

“She’s hiding! She’s fucking six!”

Seven, but whatever.

“Where would she hide?” the man snapped back as he gestured to the closet. “It’s fucking empty! Full of fluffy dresses and shit.”

“They say this house is full of traps and hiding places! Don’t be fucking stupid and look! There could be a hidden leaver or book or something!”

So they know about how deadly our house is, huh?

I liked to call it my Haunted Oasis, but that made me sound like an emo child. The term “emo” was deemed a new urban word that wasn’t fancy enough for our artistic language in the heart of Boston, but maybe beneath my perfect child exterior was a rebellious child who wished to wear black and have tattoos and piercings.

Piercings are painful so maybe tattoos would be fun…

That was the only thing I could assume would be painless seeing as Father had so many that he hid beneath an array of suits. If they were so painful, he certainly wouldn’t have so many.

I think.

“Boss, she could have escaped,” another individual stressed. I couldn’t tell how many were in the room waiting to prey on a little girl, but from the shuffling of movement in the room, I was going to assume ten.

“She’s HIDING! Look fucking harder! We’re wasting time! The Genevieves have probably been notified of the intrusion by now. We need to be swift, so find this hiding bitch!”

It was funny because I wasn’t hiding.

I was waiting.

Counting the seconds with my little fingers, keeping track by tens while I continued to enjoy the frantic irony in these men’s behavior. They really were gambling with their lives by pulling such a bold move, but I still couldn’t figure out why.

What purpose would a group of men have with the only heir of Genevieve? What true benefit do I carry to them aside from ransom?

It wasn’t necessarily surprising that they wished to use me. My best friend, Esmeralda, had been kidnapped numerous times for such devious ploys that never ended well. She was even more skilled than I, which was beyond cute.

I liked to imagine us being real sisters and how I’d take the role of being her older sister in our world of pretend just to motivate me to be stronger. She’d hear about this incident, no doubt about that one, and the idea of her hearing about my perseverance pushed me to remain calm and determined.

Though I did fear what would happen if I passed away.

“Raid every room! We only have a few short minutes! Regroup at the garden!” the Boss encouraged, and they all nodded and voiced their agreement as they rushed out of the room. Only the Boss remained, his eyes scanning the room once more as if he needed to be sure he hadn’t overlooked something his minions had missed.

“We can’t let the Mother Family get more powerful. That child was chosen by those psychopaths. If we kill her now, they’ll be rendered useless. I knew there was a purpose for that group of children to come to our turf. As if having those Devil children around isn’t enough.”

I frowned at his words, unsure what he was sputtering about with such a vile tone. He seemed so pissed, like he knew these beings who sounded like kids like me, and that their mere existence was running his chances in life.

“To think we almost got caught by King François’s child. At least the drug won’t kill him. It’ll just keep him asleep long enough for this to be over.”

My heart skipped a few beats as the mention of King François’s child reminded me of one person.

Claude?

Now I carried a ball of worry as I wondered if they had truly hurt my dear friend. He was just as important as Esmeralda, but in a different way that made me feel anxious as to whether he was safe or not. He could defend himself just like Esme, but if he was around, had he come to visit me?

Did I unexpectedly bring him into a dangerous situation?

“Tsk. She’s really not here. Fucking hel—”

“AHHHHH!” Screams filled the hallway, and that had the man flinching before he rushed to peak out the door, only to curse and swiftly close it.

I was going to take this moment to move, but a silky ribbon wrapped around my eyes before I could react. My body froze entirely as I felt the presence behind me, but I didn’t move in the slightest while the Boss frantically looked around the room.

“Fuck! I can only go out the window and this is the second floor. Shit. A broken leg is better than being torched and squished by blazing boulders. This fucking house!” he hissed, and the shattering sound of glass confirmed this man had done everything he could to get out the window and to the balcony.

It would be a bit of a jump to the ground because this was a mansion with extremely high ceiling windows — which had to mean more space between floors — but I guessed that was better than being completely dead with all the traps I’d just unleashed with my divine patience.

Now to figure out what was behind me.

“You like to play deadly games.”

I smirked and didn’t hesitate to turn around, my movement destroying the protective barrier that was now fading behind me. I didn’t care about that though, my eyes locking onto a pair of purple ones. A silver crown with stones of amethyst hid the tiny specks of black horns that peaked from his shoulder-length hair.

The lavender locks glimmered thanks to the tinsel strands of white, but his eyes of dark purple shifted to a haunting black that bored back at me with very little emotion.

“And you continue to enjoy Hide and Seek,” I whispered gleefully. “We meet again, pretty monster. Are you going to play dress up with me or are we doing that after I escape my current circumstances?”

He didn’t seem pleased by the second part of my question, but the ribbon that no longer covered my eyes simply tightened around my neck. I didn’t move or show any signs of distress, even as it got tighter and tighter.

It was like a snake was wrapping around my neck, tightening to the point that I worried I wouldn’t be able to breathe. Despite it all, my eyes never left his, even as he eyed me carefully by narrowing those hollow spheres of black.

“You should fear what hides in the shadows.”

Right. Right.

I used my hands to form the symbols of sign language to state my response, which seemed to irritate him as he rolled his eyes. Just like that, he released me from his trap, those eyes of his shifting back to that glorious purple shade.

I noticed how his gaze lingered on my neck as if witnessing the sheer red bruise from his tightened ribbon delivered a heightened state of enjoyment.

Or dismay? I couldn’t quite decipher his expressions, especially when his flawless complexion blended so nicely with the shadows.

“You must leave. They know you’re destined for us.”

“Who knows?” I decided to ask as I pouted my lips at the idea of leaving. “If you suggest I run like a cowardly fool, that is out of the question for a Genevieve.”

“A dead Genevieve is a useless one,” he pointed out.

“A cowardly one is no different,” I countered.

That left us staring at one another before he frowned and muttered, “Claude will not be pleased if you get hurt.”

“Neither will you, but you have no intention of stopping me,” I voiced the obvious as I smirked in defiance. The boy simply stared at me before I was pushed into him thanks to something bumping into my back.

I crashed into his chest with an “oomph” and by the time I pulled back, I was no longer in the closet. My eyes needed a moment to adjust as I caught onto the starry sky and the massive full moon above my head.

How did he…

“Do not make me regret maintaining your family’s honor.” His voice whispered through my head even though it was clear he was no longer around.

And if I accidentally do?

I just had to know my options. I carried a bit of my parents’ gambling tendencies it seemed.

“Then prepare for my ruthless punishment, 자기야.”

I wasn’t expecting him to use a different language to address me, but I couldn’t quite translate it.

“Ja…Ja….” I tried to say it out loud as if the lingering problem at hand was no longer a concern until I was able to say such a term properly.

“Jagiya.” He decided to spare me from struggle before his voice faded away with, “Figure it out once you survive.”

He was gone then, his presence of chilled mystery oozing out of my system which only ignited goosebumps along my arms while a cold breeze passed.

One of my invisible friends.

I’d only begun seeing them recently. Just a few days in the depths of the night. It was intriguing how things had suddenly shifted. It had to involve these boys, but why?

Who were they and why was I suddenly important?

With a shake of my head, I realized there was no time for any of this. Distractions weren’t allowed when you were fighting to survive in plain sight.

One quick turn invited the sight of the massive garden maze — the sight causing my lips to curl in approval before I was racing into the puzzled concept without a hint of dismay.

I knew the maze from inside and out.

Every corner, every trap, every vine and mysterious plant. I was a queen in this puzzling world, and it was about to be used to kill as many intruders as I could.

“I saw her go in this maze!” a man called out.

I was sure it was done to instill fear into my little body as I raced through the twists and turns until I found my first hiding place. Blending into its protective vines with ease, I watched in pure amazement as the few white roses that had barely blossomed began to rapidly bloom — their opened petals only igniting more flower buds to awaken and rapidly grow until the entire wall of vines I was hiding within was now covered with various white roses.

I guess the house isn’t the only thing designed to protect me from evil.

I took out my first weapon, spinning the small item between my fingers while my eyes darted side to side to ensure I locked onto my approaching prey. Without delay, I put the mouthpiece against my lips, my mind already counting down the seconds until a man in black rushed passed me.

Got you.

“Ah!” His hiss was followed by a slap to his neck. His fingers tugged the dart out of his flesh, which encouraged him to spin around in time to lock on my blue eyes that I ensured would be seen with the glimpse of the moonlight.

He pointed my way, ready to shout in distress, but already began to struggle as a daze washed over his face. His flesh became pale in seconds while he struggled to take his next breath. It never happened as he shifted from blue to purple, his knees buckling as his body crashed into the floor.

Be the invitation to my massacre.

His death was indeed the perfect flame to attract these sinister fiends as I took out as many as I could until my very last dart hit one partner, leaving the second one to peer around frantically until it was his turn to meet my sinister gaze.

“You!” he hissed and pulled out his gun, but the vines rushed to intertwine until it was a solid wall strong enough to withstand the round of bullets that should have pierced me there and then. “Fuck! She’s here! Hurry up!”

I pulled out two small blades, my feet moving swiftly as I raced through the maze. At the perfect corner, I turned and pressed my back to the vine-covered surface, striking the moment anyone would come down this path with the intention of my demise.

These kills were quick and silent, the only sound being the drop of their bodies that hit the ground like heavy stones. I’d lost count of how many I’d taken out, but I knew there weren’t many left.

I’d gone from darts to blades, and now poisonous bullets from a miniature purple gun. I knew only one bullet remained as I reached the exit of the immense maze, leading me down the path to the fountain platform with a perched gargoyle whose wings were outstretched to their peek length.

I didn’t hesitate to reach the very platform, climbing to sit right upon the gargoyle’s back, right between the arches of its grand wings. The sound of the safety going off forced me to freeze just as I sat with one leg over the other.

With my little hands gripping the pointy tips of the statue’s wings, I looked down to the last man standing while emergency sirens sounded in the distance. It wouldn’t be long before this place was surrounded by police and S.W.A.T. forces, but I was sure the fear instilled in this man’s eyes wasn’t because of the idea of being caught.

He feared the wrath my parents — particularly my father — would be bestowed upon him for daring to pull off such a move.

“A little girl managed to take out a hundred of my men?” he whispered as if it was truly impossible. I’d clearly proven that it very much was possible for a seven-year-old to kill a fleet of assassins who wished to kidnap and use me for whatever they desired.

“Frightening, isn’t it?” I calmly offered and showed off my gun while kicking my feet up and down. “We’re not known as one of the most lethal Empires for no reason, you know? We worked hard for the Genevieve name to be known near and far.”

I paused to observe him before I pouted my lips.

“So let me ask you. Why am I so valuable that you’d risk it all for a little child like me?”

He huffed like I was purely a nuisance to him, and I guessed in this predicament, I was.

“You’ve been chosen by a Den,” he revealed, but I didn’t know what he was referring to.

A Den? What’s a Den?

“A child wouldn’t know what I’m referring to, nor does it matter seeing as you won’t live long enough to find out exactly who they are,” he announced as he pulled out his gun and pointed it right at me.

It had a specific laser beam, one that must have put a tiny red dot on the place he wished to shoot a bullet through. Seeing as I couldn’t witness it with my own two eyes, all I could assume was that he wished to blow my brains out.

“A Den full of psychos. Sinister men that are far too crazy to exist in our dark world,” he snarled as he gripped the gun like it held his life in its hands. “I did everything I could to avoid their wrath, and yet they still dare to threaten me. To threaten my family. My beloved…my sweet, innocent son…”

His eyes became teary as I saw the truth of hatred blossom in those eyes that pierced mine.

“Taken from me just like that by a group of rich fiends who thought it would be fun to blow a jet up. My family’s jet that killed my entire family line!” he screamed. “Now I’m left. The only fucker who couldn’t get on that fucking flight because what was I doing? Tracking the exact moment when this mansion would be vacant until you returned from your violin lesson.”

He smiled sinisterly as a twinkle of excitement danced in his eyes.

“Through my agony, I had to sit here and wait for the right moment, and yet you make a mockery of me. It’s insulting to say the least, but I seem to be the last one standing. The most deserving in taking you out so those fuckers can suffer. That brat of a Korean King thinks he’ll get his destined Maiden.”

He began to laugh as he shook his head and lifted the gun higher up while he looked proudly at me.

“He’ll get his Maiden alright. In a lovely casket with a bouquet of red spider lilies to commemorate such a loss.”

I knew I wouldn’t be fast enough to hit him before he hit me, but what I didn’t expect was the sudden descent of darkness that fell upon us. The two of us glanced up just as the moon looked to be experiencing an eclipse.

“What the—” he began but was cut off as multiple safeties went off and an array of red lasers landed on the man’s body from head to toe. I was actually impressed as I looked over for the culprit of this move.

It didn’t take long as the man himself came out from the shadows — eyes of striking blue meeting my shocked ones.

“Papa?” I whispered as I stopped spinning my gun in my grasp.

“A bold fucking move to dare put my daughter in harm’s way, Levo. I guess killing your whole family line wasn’t enough, was it?”

“You fucking bastard!” Levo snarled, but he was forced to stay remain still for the sake of not being riddled with bullets. “You’ll feel exactly what I feel! The agony of losing a loved one!”

“Last time I checked, you’re the one on the verge of losing your life,” Father acknowledged, but my eyes weren’t centered on him anymore — my attention was on something that twinkled from afar.

I barely caught it as my eyes squinted to make out the single dot of red that was in between the wall of white roses.

Wilted white roses.

Nothing I could have said would have stopped the inevitable, so I did the only action I knew would save the man who loved me enough to come to my aid when I needed it the most.

I pointed my gun directly at him…and pulled the trigger.

His surprise was only but a second, as three of his guards immediately pulled him out of the way. My bullet merely skimmed his cheek, but it was enough to see the few droplets of red enter the air just as another gunshot zoomed past where Father ounce stood, hitting the statue I was perched upon.

A shriek escaped me as I lost balance, but it was the sight of Levo and the gun in his grasp that took my attention as I was seconds from falling off the crumbling piece of stone.

“In allegiance to King Abuk,” he declared and pulled the trigger a second before his body was riddled with bullets. His death was inevitable, but there was one thing I didn’t expect.

My own demise.

CHAPTER 1

I’m Crazy In Love With You

ELOISE GENEVIEVE

“What makes us different? Our levels of sanity? Why should it matter? Sane or psychotic. We all carry a beating heart.”

— Eloise Genevieve

“I  don’t care if you’re going fucking broke, Luke Blanchet the Third. You have something I want. Something I’ve yearned to claim, and patience is not my virtue,” I hummed delightedly as I spun through the kitchen in the midst of baking cookies?

Weed cookies. The grand life of illegal baking matched with blackmail.

“Yes. I understand your current circumstances,” I drawled out when I really didn’t give a shit. “The holidays are upon us. Christmas is here. New Year’s is a few days away. The heart of Boston is alive with plenty of merry children begging for wonderfully wrapped presents under the pine tree you all decorate in your living rooms near the fireplace because it’s a tradition none of you can get out of,” I summarized while giving one final look at the various cookies that would turn into chunky edibles once I was finished working my cooking magic.

Opening the oven door, I popped them in just as I enjoyed the frantic nervousness in Mr. Blanchet’s voice. He really thought I’d fall for his ploy, but alas. Men would do anything to get out of a bargain.

Especially a bargain with women. Something about hurting their pride by needing to rely on a female to do their dirty bidding.

“However, we made a deal, did we not?” I offered, then waited for him to agree with the obvious. “Yes. A deal that I’d get rid of all your gang-related problems and in return you’d deliver my newest car, a Bugatti Chiron S69, of which there are only three in the world.”

I tossed my oven mitt away, running my free hand through my blonde locks as I stood with one hip to the side.

“I filled my end of the bargain, so why haven’t you kept yours?”

I really was testing my patience, the nagging urge to fuck this man’s life in fifteen minutes and call it a day growing stronger and stronger by the second. He really was pushing his limits here, thinking he was far more manipulative than me, Eloise Genevieve.

I guessed you really had to have a pair of balls down under for anyone in Boston to take you seriously. I always found myself repeating myself like a broken record when discussing deals with men, but I’d bet if my gender was the opposite, I’d be heard loud and clear.

Unless I’m naked and bouncing off their fucking cocks. Every man bows down to a tight, quivering pussy. It’s like a universal code.

“Ah. You’re still waiting for the delivery?” I practically sang while crossing my arm under my breasts while I fought to not yawn in boredom. “That’s so funny. I was just at the port the other day. You know, doing business as usual. I caught a glimpse of you. Hard not to catch onto that atrocious green hair of yours. You know, if you wished to carry a bit of spite in your appearance, all you should have done was die your hair red or even lime green. Forest green just doesn’t complement you when your flesh is as pale as a ghost.”

The silence on the other end was deafening, leaving me to giggle softly as I closed my eyes.

“I’m sure my commentary is hurting your pride. Especially when you got that hairstyle done just yesterday morning at 10:52 AM at Boston’s popular hair salon, Le Freak Coiffure, where you and your ‘friend,’ who is far too friendly since you offered to give him a blow job, proceeded to go to the ports to pay the shipment and duty fees. You were obviously in a rush, not wanting to be suspected by one of my many hidden connections in that vast place of cargo and various stacked containers, but little did you know that I’d already bribed the man who declared your goods.”

I could feel the tension rise without being face-to-face with the fucker. I loved moments like these where I enjoyed reminding people of who the fuck I was.

“You’re really getting pale over there, Mr. Blanchet. You should sit down on that lovely pink velvet sofa of yours. I know you’re currently pacing around your desk, biting your nails while mentally scolding a crazy bitch like me for what I’ve caught onto, but you shouldn’t be so worried. It’s not like I’m spying on you or anything.”

I smirked at the continued silence as I stretched my arm out to stare at my new nails. They were a press-on set, the trend these days, with an array of rhinestones that twinkled when the light hit it at any angle.

“I surely don’t have time to watch your every move, but I have a very handsome bodyguard, you see. I enjoy calling him a Hot Chocolate Beast because he’s scorching hot and makes me want to melt. Bonus points for being a beast in bed, but that’s beside the point,” I rambled on as I moved my hand over to the counter to reach for the glass of red wine I’d forgotten about during my cookie-making. “Since I’m home being an obedient Heir Princess and not getting myself in a load of trouble like usual, he’s spoiling me by making sure I get what I want.”

I inhaled deeply and let it out, my body relaxing even further as I concentrated solely on my Hot Chocolate Beast. It only took me a second to feel the humming purr of our connection — his scent of honey and maple teasing my nostrils as if he was here with me in this moment.

Opening my eyes just slightly, I enjoyed the burning sensation of my eyes as the world around me shifted until it felt like I stood outside on a rooftop. My body lay upon a chilled, rough surface but my focus was on the finger that was wrapped around the metal trigger of the gun in my grasp.

I could see through a single hole that revealed the man in question, who dared to not hold his end of the bargain — the poor man quivering like a leaf in the midst of a blizzard as he barely hung on to life itself.

“You’ve decorated your place rather nicely.” My voice dipped in a seductive manner, while I continued to enjoy the vision flaunting far away.  “It would be a shame to decorate it with your blood. You did such a good job of balancing the pink and red tones with the golden cream aesthetic. Decor inspired by your ‘friend’, right? You really love him. Or should I say admire?”

I took another deep breath as if I’d be able to catch the scent of fear that surely cloaked Mr. Blanchet’s surroundings. It was certainly written all over his face as he darted his gaze left and right before staring at the window as if he’d be able to witness my cloaked lover.

“There’s no point in trying to figure out how I’m seeing your every move. I was transparent enough to tell you about one of my precious monsters. The least you could do is tell me what I wish to hear. Or I guess we can skip the negotiations and get to killing your ‘friend’ but he seems to be a genuine man in comparison to you.”

“Don’t you dare!” he screamed at the phone which revealed how frightened he was of the situation. It made my lips curl up in glee and I sensed my lovely beast was sensing my amusement because his pinch of happiness fluttered through me like butterflies that had escaped their glass oasis.

“For someone being blackmailed, you sure ain’t playing the part, Mr. Blanchet.” I was already bored with this conversation. “I want my car, Luke.” My voice dropped to a deadpan tone, forcing the man to stay as still as a statue as he considered his options.

Well, to be fair, there really weren’t any options.

“C-Can’t we talk about this? Make a new bargain? What if I talk to one of those uh…monsters… men of you—”

“It’s so amusing how all you Boston men are the same,” I cut him right off. “You sit in bars, getting drunk and high on premium weed and cigars that my secret company supplies to every underground bar in every hidden district throughout America, shit-talking about me and how I’m some crazy bitch on a power trip who uses her imaginary boyfriend monsters to fight her battles for her while I apparently cry to my Papa Dearest, begging for his aid in my business problems.”

He held his tongue and it was a good thing he did or I would have made sure he got shot for killing my last strand of patience.

“Yet, here you are, playing with fucking death because you’re a selfish bastard who only now realizes how valuable the car you promised to deliver to my front door is because the other two were destroyed in a container on a ship to Dubai that exploded for unforeseeable reasons, making it the only one in the world and quadrupling its value to an amount you probably couldn’t fathom sitting in your negative bank account.”

The man stopped pacing, his body shaking far too much for someone trying to act like they were some badass fucker.

“I’m done wasting my time so you really only have two options. Either you hold up your end of the deal and bring my car to my roundabout so it can be parked in my very protected garage of luxury cars, or I’ll let my lovely beast shoot you dead and leave a few pills on the counter so everyone believes you overdosed. That’s probably the easiest solution seeing as many know about your addiction, including your ‘friend’, who would find your body, become depressed and suicidal himself, and meet a similar fate. Minus the gun bullet of course. Also, don’t worry. The bullet dissolves in mere minutes so by the time you’re brought in for an autopsy, it’ll look like you overdosed on fentanyl and the bullet wound will be a stab from your pipe because you were experiencing an episode of panic and desperation to get those drugs in your system. Does that sound good or should I move down to what we’d do to the rest of your family?”

He was truly speechless, which made me smile.

“Alright. I’m going to assume you need a few minutes to think about it,” I summed up. “Don’t run though. My Beast never misses his mark, so even if you end up deciding to kill yourself by jumping out the window, it won’t stop him from putting a bullet through you before you become one with the ground.”

Without waiting for a reply, I added, “Oh ya. I’m well aware that you know I’m home so it shouldn’t be difficult to deliver my new car…Scarlet. I’m going to call her Scarlet. That’s such a fierce name. I know the car is a striking red with an orange shimmer to it so that just fits nicely. As to how I know that you know I’m home, I’m aware that you sent immature goons to try to kill me. It really was a stupid move on your part. Especially when everyone around Boston always talks about me having some sort of future sight or whatever. I always explain that the only reason why I can see what my enemies are planning for me is thanks to the scorpion poison my Hot Chocolate Beast accidentally poisoned me with while we were fucking because he had this desperate urge to knot in me, but I wasn’t on the pill at the time and didn’t want to carry some royal babies yet because pregnancy has such a strain on the females in my family line, so I moved too quickly and his tail stung me by accident!”

I rambled the poor man’s ear off before I took a deep breath and let it out.

“So that made some cool poisonous connection with him that makes me be able to see what he sees which is why I know you’re about to shit those nasty brown khakis of yours because you can’t possibly believe that a woman of my caliber, beauty, and intelligence could outwit you in your own fucking game, but if I keep rambling on like this I’ll surely get a headache and that just doesn’t go well with weed cookies or getting high before an orgy so I’m going to stop talking now unless you’ve made your decision by now and I don’t need to hang up the phone and tell my sweet Beast to kill you when you’re not looking out of impatience. Oh, wait. I remembered one more thi—”

An arm hooked around me, pulling me against a chiseled chest that was as frigid as our ice rink surface. The phone slipped from my grasp and a deep accented voice made my body purr in bliss.

“Next time you waste my Jagiya’s time, I’ll personally come to that cheap hotel you call a luxurious apartment and scatter your intestines so intricately through the room they’ll have no choice but to make it into an art piece that royals would pay top dollar to visit,” he threatened before he chuckled menacingly. “I meant in your next life. Your time of existence has already run out, Luke.”

“W—Wai—”

“Kai.” All he had to do was say the shortened name of my Hot Chocolate Beast to trigger the shattered glass followed by a gasp from the man I’d been negotiating with.

The phone call ended with a thump before I spun around to be face-to-face with the culprit who’d ordered my Khari to finish the deed when I hadn’t gotten what I wanted. He hung up the phone with the tap of his thumb, his eyebrow arching purposely as he enjoyed the fury beginning to form on my face as I pouted my lips.

“If this is payback because I destroyed your Lamborghini last night by racing through an alleyway that barely fit the wide fucker and straight off a bridge and into the Charles River, I don’t carry a single ounce of regret because I got to kill ten assholes. Three of them who were specifically saying they were gonna fuck the shit out of me when they did catch and kidnap me which would have been the appetizer of my apparent torture. I won’t go through the rest or else I’ll either bore your mind with their olden day tactics or I’d piss you off to the point you’ll want to kill all of their generational lines, but that’s so much work and I’d rather we just fuck instead of you going on a killing spr—”

I knew his tolerance for my rambling wouldn’t last, which was why I smiled against his lips that pressed brutally against mine. His hand was already around my throat in hopes of keeping me completely still.

I moaned into his mouth, inviting his tongue that dove right in. The sound of my phone sliding across the counter only encouraged his now free arm to hook around me and pull me right against him.

He slapped my ass and rubbed the burning spot that was barely covered by the t-shirt I was wearing before he lifted me up and side stepped once to set me on the edge of the countertop. My legs spread wide on purpose and wrapped around his waist before he could try to pull away, leaving him no choice but to grind his hard cock against my entrance, which was pulsing in need for what I’d ensure would come if I didn’t get distracted.

Which reminded me… I didn’t get my fucking car!

“You killed…him,” I said between ruthless kisses before forcing the intense liplock to break so I could glare at the hot Korean man before me. “He never delivered Scarlet!”

He actually paused in his move to reclaim my lips to give me another eyebrow raise which was his ‘elaborate or we’re fucking’ expression.

“My car! He didn’t hold up his end of the deal! Scarlet was supposed to be my reward for risking my life to kill all those fuckers bothering Mr. I Can’t Hold Onto My End Of The Bargain, and now look! He has my fucking car! But he’s fucking dead! Not to forget I set the other two cars in that container to Dubai on fucking fire because the douche of a greedy bastard prince wouldn’t sell me one even though I said I’d pay triple the price! Said I had to become his fucking wife to get a chance at one! I ain’t fit to be the seventh wife of an Arabic Prince! Khari would have killed me before I made it out of the country. Actually, no. He wouldn’t kill me because he promised to make me an African Princess, which I’m really excited about because Africa is such a beautiful country and I’d love to explore his heritage and such, but then again, I knew Venom would have just killed the prince in his sleep and that would probably cause some sort of war and another global recession, and I don’t even want to think about what Claude would have done. Obviously not regular Claude but Psycho Claude, who’s possessive as fuck. And I don’t even want to envision what you would have done because some days you’re a silent killer that no one can figure out and other days you enjoy taunting me with all the sinister things you’ll do to my enemies to turn me on so we can fuck in front of them before you torture them for hours which is so fucking hot that it’s already making me horny and I really have to work on my rambling tangents because sometimes I feel like a bore you out of your min—”

I paused at the jingle of a set of keys that entered my line of vision.

Blinking once, then twice, I gawked in shock before my eyes locked onto those calming black orbs that began to shimmer to a beautiful amethyst shade.

“Parked right outside in wait for her new owner to take her on a ride,” he began and enjoyed taunting me with that seductive grin of his as his eyes narrowed. “And what’s this about my Lambo?”

“Nothing,” I sweetly replied. “Just blame it on the mafia. You can kill their whole empire in your spare time.”

I swear he went along with it just so we could get back to kissing the hell out of one another.

“You’re lucky I love you, Jagiya,” he said with a sigh but he kissed me.

“Since you’ve loved me since I was an innocent child, I must be extra lucky because I get to be with men that work like ghosts and let me fight my own battles until it pisses me off and I go on rambling tangents that drive you all insa—”

“If you just want to get back to fucking, we can just do that.” He got to the point which made me grin cynically back at him.

“Ya. Can we fuck please?”

He wasn’t going to deny me sexual bliss so we went right back into kissing until the sounds of heels echoed from the doorway.

“Eloise Elizabeth Genevieve, that car outside better be a gift from one of your long-distance boyfriends or a stolen artifact or else I want it parked properly in that collection box of yours for we’ll be having guest over in fifteen minutes!”

Mother waltzed right into the kitchen, her eyes landing on me as I continued to sit on the counter, my lips in a pout of pure disappointment.

One up and down glance my way had her sighing dramatically as she crossed her arms.

“Let me guess. You were going to be rammed like a rag doll in my kitchen by whatever long-distance ninjutsu magic you children do to have sex on that new FaceTime contraception selling out this Christmas at that store with the half-eaten apple?”

“Mother,” I groaned. “It’s not a half-eaten apple. I would say one-thirds if anything.”

“That’s all you care about?” Mother countered with one of those ‘are you being serious right now’ looks.

“The car outside is a gift from Baek-Hyun,” I elaborated.

“Baek…Hyun?” She looked confused. “Was that the name of the Korean Prince you say sends you cars whenever you two argue? I thought you said his name meant dark or mysterious?”

“Yun-Jung,” I began. “That’s Baek-Hyun’s other name, which is the name given to him by his mother. His father, who was once poor and got rich after his wife passed and he claimed the insurance, changed his name to Baek-Hyun because those with that name become powerful, cocky bastards who get anything they want by any means necessary,” I summed up. “Which I’m not sure is true because that online search engine with the G said it means virtuous which is nice and all but being a powerful, cocky bastard seems more diabolically approving for a man that would become a villain just for me.”

“Soooo…” Mother drawled out the word on purpose. “What am I calling him?”

“Yuu is fine,” I stated with a sweet smile.

“Alright. Yuu, your Long-Distance Powerful Cocky Korean Bastard boyfriend, correct?”

“Yes,” I approved with a clap of my hands that jiggled the car keys.

“Tell him to stop encouraging your car addiction. There are only so many cars in the world for you to be obsessed with! You need to start investing in your future instead of spending your money on the same things.”

“Cars are not the ‘same’, Mama!” I whined.

“They have wheels, take you from A to B, and come in an array of colors. They’re the same shit,” she dismissed and pointed to the oven. “And my house better not smell like the downtown alleyways of Boston, Eloise!”

“Ah…I’ll finish those on my side of the castle,” I hummed sweetly, which only made her shake her head.

“Is Claude coming here tonight?” She moved on to what I was sure was the next priority.

“Nope. I believe he’s with his dearest sister aka my best friend, Esme, who should be having family dinner like many families do during the holidays like Christmas,” I voiced and looked at her with a grin. “We should do that, you know? Unless you guys are going on another cruise to gamble our life savings away because if so, I’m staying behind. It’s hard to be on a ship for three months with strangers who think you’re psychotic because you talk to yourself, ramble until you run out of oxygen if not interrupted, and moan so loudly in your sleep that people think your having the best orgy in the world after busting into the cabin to see it’s just you and your invisible men. Which totally reminds me, I need to refill my prescriptions before everything is closed and I’m fucked for the New Year because god forbid I end up in a tricky situation where I’m fighting to survive and I totally have a full-on break—”

“We won’t be going on a cruise,” Mother interrupted knowing I’d just go on and on if she didn’t.

I guess she didn’t want me to go blue and pass out from lack of oxygen.

“We have something to discuss with you later,” Mother carried on which drew my attention to her. “We just need to confirm some things but we need to participate in hosting this party tonight.”

I understood what she was getting at.

“Meaning you need me to be out of the house in ten minutes,” I summed up. “Don’t need your crazy daughter who talks to invisible men around with elite members of your empire or whatever.”

“Eloise.” Mother’s disappointment was as clear as day. “That is not the reasoning. You know Father and I don’t look at you in such a manner. You’re aware that we know these men of yours are a part of your Den. We may not understand the details of it, but we’ll learn more about it in the New Year when all the members in your designated Den achieve their Maiden status.”

I didn’t bother answering back, knowing this would simply go back to the topic of being a psychopath to the world when in reality, you were just far more advanced than the rest of the world around you because they didn’t know the world consisted of monsters and powerful beings hidden in the shadows.

“I’ll get out of your way so you can enjoy your party,” I dismissed as I slid off the counter, but before I could reach for the oven, Mother was in front of me. With a reach to my shoulders, her hands laid lightly upon the bare surface before she squeezed gently — her eyes never leaving mine.

“I know since the incident fourteen years ago, it’s been very difficult for you,” she whispered. “If I had my way and I could unite you with these men who’ve helped you keep sane and safe from harm’s way, I would do it in a heartbeat.”

I tried to look away from her but those hands of hers gently pressed against my cheeks, giving me no choice but to keep my eyes on her as she sought for my understanding

For my cooperation.

“You’re so close to what you desire, my Eloise. All the answers you seek will be revealed. You’ll understand why this distance between you and your Den is necessary, and by then, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the Maidens in your trinity officialize their roles so you can embrace what this foolish world thinks is nothing but madness.”

She tried to smile, but I could see the hurt that flashed in her blue eyes. She hated this for me. She despised the reality her only child had to endure at the expense of the world.

Sometimes I wonder if I hadn’t been shot that fateful day, would I have not been chosen down this path? Or was it due to that fateful night when we waltzed down that secret path in hopes of awakening something sinful?

“I started the car.” The unexpected voice in my head held an eerie tranquility to it. I already knew who it was, but I enjoyed reveling in the haunting shivers that always went through my body at the sound of his delicate tone matched with his void-like personality.

“I’m going to go for a ride,” I declared and took a step back to give us some space — to give myself some space for I felt claustrophobic. It was odd how I felt like the world was closing in when I stayed too close to anyone but my monsters.

With the exception of Esme and Claude.

After taking the cookies out of the oven with my bat wing oven glove, I headed for the doorway. Mother watched me make my exit.

“Keep your phone with you, please,” she encouraged. “We need to have dinner about important topics. Remember that and try to be on time this time.”

“You’re asking the impossible,” I muttered in regard to her time comment. I sucked at being “on time”. Con me with sex and I’d still end up ten minutes late for reasons outside of my control.

“If you wish to bring Claude, you can,” she added, which reduced my hidden build-up of anxiety by twenty-five percent.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I assured her though my voice was so emotionless, I was sure she understood I’d reached my social meter of conversating.

“Drive safely, Eloise,” Mother stressed, then quietly whispered, “It’s a dangerous world out there.”

“It’s a dangerous world anywhere, Mama,” I muttered as I paused at the door to glance over my shoulder at her. “You’re simply lucky to be able to hide from its wrath. Can’t fucking do that when it’s all in your mind.”

I looked away.

“I’ll be with either Claude or Esme. Have a delightful business party.”

She couldn’t respond as I was already down the hall.

“She means well for you.”

I glanced over to see Yun-Jung was back, his eyes as calm as ever as he observed me carefully. He always kept to my walking pace, even though he had long as fuck legs thanks to his 6’7” height.

“Right,” I muttered and glanced away while purposely walking faster than normal. He obviously didn’t struggle to keep up — which was fucking annoying — but his eyes never left me, even when I was obviously ignoring him.

“She shows a bit of empathy.”

“A fragment overrun by a load of sympathy,” I countered and proceed to skip.

I knew that would make Yuu pause in following me — the act of skipping was simply repulsive to his mind.

“Guess I’ll meet you in the car,” I concluded and continued to skip until I was at the south entrance with my tray of half-baked cookies. Deciding to take the longer route to the front entrance, I walked through the garden towards the maze.

The place that triggered all of this mayhem.

Stopping at the entrance, I took a deep inhale and let it out, the memories of that fateful night sending goosebumps through me.

A single shot changed the way I worked in this cruel world. It went right through my brain, leading to internal bleeding that spread and fought to take my life because I was important to a group of royals.

Destined to be their Sinful Maiden.

Little did I know I’d survive that night — and be given the best treatment in America by some of the best specialists around the world who were flown to Massachusetts General Hospital for surgery. It was a shame they couldn’t return me to my “normal” self, but having petty parties for myself proved to do nothing but leave me with tear-stained mascara all over my cheeks and a snotty nose.

No one gives a shit about your suffering, because everyone is dealing with some sort of shit that renders them in a state of internal rage.

I accepted long ago that life wasn’t made to be fair, but fuck. It was moments like these that reminded me how much I hated being marked “psycho”.

“If you’re going to have a silent tantrum, I can take those cookies and pop them in the oven.”

Frowning at the familiar voice, I took a mere glance to my left to see Claude André François Bellerose looking as dashing as ever.

The 6’2” male was in a striking red suit, which complemented his hair but was actually not its usual striking orange. It was a light blue — an ombre mix of sky blue and arctic blue. White strands highlighted the serene shade. His eyes of purple were now a dangerous red.

His skin complexion under the moonlight reminded me of stone, the greyish shade only making his red suit and eyes and his striking blue hair stand out even further. His hands were in his pockets, but all his attention was on me as he observed me carefully.

“If you’re trying to cheer me up, it’s not going to work when you’re in murder mode,” I voiced right away so he knew I wasn’t in the mood for his grumpy ass.

He was probably not in the mood for my tantrum-sulking ass either.

“Why are you upset?” He got to the point.

“Oh, just the usual,” I tossed back. “Dealing with invisible monsters who can please me in every way but actual physical touch because they’re real to me but are but illusions to the rest of the world which makes me look like a horny teenager sitting in the corner smelling like open goods in a sex shop since my Long-Distance Powerful Cocky Korean Bastard boyfriend knows exactly how to turn me on and make me happy but he’s not physically real like you and me, apparently.”

Claude’s hardened expression softened just a bit as he let out a sigh and approached me.

“You know things are going as planned, Eli,” he reminded as he reached where I stood. Taking the tray of cookies, he glanced over his shoulder. “Can you get these baked, James?”

The butler in question appeared out of the rose bush like it wasn’t filled with thorny vines. His suit didn’t have a wrinkle in sight while his gelled-back hair was as perfect as ever.

“Certainly, Prince,” he answered and bowed his head in my direction to acknowledge my presence. “Summon me when you’re ready to depart to the Bellerose Residence. I’ve confirmed that your father is expecting you for family dinner seeing as Christmas is such a grand holiday to his family.”

“Meaning he enjoys having family drama every year,” Claude muttered. “They never invite me and yet I continue to attend.”

“Because deep down you enjoy frustrating the shit out of your half-siblings or whatever you’d like to call Lucas and Antionette seeing as you hate them.”

“Never said I hated Antionette,” he commented and winked my way. “She just plays her role far too well.”

“Role my ass,” I grumbled and shook my head. “Admit it. A bitch is a bitch just like a hoe is always a hoe.”

“Unless she meets and falls in love with a group of sinister monsters whom she gives her utmost loyalty to and leaves behind her hoe ways.

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” I concluded. “You may leave, James. Thank you for your assistance.”

“Your very welcome, Princess.”

“Just Eloise is fine,” I corrected even though I knew he’d continue reminding us of our royal titles.

He was gone in a flash, and I let out a sigh.

“I should get my own butler instead of sharing James with you.”

“Does it bother you?” he inquired. “I could let him attend to you while I reach out for Winston or Cobra’s services. There’s even Zavier.”

“I swore my mother said Zavier is so good at his job that people are afraid to hire him,” I mumbled while noticing how Claude further closed the space between us, his body a mere centimeter from mine as he continued to stare at me with great intrigue.

“It’s true which is why he’s bloody expensive to have, but if that’s whom you wish to be your butler full time, I can make it happen.”

“If you’re trying to cheer me up, it’s not working,” I concluded, but decided to give up on being so annoyed. He wasn’t the root of my dilemma.

This was simply the destiny I’m fated to walk upon.

“If it was my way, I’d make things move faster so we could return to how things were when we were but kids,” he muttered as he slowly ran his hand through my blonde curls.

The touch was so slow, every movement of his fingertips gliding highly across my scalp only making me want to melt at his affectionate touch.

I knew this was hard for this side of Claude — the sinister reflection of menacing power who’d do anything to keep me safe, happy, and well taken care of.

“I know,” I admitted as I closed my eyes. “I’m frustrated because I want more, Claude.”

Opening my eyes just slightly, I let him see the true reflection of my emotions as I thought about my current predicament.

“We’re living double lives, even though I’m exactly what the Den needs. I’m your Maiden. I’m aware of it, just like you and the rest of the Den are, and yet you’re the only real figment of my vast imagination that can touch me just like this.”

His hand paused in its movement to lightly glide through my remaining silky locks, but that surface of warmth was back for more — pressing lightly against my cheek like he needed to confirm I was real and not an illusion from his own dreams.

“See this?” I whispered and lifted my hand to lay upon his that embraced my cheek like it was the last thing he’d touch before facing death. “I want this. Not just with you, but with the others, too. To be caught in the kitchen actually kissing a man who loves me as passionately as Yun Jung does that he’d risk it all to get me any car I want no matter how impossible it is. I want to be able to be present at Kai’s side when he’s about to strike down our enemies who dare question the power we’ve worked our assess off to achieve and continue to fight for in a world full of bias. I want to argue with and glare at Venom, who loves pushing my buttons every chance he gets, and enjoy everyone scurrying away so they don’t go crossing our path as we fight like cats and dogs.”

I paused just to close the distance between us, my lips moving against his that didn’t hesitate to return my hasty movement with his own.

He groaned impatiently as he had me in his arms in seconds, the two of us kissing each other greedily knowing well we were right in the open for anyone to see our romantic moment.

Which was what I craved the most. To force the world to acknowledge the love I shared with those I knew were real in my visioned world.

“I want us to be able to kiss like foolish kids in public and stop this whole crush bullshit,” I muttered against his lips before we pressed our foreheads together. “When am I going to be able to flaunt my love to the world and stop being called a cynical bitch that fucks imaginary men because she can’t get a guy who can handle my mental instability?”

“They speak utter bullshit,” he grumbled in anger, but I was sure my description of insults I’d received was far lighter than the actual words said freely in every ballroom and event I was forced to attend on my Empire’s behalf. “I get it, Baby. I’m not trying to dismiss your concern. Your frustrations. I get it.”

I knew he did and it further pissed him off that he couldn’t do anything to make things easier for me. It was why I tried not to be so vocal with my struggles, but it was days like today that really made it hard.

When it was the holiday, where I should be spending time with those who truly love and adore me and not off on my own because I’m but a nuisance and a distraction to rich folks who only want to strike a deal with the Genevieve family and not deal with their psychotic heir.

“Then what am I doing wrong?” I whispered against his lips before I moved to rest my head on his shoulder. “What do I need to do so I stop living through this nightmare that enjoys holding me back from the monsters I should fear? That was the whole point of this, wasn’t it? For Fate to make me deal with these constant interactions with men that are but reflections of monsters that should frighten the shit out of me. I mean, certainly Fate didn’t think I’d fall in love with them and actually wish for them to be real, right?”

I knew he wouldn’t be able to answer me correctly, for how was he supposed to know what Fate had for me? Who would have thought he’d be the leader of these monsters and be able to communicate with them just like I did?

“I know what happened years ago was what helped me skip the initiation stage of being a Maiden, and I’m grateful for that, Claude, but how much more scrutiny do I need to deal with?”

I pulled back just so he could see my teary eyes, just for a few seconds before I fought to blink them away.

To tame the crippling sadness in my heart that feared all of this torment would finally make the beating organ shatter in heartbreak.

“I know Esme will be done with her initiation soon and maybe finally I’ll get the answers I seek, but I’m tired of always having to prove myself in a world that enjoys deeming me insane. A world that enjoys ridiculing us because we don’t act like all these puppets who don’t know the true world we live in. We’re so fucking advanced, Claude. We’re members of a secret society that helps run the whole fucking world! We are representations of that power…and yet… there are some days when I feel so fucking fake and stupid…I just…”

I don’t know if I want to continue playing this tune anymore.

“Look at me, Eli.”

I forced myself to glance into his eyes once more, his hands already claiming my cheeks so he could smother me with the most intense kiss we’d shared in a long while.

Just a kiss could pull me right into his orbit, the taste of lingering cigarettes matched with a touch of whisky only leaving me to wonder what had been stressing him enough to drink so early in the evening.

“I’m not going to stand here and pretend things are going to get easier because I honestly don’t know,” he confessed right away before he pulled me into a tight hug. “But I need you to remember my love is as thick as stone. Our Den is madly in love with you and would bow to your every command if it was in our power to do so.”

He pulled back just to kiss my forehead, then my nose, and finished by kissing both my cheeks which I realized were wet with tears.

“In your view, our world is but a fascinating adventure you wish to explore, but you need to understand, my sweet Eli, our world is far more sinister if you don’t play to the rules.”

I’d witnessed the consequences of disobeying the leader of this organization of power. The Mother Family was one of the ultimate rulers of our side of demonic power.

“It’s how we protect our kind from greedy individuals who are desperate to use us for their own rise in dominance. I’m sure you know just how far humans will go to destroy what I hide so flawlessly like the rest of us, but I’m standing here to remind you that those who mock you only wish to see what you see.”

“Ya right,” I huffed at that. “They would beg the Devil to take them to hell rather than walk a day in my shoes where I talk to invisible monsters they’re so desperate to get a glimpse of.”

“I have a feeling you’ll find out soon enough, my love,” he voiced and gently kissed me. “For now, can you wait a bit longer? I know patience is most definitely not your virtue, but things are dangerous during this time of year and my priority is ensuring you and Esmeralda remain safe from harm’s way.”

“Overprotective half-brother,” I complained.

“Matched with a possessive, overprotective boyfriend,” he reasoned which made me laugh.

“I’m your ‘crush.’” I emphasized the word with an eye roll just as I moved away from him. I could tell he already hated the distance between us but seeing as I wasn’t going to get what I craved – like usual — I’d be a bit stubborn and walk away. “You should get going for your dinner.”

“Where are you going?” he questioned and I smiled at the annoyance in his voice. He hated when I dismissed myself from him. At least, this side of him enjoyed being in control.

“Through the maze to get to the entrance of my family’s property to retrieve the car Yuu and Kai worked hard to get me while you were waltzing around doing monster leader shit.”

“I stopped a gang from kidnapping you earlier,” he disclosed which actually brought me to pause in my movements to glance over at him.

“Did you, now?” I tried to feign shock, but this was a normal occurrence. “That must have been delightful to do in your spare time.”

“A ‘thank you’ would be nice,” he muttered.

“I didn’t ask to be saved by my ‘crush’, Claude,” I reminded him, feeling frustrated once again with how our relationship really felt hot and cold.

One minute we were romantically in love and affectionate as ever, and the next minute we were on opposite sides of the get-along spectrum and would get mad for no fucking reason.

What made it fall into the crazy category was the fact that we both acknowledged this ongoing problem between us and yet neither of us was willing to fix it.

I’d tried plenty of times, reminded that my role was to be a beaming light of balance to the designated monsters destined to be bonded with me, but when you barely got dick in real life and only feel the imaginary sensation of pleasure from your imaginary friends, a girl gets sexually frustrated with giving the relationship ‘your all’ when they were forced to give one-third.

He didn’t follow me as I entered the maze, and I growled in annoyance because this was exactly what I was fighting about.

I was supposed to be an obedient woman preparing herself to be claimed by a set of sinful monsters — their power, money, assets, and rank guaranteeing me a life of luxury and sexual satisfaction — yet years of promises of this grand reality only shadowed by mockery by all those who were too oblivious to what hide in the shadows.

I felt like a broken record continuing to speak of what pissed me off and yet whenever I spoke the truth, I was left feeling unvalidated with a dose of frustration in all aspects.

Physically, emotionally, and sexually.

“We’re not done talking,” he finally announced. He was lucky I could still hear him as I made my way through the maze.

“Unless you come through this damn maze and confront me face to face, we’re fucking done talking,” I dismissed him which was a bold fucking move on my part as I wrinkled my nose at the sudden floral scent.

I had a strong feeling he’d have no choice but to depart because my ‘crush’ wouldn’t dare be tardy for family dinner unless arranged.

“I’m going to count to five, Eloise.”

I laughed at his stupid comment.

“Count to fifty for all I care. I’m done talking.”

My eyes caught onto the sudden absence of moonlight, my head lifting to see the shadows that already hovered above the tall rose bud walls of the massive maze.

“Dammit,” I cursed to my stubborn self. “See, this is why my ass always gets in trouble.

Then I was running like my life fucking depended on it.

“Cinq,” he began to countdown from giving, speaking in French to further emphasize the looming sensation of doom that thickly burned through the atmosphere.

“You came to stop me from having a tantrum but you can have one?” I exclaimed as I sprinted through the maze — my eyes watching the magic happening before me as vines shifted in haste and various roses with their designated scents bloomed rapidly in my defense.

I swore this land was created in favor of those who carried the blood of Genevieve because, for someone who didn’t possess strong abilities in manipulating the elements, this land sure enjoyed making me feel superior in the midst of a battle.

A battle of survival against your triggered ‘boyfriend’…I mean crush. Ya. Fucking crush who can’t have his pride temporarily shattered by his woman.

“Quatre.”

“You’re supposed to comfort me!” I reminded him as I leaped over a set of vines that bundled together to begin creating a trap that could potentially catch a wild monster in a fit of rage.

“Trois.”

“For a Dusk Ram Gargoyle, you act like a fucking bull!”

His deep chuckle simply seeped all around me as the sound amplified in this shadowed space that was becoming more condensed —pulling me into his turf of power.

I’m so fucking screwed. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

“Deux.”

“I’ll tell Esme you abused me outside of bed!” I shouted only seconds before I shrieked and flew through the air — a thick thread wrapping around me until I hung upside down and in my predator’s grasp. “Dammit! See? Abuse! Fucking abuse!”

“It’s technically not abuse if you’re not physically able to feel it.”

I hissed in defiance as my head darted to the culprit of the annoyingly soothing voice that held a hint of hissing to its vibration.

“Venom!” I couldn’t see the fucker who always seemed to show up when Claude lost his control and went into his ‘you’re my bitch so bow down’ mode. “Fucking help me!”

“You’re not even in danger,” Venom casually stated, and I could simply imagine him sitting cross-legged with an arm perched on the armrest so he could rest his chin in the palm of his hand out of pure boredom.”

“Outside the shadows, you’re simply enjoying a nap on the garden bench.”

“Y’all drugged me!”

“More like you inhaled some of my flowers I use to reel in prey when I’m bored, but if that leaves you being punished by Claude for being all rebellious and such, then so be it.”

“You just want to see me naked! You don’t fucking care if he leaves me with slap marks everywhere!”

“If he’s slapping you with a tail or tentacle, does it matter?” Venom pondered to himself, clearly not giving a hoot if I was hit with a damn whip. His favorite color was red. Of course, he’d enjoy the sight of my blistering red flesh after a round of tentacle spanking.

No. Tentacle spanking would be but a blessing versus a Gargoyle tail that could probably break my bones in one hit.

“Un.”

I’d completely forgotten Claude was counting down, and the reminder that I was about to be punished in one second made me wiggle desperately to get out of the dream world he’d purposely brought me into.

“Nope! I can get out of this!” I hissed and fought to concentrate, knowing damn well that I could pull myself out of these captive dream worlds with enough mental focus.

I grit my teeth as I fought to focus — ignoring the growing anticipation as the menacing howl-like sound Claude made only confirmed I was about to be fucked brutally if I didn’t tap out of this.

“Dammit, Venom! Help me!”

“And if I do?” he pondered and I swore his lazy eyes were now admiring his nails that were probably decorated with some shade of red or better yet, rhinestones.

Think. Think. Think!

“I’ll go outdoor swimming with you!” That was the only thing I could currently think of.

“In a thick forest,” he offered.

“Sure!”

“Where I get to slime you up,” he tossed back.

“Fine!”

“And fuck you with tentacles.”

“Okay!”

“All eight of them.”

“VENOM!”

He chuckled in pure amusement, the sound right next to my ear and sending shivers down my spine before I gasped and arched my back at the suddenly slimy feel between my legs.

“Then you better cum fast, Eloise, or nothing you can do will stop you from enduing hours of Claude’s wrath.”

He didn’t give me a second to complain as something swiftly wrapped around my neck tightly, while his lips smothered my attempt to argue.

The constriction only made my struggle become less effective, but it wasn’t low enough to stop me from kicking my legs.

Maybe that was a curse for my movements were only encouraging the swift movement of the thick, wet surface rubbing my wetness wildly.

I squirmed and grasped while I felt the approaching presence of Claude as vines snapped and bushes shivered loudly in warning.

Those lips released me just to grant me a gasp of air — their rough possessiveness replaced by another slimy end that was slightly thicker at the end.

It only took me a second to realize what had happened and what now currently explored my throat while using the other end of its lengthy body to stimulate my pussy.

Viper.

I tried to speak but it only encouraged that slithering creature to proceed to go down my throat, which surely would have been impossible in the real world.

“If I fuck you deep enough, will I be able to meet the other side of my tail in your stomach?” he pondered more to himself but there would be no time to find out because Venom, who was in one of his monster forms, began to fuck my throat mercilessly while he plunged his thick body into my pussy, which stretched my quivering walls to blissful lengths.

My moan echoed in my head, and I knew well that my Den would feel the immense pleasure I was experiencing in this dream space.

It would call to their monster counterparts, the scent of my arousal mixed with the cum that would milk Venom’s body greedily would invite them like an attracting spell — reminding them of the power I had over them based on my sexual pleasure.

The stone-like vine that further tightened my body invited the pain of being constricted in one’s grasp, and yet the pounding pleasure of being fucked at opposite ends of my body was only further pushing me closer to the edge.

I didn’t expect my climax to approach so rapidly, the rise of pleasure coursing through me at a spiked rate was almost overwhelming as I braced for the explosive finale.

“Let me feel that pussy squeeze me into oblivion, Pearle,” he declared as he purposely called me Pearl in German. “Cum, Eloise.”

He didn’t need to encourage me for my body was already racing off the edge, convulsing just as Venom gave me one final piece of advice.

“Run or hide for I won’t be able to stop Claude from punishing you.”

My eyes snapped open as I gasped for breath, my panting breaths only encouraging me to sit up, but before I could dare gather my bearings to get off this stone bench, an arm hooked around my waist and pulled me right back onto the lap I was fighting to be free from.

“Fuck!” I cursed and froze as my throbbing pussy that had just squirted effortlessly around Venom’s snake body was now drenched in juices and desperate to be filled just as fully as the monstrous viper’s body. “Claude André Francois Bellerose! If you dare fuck me without my permission, I’ll break up with you.”

“As if you’ll deny me of what is mine,” he grumbled into my flesh, sending chills down my spine before I flinched at the nibbling bite he delivered to the side of my neck.

“I-I mean it,” I stuttered and moaned when he sucked my flesh, my body scorching hot as tingles of pleasure ran down my flesh. It was igniting goosebumps while I couldn’t help but wiggle against his lap, which was only further stimulating his obvious boner that was pressed against the lining of my laced panties.

“Stop wiggling,” he hissed and grunted when his hips jerked forward.

He was struggling to control himself, which proved he was aware this was the “surface” world where my rights actually did matter versus the monstrous realms of dreams and shadows where a Maiden was but a tool to empower with sexual gratification and pleasurable punishments.

“It’s your fucking fault,” I breathed heavily but struggled to stop rubbing myself against his bulge. I was so fucking horny now. The resolve to win this dispute a priority but my body needed to finish what we unconsciously craved in that dark oasis of sexual friction.

“Always my fucking fault,” he cursed and groaned “Yet your damn pussy has to go taunt me with that delicious aroma of yours. You just like intoxicating this side of me on purpose, don’t you?”

“If…you weren’t fucking thrusting into me like your cock is giving me a pounding…I wouldn’t be so fucking wet.”

“If you’re already dripping without my cock rubbing against your swollen folds, Eli, that proves that I’m not the problem.”

“You’re the fucking solution,” I hissed in defeat and arched my back as I felt the need to move faster. “So stop being an ass and get that cock in me.”

“You said I need your permission to fuck you, Eloise,” he reminded me because my aroused mind fucking forgot. “You going back on your word now?”

“Ugh!” I hated losing. “Yes! I take it back.”

“Take what back, Baby?” He dared to turn this into a game, punishing me for being a rebellious bitch to the leader of the Den.

He purposely dug his hand into my panties, his fingers beginning to taunt my pussy and pinch the bud of my clit.

“Shit!” I cursed and trembled in his lap, struggling not to completely buckle forward so he’d plunge his fingers in my aching pussy. He was purposely using my panties to his advantage, the single barrier that was simply soaking up all my juices until it felt like a thin condom that would tear at a hint of resistance.

“I can’t hear you, Eloise.”

“I take back what I said, dammit,” I snarled and moaned when used his knuckles to taunt my pussy, the firm press making me tremble in anticipation as I fought not to completely lose my damn mind for the sake of cock.

“What did my Maiden say?” He played right along, knowing I’d have no choice but to play to his tune. I was positive he was growing harder by the second, enjoying how hard I fought to not lose against him.

A fight he’d already won.

“That if you fuck me without my permission, I’ll break up with you!” I finally stated.

“So are you giving me permission to fuck you senseless, Eloise Elizabeth Genevieve, or should I stop right here and now, seeing as you’re going to break up with me?”

“I-I’m not breaking up with you,” I stuttered and hissed, “I give you permission to fuck me senseless, dammit!”

“Give who permission?” he pondered mockingly.

“You!”

“Me? Who am I?”

“I give you permission to fuck me, Claude André Franc—AH!” I was off his lap and on all fours before his cock came slamming into me.

I gasped at how quickly he’d moved — the fullness of his cock leaving me screaming in relief.

“To think you dared try to deny me of this fucking pussy,” he snarled before he was hovering over me — my body pressed into the earth below as he began to ram into me with swift grunts. “Do I need to brand your fucking pussy before you’re reminded that you’re ours, Eloise?”

I could only imagine the agony a burning brand from a monster could be on a place as sensitive as one’s pussy, but the mere mention had me fluttering around his rapidly moving cock, which left him chuckling in satisfaction.

“What a hungry Maiden you are. I haven’t been doing well in feeding that imaginative mind of yours.” His voice was so deep that I almost didn’t recognize it.

If it wasn’t for his body that seemed to fit me so perfectly as he continued fucking me with pounding force, I would have thought I was being fucked by a stranger.

As if any of my monsters would dare let me be touched by another outside of their nest of psychos.

“Clau…de. Someone could see,” I reminded him rather loudly. My moans were just as loud if not louder which would give us completely away if some of the guards came through the maze and reached the entrance into the garden where I was being sexed up by my crush of a boyfriend.

“Isn’t that what you want, Eli?” he questioned as if we hadn’t been arguing about public affection minutes earlier.

He pulled out unexpectedly, but before I could protest, I was flipped onto my back as though I weighed absolutely nothing before Claude’s thick, veiny cock slammed home into me once more.

My exclaimed moan only encouraged him to move faster as he pinned my arms down by the wrist, hovering over me once more.

“If it was my way I’d tie you to this fucking bench, widespread with all my fucking cum covering your immaculate flesh,” he grunted against my lips before kissing me ruthlessly. “All covered in our cum, your hair clinging to your sweaty face while a thick tentacle is fucking your pussy into another quivering orgasm. Let them see how our Maiden is able to survive our brutal wrath and flaunt such a divine body. If only you had a few damn seconds in my mind, Eloise, baby. You’d see how fucking precious you are to me and how fucking hard it is to not want to say ‘screw you’ to the rules and ensure the world knows that Eloise Elizabeth Genevieve is our fucking woman and everyone will perish in undesirable ways if they dare try to take what’s ours!”

“Claude…Claude…fuck…slow…down.” I was approaching my climax far too quickly and his words were only escalating my body’s need for release.

“I swear if they test my patience one more time, I’ll claim you before their very eyes. Make them see just how powerful you are with that blessed mind you undervalue for its brilliance,” he praised before he grunted and moaned while his speed picked up even further.

“Claude. Claude!” I tried to fight against the coiling pressure building in my core, but I knew I was a few thrusts away from release and so was Claude.

“My fucking Maiden, Eloise,” he said with every thrust as he fought for breath. “Let your body submit to me, Mon trésor.”

My treasure…

“Claude! Claude…I’m going…going, going, going!”

I wasn’t going to finish as he sank as deeply into me with one final thrust and grunted, “Cum, Eloise!”

“AH!” My body came there and then; the rush of pleasure whiplashed me into oblivion as my body convulsed beneath Claude’s rigid body.

He moaned as his head fell back, his shots of cum filling me up before he further pushed himself as if to ensure every last drop filled me up.

I couldn’t try to argue with him, knowing he wasn’t in monster form where he’d feel the immense urge to knot in me.

He waited until every shot filled me up before pulling his length out, leaving me to remain splattered against the grassy surface with my legs spread wide and my pussy oozing cum.

“This is why we need to not argue as often,” he breathed knowing well I wouldn’t have the mindset to nag him. “Fuck. I should stay over tonight.”

“Dinner,” I managed to croak as I felt the threads of exhaustion beginning to take their toll on my body. “Fuck. I need a power nap.”

“This is what happens when I starve you,” he muttered more to himself before he scooped me in his grasp like I wasn’t a useless noodle of weight. “I’ll drive you to my place and we can do something after.”

“If I’m even rejuvenated,” I mumbled, but I further relaxed in his hold. Sex always left me feeling like a lifeless doll but on cloud nine matched with the sensation of being drunk and high at the same time.”

“If that something means sex just leave me in the car,” I mumbled, but I already knew Claude would never do such a thing.

“You’re far too precious to leave in such an inexpensive car,” he mumbled and managed to scoop me off the ground. I could only imagine him with his boxers and pants at his ankles while holding me in his grasp.

I felt like he honestly didn’t care if he walked butt naked on my family’s property.

He’d done it a few times before.

“Its value went up a few million.”

“Nothing is as valuable as you, Eloise,” he whispered as if to ensure only I heard the truth he hid from so many. He did it to obviously protect me from the true monsters hidden in the dark, but it was moments like these that made me want to show the world the truth.

To show them how thankful I was to be physically in love with a man who truly treasured me and didn’t reject me for being a labeled psycho to the rest of the world.

“A little longer,” he whispered as if to convince himself of the future we were both hoping for. “Everything is moving and it’s our time to shine. Our patience will be rewarded with alliances and I’m positive with the Devils and Anacondas at our sides, even a group of psychos can prosper in a world made to shatter us to pieces.”

My body began to sway, the chill of the atmosphere compared to the slightly humid space of sweat and sex confirming Claude was using the shadows to cloak his movement so he could reach my car undetected.

The swaying movement only encouraged me to doze off, until I felt the chilled surface that rested against my exhausted body. As much as I wanted to stay awake, my mind was drifting again, enough that I wasn’t sure if the voice speaking was real or a figment of my wishful dreams.

“The Masquerade of Sin has been announced,” the voice sounded like Yuu’s announced with a heaviness of triumph. “The clock is finally about to begin its countdown.”

“She’s been patient long enough,” Claude quietly declared, and I felt smooth lips claim mine, which were slightly parted. “We’ll finally be able to claim what’s ours.”

“And prove to those royals we’re not imaginary fiends,” Yuu declared.

“Get her to my place,” Claude whispered. “I have a family dinner to attend.”

“Have fun playing your part,” Yuu encouraged. “Set everything in motion so we can rise and claim our Sinful Maiden.”

I was left to slip away into the arms of slumber.

CHAPTER 2

The Ultimate Price Of Secrecy

CLAUDE FRANÇOIS

“If life gives your sister lemons, riddle them with bullets for a princess deserves nothing but diamonds. Not warm lemonade.”

— Claude François

“S hall I inform them of your arrival?” James inquired, which made me smirk.

“I’m sure Jeanne already senses my arrival,” I voiced the obvious as I ensured my suit was wrinkle-free. Running my hands once through my hair, I cracked my neck and let James pull out a fine-tooth comb to glide through my orange strands once more.

It was taking me everything I had to not influence the bright orange strands to go blue, but it would only take me a moment to get back into true character.

Claude André François Bellerose. The overprotective half-brother who adores his dear half-sister, Esmeralda, and tolerates everyone else for the hell of it.

“That is accurate,” James disclosed. “Should I keep an eye on Eloise’s estate?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if she came by later,” I admitted while remembering our last confrontation which led to our frisky argument in the maze. The memory made my cock twitch, though it wouldn’t help me get into character if I kept fantasizing about my beautiful “crush”. “I’d appreciate you checking in to ensure she’s safe. I won’t be able to check in with the others until after family dinner is over. It would be harder to get back into my role.”

“Understood, Prince Claude,” he replied, and it made me grunt.

“I’ll never get used to you referring to me as some royal fucker about to claim the throne of his father’s empire.”

I didn’t need to side glance to know the butler was smiling foolishly back at me.

“Enjoy your dinner, Claude,” James encouraged. “I’ll ensure Eloise is safe.”

“Much appreciated,” I declared before catching onto what was being said within the dining room walls.

“Please, Father,” I heard Esme begin with a sentimental voice. “Do you have any suggestions as to how we, as a family, are going to get out of this predicament?”

The hint of mockery perfectly laced in her intonation really made me grin from ear to ear. Even if my sweet sister had forgotten the true roots of her origin, she’d maintained many traits that made me love her to bits.

With a slight bob of my head, the guard at the door swiftly knocked, cueing the preparation of my grand entrance.

“Do not tell me you invited—” There went Elena Bellrose, the “loving” mother of the Bellrose family and “not-so-beloved” wife to Father.

It was funny how she envied my King François and my dear mother, Chloe Françoise, to the point that she wanted to have more children to rub in Chloe’s face.

Who would have thought Mother would then have triples: Blaise, Albert, and Théodore.

“Shall I allow Prince Claude to join the conversation, sir?” Jeanne inquired, and I was sure she was bowing as she waited for his permission.

“Let him in,” Father encouraged. “I told him we had a family matter to discuss.”

“He’s not family!” Antionette barked. I’d forgotten her annoying voice. I always thought I played my role in this world well, but Antoinette André Bellerose could win a fucking Oscar for her dramatics.

I forced myself to remain still at the sound of a shot splintering through wood. It was followed by Antionette’s shriek as I imagined her crashing to the ground. My assumption was rewarded with reality as the doors to the dining room opened to reveal myself to the rest of the family.

The tension in the room could suffocate someone, which made perfect sense when your father had no choice but to deliver the bad news that the family owns 75 million dollars. Money at that amount was extremely hard to obtain these days, especially with how competitive our world of monsters and royalty was becoming.

Everyone wanted a piece of the pie, just because they were related to a royal. Heck, some wanted a piece and they only knew a royal but had no other relations. To simply put it, our world was becoming filled with greedy bastards who wished to steal the chairs of power we’d been born to obtain.

That was why I had to uphold my role to secure the financial freedom, power boost, and maintenance of my royal heritage for my Den and alliances that were so close to becoming solidified.

“Brother! What a pleasant surprise!” Esme squealed at my arrival before she lowered her tea cup onto the matching saucer. It had been awhile since I’d seen Esme, and those brilliant emerald eyes captivated me with their twinkling beauty.

If I wasn’t madly in love with Eloise, I’d commit a sin and fall madly in love with my sister. Was incest approved of in our monster world? Yes, but my sister’s heart had been claimed by her monsters long ago.

Which was exactly why we agreed to play our roles to perfection, even if it slowed our uprising.

She rose up from her chair to greet me, which was exactly why I walked right to her — my arms wrapping around her before she was in my grasp and being swung with ease.

“Well, well, sweet Princess Esméralda,” I began in glee. “Have you gotten taller?” I enjoyed always teasing her about her height, knowing damn well my 5’4” sister was not going to reach my 6’2” height anytime soon.

She was the same height as Eloise, which was something the two best friends seemed to enjoy because they could complain together about how being short sucked when trying to retrieve anything from the top shelf.

“I haven’t,” she huffed into my shoulder as she tightly hugged me back. “However, my bust grew three inches.”

“What?” I dramatically gasped and pulled back just to confirm with my eyes if what she was stating was accurate. “That’s bullshit!”

“Yet you fell for it,” she declared with a taunting grin. “You’d be dead if I wasn’t so merciful.”

“Oh please,” I reasoned with a laugh. “I’m on your naughty list. If I ever made it to the good list, I’d have to make a will early so you didn’t kill me and take all my assets.”

“Valid point,” she agreed. “Besides, you’re not the good boy type anyways.”

“Now that’s just rude,” I huffed but reached out to gently pat her head. “I’ve missed you. Sorry for the long absence. I had business in Italy and had to make a pit stop in Dubai for some royal conferences. My father wouldn’t let me ditch and I didn’t want to be drugged, kidnapped, or shot at, so I went along with it.”

That was partially true seeing as I did have to pass by Italy to take down the Cartier there who thought it would be funny to deny my Eloise access to the recent Versace Runway. My Queen loved the brand far too much, which was why the letter informing her she hadn’t been invited to this year’s show had triggered me to the point that I had to take matters into my own hands.

Thankfully, I hadn’t allowed her to read the letter. A few bullets here, a few dead people there, and viola. There was a new management team for the Versace PR department and my Queen had her invite for the New Year Show locked in.

“Safest bet,” she praised with a smirk. “Someone would learn a thing or two if they knew how to obey instead of throwing tantrums like a pitiful child.”

“Oh?” I was always intrigued when Esme was being a petty little sister. It was like pettiness ran in her damn blood — which it probably did because she got it from her beloved mother. “Aww, did Bitchelot piss off Papa over dinner? What a shame,” I said dramatically as I looked in Antionette’s way. “She’ll be missed.”

A second later…

“Anyways! What has summoned me over to the family house on a Friday night? I have swordplay practice at the strike of dawn tomorrow so that gives me seven hours to party hard, get wasted, and be formally fit by five AM. I don’t want to be scolded by James. For a butler, he’s on the scarier side when I’m not out of bed in a timely manner,” I moved right along as if Antionette’s ceasing to exist was not a matter of sympathy.

“I love how you’re more afraid of James than your own father,” Esme groaned and shook her head. “And you forgot to greet Father.”

“I did not.” I chuckled and gave her one more pat on the head before glancing at Father, who still had a gun in his grasp. “We spoke before he headed to dinner. I’ve been here for an hour, but I opted out of dinner since Bitchelot hates my guts, but since she’s dead…”

“I’m not fucking dead!” There was Antionette’s moment for revival — her body scrambling from the floor before she stood there with her fist clenched. Her deadly glare was priceless as she stared at me with those venomous green eyes of furry.

Cute.

I had to do the opposite then show my amusement; my lips morphed into the perfect pout which probably made me look just like Father did whenever he didn’t get his share of dessert at the end of dinner.

“What a shame,” I said with great sadness.

“You said that before!” she snapped back at me.

“Right,” I admitted before crossing my arms over my chest. “But I actually mean it this time.”

Despite the truth behind the curtain of our roleplay, pushing Antionette’s buttons always made me joyous on the inside.

“You bastar—”

“Enough.” There went Father with a single word that had us all returning to our seats and shut us up rather promptly. I ensured Esme was in her seat and tucked in before I took the empty chair next to her.

“Nice to be seated at the dining table,” I announced. “When was the last time I sat here? Two years ago? Three?”

“Two years ago, at Christmas,” Lucas muttered, and his displeasure was grand. We’d hated each other for so many reasons, and yet he still managed to remain alive. If it wasn’t for the three morals I upheld on both sides of my chaotic self, I would have ensured his head was served on a grand platter surrounded by various pig heads so he could blend perfectly into where he truly belonged.

A platter of cooked pig head. A fine display of affection when served to the woman deserving of that man’s head.

“You weren’t invited, remember?”

I had to bring myself back to reality and jump back into my role by not giving a fuck about what Lucas had to say to me.

“Ah! That’s right. Well, certainly I could not miss out on family dinner, especially with our dear little sister celebrating her eighteenth birthday,” I proudly declared, catching onto the way Esme smirked while giving me a side-eye.

“My birthday is in February,” she reminded me as if I’d truly forgotten. Her birthday was on the day of romantic expression — which could be celebrated any day of the year but in typical human fashion, there had to be a holiday surrounding the idea of love.

“How could I possibly forget?” I dramatically stated and picked her hand up to press it against my cheek. “Yes. If my memory doesn’t fail me, your birthday is on the day of love!”

“Which makes it every day,” she concluded, which once again confirmed we were most definitely siblings.

“Exactly, but since you hate how affectionate everyone gets on Valentine’s Day, and with it being a public holiday, you wished to celebrate your birthday on a different holiday. You choose Christmas with the exception of New Year’s on the leap year because it’s apparently good luck,” I acknowledged.

“You know I said that when I was ten, right?” she noted.

“Indeed,” I replied as I stared at her with the biggest smile. “I’ve never forgotten.”

“This feels like one of those soap opera skits,” she cringed in horror.

“Anything to make this family a bit more entertaining,” I reasoned and let go of her hand. “Without the theatrics, my sweet little sister would be bored out of her mind in my absence. I have to bring a bit of spice to the table or else I’m certain you’d die with no other form of entertainment.”

“How considerate,” she concluded, her eyes briefly looking around the dining table. Of course, Elena, Lucas, and Antionette aimed glares of hatred our way, but Father looked completely unbothered by our bickering.

Jeanne placed a glass of scotch before me.

“Thank you, Jeanne!” I beamed at the sight because this scotch was so fucking hard to get in Boston. I felt like Father went to great lengths to have some available for me whenever I passed by, which was beyond appreciated.

Especially when he knew how triggered I was in Lucas’s presence.

I purposely took a few sniffs of the alcoholic beverage, ensuring the drink was pure even though I knew Jeanne would never wish to poison me.

Lucas, on the other hand, would beg for the opportunity.

“Ah. Not a thread of poison. Have I suddenly become an important member of the family, Jeanne?”

“Sadly, no.” Jeanne’s honesty could break a man’s heart. “Your half-siblings have bigger problems than trying to kill you, Prince Claude.”

“Ah.” I forced myself to sound relieved, knowing damn well that my “siblings” were most definitely in trouble with what Father had informed me earlier. My lips lifted further, encouraging the wide smile that graced on my lips.

“Then something big must be happening for such a predicament to grace me before the holiday season.” After a chug of my drink, I lowered the glass back onto the dining table and crossed my right leg over my left.

Leaning further into my chair, I decided it was time to let my other side come out to play. Being too sane in tense times only annoyed the shit out of me.

There’s certainly no fun in that.

Opening my eyes that had closed during my quick switch, I now looked directly into Father’s direction, the tension in the air chilling further with my obvious arrival.

“Unless this has to do with Esme, I want no part of it.” I got to the truth of the matter because it was exactly that. If my dear Esme wasn’t the center of my attention in this family, I wouldn’t have even come here.

I was sure my blank expression made me look like I was ready to kill anyone who wasted my time or put those I love in danger. I had very little that I adored enough to go mentally insane in an act of vengeance.

Eloise, Mother, Father, Esmeralda, King François, and my three brothers to name a few.

“Well, this matter does involve Esméralda since it’s a family issue,” Father declared, replying in the same bitter tone as I did.

“Then continue,” I encouraged sweetly. I wanted to enjoy reliving the revelation of their circumstance and see the flicker of fear flaunt itself in Lucas’s and Elena’s eyes.

“We officially owe 75 million dollars and must have it cleared by the end of the year, which is in nine days, or else we’ll lose everything attached to the Bellerose name.”

I couldn’t help but arch an eyebrow because, in any other circumstance that didn’t revolve around the trials we Dens had to embark on, something like this would have never been allowed to happen. No matter how much money half of this delusional family enjoyed spending on useless crap.

I couldn’t help but glance over to Esme and noticed her calm expression which told me she was clearly secure in this situation.

My sister played the game of survival better than one would expect.

“No disrespect, but I still don’t see how this involves Esme. Out of all your children, she’s the smartest. Certainly, she wouldn’t have been stupid enough to put all her eggs in one basket thinking Papa Dearest would bail her out if she needed financial aid in a circumstance like this,” I pointed out the real facts.

“You’re not wrong,” Father casually assured me. “However, for the sake of our family name, she has to be involved in this discussion. That’s also the reason why I invited you to be present.”

“Ah.” I further relaxed in my chair, knowing I wouldn’t be wasting valuable energy on those obviously impacted by this. “Then feel free to discuss and pretend I’m invisible like the majority of individuals in this room enjoy doing. I have no assets in my Bellerose name that would be affected by such a dilemma, but I’ll remain present for my dearest youngest sister.”

“You have an obsession,” Antionette scolded as she kicked her broken chair to the side and proceeded to grab another so she could sit down once again. “If you adore our sister so much, go ahead and date her, scumbag.”

That was funny enough to make me lose it in laughter, triggering my psycho side to retreat and my calmer half to return. Switching between both sides was easier these days, and it wasn’t as noticeable unless I allowed it to be.

“If you’re now trying to attempt to gather some sort of gossip to try to taint my innocent sister’s name, you’re out of luck, Bitchelot. We already know you’re jealous that Esme is the favorite child of the estate.”

“She is not!” Antionette snapped and looked over to Lucas as if she sought his support. He rolled his eyes but added, “She isn’t the favorite.”

“That’s not what I hear,” I hummed in delight and slowly gestured to Esme from head to toe. “Look at her. Perfect height for any prince or king to court, absolutely stunning in the beauty department, her skin is flawless, like Snow White from the fairy tales, and her mesmerizing orange hair is so magnificently healthy that people from afar can catch a glimpse of it and immediately bow before she reaches where they stand in waiting. If it was my way, my sweet little sister would be a princess. Not just because her looks fit the part, but because she’s smart, respected, and the most obedient member of the family.”

I had to smile in pride before leaning my head to one side while my eyes narrowed on Lucas.

“Compared to the rumors of the eldest son being an example of mockery, with his cocky attitude, mistreatment of the maids and butlers of the estate, and his lack of intelligence.”

“You fucking—” Lucas began but I decided to interrupt him with an important question, “Didn’t you fail the recent business exam? That’s what? Your third time?”

I noticed how Esme glanced over to Elena, knowing well that failure wasn’t approved of in this household. Failing only invited words of mockery and gossip, and anything along those lines meant embarrassment.

That’s a no-no in Elena’s books because one’s reputation can cost them everything.

“What?” Elena’s voice could actually induce chill if I gave a damn about what she could do.

“Deal with it later,” Father dismissed which only made me smile happily before moving to my next target: Antionette.

“Should we dive into the fact that you’re the biggest slut in this city or should I bring up that embarrassing incident that Marco is spreading all through town—that you peed in his bed?”

That was a fact we agreed to share if it became necessary for theatrics, but I guessed she really had forgotten about our original agreement because her face was getting redder by the second, to the point that Esme couldn’t help but lean over to whisper in my ear.

“Sometimes I forget how savage you are.”

“Was that too much?” I dared to ask while feigning innocence.

“If Father wasn’t here, then no, but since he’s present, I actually have a hint of sympathy in my heart to feel bad,” Esme confessed.

Bless her heart.

“Ah,” I began and nodded my head in understanding. “Which means I shouldn’t give a crap since last time I checked, I was the bastard in the family according to Antionette.”

“Affirmative,” Esme agreed.

Poor Antionette was shaking like we’d just triggered a seizure, only it was one of undeniable rage. Clearly, her fear of Father’s wrath outweighed the possibility of fighting us back which was probably the way she kept that pretty mouth shut for once.

“I have no other comments,” I concluded before looking over to Father. “What’s the solution then?”

All eyes were at the head of the table as we observed Father, who finally put his gun away.

“The Masquerade of Sin is approaching.”

“Masquerade of Sin,” Esme whispered. Her tone of voice gave off the impression she’d heard of the title before but didn’t know exactly the roots of the fateful event.

Elena, on the other hand, knew exactly what it was, which had to be why she slammed her hands against the table. None of them flinched which would look rather abnormal in a normal family dynamic, but sudden loud noises only made me more apprehensive of my surroundings.

“Absolutely not!” she screamed.

I didn’t know if it was the shrill of fear in her voice or witnessing the frustration that flooded her eyes that made me burst into manic laughter.

“This is marvelous!” I beamed and immediately looked at Antionette. “Do you know how to dance, sis?”

“Shut the fuck up!” she snapped and threw a glass my way. Her aim was atrocious, so I didn’t bother moving, knowing the item wouldn’t even hit me, but Jeanne stepped in to play her role as a butler — her hand catching the glass like it was a baseball thrown by a child.

Despite her interference, it didn’t stop me from continuing to laugh my head off.

I really am insane.

“This is Versace, Miss Antionette. Please do not destroy such valuables, even if they’re under threat of being repossessed,” Jeanne recommended, which was even more hilarious.

“What’s the Masquerade of Sin?” Esme decided to ask.

“It’s a masquerade that one can only attend via invitation. Men are invited first in two categories: Bidder or Observer. Bidders can participate in the dances, during which they have the option to claim a woman to their liking, while Observers bid on which woman will last the longest on the dance floor during a designated period. Mind you, they normally never participate. Whichever woman gets the most bets and survives gets to choose which Bidder she would like to be with and wins the designated amount of money offered as well as any bids placed on her,” Lucas decided to answer which was a bit surprising to me.

“So it’s a competition?” Esme concluded with a glint of pure fascination in her eyes. “Where does this happen?”

“If you wish to call it a competition, you can,” Lucas began. “As for where it commences, it’s in the shadowed depths of the Forbidden Forest.”

“The Forbidden Forest,” Esme whispered with a heaviness that reminded me that the Forbidden Forest was but a plague place to many of us. “Isn’t that the forest we’re all told as children not to enter, for you won’t come back?”

“That’s the place,” Lucas bitterly noted.

“So what’s so bad about it?” Esme asked. “None of us are children anymore. If it’s simply a masquerade that involves dancing with various Suitors and entertaining Observers, what’s the big deal? You dance, win some money, and get claimed by a man, which I’m going to assume means marriage or courtship, correct?”

“Courtship,” Lucas dryly noted.

“Then?” Esme pressed for answers.

“Everything is wrong with it!” Elena snapped and looked at Esme. “Esméralda. Enough questions.”

“Why?” she combatted. “Knowledge is power. Why, when I’m requesting for such, am I being bogged down without reasoning?”

Deciding this was a good spot to interfere, I reached out to slide my arm along my younger sister’s shoulders.

“Your mother is frustrated because the invitation is always given to the first daughter of the family. In this case, Antionette.”

I side glanced to witness the frown that began to form on Esme’s lips as her eyes darted between Elena and Antionette, and finally stopped on Father.

“So we’re fucked.”

I fucking lost it.

“Essentially,” Lucas confessed with a sigh while clearly observing me as I laughed manically and slapped my knee for added emphasis.

“Excuse me?! I know how to dance,” Antionette snapped.

“Yet, till this day, no one wishes to be your partner on the dance floor. It’s been that way since I was fifteen. The kids at school used to say you had penguin feet and could only waddle on the dance floor rather than actually step in a proper sequence” Esme stated, reminding me of the event from my youthful years like it happened yesterday.

“I’ve forgotten how you enjoy talking a lot,” Antionette snarled.

“I speak fact,” Esme calmly voiced. “If it was my choice, this conversation would be over, but with this new information, I’m hoping Father has a plan B.”

“There’s no other plan,” Father got to the point as he pulled back his seat, which drew our attention to him. “Seeing as Lucas explained the premise of the event, I’ve confirmed that Antionette will need to be invited to the masquerade.”

“You can’t seriously believe that I’m going to entertain a bunch of lousy men to clear our family’s debt?” Antionette shouted. “This ball of sorts is a known legend. There are fairy tales you would tell us in warning so we wouldn’t go to the dumb Forbidden Forest. Now, you wish for me to believe that I’ll be invited and forced to venture off into a dangerous forest until I reach an estate that harbors spectators and gamblers who will offer me money? All of this is prosperous!”

She slammed her hands against the table and looked over at Elena.

“Mother! Tell Father to stop speaking nonsense!”

Elena’s silence only made the tension spike further in the room as her eyes began to water.

“The legend revolving around the Forbidden Forest and the Sinful Manor in its shadowed depths is true, Antionette,” Elena quietly revealed. “Like any city filled with shadowed organizations, there are other institutions that are created to aid those who fall into the addictive clutches of debt. They aren’t traditional debt collectors, my daughter. They are men of royal status. Of forbidden artifacts, and what some would say witchcraft, they use for themselves to acquire entertainment in the form of masquerades and other events. These aren’t simple acts of fun. These are traditions and have been rooted in the dark realms of Boston as well as other states across America.”

“T-They don’t have such in Paris!” Antionette argued, her eyes extremely wide in disbelief. Her shock was rather obvious and I didn’t blame her for playing her part to actually be believable.

“And surely your twenty-five years of youth, five of which were spent in Paris, can confirm such?” Father spoke up and rose from his seat. “There are many things that go bump in the dark, Antionette. Some that we all know and avoid out of sheer fear, and other far more sinister traditions that even a madman like myself aims to avoid.”

He didn’t hesitate to further stare at Antionette as he carried on.

“Seeing as you proudly enjoy bedding every man in this city, I’m certain you can get a hold of an invitation. Mind you, this year’s tradition is especially unique, for a set of royal Bidders with black holes of money will be attending. That’s all the information my spies were able to obtain, so I suggest you use it to your advantage and attend the masquerade, Antionette.”

“You’re literally willing to sacrifice your child to avoid embarrassment?” Elena’s shrill voice cut through the air like a sword slicing through the neck of one’s enemy.

“A child who is able to spread her legs and be a toy to any man with a stick is no longer a child. Besides, children don’t go wasting thousands of dollars a day without compensation or fear such flow of financial security can come to a dramatic stop. The biggest spender in this household is the one who you refer to as your prodigy among your other female mates. Instead of trying to waste my time in petty arguments, you should prepare your daughter for the ball. I would hate for her to be summoned unprepared and be more of an embarrassment than she already is.”

Ouch.

I couldn’t help but whistle.

“Father, your chivalrous remarks are what many would deem savage as fuck,” I praised. “I immensely enjoy it. Please continue.”

Esme rolled her eyes at me, but I’d bet she was just as amused by Father belittling our “siblings”.

“You’re being heartless!” Elena defended. “You would never say the same if it involved Esméralda!”

I knew things were going to go downhill from here because whenever Elena attempted to belittle Esme, Father would react promptly to protect his golden child.

I didn’t even blame him. I’d do the same.

“Esméralda doesn’t do stupid shit like Antionette,” Father stated like it was common sense.

“You’re saying it as if your daughter has never had sex,” Elena snapped back.

“Not what I said,” Father casually stated.

How this conversation landed on Esme’s sexual well-being was beyond me.

“Regardless of whether Esme has had sex or not is beyond the point of this discussion. The fact that the status of sexual activities is questionable is enough to prove that she either doesn’t participate in such or is so cunningly flawless at hiding her sexual interactions from the rest of the world that she doesn’t make us a laughingstock on the busy streets of Boston.”

“Truth,” I said in delight as I reached over to pet Esme like she was the most precious being in the world. “When anyone speaks of Esme on the dirty streets of Boston, it’s either in admiration of her beauty, grace, sophisticated intelligence, and unique talents or in pure fright after she underhandedly kicked their asses for trying to hit on her. Either way is a delight to listen to with a fine cup of coffee or whisky.” I winked and added, “Depends on the time of day.”

“Knowing you, you’d drink both regardless of the hour,” Esme muttered.

“Accurate,” I agreed and decided it was time to make my exit. “With that, I see no need for me to extend my invitation here. My father will scold me if I enjoy too much family time. Something about it making me depressed and inviting more chaos into his life of madness.”

Honestly, if it was my way, I’d stay behind to be around Esme and Father for a little longer, but dismissing myself would ensure Esme had a private moment to speak with Father.

“This conversation isn’t over!” Elena exclaimed.

“It’s over.” Father’s word was the ultimate crucifer in this situation, which meant I could leave.  “Claude, a word in my office.”

I wasn’t expecting him to come back to his office

“Certainly, Father,” I hummed to hide my curiosity. Patting Esme on her shoulder as a sign for ‘I’ll talk to you soon’, I proceeded to head to where Father stood. As I situated myself by his right side, Father glanced back to Esme.

“Esméralda, meet me at my office when you’re done with your evening affairs.”

“Yes, Father,” she stated with a smile, and her eyes sparkled in mischief. We’d leave and she’d ensure that she stood her own against the rest of this “lovely” family.

I wasn’t worried seeing as Jeanne was around to back Esme up.

I was sure no matter this sudden debt on the Bellerose empire, Father would ensure Jeanne was paid well in advance. Butlers were one of the most expensive services to have in this time and age, especially if they carried a lengthy list of those they’d killed in the line of duty.

King François always ensured James and our backup butler, Zavier, were paid a year in advance to ensure no one else stole them from us. Only the Belleroses and Genevieres allowed us to dance around a set of butlers between families.

With that, we left the tense room of silence, knowing our time together was now limited seeing as Esme was supposed to pass by.

“You have a few more minutes to spare?” Father offered as he glanced back to see my calm look. I wondered if he was stalling on purpose to ensure I left at a reasonable time before Esme was meant to see him.

“I’ll make time for you,” I tossed back with a smirk, knowing well that I truly would stop everything for him. He was one of the few who deserved my utmost cooperation, and as a loving father, I knew he’d do the same in return. “I’m sure we’re probably going to party or do something crazy afterward anyways. Better have me while I’m sober.”

Father chuckled.

“Good to be young.”

I rolled my eyes.

“As if your appearance defines your age and ability to party,” I casually commented, knowing someone could be listening. “Instead of stupid parties with strangers, you party on billion-dollar yachts with cocktails and millionaires from around the world.”

“Don’t forget the strippers,” Father whispered as if it was some sort of secret, leaving me to actually choke on my salvia.

“Don’t let Eloise hear that,” I muttered and actually shivered. “She’d kill all those bitches with the back of her Christian Louboutin heels and proceed to show me how a true stripper should dance.”

“Eventful,” Father hummed and barely whispered, “Chloe would have done the same.”

I laughed far too hard.

“Be happy I’m mature enough to not be completely creeped out by the love you two share.”

“I’m simply happy you’re learning to love yourself with those who’ve accepted you as you are.”

I didn’t expect him to mention that, leaving me to pause in my steps while he continued to walk as if he hadn’t said something so moving.

“Give me a minute to clean my desk and you can come right in,” he called back, his office only a few steps away. I let him disappear into the designated room, leaving me a solid moment to take a deep inhale and let it out.

How something so simple could hit the core of my fragile heart.

CHAPTER 3

Panicked Anxiety And Anticipation

CLAUDE FRANÇOIS

“Pain is invisible to the human eye. Until it seeps to the lines of your face and becomes physical agony, no one knows just how hard your life really is.”

— Claude François

“T hree mafia gang leaders have made bold intentions of bidding on Eloise.”

I concealed my anger, standing there like a statue even while my fingers twitched with impatience.

To wrap them around the soothing metallic surface of a gun and enjoy pulling the trigger to end all those fuckers who dared to envision themselves with what was ours.

“They’re going to aim to try to find any opportunity to approach Eloise. At least, that’s what their game plan is. Jeanne, James, and Cobra have already been informed about this and will most likely be around gathering intel.”

“Do you even have the funds to pay them?” I couldn’t help but ask. “Seeing as you’re in apparent ‘debt’.”

“I paid them all a year in advance,” Father disclosed, which surprised me. He seemed to be doing that a lot today.

“For your family services alone, right?”

“Yourself, Eloise, and Antionette are covered by butler services. Zavier normally watches Antionette which is why you don’t see him often.”

“You’re paying top dollar for Antionette to be protected?” I couldn’t control my annoyance, which left Father chuckling before he lifted his gaze from his papers to meet my calculative eyes.

“Without her, do you believe we would have gotten this far in this game?” he just had to counter me with unknown. I knew Antionette was the grand villain in our family, but I was always well aware there was a purpose to that.

Even if I didn’t care about figuring out how deeply rooted that purpose is.

“No,” I finally answered.

“Sometimes the most villainous beings have the hardest challenges to face behind closed doors,” Father summarized as he returned to looking at the papers on his desk. “Just like how some of the most cynical beings are ignored despite their immense strength and talents.”

“They believe we don’t have a fighting chance,” I assumed.

“They don’t believe, son,” Father declared. “They’ve wholeheartedly convinced themselves that your Den is but a useless group of psychotic fuckers that have a better chance of getting thrown into a mental institution than successfully claiming the woman you all adore.”

I bit my bottom lip hard, needing to feel the pinch of pain and enjoy the seeping taste of blood to keep myself from finding every single individual involved and destroying their entire heritage.

Before torturing them, of course.

“Well, it’s best I change that narrative, don’t you think?”

“I agree,” he replied and picked up a specific red file. He slid it from his side to mine, and I took a single step and picked it up to reveal what was hidden within.

He spared me three solid minutes of silence, the seconds ticking away while I quickly reviewed the three specific reports that revealed who we were up against.

“Pig. Sewage. Viper.” I narrowed it down to three symbolized groups, my lips dipping at the last name. “Viper?”

I lifted my gaze to meet his amused eyes.

“If you let it slip to Antionette, I’m sure her Den would get rid of them before the masquerade is over.”

“Fucking delightful.” I laughed. “Vipers versus Anacondas. Who would possibly win?” The sarcasm dripped off my voice in the second half. The idea of making Antionette do my dirty work was a bit too exciting to pass up.

“If she finds out you secretly conned her into doing your dirty work, she’ll cut your balls off when you’re not looking.”

“Now, now, Father,” I began as I closed the file and smile brilliantly. “My dear ‘half-sister’ may hate my psychotic guts, but she’d never commit such a heinous crime. She secretly wishes to meet her nieces and nephews one day.”

“True, though she’d never admit it,” Father confessed with a sigh.

I couldn’t help but observe him as the lines of worry briefly surfaced on his face.

“You hate that we have to do this, don’t you?” My voice barely reached the surface but my words were heard loud and clear as Father looked to the ceiling.

“I did not wish to carry so many secrets. For the sake of my youngest initiation while hurting the middle child who’s had to carry the weight of an imposter’s actions for a number of years. All in the name of catching a con artist criminal matched with the child she trained to be but a useless rapist.”

His eyes darkened then, and if the lights were truly off, the shadows would show just how deadly this man could be if he let that monstrous side out to gain the revenge I was sure he was desperate for.

“Does it pain me to put my position of power ahead of my role as a loving father? Yes. It sometimes keeps me up at night and makes me want to burn down all the empires that dare test my family alongside those I’ve kept alliances with for years.” He paused to grin, and the mere sight sent shivers through me as the atmosphere turned to frost. “But we can’t always get what we want, right?”

“You can,” I dared to say and watched his smile only grow.

“You most certainly can,” he agreed. “With a little help and loads of patience.”

“You believe this masquerade will fix it all?” I had to ask for clarification, just to make sure I had permission to do what I’d been craving to accomplish all these years.

To make that fucker pay for hurting our family and trying to fuck shit up when the world thinks we’ve reached our lowest.

“More than fix,” he assured me. “We will solve things once and for all, and all we have to do is secure our ends of the bargain while letting Esmeralda seek what she craves.”

“And Eloise?” I knew her role was just as powerful in this as Esme’s was.

“She seeks intimacy at the physical level,” Father acknowledged and bobbed his head. “Let me pull some strings.”

My eyes widened at his words and I dared to ask what my heart was begging to hear an answer to.

“They can return to the surface?”

“I made arrangements just before dinner,” he revealed which left me speechless as he stared back at me with pride twinkling in his eyes.

“Khari Ashanti Boseman should have arrived at the airport an hour ago. Ghana is rather far from Boston so I encouraged his father, King Boseman, to let him come earlier than originally agreed on. Their culture enjoys celebrating Christmas, but the closeness you two share matched with the rumors of the masquerade returning made it vital for your Den to reunite like the others.”

I didn’t know whether to laugh or fucking cry.

“I’m sure it won’t take long for Baek Hyun and Venom to arrive. Apparently, there are more flight options in Korea and Russia, which are rather biased if you ask me, but if we go into racial politics, this conversation would never end.”

That was the real truth.

“Thank you, Father.” My words of thanks were purely genuine as I peered into his wise eyes. “This is more than enough help. Leave the rest to me.”

“I’m sure you’ll be fine.” He held no doubt in his encouragement. “Get going. I’m sure something in the halls will you keep entertained.”

This man loves to foreshadow, doesn’t he?

“Thank you, Father.”

I spun around and headed to the door, stopping just as my hand wrapped around the doorknob.

Anticipating for him to say one more thing.

“Send King François and Chloe my greetings.”

My smirk was far too taunting.

“I’ll let Chloe know you miss her tremendously and King François can suck a dick.”

“I didn’t—”

“Bye, Father.”

I was out the door and running down the hall before the man could attempt to kill me with a bullet from his handgun.

“You enjoy teasing the poor man.”

I chuckled and looked over to see James already standing in wait for me against the wall.

“Admit it. You enjoy seeing him get all smitten with his undying love for my mother even though he’s currently married to Elena.”

“Such marriage is only out of duty,” James reminded me.

“I guess that’s better than sympathy as I’m sure she spreads through the lands while playing the victim card because she’s mentally ill.”

James sighed.

“Aren’t we all,” he muttered. “Yet we’re called crazy and told we don’t deserve good things while she can get away with buying the finest foods and attire to maintain her rich wife status.”

“How’s Eloise?” I decided to inquire for my own mental sanity.

“Awake in her new car, sitting in your private driveway while cursing your name for ruining her very expensive panties.”

I pouted my lips because I couldn’t recall if I’d shredded them or pushed them aside which led to me shredding them anyway.

“Put an order for every color in that style with matching bras,” I instructed. “Have it delivered to her house.”

“I’ll work on that right away. Should I let your companions meet back at your place or Eloise’s?”

I actually had to think about that. The reminder that Father had managed to get flights for all three of my den mates to Boston was mind-boggling because it was rather impossible — or extremely expensive — to get in here during the holidays.

Flights were booked well in advance, and even with such privileges, you still had to pull a few strings when you were coming outside of America.

I’d felt that Yuu’s energy was far stronger when I instructed him to get Eloise to my place, but I hadn’t even clued in on the fact that he could have been close by.

Just to be in America alone was a big spike in our ability to project ourselves into a physical form that didn’t look like a six-eye, five-tentacle freak.

“Let them decide themselves,” I encouraged. “They’re good at surprising her. I’m sure she’d love to be in a daze only to realize they’re actually with her. A nice Christmas surprise.”

“I’ll let it be then,” he assured me and bowed. “If you need my services, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“I’ll keep that in mind as always, James.”

He bowed and blended in the shadows until he was legit gone.

“How does he do that?” I pondered more to myself before I silently made my way down the halls.

It wasn’t until I caught onto Esme’s voice that I came to a stop and slipped into the shadows to overhear the conversation she was having with Antionette.

“Did Mom beat you?” Esme questioned in a ‘matter-of-fact’ tone.

“Excuse me?” All I had to do was peak over to see the two of them facing one another — Antionette’s face growing red in obvious embarrassment.

“You always stand funny when Mom beats you. Your legs are spread out an inch more and your left foot is always angled slightly differently as if your left ass cheek is sorer than the right. I didn’t think you could be more tender on one side, but then again, what do I know.” She shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal that she observed all of this. “Men aren’t really good at rough foreplay.”

That made me smirk, knowing damn well I wasn’t a part of that crew.

Eloise can vouch for me.

“Fucking slut,” Antionette snarled. “Yet Father thinks you’re some innocent virgin.”

Father surely knew none of us were innocent in this world of monsters, but I had a strong feeling Antionette knew that.

“I’m sure, between our parents, Father knows our activities in general. Regardless, he carries respect for me because I carry it for myself. You, on the other hand, clearly don’t love yourself enough to pick and choose who bangs you up.”

Ouch.

Esmeralda was still the most savage of all of us in this family.

“How dare you,” Antionette snapped and tried to slap Esme but she moved so gracefully, avoiding the attack like it was nothing.

“I’d avoid slapping me. You know how angry Father gets when I cry.”

There was no doubt about that one. Father couldn’t stand when Esme cried.

Well, I guess the same goes for me, but I hate when women cry in general.

Leaving a woman in distress made me feel like a pitiful man who couldn’t do his duty of easing a woman’s burden in this world.

It didn’t apply to just anyone, but surely I wouldn’t be able to stand around and allow Eloise or Esme shed a tear without laying consequences on those who dared hurt them in such an emotional way.

“You wouldn’t dare cry,” Antionette snapped back.

“Oh really?” Esme tossed back and my word, my sister could win an Academy Award for Best Lead Actress with how her eyes welled up while swarming with immense sadness.

Antionette surely flinched as her eyes widened in actual fear, leaving Esme to grin in return before she was back to normal with her innocent gaze.

“I beg to differ.”

“Two-faced bitch.”

“Nah. I ain’t a hypocrite like you,” she voiced. “If you’re truly proud of the woman you’ve become, you might as well stop acting like a victim of circumstance and attend this apparent ball. At the end of the day, you’re the one who contributed the most to the ‘family’ debt. If the news of the foreclosure and such comes out and we end up losing everything, it’s going to fall upon your shoulders.”

Antionette wasn’t necessarily a hypocrite, but a woman doing her job for an alliance she’d come too far to fuck up.

This masquerade may have been unexpected, but I personally didn’t think Antionette would let our name go to shambles because of the reputation she proudly carried.

“The moment that happens, your reputation will be further plagued, and trust me, no amount of throbbing pussy is going to get a man in your bed again. You know how it is here in Boston. Reputation matters.”

“I’m not participating,” Antionette snapped but I could already pick up on the lie.

“Then tough luck.” Esme shrugged. “I don’t know why you’re telling me this as if I can get invited. Besides, if I was, I wouldn’t be attending on the family’s behalf.”

Esme turned to face Antionette, leaning forward until the distance between them was barely present.

The tension was palpable, the atmosphere shifting enough to make a part of me click out of place.

“I’d simply attend to piss you off.”

“You fucking—”

My gun was in my possession, the barrel now pressing against the temple of Antionette.

It was honestly a surprise to me, but then again, when psycho Claude was triggered, I didn’t care about thinking about my actions in the moment.

Leave that for after-sex thinking.

“Call my sister a slut, cunt, or bitch again and I’ll blow your brains out with the excuse that my finger slipped,” I vowed.

I may not have arrived rather late in the conversation, but I knew damn well Antionette would have said something to belittle Esme.

That’s normally the only way to be a bitch of a sister, right?

“You’re an even bigger imposter than she is,” Antionette snapped back at me, and my eyes twinkled in delight as I saw the flicker of rebellion in her blue orbs.

This is far too much fun.

My thought ignited a chuckle. The deep sound was filled with a sense of approaching peril, especially when I carried a gun in my grasp.

“Why? Because my happy pills have worn off in their weak attempt to subdue the true side of me that wishes to blow your brains out?” I offered.

“You wouldn’t dare.” Antionette’s voice was but a whisper.

“You underestimate just how similar I am to your father,” I warned which was technically true. Thankfully I was in a good mood today so I wouldn’t feel the need to do something stupid. “But what will be more torturous is watching you fail miserably at the masquerade.”

I lowered my gun but remained right behind Esme, knowing well the intensity of my overprotective aura.

“It would prove to the community just how useless you are.” I could only hope.

“You won’t be there!” she snapped.

An obvious lie for she wouldn’t have much of a choice, especially if I told her about the Vipers’ involvement.

“I’ve been chosen as an Observer,” I announced. Father had made sure to discuss that before we moved on to our discussion revolving around the other Dens trying to steal our Eloise.

“What?” Esme asked in shock while Antionette looked like she’d seen a ghost.

I simply stood there with an expression of mockery before lowering my gaze so my purple eyes could bore into Esme’s shimmering emerald ones.

She really was such a beautiful woman, and the mental acknowledgment made me smile just slightly while my eyes softened.

“Royalty gets invited by default,” I revealed because it really wasn’t a secret. It wasn’t Esme’s fault for not knowing the details of such an event, so I’d gladly share my knowledge. “Father doesn’t wish to participate. Since I’m the eldest, it only makes sense for me to attend in his place.”

That was a bit of a lie because King François, my “father,” couldn’t care less if I participated or not.

As long as I got closer to the end game of empowering my Den, that was all that mattered.

Since power forces many to bow at your mercy.

“Get that sick smile off your face. You think you’re better than us because you get to be an Observer and make silly bets on who will clear their debt. Sick bastard.”

I couldn’t care less about any of that. My attention was solely on Eloise. I was already confident that Esme’s Den of monsters would have no choice but to reveal themselves before the grand event.

“Call me whatever you may, Antionette,” I voiced with seriousness, and I knew my eyes had darkened to a deep purple. “You may not take this masquerade seriously, but why don’t I enlighten you with a word of advice?”

I approached her with ease, each step forcing Antionette back until she was pressed against the opposite wall.

Her fear was so damn obvious, her body trembling at my overwhelming presence.

A true villainess.

“If you don’t wish to participate, so be it, but be advised, if you’re not present come time the masquerade begins, you will become a wanted criminal and the results will either land you in the dirty pits of a cell in a very disgusting dungeon or you will be assassinated.”

My words were greeted with tense silence.

“With the amount your family owes, you will be presented to the entire community and left naked after hours of torture for anyone to mock you with words or throw rotten tomatoes at your bare frame. As much as our community intends to change their Renaissance ways, some punishments are left in place to remind us of the traditions we uphold. The masquerade is one of them. You will then be killed with the good, old beheading route before everyone. That is the set of consequences you’ll have if you decide to be a coward and run from this opportunity for which you should be grateful.”

“G-Grateful?” Antionette stuttered.

I chuckled and backed away then, before turning around completely so I could admire Esme instead.

“No one had any intention of telling you the consequences for not attending. How do I know? They spoke of you being invited and proceeded to laugh in pure mockery because, with your track record of tantrums and other spoiled behavior displayed in the public eye, it was made rather clear that you’d simply think of this as a joke. Thus, the majority of Observers were immensely excited to take part in the dehumanizing steps that would lead to your execution if you decided not to attend.”

That was what made the masquerade such a chilling event. It backed you into a corner until you had no way out, and that was what brought the true monsters out.

People will do anything to survive.

Antionette didn’t say a word and it was a good thing she didn’t cause I was already bored with the conversation.

I’d done more than enough to appease this interaction.

“Going out?”

“After I speak to Father,” Esme calmly answered.

“Eloise coming?” I knew she’d go along to party with Esme if she simply texted her.

“Yes. You’re not invited.”

“Now, now,” I hummed in delight. “Don’t be mean.”

“It’s a girl’s night.”

Girl’s night that would lead to me fucking my woman in a corner of that vast dance floor…

I could already envision it now, which I quickly stopped doing before I got lost in such an imaginative distraction.

“I’ll gladly dress up like a girl if it means I get to come along.”

“Ugh, don’t,” Esme groaned in dismay. “I don’t want to witness you flirting with a stupid wig on your head.”

“Admit it. We looked identical when I wore that wig, and seeing you flirt with your best friend made you realize the potential romance brewing there.”

“God, no,” Esme groaned. “You’re the bisexual one. I am not.”

She knew I bent both ways and wasn’t even ashamed of it. So many still feared being “trapped in the closet” but monsters like myself didn’t have time for the emotional turmoil of denying who you were.

Or who you loved.

Eloise was my world, but there was another on the romantic spectrum that made my heart pitter-patter.

“At least you know what you like,” I teased and winked. “I simply have more options.”

“Ugh. Go away,” Esme huffed and playfully pushed me away. “Go bother someone else.”

“I shall. I’ve yet to belittle Lucas. What possible visit would this be without reminding him who’s the more powerful heir of our families?” I proudly plotted though I doubted I’d pursue him.

I honestly wanted to look into other things.

“You’re hopeless,” Esme concluded. “You simply enjoy making everyone suffer when you’re around.”

“Exactly,” I answered. “Except for my dear little sister.”

“Thank goodness your brothers aren’t here,” Esme noted, and she was right. If they were here, they would probably be bigger protective assholes than I was. “I’m heading to see Father.”

“He’s in a pissed-off mood,” I warned which was partially true. “Don’t be too long.”

“Cool,” Esme replied as her eyes scanned around to confirm Antionette’s departure. She didn’t bother waiting for us to finish our conversation.

She just faded into the shadows like a good player on the dark side.

“Jeez. She moves fast when she wants to.”

“Good riddance,” I muttered, but I was curious as to why she’d left so quickly. “Father’s really angry. Guess he was really holding back in the dining room.”

“Did a deal fall through or something?” Esme inquired.

“Maybe.” I didn’t bother dancing around the possibilities because I had no clue how much Father would share to benefit Esme’s options when it came to the masquerade of sin.

It had to have shown on my face because Esme asked, “What’s upsetting you?”

She reached out to hold onto my hand as if I’d disappear just like Antionette had done.

Into the shadows like a silent cat waiting for its next prey.

“This masquerade is going to be different this year.” That seemed to be the smartest thing to talk about instead of voicing the real truth of my worry.

“Why is that?”

“There are not enough women,” I admitted, which actually was a concern with the news of the masquerade returning.

I sometimes wondered if that was the reason why it came to a stop, to begin with, especially since the purpose of it was to retrieve Maidens would become the center of whichever Den was worthy enough to claim them before the serenade ended.

“I think they’ll have no choice but to have some men participate,” I confessed.

“Meaning you’ll be joining?”

“I can’t,” I admitted and could only imagine my brothers actually being forced to participate in such uneventful circumstances.

The chances were unlikely unless we were really going the extra mile to be convincing but I secretly hoped it wouldn’t go down that route.

“I was chosen as an Observer on my father’s behalf. They won’t change it.”

“Meaning… oh fuck.” She stared at me in horror. “One of your brothers…”

“I can’t let any of them participate,” I shot the idea down and shook my head. “If one joins, all three would follow through. The joy of triplets.”

“Why would they participate though? You guys aren’t in debt, are you?” she asked the prime question.

“Our main family isn’t.” We were perfectly fine, but, “However, our relatives, not so much. We had no idea of my cousins’ medical issues. They’re also triplets so you can imagine the hefty bill they’ve gathered. I guess our relatives wished to clear the debt of their own accord, but the hospital got impatient and must have heard of the approaching masquerade. This tradition is a big deal because of the special royals attending. They’ve got heavy pockets, Esme. Deeper than our fathers put together.”

“Shit…” Esme cursed. “They’re that rich?”

“When accounting for five royal families, each with generational wealth, yes.”

“Damn. Did you speak to Father about this?”

I went along with the storytelling of truth mixed with fable.

“He’s aware. He doesn’t have a solution right now. Either way, an invitation will be the hardest to obtain, but I’m sure they’ll be watching our moves until Christmas day.”

“So, basically, in less than 30 hours,” I concluded.

“Essentially.”

I tightened my grip around her hand because I wondered what was going to truly happen in the next couple of days.

News would spread far and wide by morning, which would lead us to a Christmas of uncertainty.

A part of me knew we’d be okay because we had plenty of people on our side aiding us before things even began, but our actions from tonight onward would either make or break us.

And I couldn’t allow anything to break us. We’ve walked down this path and sacrificed too much to do that now.

“We’ll figure it out,” Esme reassured me before smiling confidently. “We always do.”

“True.” She was right. We always managed to figure things out in the end. I squeezed her hand, knowing it was time for her to get going. “Get going. I’m gonna go have some shooting practice.”

“Ugh,” she said, and I rolled my eyes. “Don’t shoot any of the furniture trying to kill Lucas by accident.”

“He shot at me last time,” I pointed out. “Like they say, an eye for an eye.”

“He’s about to be homeless. Have mercy on him,” Esme teased.

“You have no hope in your big sister?” I gasped in horror.

“No damn hope.” She shook her head for added emphasis. “See you in a few.”

“Meaning I get to come party!” I rejoiced.

“Only if you don’t stain the carpets with blood. We apparently can’t afford cleaning services,” she reminded me, which was honestly pretty hilarious.

Cleaning the carpets felt like a weekly thing — at least at my house.

“Ouch,” I cringed. “The poor life would not be for you.”

“I agree,” she admitted and squeezed my hand one last time before slipping away.

With a wave, she disappeared down the hall, leaving me to stand by myself for a solid fifty-eight seconds before the cold touch of a barrel against my left temple made me groan.

“Now, now. Don’t get offended that I just gave an Oscar-worthy performance that deserves multiple standing ovations,” I whined before side-glancing at the woman with her deadly orbs that were no longer blue.

They were now striking orbs of emerald with golden slits that mimicked the eyes of a venomous snake.

“If you weren’t actually important, you’d be riddled with bullets by now,” she snarled at me as her eyes further narrowed. “Push my buttons like that again and you’ll be sorry.”

“Fine, fine,” I pleaded so she’d move the gun from my head. Once I knew I was safe from immediate death, I added, “If I forget though, you have to give me another chance.”

The look she gave me made me chuckle nervously before I moved to lean against the wall – my hands moving to rest behind the back of my head.

“Now, why did my dear Antionette come back?” I hummed in delight just as my personality clicked.

I was behind her before she could blink as I whispered, “Did you miss your dearest half-brother? Hmm?”

“You just go all crazy whenever you feel like it, huh?” she muttered more to herself before she pushed me away. “I don’t have time for your games.”

“Boo,” I whined and grinned cynically as I was now in her face. “Why are you disturbing me, dear sister? It would be a shame if Lucas found us here, actually getting along. That would fuck up the plan, don’t you think?”

“Lucas already left to go gather funds,” she revealed which was rather generous of her.

“If you’re going to try to bribe me to help you, I won’t do it,” I voiced the obvious before adding, “Unless you’ve found a way to end this whole fiasco and complete this pending alliance once and for all.”

“As much as I’d love to end our misery so I don’t need to deal with your crazy ass as often as I have, the masquerade is our best shot to ensure Esmeralda completes initiation,” she emphasized as if I’d forgotten.

“We’ve sacrificed a lot to get to this point,” I admitted and watched her carefully as her eyes seemed to darken — their previous vibrancy seemingly clouding over like a storm was about to brew within those emerald spheres.

My hand moved before I grasped it, the soft touch of her hair as I patted her head was no longer blonde but a vibrant orange just like Esmeralda’s. It truly reminded me that she was a real Bellerose, and my scrutiny could only pertain to the moments were both acting upon this invisible stage.

“He hasn’t made a move on you, right?” My voice was low but deadly while I tried to hide just how angered I was at the thought of Antionette being taken advantage of — again.

“No,” she finally answered after a minute. She needed an extra few seconds to correct her breathing — leaving me to wonder if she realized she held her breath when remembering the past. “I’m used goods, remember? Apparently being painted a whore on the streets of Boston has its benefits. Like being considered trash by your rapist.”

My frown was deep as I allowed my emotions to seep through my eyes. She caught onto it, a hint of my empathy with a generous amount of boiling anger.

People never understood why villains were born, but I knew if we hadn’t initiated the alliance when we all discovered the world of monsters, Antionette would be a true villainess who ensured any man who dared take advantage of a woman would perish by the strike of her bullet.

“You’re far more modest than you portray,” I muttered as my hand slipped from the top of her head to her cheek — my thumb moving swiftly to wipe away the tear I doubted she allowed herself to notice.

I pulled my hand away and slid my hands into my pockets, trying not to go into a killing frenzy after witnessing a glimpse of Antionette’s pain.

The agony she buries all the time to do her part for the sake of our uprising.

“It’s a shame only my monsters witness that while the rest of the world spits utter nonsense,” she commented with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Today I got insulted by some rich dude’s son who wanted to fuck me since there’s a rumor my pussy can swallow cocks. Rather fascinating if you ask me, though I think men would have enough brain cells to understand the general anatomy of the female body and know that’s utterly impossible,” she summarized with a shake of her head.

“He didn’t really actually believe that,” I commented but I had a strong feeling she was really telling the truth.

“Sadly, a lot of men inching toward the prime age of thirty have a brain of a fifth grader,” she commented with a smile that emphasized her disappointment. “At this rate, I’m going to dump the male species and make an all-female harem.”

“You could probably pull it off,” I genuinely reasoned. “But with how possessive your monsters are, I highly doubt that will come to fruition.”

“A girl can dream,” she huffed. “Aren’t you bisexual?”

“Depends on my mood,” I replied with a wink as I gave her some space. “The Vipers are making a move.”

That immediately caught her interest as she grimaced at the news.

“Who are they targeting?”

“Eloise,” I got to the point. “Should I assume you guys want to handle those copycats or do I need to inform Venom who our prey is so we can take them out before the masquerade?”

Antionette rolled her eyes.

“Where’s the fun in that?” she dared to mutter as she smirked. “Can’t just kill the enemy without having some fun.”

“As in torturing, kidnapping, murdering their entire family line, and threatening to do a whole lot worse before bringing them down to the dungeons and collaring them up in preparation for years of service,” I summarized. “Obviously that’s more fun but I don’t have the tolerance to spare anyone who dares to think they can hurt what’s mine.”

“Right, right,” she dismissed me like I was nobody. “Men and their ‘she’s mine, no one touches her’ attitude. It’s like you guys flaunt it on purpose to prove you’re an Alpha male in the relationship or something.”

She shook her head once more but crossed her arms over her chest and looked me dead in the eye.

“We’ll handle those Vipers. We already warned them that Anacondas don’t play nice but I guess they aren’t afraid of our bite. We’ll remind them to not play around with our alliances by giving them a few brutal consequences.”

“You’re not going to kidnap their Maiden and kill her, right?” I dared to ask.

“Certainly not,” she said it far too sweetly. “I’ll just seduce her into falling in love with me instead and breaking those men’s hearts one by one until they’re begging for my mercy. Then I’ll force them to pledge allegiance to us while swearing their utmost loyalty to our cause of controlling the Underground and things will be good.”

I was surprised enough by her explanation that I blankly stared back at her. She patted my shoulder and spun around.

“You always short circuit when you see me actually acting like a smart bitch when you’re used to seeing the idiotic Antionette that fucks anything that moves,” she summed up. “Let this masquerade hurry the fuck up so Esme gets her memories back and we can finally finish this initiation bullshit.”

“You’ve never mentioned what yours was,” I quietly pointed out.

Every Maiden had to go through an initiation process, and I was certain Antionette was no different. Esme had to lose her memories and experience the love of her monsters in the depths of her dreams. Eloise had to deal with witnessing our presence but bearing the lack of physical presence. I could only ponder what Antionette’s sacrifice was.

“If you actually move on from being Eloise’s crush, I’ll toss a coin and tell you what it is if the coin lands on tails.”

“That still leaves me at a bigger disadvantage,” I argued but the woman was already walking away from me.

“I can be vocal enough for everyone to know we’re not just girl and crush,” I called out as she moved further away down the hall. “Just wait and see!”

She simply lifted her arm halfway — a single wave of her hand confirming we were still on relatively good terms before she disappeared completely into the darkness.

With a sigh, I tugged on my tie, feeling as if it was far too tight for my well-being. I knew that wasn’t true, and yet its mere existence around my collar was making me sweat while my hand trembled.

“Do I feel that overwhelmed?” I muttered to myself as I began walking swiftly down the opposite direction of the hall. It didn’t take me long to reach the temporary bedroom I enjoyed staying in when I had far too many martinis in Esme’s and Eloise’s company.

I gave the impression I always took the room closest to Esme’s as the overprotective brother I was, but it was one of the many ploys to ensure Lucas and Elena left her alone.

She was even safer with Antionette around, even if she played the role of despising her little sister.

What an illusion we’d had to force ourselves to continue portraying to the world. In some moments it was sickening to be people we weren’t, and yet it was all essential for the common ending we all yearned for.

To be done with these initiations and become the next set of Dens to ascend into Mother Family status.

Locking the door, I already began to pace while I fidgeted with my tie. I could have taken the bloody thing off and yet my hands were trembling so much, I couldn’t manage it.

My breaths came out quickly, beads of sweat beginning to roll down the sides of my face. I felt clammy and cold, my mind encouraging me to head to the fireplace and turn it on.

I managed to grasp the single match and light it up with a whipping movement of my wrist — that red bud gliding across the rough surface and igniting into a flame.

Tossing it into the pile of wood, I watched the flames burst wildly, the temporary distraction helping me to remain still as I fought to breathe and stared at the golden orange hues of the dancing flames.

“Fuck,” I breathed, not used to having such a strong panic attack. The anxiety riddling through me making my whole body tremble in uncertainty while I fought to stay upright.

Closing my eyes only made the dizziness grow, but I gripped the corner of the fireplace for dear life, my focus forced to remain on attempting to breathe in and out.

“Claude.”

I didn’t expect to hear the husky depth of Khari’s voice. The sound always reminded me of flowing caramel that mixed perfectly with melted milk chocolate.

Eloise loved to call him her Hot Chocolate Beast, and goodness, it was kinda true because he was hot as fuck, had flawless skin of ebony that made those striking gold eyes of his stand out like a sore fucking thumb, and was a fucking beast.

Especially in bed.

He had to have sensed my distress, which I tried to not let ooze out of me in distress for the others in our den’s sake.

I hated worrying the others, knowing they had their own issues they dealt with far too often, but these panic attacks were crippling me far too often, which meant I was overwhelming myself which was never a good thing.

“Claude,” he called out to me again, the sound no longer from the depths of my head but nearby, as if he was in the same room as me.

“I’m fine,” I dismissed, knowing damn well I wasn’t in the slightest bit fine because hearing Khari in the flesh meant I was fucking hallucinating. “Fuck…all…the times to have a damn panic…attack…”

The world was swirling, the room far too hot for my damn sanity. I was going to pass out. I knew it because the sensation of numbness flooded down my body from my head to my toes before actual black spots began to take up my vision.

Arms hooked around me, my weight but nothing but a façade as I was pressed against the nearest wall. I could barely keep my head up which was certainly why whoever was man-handling me wrapped his hand around my neck, forcing my head up as their massive body pressed against mine.

“Breathe, Claude.”

I blinked a few times, the world still spinning which was why I couldn’t make out who held me. I tried to speak, but a groan left my parted lips as my eyes rolled back — my mind just unable to take the spinning any longer.

I didn’t feel the floor when my knees buckled. Instead, arms embraced me before it felt like I was lifted right off the ground.

I just needed a moment. A few minutes for the heaviness of suffocation to move its capturing head out of my body so I could think straight and reason with myself that I could handle what was to come.

“Claude. Breathe for me.” There was Khari’s voice again, its return in my head only proving I’d been hallucinating about that sexy fucker.

I hadn’t seen him in months, and I guessed it was taking its toll on me, even though Eloise kept me fed and full in the sexual department.

Despite his absence, his husky voice could always get me to do what he desired, so my body immediately focused on breathing, my consciousness wavering for a moment which only triggered a memory I’d rather forget.

“This is a cruel world, Claude.”

I stared at the Merry-Go-Round. All the children that had been laughing joyously were now riddled with bullets. Blood poured effortlessly onto the ride that was still spinning slowly, proving that every single child and accompanying parent was nothing but a lifeless display of art to this man.

“Bellerose enjoys shielding you from the truth, but behind squeals of laughter and displays of happiness come scenarios like these.”

I couldn’t pull my eyes away, and hands landed on my shoulders before the soft voice of King François entered my ear.

“This is what we fight for, son. This is why we have to maintain power at all costs. Those same individuals who encouraged you to go on this ride with your best friend wanted to riddle it with bullets. They wanted to kill him knowing you’d have a high probability of survival.”

Tears welled in my eyes, the horror of it all only sinking in to the point that I bit my bottom lip as hard as I could.

“You think they’ll stop at just Khari? No. They’ll move on to the next person who shows themselves as your Den mate. Then the next. Until you’re a Denless leader connected to a Maiden who will sink into distress for losing all her imaginary friends. She’d go insane, agony eating her up until she’s nothing but a doll for those same men to kidnap and throw into the perfect mental institution. Then they’ll torture her, steal all her Maiden capabilities because they despise how strong she already is for a child. That imagination of hers could empower you all, but without protection, this is the path they wish for you to walk upon.”

He squeezed my shoulders until they hurt, but I couldn’t flinch in pain. I was already in broken agony, and I feared I wouldn’t be able to put the pieces of myself back together.

“Is that what you want?” he questioned. “To be alone in this cruel, heartless world? Or do you want power, son? Power to stop anyone from hurting what’s within your domain.”

“I want to protect them,” I whispered with a trembling voice as tears spilled down my flushed cheeks. “They’re mine. No one can hurt them but me.”

“Exactly,” he soothed in agreement. “Only you should deliver pain to those marked for only you. No one else has that right. To grasp that power, though, there has to be a bit of sacrifice.”

I understood.

“Give me what I need,” I demanded, and he chuckled in approval.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you of the consequences insanity brings, my son.”

My eyes snapped open; the urge to sit up was only stopped by the heavy hand on my chest forcing me to remain in place.

“Breathe, Claude.”

I hadn’t even realized I was holding my breath, and the recognition forced me to gasp for air before my limbs felt far too weak for my own good.

Relaxing against the warm chisel body that held me, all I had to do was glance up to see the man I hadn’t seen in fucking months.

“Fuck. Did I panic you into existence?” I groaned and tried to reach for the tie that was still around my neck, but he stopped me.

The touch wasn’t in the slightest way cold, though my sluggish mind was struggling to put the pieces together.

“I didn’t summon you.”

“I know you didn’t, stupid,” he huffed and rolled his eyes, his hand forcing mine to lower back onto my stomach before he trailed his up my chest until his hand lightly wrapped around the front part of my throat. “You’re dumb as fuck when you come out of these panic attacks.”

“A smart ass like me has a 180 IQ so I truly can’t believe your imaginary ass right now,” I combatted in annoyance and tried to get up but he stopped me once again. “Ugh. Tell your Kraken tentacles to let me go.”

“Do you see me wet in the slightest?” he argued, which gave me a moment to squint my eyes as I looked back up at him.

“Okay, you’re not sweating so that means your scorpion tail is keeping me captive.”

“Neither of my monster traits is keeping you captive, delusional idiot.”

“My IQ—”

“You talk so fucking much,” he grunted and shut me up with his lips that pressed roughly against mine.

I grunted in response, but my body wouldn’t let me revolt. My limbs felt like jelly as this divine man of chiseled sweetness kissed me.

I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I’d missed his intimacy tremendously. It was one thing to simply feel his and the others’ presence, but enjoying their physical touch heightened everything far too quickly.

“Why do you feel overwhelmed when I’m right here, stupid?” he grunted against my lips which I hadn’t had enough of so I claimed them once more in a sensual kiss that left him grunting. “Fuck, Claude. I can’t get horny right now.”

“Because you’ll disappear,” I muttered breathlessly. Kissing was just going to send me into another panic attack.

“Did Lucas hit your head with the handle of his gun or some shit?” he genuinely questioned as he actually looked worried for my sanity.

I just chuckled which made Khari shake his head.

“I need to fuck you senseless before you think straight,” he complained.

“I have no opposition tot that,” I noted and finally managed to sit up without him holding me back. “I’m fine. You can go check on Eloise or something.”

“She’s perfectly fine,” he voiced and his hand moved to wrap around my waist and pull me right into his lap. “You’re the one who’s either delirious or skipped taking a few pills.”

“I didn’t fuck up my pill routine,” I complained but bit my lip as I felt the hardness of his cock. “This feels far too real, though. When was the last time you visited my dreams like this?”

“You’re not dreaming, Claude.” Khari let out a long sigh. “Do I need to suck your fucking cock so you understand?”

“Maybe,” I was genuinely being honest. “Or maybe pin me to the bed, kiss me senseless, and remind me that it’s been about ten months, twenty-five days, fifteen hours, ten minutes, and five seconds since you fucked me senseless right before your plane ride to Africa that really broke my fucking heart because you were so damn far away that it fucked with my anxiety and all that mental health shit.”

“Mental health isn’t shit,” he corrected, which made me laugh.

“See. This proves you’re a damn illusion comforting—” My body was lifted not a second later before I was slammed into the silk surface of the bed.

My wrists and ankles were wrapped by tentacles, leaving me to stare in awe at the remaining four which were smaller in comparison but could still be used for a lot of things.

I was forced to take in Khari’s appearance, my eyes checking out his handsome face as his golden eyes practically glowed with fury.

I knew he wasn’t mad at me — no, he was horny as fucked matched with a pinch of anger at the idea my semi-delusional mind was arguing the truth about him not being physically present.

His black hair, which was normally cornrowed, was completely loose and hung so closely down past his shoulders that it only heightened his attractiveness.

I hadn’t told him I really loved it when he kept his hair out of braids because he’d then do it all the time and the sight felt like a privilege only our Den got to witness.

Just how I like it.

His chiseled body wasn’t short from perfection, and his six-pack matched those perfect pecs, which only reminded me how I’d always wanted to pack muscle like him but my body just couldn’t handle the vigorous activity matched with the amount of food you had to eat.

I took in every line of muscle, my tongue moving along my bottom lip as I fought to keep its dry surface wet.

Or distract me in hopes I wouldn’t dive right into enjoying this delectable meal.

His tattoos were some of my favorites because they carried tribal representations of the tribe he came from. They were normally black no matter if he was in partial or full monster form, but they currently glowed a marvelous gold, which only happened when he was physically present.

I blinked a few times, my mind repeating the last bit about the golden glow of his tribal tattoos.

As if it needed to marinate in my head before it finally clicked.

“Fuck…” I whispered and met his eyes as my cheeks immediately flushed. “You’re…here…here.”

“Yes,” he replied. “I’m here here with your crazy ass who can’t breathe through a panic attack to save his damn life.”

“Well…ya,” I admitted with a sloppy grin. “That’s why I have you.”

“Stop relying on me,” he groaned.

“Admit it. You love when I’m in need of your generous assistance.”

“I do not,” he grunted. “Putting yourself in danger of being accidentally killed by Lucas isn’t fun for me.”

“Right, right,” I brushed him off while admiring him again.

“Stop that,” he grunted.

“Stop what?” I dared to ask though my attention was focused on each of his tenacles that were far more massive than I remembered. “Did your tentacles grow bigger? How many times have you been fucking Eloise a week to get so empowered?”

The poor man was going to lose his mind over my commentary.

“I’m going to let you go and you’re going to remember to breathe,” he voiced but I smirked in defiance.

“Or you can keep me pinned so I can admire how hard your cock is in those grey joggers?” I offered.

“No.”

“No what?” I danced around what he was obviously trying to prelude to.

“We’re not fucking right now.”

“I never said that,” I reasoned.

“You’re implying it with your eyes!”

“Me? Implying sexual intercourse in the midst of Christmas Eve after having a frantic panic attack that rendered me helpless for at least five minutes so I could be saved by my Hot Chocolate Knight in shining—”

“Fuck it,” he cursed and we were kissing passionately in two seconds flat. I groaned into his mouth, and his tongue immediately darted into mine and stole all control while his groin pressed firmly against mine.

It was a good thing his tenacles were keeping me from roaming my hands all over him, or the man would be stripped down to his boxers in seven short seconds.

“Control that imagination of yours,” he moaned into my mouth, which made me chuckle and break the kiss before I tugged his bottom lip nice and slow.

“Then let go of me so we can get naked and fuck fast and hard.”

He looked like he wanted to argue but gave up on the idea as his tentacles released me and we were a mess of limbs and tossed clothes.

Having him tug that tie away and unbutton my shirt with swiftness made me so fucking hard my cock was begging to be free by the time he reached the buckle of my pants.

“Fuck, I’ve missed you,” I grunted against his lips which took mine the next moment, smothering me with a kiss so ruthless, I felt like they would burn from the intense heat we shared.

“As if we can’t fuck on the regular,” he moaned back in between kisses before he finally tugged my pants right off, leaving my boxers on purpose.

“Tease,” I growled and watched how his lips curled in approval while he pulled back just so I could take in his broad shoulders matched with his chiseled chest.

“If I wanted to tease you, I’d suck you off while keeping you spread out with my tentacles so you’d be forced to watch me leave hickeys all over that peachy white flesh of yours.”

I bit my lip as my cock twitched at the possibilities, leaving him to chuckle before he slid down his boxers enough to free his massive cock that was dripping with precum.

“Guess we’ll do that another day,” he insisted as his eyes further darkened with lust. That veiny length of his sprang to life as if it couldn’t wait to fuck me deep in the ass, but I knew he wanted to work me up.

“Unless you want this to be painful, come over here and suck me,” he encouraged, leaving me to smirk as I sat up quickly and was on my knees before him in seconds.

Grabbing his cock with ease, I went right into taking his thick rod into my hot mouth, his groan nice and loud as I felt him relax immensely.

“I forgot how hot your mouth gets when you’re horny,” he practically purred and then hissed when I began to move up and down his cock in haste. “Easy, Claude,” he growled in warning, which only told me he didn’t want to release so quickly.

Goodness, if I had the patience, I would have drawn this out to the best of my ability, but we hadn’t fucked like this in ten months, and he knew what an addiction he’d become over the years.

He was a part of the balance I needed in my life. I needed the tenderness of Eloise’s femineity that empowered my masculine side and the harsh brutality of order Kai delivered with his male supremacy.

The balance was vital for me to enjoy both worlds so I would not lose myself in the past that fought to consume me.

“That’s a good pace,” he encouraged as his body really relaxed and began to enjoy the ride my mouth was giving his length, which was so hard and ready for what was to come.

I wanted to take him right home into oblivion as if to reward him for coming straight to me — as if he knew I needed him in this prime moment.

“Fuck,” he hissed and let his head fall back, his fingers already gliding through my hair that I wasn’t sure was orange anymore. “I love how you let go and show me these sides of you,” he praised.

Only he and the Den were worthy of seeing all shades of me. Worthy of witnessing my vulnerabilities as well as the submissive part of me I didn’t dare show to the rest of the world.

This was my chance to let my guard down knowing I was in safe hands. I knew he appreciated that he was so damn important to me that I didn’t allow walls to be formed between us to protect my pride.

“Fuck, tight like that,” Kai hissed, his hips jerking forward while he further gripped my strands so I’d still my head and endure the deep thrust of his cock into the depths of my mouth. “Ya. Like that. Fucking hell. This mouth of yours will end me.”

He was in his own fucking world, fantasizing about all the things he wanted to do to me — what we’d do with Eloise between us. So many damn possibilities were blossoming through my mind, and I bet the rest of the Den could feel just how horny we were.

I hoped Yuu and Venom weren’t stuck on long flights, or they would carry boners the rest of the way to Boston because the pulsating intensity of our overflowing lust would affect them to the core.

“You ready to be blessed, Claude?” Kai growled as he proceeded to hammer into my mouth to the point his head was hitting the back of my throat.

I remained completely relaxed, knowing damn well he was about to lose it. His tenacles already had hold of me — one around my neck while the other three wrapped around my waist and thighs.

I shivered at the little ones that purposely came together to taunt my crotch, leaving me grunting while I endured Kai’s rough fucking.

“That’s it…shit, shit, fucking shit!” he cursed and began grunting wildly until his body went rigid and he gave one final thrust that hit home — his shots of hot cum going right down my throat in spurts.

He was being fucking generous by not flooding me with his cum with his tenacles out to play, which only meant this was the beginning of his heightened euphoria because this wouldn’t be deemed “over” until these silky red sheets were wet with loads of thick cum from those tenacles of his.

He pulled out just enough for bits of his release to pool in my mouth before he pulled right out.

Catching his breath, he sat back to observe the way I showed him what was pooling in my mouth, the sight making him grin seductively as his tenacles released me and danced around his massive frame.

“Swallow, Sexy,” he encouraged, and I followed his every command, swallowing what was left in a slow motion that had his eyes hooded with a new sprout of hunger.

“Now you’ve done it,” he whispered as his eyes began to shift to an eerie purple. The gold hues became nothing but thin rings around his dilated irises as seeps of blue and pink danced along the haunting purple shade. “You just have to be so fucking good at what you do.”

I sat there in wait, knowing what was going to be next.

“You better be ready for me, Claude,” Kai purred as he cracked his neck and proceeded to grip his boxers like they were but a hindrance to his legs. “I’m going to enjoy making up these last ten months.”

I can’t fucking wait.

CHAPTER 4

If Its A Show They Want, Let’s Give Them One

KHARI ASHANTI BOSEMAN

“The world only sees what you allow yourself to share. Protect your peace by cherishing what’s precious in silence. You’ll sleep better.”

— Khari Ashanti Boseman

“S ee how much your ass fucking loves my cock?” I panted heavily as I pumped into Claude’s ass in a wild frenzy. “Squeezing me like you can’t get enough. I’m not be generous enough, am I?”

The closest thing to an answer was a muffled moan since one of my Kraken tentacles was enjoying the hollow wetness of his mouth while two of them taunted his nipples.

Enough time and activity had gone on to leave us both drenched in sweat, beads of water running down our sculpted bodies while I had Claude pinned beneath me.

He looked so fucking hot with his back arched and plenty of love bites to mark the exposed surface while remnants of my nails running down his back glared angrily back at me in blistering red.

Battle scars on the brink of sexual euphoria were but an honor in the world of monsters, and the sight of them only made me want to lay more across his flesh.

I currently gripped his hips, my nails digging into his flesh as I forced his hips to further buckle into the silky sheets so I could fuck him hard and deep.

His nipples were extra sensitive from all the taunting my tentacles had delivered; their copious amount of slime only further hardened those buds as they pinched, sucked, and rubbed against them to further heighten the pleasure I was positive he was enjoying to the very core of his being.

My last main tentacle was around his cock, wrapping its body around his generous veiny length and pumping him to the same rhythm as my rapid thrusts.

We were going to reach our peak. I could feel it inching closer and closer as our moans grew louder and the connection between us only further heightened.

This sensation of lust entwining with one another from two angles was what I always aimed to achieve when I fucked Claude.

To submerge ourselves in this pleasurable sensation that created an emotional connection between us that purred so strongly, we ended up feeling like one solid unit.

It was hard as fuck to achieve, and yet it was but a challenge for me to conquer each time we had a true moment to fuck one another.

I doubted Claude knew just how much I’d missed him and the others’ company. We’d always lived away from each other for a month to six months max, but ten had really pushed it for me, especially with how things had been progressing with Eloise.

She clearly didn’t realize she was growing stronger in her Maiden abilities every day, and despite us having to be physically away from her, the frisky moments we did share in our shadowed forms were clearly heightening our bonds to a newfound level.

Shadowed selves were the best way I could describe our existence in Eloise’s life. Compared to Claude who was the leader of our Den and could be physical with Eloise, the remaining three of us could only be around Eloise in “imaginary” form.

To do that, we had to manipulate the shadows matched with the energy-thrumming atmosphere to create an illusion only she’d pick up.

Since she was truly our Maiden, the visions of us had become easy to pick up, but the intimacy we shared whether it was a kiss or as far as frisky sex on a bed, desk, counter, or even the floor, it only left us half satisfied.

It was the feeling of cumming far too fast when you put enough effort into building up the mood so you could enjoy the release of pleasure run through you for minutes versus seconds.

The entire thing was frustrating as hell, especially as sexual monsters thrived on the intense spikes of intimacy to grow stronger.

Maybe that was why Claude and I began to be intimate with one another. I couldn’t remember how long it really had been, since the years had gone by when Eloise was far too young to have such sexual fantasies with her.

Our connection sparked there to keep us at bay until Eloise reached the proper age of consent, but even as we began to further fall for our Psycho Kitten, this need to appease one another grew stronger by the weeks, to the point that we couldn’t handle not fucking each other for too long.

This was why I was so horny and needed to get all the pent-up frustration out from not having sex with Claude all this while.

Now my Claude was a victim of my beastly brutality. The animalistic need to cum overrode my calmer side that always tried to remain in control.

I was running on autopilot, needing to reach that ultimate goal of ecstasy as the pleasure continued to build and coil to the point of combustion.

“You’re going to wait for us to cum together, right, Claude?” I grunted, moving my hips even faster as I felt that final rise in pleasure. It wouldn’t be much longer, and I knew he was mere inches from his own climax.

I had to make him suffer a little — the need to witness him squirm beneath me was so fucking overwhelming, I wouldn’t dare let it pass.

The tentacle in his mouth popped out which encouraged him to gasp for air as juices from my excited tentacle ran down the sides of his mouth.

“I know you’re fucking close,” I groaned as I sank deep and pressed the back of his body against my chest.

I leaned back until I was sitting on my knees and he had no choice but to be on my lap. My tentacles took over to slide him up and down my cock as I met their lifts movements with thrusts that only further sank me into his anus.

“Khari,” Claude panted in warning, and but I knew he wouldn’t dare disappoint me. He wouldn’t want to face the consequences of a wild beast like myself.

“You’re not going to cum without me, Claude,” I grunted into his ear before tugging his bottom ear lobe.

He moaned and muttered in French, “Si, proche.”

So close.

“You’ll wait, Claude,” I snarled now as my hand gripped the front of his throat and I purposely stilled to ensure the walls of his ass were reminded what was making them quake hungrily. “Twɛn anaa tua ho ka,” I growled in my rooted language, Twi.

“Wait or you’ll pay for it.”

I turned his head enough to kiss him brutally, enjoying just how he milked my cock even though we weren’t moving. He was desperate to cum, and I was too, but I needed to have this moment of control over him.

To remind him that I was only a gentle beast because of the love I had for him, Eloise, and the rest of our close-knit Den.

Without them, I’d be no different from a beast in the wild — ready to take out anyone who was labeled my prey. There would be no such thing as sharing.

Only competition that deserved to perish by my claws.

I couldn’t stay still any longer, my tenacles already taking the lead as they lifted Claude like he didn’t weigh 180 lbs.

I was fucking him hard and fast in seconds, and his moans were getting lost in my mouth as I kissed him once more. My climax was close, so dang close, I’d only need a few more deep thrusts to send me over the edge.

I knew Claude could feel it all, anticipating the rush of pleasure that would shatter through us like a firework ignited in the highest peak of the night sky.

“K-Khari.” Claude’s voice was strained, and fuck, it that turned me on enough to give three final thrusts before sinking myself into his ass just as my tentacle snaked around his cock and squeezed just enough to send us catapulting into euphoria.

“FUCK!” I exclaimed and froze as pleasure captured me.

“AH!” Claude gasped at the same moment. The two of us were rendered into stillness as all we could do was focus on the ride of bliss that struck our entire beings.

When our highs began to dip, we collapsed into the sheet, my tentacles retreating into the depths of the shadows now that I was beyond satisfied, which left my other monster trait to come into play.

My scorpion tail wrapped possessively around Claude’s waist.

I noticed how he tensed up at the sudden form of intimacy, which led me to hug him from behind in a whisper, “Relax, Claude. You know you’re safe with me.”

That seemed to bring him back to reality, enough for his tense muscles to relax almost instantly.

Those haunting memories still kept a leash around Claude’s neck — one of the bolts of trauma he didn’t dare speak of.

I felt like he would have to eventually, to finally face his own demons that fought to steal the pleasurable relief and empowerment sex should deliver to us, but I felt like it wouldn’t be with me.

I didn’t have enough compassion to comfort him the way he needed so that his lingering wounds could finally heal, but I knew our Maiden could.

Eloise can heal all of us if she truly wished it.

We remained still for a long time, to the point that I wondered if Claude had fallen asleep. I was drifting away myself, the exhaustion of our lovemaking taking its toll on my body along with the extensive journey back to Boston.

A buzzing vibration woke me before I could slip into the arms of slumber, and the specific number of buzzing movements confirmed it was Claude’s phone.

I moved rather slowly to not actually wake him, realizing he was actually asleep. I knew he wouldn’t be gone for long, a habit of his unless he was cuddling with Eloise, which was when he slept for eons.

Taking a moment to stretch my aching limbs, I managed to find Claude’s red pants and retrieved the phone thanks to my scorpion tail.

It was one of the unique conveniences of our dual monster type. To be half of one monster trait and sharing with another that was opposite of the first elemental trait, was something very few monsters had.

Mine being the reflection of water and the dry oasis of the desert.

The phone was floating before my face before I could begin folding Claude’s pants to lay on the end of the bed, and I noticed Eloise’s text messages.

“They’re going partying,” I spoke more to myself before glancing over at the bed to see Claude’s sleeping expression. Goodness, he looked so innocent when he was asleep — reminding me of our youth before we were all pushed to take steps in embracing our designated posts of insanity.

So many thought being crazy was probably a state of the mind that held no level of responsibility, but being deemed psychos in our world was far different from your average crazy joe.

A soft ringtone entered the atmosphere, the sound immediately confirming it was my phone that was now ringing. Without much delay, I managed to find my phone and pick it before the caller hung up.

“Prince Khari speaking.”

“I apologize for the interruption.” I smirked at the familiar sound of Cobra’s voice. The background sound of clinking glasses and running faucets gave me a strong hunch he was at work.

“Hey, Cobra. Long time,” I began, my voice a bit hoarse after all that groaning and moaning. “Now should I ask how you know I’m here or would that be a waste of time, preventing you from telling me the real reason why you’re calling me and not Claude?”

“James told me Claude was busy,” Cobra confessed which made me roll my eyes. That butler knew damn well we were fucking and I was sure Cobra had a good hunch of what we were doing as well. “On a serious note, I suggest you guys come over to Den Rougé tonight,” he encouraged.

That meant there was either tea or that someone who needed to be eliminated was talking their mouths off in that popular classy bar.

We all knew it was the club only the Elites went to party and gossip, but more importantly, business shit went down there, so either you went there to get contracts signed or left there with a few dead bodies in the back of your discreet van.

As of now, I didn’t know what we’d be doing tonight.

“’Guys’ as in my entire Den?” I decided to ask.

“That would be smart,” he confessed with a knowledgeable tone that told me the man knew some deeper shit and would tell us if we weren’t on the phone.

“Claude’s going to be there anyways since Eloise is going down there with Esme,” I voiced.

“Good. I’ll keep a close eye on them. I think we’ll need to keep a very close eye seeing as everyone is talking about the masquerade of sin.”

“Good or bad?” I didn’t like the tone of his voice. It meant he was holding something back.

“Five Maidens are already dead.”

My lips dipped as my tail began picking up the remainder of our clothes that were scattered on the floor. I took a quick glance to see that my smaller tentacles were back and helping to straighten and fold the clothes like they were designer.

Well, they were branded attire but who gives a fuck when you’re hungry for cock?

“How close in between?” I wanted to know how short the intervals were between the murders.

“Thirty to forty-five minutes,” Cobra confessed. “Tonight is popping so the club doesn’t wanna shut down. People are making big transactions and bids already, especially with the news spreading regarding how many royal families are involved this year.”

“They’re going to want payback,” I assumed.

I was referring to the mafia, gangs, and motorcycle clubs who were surely anticipating the opportunity to kill the women of families in immense debt.

With the masquerade, many of these females were the family’s only shot at getting out of debt, but if they were dead, well…

The family was fucked.

“Your guess is good as mine,” he admitted.

“You think they’ll target Eloise,” I got to the point.

“I don’t think,” Cobra replied which was a strong indication that he’d overheard someone’s plans for our love. “Can Claude meet with Esme and Eloise before they arrive here?”

“Sure.” The man himself croaked and I glanced over my shoulder to see that he was awake and rubbing his eyes that were still closed.

I got distracted by all the love marks I’d left on his body, the sight already making my cock twitch which I had to tame immediately because we had bigger problems.

“I’m going to assume you won’t get distracted, correct?” Cobra spoke a little louder, which only meant he’d probably repeated himself twice.

“We’ll be there, Cobra,” Claude assured him. “Just give us a few minutes.”

I forgot how heightened Claude’s hearing was. It made sense because of his monster trait, but I couldn’t help but acknowledge it.

“Your hearing is still sharp as ever,” I muttered before addressing Cobra. “We’ll see you shortly. Thanks for the heads up.”

“Always,” Cobra replied before we exchanged goodbyes.

Claude still had his eyes closed as he sat there crossed-legged on the bed.

“Of course my hearing is sharp,” he finally answered my previous statement as a yawn escaped him. “You think gargoyles are just perched on stone platforms for show? They’re literally information centers, listening to all the bloody gossip everyone enjoys speaking about before entering a building or household.”

The comment made me smirk as I stretched my arms until they crossed behind my head.

“What about lion statues?” I inquired as I approached the bed. He waited until I reached the end of it before opened his eyes halfway. Their vivid shade of purple was now electrifyingly bright.

“They’re placed before homes and buildings to chase those who wish to challenge one’s foundation,” he revealed as he began admiring me rather obviously.

He even licked his bottom lip, as if the last hour of fucking did nothing to appease his appetite.

“Hungry again?” I dared to ask as I leaned over enough to get right in his personal space.

“Hmph,” Claude brushed me off as if he didn’t want to admit the truth. I didn’t have to look far; my eyes lowered to see his cock was already standing like I was deserving of a standing ovation for my performance.

I couldn’t help but reach out and grip his chin, forcing him to look back into my eyes before I closed the distance and kissed him long and hard.

It got to the point that neither of us wanted to pull away, but duty called and we couldn’t let Eloise or Esme fall into the path of danger.

“That psychotic side of yours always goes hiding when I’m around,” I couldn’t help but voice, which made Claude shrug just slightly while he peered into my eyes. I wasn’t sure if they were still gold, they could have been black for all I knew, but without a mirror, it would remain a mystery.

“You’re overpowering,” Claude admitted, his voice barely hitting the surface. “You know I don’t like being submissive with that side.”

“I know, Boss,” I teased and smothered him with one more kiss before letting go. “I also know you enjoy hot showers, so are we going to do that before you go party the night away?”

“You’re coming with me,” he voiced the obvious.

“I am,” I agreed. “But you know I won’t be dancing.”

The dark glint in my eyes matched with the dip in my voice made Claude grin enough to give me a peak of that crazy side.

“Find every single person who dared to think they could mess with us,” he instructed nice and low.

“And?” I dared to inquire, loving the shift in his aura that darkened with power.

“Make their worst nightmares come true,” Claude instructed as he met my gaze with one of pure authority. “Then, make them bleed. Enjoy the sounds of their screams, and when they have nothing else to contribute, wipe them off the face of the earth.”

The Boss has spoken.

“Yes, Sir,” I humbly agreed. “Anything else?”

“I want us to reveal ourselves to Eloise slowly,” he voiced with a bit of precision.

It was as if he was already planning out in his mind how we’d wheel our Queen into our world and confirm the ultimate truth of our existence in the physical limelight.

“Command it and I’ll make sure it’s done to perfection,” I assured him.

“If you can do it first, do so. She’s extra comfortable with you. I’ll reach out to Yuu and Venom.”

“They here yet?” I inquired to see if their flights had landed in Boston.

“They’re here,” Claude admitted. “They came together.”

“Oh?” I arched an eyebrow as I noticed the daze in Claude’s eyes. That meant he was checking in on both of our allied monsters, and it didn’t take long for an approving smirk to form on those swollen lips.

“I guess their plane ride was fun.”

“They were on the same plane?”

“Same plane, sitting next to each other, enjoying the generous privacy the first-class amenities deliver.”

“Don’t tell me they fucked in the damn air,” I groaned.

Yuu and Venom’s relationship was as strong as Claude and mine, though I couldn’t wrap my mind around Yuu, who was quiet yet sinister, matched with someone as mentally unstable as Venom.

Somehow it worked because their chemistry was even more dangerous.

Have them on a mission and I’d pray for our enemies’ quick ends. The torture those two would deliver could make one pray for mercy for their most hated enemy.

“I can’t blame them after what we did,” Claude acknowledged. “Fuck. I’m gonna need a drink.”

“Whisky on the rocks before or after showering?” I offered.

“After,” he grumbled as his hand went through his short strands — and the color literally shifted from blue to orange. “I’ll need it to calm down.”

“After I fuck you against the steamy glass of the shower,” I summed up. “Got it.”

He gave me a “you better not” look but I simply whistled and spun around. “Meet you there, Sexy Prince.”

“Such a wild beast,” he grumbled but I could sense his hidden excitement which made me chuckle darkly as I already began to envision what I’d do to him beneath the stream of sizzling water.

A quick, empowering fuck to awaken the true beast who’s starving for a good hunt.

CHAPTER 5

Protecting An Unknown Future

ELOISE GENEVIEVE

“Life is like flipping a coin. You’re either destined to win or fated to lose. So say a little prayer and fight to survive for losing sucks balls and no one has time for that.”

— Eloise Genevieve

“H APPY BIRTHDAY, BITCH!” I squealed in delight at my bestie from what felt like across the room.

I swore I wasn’t that far from where Esmeralda and Claude stood, watching my dancing booty move through the dance floor effortlessly, but I guessed alcohol made things look further away or something.

I could also be drunk but I wasn’t going to accept that just yet.

Den Rogué was popping tonight, the elites out and about trying to snag deals before the strike of midnight. I was sure it was extra busy with the announcement of the approaching masquerade, but I didn’t want to spend time thinking about that right now.

Tonight was all about living it up.

I hoped that meant having a good time with Claude because he was looking extra hot tonight. It could have been the alcohol or maybe it was the gorgeous purple suit he was wearing.

His jacket was in the car since we all knew anything with a bar and dance floor was going to be hot as fuck.

He was currently glaring the shit out of any man who dared approach his little sister, which was funny as fuck because none of these testosterone-filled fuckers carried big cock energy.

If a mere scowl could shoo them away, I had a strong feeling they wouldn’t satisfy my bestie in the bedroom anyways.

As a supportive best friend, it only made sense to alert my scowling man to continue to guard my favorite gal in the world from useless men.

No man bothered to approach me, and I wondered if it was because of the vibe in the air. I had a strong feeling that one of my monsters were around, though I couldn’t quite tell if it was Yuu or Kai.

They always blended so nicely when I was in public, as if they didn’t want to distract me or contribute to the generous commentary about how psychotic I was at public events.

I was sure those standing in the corners of the elite club were waiting for some sort of moment of lucidity to come my way. The dose of drama and gossip would appease them until drama from the masquerade surely came to light.

I wouldn’t fall into their cage of entertainment so easily, especially when I was in this state of not giving a fuck.

The music began to change, shifting into a slow grind melody that would make one want to lose themself to the sensual rhythm. It reminded me of a serenade, one that was soft but loud enough to draw you into its captivity.

My nose caught onto a taunting cologne, encouraging me to spin around to see Claude’s warded approach. It was like his mere presence commanded everyone in his path to move to the sides almost unconsciously while his eyes were solely on me.

I couldn’t pull my eyes away from him, my stomach tumbling like a gold medalist acrobat while my cheeks felt extra flushed, which could have been the alcohol brewing through my system.

It honestly felt like we were two teenagers at prom who hadn’t yet confessed their feelings for one another meeting right in the center of the dancefloor.

I’d bet it was surely amusing to someone like Esme, who was witnessing our confrontation but knew damn well we’d already been intimate enough to be deemed lovers even though we were acting like shy high schoolers.

“Missed me?” Claude inquired with a welcoming smirk, the sight making his dazzling eyes twinkle in the dimly lit dance floor with its flashing lights.

“A little,” I dared to admit, my arms now wrapped around his neck while he easily pulled me against him. I was tempted to kiss him here and now as the sudden sexual tension between us reminded me of our garden fling earlier. “You owe me lingerie!”

“Do I?” He tried to feign innocence but leaned over to whisper in my ear, “You should have a whole color collection at your place by now.”

“Really?” I was sure I sounded far too excited.

“Ya,” he assured me as his eyes were now boring into mine before they lowered to my lips. The temptation to kiss me was as clear as day, yet he tried to remain resistant.

The sudden shift in the air was caught by both of us — and our eyes immediately found the culprit, a tall Korean man who came into view with two guards at his sides.

He looked amazing, his presence easily commanding the room to look at him as he gave off royal vibes. He had to be on the higher end of the hierarchy spectrum because his attire alone screamed traditional king ready to take over the world.

I still didn’t know enough about the masquerade, but I could only assume he was here in Boston for this sudden event that would certainly invite many rich royals from far and wide.

“He’s a monster,” Claude whispered to me as if I didn’t know who this man was. I was sure there were spies among us, many wanting to know whom we knew and whom we didn’t have a clue about, which was why I had to play along.

“Really?” I replied. “Like in bed or?”

“He has to be a part of the Yakuza or some sort of Korean gang,” Claude admitted but his voice was as quiet as ever compared to the music that still pounded through the bar.

“Well, he’s kind of approaching Esme over there,” I voiced the obvious because the man seriously was making a beeline straight to Esmeralda, who looked just as captivated by the man’s entrance as everyone else.

He remained silent, which left me wondering if he’d malfunctioned or something, but his eyes were observing the new arrival as if he couldn’t determine if it was worth interfering with Esme’s confrontation with this new arrival or not.

“Claude?”

His eyes met mine, and the two of us stared for a long moment before I felt like I understood why he was remaining silent.

He doesn’t want to give away our relation to him.

“I think their conversation is over,” Claude finally said as his hand slid into mine. He tugged me along, and the two of us easily returned to Esme’s side before she could blink out of her own daze.

If lovestruck had a mascot, Esme was now the leading actress for such a grand role.

“Esme?” Claude called out to his little sister, and she remained completely lost in her thoughts as she stared at the path her new Korean acquaintance had just taken.

Claude resorted to waving his hand in front of her face, but it barely pulled her out of it.

“She malfunctioned,” I sang happily, knowing this was my cue to try to entertain those who were clearly observing for their own personal intel. “It’s love at first sight!”

“How about no,” Claude groaned. “Bitch! Snap out of—OOF!” Esme’s elbow moved swiftly, hitting Claude in the gut which had him bent over, groaning at the sudden move.

I had to fight not to laugh at him.

“See. You earned that,” I concluded like it truly was a fact. “I told you. Only girls can get away with calling their friends bitch. When guys do it, it’s an insult that deserves an ass whooping. Since you’re her brother, though, an elbow to your gut will suffice.”

I looked at Esme, only to witness her emerald eyes go wide in shock before she was grabbing my shoulders and shaking me for dear life.

“Fuck! Eloise! Please tell me that Korean man of hot goodness was real.”

I grinned evilly and was rewarded with gibberish as Esme couldn’t even conjure proper sentence structure. I was a laughing mess, loving how despite her loss in memories, she was having the same reaction to one of the men she’d actually known since the age of ten.

Having to act like I know nothing is the hardest part of all of this.

“Don’t actually malfunction, dammit,” I teased and lightly patted her cheeks. “Yes! That handsome fucker was real. Now, who is he? Do you know him?”

Do you remember this man who’s madly in love with you, along with the remaining four men who are equally desperate for you?

“No,” she confessed. “We just locked eyes when he entered and well, he was in front of me before I knew it.”

I glanced over to Claude, the two of us sharing a quick look before I continued playing my role.

“You didn’t stop him?!” I ended up saying it at the same time as Esme. I knew the true reason why Claude didn’t stop him, but his lack of interference only proved he hadn’t felt the same need to stop the tall, overpowering man from approaching his little sister.

Claude actually wasn’t paying attention to us, his eyes scanning his surroundings which only told me could be sensing something — or someone — nearby that didn’t have the best intentions for us.

“If you want my honest opinion, he seemed like he could handle you,” Claude finally answered, which left us staring back at him in shock.

“Are you trying to say that a man who looks like he’s a part of the Yakuza or whatever foreign organization associated with the mafia can handle OUR Esme? Like, are you hearing yourself or is the alcohol finally getting to you?” I stressed.

He huffed in reply but his expression was loud and clear.

“I’m dead serious. He can handle Esméralda.”

“Is that your way of giving me permission to hunt him down and ride his pony?” Esme asked in surprise.

We groaned at her excitement before Claude shook his head.

“I don’t want to know the fine details of your sex life.”

“Says the guy who wanted to glare at my pussy so it would tame itself,” Esme tossed back, which was funny as fuck and had me snickering.

“What kind of incest conversation are we having right now?”

“No,” they groaned together and added, “We’re not into each other like that.”

“I know,” I hummed in delight because I really did know they wouldn’t be together in that sense — ever. “That doesn’t mean I won’t stop teasing y’all now that you’re officially siblings.”

She’d explained the conversation she’d had with her father when I picked her up with Claude in regards to them being official siblings now thanks to the masquerade mess.

As if I didn’t know the truth.

“Right,” Esme commented. “We gotta celebrate that as well.”

“Truth,” Claude agreed. “After we drink some more, eat, and dance a bit, we’ll see if Esme still remembers that guy.”

“Talon,” Esme corrected.

We looked her way out of shock not because we didn’t know who he was, but because the way she said it was as if she truly knew who this man really was.

That she knew Talon Jeong-Ho was actually one of the monsters in her Den.

Our shock made her nervous as she glanced between us.

“What?” she questioned. “Do you know who he is?”

Claude purposely leaned in so his voice would only reach our ears.

“He’s a Korean prince visiting America for a bit. He doesn’t really look it but his family owns a bunch of businesses—including cosmetics and other high-end branded companies. If he’s here, it has to be for businesses.”

“Intriguing,” Esme replied. “Well, he’s gone now. I guess I won’t get to ride his pony.”

“The fact that you’re disappointed when he should be giving you total ‘stranger-danger’ vibes concerns me,” I noted but moved to slide an arm over her shoulder before doing the same with Claude. “But who gives a fuck! Let’s drink some more and get some warm snacks. The club isn’t closing till 3 a.m. and I want to be so drunk I won’t remember my damn name by the end of it!”

“Meaning I’ll be the one to drive you home,” Claude concluded but didn’t seem annoyed by the idea. If he did drive me home, that would mean we’d fuck the rest of the night, and I wasn’t going to say no to that one.

“Yup!” I cheered and leaned closer into his side to whisper, “And you can stay over.”

“I know that’s what you want,” Claude replied, and the two of us sharing an intimate look that screamed ‘let’s go fuck now’ but we knew that we couldn’t abandon Esme after that interaction she’d just had with Talon.

We have to see where it goes and hope something blossoms tonight in our favor.

My monsters may not be here physically, but if I could help set up Esmeralda so she could be united with hers, that would bring me the same amount of happiness.

Cause that’s what best friends do.

“Bitch! It’s time to party,” I called out to Esme, who seemed to be in a moment of daze. I bet she was feeling some sort of nostalgic feeling, and I hoped she was so she wouldn’t just let go of whatever emotions were brewing at the sight of Talon.

“You’re right,” Esme cheered. “Let’s party hard!”

I smiled and glanced back at Claude, noticing he was looking elsewhere. Following his gaze, I noticed a set of red eyes that disappeared within the shadows of the crowd, leaving me to frown just slightly as my eyes narrowed.

I guess things are going to get interesting tonight.

CHAPTER 6

Midnight Killing Surrounded By My Monsters: Part One

ELOISE GENEVIEVE

“Sometimes one must act a fool to lure their prey exactly where they want to.”

— Eloise Genevieve

“I ’m going to get some air,” I whispered into Claude’s ear as I forced myself to peel off of him.

You never really know how tedious it was to separate yourself from a man you’re madly in love with until your Maiden senses tingle and you need to leave before the elite club you’re having a good time in gets cloaked with shadows and hungry monsters.

I didn’t go far before Claude’s arm hooked around my waist, forcing me to return to him before he kissed me hungrily.

“I only just got here,” he grunted against my lips, and I smirked while further opening my eyes to see the darkened hues of possessiveness in his.

“I know, evil Claude, but your Maiden needs air unless you want me perfuming darkness through this club so fast that we become the talk of Christmas day as Elite Officers come rushing in to arrest us newly made criminals for the deaths of hundreds of innocent humans,” I summed up, hoping he’d understand that I really needed to separate myself from him.

I could tell from the way he grinned that he would totally risk me killing a bunch of people and becoming a criminal. In fact, he’d encourage it so we could become villains and go on the run.

I guess that’s more exciting than what Boston has offered us over the years.

“Not everyone is innocent here,” he pointed out the obvious as his lips trailed along my cheek until he was kissing the side of my neck.

He knew how to make me melt into his arms. My legs literally felt like jelly while he continued to nip and suck at my sweaty flesh.

“Claude,” I quietly moaned, knowing no one else would really hear us over the booming music. “I’d like to enter the new year as a free woman and not on the run.”

“Mhmm.” He obviously didn’t care. He’d live on the edge if it meant he got to be with me all the time.

“Oh look. A guy is hitting on Esme.”

That had him off me and glaring into the crowd opposite of us — leaving me the grand chance to slip into through the crowd and head down a hall that led to the bar.

I easily maneuvered my way into the “Staff Only” hallway. My eyes immediately landed on the tall, pale man with sickly green hair. The tips held hints of blue while there were small tinsel strands of white.

His attire was business casual which gave me immediately bartender vibes, but I knew from one look who it was.

“Look what you did!” he whined and lifted his eyes for me to see those pure white spheres. It took a second before his pupils returned, revealing black eyes that I knew could change to any color he needed to, depending on the occasion. “You’ve let a madly-in-love psycho on the loose.”

“If he wanted to find me, he could,” I voiced with a welcoming smile as I approached. “But you wouldn’t let him find me so easily, now would you, Cobra?”

Cobra. One of the four butlers who serviced the Belleroses, Françoises, and Genevieves.

“Hearing you say my actual name is weird as fuck,” he commented as he leaned away from the wall to stand at his full height just as I reached him.

With a slight bow of his head, he smiled my way.

“Good evening, Princess Genevieve.”

“Ugh.” I rolled my eyes. “Everyone and their formalities. You’re worse than my entire family.”

He laughed.

“I’m assuming you’ve heard the news?”

“Aside from my bestie being invited to participate in the masquerade and her newly announced brother, who is my boyfriend depending on the day of the week, being forced to be an Observer? I’m aware.”

He gave me a taunting look before he answered. “No. There’s more to that,” he confessed. “Which means you should probably get in contact with your mother or father.”

I frowned at the news, but if Cobra was encouraging me to contact either of them, that meant they were at least still alive.

“I’ll do that while I get some air,” I assured him.

“Afraid of cloaking this whole place with darkness?”

“Oh, trust me. I’m not afraid,” I countered. “I’m absolutely terrified I’m going to become the uncontrollable Maiden who’s slyly trying to aid her bestie to find a mate with the members of her Den that she has no clue about because she can’t remember any of it.”

He gave me a sympathetic smile, his gaze softening as he reached out to gently squeeze my shoulder.

“Your and Antionette’s resilience is honorable.” His voice barely hit the air. “When Esmeralda finishes initiation, she’ll be grateful to you both.”

“Well, that’s if she and Antionette manage to survive the masquerade.”

“You have no doubt in your mind that Esme will pass the masquerade,” he voiced the obvious. “As for Antionette, we know just how dangerous she can be.”

“Ya. Dangerous in bed as everyone likes to mock her about,” I complained and shook my head. “That seems to be the usual talk around here, especially tonight with the news she’ll also be participating on the Bellerose’s behalf.”

“Your disdain of the whole thing is oozing in your aura,” he pointed out with a sly grin. “Do you want to let your frustration out now while I have this hall secure?”

I actually thought about it.

“Only if you’ll let me pay a therapist fee,” I reasoned.

That had him laughing long and hard as he shook his head.

“Jeanne keeps telling me I should become a therapist. I’d not only get the tea, but I’d most certainly help a few people keep their mind straight from all the madness that happens in the dark corners of Boston.”

“I don’t think anyone can keep their minds out of the gutter when so many are desperate for power,” I voiced the obvious as I sighed and turned away to lean my back against the wall of the hall.

He followed my movement, and the two of us were silent for a long moment before I let out the breath I’d been holding.

“I’m just feeling a tad overwhelmed.”

“Because we’re getting closer to our ultimate goal?” he suggested as he peered over at me.

“Yes. Closer to the grand prize. To finalize the alliance and bonds with our monsters. I know you and the other butlers have been aware of our motives for years now and make sure those who find out don’t try to pull a surprise on any of our Dens, but maybe that’s not what I fear.”

“You fear you won’t physically meet your monsters in time to be claimed,” he hit the hammer on the nail precisely.

“I need all four of their claim marks, Cobra,” I reminded him as if he wasn’t aware of how the Maiden and Den process worked.

My hand reached for the center of my chest, the glowing mark of purple slightly shimmering to life as my energy rushed to make the outlines of the rose mark visible.

It had been a while since I’d gotten to acknowledge the incomplete mark.

Cobra whistled as he admired the mark that continued to shimmer a twinkling purple.

“Knowing Claude would never let any of the other monsters claim you first, I’m going to assume he started that.”

I rolled my eyes but he was right.

“Yes. Of course, he did.” I sounded like I was complaining but I really was grateful he’d initiated when he had.

Back in that moment, my emotions were spiraling out of control and the dark thoughts from the realms of darkness we Maidens used to draw power from were inches from stealing my sanity entirely if he hadn’t reassured me the only way he knew how.

“I’m also going to assume you needed it more than he did,” Cobra acknowledged as he eyed me carefully.

I held off answering immediately as I stared at our feet — my finger still trailing over the mark.

“I was borderline suicidal.” Admitting it was still hard, even after two years. “The stress at home with my parents who don’t understand the depths of the mission we were undergoing and the maids and various workers who come in and out of the home… Then the news outlets made me into some sort of crazy bitch with 99 invisible problems that the rest of the world couldn’t relate to and Esme finally told me the details involving Luke. I don’t know. I felt like a fucking failure. My best friend was secretly a victim because she had no clue what was really happening in her life when she was literally the center of our focus, and my mother was constantly disappointed because of all the articles. Father tried to support me in his own way, but it just wasn’t enough, and Claude was recovering from an episode which left me feeling…”

“Alone,” Cobra finished and bobbed his head as if he truly understood what I was going through. “I always used to say that out of the three Maidens, your initiation test seemed like the most challenging.”

I laughed at that.

“Not sure about that,” I reasoned.

“Think about it,” Cobra suggested. “One Maiden doesn’t remember what she once was. She is oblivious to the truth and is protected by those who love her dearly without her realizing it. Not to diminish the struggles she’s gone through since she was ten, but when she finally regains her memories, she’ll most likely be the strongest of the three of you with all that energy stored from her growing intimacy with her monsters in her dreams.”

He paused to lift his head up and look at the light above us.

“Then there’s Antionette, who has to play the role of villain. It’s hard in its own way, but realistically, she gets to play someone we all know she really isn’t. It’s a role that she can turn on and off when she needs to. She ignores all the hate and gossip  associated with who she portrays versus who she is, which probably helps her really separate the two versions of herself. I’m sure her monsters are aware and are there to help her do the dirty work, so despite the heaviness such a position can bring, I’m certain her nest of monsters supports her enough to help her to get by.”

He glanced over to me once more, and I met his gaze with curiosity.

“Then there’s what you deal with. A Maiden with the sight to see the monsters she’s bonded to, to feel the pleasure they deliver and their presence, but the rest of the world can’t witness what you do. They don’t see the four men that have made such a strong ident in your life and wellbeing, and you can’t hold back from getting lost in conversation or the intimate moments you share with your monsters every time because as a Maiden, your duty is to satisfy their hunger just as they satisfy your body’s thirst for power. You balance your den perfectly and yet you’re forced to be deemed something you’re not because no one can see what you do. Plus, very few know the truth of what you’re going through, so where do you acquire support from when you physically need someone present to comfort you? Aside from Claude, there are not many options, are there?”

“There aren’t,” I admitted with a sad smile. “Not to say Claude hasn’t gone above and beyond to ensure my needs are met and I’m busy and distracted, but there are days where I need the space so I’m not basically the center of his entire existence. Any sane person would get tired of babysitting me, even if Claude deeply loves me.”

I sighed and rested my head back against the wall.

“Maybe you’re right. My initiation task is the hardest, but I know it’s about to come to an end. This masquerade of sin will change everything.” Closing my eyes, I took a deep inhale and let it out. “The other thing that worries me, even more, is that my father has a lot of enemies. Many of them would love to get payback the best way they know how.”

“By killing you,” he acknowledged. “Too bad you’re hard to kill.”

“When my Monsters are around, yes.”

“Claude alone frightens them away,” Cobra acknowledged with a smirk. “Though, you can handle yourself just fine.”

“With a blindfold and in the depths of a conjured shadow realm,” I voiced, referencing one of the unique capabilities Maidens could ignite when threatened.

It was one of the reasons why I’d ditched Claude to get some air.

He didn’t make me feel threatened — not in the slightest — but intense fear or intense lust could trigger a Maiden into projecting the darkness that seeped through the room and could bring people into the realms of a dreamless void.

Which could potentially lead to their demise if my monsters were hungry enough.

That was why a Maiden had to keep her men appeased with her energy. Whether it was physical, emotional, or the strongest way —sexual — it lessened the chance of mass murders from starving monsters desperate to feed.

“You have to wear a blindfold, huh?” Cobra sounded intrigued.

“It heightens my other senses,” I admitted with a smile. “Claude thinks it’s hot. Khari always makes fun of me for looking like that classic Daredevil but the female version. Venom just likes doing sinful things to me when I have it on.”

“And Yuu?” he inquired.

“He’s a mix of all three,” I summed up.

“Cute,” he commented with a wide grin. “You’ll be okay, Eloise.”

I stared at him for a long moment before I slowly nodded.

“Thanks, Cobra.”

“Anytime, Princess.”

“Ugh. Don’t start that again,” I complained and listened to his soft chuckle before he slipped his hands into his pockets.

“Go call your parents and enjoy some air,” he encouraged. “Also, a little birdy told me a nice ride was stolen from the parking garage tonight.”

Oh?

All I had to do was slowly stare at him to see the dancing amusement in his eyes that were shifting to white.

“They couldn’t see anything on the cameras so the thief got away with a really pretty gal. 2000 classic Camaro, decked out with some nice exterior designs. Probably purrs like a dragon being 84 years old, but you know any car still existing before the year 2025 is impossible to get these days.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to locate then?” I noted.

“It would be,” he agreed. “Unless a certain tattooed prince with purple hair replicated that unique gift of his.”

Yun Jung?

“Why would this person specifically use such a gift to get such a car?” I suspiciously inquired.

“Who knows,” Cobra practically sang the words as he pushed away from the wall and began walking in the opposite direction of where I stood. “But I heard he’s madly in love with his girlfriend who’s a car collector.”

He came to a stop at the end of the hall, turning his head to stare my way.

“Maybe he wishes to replicate it so his girl can enjoy the full extent of such a rare car while maintaining the true one in the safety of her garage.” He looked away and shrugged. “Who knows.”

I sensed the amusement in the last part, proving he’d blessed me with far more information than I could ask for.

“My break is over so back to work I go,” he announced. “Good luck with everything, Eloise. Hope to see you again before the new year.”

With that, he was gone, leaving me with a potential game plan as to how tonight would go down.

I best I call my parents.

CHAPTER 7

Midnight Killing Surrounded By My Monsters: Part Two

ELOISE GENEVIEVE

“Holding back the truth does no one any favors. Either you give the person a chance to face the inevitable or watch their world crumble from your dishonesty.”

— Eloise Genevieve

“S o…I’m participating in the masquerade and you didn’t inform me earlier because?” My tone was flat and maybe I did sound a bit mad, but deep down, I was hoping this would happen.

But I wish to be told personally and not overhear it on my way for air.

“I was going to inform you when you returned for dinner but you never came back,” Mother whined as if it truly wasn’t her fault for the lack of information.

“Something came up with Claude,” I voiced. “However, I didn’t want to hear about Father fucking up a bet at the casino and throwing us into a massive hole of debt from an outsider who enjoys mocking the Genevieves, who have a mentally ill daughter who’s the heir of their empire and is going to be forced to participate in the masquerade.”

That part did sting because it was unexpected.

For strangers who knew nothing about me to laugh and belittle my chance of survival because of their perception of who I was and what I was capable of was honestly insulting.

“Oh dear, Eloise. I’m sorry. You know none of this was our intention. You should talk to your father. He must feel guilty about all of this.”

“I’ll do that,” I voiced. “I’m hanging up.”

“Eloise, wait.”

I paused in hanging up, giving her the chance to say whatever she wished.

“Over dinner, I had one of my dear friends recommend me a really good doctor. He’s a bit far, seeing as he’s outside of Boston in Vermont, but he’s one of the best in America and is willing to give us an opening in the new year for some treatment.”

My silence alone was clearly making her more nervous, so she went rambling on as if what she was talking about hadn’t truly hurt my feelings.

“I know the pills and medication recently prescribed either give you nightmares or had a shit ton of side effects that are crippling in nature, but my friend guaranteed me that this man uses natural substances and they work in eliminating hallucination and delusions and ease the mind to a state of calm. I obviously need to ask James to do some extra research on it and discuss it with your father, but I think it would be a good tria—”

“No, Mother.” I cut her off with my decision. “If I wanted to eliminate hallucinations and delusions and put my frantic mind at ease, I could smoke a joint with Claude and Esme and call it a day.”

“Nonsense. You aren’t a druggy,” she whined and I really had to roll my eyes.

“Oh, so because I’m taking brand new drugs probably not tested in a facility from some known doctor with a good reputation in Vermont, that means I’m not a druggy dependent on some concoction shit, but if I smoke cannabis, I’m a druggy which will make you look bad before your rich peers, who by the way, probably wouldn’t want to speak to you now that they know we’re poor and have been forced to participate in the masquerade.”

“T-That’s not true,” she whined.

“Oh really? Go call them back. I dare you to call everyone that came to your business party tonight and see if they’ll even pick up the phone. Seems like everyone knows about it now, so let’s see their true colors. If they’re really friends or just in your life because our family is rich and has a good enough reputation that anyone would fight to be our best buddies.”

“E-Eloise.”

“I’m hanging up first.” I didn’t wait for her to reply before I truly hung up the phone. “Fucking hell. I’m surrounded by fake assholes who have the nerve to enter our household and convince my mother that her only child needs fucking therapy from a doctor in Vermont. If I really wanted therapy, my ass could have booked a ticket to Dubai or the Netherlands and gotten the richest doctor to hook me up and rid me of all my imaginary problems.”

It really sounds preposterous, which was why I laughed like a fucking lunatic.

“Days like these I really hate being a Maiden…” I muttered as I sighed and hung my head low.

The disappointment weighing me down was making tonight turn into a not-so-fun Christmas Eve. I was sure Esme had found Talon at some point and I was keeping my fingers crossed they decided to hook up and were enjoying a bunch of hot positions in bed with Talon’s tails — that had names.

She had to be enjoying the night compared to me, hiding away in a dark alleyway while Claude was probably giving me space so I’d calm my Maiden hormones to keep from going insane.

It was rather frustrating to go above and beyond to protect so many people and yet still be deemed incapable of taking care of yourself. It really was insulting, because I was doing something most had no idea was vitally important in our world of Dens and monsters.

People who truly had gotten a glimpse of our world would praise me for my commitment, but when was that day going to arrive?

My vision began to blur and I blinked my eyes with hopes of holding back the tears that threatened to fall.

It’s fine. I’m almost at the finish line.

“You’ve never been the type to cry.”

A hand gently gripped my chin, lifting my head up so I had no choice but to peer into the eyes of the older man who stood before me.

My eyes widened as I realized who it was.

“When you do cry, it means you’re at your limit and would love a helping hand.”

“Papa?” I blinked a few times to ensure he wasn’t a sudden illusion I’d created out of misery.

It was completely unexpected to see him here. My eyes widened to take in his tousled blonde locks that were off to the left side while his blue eyes that matched mine carried immense pride.

He wore a white suit, and his tie and dress shoes were a matching lavender. With a gold cane with a roaring dragon to grip, he definitely dressed like a man who wasn’t facing looming bankruptcy.

A mere side glance proved that guards were at the end of the alleyway and a dark purple G-wagon sat waiting for him with the driver in a white suit waiting patiently next to the back passenger door.

“Why…why are you here?” I really didn’t understand why he’d come all the way to find me.

“Well, you weren’t at dinner,” he admitted. “I wished to discuss something privately with you before you went out for the night, but James informed me you’d most likely be out for the majority of the night.”

He smiled as he wiped away a tear that escaped my left eye.

“I figured this news would be best to tell you in person, so I sought to find you where I assumed you, Esmeralda, and Claude would be enjoying the night. Den Rogué seemed like the most appropriate place to start at,” he confessed. “Though, your mother called me when we got here explaining that you’d already heard the news.”

He didn’t hide his disappointment as a sad expression swarmed the lines of his face.

“It’s not participating in the masquerade that has me upset, Father,” I confessed and tried to smile, but I knew it wouldn’t show in my eyes.

“I know, Darling.” His eyes showed that he knew much more than he was alluding to, leaving me to wonder how much he knew about the situation I was in. “I wanted to personally come and remind you that I’m here for you. That you have my support. Even in things I may not be aware of.”

He has to know something…

“I have a question, Papa.” I just had to know. “Did you lose the gamble on purpose?”

I made sure the proposed question was simply between us, knowing this was a place where people enjoyed getting any form of gossip and selling it for loads of money for their own benefit.

“Me? Lose on purpose?” he gasped in horror. “I would never. It was simply a mess up. One too many on-the-rock drinks.”

And he’s certainly lying.

He reached out to squeeze my shoulder before patting it four times. “Hopefully, my sweet Eloise will do better than me. You seem to always get out of sticky situations.”

He pulled away and turned with the intention of leaving.

“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me. I may not have as many assets and connections available with the announcement of our family’s participation in the masquerade, but I have emergency funds in place for sudden situations like these that don’t fall in our favor.”

“Papa,” I whispered. “Thank you.”

“Now stop worrying out here and go back inside to enjoy the night. I’m sure Claude is looking for you,” he encouraged and quietly added, “I’m sure I saw one of those fancy sports cars of yours nearby. You didn’t tell me one of those men of yours was in town.”

I frowned at his words, just as he glanced over his shoulder to give me a look that screamed “I know something you don’t.”

“I noticed because the man had long purple hair. You know that color is such a tedious shade to keep vibrant. I guess he’s trying to surprise you.”

He looked away.

“Share with him and the others my greetings.”

Before I could comment, he was walking down the alleyway. His bodyguards bowed in acknowledgment before they swiftly moved to the car.

The driver proceeded to open the door for Papa, and with one final unified bow from the three staff, they were inside the car and driving away.

“He knows…” I dared to say the words out loud, completely shocked that my Papa potentially knew about the monster world of Dens and Maidens.

Did he actually lose his gamble knowing I’m a Maiden and need to bond with my designated monsters to complete my initiation and reveal their true existence?

I was shedding tears in seconds at the possibility — how such an internal request to be supported was answered so promptly.

I took a few breaths, closing my eyes and composing myself, knowing Claude would destroy this place if he saw me shed a damn tear.

Heck. He’d summon Yuu, Kai, and Venom and they would destroy it together for shits and giggles. Make our Psycho Queen cry? How dare you and this establishment still exist?

It was funny to think about, enough to make me giggle as a sweet smirk formed on my red lips.

“You’re gonna be okay, Eloise,” I told myself. “We’re almost there.”

I took one more deep inhale and let it out slowly while closing my eyes. A cold breeze passed by which carried the scent of whisky.

And mint…

“If your intention was to try not to be noticed, you failed when you tossed that piece of mint candy into your mouth.”

My words ignited another wave of frost to enter the alleyway, causing goosebumps across my arms but not frightening me in the slightest.

I’d expected something like this and was even surprised it took this long to initiate something against me when the word of my participation in the masquerade was spreading just as fast as Esmeralda’s.

When no one replied, all I could do was shake my head.

“You don’t have the balls to confront me but you do have the audacity to eat mint like we’re actually going to have a conversation,” I whined. “Grow some balls the next time you want to jump someone.”

I turned away, inches from the door when my whole body felt like bolts of shockwaves were running through it — the paralyzing pain managing to get a squeak out of me before I was panting against the wall — for dramatics, of course.

“Shit. Boss warned me that tasing wouldn’t knock you right out, but I never thought it would be true,” a man hissed. “No worries. Nothing another round of shocking force can’t fix.”

The glee in his voice was rather insulting, just like this whole situation that had clearly been planned to challenge me, Eloise Genevieve.

Another round of shocking force went through me in the next seconds, but instead of collapsing to the crippling pressure, I slowly straightened my posture until I was standing perfectly even as the tasing bolts of energy continued to pulse through me.

“W-W-What in heaven’s name?” The fear already oozing off this man’s voice encouraged me to look back to see his quivering frame.

He wore all black, a simple ski mask over his head to protect his apparent identity even though dark green spheres peaked out of the eye holes of the knitted attire.

His eyes then shifted to black and grew wide with horror as if he really couldn’t fathom what was happening before him. I bet he thought this was some sort of horror movie, but if he was frightened now, I could only imagine what he’d feel when he endured what I had planned for him.

It’s about time I play around with my Maiden capabilities. Don’t want to be too rusty for the masquerade.

“You really are stupid trying to take me out on your own,” I voiced just as the taser seemed to short-circuit on itself.

The man shrieked and tossed the device to the floor — the yellow item beginning to shock itself until steams of smoke lifted from its electric ends until the whole thing burst into flames.

“Now did you really have enough confidence to come face me alone?” I sweetly pondered while I purposely turned around to face him as the sky above began to cloud over.

“I-I…don’t fucking move,” he stuttered as he pulled out a gun and aimed it directly at my chest. “The moment I pull this trigger, you’re dead. My backup should be here any moment now.”

“Right…” I trailed off as I glanced up to see the alleyway getting darker and darker by the second. “I feel like it would have been smarter to wait for them instead of making a solo move.”

“Shut up!” He tried to seem all scary and motivated as he approached me slowly — his gun moving from pointing to my chest to my forehead. “My Boss has been hungry to get rid of you. Your father disgraced him and stole his fortune! Finally, he’s going to get his revenge.”

“Don’t think you’re getting that by killing me,” I voiced the obvious. “But hey. Choose your poison.”

He tried to push me against the wall a few steps behind me, but I managed to keep my stance, which surprised him based on how his eyes widened.

“To the wall, cunt!”

“Now, now. Be respectful,” I countered. “You’re dealing with precious goods that won’t be so precious if not handled with care. You need me alive to be useful so if you think killing me is going to get you anywhere, it’s not.” I pointed out the facts.

“You won’t be talking like that when my boys get here,” he snarled as he got right in my face to grin proudly. “They’re pretty good at silencing our prey real quick.”

The lust twinkling in his eyes matched by the way he licked his lips made me cringe.

“Sorry, buddy. I’m taken by a set of monsters you really wouldn’t want to meet.” I didn’t mean to break his sexual dreams, but I wasn’t going to be a victim of circumstance.

“You’re acting as if you don’t have a barrel pressed against your forehead.”

“And you act as if you don’t know the reputation I carry,” I countered just as I sweetly grinned. “You were hiding in the shadows for a while, long before my Papa Dearest even arrived here to speak to me, which was why he couldn’t be very open with our discussion,” I revealed.

The surprise began to seep into his expression, which only made my smile further spread while I arched an eyebrow and let my voice dip from sweet to taunting.

“Did you really think the King of Gambling wouldn’t sense your presence? The men here are always so foolish and cocky in their desperate need to be some sort of badass that they forget who really runs these streets.”

I shook my head just slightly, the gun making it rather tricky to do a full-motion movement.

I could barely see his face now as the darkness really settled into the narrow alleyway, making the poor man nervous as hell as he quickly glanced around.

“My boys—”

“Are dead.” I got to the point. “My dad took their bodies in the back of his G-wagon. That’s the only reason why he’d bring such a massive car in the midst of the night on Christmas Eve. If he really wanted to show off, he has plenty of classic antiques he could have driven down here to flaunt.”

“You’re lying,” he snapped.

“Because I like to waste my time?” I questioned in disgust. “Sorry, but I’d rather be riding my Korean boyfriend’s cock. He’s apparently nearby with a stolen car I’d love to test drive rather than be here with the likes of you, a scumbag.”

He hissed and pushed me back with enough force to slam me against the wall. The barrel of his gun now pressed against my left temple, and his eyes filled with anger as he growled, “Now you listen here, you fucking bitch! Don’t you go pulling your crazy stunts on me with that imaginary bullshit of yours!” he hissed. “You think I’m gonna fall into your trap? I know how things go when people confront you. It gets all dark and you talk about your invisible boyfriends that no one can fucking see or hear. You’re a walking mental case and yet no one wants to admit it because you have a decent set of breasts and a pussy I’m sure many would love to fuck because no consequences would occur when the police know it’s the girl who sees things and fucks her daydreams.”

He clicked the safety off the gun, and my eyes bored into his as he dared to smile at me like he’d won some sort of gamble.

“So you’re going to be a good girl and quietly stand here,” he began as his other hand pressed firmly against my chest, the touch tugging my eyes down to his open palm while noticing the sizzling burn his touch ignited. “And you’re going to let me have a little fun before I take you to my Boss and we enjoy making your Daddy Dearest suffer for the pain he’s caused us.”

“Or,” I began as I forced my body to relax, “you can get a glimpse of my world.”

“What?” he questioned but his eyes began to widen like saucers as he realized the alleyway and everything surrounding him was engulfed in black.

Including myself.

“What the fuck?” he cursed and began to panic. He quickly reached forward, trying to get a hold of me, but his hand gripped nothing but air as I blended perfectly in the shadows. His eyes further widened because I knew he could still see my eyes.

The normally piercing orbs of blue were certainly a striking purple now.

“When you hear about the disappearance of bad men and the discovery of their soulless bodies at the ends of dark, dirty alleyways, do you ever wonder what happened to them?” I pondered to myself as I freely moved around the quivering man.

He looked like he’d pee his pants any minute now. The sight was amusing when he had been trying to take the reins of the situation and attempt to touch me without my utmost permission.

What an utter fool.

“Cocky men with weapons at their disposal, thinking they can take advantage of a woman who told them no far too many times,” I purred seductively as I reached out to curl a finger through my blonde curls. “Rape is punishable these days, but not by the law, of course.”

I moved effortlessly behind him, my hands lightly brushing his cheek. He flinched and gasped as he pointed his gun behind him and pulled the trigger, but the bullet didn’t hit its target.

At least not yet.

“Men would never change olden laws that benefit them so nicely. Not having consequences even though you act barbaric in public while traumatizing a woman just to please your urges is simply misogynistic.” I shook my head, even though I knew he wouldn’t be able to witness it. “When us females see a sexy, hot man that hits every checkbox on our dream fantasy man, you don’t see us cornering them in an alleyway with a gun and threatening to kidnap and blackmail their family members for the sake of some revenge no one knows about. Then having the nerve to go against their will and ride their cock like they gave you permission would certainly break their pride and self-esteem. At least, in my viewpoint.”

“Stop fucking talking!” the man snarled and started shooting in multiple directions. He kept going until he released every bullet, leaving the poor metallic weapon to click again and again without any more ammunition to do what its master was so desperate to achieve.

“Why do men always do that?” I pondered. “You guys get all panicky, sweat dripping down the side of your faces when you realize a woman has single-handedly trapped you into a void of darkness, and instead of trying to talk things out, you guys always shoot at shit. You literally don’t know where you are and what you’re shooting and yet you still do it senselessly without a second thought. Maybe it’s because of the way you guys work with the whole tunnel vision narrative. I’ll never figure it out. I’ll have to ask Claude or something.”

“That manic douche can’t do shit to me!” he dared to declare as if anyone had asked him.

“And what has my dear Claude done to you?” I whispered in his right ear which had him spooked enough to jump and collapse to the floor within three steps.

“Where are you?!”

“Answer the question,” I encouraged calmly. “What has my Claude done to you?”

“Nothing! He’s a freak like the rest of those fuckers he hangs with! Tries to act like all that because his father is a king yet he’s a bastard child. Plus, he’s fucking gay and won’t come out of the closet. That’s why you two just fake being madly in love with one another. You’re a lesbian and all in love with that Esmeralda bitch!”

“Damn.” I had to add a whistle in there because I was speechless. “Is that the shit bouncing through the gossip channels of Boston Press? Talk about dramatic.”

I could see the regret in his eyes as if he just realized he fed me far too much information for my own good.

“First of all, Claude isn’t a bastard child. He’s the legitimate son of Bellerose and Chloe François. At least before she got married to King François, obviously,” I said as if this was something everyone under the sun knew about. “Certainly you wouldn’t know that because they wished to keep it among important individuals who are worthy of knowing their business which is why you all think Claude and Esme were dating at some point, which is another bullshit rumor because they’re legitimate siblings. Not to say that I wouldn’t support incest but we’ll reserve that for the hot dragon fantasy romances everyone is loving to watch every Sunday.”

I took a second to breathe and sighed.

“Little does the public know that Chloe is with King François and King Bellerose. Surprise! The Queen knows how to reel her men in, so much that even being ‘divorced’ or whatever you guys throw in the tabloids can’t keep them from one another,” I practically sang and clapped my hands. “Which leads to you making fun of Claude for being gay. I find that rather hilarious since a good chunk of the men you work for are still chilling in the closet. In fact, you enjoyed a delightful blow job before coming here, right?”

He stilled completely, his eyes growing so wide, I wondered if they would pop like straining balloons.

“H-H-Ho—”

“How do I know that?” I finished the sentence for him. “Easy. I know everything about you, Alastark Bon Joque. You’re twenty-seven years old as of yesterday, born and raised in NYC, but you decided to venture to Boston because you felt there would be more opportunities here versus the fierce competition in New York that was reminding you how unqualified you are in many aspects of general employment skills.”

He followed my eyes which were surely glowing while I continued to blend perfectly with the shadows.

“Coming here was actually no different, which led to you getting rather desperate to land a job. So what did you do? Ah, yes. You located the hiring manager of an elite club and raped her.” The shock in his eyes was as priceless as the sense of guilt followed. “You didn’t originally want to rape her. Things just spiraled out of control, right? She was hot, giving you boners when you stalked her for days upon days. After acquiring photos, you blackmailed her to give you a job and she offered you one of the highest positions one could get with no background check.”

I stopped pacing so I could focus on him, deciding this was a good moment to reveal why I knew all of this.

“That led to you meeting a man named Roger. He’s one of the elite club regulars. He was fond of your drive and decided to bring you into his pack of discreet criminals. It was a blessing in disguise for you, but little did you know, the position you stole from another would send his world spiraling downhill to the point that he’d seek revenge.”

“R-Revenge?” The man clearly didn’t understand what was happening there. “Whoever it is was probably a nobody! They could get a position somewhere else.”

“Ah,” I began and allowed myself to appear, which spooked him out as he shrieked and scurried back at the sight of me. Compared to before, my hair was double the length as the bountiful curls cascade marvellously down my back.

My dress was now a white corset piece that shifted to a long, layered gown with excess material. I probably looked like a fairy princess in this world of darkness — an angel ready to steal him away from this unholy place.

Too bad I’m about to ignite his worst nightmare.

“You’re right. Mark John Dupont was a nobody. No one knew him aside from close friends and acquaintances because he liked to keep to himself. Despite that, he enjoyed his job. It was a place where he had plenty of connections and was able to achieve financial security for the first time in years. Finally being out of debt was a miracle for him, until his sweet child got sick and ended up in the hospital for a lengthy time, fighting for her life. The bills stacked up, but since Mark was such a good employee, the manager, the one you raped, doubled his pay so he could not only pay off his daughter’s medical bills faster but still have enough to aid his disabled wife. However, all that came to a crashing halt thanks to a greedy man who was tired of applying for jobs he didn’t qualify for.”

“Whatcha trying to do? Guilt trip me? Let me out of this place!”

“Guilt trip you? I’d do no such thing,” I assured him. “I’m simply informing you what led to your last moments of freedom.”

He actually laughed. “Psychotic bitch. The one who’s losing their freedom is— AH!” His body went into the air and he was forced to hang before me, upside down.

“Before you try to ask what’s holding you up, I’d advise you not to,” I summarized with an expression of hesitation. “It’s not pretty.”

His speechlessness only encouraged me to go on.

“As I was saying, you stole the position from good old Mark. Do you wanna guess what happened?” By the time he opened his mouth to say a thing, I was already answering him. “He struggled to get a job, just like you had. He went everywhere under the sun to try to get employment. The days were going by, the bills were stacking up, and he couldn’t find someone to assist his disabled wife while he was job searching, which was inevitably why she fell down the stairs, hit her pretty head, and bled out to her depressing death.”

He really didn’t expect that, his surprise just as evident as the sin he’d committed stealing what wasn’t his, to begin with.

“Now Mark had to find the money for the funeral costs while mourning his wife whom he loved dearly despite her disability, and his child was still in need of financial assistance. He tried really hard, even coming back to the Elite club and begging to be a janitor who cleans the crazy shit that stains the floors from who knows where every night, but there was no room for even that, so there he was, on his knees begging for some sort of mercy, but then he got a phone call.”

I paused to emphasize what was about to be revealed, a sad smile forming on my lips as my eyes softened at the news I already knew had shattered Mark’s heart.

“His beautiful daughter had an aneurysm burst in her brain, and since there were no more funds to withdraw for treatment, her brain pooled with blood and she perished in a similar fate as her mother,” I revealed. “Just like that. His family was gone. The love of his life was dead, and the child he hoped would heal and return to a normal girl and at least bring some sort of happiness after his wife’s death was now gone. He was alone. All that hard work and striving to be financially free and support those he loved all went downhill because of the person who stole his position that fateful day.”

My eyes met his.

“The day you stole his position from him.”

“Well, life sucks. He just has to be a man and suck it up!” he snarled in return, which made me tsk at the bullshit he was sputtering.

“Oh, so he should suck it up and be a man. Yet, you couldn’t do the same when life wouldn’t hand you a well-paying job you weren’t qualified for on a silver platter.”

“It doesn’t matter!” the man snapped. “It’s in the past.”

“You’re right,” I agreed. “That was in the past, and that’s what is currently determining the present because good old Mark decided he didn’t want a future. Not one where all he loved was gone from this cruel world that doesn’t care about the little people. Can’t blame him, really. He felt betrayed. Discarded by everyone who once said they had his back and wished his family well. It’s a shame because, in the end, no one truly cared when he needed it the most, and that all came down to the culprit behind stealing his position away from him. The man he vowed to find out and destroy.”

“H-He can’t do shit!”

“Oh, but he can. Why else would I be here, wasting my energy on the likes of you?”

“What do you mean?! I came to kidnap you!”

“Yes, yes, you did,” I agreed. “But did you believe it was but a coincidence that came out for air at the same time my father was around the area and wished to cheer me up? Everyone only learned about my participation in the masquerade an hour ago, and your elite club is quite a distance from here. You were told about this far earlier, that you could make a move against my father by coming over to Den Rogué and kidnapping me so you could blackmail him and get loads of money. Why do you need the money so urgently?”

“Because Boss lost all his money to your father!”

“You’re partially correct,” I agreed. “However, did your Boss, Roger, let you know you’re fired?”

“What?”

“Ah. He didn’t. See, Roger and many of the elite clients hate drama. They really hate mess-ups, and you unexpectedly messed up by putting a pin on their heads. See, my father didn’t win on purpose. It actually was accidental. How do I know? He told me a few weeks ago that a good Samaritan told him the layout of the game they were playing and even what set of cards was going to be pulled first. Father ain’t no cheater, but if he’s offered valuable information at a cost, he’ll take it with open arms,” I revealed. “Win the gamble of the night with this mysterious man’s aid and he’ll get our services. I’m sure you can guess who the mysterious man was.”

“Mark isn’t capable of that!”

“You’re right. He wasn’t beforehand, but man. Death really does a number on people. Especially two people’s deaths. He had nothing to live for, so why not go the whole mile to be rid of the person that fucked up everything?” I offered and smiled. “You destroyed his world, so now it was time for him to destroy yours.”

“You’re not serious.”

“But I am,” I assured him “Mark, being so driven for revenge, sought help in the darkest places in Boston. He went through the depths of the Underground until he caught the scent of a Den who’d gladly take his place for a good price. Obviously, he didn’t have money, but he had one thing no one would decline.”

I smirked at the memory, the desperate man with voided eyes who didn’t what he’d have to sacrifice to get the revenge his wife and daughter deserved.

“Blood. Lots of blood,” I sweetly revealed. “So in exchange for blood, he requested you be killed. Not in an ordinary way, though. He wanted you to be stripped of everything. The job you stole from him. The money you stacked in the bank account. Your connections and alliances with the elite gangs and crews Roger introduced to you. And lastly, your freedom.”

“M-My freedom?”

“Yes, yes,” I brushed it off. “That’s in the fine print, but needless to say, we accepted his offer.”

“We…” He trailed off as he stared back at me.

I couldn’t help but giggle as I crossed my arms under my breasts.

“You’ve heard of the rumors of the Den of Psychos, I assume.” His eyes further widened as mine darkened tremendously. “A group of psychotic masterminds, those judged to be incapable of making proper decisions and acting like a bunch of manic fools, but give them a task, and you’ll be free at last, at a grand price that will seal the deal.”

My voice carried an eerie pitch to it as I walked up to the hanging man until my face was inches from his. It looked like I’d reached out to grip the top half of his head, but my arms were still crossed which made him realize the long black fingers of slimy frost were certainly not mine.

He screamed and tried to wiggle away from the chilling grasp, but he didn’t budge.

“But in order to finalize the deal, we had to make it a bit fun. Like father, like daughter. I enjoy a bit of a gamble,” I hummed. “If you did what Mark projected, we’d fulfill his request: kill everyone associated with Roger, kill Roger himself, and destroy the elite club so fast, they won’t know what hit them.”

“And…and…if he was wrong?”

“He’d become our human puppet for all eternity.” I said it like it was no big deal, but my smile ignited true fear in the man’s eyes. “But he was right! It’s a shame he’s dead. I would have given him all the money in the world, but like they say. Money doesn’t guarantee happiness.”

“Dead…” He said the word like it was forbidden.

“Shot himself in the head before the graves of his wife and daughter. Did it at a far enough distance so he’d bleed out the exact same way they did. He made sure his grave was secured next to them and requested no funeral should be made on his behalf seeing as he was surrounded by fakes who couldn’t care less about his existence like the rest of the world that didn’t care about those he loved,” I summarized. “But again, he was right about you. Told us that you’d try to rape me and he was right on.”

“I-I didn’t! I didn’t fuck you!” he argued as the hand gripping him only tightened.

“You don’t need to fuck someone to sexually assault them, sweet pet of mine,” I purred and purposely uncrossed my arms so I could place my left hand upon my chest — forcing him to stare at where he’d once placed his hand.

I lowered my hand slowly, and watched the half-rose mark that began to bleed to the surface of my flesh, the purple glowing vividly just as I sensed the movement behind me.

The hanging man began to turn pale as his mouth gaped in horror. Tentacles, tails, and various monster traits oozed outward in the darkness with just mere hints of purple outlining their surfaces so they wouldn’t completely blend with the darkness that embraced us.

I didn’t even flinch at the chilled hand that wrapped around my neck from behind, nor the massive wings that possessively outstretched from behind and wrapped around me so just my head was visible.

“You really pissed off my boyfriends,” I voiced. “They hate when someone dares try to look at what is deemed theirs to claim. In fact, you already crossed the line with that one by touching me and even pressing a barrel against my forehead and temple, which are separate offenses FYI.”

I could smell his fear which left me extra giddy as I dared to lean forward, which was a bit of a pain with how tightly these gargoyle wings were holding me captive.

“Just because no one can see them in real life, that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. On the surface world, they have responsibilities to fulfill, but here, in the realm of monsters and shadows, this is where their true forms lie. Shadow replicas of their true beings that are caged in the flesh of their human counterparts. Here, in this world that I can ignite and manipulate, they can come out and play, and well…let’s just say they’re going to have fun with someone who’s lost their freedom.”

“W-What? I haven’t lost my freedom!” he dared to argue. “You can just kill me! That’s what you were paid to do, wasn’t it?”

“Kill you?” I gasped in surprise before my cynical smile widened while I tipped my head to one side and inched forward so I could whisper in his ear. “Mark didn’t agree for you to be killed by us, my sweet pet.”

The booming snarl of a growl made the man tremble, but I was a bunch of giggles just before a loud “click” noise echoed through the room.

I pulled back with the biggest grin I could muster, my white teeth surely glimmering within my red lips while my purple eyes glowed with immense power.

“W-What is this?!” he gasped and attempted to look down to see what now was wrapped around his neck.

“Well, that’s easy to answer. It’s a collar, silly. You’re my latest pet to be added to my collection.”

He stared back at me in horror as he tried to figure out what exactly I meant by my words.

“I…I don’t understand. Stop with these fucking games. Mark hired you to kill me for stealing his fucking job! Then kill me! I’m a nobody anyways. You can’t use me for ransom.”

“Who says I need ransom?” I laughed. “You don’t get how this world works. It’s no different from the masquerade but alas, when the Serenade of Madness begins, no one really understands its purpose until it’s too late to get out of its captivating symphony.”

“I don’t understand!” he screamed.

“Don’t fear. You will,” I assured him. “You heard the rumors of our existence but never wished to believe them. You heard that the masquerade was but an illusion. Its true purpose is to feed the royal bidders the blood their monsters desired. Those with no Maidens participate in this masquerade to bid for one that will satisfy their monster’s sexual needs, and those who are unable to acquire a Maiden are given the blood of those who can’t survive the challenges presented through the masquerade. Some simply dance to the serenade of the night and bond with each of their monsters until something shocking is done before them that triggers their true purpose and awakens what they once were, but others get the more challenging part of the masquerade where they’re kidnapped into this world and must perform acts far more sinister than one can imagine,” I explained and laughed.

I leaned back so I could enjoy the frigid feel of muscles before a long hand slid right between my legs, appeasing the burning ache that was building within my pussy with this exciting confrontation.

“Then, there’s something far darker than that, but alas. That’s a place only villains can partake in, and sadly, you’re not evil enough to plunge into that part of the shadows,” I concluded. “Which is why we’re doing you a big favor.”

“A-A favor?”

“Why yes,” I practically moaned and bit my bottom lip as the long, taunting finger slid into my pussy, leaving me to sigh in relief as a sweet grin formed on my parted lips. “Instead of sacrificing you to the monsters that will torture you for the rest of eternity, we’ve made you our demon pet. Some call you monster’s pets because you’re truly monsters up on the surface with how evil and cocky you are. The majority of you are normally rapists who have no respect for women, so what better way to torture you than by making you a victim of your own medicine?”

“What?” the man gasped, followed by a scream as tentacles began to rip at his clothes before tails and tendrils of shadows gripped his wrists and ankles to keep him widespread and still in the air.

I groaned at the uptick in pace with the finger that was sliding in and out of my wet pussy. The wings only further pressed against me to hide the rest of my body as my clothes seemed to disintegrate which left me bare and vulnerable to my gargoyle leader.

I could only ponder where Claude was hiding up in the surface to let his monster side take advantage of this privilege to finger me with those sinful clawed fingers, but I couldn’t think about it now as I was high on a sinful act of revenge as we got yet another victim to join our den of monsters.

To join our collection of pets, chained in the depths of our dungeons where they moan and cry for the end of such a cascade of pleasure.

“You’re going to experience what it’s like to be taken advantage of,” I purred and moaned even louder. “Faster, Claude,” I encouraged, feeling the power within begin to spasm and grow with my building orgasm.

His inhuman growl was followed by an increase in pace with those pumping fingers — inviting a second to slide right in, spreading me further with how thick each finger was. They were actually in their smaller form, which only reminded me how big and terrifying the others surely looked if a glimpse of light fell upon their shadowed beings and showed their true forms.

“Let go of me! You sick fuckers! You can’t do shit to me. I…I’ll call Roger! He’ll bail me out of this.”

“Roger is dead, sweet pet,” I reminded him. “Just like his entire crew of criminals. You’re included on the list so even if we freed you, the police would arrest you. I can understand your desperation to be served justice, but that would be the easy route, and you lost that chance the moment you walked down the alleyway with the intention of picking a fight with little old crazy me.”

My legs pressed further together, Claude’s movements growing faster and deeper which meant I didn’t have much longer in this land of shadows. The moment I orgasmed, I’d return to the surface, and my sweet, psychotic monsters would begin preparing this fucker for what he was going to endure for the rest of his existence.

“We have to hold up our end of the bargain, and that’s making you into a monster sex slave. Every time you cum, your semen will be reserved and sold to monsters who need it to survive in the Underground. Your climaxes will further empower our dungeons, and having you as a pet makes our Den more powerful which improves our rank toward becoming what we crave the most,” I practically panted as my body began to tingle. “I know you’ve…heard of the Mother Family, have you not? How do you think they get into power? Hmm? Just killing and spilling blood?”

The poor man was petrified which was far too funny.

“Let this remind you that you fucked up, Alastark. That your consequences for raping that girl in the alleyway are what led to these unfortunate events that have put you in an alleyway of darkness that will reward you with nothing but endless pleasure. In the beginning, you’ll be a bit feisty and fight the urge to cum, but our bodies are animalistic and can’t deny pleasure. You’ll be fucked again and again until you can’t even remember your name and you’re begging for his monster cock, tentacles, horns, and all the other pleasurable things that can be stuck in your mouth and butt and wrapped around that tiny cock of yours.”

I was so fucking close to cumming, my teeth sunk into the bottom of my lip as my back began to arch.

“So let me be the first to invite you to our humble home. Our Den of Psychos is filled with many individuals like you. Don’t…worry. You’ll… Fuck… Deeper, baby,” I encouraged Claude, knowing he could fuck me even deeper than he was. “Make me cum, my hot monster. Fuck your Maiden into oblivion!”

He growled loudly, the place of darkness quivering like an earthquake was ignited by his outcry, and I gasped as he doubled in speed and fucked me far too deep to be possible in the surface world.

But this was the shadowed realms where being fucked all the way to your stomach was easily doable.

“You’ll…fit…right at…home here,” I said between pants, knowing I was on the verge of cumming. “Make sure…he gets special treatment…my loves.”

Their monstrous cries of approval were matched with monster Claude sinking his fingers deep enough to leave me screaming — my orgasm slamming into me just as my energy burst through the world.

Bringing me back to the present.

My eyes opened at that moment, my body leaning against the wall as I fought to catch my breath. My legs were shaky, my thighs pressed together even as I felt the oozing flow of cum from my quivering pussy.

I glanced down at my chest once more, noticing the shimmering glow of my rose tattoo before it faded until it was completely gone, leaving me to frown before I inhaled deeply and let out the cloud of chilled air.

“Soon…they’ll all be mine,” I vowed with a grin before I straightened and reached down between my legs to gather my arousal onto my fingers. I revealed the glistening fingers covered in creamy juices and licked them clean, smiling at the taste.

“Time to prepare for the masquerade,” I purred. “But we still have one more problem to deal with.”

Off to the forest I go.

CHAPTER 8

Car Hoods, Guns, And Gambles

ELOISE GENEVIEVE

“Drive fast, love hard, and take anyone who threatens your peace down to the valleys of death.”

— Eloise Genevieve

“W OOHOO!!!” I shrieked. “Did you see how fast I went?! How can you make a fucking replica so good?!  We have to go again! Let me just blast us into the shadow world and we can take another ride while being chased by random monsters an–mhmm.”

Lips crushed against mine, my body was forced to take a step back which landed me against the hood of the magnificent ride my Korean monster of royalty managed to steal.

“That will be troublesome more for you than it will be for me, Jagiya.”

I stared into those devilish eyes of seduction that were clearly admiring me in return. It didn’t matter if this man physically wasn’t in front of me. Whether real or illusion, Yun Jung was fucking hot and divine and no one could tell me otherwise.”

“Why do I feel like you’re fantasizing about me?” he dared to question which made me laugh.

“If I say I am, will you pin me to the hood of this car and fuck me with your monstrous cock?” I offered in gleeful hope he’d fulfill the sudden fantasy. “And don’t go saying Korean royalty don’t have  massive junks because word on the street says your cock is as big as Talon’s and you two meet up to compare like it’s some sort of competition.”

“Now who’s spreading stupid shit like that in the shadowed streets of Boston?” he pondered more to himself before he shook his head. “You know I’d love to fuck you, Eloise, but didn’t your mother want you home because of the dangers revolving around the news regarding the masquerade.”

I groaned and leaned my hands back so I was resting them against the metallic hood.

“You spreading me wide and pulling a bald eagle move has nothing to do with me going home to appease my mother who suddenly thinks I need a curfew because everyone under the sun knows I’m now participating in the masquerade,” I whined. “Esme, Claude, Antionette. Plenty of people are in the mafia or drug business and found out they’ve been invited to the masquerade thanks to a load of debt on their family name. Why do I have to protect myself like everyone just wants to pay back against my Papa?”

I huffed and slid myself onto the hood before crossing one leg over the other.

“Sure. Papa puts others in debt by beating them in the art of gambling, which is a good form of art that brings a load of profit in kind of a bad way, but hey?! If these assholes had a problem, they could have fucking said no to the game! My Papa didn’t force them to be cocky bastards and challenge him in hopes of claiming all his fortune. Literally greed that sealed the deal and now they’re upset because he always wins!” I rambled. “Until the fateful night before the invites to this masquerade of sin were sent that Father purposely lost so I’d be sent to dance gracefully on the dancefloor and be claimed by—”

I paused and tried to point to his chest, watching it go right through which made me groan.

“YOU LOT OF INVISIBLE FUCKERS!” I declared loud and clear, knowing no one was going to hear us anyways because we’d parked the illegal replica on a cliff to witness the sunrise.

Or fuck, which was what I kind of hoping for.

“We won’t be invisible for long,” he reminded me as he reached out to grab my pointed hand. I could feel his touch, but it wasn’t warm like when Claude touched me.

“Why is it that u guys can touch me but not the other way around,” I whined. “I swear Fate is rude.”

Yuu smirked and proceeded to move my hand to his face, his tongue oozing out to wrap around my finger which made me blush in seconds.

“A-And…you need to tame that tongue of yours,” I argued as if it was something to be acknowledged. “Unless it is going over here,” I used my free hand to point to my valley, and maybe it was a good thing my legs were crossed, or else he surely would have committed the very deed if he got a whiff of my arousal.

“It will,” he assured me. “When Venom gets here.”

“Now why would Venom be coming here?” I decided to ask. “And how do you know he’s coming?”

“We’re near one another,” he admitted. “So it’s easier for us to be in the same place without Claude’s presence.”

“Near one another?” I still wasn’t getting it. “You’re in Korea. Venom is in Russia.”

“We’re on a flight together.”

Now that was news.

“Because?”

“We need to do something,” he confessed with a smirk that told me he wasn’t going to tattle.

“No! That’s not fair! You have to tell your Sinful Maiden,” I whined and slapped his chest. “I’m your woman! I deserve to know everything.”

“If I told you everything, well…” His smile only widened before he leaned close to whisper, “Then I’d have to let you know Claude and Khari are a thing.”

I pulled back to give him a blank stare before I rolled my eyes dramatically.

“Did you think I didn’t know that?” I was appalled at the fact he thought I didn’t see the signs. I knew Claude was bisexual and could date men and women. As long as it was in our Den, I didn’t care if he fucked every single one of them.

Well, as long as I get to watch and join in.

“Nah, I knew,” he confessed and wore a wide grin. “Just wanted to see your reaction. That’s all.”

“Tease,” I complained and crossed my arms over my chest. “No pussy for your monster cock, tail, tentacle, or whatever else you can turn into.”

“You’re just horny for my cock,” he growled as he leaned forward and pressed his hands against the hood of the car next to my hips. “I can pull you into the shadow world so fast, you wouldn’t know until I’m pounding you with my massive cock and you’re screaming out my name.”

Well shit…

“Ugh. Go away,” I concluded in hopes he’d shoo away so I could just masturbate to fix my problems down under.

“Why?” he dared to ask, and how he brushed his tongue along my neck until it felt like it was wrapping around it entirely. “Wanna go fuck yourself with those fingers of yours.”

I tried not to show that he’d caught me red-handed, and I couldn’t even squeak as he kissed me a second later while managing to uncross my legs and spread them wide enough so he was right in between. Before I could try to wiggle against his groin, I felt his massive cock that was already free and clearly in need of my throbbing pussy.

His tongue dove into my mouth, entwining in mine as we moaned and our hips moved in hopes we’d skip the foreplay and go straight into the fucking.

“Yuu,” I moaned his name impatiently, making him grunt as he breathed and nibbled the nape of my neck.

“Impatient Maiden,” he muttered, but then he froze seconds later, which made me break the kiss, only to see he was gone entirely.

“What the fuc—”

The sound of gunshots made me flinch, as I slid right off the hood to the ground in hopes of missing the stray bullets that came crashing into the car’s windows.

“Keep shooting until she’s fucking dead,” someone called out in an authoritative manner. “Caught the crazy masturbating on the hood of the car. We can say she got eaten by a bear!”

Men laughed and more shots were fired leaving me stranded on the floor. I only managed to move onto my stomach, attempting to see who the fuck was shooting at me.

Shit. I can’t ignite the shadow world again.

I hadn’t been having loads of sex like the common Maide — clearly, because I keep getting interrupted it seems — which meant I couldn’t trigger the shadow world as frequently. If I had some sort of mirror, I could attempt to; mirrors being one of the gateways to the shadow world which was why fairytales enjoy portraying mirrors that talked or became portals to other lands.

Even if Yuu was here, he could manage to trigger the rear mirrors to suck these fuckers up and bring them to our world.

Where they would be brutally tortured in the best way monsters knew how.

Alas, he wasn’t here and I was a sitting duck.

“A little more!” the man cheered. “Light that fucking car u—AH!’”

His shriek seemed to be a shock to everyone, enough that one of his men called out to him.

“Boss? Boss?! Hey? You goo-AH!” another scream followed by a round of bullets as these men realized they were no longer alone. I didn’t know what was happening, but my fake car was totaled so I wouldn’t be able to get my ass out of here unless I potentially wanted to be shot.

Grunts and screams echoed from the forest depths, until the last round of bullets came to a haunting stop, leaving a blanket of silence before I caught the scent of smoke.

Cigar smoke…that I recognize.

“Venom?”

I almost shrieked at the sudden red eyes that looked back at me from under the car — the man in black with long red hair now lying against the ground like I was as if he’d been hiding with me during the attack the entire time.

“Evening Crazy Kitten,” he greeted so casually like I hadn’t been in the midst of a shoot-out. “Missed me?”

“Yes!” I exclaimed first before I sighed in relief. “Fuck. All I wanted was sex and I got rounds of bullets while men mocked me for masturbating on the hood of a car.”

His emotionless expression was followed by a deep frown.

“Shall I bring them to the depths of the shadow realm and torture them for all eternity?”

“Venom,” I groaned. “They’re dead.”

The way he grinned would make a sane woman run for the hill.

“Did you know it takes five minutes for the soul to reach heaven for judgment?” he tossed and lips curled upward into a cynical grin.

“Don’t tell me what you’re implying,” I commented and that grin only got wider.

“For you, Baby, I’ll do anything.”

“Fine,” I huffed and quietly added, “Only if you fuck me after.”

His grin couldn’t be more priceless as he offered his hand.

“Ask and you shall receive, Crazy Kitten.”

“Sometimes I wonder if you and Esme’s man are alike,” I muttered more to myself as I placed my hand in his. With a mere blink, I was standing and the car that was totaled ceased to exist.

“Damn,” I looked at the empty space. “Even the car is gon…” I didn’t finish because I realized Venom was gone, too, with the bodies of the gunmen,

“You got to be kidding me,” I whined and looked around. “Now this just looks like I fucking hallucinated the whole fucking thing.”

I suddenly heard breaking branches, my head darting in the way of the sound to see an approaching black car. I braced for what could possibly happen next, but the vehicle came to a stop, and a random man came out.

“Uber?”

I blinked a few times.

“What?” I couldn’t fucking believe this.

“Man name Venom ordered Uber to return Miss Genevieve to the Genevieve residence,” he announced before looking at his phone and squinting to make sure he read the rest of the note carefully. “So he and Jung can fuck you into oblivion on all your collectible cars.”

The poor man was beet red by the time he finished. He nervously glanced back at me and tried to smile.

“Must be good to be pampered.”

“You’re telling me,” I whispered but smirked. “Ya. I’m Miss Genevieve.”

“Please get in the car. I’ll drive you back home.”

“Thanks,” I replied. “Get me there in fifteen minutes or less and I’ll give you a five thousand dollar tip.”

“Y-Y-Yes, Madam!”

My grin couldn’t be wider as I prepared myself for a night of bliss.

No way am I missing this.

CHAPTER 9

Gowns, Masks, And The Physical Confrontation

ELOISE GENEVIEVE

“Watching those around you rise against the odds placed in hopes of their failure is but a dose of victory. True friendships wish for everyone’s rise. Anything less is not deserving of one’s genuine commitment.”

— Eloise Genevieve

“B ITCHHHHHH! I KNOW FROM THAT FINE COAT OF LUXURY GOODNESS THAT YOU GOT WHIPPED, LICKED, AND FUCK—” I exclaimed the moment I opened the massive door to see the sight of my dear best friend looking fed and snatched.

Not food fed, of course.

“Do you enjoy letting your entire family know about my sex life?” Esme wondered, though she wore the biggest grin on her beautiful face.  “Let me in, bitch!”

I love her so damn much.

My laughter echoed through my mansion as I gestured for her to come in.

“Where’s Claude?” she asked as I closed the door and proceeded to head down the hall knowing Esme would follow me with ease. Despite her lost memories, she knew my house inside and out. We were best friends after all. If you didn’t know the ins and outs of my mansion, you weren’t worthy of such a grand title.

“Your newfound brother has been summoned for the preparation of the masquerade,” I announced rather dramatically as we walked through the halls. Esmeralda wouldn’t see what I was witnessing with my eyesight — the dark entities clinging to the walls and hungry for Maiden energy.

I knew I should have gotten a priest to come by and ward the place after last night’s forest fiasco.

My hands were moving on their own accord, manipulating the energy around us so these greedy monsters wouldn’t try to taint my bestie’s energy. Once she regained her memories, she’d be able to see and do this herself without my interference, but that would be after the masquerade was all done and over with.

At least she didn’t judge me like I was truly insane for the things I did. It made being friends with her so easy because I could truly be myself and nothing else.

“He’s really enjoying the official sibling status change, huh?” Esme tossed out, following my lead as I began to skip diagonally.

My parents may have been somewhat clueless about the monster realm — or at least Mother seemed clueless, though Father clearly knew something regarding Maidens and Monsters — but I knew this mansion had previously hosted a Den and their Claimed Maiden and she had been powerful enough to make the house itself carry plenty of traps to ward off evil.

Both physical evil and tainted darkness.

It was a bit of a hassle when we had guests over, which was why they were only allowed in the guest dining hall and the guest powder room. Any other wandering usually led to death unless James was around.

He didn’t need to be here when Esme was here because she was knowledgeable enough to follow my lead without asking stupid questions like “Is this place haunted?”

“Claude is the definition of one of those siblings who are borderline in love with you,” I explained. “Except he realizes the combination would be messy as fuck. Not because you two are siblings, but because he’s crazy and you’re crazier.”

“I’m not ‘crazier,’” Esme whined. “I don’t kill people just because they hate my tie.”

“Did he actually do that?” I paused in my skipping spree just to glance over at her. I’d totally heard about that from Kai but I didn’t think it was legit.

“Yup.” Esme sighed at the memory. “He literally stared into the poor man’s eyes, pulled out a gun, and killed him right there and then. Not an ounce of pity. And then he went back to eating his dinner while James and Jeanne had to clean up the blown-up brains. It was pretty epic, honestly.”

“I can imagine,” I squealed and clapped my hands. “I bet your papa dearest was proud.”

“Father was smiling like a damn fool the entire night. My siblings and Mother, on the other hand, were absolutely horrified. I think Mother even fainted. It was fucking hilarious.” Esme laughed.

“What did you do?” I dared to ask, then watched the way she grinned like an utter fool who’d planned something utterly diabolical.

“I asked if someone could pass the mashed potatoes.” She was about to lose it entirely, and I knew I was surely about to laugh my ass off. “Just pushed the brain meat to the side.”

Yup. We lost it.

“You’re disgusting!” I squealed. “Was there actually brain shit in there?”

“There was,” she groaned. “Jeanne wouldn’t let me eat it, obviously, but that’s what made Mother faint. In the end, I got to enjoy the remainder of the night with Father and Claude. A memory to remember.”

“Priceless!” I hollered. “No one can tell me being a part of a mafia family doesn’t have its highs.”

Just like it had a shit ton of lows.

“That’s the fucking truth,” she agreed as we both shared bouts of laughter. We were still giggling as we reached the three-story restaurant that was one of the finest in Boston. It was entirely made of glass, making it one of the most popular tourist sights seeing as many were in their “social media” era.

I couldn’t blame them. The view itself was outstanding, making the experience more priceless than many wanted to publicly allude to. The waitlist was surely a yearlong — maybe two. I hadn’t checked in a good while — but of course, I got access whenever I wanted.

One of the many benefits of being a Genevieve, as some annoyingly pointed out.

Tonight was such a wonderful night, the full moon out in the shining night sky of twinkling stars. It wasn’t super cold, which was why we ended up taking the longer route through the maze that seemed extra mesmerizing tonight.

Sometimes I felt like the garden knew when Esmeralda was around because the flowers and bushes seemed to go above and beyond to look extra ravishing on her behalf. It could have been my imagination, but with how responsive this place was to people’s essences, I highly doubted it.

It didn’t take long to reach the third floor once we reached the restaurant. The floor was reserved exclusively for us. We sat at a table stationed on the heated balcony and placed our orders. We knew that our food would be cooked by an award-winning chef. We relaxed to enjoy the fine scenery.

Sometimes a moment of silence and a view of peacefulness did a good job in setting the mood for a nice dinner with your best friend.

“So you got your invitation.” I decided to bring up the inevitable, curious to see her reaction to the approaching masquerade and her participation in it.

“How do you know?” she gave me an odd look, which was expected.

“Oh. James didn’t tell you?” I inquired while running my hands through my curly blonde locks.

“That’s an automatic no,” she replied, and boy, that already made me extra excited.

“Hold on,” I encouraged and clapped three times, summoning a maid to my side in less than five seconds.

“Good evening, Eloise. What can I do for you?”

“Do you mind getting James here with the delivery? Esme never got to see it,” I requested, knowing Esme would be even more surprised at the goods I had for her.

“Certainly.” The maid bowed and was on her way

“Delivery?” Esme questioned.

“A special delivery,” I hummed. I felt like I was being a devil’s advocate here, but it was all in the name of hooking up my bestie with her destined men.

“Why would a delivery for me come to you?” Esme asked. “I was just at my place.”

“Well, maybe because this mysterious sender knows you have drama with your mama and set-of-shit siblings,” I suggested which was honestly true. Talon and the other Devils knew everything about Esme.

She simply was out of the loop for obvious reasons.

“You know, if it wasn’t for this recent change of events, I wouldn’t think my mother hated me as much as she does,” Esme admitted as our server arrived with glasses of white and red wine.

It was about time we had some alcohol in our system. I enjoyed having both options available to us because realistically, you never knew what you’d be in the mood for. If the conversation was light-hearted, sometimes you just wanted some sweetness in your system, and other times, you needed something bold that would you get to the lands of drunk Narnia a whole lot faster.

“Did you have a confrontation when you got there?” I inquired with great interest. I really wanted her to feel that I was focused solely on her and nothing else. “You didn’t look super happy when you exited that car. I mean, you were smiling when you bid farewell to the tall butler, but I don’t know. It didn’t reach your eyes in my opinion.”

“We didn’t confront one another,” she assured me as she reached out for the glass of red wine. “I hid in that spot behind the bookshelf in my father’s office.”

“Right. The place we used to hide away in to read and study,” I casually reminded her. Giving her that information wouldn’t trigger her memories. “Why did you hide though?”

“It felt like instinct to do so,” Esme admitted. “Plus, a group of assassins had been assigned to retrieve me from the club. I took them on, but Talon ended up getting involved, and well…” She paused as if to think about another way of saying it, but being blunt was always the best when we shared conversation. “They’re dead.”

“Tough luck.” That’s what happens when you mess with a mafia’s daughter who’s trying to mind her own damn business. You’d think these fuckers would get the memo by now. “You think your mother sent them?”

“She came barging into my father’s office, asking where I was. She normally does that when I’m in trouble for something I didn’t do but Antionette told her I did, but I’m an adult now. I thought she gave up on that behavior, but I guess I haven’t been paying attention.”

I had to stare at her for a moment while observing what she’d just said.

“You haven’t been focused on your family aside from your father and Claude for a long time though. You realize that, right?”

“If you want my honest opinion, I didn’t really notice. Like sure, we’re forced to eat dinner together, but you know when you do something so often in a repetitive manner that you just…”

“Zone out,” I commented. “Ya. I get it, and I don’t blame you for shoving it to the back of your mind whenever you could.”

“That’s the thing though. I feel like maybe that’s a problem? Or I’m forgetting certain things? I mean, I ain’t living no Cinderella lifestyle, but if your mother is acting like the evil stepmother and your siblings were like the evil stepsisters from the fairy tale, you’d remember that shit, wouldn’t you?”

“Maybe,” I honestly answered, putting myself in Esme’s shoes. “If it were me, I’d rather forget.”

“Why?” she inquired.

“You know what always grinds haters’ gears? When you pretend they don’t exist. Every time you go on with your life, reaping the rewards of your personal investments and businesses and still keeping up a solid relationship with your father and half-brother, you’re rubbing in their faces that whatever they’ve tried to do to you over the years has clearly failed,” I explained.

My words held truth to them, but I also knew the root cause of her concern. The hidden trauma she’d endured at the hands of the culprit of her agony, who walked around acting like he was some hero when he was nothing but a cowardly villain.

“Think of it as a blessing to not remember what may be traumatizing in nature. I won’t deny that I have some blanks in my memories as well, but that’s probably because of the medication I have to take from time to time. My long-term memory sucks, but I’m sharp with my short term. Only certain things like all the sleepovers we used to enjoy are easy to remember.”

“I remember those,” she assured me. “I just don’t recall how my siblings and mom reacted.”

“You don’t need to,” I reasoned with a sly grin. “They were assholes.”

“Thanks for the reminder.” She giggled and we clinked our wine glasses.

“How did that confrontation go?” I decided to ask as I worked on drinking some of my wine.

“Well, besides Mother wanting a divorce and apparently having a crush on King François?”

I literally choked and needed to clear my throat as I stared back at her with wide eyes.

“C-Crush?! On Claude’s stepdad? DAMN! What kind of steamy tea is this?! Bitch, start from the fucking beginning ‘cause that shit ain’t adding the fuck up.”

Of course, I knew the specifics, but it was best to go along with it, since I needed Esme to begin to put the pieces together of what she knew in regard to her family. It would bring her closer to discovering her past, which would align with the masquerade.

She explained everything in detail, leaving me to be extra dramatic I gasped.

“Oh, I smell drama. She’s envious of Claude’s mother.”

“I think she’s more than envious,” Esme confessed. “She was pissed, Eloise. Like fuming. But then she wants a divorce. It makes no sense to me honestly, but you know what I’ve been thinking about?”

“What?” I asked and leaned forward so I wouldn’t miss a single word she said.

“When I was hiding in the powder room at the club, these three chicks came in and were gossiping for a long-ass time, but they mentioned that there are rumors going around that she’s cheating.”

“But not with King François,” I noted. “He’s been unwell for a while now. Claude mentioned it a few months ago but he said the therapy was going really well.”

“Ya, but she has to be having a fling with someone we just haven’t met yet. But why would she be mad if she divorces Father and he wishes to go back to Chloe?”

“Your father still loves Claude’s mother, though,” I admitted. “I know you mentioned he admitted he still loves her, but like, you can see it at the family get-togethers when they look at one another. Your father always comes for five fucking seconds, says hello to you, takes pictures with you and Claude, and ditches like the fucking plague, but I’m sure you’ve noticed they always say hi to one another. I bet your mother hates witnessing that.”

“Most definitely,” Esme agreed. “You think she’ll try to accuse him of cheating with Chloe to make gossip?”

“I bet she would try to hide whomever she’d have a fling with. Not to mention adding this masquerade to the equation with the obvious fact that your sister is getting thrown into this madness when everyone in this city knows she’s only good at fucking anything that moves, and I bet she’s desperate to get the attention off of her.”

“Off of her,” Esme repeated.

“Well, like mother, like daughter,” I acknowledged. “Only you took all your father’s genes because God was like, this bitch needs to help her dear papa from losing his shit with this woman.”

“She tried to guilt-trip him for using her mental health against her,” Esme revealed which made me want to groan at that woman’s list of excuses. I hated when people tried to use mental health in their favor.

Being mentally ill most of the time isn’t a choice. Things happen, trauma hits you when you least expect it, and you’re left having to heal those lingering wounds alone — unless you’re surrounded by the support and option for therapy.

Regardless, there was no need to excuse another for treating you a certain way cause of your mental health.

“So she’s trying to act like a victim,” I summarized. “If your father had an issue with anyone who has mental health issues, not only would he have divorced her after that freak attack that left her in a coma for a few months, but he certainly wouldn’t allow you to be best friends with a freak like me.”

“You’re not a freak,” Esme huffed. I loved how upset she got whenever I attempted to belittle myself over my crazy tendencies.

“You really aren’t a freak.” I had to force myself not to react at the spoken words from the corner of the room, and my eyes drifted over to acknowledge Kai standing there as his hot, shirtless self. My heart went all giddy at the sight of him, the swarming heat that rushed through my body making me want to end the conversation and go climb that man like he was a tree that deserved to be worshipped.

So fucking tempting.

“I’m that bitch who talks to sexy invisible men who nag my ear off when I’m with company on purpose because they think it’s funny,” I commented, which was partially true because my men really didn’t mind talking my ear off when I was with anyone else but Esme.

I’d sensed his presence earlier when warding off those menace of dark shadows in the hall, but I also thought it could have just been me missing after having some time with Yuu and Venom.

“Who’s nagging you right now?” Esme asked.

Kai arched an eyebrow my way, his muscled arms crossing like he just couldn’t wait for what I had to say, which made me sly grin in return.

“Thankfully, it’s the hot chocolate beast with suction cup tentacles as tails,” I declared in delight.

Fuck I miss those suction cups.

“Of course, he’s not in that particular form because he knows how distracting it is.” With those words, the man just had to taunt me — those very tentacles beginning to outstretch from behind him and make it visibly apparent that their newfound mission was to make me horny as hell. “He’s in the corner.”

Esme followed my gaze, and I was sure she wouldn’t be able to see Kai, and yet she never hesitated to acknowledge them.

“Hello, hot chocolate beast.”

“Hey, cutie’s bestie,” Kai replied back, knowing Esme wouldn’t hear him but that I would interpret his words. It was the unique expression on his face that actually made me giggle.

“He says ‘Hey, cutie’s bestie’. Don’t ask why he calls me ‘cutie.’ I’m far from cute.”

He clearly just wanted some pussy, and frankly, I didn’t mind because those suction cups are seriously calling my nipples for a nice sucking section.

“You’re cute when you’re all smitten,” Esme teased and winked, which actually made my cheeks grow hot as I rolled my eyes.

“Ugh. Don’t go there.” I did glance back at Kai, only to realize he was gone once more. I had to stop myself from pouting in disappointment, but I was at least hoping he’d come back soon.

Maybe I can convince him to give me a quickie for my own sanity?

“Go where?” Esme pondered. “Ah! The land of ‘when are you and my half-brother-now-actual-brother going to be official?’”

“You’re changing the topic,” I pointed out.

“Says the girl who’s deflecting because she doesn’t think my half-brother sees her as more than just a fling.”

She’s so damn observant.

Taking a sip of my wine and rolling my eyes, I commented, “Claude is the definition of perfection, and frankly, he deals with his own troubles in our fucked-up world. He doesn’t need a girlfriend with more medical problems than that pharmaceutical shop down the road that prints receipts that are longer than your average measuring tape.”

“He really does care about you, Eloise.” Her voice was tender and her smile only emphasized how much confidence she had in that being true.

“I know, Esme, which is why I want him to find someone better. More stable mentally, you know?” I offered but I knew deep within, he would never do such a thing. All sides of Claude loved me — the normal side, the crazy, psychotic side, and even that sinful leader of a monster side.

Every reflection of him adored me at a level so great, I sometimes did feel like it was too good to be true. To be loved by a man of such a strong caliber who couldn’t wait to unite me with the rest of his Den so I could finally feel complete.

Feel whole again.

“Eloise…” Esme trailed off. No matter the truth, I had to continue my role for the rest of Esme and her Den of Devils.

“There’s a difference between what I see with my own eyes when I’m awake and what you see when you’re asleep in the realms of dreams, Esme. I don’t envy you, trust me. My ‘odd’ sight has helped me in its own unique way, even if it makes me look rather cynical to the rest of the world. What we both have in common is the fact that our monsters are able to bring us pleasure and sometimes help us escape from the true evil that goes bump in the dark. I’m sure we’re going to find out why eventually, and maybe the monsters we’re seeing carry a real aspect to themselves.”

A real aspect that has a physical form that we can feel, touch, kiss, and make love to without feeling unreal.

“But until I can figure that all out, I want the man I’m in love with to not hold himself back on my behalf,” I affirmed as I stared into her eyes. “If Fate wants me and Claude to be together, I won’t fight it, but I wish for him to make the choice and not be held back simply out of pity.”

“You know he doesn’t pity you, Eloise.”

“Maybe,” I whispered, a soft breezing passing by that lifted my locks gracefully.  It was as if nature itself wanted to comfort me. “My monsters say the same and scold me for always thinking so negatively when I stay still for too long, but I can’t help but be realistic. This world works overtime to crush our dreams day and night. Why set yourself up for failure?”

“Have you ever thought you could be…” Esme began but trailed off.

“Scared?” I finished before I laughed. “Bitch, I’m scared shitless. I just suck at showing my emotions aside from laughter and screaming like a psychopath. You think I’m not afraid of the fact that my best friend is about to venture off into a forbidden forest to participate in a banned masquerade on her brother’s behalf?”

I was actually frightened by that because, in comparison to me, who could defend myself if I slipped into the realms of the shadows, my dear best friend could not.

Because she was completely unaware the world existed outside of her dreams.

“I didn’t even consider that,” Esme confessed. “Sorry, Eloise.”

“Why are you apologizing?” I didn’t want her doing that at all. “I’m not afraid to say that I am scared of what will happen to you and Claude, and I know I fear loving Claude because of my own insecurities. Will I face such hurdles so I stop letting them be such a hindrance in my life? Totally! But I need to focus on one at a time, and as of now, my focus is on my best friend.”

“I really gotta ask the Most Almighty up there how I got lucky enough to have a bitch like you as a best friend,” she summed up.

It made me laugh as a sense of gratefulness ran through me.

“Honestly, I think God and the other deities of the Universe decided to get drunk and thought, ‘Damn! We should make a badass bitch who’s pretty as fuck and then create her a best friend that not only can’t keep her badass self in place but ensures they’ll get into a whole load of crazy shit when their together!’” I cheered. “Oh, and they’ll both have a bunch of sexy hot monsters trying to fuck them. Whether it’s in their sleep or in real life, that’s for our girl Fate to decide!”

“Goodness gracious,” she groaned and cringed in horror. “Our lives sound like a dramatic monster romance or some shit.”

“That’s true!” I squealed. “Fuck, we would have been some badass bitches if we were in a book.”

“No one would read that shit,” Esme dismissed, but I felt like it was an amazing idea.

“Why the fuck not? C’mon. You’d be the main character in the first book, and the world would follow your lovely adventures as you take on this mysterious challenge in some ghetto castle with greedy bastards. And then your Prince Charming would come along in his traditional robes and claim you on the dance floor!” I couldn’t help but imagine it, which was dangerous because I’d love to just ignite the world of shadows and make what I was envisioning into a reality.

“That sounds boring.” Esme sighed. “And why are you bringing Talon into this?”

“Did I say the traditional robe man was a sexy Korean prince who’s absolutely smitten for you? No,” I sang and enjoyed the way she groaned and shook her head.

“Well, that would be the end of it.”

“Um, what? Fuck no. That’s not a novel,” I mocked in dismay. “Where’s the fucking drama?!”

“I don’t know,” Esme replied. “Throw in an ex or something.”

“Girl, that shit is boring. We’re throwing four other guys into the ring!”

“Four?” she gasped and proceeded to gawk at the possibilities. “What are you trying to do? Make me a damn harem?”

“Uh duh?” That was essentially what I was doing in real life. “Bitch, if you think I’m going out of my way to imagine you as the main character of your damn book and not throwing you into a polyamorous relationship then you forgot who the fuck I am,” I vowed and proceeded to drum the table in anticipation. “We’d call your book… Den of Monsters.”

“How creative,” she commented, already looking like she wouldn’t dare argue with my imagination as she leaned back into her seat to sip more of her wine. It honestly felt like a good idea to me, which was why I couldn’t help but elaborate on what I was envisioning for this grand story.

“It would be perfect. The moment you start your journey to the masquerade, shit would go down! Explosion here! Chaos there! Sexual tension! Since I know you’re already going to get through this masquerade no problem, we’ll speed through that bullshit and then you’ll live happily ever after with your boyfriends!”

“And then? What happens next?”

And I hit a creative wall.

“Oh, I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Y’all get a hotel and have an orgy?”

“I guess that could be satisfying.” As if any woman would deny such a wonderful fantasy. “So what happens to you?”

“What?”

“Aren’t you gonna get a book?”

“Why would I get one?” I didn’t understand.

“You love manifesting shit for everyone else but yourself, you know that?” Esme acknowledged, and I totally didn’t want to admit it, but she was fucking right.

Lie. Lie. Lie.

“No,” I feigned.

“Mhmm,” Esme replied. “When are you meeting your harem?”

“I can’t have a harem! I have my monsters! Who aren’t… real,” I muttered, noticing Kai was back and chilling in the same little corner. He had a silly grin on his face which made me want to walk over there and wipe it off those perfect lips of his, but I resisted for my own sanity.

“But this is a book,” she reminded me. “Your book. So, what if in your book, they’re real? Or they have a real human body somewhere and they come to Boston for a business trip or some shit and voilà! You guys meet.”

“But they’re crazy,” I acknowledged the obvious.

“Your point?” Esme countered, looking like I was acting stupid.

“That wouldn’t be exciting,” I tried to reason. Sure, it would seem pretty fun in my perspective if I read that but I was the 1% minority that enjoyed that kind of stuff.  “And Claude wouldn’t encourage that.”

“It would totally be exciting,” Esme countered. “Den of…Psychos?”

“Huh?” I had to pause because she hit the nail on the head with our Den name. The admission made Kai give an impressive look as he quietly whistled — igniting a chill breeze that passed by us.

“Den of Psychos!” Esme cheered. “You’re crazy? Well, so are they, and you guys can be a badass harem who proves to the world that you may have lost a few screws and see things the rest of the world can’t see but you can run your badass empire and force anyone who dares to defy your judgment to bow down! Like bow down, bitches!”

She was now the one invested in her unfolding story that revolved around me, which was honestly kinda cute.

“As for Claude, he’d totally share you! Oh right, you need drama or some shit. He’ll be all jealous and envious of your monsters who’ve been with you… spiritually and get all mad and antsy because he wants more time with you and shit, and then he and your monsters duke it out!”

“What do I do?” I had to know.

“Bitch, you don’t need to lift a damn finger,” she reasoned with a sinister smile. “You sit back and watch them fight for you. And the reward could be… I don’t know… getting to eat out your pussy and have you all to themselves for like 48 hours.”

I squealed far too loudly, noticing the slight smirk forming at the corner of Kai’s lips before he was gone yet again — probably running away before I further laid out everything that could possibly happen within those 48 hours.

“That’s brilliant! We should become authors! Your book would set up the whole world and introduce me as your badass sidekick bestie and then I’d have my grand debut. But we need a third book,” I encouraged.

“Why?”

“You can’t have a series without a third book. It’s like… book law,” I argued. I wasn’t really sure cause honestly, I wasn’t an author, but all the books I had read in the fiction genre normally had three books so there had to be some sort of pattern or formula you had to follow to be successful in the realms of storytelling.

“Oh…” Esme seemed deep in thought before something flashed before her eyes and she smiled even bigger than I was. “Think we can get Jeanne to hook up with James?”

“Done! It’s a plan! We’ll write the draft tomorrow!”

“You know what?” Esme suddenly brought up as if she’d just caught onto something vitally important. “What if Chloe is polyamorous but my father wasn’t because he’s a possessive prick and only later realized he could have made an exception but then he already had kids with my mom so he couldn’t simply ditch the family for his own desires and thus he lived all these years in a regretful marriage?”

The two of us quietly sat there thinking about it.

“Shit…” I whispered. “That’s heavy as fuck. Do you think that’s legit?”

“Well… he did mention he wasn’t one to share. That has to mean that the choice to share Chloe with King François was an option, right?”

“I’ve always found it intriguing that your father’s name is Francis and Claude’s father’s name is François,” I acknowledged. “Wait… hold up for a moment.”

“What?”

“Due to your name change, doesn’t that make you royalty like Claude?” I felt like it was safe to bring that up.

“Uh…”

“Yes, it does.”

The response came from James, who now stood at the glass doors. He was sporting a completely black suit, his 6’8” height only reminding me of how tall my men normally were in my dreams.

He was next to a trolly that was stacked to the brim with special pieces of attire, from fancy coats to high-end branded dresses. There were also boxes filled with various masks that simply screamed masquerade.

“James, how long have you been standing there?” I inquired.

“For quite some time, Miss Eloise.” James didn’t even hide his obvious amusement as he added, “I’d happily read a book about me hooking up with Miss Stone.”

We both blushed before Esme pointed in my direction.

“SEE! I told you we should have tried hooking them up last Valentine’s Day!”

“Ugh, okay. You win. But that doesn’t mean we should give up! There’s always next February!” I offered.

“Deal,” Esme agreed with hope in her eyes before she glanced back at James. “Don’t tell Jeanne!”

He simply smiled and bobbed his head.

“I will not inform Miss Stone of such devious plans,” he declared for added measure.

We grinned before Esme asked the prime question. “James? What is this stuff?”

“Yes,” he began and bowed before approaching the table and specifically offering Esme a matte black envelope. “This is a special delivery for Miss François.”

“Who is it from?” Esme asked. I was still stuck on the whole Miss François title, but I dismissed thinking about it for too long as all of this was simply temporary.

All for the sake of the masquerade.

“I believe the seal will display that, Miss François.”

I watched Esme as she bobbed her head and flipped the envelope to admire the seal upon the exquisite envelope. She soon opened it, her eyes scanning the cursive words before she read it to us.

“Due to immense interest in the candidate Esméralda François, a special wardrobe has been selected for you to choose from. Feel free to wear whatever you pick and keep the remaining items. Your butler will be given special privileges and transportation to deliver your special attire to the castle at no additional expense. We’re excited to witness Miss François on the dance floor. From… the Mother Family?”

Excellent. Excellent. They’re making their move.

“Who’s the Mother Family?” I asked, needing to play around by acting naive.

“The Mother Family is one of the highest-ranking royal families in the world,” James announced. “I don’t know enough about them to be of benefit, but they oversee many events similar to the masquerade and are the financial backers for anything above the other royal families’ budgets.”

“So they’re basically the big bank that gives loans to the smaller banks so they can do whatever they deem fun,” Esme summed up.

“And they know who you are,” I voiced with seriousness as my eyes lingered on the envelope. This was seriously brilliant. “Looks like you’re going to be a prime target, bestie.”

“When am I not a target for something?” Esme whined before she was out of her chair and checking out the vast arrangement of clothing hanging from the golden rack.

A big smile began to creep onto her red lips as she stopped on an extremely embellished outfit that was within a creamy leather cover.

“Why do I have the strong feeling you’re smiling because you know who vouched for the special delivery?” I inquired as I watched her zip the bad boy up before she waltz back to our table in time for the servers to lay out our ordered meals.

“I think the Devils are behind the wardrobe choices,” Esme announced and looked over to James with appreciative eyes. “James? Do you mind getting those to Jeanne? I’d like her to have everything secured in one place for when we’re randomly summoned to the event.”

“Of course, Miss François. I’ll do that right away.”

With a bow, he went right along with the task, and we waited for the servers to finish setting up the lavish entrées of food before we regained our privacy.

“Devils as in Talon,” I summed up. “Goddess, he must be madly in love with you if he’s going to get the Mother Family involved.”

Sometimes I wonder if he competes with Joaquin in how much he can love Esme. I bet this distance is probably killing them with how affectionate they were to Esme as kids.

“Maybe,” Esme began but lowered her voice. “Wanna hear a little secret?”

“Spill, bitch,” I softly demanded.

“I’m not sure about the other Devils, but I’ve met not one but two of my monsters.”

My eyes widened because I had no idea she’d met a second one of the Devils.

I fucking bet you it was Dagger. That sneaky snake of a monster.

“Monsters as in those sinfully delicious men who’ve fucked you into oblivion in your dreams since like sixteen?” I inquired which made her roll her eyes.

“I don’t have sex dreams every day,” she whined. “I mean, they’re just the ones I easily remember. We’ve done other stuff.”

“Like what?” I dared to ask as I titled my head to one side in pure judgment. “Play pool?”

“Maybe?” She looked as if she couldn’t recall exactly, which was why I decided to move on.

“Back to the point,” I urged. “You’re saying Talon is one of your monsters from your dreams?”

She slowly nodded.

“Why don’t you tell me why you feel that way?” I suggested it in hopes it would help her filter her thoughts out without getting a headache doing it. “While we eat.”

“Good idea,” Esme agreed, and we proceeded to eat while she explained the gist of things.

We were on dessert when I decided to chip in on what I thought about everything she’d explained.

“If they really are your monsters, this masquerade is perfect for you,” I emphasized. “I think if you go along with this challenge, you’ll not only see the true colors of your family but it could also lead you to the other monsters from your dreams.”

“Aren’t you freaked out by any of this?”

“Not really. I mean, we’ve accepted this as a part of our lives for a long time, right?”

“Right.”

“I’ll never judge you in that manner, Esme, and I fully support you on this. I don’t know what the other monsters will be like personality-wise, but Talon has clearly shown not only affection but protectiveness over you. If you can benefit from this, why not? Besides, it seems the one night you spent with one another went really well.”

“It felt… unreal,” Her voice was so quiet and vulnerable. “Like we’ve been dating for years. It’s so easy to talk to him… and it’s a bit scary because if I can easily have that connection with him… maybe I’ll seek that with the other monsters.”

“Would you wish to date all of them?” I pondered.

“I’m not sure, but I wouldn’t be against it.”

“Then don’t worry about it,” I reassured her. “Just let your instincts guide you and let Fate take its course.”

We had a moment to finish our ice cream before I started a different conversation.

“Are you going to wear Talon’s dress for the masquerade?”

“Yes,” Esme answered. “That will be one of them.”

“Hmm?” Eloise paused in finishing her last scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. “You’re going to wear another one?”

“I’m bringing all of them.”

“All of them? There were at least five dresses.”

“Mhmm.” She grinned. “For a masquerade of this caliber, there will surely be breaks. I’m not going there to simply impress. I’m there to slay all my competition so I can be at the top. That means setting the standards high.”

“I’m beginning to remember why no one wanted to compete with you when it came to one-on-one anything,” I summed up and shivered which had her bursting in laughter.

“You’d compete with me!”

“Ya, because you’d have mercy on my ass and not kill me in whatever activity we were doing. Anyone else—dead man walking,” I summed up.

“That’s bullshit.”

“You broke the legs of that bully who was spreading rumors across the school that he’d fucked me in the washroom stalls and enjoyed calling me a crazy slut,” I reminded, though I doubt she recalled.

“Well, ya.”

“We were twelve!” I exclaimed.

“Still not seeing the point.”

“It was a beginner karate competition!”

“And I’m a triple black belt.” Esme innocently smiled. “If the ring is too hot, you get the fuck out before you’re burned to a crisp.”

“I’d better send Talon a note and say you’re an overprotective bitch once you get attached.” The man already knew how possessive his Maiden could be. She just had to acknowledge it — even if she clearly didn’t want to.

“Hah! He’d love that.” Esme giggled. “Man. I feel less stressed.”

“Then I’ve done my duty as a bestie bitch,” I proudly stated. “Wanna go back to my room and drink? I don’t know if we can stay up for Santa to arrive, but I left him weed cookies and booze.”

“You do this every year,” Esme reminded. “And we end up eating the weed cookies before Santa arrives.”

“Oops.” Well, not like I’m going to complain about that. “He should have come down that chimney faster then.”

“You’re too much,” Esme praised with a loving smile that made me intrigued.

“What?

“Why are you giving me that sentimental smile look?”

“I just hope you know how much I care about you.”

“I’m well aware, Esméralda.” I really was aware of how much she cared about me. “Now, we’re going to spend Christmas like it’s a bachelorette party gone wild by eating weed cookies, drinking vodka, eating a bunch of junk food, and probably puking at least once. After that, we’re crashing so you’re ready to kick some ass on the dance floor. Are you in?”

“In and ready,” she vowed.

I lifted my red wine glass, which was my second one for the night.

“Let us have a toast in celebration of my best friend, Esméralda, who will be embarking on a magnificent journey and come back with a group of sexy monsters who will love her and be possessively annoying.”

“And we’re speaking this into existence because?” Esme wondered.

“Because I said so,” I huffed. “Now clink your glass, bitch!”

She shook her head and yet her sloppy smile was wide upon her delicate face.

“Cheers to the Den of Monsters!” I exclaimed.

“Cheers,” Esme replied with a clink of her glass. “With the Den of Psychos sequel.”

“No one is reading that shit!”

Oh goodness. I doubt anyone wants to read about the true madness of our world.

“Ya, ya, ya,” Esme giggled. “Let’s see how far we get with that manuscript.”

“Manu-what?”

“Oh goodness. You don’t even know what that is,” she looked at me like I was hopeless.

“Do I look like a writer?” I whined and gestured to myself. “If I really wrote books, they would just be filled with sex scenes.”

“I’d read that,” she vowed like it was a challenge she’d humbly accept.

“Nah. It’d just give your monsters plenty of ideas in the realm of monster sex and well, you’d be panting awake every night for at least a year.”

“Tempting.” Esme winked. “Let’s go get baking?”

Just the idea was exciting — my eyes glanced to the corner quickly to see Kai wink before he was gone once again. I couldn’t wait to see him, which I hoped would be before this masquerade, but for now, I’d take advantage of being around my best friend, for it wouldn’t be much longer before she was back at the sides of her monsters.

And hopefully, I’d be physically united with mine.

“Now you’re speaking my language, mademoiselle,” I proudly declared. “To the kitchen!”

Whatever awaits for us, I’ll face with courage to claim my Den of Psychos.

CHAPTER 10

The Test Of The Forbidden Forest

ELOISE GENEVIEVE

“Alliances are grand when you’re in the midst of a monster’s pit with nothing but a glimpse of hope.”

— Eloise Genevieve

“S top petting me like I need to be pampered by your strokes of affection,” I whined with pouted lips as I glared at the massive man who deeply chuckled in response.

“My Cutie Kitten is feisty this fine evening,” Kai hummed and moved his finger in time so I didn’t actually bite it off.

“Go away.”

“No,” he replied with a sexy smirk. He leaned in to whisper in my ear, “Be a good girl and survive this forest so I can fuck you at the masquerade with these suction cups you adore.”

My whole face was red in seconds, but before I could try to knee him in the balls, his body was gone.

“Coward!” I hissed far too loudly, garnering a few looks my way which were only dismissed just as quickly. Those around me clearly had accepted my madness and were not the least bit entertained by my self-talking ways.

I stood in wait for James near the gates of the Forbidden Forest. From the looks of it, many groups had already arrived and entered the eerie place, which left me wondering if Esmeralda or even her older sister, Antionette, had arrived and entered the challenging atmosphere.

I knew I should have tried to come earlier, but then again, I didn’t want Esme feeling as if I didn’t think she could manage things on her own. She was awakening her Maiden abilities slowly, and she needed her den to aid her with that.

Not me.

Biting my lip, I straightened my back and crossed my arms over my chest in hopes my batch was next to depart. I wanted to get this over with. My true purpose behind entering this masquerade was to ensure Esme got to the end of it.

I was sure one would think I had some sort of obsession or didn’t care enough about self-worth to focus on myself in this masquerade, but no one really understood the true dynamic of our forming alliance.

No. They didn’t want to understand because an alliance of our caliber would introduce another Mother Family to the ranks.

That was the real reason why we had to be careful with everything we did. We couldn’t let those who were jealous, envious, and damn right evil know our motives.

Our true purpose for entering this masquerade.

“Look who it is.”

I pouted my lips as I slowly glanced to my left to surprisingly see Luke accompanied by three girls who were all crowded around him like he was some rock star about to take them to his tour bus to obviously fuck.

“If it isn’t the crazy whore of Boston!” a girl with red hair declared like it was some sort of title for me to be proud of being acknowledged by. “You just missed that bestie of yours. You know, the one you cling to because no one else will be friends with a lunatic!”

The others laughed to further emphasize the “joke,” but my dull gaze was on Luke as he stared at me with a cocky grin.

“I didn’t expect your family to participate,” Luke declared. “The Genevieves take pride in their money and ongoing winning gamble streaks.”

“Guess that streak came to a dramatic end!” another pointed out and they laughed like it was the funniest shit in the world.

“Imagine being so cocky about gambling, only to lose right before the masquerade was announced. I bet you her father did it on purpose!” a third girl mocked.

“Right! I bet you he did,” the red-haired girl sweetly declared. “He must be far too tired of dealing with a lunatic as his only daughter and heir to their empire. It’s a disgrace if you think about it.”

“Are you three Bitchsketeers done?” I questioned with a look of boredom. “My imaginary boyfriends are more entertaining so if you have nothing else to say that will shake my feathers, don’t waste my time.”

They looked appalled at my response, which made Kai chuckle in my ear. I hadn’t realized he was back, and his silent company only further empowered me as he pressed his chiseled front side against my back while his chin casually rested on the top of my head.

“They’re sure working overtime to try to piss you off,” he hummed. “Too bad it’s not working.”

“Right,” I responded to him, which left the others to observe me with disgusted glares. “I bet you they won’t make it through the Forbidden Forest with that clingy attitude of theirs. Red is obviously the leader so she’ll probably die last for dramatics, but the other two? Goners in five minutes.”

Kai hugged me from behind, and though it felt far more real than before, I didn’t pay much mind to it aside from the comforting affection bestowed upon me.

“What about Luke?”

“Oh, Luke? He’s bidding. Esme didn’t spend time talking about him so I doubt she cares. His very existence doesn’t really matter to her.”

My comment seemed to hit a strong enough nerve to make Lucas tug his arms away from the girls, making them shriek in surprise before he was in my face, towering over me like he couldn’t wait to see me lose.

“You think because you’re her best friend or whatever that you’re safe from perishing in the masquerade.” His voice was barely there, and yet it carried a level of heaviness that made goosebumps crawl up my skin.

“You of all people should know what someone like me is capable of,” I countered, not intimidated by his closeness. “Just admit that you hate losing battles you know you can’t win. But I guess in this case, you have no choice but to try to hide that secret of yours.”

His eyes darkened further. The intensity of our glares were truly palpable while I made sure I stood my ground. I wouldn’t let him deter me from our mission — from my sworn task of helping Esme awaken so she can retrieve the memories that this douche took advantage of her losing — and I bet deep down he knew it.

“I can destroy you,” he seethed, the words carrying a significant amount of power that left the atmosphere in a tense haze as the sky simply darkened like a storm was about to brew over.

It was rather hilarious to think he thought I could be scared by someone like him. He was but a weak fucker who deserved a collar around his neck.

Permanently.

“Keep breathing on my woman and I’ll make sure you stop breathing entirely.” I blinked in surprise, completely forgetting Kai was around. It wasn’t like they would hear him, and yet Luke glanced up as if he could truly see my Hot Chocolate Beast.

“W-When did he show up?” the redhead snarled.

“Fuck. I don’t know.”

“He was just there with a blink.”

“Could that be actually one of those boyfriends she always talks about?”

“No fucking way. He looks like an African prince.”

“I swear I’ve seen him before. Isn’t there a picture of him and Claude somewhere?”

“Shit, really?”

I had to zone their commentary out because I wasn’t quite grasping what was happening here. No one else should be seeing Khari and yet it looked like many were peering in our direction.

“And who the fuck are you?” Luke ended up asking, and I completely stilled as an arm possessively wrapped around my waist just as Kai’s chuckle hummed tauntingly through the air.

“Khari Ashanti Boseman,” he declared loud and clear. “Prince Boseman of Ghana. Feel free to look me up on that application your people enjoy depending on for clarification.”

“You mean Google?” one of the girls questioned.

The redhead hissed and elbowed her. “Shut up!”

“Prince Boseman,” Luke whispered. “And what’s your association with Princess Eloise?”

There was a wave of silence, which made me pick up on the snickers from near and far that were desperate to become bouts of laughter.

To once again mock me for another episode of psychosis.

Preparing to speak, I took a deep breath and let it out — packing up my emotions so they wouldn’t spill all over my face and make me look as vulnerable as I felt — only for a hand to grip my chin and move my head back until I was looking into a pair of golden eyes.

My heart literally stopped, the world around us seeming like nothing but a stilled painting as I took in Khari’s actual appearance. It was as if I was looking at the replica image of his tall, muscularly built body, but what was most mesmerizing was his attractiveness that sucked me right in and made me tingle with immense lust. His eyes bored into mine before his lips descended until they had no choice but to press firmly against mine.

The number of shocked gasps that ignited from the single kiss confirmed that this wasn’t simply a dream or mirage.

This is real? Khari…one of my monsters…is physically here?

He must have had to pay a fortune to get a potion or spell done for a moment as grand as this, and I couldn’t help but submerge myself in the movement of his warm lips.

So tender, so sweet, the taste of chocolate lingering in his divinely hot mouth.

It took everything I had to break the kiss, but I literally purred in approval which made him smile seductively in return. His eyes screamed hunger, and I was sure if no one was around, I’d truly ignite the beast and enjoy being ravished by this man who wouldn’t hesitate to devour me until I was in ecstasy.

“Princess Eloise is my woman,” he said loud and clear as he tugged his eyes away just to stare at Luke’s shocked face. “We decided to keep it a secret for a few years due to all the rumors revolving around my love’s mental health. It’s a shame, really, but we’re not ones to entertain gossip.”

I couldn’t believe this was happening, and yet it surely was.

It’s not a fucking illusion.

“I decided to go to Boston after the announcement of the masquerade. As royalty, even from West Africa, it only seems right to come and support your intriguing traditions. The circumstances are rather grim and inhuman if you ask me, but alas. Sometimes things can’t be avoided when it comes to testing one’s desire to survive.”

“S-So your real,” the redhead gasped in horror while her friends looked just as flabbergasted.

“Real? Of course.” Kai chuckled and proceeded to release me just to hold my hand. “And late actually. Eloise? Aren’t you going to enter the forest so you can finish in a timely manner?”

I blinked a few times as if I was now reminded of the task at hand.

“Why yes! I was but waiting for the announcer to invite us,” I confessed and looked up at him. A part of me was pleading to know if this really wasn’t some sort of illusion to play with my heartstrings, and he had to see it because he smiled and leaned down to kiss me one more time.

“Well, Cutie. Make haste for I wish to bed you the moment this masquerade is over so we can enjoy creating heirs together.”

The amount of gasping that ignited from his loving words left me not only blushing but gawking at what he’d just instigated.

He…wants children with me?

With a smirk and a wink, he urged me to walk forward. I took a glance at Luke, seeing the frustration in the lines on his face before I looked at the group of girls who seemed just as insulted by the display of commitment they’d been forced to witness.

“C-C’mon girls! We need to go into that forest. W-We don’t have time for crazy bitches!” Redhead declared and proceeded to quickly pull out some sort of scrolled paper.

“Agreed! We have other things to focus on.”

“Indeed!”

They proceeded to laugh, even though there was nothing funny about their statements, but I was already heading towards the scary-looking gate, noticing the thick vines matched with the eerie atmosphere surrounding it.

I quickly caught onto James, and I didn’t hesitate to walk over to him.

“James,” I hissed quickly before switching to French. “était-ce réel?”

Was that real?

His warm smile only confirmed the answer, and I looked back as if I’d see my Hot Chocolate Beast in the cream-gold suit.

“Be patient, Princess,” James encouraged, his voice low enough to remain between us. “The time is almost here to enjoy the reward your patience has delivered to you.”

I fought tears as the giddiness of hope that hummed through me, my lips curling into a wide smile as I put a finger to my bottom lip.

Step by step…until my monsters are finally mine.

***

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” I cursed with every racing step, questioning why the fuck I’d thought running in heels was a good idea when participating in a challenge that forced me to run through a fucking dark forest.

A forest full of meddling monsters.

“GARGHRA!”

I came to a dramatic stop, my eyes growing massive as I looked up to see a giant monster slamming into the ground from afar. The impact shook the ground beneath me, leaving me to gawk in horror before I gritted my teeth.

“Shit. Esme’s gonna be in trouble.”

I’d been praying this entire time, hoping she wouldn’t become tangled in this mess of chaos, but this challenge wasn’t meant to be a walk in the park. It was created to get the weakest out of the competition before we even reached the dance floor.

I have to make sure we both make it.

I couldn’t decide if this was the right time to cloak this portion of the forest with darkness and see what was truly hidden within, but running footsteps caught my attention which was why I hid in the nearest bush and went completely still.

“Please! Don’t kill me! Please, please, please!”

“To think I’d finally get rid of you, Angelica Lambert. You and that bold mouth of yours will finally be silenced forever.”

The woman in question had white locks, and the energy around her screamed Sinful Maiden.

She’s like me. She knows the power she carries.

“You’re not supposed to be killing other contestants!” Angelica snarled as she backed into a tree, her eyes darting around as if to find a way out. I sensed the shift in the air, the drop in temperature that gathered around us in anticipation of death.

The scent of fear was the most apparent, and a lot of it came from Angelica who knew her end was nearing.

“You’re partially correct,” the woman said as she came out of the darkness wearing a dark mask. It was an eerie purple, one that was plum with a hint of grey undertones, but the pair of black eyes were so dark, you’d think the woman was possessed by the devil himself. “Only, things are very different this year. We can’t have so many Sinful Maidens participating. It just ruins the balance and men with big pockets simply don’t like that,” she revealed.

“That shouldn’t have anything to do with me!” Angelica argued.

“But it does. At least, in this portion of the masquerade challenge,” she revealed. “Seeing as you’re able to see me, your Maiden sight is not only open but extremely strong. Which means you’ll easily see the true dangers that are lingering on the masquerade floor and we can’t have you witnessing the true madness awaiting our contestants,” she sang in glee as her smile revealed a set of broken, black teeth.

Angelica’s eyes went massively wide, her body trembling like a leaf in mere seconds.

“Which is why many hunters have been hired to take you all out. We can’t be too blatant because there are some contestants that already have a lot of money bid on their survival. Like that orange-haired girl everyone is going goo-goo-eyed for.” She sounded extremely upset as she said the last part, emphasizing how much she clearly hated Esmeralda’s popularity in this masquerade that had yet to truly start. “But you. Ah. You’re a nobody, aren’t you?” she sweetly sang.

“T-T-That’s not true! I have family and friends.”

“Ah. Like everyone else who exists in this world. But that’s not what I’m looking for, is it?” she offered and her voice dipped to an all-time low. “Your initiation forced you to become a Maiden, didn’t it?”

She didn’t dare move, her eyes boring into the woman as she slowly approached — step by step with eyes like a slithering snake.

“Yes, yes. A weasel of a man. Scrawny. Different. Insecure. You were set with monsters so powerful and great and yet you were just a little boy who expected your union to be nothing but a mistake. A boy can’t be a sinful maiden. Not one at the rank of a white rabbit. No way, no how. What could possibly be more challenging than being a male connected to three royal monsters? Ah yes!”

She paused in her movements as if the answer dawned on her.

“Change he into a she and force her to attend the masquerade on the full moon. Let her dance upon a dance floor, knowing her monsters would never recognize who she truly is, until that final dance where her story will all but end for no prince will bid upon her. Like a sad ending to a haunting fairytale, your end will be felt by those sinful creatures, and with sadness, your Den will disappear, just like you.”

She laughed and clapped her hands far too slowly, her sly smile only making her look absolutely frightening.

“So I’ve decided to do you a favor. To end of your existence now so you don’t even need to attend the masquerade. You should thank me for wasting my time and effort. I originally was going to go after that Psycho Queen who enjoys clinging to the orange-haired girl, but I’ve heard she’s a pain to fight against in the dark realms and I’m trying to confront easy prey on this beautiful full moon night.”

“Y-You wouldn’t actually kill me!” Angelica snapped back. “I may not know my monsters, but I’ve felt their power. They’ll revolt. Execute anyone that challenges them. Find the person who dared to steal their maiden from them! I may be at heart a boy, but my body is a female that can satisfy them in the same way any other Maiden can!”

“Then tell me, what happens when they claim you?” she dared to ask as she was mere steps from the quivering Angelica. “The spell…comes undone, now doesn’t it?”

She couldn’t fight back, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip brutally enough to ignite blobs of blood.

“The truth hurts, doesn’t it?” she sang happily. “Which is why I’m doing you a favor. Closing the chapter before you dare to open it and become rejected by your Den of Criminals who will be disgusted by your existence.”

She shook her head and began to raise her arms as if readying to finish the very deed she’d laid out for Angelica to accept.

“Too much testosterone in your system to be a true Maiden. Too much femininity in your appearance to be a cold-hearted killer like the men you’re bonded with. Destined to perish, your head sliced upon the dance floor. No shining prince would come and save you from your approaching end. Accept your fate, and be my snakes’ next meal, for I’m most deserving of ridding you of that beating heart of yours! By wrapping you up, squeezing the air out of your precious lungs, and watching you die at the hands of my vicious captivity. A more noble way of dying than simply being beheaded, right?”

She can’t be fucking serious!

I didn’t know if I should interfere, but one look into Angelica’s eyes proved she couldn’t get out of this. This manipulative witch used her words to get her right into her trap, and she was about to perish without a fighting chance.

Not on my watch.

“No hard feelings, my dear,” she eerily sang. “Let the true serenade beg—”

I slammed the rock against the back of her head, watching the woman collapse with a grunt before I bolted straight to Angelica.

“RUN!” I urged as I reached where she was. I spun around and outstretched my hands.

“Be lost in the hymns of my darkness. Be found by the hunger of thy enemies. I invite thee into the madness. I invite thee into my serenade of captivity.”

“NO!” the woman screamed and tried to counter me, her hands outstretching and igniting thousands of snakes to appear at her feet, but that was all she could do as her eyes became glazed over until she looked like a statue in the midst of the forest.

Only that didn’t stop the hoard of black snakes from getting their target…aka me.

“Aww fuck!” I cursed and spun around to bolt, only to see Angelica was still fucking here. “WHY aren’t you running?!” I shrieked and grabbed her.

In seconds, we were running together, my hand gripping her arm so she wouldn’t stall in shock.

“W-Why are you helping me?!” she asked in devastation.

“Because I’m allowed to?!” I snapped. “Run faster!”

She seemed to follow instructions now that her life really depended on it because she was running to the point that she was faster than me. I had to let go of her so she could get ahead, which made her realize she was running too fast as she glanced back at me.

“Just go!” I encouraged. “Head straight ahead! You’ll reach the stairs of the castle!”

“What about you?!”

“I’m the diversion, obviously!” I snapped as I knew there would be only a few more running steps before I changed directions to lead them away from Angelica. “I’ll be fine! I’ll see you at the masquerade.”

“But I’m a boy!” she snapped as if I hadn’t been listening.

“And you could be a bloody sheep for all I care,” I snapped back. “Don’t let people diminish your worth just because of your gender. Who gives a fuck if you’re a male or female! All that matters is you deserve to love and be loved! You have the power to live! So do that!”

I skidded to a stop, watching her eyes widen as she still managed to keep her running pace. I was sure I was getting smaller and smaller by the second in her eyes, but this was the moment she needed to witness so she’d have the drive to survive the masquerade.

Just like I was going to.

“Be fierce and survive, and you’ll give Fate no choice but to bring you right to your monsters!” I declared with pride. “They’ll find you no matter what, so don’t give up!”

With those words, I bolted to my left, just in time to avoid the wave of black snakes hissing in anticipation of sinking their fangs into my flesh.

I sprinted the best I could, realizing quickly that if I didn’t figure out a way to get rid of these snakes, I’d be doomed.

“Should I summon my monsters? I may make things worse. Venom may be my best bet, but what if these snakes are triple the size in the shadow realm? Fuck, fuck, fuc— AH!” I screamed as my foot hit a thick enough branch to send me flying in the air.

With a blink, I crashed into a tree, the impact leaving me to drop to the floor with a grunt.

“Fuck…” I groaned and tried to get up quickly, but the exertion from running matched with using a few of my Maiden abilities made me feel queasy.

C’mon stomach. This ain’t the time to be acting like we’re gonna shit our pants.

“HISS!”

“Fucking hell,” I cursed and swiftly turned so I was sitting then shuffled back until my back pressed against the tree. Lifting one hand up, I prepared to pull myself into the shadow world, my breathing rapid as my vision began to blur.

Shit…is this going to be my end?

For a second, I feared the worst, and my mind immediately went to my four men and how we were mere steps away from achieving what we’d yearned for for the last ten years. I’d just gotten a glimpse, a touch of just exactly how good it felt to have your man support you in a world that wished to bring you down in any way, so what would our love be like once I was officially their Sinful Maiden?

What would it be like to hold hands in public and force the world to witness our dedication? To see the affection we carried for one another and how powerful it was beyond this realm.

A hissing screech only further encouraged me to keep my eyes shut, my mind slowly realizing I’d closed them for the sake of not witnessing my own demise, but the screeches kept on going, to the point that it was as if they were in pain.

It was enough to encourage me to open my eyes, and they doubled in size before I squinted these blue spheres to confirm whether I was completely delusional.

“Is that a red snake…slicing the heads of these black snakes…with a fucking dagger?!” I was literally gawking as I blinked again and again in hopes that this illusion would end so I could face death and be on with it.

But no. It kept going.

The red snake was literally big enough and strong enough to use its upper body to swing the silver dagger in its grasp, again and again as it struck down every snake that dared challenge it.

I scurried off the ground, staring at the sight before the red snake paused and glanced my way.

Red eyes locked onto mine, and there was something about them that was far too familiar. They reminded me of someone. I soon realized that it was the silver weapon within its deadly mouth that identified exactly who it was.

“Dagger,” I whispered in awe, just as it blinked its eyes three times and went right back into snake slaying.

I knew that was my cue to run, which I humble took advantage of and hoped I’d get a chance to thank the psychopath that was a part of Esmeralda’s Den of Monsters.

The hissing was soon but an echo, proving that I was moving further away from the threat that almost rid me of my existence.

When I felt safe, I came to a stop to catch my breath, realizing how exhausted I was. I had to have been running for a few minutes, even though it felt like eons, but the chance to finally catch my breath and acknowledge my survival was relieving.

I’d really thrown myself off course, but I knew I still had time. We had to be at the castle before six so surely I had an hour left to try to re-route and get my ass to the castle.

“That was fucking clos—”

“HISSEAAAHH!”

My body was still as my head slowly looked back to see the opened mouth of a massive black snake. The sight paralyzed me enough that I knew within seconds that I’d soon be in this snake’s stomach.

“I failed,” I squeaked and forced my eyes open to witness my end.

To accept that I’d tried to survive for the sake of my monsters, best friend, alliances, and deep down, my own self.

“HISS!” The snake froze a mere inch from my face—a second before the entire head that was ready to devour me slid right off of the neck and dropped to the ground. I took three steps back before I collapsed to the floor, my jaw hung open while I blinked a few times to confirm.

The rest of the snake’s body dropped to the floor, leaving the two parts to twitch as dark red blood oozed out of their ends and pooled beneath. I looked for the red snake, and for a second I saw it before its body was engulfed in black. A breathless man with a pale complexion and striking red hair was soon revealed.

There were those red eyes that found me with ease while puffs of white left his parted lips as he took me in from head to toe. He briefly looked at the snake he just killed, before he smirked and returned his gaze to me.

This would probably be my only chance to share my gratitude, but I was still in shock so speaking felt like a mission in my frightened state. The best I could do was mouth my intentions, hoping he’d understand it from this distance.

“Thank you.”

All he did was slowly nod, still out of breath even as he glanced away and allowed the shadows to wrap around his nude body before I could even get a glimpse of it.

Just like that, he was gone, leaving me to fight to get up before I forced my mind to calm the fuck down.

I need to go. I have to get to the castle.

That was my intention as I struggled to take that first step, but my eyes caught onto a glint of gold. “Hmm?”

It took me a second to see the golden dagger on the ground just next to the snake’s head. I gathered as much courage as I could before I took unsteady steps until I retrieved the blade that I recognized.

“This is Esmeralda’s,” I whispered to myself. That only confirmed it was Dagger who’d just saved my ass — twice — which also meant he’d been with her to have grabbed this precious heirloom.

Wait. Was he just with her before he rushed to come and help me? He wouldn’t have sensed that, right?

To be honest, I wasn’t sure because the Devils were not only strong but super sensitive to their surroundings. Dagger could have sensed I was in danger and because of my close association with Esme, decided to help me out.

He wasn’t obligated to, especially when our alliance wasn’t finalized, but he did it on Esme’s behalf because my death would negatively impact his Sinful Bunny.

With another silent thank you, I quickly moved from the scene, walking aimlessly for a moment as I urged my heart to slow down from its rapid beating. That really had been a close call, and if my monsters found out I’d made such a foolish move, they wouldn’t be too happy.

Lifting the blade as I continued to walk, I admired the golden weapon, remembering how important it was to Esmeralda because Chloe had given it to her for protection.

“I better find this bitch. I can’t believe she’d drop important shit on the ground like it ain’t protecting her—” I spoke as if to practice what I’d say when I did meet Esmeralda, just as I walked into a ray of moonlight.

“Eloise?!” Esme’s voice reached my ears, leaving me no choice but to look up from the dagger and acknowledged the fact that I’d absentmindedly been walking to where she was in this vast forest.

“BITCH!” I squealed, thankfully she actually was alive after that fiasco.

I tackled her without a second thought — which luckily didn’t leave her being stabbed by her own dagger.

“Thank the dark fucking gods! I was telling my damn monsters how I hate waltzing in creepy haunted forests like these. My ass ain’t dying like in those horror movies!” I lied because I didn’t want her to notice how frightened I was after that close call. She had to be scared of whatever she’d experienced, and I didn’t want things to focus on me when she was the priority.

She hugged me back while I patted her back with my free hand. It was a good call cause I could tell right away that she was quivering like we were standing in the midst of a blizzard.

“Shit, Esme. You’re shaking like a damn leaf. Why are you so cold? I swear the temperature isn’t freezing yet.” She had to be scared shitless which deeply pissed me off because no one got away with frightening my Ride-Or-Die.

I pulled back as Esme nervously giggled.

“I’m a bit of a scaredy-cat,” she admitted with a shy grin.

“Ya because you dropped your damn dagger,” I noted like it was common sense and lifted the dagger to display it between us. “Remember, Chloé didn’t just give this to you to protect you from bullshit fuckers. She gave it to you because when you were small, you used to be frightened of the dark so your dad gave you some gold sword paperweight and you used to bring it with you everywhere until you were literally sixteen and got this bad boy.”

She looked cluelessly back at me as if she truly couldn’t recall what I was saying — which could possibly be the case. I didn’t want her to feel bad so I sighed.

“We need to look into why you can’t remember shit. Maybe someone put a voodoo spell on you! Which reminds me!” I declared loudly. “These three bitches were so fucking rude! I swear if James and Winston weren’t holding me back, I was gonna beat their asses!”

“You met them?” I questioned.

“Yup. At the entrance with that scary-looking gate of vines or whatever.” I rolled my eyes at the memory. “Those cunts had some sort of list with them and kept looking at me and laughing their heads off like I was a new form of entertainment. They even had the audacity to say ‘a crazy bitch like me isn’t worth their time and attention.’ Like, did I ask? If I didn’t have confidence in myself, I would have sworn they were making fun of my beautiful ass,” I seethed while I gestured down my body.

Then something clicked.

“Wait. How do you know them?”

“They just tried to kill me,” Esme noted.

“What?!” I didn’t know what blinded rage possessed me but I had a summoned gun in my grasp in a second and was ready to go to war with those three Cunteteers. “Where those bitches at? I’ll kill them and bail my ass out!”

More like I’d get one of my monster lovers to bail my ass out if I had to.

“Wait a minute,” Esme stressed as she put her hands up. “WHY are you here, Eloise?!”

“What?” I stared at her innocently, not understanding why she was asking me that when I was about to go crazy bitch on her behalf.

“The masquerade! You can only be here by invitation!”

“Well… ya?” I knew that, obviously.

“Why were you invited?!” Esme stressed. “You’re not in debt!”

“Ohh!” It finally clicked as to why she was so surprised.

I obviously didn’t tell her!

“Right. About that. See, my dear father has a bit of a gambling problem, but he normally keeps it under wraps due to the whole tradition thing, but I guess he thought there wasn’t going to be a masquerade this year so he spent far too much money which put him in debt. Problem is, the estate and stuff are actually in my mother’s name, so technically speaking, only my dad is on the chopping block,” I revealed. “Since I actually like him as a parent and I know my best friend is having to go through this bullshit, I decided why not participate?”

“Eloise, you could die!”

“I noticed,” I replied. “I saw the big ass monster and poisonous snakes.”

“How did you survive?” Esme asked.

“The big monster didn’t see me.” I shrugged. “As for the black snakes, they were going to attack me but some red snake came out of nowhere with a silver dagger in its mouth and was legit slicing through the snakes like a fucking battlefield.”

The surprise on her face encouraged me to justify what I actually endured.

“I know it sounds crazy, but, girl. If you saw the way this snake was battling like a fucking assassin, you’d be shook! Absolutely shook. It was like I was back in medieval times but the knights in shining armor were fucking snakes with scaley skin. If I thought I’d seen some crazy shit, that just topped the list.”

It really was an unexpected intervention that saved my ass back there.

“Then after that whole fiasco, I came down this route, and the same fucking snakes tried to attack me again, but nope. That red snake was back with THIS!” I lifted the golden blade. “How the hell it got your blade and carried it all the way to that lot of black snakes will forever be a mystery, but I’m alive thanks to this.”

I offered her blade back, watching as she slowly took it into her grasp and admired its unique beauty.

“I don’t know where the red snake left to but it arrived pretty abruptly. As if it sensed I was in trouble again and came to save the day. Or night. Fuck, I sound crazy, but I guess anything can happen in a forest like this, right?” I summed up, hoping I didn’t give too much away.

Her lingering silence left me feeling concerned, enough that I stared at her with an odd look as I whispered, “Esme? Are you okay? You didn’t hurt your head or anything, right?”

“Nah,” she replied. “I’m all good.”

“Then let’s get moving! We’ve got a masquerade to attend!” I cheered.

I could see the determination flooding her eyes.

“Let’s prove to all those bitches that we’re a threat to be afraid of.”

They’ll have no choice but to witness how dangerous Esme will be, for she’s about to be the apple of their eye. And me? I’m going to be her knight in shining armor that kills every motherfucker who tries to stop her.

CHAPTER 11

Introducing The Surface Of The Masquerade

ELOISE GENEVIEVE

“Everything is all fun and games until blood is spilled. Then, it becomes a game of survival.”

— Eloise Genevieve

“W e did it!” Esme squealed and hugged me as tightly as she could.

Our bodies were a fucking mess of sweat, scratches, dirt, and whatever grime we’d collected going through that hideous forest. The good thing was we were fucking alive and made it time.

One step closer!

“I fucking love you!” I shrieked back as I hugged her with all my might. “Fuck, we have to go, or else we won’t have enough time to get ready! You know my hair gets all frizzy when I’m nervous.”

“Don’t be nervous!” Esme urged. “We can do this.”

I actually believed her. We’d survived a lot already and we were just inching toward the masquerade that would lead to a night of grand madness. The end game would be worth all the mayhem, but we just had to get there.

We pulled away just as we caught onto James and Jeanne waiting for us at the top of the stairs.

It’s best I get going so Esme can prepare.

“See you on the dance floor, bestie,” I vowed without a single doubt in my mind.

“I’ll be there.” It was a promise.

With one last look in her direction, we went our separate ways and were sucked into the whirlwind of the night. Things moved extremely quickly — the check-ins, clearance, and physical and mental assessments. I wasn’t very fond of the mental portion, but I withstood it for the sake of securing my spot.

This was prime time, and whatever I did or said would be judged without question. I may not agree with everything happening here, but for the sake of my Den and our lingering alliances, I’d endure it.

Even if some of it was triggering.

The place was extremely crowded already, full of suitors wearing various masks. The masks ranged from basic gold and silver to more glamorous materials, like Swarovski crystals.

It really helped one differentiate between the commoners and the true elites who were ready to bid any amount to claim what they desired.

Those who weren’t worthy of salvation would perish in the coming challenges that I was sure would eliminate so many at this masquerade. It would be a domino effect, leading to the execution of their families.

Their legacy in this world is about to be wiped out for good.

I was working on finishing curling my hair while James ensured my attire was wrinkle-free when Claude slipped into the room.

“Should I ask why you’re here and not in the Observer booths?” I began as I finished curling the last blonde lock. I’d originally glanced into the mirror to see the man in question approach me when I noticed James bow and exit the room to give us a bit of privacy.

“I wanted a sneak peek before we’re forced to dive into this moment of chaos,” he confessed, sounding a bit nervous as he reached me and immediately embraced me like I’d slipped out of his fingers and he’d only now found me in a sea of people.

“Claude?” I sensed his anxiety, the slight tremble in his body only further worried me. “What’s wrong? Are you on the verge of a panic attack?”

He shook his head into my shoulder as he simply focused on breathing. His eyes were closed so I couldn’t turn my head and try to see what was going on with him with a glimpse of those purpose spheres.

“Just give me a moment,” he quietly begged as he continued to hug me.

That left me to stand there at his disposal, hoping he really was okay and I was brushing away the signs of a potential panic attack.

“Sorry,” he apologized.

“Don’t apologize,” I countered. “You did nothing wrong.”

He nodded into my shoulder before he let me go, taking one more deep inhale and letting out slowly as he seemed to pack up whatever anxieties were frustrating him and put them away so he wouldn’t deal with it until all of this was over.

“Hate being in crowded places,” he muttered. “Makes me want to switch back and forth.”

“I know,” I reminded him, reaching out to hold his hand and squeeze it tightly. “I’m just getting ready. Want to stay here until I have to make my dramatic walk down the stairs?”

He nodded and squeezed my hand back, leaving me to smile before I took the steps needed to land before him. Without hesitation, I leaned in and kissed him long and hard.

He was anxious about multiple things; the number of bidders, monsters hiding amongst us, and ultimately, the tension that coursed through this place. It was as if it now finally clicked that this was very real and in a few short hours, we’d accomplished what we’d waited years for.

Finally, reunite with everyone else and display our alliance to the rest of the monster world.

“Want help with your hair?” he decided to ask just as James walked into the room.

“Sure,” I purred and kissed him again just as he further relaxed to wrap his arms around my waist and pull me against him. Clearly, doing my hair was the least of his worries, his focus simply on the taste of my mouth as we kissed deeply.

I wanted to comfort him the best way I knew how, especially as his Maiden. He deserved to be loved and feel safe in my presence, and it was my duty to secure such comforting safety. We were in a full-blown kissing session with lip-smacking and low grunts when James cleared his throat.

“My apologies for the interruption, Princess Eloise and Prince Claude, but Eloise’s scheduled walk down the stairs and into the crowd is fifteen minutes away.”

We shared one more firm kiss before I broke it and leaned over to look at James, who looked as professional as ever.

“Alright. I’ll get ready. Claude is staying with me until then,” I stressed which was greeted with a nod of understanding.

“That is not a problem, Princess Eloise. I’ll ensure everything is—”

The room began to tremble, the force it enough to cut James off as the three of us glanced around. Claude and James ended up looking my way, but I quickly put my hands up.

“Oh no. That ain’t me being troublesome,” I confirmed before I shivered at the intense pulse of power growing bigger and bigger.

“Eloise?” Claude called out to me, and for good reason because I’d clearly been standing there like a frozen statue for longer than fifteen seconds. I was trying to decipher the energy and where it was coming from because it was far too familiar for comfort.

“James,” I finally began before my eyes pulled away to land on the bowing butler.

“Yes, Princess.”

“Esmeralda. Check on her with the others,” I encouraged.

“Yes, Princess.” He was gone before we knew it, leaving me with Claude who frowned and looked at me.

“You think it’s Esmeralda doing this?”

“I’m absolutely positive,” I confessed, knowing that flow of energy anywhere. “She could be connecting with one of her monsters.”

“Talon?”

“No. I don’t think so. Talon carries a calm-before-the-storm vibe. He wouldn’t ignite such power before a masquerade,” I admitted. “Don’t say Dagger, because it’s not him. He’s just crazy like us.”

“Joaquin,” Claude hit the nail on the head, and I did need a moment to actually think about it.

“He may not be the type to do something potentially dangerous like this, but then again, he’s the leader of their Den and has one of the strongest connections with Esme.”

“Do you think they’ll get in trouble?”

“If they did, it would be rather hard to prove she’s the culprit of such shaking madness. She’s not the only Sinful Maiden here and after the chaos in the forest, some may still be reeling off survival mode.”

“True,” Claude confessed as he let go of me and walked over to the vanity.

“You don’t have much time before you got to walk down those stairs,” he reminded. “Let’s get you ready.”

“You’re actually going to help me,” I’d honestly agreed just to calm him down but didn’t think he was going to do it for real.

“What boyfriend would I be if I let you go out there without being in the prime level of absolute perfection?” he gasped in horror before adding, “Though you’re always perfectly hot in my eyes.”

“Smooth,” I huffed and rolled my eyes, but with a smile, walked to the vanity, and sat down for him to begin working his magic. “Should I ask where the others are?”

“They’re handling things,” Claude admitted, which made me frown at my reflection while he peaked at me to see my expression. “The knowledge that Esme got attacked in the forest has them scouting the masquerade for potential traps.”

“Traps as in?”

“They may want to pull her into the dark world and get rid of her there,” Claude confessed with a scowl on his face. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they tried, but despite how powerful Esme is, she’s not equipped to survive those realms.”

“She’s become a victim of their hunger to feed off her maiden energy,” I grumbled. “She doesn’t know how to summon her monsters in that realm. She’d be trapped and vulnerable.”

“Exactly,” Claude agreed as he worked on further curling my hair. “Sinful Maidens thrive in those realms only if you’ve acquired enjoy the energy from sexual encounters. Esme may get lost in her dreams on a regular occurrence, but if she can’t summon her monsters when she’s in need, that energy will simply pool within her until it was nowhere else to go.”

“And that could kill her,” I sighed. “Fuck. She can’t be pulled into the dark madness. It’s even harder for Sinful Maidens to find one another in that world.”

“The only way a Sinful Maiden can get out of the shadowed world the fastest is with the aid of her own den. Strong bonds would make it easier to pinpoint where exactly you are, but it’s still a difficult task and rather time costing which means the maiden has to support herself from the monsters and illusions driven to consume her until she’s found by her men.”

“Basically being caught in a web and needing to slow down the spider’s advances before help comes to save you from being the ultimate prey.” It made sense and yet I wouldn’t wish such circumstances on my worse enemy right now.

The forest had already been strenuous activity whether you knew you were a Sinful Maiden or not. Getting pulled into a world that could be manipulated into anything was just as dangerous because you wouldn’t know you were in it until it was far too late.

“We’ll be fine,” I finally declared. “We didn’t make it this far to fail now.”

Claude agreed with a nod, the two of silent for a long moment as he continued to help me do my hair. I kept staring at my reflection, mentally empowering myself to be a badass bitch.

We can do this. We have to. For the sake of our alliance…and Esmeralda’s Revenge.

CHAPTER 12

Bid Of Fury At The Hand Of A Rapist

ELOISE GENEVIEVE

“When you’re worthy of one devotion, they’ll do anything in their power to claim you as theirs…and theirs alone.”

— Eloise Genevieve

“W elcome to the Masquerade of Sin! A tradition that many thought would end last year has been revived thanks to the financial backing of the well-known Mother Family Organization!”

My focus was on the announcer. My lips had been curled in a smile since witnessing Esmeralda kill it walking down those steps in such a grand entrance.

I couldn’t care less about standing out, which was why I wore something that wouldn’t stand out…unlike the various vast colors everyone else was wearing for this fine night of survival.

I was in a jet-black dress bedazzled with so many colored rhinestones, one would probably see me even if all the lights were off.

I really thought it wouldn’t be something that would stand out, but I guessed I was the only bold one to wear a black dress like I was attending a royal’s funeral.

Oops.

With Esmeralda being the last to make her grand entrance, bidders were hungry to place a claim on her, which would either go really well or really horrid depending on who the final bidder was. I didn’t focus much on myself, knowing no one was bidding on me.

With Claude being an Observer, I was assuming he’d oversee the madness that was about to unfold on this grand dance floor. As for the others, I doubted they would be present.

Even though Khari had been actually present before I entered the Forbidden Forest.

I wanted to continue thinking it was some sort of dream, but I couldn’t deny it had happened when so many witnessed it with their own eyes. If I had my phone, I could have checked the gossip tabloids for any photos taken, but I didn’t have that chance right now, which was maybe a good thing because I could no longer be distracted.

I have to focus.

“The royal Mother Family has aided in getting rid of the debts of their people for many decades! I’m sure to some this opportunity would be deemed a curse, but to the fortunate, powerful, and wise lot of individuals, this invitation is a blessing in disguise, for, with persistence, intelligence, stamina, and a dose of luck, anyone can be given a fresh new start by getting rid of every cent of debt from one’s name and in return, be given abundance!”

If I could puke and not ruin my dress, I certainly would cause this was cringe-worthy.

“Since the return of this tradition, the Mother Family has not only aided in the crowdfunding for the enhancements and redecoration of this sinful castle of entertainment but has very generously offered the pool of money that will be won by the last individual standing on the dance floor at the end of this grand night!” he revealed, which seemed to catch everyone’s attention.

With three claps, a massive scoreboard appeared above the stage. The display projected every contestant on the digital screen.

Despite this being an obvious competition, the number of ELIMINATED labels upon individual names was high, the red X placed on their miniature photo only emphasizing that they were no longer among us.

Which may have meant they had perished and weren’t simply disqualified.

I noticed Antionette’s name was still on the board, and I could already hear the tiny whispers of shock within the crowd regarding her survival. I knew she wouldn’t be easy to kill, even with various individuals hunting us Maidens in the depths of the Forbidden Forest.

Whether it was truly allowed or not, it was clearly not a concern for those who organized this grand challenge.

“Not only will the grand prize be offered to the last surviving contestant on the dance floor at the end of the night, but the second batch of prize money of equal value will be divided amongst the Top 50 bidders whose contestant reaches the top three!”

Many gasped at the news, and I didn’t blame them.

“We have one final treat to reveal regarding the masquerade, but here is the current leaderboard prior to our announcement. Remember, bidding is a privilege and the number of times you can change your bid depends on multiple factors. Everyone will be given one chance to vote as a default, but more can be given based on status, hierarchy, and donations!”

My eyes scanned the board, immediately taking in the TOP 10 contestants chosen before our entry into the masquerade was now displayed on the screen next to the TOP 10 bidders with their first choices.

Antionette and Esmeralda managed to get into the Contestant category  – Antionette was surprisingly in the top three while Esmeralda was in 10th place. I personally felt like she should have been higher placed, but then again, many didn’t pay attention to Esme with all the drama Antionette caused to make the Bellerose family a topic of interest in the gossip columns.

From the Top Bidder category, at least six bids landed on Esmeralda, which was outstanding. What got people talking though was the amount being bid. My eyes lingered on the top bid by the King of the Devils of Sin himself.

PRINCE JOAQUIN DUMAIRE LAURENT

Contestant: ESMÉRALDA FRANÇOIS

Bid Amount: 10 MILLION DOLLARS (US).

“Ten million dollars?” someone hissed in pure shock.

“Fuck. That’s an introduction bid.”

“For a woman we’ve never heard about?”

“You may not have heard about her but look at the scoreboard. The lowest bid is literally a million fucking dollars.”

More people began to whisper about the bidding, all eyes falling on Esmeralda though her focus was still on the board. I could only imagine how she was feeling, but when I followed her lingering gaze, I could see exactly why she looked like she was dreading something.

LUCAS ANDRÉ BELLEROSE

Contestant: ESMÉRALDA FRANÇOIS

Bid Amount: 6 MILLION DOLLARS (US).

What in the fuck?! That sly mother fucker of an asshole dared to bid on Esmeralda?

It was fucking madness because Antionette was the one representing the Belleroses. Him bidding on her made him look like he has some sort of fetish for her versus being worried about his family position and overall survival.

Clearly, I wasn’t the only one questioning Lucas’s motives because the commentary coming in was far worse.

“Damn. Even Lucas Bellerose bid on her instead of his sister, who’s representing their family.”

“Talk about savage. Does he have no shame?”

“What if he’s madly in love with her?”

“Aren’t they siblings?”

“What if they’re step-siblings?”

“Whatever they are, surely there’s a favorite in the family if he’s actually placing all his cards on her instead of his own sister, Antionette.”

“Maybe he’s getting payback. I heard they hate each other’s guts.”

“Who wouldn’t when you have a slutty sister who sleeps with anything that moves?”

“I heard recently that those she’s been sleeping with end up in crazy misfortunate events.”

“No fucking way.”

“Well, whoever she’s slept with clearly bid on her. She’s in the top 3 but François’s daughter is the clear underdog. I’m bidding on her.”

“Same.”

“Heck ya. Imagine if the grand prize money is split fifty ways and we don’t even need to dance. It’s golden.”

“This year is going to be wild since they increased the stakes like this.”

The talk was only growing in volume, with good reason obviously. The attention centered on Lucas and Antionette and whatever family drama they carried to the point that Lucas would avoid saving Antionette and bid on Esmeralda instead.

I knew this was a manipulative move. He wanted to remind Esmeralda of his presence, which was honestly sickening and made me want to beat the shit out of him. He must have thought he’d be the top bigger, but maybe the King of the Devils himself knew this could happen.

They knew the true hidden secrets of Lucas as well as our underlying motives for entering the masquerade to begin with.

Returning to the board, I scanned through the list of bidders, only now realizing Claude was up there.

Joaquin - 10 MILLION DOLLARS

Lucas – 6 MILLION DOLLARS

Talon – 5 MILLION DOLLARS

Dagger – 5 MILLION DOLLARS

Croix – 2.5 MILLION DOLLARS

Creed – 2.5 MILLION DOLLARS

Claude – 1 MILLION DOLLARS

Shit. Claude actually bid on me.

I honestly hadn’t expected that in the slightest. The sight of his name and the fact that he put a bid to secure me made my heart flutter.

It was amazing how I always put everyone first before myself, which was why sudden situations like this where someone I loved thought about my well-being made me emotional. It was another reminder that I was loved, even if they couldn’t be physically present to show that love.

“To make things exciting, the top bidder’s chosen contestant will now be given the privilege of giving immunity to two individuals!” the announcer surprisingly announced, which caught everyone’s attention. “Immunity will only last for the first round of dances.”

Esme turned to face the audience once more as the announcer himself walked over to her until he had the mic right in her face.

“Who shall you choose for the first round of immunity?”

My bestie didn’t even delay as her mouth opened immediately and the decision came right out.

“Miss Genevieve and Miss Bellerose.”

I gawked at her but quickly composed myself as many made surprised gasps and commentary about the fact that Esmeralda chose me and Antionette. The announcer dramatically pointed my way and then to Antionette, who was in the front line of the crowd.

“Congratulations! Can Contestants Eloise Genevieve and Antionette Bellerose come to the stage to receive your immunity bracelets?”

On came the music while we made our way to the stage. Antionette’s dress caught my eye as she wore an extravagant dress that was vivid red. Her shock was clear as day, and she seemed to whisper something to Esmeralda when she reached her right side.

I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but when I reached Esme’s left side, I noticed Antionette’s cocky grin, which made me feel like she was holding information back or taunting Esme. Deciding to take the advantage of the moment, I leaned in and asked the looming question I was sure everyone was interested in.

But in French to keep it between us.

“Pourquoi Lucas vous a-t-il choisi?” I asked

Why did Lucas choose you?

“Je n’ai aucune putain d’idée,” she admitted.

I have no fucking idea…

Bracelets of gold with ombre rose symbols that shifted between red and orange were placed on our wrists.

“To activate it, please press on the rose button now,” the advisor standing before us encouraged.

When we did, all three of us flinched at the spike of pain that pierced into our flesh. It was like we’d stuck a needle into our skin, similar to a pushpin in a corkboard.

We watched as the bracelets glowed just slightly. The thick dark red liquid swarming through the engraved markings was surely our blood flowing through like they were tunnels waiting to be filled by the flowing life source.

“These iconic bracelets will offer you immunity on both spectrums of Sinful Manor. Please note, this item isn’t simply for decor but will be of key importance throughout the event tonight. Ensure it remains on your wrist for your performance throughout the night, for we can offer you more immunity opportunities if you rank highly or are the top bidder’s favorite. After this event, if you do survive what is ahead, feel free to keep the artifact for it’ll have additional benefits within our society.”

Our society of hidden monsters and the power we keep away from the rest of the world that’d do anything to be among our kind.

“It’s time for the first dance. Observers and royal bidders! Please make your way to your designated seats throughout the ballroom!”

The crowd flocked to their seats that were further up in the platforms. It was like this ballroom had become a stadium where all eyes were on the field as everyone awaited the start of a grand show.

We stood where we were, observing everything that was happening while workers with black outfits and masks came rushing in to move chairs and other props. Men in tuxes came in to instruct where certain men should stand throughout the dance floor.

Within three minutes, everyone was situated.

“Smooth transition!” the announcer declared. “For the first round, all dancers must participate! Bidders! This is your chance to make your first round of bids. Remember that everyone has one guaranteed bid. Whether you use it now or in the final round is up to you! The top bidder will get to choose who they dance with first!” he explained. “Remember that many of you are in Dens. Use that to your advantage. And also remember that once you’ve participated in the dance, you will be given the option to lay claim on your chosen female. You all know what steps need to be done to do this, so keep that in mind!”

I already had half a claim upon me so it wouldn’t be hard to complete it, but I didn’t think such activities would happen on the dance floor before everyone.

“Participating Observers and Suitors, if you participate in a dance, you can only do so once. If you lay claim on a contestant and their debt has been cleared, they do not need to continue dancing for the night unless you wish for your entire Den to lay ownership on the contestant. Remember that will also cost money and the chosen individual must survive the rest of the night. Please keep that in mind, for no excuses will be accepted if things go south! You will have thirty minutes between each dancing stage to rest, change outfits if necessary, or seek medical attention,” he elaborated. “Also remember that the slot of time can also be used for claiming your chosen contestant. Do take advantage of this if you can.”

“How do they claim a contestant?” someone inquired.

“Probably by kissing them or something,” another muttered.

“Do you guys know nothing?” an older contestant snarled. “To be claimed is to be fucked by the Observer or the highest bidder who dances with you.”

“W-What?!” a few of the girls gasped in horror. The news wasn’t surprising to me, but then again, I was aware of how things worked. It did suck — don’t get me wrong — but the traditions of being claimed by monsters were all sensual.

These beings needed the energy exchange that was highest at the peak of euphoria, and that was only guaranteed with sex. Whether you loved a person or not, the body couldn’t stop itself from cumming if fucked.

“Think of this as a mating game. You dance to be appealing to the men who will observe and bid on your worth. The higher the bids, the more fuckable you are. If a person claims you and they’re a part of a Den, the rest of the Den has to claim you as well,” another female contestant further explained and actually smiled like this wasn’t a sick tradition. “Your debt is cleared and you’re basically sold to a group of men who will offer you a chance at life at the expense of being their sex slave.”

“I didn’t sign up for that,” a woman hissed. “The invitation said nothing about that! I’m not losing my virginity for this bullshit.”

“Then leave,” another woman offered back with a shrug as she flicked her red locks and smirked devilishly. “I doubt you’ll have to worry about anyone bidding on you. As of now, all eyes are on Miss Orange over there.”

Many glanced over to our platform, making it obvious that this chick was obviously referring to us. The announcer was engaging in some conversation with a man I knew was handling the masquerade event named King Roger.

“So you’re literally saying participating in this dance will end up with us having to dance with men that either choose us or who we randomly end up with and they get the option to fuck us?! I’m not that desperate for money!” a green-haired woman snarled.

“Then you can die,” the female combated, which got our attention once more. “You’re here because your family owes a bunch of debt. Do you think they give a shit about whether you don’t want to be a slut or not? You were invited with the understanding that while participating in this masquerade, you would need to do what you must to clear yours or your family’s debt. Did you think we’d solely dance like sweet ballerinas and these rich folks would clap and throw money at us? You’re that stupid?”

No one could reply back to her, and damn, the whole vibe was getting rather dark as some girls were already beginning to cry while the scent of fear oozed into the air. The reactions made sense, because many weren’t in situations like Esme and I.

We knew the men we were about to be claimed by had a connection that was deeply rooted, even if Esme couldn’t remember her men and the memories they shared. Everyone else probably knew nobody in this place. They were about to be fucked by a stranger, and if they were a virgin, that would only make it worse, for I was positive most of these men didn’t know how to take things slow for someone who’s never fucked before.

With an event like this, it was clear the bidder’s — the male in question — pleasure was of utmost important. Not the females. It didn’t matter if the woman was going to be the one to empower them. They wanted the pleasure and the power that would strengthen them.

Nothing more…

“While we have the chance, why don’t I lay it all down for you gullible fools?” she declared and got right to it. “This is the Masquerade of Sin. Those who support this event offer us a second chance at life by giving us this opportunity to use our body, minds, and mental capabilities to compete and attempt to clear our debt in dancing stages. If you’re adored by many, you’ll clear your debt faster and ensure you and your whole damn family lineage isn’t wiped out because of the debt accumulated. If a man wants to claim you, each break is their chance to do so. Being claimed by a man or Den doesn’t mean you’re out of the ball park. You still have to work on clearing your debt, but if you satisfy the man, they’ll bid more toward your pot which may clear your debt faster. Once your debt is clear, you can essentially go, but any additional money made will be yours, and I’m sure you all realize that these beings in masks have the money to spend.”

She pointed to the scoreboard.

“Look at the top 10. Literally six of them all bid on one girl, and that’s what, 20 million dollars? If you use your body and give them a good time, I’m sure they’ll have no hesitation in giving you the money you need to get out of this mess,” she declared. “So suck it up. I’d rather be fucked by some random rich stranger than be murdered because my father has a stupid gambling problem. Besides, if you’re claimed by a rich Den, you’ll get to be their precious woman, and the men in Dens are known to not cheat.”

“B-B-But aren’t Dens… made up of monsters?” a woman boldly stated, and the woman standing next to her nodded quickly as she hissed, “Some of them aren’t even human! You saw the madness that happened in the forest. Those massive creatures that killed so many of the girls and almost killed us. They’re like vicious aliens. I’m not going to be a sex slave to a fucking monster.”

“Well, that’s your choice, bitch,” the red-haired woman declared. “I love eating good food and traveling around the world. If my body is going to be a temple for some monster cock, fine. At least I’ll be alive, debt-free, and rich.”

“How do you know all of this?” a woman in glasses questioned. “You’re acting like this isn’t a big deal! Some of us are virgins! Some of us have boyfriends and husbands! This is cheating.”

“Oh please,” she huffed and glared at the woman. “The majority of you are over twenty-five. If you’re not, you should go thank your family members for fucking up your futures all because they thought this tradition wasn’t happening anymore. You’re taking your frustrations and fears out on me like I collected the fucking debt that landed you in this place!”

She turned around to point in the glasses girl’s face.

“My sister reached top 2 of the masquerade last year and let me tell you, she’s living in Dubai with her lovely Den of monsters as a multi-billionaire with tons of houses around the world. She travels every month and just gave birth to her first baby with her Den. They pamper her like a queen and she doesn’t even need to lift a finger. She has a 24-hour nanny who takes care of the kid while she sips margaritas on the beach while being fanned and serviced by her maids! She’s living her best life.”

“If that’s true, why the fuck are you here?” another woman snarled.

The girl laughed and smiled in triumph. “I collected debt on purpose.”

On purpose?!

My shock was shared by everyone as some gasped at the revelation she just announced like it was something so common to do.

“You purposely collected debt to participate in this masquerade?”

“Of course.” She didn’t even sound ashamed. “If I get to be pampered by sinful men who cherish me, feed me, take care of me, and protect me in this fucked-up world where women are deemed as trash regardless of our status, why wouldn’t I do anything I could to participate in such a grand opportunity? You literally have to be foolish to just waltz into this thinking our debts would be cleared and that’s it. Maybe to you lot of bitches this is a wakeup call about how greedy and disgusting our world is beneath the layer of life the media and the rest of the world like to project to us, but the reality is exactly this. We live amongst monsters. Some are greedy, others are villainous, and a few are somewhere in between, but at the end of the day, these men with wealthy pockets need a woman to survive, and that’s why this tradition is here.”

“You don’t even fucking know who’s claiming you!” another argued. “They could just want you as a sex slave and beat you! You’re legit making it seem like half of us aren’t going to be raped and turned into slaves!”

“Again, I’m not seeing the problem,” the woman sweetly declared. “And you can’t call this rape.”

“They’re forcing themselves on us to claim OUR bodies!” a woman with silver hair snarled.

“Did they force you to sign on the dotted line on that invitation?” she tossed back, and that shut the other woman up. “Exactly. You signed up for this blind, thinking this was your shot to be debt-free. You all know how our society works here, right?” She gestured around us. “Money talks! Not just in the heart of Boston or America. Everywhere! Across this vast world, money talks. Bullshit listens. You signed on the dotted line in exchange for freedom, stability, and financial gain. Without this chance, you think anyone would give a crap about us?” She gestured to our clothes.

“The very clothes we’re all wearing are some of the finest in Boston courtesy of those who either bid on us or see our potential. You think anyone is going to bat an eye your way when you’re in rags?! I know every single one of you has seen a homeless person on the street and you know what happens to them? They starve! They’re raped and abused by random drunk fuckers who can’t even pay for a meal. They abuse them for free and eventually, those homeless females either get trafficked, go missing, get pregnant and die from complications, or are murdered, and guess what?” She allowed her voice to dip further as she whispered, “No one gives a fuck. Not the police. Not the government. Not the other poor fuckers who barely make it to the next day or the filthy rich who live in their gated communities and act oblivious about what happens in our dark society.”

I noticed Esme’s nervousness, and I couldn’t help but grasp her hand and squeeze it gently. Many may not want to hear the truth, but this woman was speaking straight facts.

Boston was a beautiful city like many in our vast world, but no matter where you went on this planet, there was bad lurking in the shadows that no one wished to put an eye on. Warnings like “don’t go into the alleyway at night” or “don’t jog by yourself after a set time” weren’t made just for fun. It was thanks to bad experiences that happened time and again, and most of the time, it didn’t matter what country, state, city, or village you lived in.

Just as there’s good in the world…there’s also evil. Nothing can change it.

“If fate means I’m going to be a sex slave, so be it, but I have the confidence and faith in my body, beauty, talents, and family lineage that I will be claimed by a wonderful man or Den and live a magnificent life compared to you guys.”

“What if we get pregnant?” a girl quietly muttered. She looked extremely shy and even hid herself behind two blonde women, who glanced over their shoulders at her.

“They’re not allowed to impregnate us,” another tried to say but her voice gave away her obvious nervousness.

Everyone seemed to look back to the red-haired woman for some sort of wisdom, and she dramatically sighed.

“Yes. You can get pregnant cause duh. Sex. Semen. Womb. Viola. Child.”

“But… I’m married.”

“Irrelevant,” she countered. “If it was important, your man would have worked overtime to ensure you guys weren’t in debt so you’d avoid such a fate.”

“It was an arranged marriage… and I’m only eighteen,” she muttered as her downcast expression made the admission rather heavy in nature. “I didn’t have a choice.”

“Well then this is perfect, isn’t it?” she suggested back and actually reached out to the girl to lift her chin upward. “Here’s your opportunity. A clean slate. You can dance with a man who looks at you like you’re the fucking world. Who will cherish you with lavish things and fuck you with every intention of making you cum and not leave you hanging like half the men in Boston. All those seats around us, they’re not just filled with men from Boston or even America. Foreigners from around the world travel here just for this tradition, and they treat their woman like royalty.”

She moved her hand away and lifted her head up high.

“So it’s your choice. Want to make this into a negative situation and worry about pregnancy, forced sex, and all that other shit? Fine. Worry about it. But I’m here not only to clear my minuscule amount of debt, but to find a man who will cherish me like a fucking goddess, and if he happens to be a scary monster in the dark with a big fucking cock, thank the gods because that will be better than fucking myself with a dildo after wasting my time in bed with a man who doesn’t even know which hole his wiener goes into.”

Silence cloaked the room as everyone accepted once again that she’d made another good point. We were the ultimate decision-makers of how our lives would play out. Even in this masquerade, we had the choice to make this the best it could be for our own benefit, or dread it in its entirety, which would only make us miserable.

The choice is ours.

The announcer cleared his throat, and we all looked back at him. I noticed that he held a special card in his grasp.

“Now then! The first set of bids are in, and surprisingly enough, we have a tie for the first dance!”

I was intrigued as to who would be the top bidder in this case, especially if it meant dancing with Esmeralda. Joaquin was clearly the leader, but Talon was deemed his knight and second in command of the Den.

I could only assume with the fact Talon was in the crowd meant he was representing the rest of them.

“The two top bidders will now be revealed!”

All eyes landed on the scoreboard as two masked individuals showed up on the screen.

What the fuck?

“It looks like Sir Bellerose has tied with one of the Devils of Sin, Prince Jeong-Ho, for a whopping 20 million dollars!”

“What is that bastard doing?” Antionette snarled, and I didn’t blame her for being mad — and fucking frightened. If things didn’t go in her favor, it would fuck up our alliance and that was a no-no in my book, especially with how far we’d managed to get through this masquerade already.

I looked to Esme and goodness, the fear in her eyes would make me go raging. She didn’t deserve to be dealing with this in the public eye. The scrutiny this change in events was bringing would only leave her as a victim if her monsters ended up losing this fight.

We can’t let that happen.

“Don’t look like that,” Antionette hissed, and I knew she was trying to remind Esmeralda that she was stronger than this. That she shouldn’t fall prey to this tactic Lucas had that was made to intimidate her and the men bidding to claim her.

“Why is he bidding on her?” I had to speak out. “You guys are siblings! Related by blood! What? Because Esme changed her surname he thinks this is okay?”

“Why are you angry at me? You think I’m putting him up to this?” Antionette fought back. “If we were working together, wouldn’t he be bidding to save me and our family? Esméralda is off the fucking hook, so how the hell am I supposed to know his motives?”

“So he wants to fuck her?” I growled, unable to ignore the obvious intention that I was sure many were cluing in on, especially after the group conversation mere minutes ago. “That should be fucking illegal.”

“This is the first time in history this has happened so we shall take one sole bid! The bid will secure the claim and be added to the overall pot of money!” the announcer declared and I held my breath on Esme’s behalf because I feared the chances of her losing and becoming prey to Lucas’s underlying motives.

“25 million dollars.”

My jaw dropped, my head immediately turning until my very eyes landed on the cocky bastard who stood there with the biggest grin on his ugly face.

“Twenty-five million?!” the announcer declared. “Are you adding that to your current bid, Sir Bellerose?!”

“Yes,” he firmly declared, and his eyes further twinkled in lust as he clearly lingered his gaze on Esmeralda. “So the grand bid I’m offering for Princess Esméralda André François is 45 million dollars.”

“Astonishing!” the announcer cheered, but the shock was deafening on a number of levels.

It literally proved that this man probably had enough to clear the debt bestowed upon their family to begin with and had withheld it so he could get a chance to enjoy the powerplay publicly.

One glance at Esmeralda and I could see the flicker of hopelessness begin to shimmer in her eyes. She’d clenched her fists, probably attempting to hide her trembling fingers, but her face was already so pale — paler than her normal complexion — as she clearly feared the worst.

45 million was a lot of money. An astronomical amount of money when everyone participating had a debt to pay. Who could possibly counter that amount? It would be impossible unless you knew ahead of time that the competition would be this fierce in the bidding wars.

Lucas knew he’d won this battle and the smug grin on his face was absolutely disgusting. The immense hunger that was thick in his dilated eyes only further proved he was excited for what was to come.

“Legally” being able to rape his sister without backlash when he’d been doing it in the shadows for so many fucking years.

It took everything in me to stay still. To not blast the world around me in darkness and kill this man right here and now. He didn’t deserve to breathe, to live in our world that he tried to act as if he wasn’t a part of, and if the stakes weren’t so fucking high in achieving our ultimate goal, I wouldn’t have even wasted a second to think about it.

The silence continued, to the point that Antionette suddenly stepped before Esmeralda as if to block her expression from the rest of the crowd if it really didn’t go in our favor.

“Well then? What’s the competitor’s bid?” she exclaimed with impatience. “Everyone’s acting as if the prince lost.”

Many exchanged looks, the level of defeat on their faces only proving the majority of bidders here knew they were out beat. My focus, however, was on Esmeralda, and I noticed an odd expression on her face.

She looked dazed for a moment as if she was so into her thoughts that she had to give them all her focus. When she finally came out of it, the level of dismay was clear from the lines on her face — enough to encourage me to lean over to her.

“You remembered something?”

She simply nodded as tears began to pool in her eyes. She fought to keep them at bay, and I further leaned in to whisper, “I’ll help you. We’ll find a way out of this. Just remain strong.”

I meant every single word as I wrapped an arm around her waist to give her a side hug of support. I wouldn’t dare let her struggle through this. I had a strong feeling she remembered something triggering, and it surely had to involve Lucas.

“75 million dollars.”

No one said a fucking word as the soft-spoken declaration seemed to be heard through the entire ballroom.

Every single person in the room’s eyes landed on Talon. The hardened expression on his face began to soften as his striking eyes were solely on the woman he clearly would do anything to claim.

No matter how much the cost.

The announcer was in so much shock that King Roger had to steal the mic from him and ask what everyone was thinking.

“What did you just bid?” he questioned.

“Seventy-five million American dollars,” Talon repeated loud and clear before he smiled. “Was my English off?”

“N-No, it wasn’t… it’s just…” Even King Roger was speechless.

I just had to look back to Lucas, and what a grand sight it was to see as the mask of pride and lust began to peel away, revealing the true monster that was filled with fury because he’d just lost to his competitor.

“Then what’s the delay?” Talon questioned. “My offer for Princess Esméralda André François is 75 million American dollars. The money should not only clear whatever chump change of debt her side of the family carried and secure her first dance with me but also mean that my Den and I will have every legal right to claim her, correct?”

“C-C-Correct!” the announcer managed to say as he reached for the mic once more. “Then that’s your total bid?”

“No,” Talon answered and simply lifted his head slightly to gesture to the scoreboard.

“My den consists of five out of the six individuals who bid on Princess François. Those bids are valid. Meaning, the grand bid on her is 100 million American dollars.”

Now I got it. They knew Lucas may have had some extra money to throw into the pool on the off chance his bid was beat, so now they raised it to an insane amount that wouldn’t be overwritten by anyone here.

That’s why they bid high from the get go…

“Y-Y-Yes! You’re absolutely correct!” the announcer literally shouted and then gestured to Esme. “We have a winner! With the grand total of 100 million dollars, Princess Esméralda André François has been sold to the Devils of Sin!”

I had to fight not to squeal as I held Esme’s weight, realizing she was on the verge of losing her stance thanks to the immense relief that seemed to flood the room.

Everyone began to clap before the room was filled with an uproar of excitement that Talon and the rest of the Devils had secured their claim on Esme.

“Marvelous!”

“Wow. To bid so high for one woman. Rather noble.”

“This is the definition of investing in what you know is worth the commitment.”

“A shame we won’t get to see her potential on the dance floor.”

Many continued to talk, but we focused on Talon, who made his approach towards the platform while many patted his shoulders and back as they expressed their congratulations.

“Shall the winner invite his prize to the dance floor?” the announcer encouraged.

Talon simply offered his hand forward, his attention only on Esmeralda as he smiled with pride.

“Come dance with a Devil of Sin, Gongjunim.”

I let her slip out of my grasp so she could be united with Talon. The two of them looked like a true prince and princess that were ready to be wed and become king and queen of the lands. I fought not to cry, the relief of it all finally settling into my body.

Glancing around, I caught onto Claude’s loving gaze, and though he couldn’t say it from afar, his eyes told me he was proud I’d controlled myself, even though it was such a tasking thing to do.

I was going to return my attention to Esmeralda, but a cold chill went through my body.

Like someone was staring at me.

I caught it for only a second, my eyes locking onto Lucas as he stared at me with so much hate, you’d think the fucker had a vendetta against me. He was hidden among the crowd now, the shame of defeat still lingering on him, but the intense gaze of rage made it seem as if I’d been the culprit of his displeasure.

With a blink, he was gone, leaving me to bite down on my bottom lip.

That fucker is going to be a problem. I may have to do something about that.

CHAPTER 13

Dance With My Psychos Of Madness

ELOISE GENEVIEVE

“There comes a point in your life where the Universe forces you to put yourself first instead of last. It’ll be unexpected and unprovoked, and it’ll force you to realize you were the one stopping yourself from being your number one priority.”

— Eloise Genevieve

“W hy do you look so nervous?”

I kept my hand tightly in Claude’s as the two of us made our way toward my dressing room and up the flight of stairs.

“I’m not sure,” I confessed. “Ever since our dance, there’s just something in the air that’s making all my senses go through the roof.”

We paused at the top step. His hand slipped from my mine, only for his arms to move around my waist to pull me close to him. His eyes met mine as I tried not to show exactly how concerned I was after the bidding war that led to our first dance.

There was something about Lucas’s gaze that lingered with me — the intensity of his stare matched the immense anger he carried solely for me had to hold some sort of hidden meaning to it. I couldn’t recall doing anything that could have pissed him off to the extent of displeasing me, but then again, I was helping to ensure he wouldn’t get his dirty hands on Esmeralda.

I wasn’t afraid of him per se. I was frightened by what he’d do to Esmeralda or even Antionette. He wouldn’t possibly harm me in particular, so it had to have something to do with Esme or Antionette.

“Hey,” Claude whispered, drawing my attention to him as his hand cradled my face, and he proceeded to kiss me tenderly. It always felt odd to share sweet kisses with Claude. It wasn’t like he didn’t show me plenty of affection, but he knew how I enjoyed those overpowering, dominating kisses of his.

“Talk to me, please,” he pleaded with me, his voice barely there. “Something’s troubling you that you can’t share with me?”

“It’s not like that,” I admitted but sighed and moved into his arms so I could be embraced. I needed his strength, as the toll of everything was really beginning to weigh me down. I shouldn’t feel so drained when we’d put all our effort for years into this final moment.

The finish line was in sight, the masquerade well into its fruition, so I should have been more excited to reach the end.

Yet I felt…depleted? Weak? Utterly drained like every droplet of drive had been stolen from me?

I shouldn’t be feeling like this. Obviously, this masquerade was centered on Esmeralda, but I’d benefit from it too. I’d get to be claimed by Claude and surely that would invite Khari, Yuu, and Venom to do the same.

Yet…why aren’t they here? Why haven’t I seen them since the masquerade began? Claude is here…that makes sense, but where are my other monsters? Clearly, they need to be here to claim me as well…right? For us to fuck and finalize each of our bonds.

I didn’t know if the bidding war that made me feel a bit envious since I got to see Esme’s Den go above and beyond to claim her versus mine, which was basically missing in action. It made me feel invalid. Or maybe invaluable?

Truthfully, my emotions were all over the place and I just couldn’t put my finger on why I felt this heaviness of uncertainty when we were moments from hitting our jackpot.

Esmeralda had performed marvelously on the dance floor, and although Claude and I had done a quick dance to blend in followed by a departure to get ready for the next task at hand, I was positive Esme was with Talon and maybe even Joaquin, fulfilling their bonds and making it official for everyone else to see.

While I’m here, pushing myself to the brink of exhaustion with half a bond mark to show for it.

I shook my head into Claude’s shoulder, even though he’d said nothing as he hugged me tightly. He probably thought I was having a mental breakdown, and maybe I was if one wanted to call this one, but I felt like I was sinking into a hole with no way out.

I could be being negatively affected by the energy in the atmosphere, my Maiden abilities making me more sensitive to my surroundings. Being with so many other Maidens but with higher experience and power than most, all the tension matched with the presence of so many monsters hidden in their flesh forms could be really playing its role in making me feel helpless.

“Eloise?” Claude was worried now. “Why don’t we take you back to your dressing room to lie down?”

“I’m fine,” I assured him as I pulled back and took a deep inhale. Smelling his cologne and feeling his firm grip on my hips helped give me some validation that I’d soon have all of this.

The physical touch, the intense love, the freedom to share my love for my men in the public eye, and finally being free to embrace what we were: Sinful Maidens.

“Let’s get going,” I encouraged without looking at him. “The next part of the masquerade is about to start and I obviously need to change and look all glamorous and suc—”

Hands pressed firmly against my cheeks, forcing me to look up and stare into Claude’s emotionless eyes. I didn’t expect the switch, and my surprise was reflected in his dark people eyes while his hair shifted to that unique shade of blue.

I felt like if we weren’t in the middle of a public place, his wings would be out to make him look even more frightening, but for now, I was facing psycho Claude and he wasn’t happy with my dismissive behavior at all.

“What have I done to make you of all people hold back your feelings from me?” he demanded.

“You haven’t done anything,” I muttered, not wanting to deal with this right now.

“Don’t dismiss my effort,” he barked. “Especially when I know you’re fucking lying to me right now.”

“My honesty has no importance right now when we have to stay focused on what we’re trying to achieve here,” I snarled as my voice dipped to ensure my words were only between us. “Esmeralda is that much closer to getting her memories back and finishing her initiation. We’re just as close to making our alliance. We can’t fuck that up right now.”

“We’re not fucking anything up by confronting our emotions,” Claude argued. “Which you’re not fucking doing!”

“It’s not important right now!” I hissed. “Stop provoking me!”

“How is it not fucking important?” he snapped. “Your emotions are important to me.”

“And they are not important to the mission we swore to accomplish ten years ago!” I growled. “I’m not going to let our emotions fuck this over. Esmeralda is so close to securing her Den and in return, she will be reminded that Antionette isn’t our enemy but a hidden alley, confirming our alliance with their Anaconda Den. We’ll have a triple alliance which is enough to make us into a rivaling Mother Family, and everything will be put in place for us to enter the monster world where everyone will get to show their true colors and not hide their monster qualities under their mundane flesh!”

“You don’t get it!” He shook his head frantically and firmly placed his hands on my shoulders, squeezing them far too hard. “None of that matters right now!”

“Why the fuck not?” He was just talking gibberish at this point. “Of course it fucking matters! Esme needs to claim her Den! Antionette needs to reveal her true identity! Their Dens need this alliance! What aren’t you understanding?!”

“No!” He shook me. “What about YOU?!”

“What?” I snapped. “What about me?!”

“YOU! Eloise Genevieve! What about you in all of this?!”

“What do I have to do with anything in this conversation?!”

“Fuck, Eloise!” he cursed and let me go before he paced ahead, but he came storming right back as I turned around to face him directly. “You always think about everyone else! What about you?!”

“I’m not the center of all of this,” I huffed and rolled my eyes. “I never was.”

“THAT’S the problem!” he stressed and then attempted to keep his voice down even though I was sure he wanted to scream at the top of his lungs. “Why the fuck do you think you’re not important in all of this, too?”

“There’s nothing I’m bringing to the table aside from this alliance.”

“That’s where you’re fucking us over with that mentality of yours.”

“What do you mean ‘that mentality of yours?’ What fucking mentality am I using that’s making you so fucking mad? I’ve done everything right to make sure we got here! Why the fuck are you mad at me?!”

“I’m not fucking mad at you,” he grunted and shook his clenched fists before cursing and pressing his hands to his face as if he didn’t know what else to do with them that wouldn’t make things go violent. “You’re not understanding me!”

“And you’re not understanding me!” I countered. “You having a tantrum right now isn’t helping anyone.”

“Stop for one fucking second and not think about anyone but you and YOUR Den!” he barked.

“Why?!” I snapped. “My fucking Den isn’t fucking here!”

“I’M HERE!”

“WELL, YOU’RE NOT FUCKING ENOUGH!” I snapped, feeling my energy rush out for a split second, which sent a bubble of darkness around us that revealed the monster form of Claude that practically towered over me with his glowing purple eyes and massive stone wings.

His anger was just as apparent in this world as it was on the surface, making him look frightening — like a true monster ready to devour his prey. I wasn’t scared as I felt empowered by my own Maiden energy.

I stood my ground even as his monster face got right in my face — or body with the size difference — but my finger poked right into the mid bridge of his nose as my eyes blared with rage.

“I have FOUR men in my life. FOUR! Yet I only ever get to see one. You’re the only one I get to physically fuck, touch, and feel around me on the regular, and guess what?! IT’S NOT ENOUGH! It’s not fucking enough for me anymore because I want MORE! I want to be in a room full of people and have my men fight for me like we just witnessed. For the world to see how valuable I am, not because I’m a Sinful Maiden but because I’m a woman who’s loved and adored by multiple men from around the world who come together just on my behalf! I’ve put my promised duty ahead of anything else because I vowed to be the kind of best friend that doesn’t let those I cherish down, and I’ll commit to that promise till the very end!”

“Then what about us?” I expected his words to be harsh, and yet they held so much vulnerability as they vibrated through my mind that I wasn’t sure who was in control of this monstrous beast — good or evil Claude?

“What about the monsters you’ve sworn to love? To share your affection with and empower until we gain the opportunity to empower each other and fulfill the promise we made to be a Den.” His voice got smaller and smaller, just like the beast before me, until he was only slightly taller than me while his wings retracted into his back.

It was the first time I’d seen his monster side so close to my height, and I was left to admire him slowly while the pain ignited by my words began to sink in.

“So has your duty to aid Esmeralda with her reunion with her Den forced you to forget about yours? Has the lack of our physical presence pushed you away to the point that we no longer are worthy of your acknowledgment? We love you immensely, Eloise, and if it was our way, we would have laid claim on you and dove into this luscious body we’ve yearned to cover in our way of showing affection, but our closeness was something we sacrificed for our initiation, was it not? You said there was no way distance could possibly tear away the love you have for your Den…even if we’re just a bunch of psychotic fuckers with mama and papa issues. Despite the many flaws the world enjoys pointing out to us, you always loved us wholeheartedly and wouldn’t put anything ahead of us…I guess until now.”

“That’s…” I held my tongue as I tried to step forward. The sudden weakness I felt made me realize the world of shadows was already disappearing.

Shit. Am I weaker now because we haven’t been intimate since before the masquerade?

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I know what you meant, my crazy love,” he muttered and sounded a bit disappointed. “Focus on fulfilling your promise to your best friend. My sister deserves to be supported. Even if it’s at the expense of devoting yourself to us.”

The world further faded away, leaving me frantic to get my words out before we reached the surface.

“Claude, wait! That’s not what I me—”

I was back at the top of the stairs, dripping with cold sweat and breathless.

All alone.

“Fuck,” I cursed. “I need to talk to him…and the others.”

The best person to reach out to was probably Khari because he could communicate with Claude easier than Yuu and Venom could. I tried my best to summon them, but the action made me feel queasy — enough that I didn’t realize I was falling back until a set of hands caught my shoulders which prevented me from literally falling down the stairs.

All I had to do was turn my head to see a tiny head of a snake. The venomous eyes actually looked friendly as they hissed happily.

“Don’t go getting attached, Elmo. You’ve already got Esme.”

I blinked and only further turned my head back to see it was Dagger who caught me.

“Dagger?” I gasped in surprise and tried to correct my stance, but fuck, I was struggling. He ended up helping me before he unexpectedly scooped me up and walked me over to the nearest bench.

“W-What are you doing here?” I questioned.

“Need to buy some time,” he confessed with a shrug while the snake in question began wrapping itself around his neck like it couldn’t simply squeeze the life out of him. “Shouldn’t you be with your monsters making love and finalizing your claim marks?”

The reminder made my shoulders drop as I sighed.

“I think I fucked that up,” I groaned. “Shouldn’t you be doing the same?”

“Joaquina and Talon are keeping my Sinful Bunny fed,” he answered while he looked curiously at me. “Yet, you’re weak and brittle. When was the last time you fucked any of your monsters?”

I didn’t want to answer, but I ended up giving up being resistant. “Before the masquerade. The night before.”

He nodded and didn’t look very judgemental as he peered at me for a long moment.

“Why are you depriving yourself of your monsters?”

“I’m not depriving myself,” I whined.

“Indeed you are, Psycho Maiden.”

“Now that’s not nice,” I huffed back but noticed his actually sad expression. “Dagger?”

“If you keep putting the world ahead of you, it’s only a matter of time before you run out of fuel for yourself,” he revealed in all seriousness as his eyes further darkened. “Then you’ll be nothing but a depleted shell and vulnerable to the true madness hidden in the shadows.”

He rose up then, turning away as if he needed to be elsewhere.

“Take Elmo and let Esme, Talon, and Joaquin know they have thirty more minutes to get ready,” he ordered. “I released some snakes to go wild on the dance floor. By the time King Roger gets word I’m good at taming snakes, I’ll have completed what I need to with Croix and Creed.”

He paused and glanced back at me.

“That gives you time to get ready and make amends with Claude, correct?”

I stared at him with a baffled expression, realizing he wasn’t simply delaying things on his Den’s behalf.

He was also helping me.

“It does,” I admitted. I rarely fought with Claude, but when we did argue, we tried to fix it sooner rather than later. I’d reacted poorly, not considering his feelings as well as the others. I craved their touch and company, but I didn’t acknowledge that they surely craved mine as well.

To touch me, fuck me, enjoy the heat of my body against theirs and all the wonderful things they could do with their body to please me in reality.

“Then get going,” he urged and began to walk away. “And remember. If you don’t put yourself first…you may just lose yourself to the madness.”

Lose myself…to the madness?

He was gone before I could even ask, leaving me no choice but to gather my strength to stand up and do what I promised I would.

Let me play my role one more time and then I’ll go deal with this.

“Hiss!” Elmo snugged around my neck, which made me smirk before I took it into my grasp.

“I don’t even know if your male or female,” I muttered more to myself as I swiftly made my way to Esme’s room. I still felt like shit, but I’d suck it up until I got back to my dressing room.

By the time I reached Esme’s room, I could overhear the conversation which I had a feeling was thanks to Elmo’s company.

“Shit! Is Dagger dancing with me next?” Esme exclaimed.

“Yes,” Joaquin noted.

“He won’t make it in time,” Esme stressed. “Aren’t we supposed to do some claiming ritual thing?”

“That too,” Talon spoke up. “We could just say we lost track of time.”

“That’s not going to help us get away with-”

I decided to make my grand entrance.

“BITCH!”

The door slammed open and I waltzed into the room like this was my grand moment to shine.

“Oh. You have company. My bad!” I was going to turn right around but Esme was already stopping me.

“Eloise! Why the fuck are you here? Why aren’t you changed?”

“Oh. No one came to tell you yet? We have another thirty minutes,” I announced like it was no big deal and presented her with Elmo. “This guy and a bunch of snakes invaded the dance floor. I guess it was a potential challenge gone horribly wrong and the staff is having difficulty gathering them all. They’re looking for Prince Dagger. Apparently, he’s good at taming snakes, like a snake whisperer, but they think he went for a smoke with the twins or something. They gave us thirty minutes to ensure none of those snakes end up in the seating area and harm the bidders. I came to tell you, assuming you’d be done changing. I didn’t think you had company.”

“Thank goodness,” Esme said in relief then looked to the red snake and smiled. “Hey, Elmo.”

“Hiss!” it happily replied and leaned in close to actually rub its body against my cheek.

“You call him Elmo? You know this probably isn’t the same snake as the one that was saved with the golden dagger in the forest, right?”

“Probably not, but it’s friendly,” Esme suggested.

“That’s true… Wait a minute! Have you been crying?” I gasped in horror at the mere sight of her watery eyes. I immediately went into protective mode, glaring at Joaquin and Talon with enough threatening force to make them flinch.

“Which one of you bastards made her cry?!”

“No, no, no!” Esme quickly moved in my way with her hands up and waving like a fast-forward mime putting on a show.

“They didn’t make me cry! Abort killing mission! Abort!”

“Oh. Then why are you crying, bitch? Is it because of what you remembered earlier? Do you need to talk about it? I’ll always make time for you, but Hot Chocolate Beast wants me back.” I lied about that one because I had to get myself out of there to confront Claude and apologize.

Heck, I need to apologize to all of them.

“Hot Chocolate Beast danced with you?!” Esme shrieked. I simply smiled, hating the fact I had to lie to her and how sad I felt because I generally didn’t get to enjoy the masquerade the way I should have. I’d been living through this masquerade through Esme’s need to reach the finish line, leaving me to be some sort of sidekick while I neglected my own monsters.

I could see that now — the damage I’d truly caused — and I needed to fix it.

For the sake of all of us.

“Time to get claimed,” I cheered. “Only if you’re okay though.”

“Go ride that man and tell him he better treat you right or I’ll send my devils to beat him the fuck up!” Esme encouraged, which made me laugh.

“Yes, ma’am,” I squealed and hugged her. “I don’t know what you remembered, but know I have your back, and if you need me for anything, I’ll support you.”

“Goodness, I love you,” Esme whispered and hugged me back while Elmo was beginning to slither around Esme’s neck. “Thank you for throwing yourself into this madness on my behalf.”

Her words would bring me to tears if I didn’t leave here fast enough. Feeling the gratification from my actions made me feel not as bad for neglecting my men, but I knew it wasn’t right, sacrificing all my attention to her and not them.

I should have not lost myself in the midst of aiding another. I realized that now.

“Ride-or-Die, Bitch. You’re stuck with my psychotic ass.” I pulled back to arch an eyebrow at Elmo. “Now, now. No choking my bestie.” With a huff, I untangled Elmo and smirked. “We should keep you!”

Talon snickered and we looked over to see him covering his mouth while Joaquin rolled his eyes.

“Ignore him,” Joaquin suggested. “You should hurry back, Miss Genevieve. Time is ticking.”

I felt like he knew what I needed to achieve, which made leaving even more important because he was right. The clock was ticking and I technically only had 30 minutes before the next dance.

If this was the shadow world, it moved far faster than the real world so technically, thirty minutes could be days in the realms of shadows, but clearly, the intention of the masquerade was to secure the most worthy Sinful Maidens.

Then bring us to the true world of monsters.

“Right.” I nodded and turned away. “Lock the door so no one else waltzes in here unannounced.”

I gave Esme a saucy wink, hung Elmo back on my neck, and headed to the door.

“See you on the dance floor, Bitch!”

The moment the door closed, I headed straight to my dressing room. Locking the door, I sighed in relief before realizing I still had Elmo.

“Oh fuck. What do I do with Elmo?” I gasped in horror before I noticed the mirror.

Walking over to it, I looked at m appearance and grimaced.

“Fuck…I look hideous!”

I really did look like I’d gone through the gigs just getting to my dressing room. I had bags under my eyes, and those blue spheres looked just as exhausted as the lines of my face. I was far paler than I’d ever seen, and even my aura looked murky — almost clouded with rotten energy.

“Man, I need a nap,” I complained, only to flinch at the sudden bite to my neck. “OW!” Elmo?!”

“Hiss!” I stopped myself from flicking the very snake out of instinct, grabbing its red body and lowering it to the ground.

“You better not be fucking poisonous or I swear!” I began but watched the snake look at me in return before it began to slither away until it disappeared into a poof of dark smoke.

“Unbelievable! You’d think the fucker bit me for shits and giggles. No, better yet, to track me so Daggers knows I’m actually doing what I promised. Ugh. Ow. That actually hurts. What if it’s really poisoned?”

I dreaded the idea of actually dying but I doubted Dagger’s snake would kill me.

Deciding to look in the mirror, I squinted my eyes and moved in close, not understanding why I was seeing two of me.

Or four?

“What?” I blinked a few times, shaking my head and lifting my hands that I noticed were trembling like crazy while odd markings began to form upon my flesh.

“Okay. What in the hallucination is this?” I pondered. My voice sounded hoarse while the world felt like it was swaying back and forth. The black marks continued to spread, moving along my arms. I managed to lean over and lift my dress, seeing the same markings spreading quickly along my legs down to my feet.

“What’s going on?” Now I was scared, and the sight made me want to call someone — anyone.

Claude? Claude? Khari? Yuu? Venom? Anyone?

I began to panic when I couldn’t reach them, and when I tried to correct my stance, it only made me feel wearier.

“Fuck. I need…to get a grip…I need…”

Help. I need…help. Claude? C-Claude?

I felt the mark on my chest begin to burn, the stinging barely felt because my body was beginning to grow numb.

“Eloise?” Claude’s voice was suddenly in my mind, but I was beginning to slip away as my body leaned forward. I expected to feel the shattering pain of broken glass because I had no doubt I’d crashed into the mirror, and yet I felt like I was falling.

Dropping into a spiraling world that was filled with darkness.

It went on and on, and even as I heard a glimpse of Claude calling me from a place far away, I was no longer in the surface world.

In fact, I didn’t know where I was.

By the time I managed to open my eyes, I was lying on a checkerboard surface. Squares of black and white covered the ground beneath me, and I looked to be in some sort of cage, one made of gold. I wore a vivid red dress, one that was short and frilly while the top part was a corset that hugged my body tightly.

My blonde hair felt short, only reaching my shoulders, and it felt like I wore a red and gold mask. A red ribbon kept it in place as it tied to the back of my head and draped down past my short strands. I glanced at my hands, noticing the red polish on my nails and the extravagant jewelry clinging to my wrists, ankles, and neck.

I couldn’t get up, so I admired my surroundings, wondering how I’d even got here.

“You’ve woken from your slumber, Little Bird.”

I stared at the being standing outside of the cage, their appearance not familiar in the slightest. They had blue eyes and orange hair, and the bright color of those tresses reminded me of someone else yet I couldn’t place my finger on it.

“Who are you?” I asked, giving up on trying to figure it out.

“Well, I’m Luca,” he hummed in delight as he stood there with his hands behind his back. “I rescued you from a dangerous Den.”

“Den?”

What’s a Den?

“Ah yes. You are probably unaware of such terms. I saved you from an alleyway in the streets of Boston and brought you here to rest. This is the best I can do to keep you safe in this world. This cage protects you from being reached by the cynical monsters that were after you.”

“Monsters?” I gasped in horror and wished to get up but I was so drained. “Is that why I feel…”

“So weak?” he inquired and nodded. “Yes. You drained all your energy trying to survive these venomous monsters. The lot of crazy, possessive men, who wished to steal your freedom,” he revealed, which left me gasping in horror.

“My freedom. So you saved me,” I concluded.

“I did,” he took the credit and smiled with immense relief. “I almost thought we lost you. You were on the verge of death, but I replenished you with a bit of my energy,” he revealed as he began to walk up the golden steps before the cage. The door disappeared like a magic trick before it reappeared just as quickly.

He didn’t hesitate to walk right up to me before he knelt down and reached for my hand.

Grasping it in his, he lifted it up and kissed the back of it gently, his eyes of blue twinkling with desire as he smiled against my sizzling flesh. I felt an odd feeling at his touch, my chest feeling tight while my heartbeat raced.

It was odd to say this felt wrong, but I guessed the problem was, how would I know if it was wrong?

I can’t…remember anything.

“Do you have a name, Sweet Canary?” he hummed, and even the name felt off to me. No one called me that, but then again, he was a stranger that just saved me from death. I was in debt to him for whatever amount it would be to pay off being saved by him, so if he wished to call me Sweet Canary, I could only obey.

“I don’t seem to remember,” I confessed.

“Oh dear, oh dear.” He shook his head and held my hand. “We can’t have that. This world requires names. Shall I give you one that I fancy?”

“Sure,” I replied. That would make life easier. I didn’t want to go against the rules of wherever I was.

“What about…” he thought about it and smiled, “Esmeralda.”

“Esmeralda…” I whispered, the name not really making me feel anything. It was a beautiful name, don’t get me wrong, but it just didn’t resonate with me.

I have to obey.

“Alright,” I replied. “My name is Esmeralda.”

“Good, good,” he praised, which was something I liked because his delight showed in his dilated eyes. “Do you wish to repay me, Esmeralda?”

His hand let go of mine, only to brush against my cheek to move a few of my locks that I was beginning to realize were no longer blonde but orange. When I concentrated further on his eyes, I could see the reflection of my eyes in return. I’d thought my eyes were blue, but now they were green.

Did I forget what I even look like?

“I do,” I finally replied, knowing I’d do anything to do exactly that. “I’ll do whatever it takes to repay you for your kindness, Luca.”

“Good,” he praised and leaned in, his smile making his face light up as his eyes began to close. “Let us take things slow, Sweet Canary, as I help you regain your energy back. It’ll feel good, trust me. Little by little, step by step, I’ll help empower you so those lot of psychos can never get their rotten hands on you again,” he vowed, and I felt immense gratitude to be protected by this man. “In this world, no Den of Madness shall prosper. In this cage, you’ll be safe from them all. I’ll protect you, my Esmeralda, and together, we’ll prove to the world what a threat we can be.”

He was inches from my face — and my eyes began to close as I anticipated what would happen next.

“Together, they’ll feel our wrath,” he purred with confidence, and oddly enough, despite forgetting everything, I wholeheartedly believed him.

And with those fateful words, my savior…kissed me.

TO BE CONTINUED.

Preorder the next installment in the Serenade of Madness Duet—

DEN OF MADNESS

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Den of Monsters Sneak Peek

DEN OF MONSTERS

~Masquerade of Sin~

READ NOW

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

ESMERALDA

I woke up at the soothing sound of a peaceful serenade…

T he 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 indent 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 doubleganger’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 an 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…

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.

Also by Avery Song

WILLOW’S FORBIDDEN PACK

(COMPLETE)

Wolf Awakened

Wolf Endangered

Wolf Outcasted

Wolf Domination

AURELIA’S PACK OF MISFITS

Wolf Rejected

Wolf Reclaimed

Wolf Redemption (Dec.2022)

MARKED BY PSYCHOS

Sins of A Dragon (Nov.2022)

MASQUERADE OF SIN

Den of Monsters

Den of Devils (Jan.2023)

SERENADE OF MADNESS

Den of Psychos (Oct.2022)

Den of Madness (Oct.2023)

HER DARK OBSESSIONS DUET

Found By Her Monsters

Claimed By Her Monsters (Dec 2022)

THE SUPERNATURAL SPY ACADEMY SERIES:

S.S.S YEAR ONE

S.S.S YEAR TWO

S.S.S YEAR THREE

S.S.S YEAR FOUR

S.S.S YEAR FIVE

S.S.S. YEAR SIX

S.S.S. YEAR SEVEN (TBA )

SPELL TRAVELER CHRONICLES

(COMPLETE)

Witchling Academy- Semester One

Witchling Academy- Semester Two

Witchling Academy- Semester Three

Witchling Academy- Semester Four

Witchling Academy- Semester Five

Witchling Academy- Semester Six

Witchling Academy- Semester Seven

Witchling Academy- Semester Eight

JADE STORM TRACKER SERIES

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester One

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Two

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Three

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Four

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Five (TBA )

ACADEMY FOR ALL THINGS SCORCHING

Blazing Academy - Semester One

Blazing Academy - Semester Two

Blazing Academy - Semester Three

Blazing Academy - Semester Four (TBA)

COWRITTEN WORKS:

SUPERNATURAL CAPTIVITY SERIES

“Supernatural Inmate

Supernatural Outlaw

Supernatural Villain

Supernatural Savior (TBA)

SUPERNATURAL MARKED MONARCHY

Psychic Prison - Book One

DESTINED IMPRISONMENT TRILOGY

Arrested By Magic

FOR THE FAEIRY ABSOLUTES

Celestial Prison

ROYAL CONFINEMENT FOR MALICIENT SUPERNATURALS

Shattered Princess

FOR THE PURELY DIVINE SERIES

Fae Rose Academy - Year One

Fae Rose Academy - Year Two

Fae Rose Academy - Year Three (TBA)

WILLA SILVER ACADEMY INVESTIGATOR

Daggers and Smoke - Year One

THE SUPERNATURAL VAMPIRE FAE CHRONICLES

Bloody Rosary Academy - Year One

Bloody Rosary Academy - Year Two

Bloody Rosary Academy - Year Three (TBA)

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Contents

Den of Psychos Blurb

Prologue: Bang Bang

1. I’m Crazy In Love With You

2. The Ultimate Price Of Secrecy

3. Panicked Anxiety And Anticipation

4. If Its A Show They Want, Let’s Give Them One

5. Protecting An Unknown Future

6. Midnight Killing Surrounded By My Monsters: Part One

7. Midnight Killing Surrounded By My Monsters: Part Two

8. Car Hoods, Guns, And Gambles

9. Gowns, Masks, And The Physical Confrontation

10. The Test Of The Forbidden Forest

11. Introducing The Surface Of The Masquerade

12. Bid Of Fury At The Hand Of A Rapist

13. Dance With My Psychos Of Madness

Stay Connected

Den of Monsters Sneak Peek

Prologue: The Luring Serenade

ABOUT AVERY SONG

Also by Avery Song