Hades’s warning played inside his head at full blast. The day you meet Axel, a part of you will die.
Air wheezed from between clenched teeth. What part of him was supposed to die this day?
He should send Axel away. Or leave. Yes. Leave. Just walk off without looking back. Now, now, now, damn it. For Hades. Yes. Hades would expect it, and rightfully so. William had vowed to avoid Axel at every possible turn. But...
The damage was already done, his feet rooted in place. No part of him wished to abandon his...brother. The moisture in his mouth dried, and he swallowed the lump growing in his throat. How many nights had he dreamed of this moment? How many times had he wondered about what could have been?
“Uncanny right?” Axel patted his stubble-darkened jaw. “Anyone ever tell you that you’re the most beautiful man ever to live, or is it just me?”
Their resemblance truly was extraordinary. They had the same dark hair, same electric blues and perfect nose. Same...everything. Heart racing, he asked, “Why are you here, Axel?”
“Why do you think I’m here? Or did I get the beauty and the brains?”
Okay. A halfway decent burn. But damn it! He didn’t want to admire this man. He’d only want to spend more time with him, something he absolutely could not do, not if he wanted to appease the only father he’d ever known.
“Obviously we’ve heard the same rumors. We look alike, and we might be brothers. You wanted to meet me. So. What do you think?” William extended his arms and performed a spin, crimson bubbles popping beneath his boots. A piece of demon liver fell out of his hair and plopped to the floor. “Am I everything you hoped or more?”
Axel hid his emotions behind a bland expression. “You assume I cared enough to wonder about the brother who never sought me out?”
A much better burn. One with bite. “Let me try this again. Are you here because of Fox?”
“I am, yes.” Pretending to wipe dust off a side table, Axel added, “As you may or may not know, I recently received a promotion to Elite.”
Soon, I will receive a promotion, as well. King William. No better name. “Why remind me? Trying to impress me?”
Axel’s cheeks reddened. I’ll take that as a yes. “I acted as one of the judges for Fox’s case. She is to be executed right away.”
William ran his tongue over his teeth. “Ah. I see. You went with retaliation, the demon way, versus forgiveness, the Sent One way.”
Now Axel scowled.
If the Sent Ones captured Fox, she would die screaming. No one unleashed wrath quite like Axel’s crew. William might have avoided Axel all these years, not even allowing himself to think about the male most days, but he’d also collected stories about his exploits. “Who did you appoint as her executioner?”
“Bjorn the Last True Dread.”
Not good. Not good at all. Bjorn wasn’t exactly right in the head, his mind filled with land mines ready to explode at any moment. Long ago, demons had captured, imprisoned and tortured him, along with his two closest friends. Centuries later, some kind of shadow queen had forced a mystical bond with him, draining his life force bit by bit. He would be difficult to manage.
“You should know Fox’s execution will be a declaration of war.” While William couldn’t afford to fight a second war right now, he really couldn’t ignore a slight against an ally. To do so would invite incursion by countless enemies.
Axel offered a cold smile. “I’m sure Bjorn will tremble—with laughter.” He waved a hand, dismissing the subject. “As for my second order of business. Armies of Sent Ones will be moving to Hell. We’ve decided to join your war against Lucifer. Now you can actually win.”
Fighting beside Axel...having him close...planning and scheming together...
William should protest. His world had just turned upside down and inside out. Worse, Hades would be upset. But, what if he could have Hades and Axel in his life?
Hope and worry collided. The day you meet Axel, a part of you will die.
What part, damn it? And why?
“Axel,” he began.
“No,” Axel snapped. “Whatever you’re going to say, don’t. I delivered my news. We’re done.” A second later, he vanished, flashing away. A surprise. Most Sent Ones didn’t possess the ability to flash.
William expelled a breath and rubbed the center of his chest. Had he ever felt so raw? So confused and unsure? So needy, but also defensive? Inside, William still carried pieces of the broken little boy he’d been.
He wondered if this was how his dual-natured unicorn felt all the time. Pulled in two different directions.
She deserves better.
His hand—a hand that had remained steady during countless battles and wars—trembled as he palmed his cell phone and typed a message to Hades. Better to confess as quickly as possible to mitigate any damage.
I met Axel. It was an accident, but it happened. You’ll be happy to know all parts of me survived.
All the while his inner little boy cried, Don’t be mad. Don’t stop loving me.
Hades’s response arrived a second later, the cell vibrating. Daddy Dearest: Then it has already begun.
His tremors worsened. And what is “it” exactly?
Daddy Dearest: The death of our relationship.
12
“I don’t do temptation. I am temptation.”
William pushed open the stable doors. As he stalked inside, morning sunlight framed his big body, creating a halo effect. Sunny’s heart kicked into a wild rhythm. With his head high and his shoulders back, he was the master of all he surveyed. Powerful. Beautiful. And pure temptation...
Blood wet his three-piece suit. Why so dressed up? And had he run into one of her traps? Using magic, she’d created invisible stakes along the outer walls of the stable.
“Where’s my sweet little tuna?” he bellowed. “You never texted me back.”
She lay on the bed, poring over the photos of his book for the bazillionth time, the code still a total and complete mystery. A first for her. She’d tossed and turned all night long, going over the swirls and points again and again, doing her best to ignore an increasingly intense sexual ache. One day closer to mating season.
“So we’re starting the new day with a complaint? How wonderful,” she grumbled, climbing to her feet. Knowing he would turn up sooner or later, she’d showered and dressed in a half shirt that revealed serious under-boob and a sexy, non-granny pair of panties. From shoulders to ankles she had incredibly detailed tattoos of thorny vines, dew-dotted leaves and blooming roses.
Let his next round of torment begin. You can look but you can’t touch...
William spotted her and stopped in his tracks. He raked his gaze over her, his irises catching fire. His shaft hardened in seconds, stretching the fly of his slacks, and she tried not to grin.
She twirled a lock of hair around her finger, asking, “Something wrong, sweet prince?”
He jolted as if she’d punched him, then scrubbed a hand over his mouth. “Yes, something’s wrong. You lied to me.”
What! “I never lied to you or anyone. I can’t.”
“Oh, really? I was promised geriatric chic, and I got stay-at-home-mom cozy.”
A husky laugh spilled from her. Would she ever be able to predict this man’s reactions? He was a mystery she couldn’t solve, and an aphrodisiac she shouldn’t want. But want him she did. He made her ache, turned her internal thermostat to white-hot, and caused flutters to tantalize her core.
Remember your purpose. Right. Sobering up in a hurry, she told him, “I have a list for you. The names of poachers and collectors on my trail. You said you’d kill them if they came after me, but why wait? I want their heads now.”
“Let’s see the list.”
She dropped the photos and lifted the appropriate page, but she didn’t close the distance—yet. Deep brea
th in, out. Good, that’s good. The aching, heating and throbbing eased.
She stood and strolled over. As his gaze tracked her every move, she rolled her hips with carnal indulgence. She might lack proper flirting skills, but she excelled at kinetic energy. She handed over the paper.
A muscle jumped beneath his eye. “Consider everyone on the list dead.”
“I’ll consider them dead when you bring me their heads.”
Features softening, he said, “Are you worried because of mating season?”
She went still. “How do you know about mating season?”
An-n-nd the muscle started jumping again. “Doesn’t matter. I will—” He pressed his lips together. “You will—” Again, he pressed his lips into a thin line. “We’ll discuss it later,” he repeated.
Red dotted her vision. What does he hide from me? “Later is what you told me last time, too. Now is later.”
Scanning the stable, he said, “You’ve redecorated, I see.”
A change of subject. One she allowed, the sight of her acquisitions calming her. “I have, yes.” Pandora had gotten everything on her list, and then some. Christmas lights twinkled from the ceiling, creating an illusion of stars. Potted plants and fruit trees abounded, the once-musty space now fragrant with florals and fruits, everything from lemons to peaches.
Her diary rested on the desk, opened to a passage of sexual positions she hoped to try. Another torment. All he had to do was glance over... “FYI, you’re welcome to enter the stable anytime you wish, but I can’t promise I’ll be dressed. Or that I won’t be masturbating.” Soon, the urges would be undeniable...
He blinked with surprise. Then he scowled. “I have a meeting with Lucifer later this morning. But first, I wish to check on your progress with the book.”
Hearing the name of her greatest enemy raised her hackles. “Take me with you.”
“No. And do not dare ask again,” he added when she opened her mouth to do just that.
Fine! She’d see and kill the bluebell in two weeks. “If you don’t come back covered in his blood, I’ll be hugely disappointed.”
William blinked faster. “What makes you think I plan to fight him?”
Easy. “I’ve met you.”
A moment passed without a reaction from him. Then a full-fledged smile spread, lighting his entire face, and all the aching, heating and throbbing started up again. Only worse. Her nipples drew tight, and her thighs shook, desire wetting her panties.
“Your book,” she grated, more ready to ruin his good mood now. “I’ve been unable to translate a single word.”
As expected, his smile vanished in a hurry. “Why am I giving you preferential treatment, then?”
“Because I’m the only one who can translate it. But I must see the actual book to do it,” she explained. “I want to touch it, and feel its magic.”
“No.” Anger and frustration pulsed from him in great, sweeping waves. “That will never happen. Work with the photographs, or don’t work at all.”
He’d gone total alpha. He’d decided, and he expected Sunny to fall into line. What he failed to realize? She was an alpha, too. “No problem. Let’s say our goodbyes, and part ways, since I can’t be of use to you.”
“We do not part,” he snarled.
Four words. Individually, they meant nothing. Together, uttered by William the Ever Randy, they rocked her world.
“You are a decoder,” he snarled next. “Do your job.”
Oh, the gall! “I’m so sorry you got saddled with a smoking hot decoder who’s doing you two huge favors, but the failure isn’t my fault. It’s yours. Do as I ask, and you’ll get what you want.”
He huffed and puffed, tension radiated from him. Finally he grumbled, “I’ll think about it. If I can. When we’re together, it’s difficult to ponder anything other than sex.”
Though his last words soothed her temper, she knew she had to continue his punishments. With a sugar-sweet voice, she said, “Why don’t I do the thinking for both of us, then?”
That little remark pushed him over the edge. “You presume too much, woman!” Lightning flashed under the surface of his skin and smoke curled up, up over his shoulders.
Had any man ever exuded such ferocious aggression?
Far from cowed, she quipped, “Or maybe I don’t presume enough? Why don’t you flash or portal me to a sealed room and remain at my side as I study your book?” Look how accommodating I can be, warrior. “If I attempt to damage it, you can stab me.”
His eyes went wide. “You are the most paranoid person in all the worlds, yet you’d trust me enough to let me hold a blade against your vulnerable throat?”
No. She would never trust him. But desperate times and all that. Exceptions had to be made. Unable to lie, she simply said, “I will let you do it, yes.”
Judging by his slow release of breath, her admission pleased him. “I will trust you with my book...if you will trust me with your unicorn form.”
What! What kind of brilliant manipulation was this? He uses my own tricks against me, the dirty bluebell. “Not just no, but hellebore, no.” She shook her head for emphasis. To reveal her unicorn form, something more private and personal than her naked body... “No,” she repeated.
“Then I won’t show you the book,” he said, his tone firm and unwavering. “When my meeting concludes, I’ll return. Until then, you are to remain in the stable. Understand? A mystical border ensures demons and other beings cannot enter. Your invisible spikes help, too,” he added dryly, while pressing a hand against his side. Oh, yes. He’d tangled with her traps. “A poacher did follow you here. I got nailed by a spike when I fought him. His head now rests atop a pole in my front yard. If you escape my blocks and exit, demons and other poachers will give chase.” He pivoted on a booted heel and stalked to the doors. “Text me if there’s an emergency.”
Hate to see him leave, love to watch his aster—argh! Butt. Love to watch his butt. “Oh, William, darling,” she called, deciding to take his torture to the next level. “Before you go, we have two more pieces of business to discuss.”
He stopped and stiffened, but he didn’t glance her way. A good sign. Well, the fact that he’d stopped at all was a good sign. She let the moment drag out in silence, until the muscles in his shoulder bulging with tension.
“I’m listening,” he prompted.
The first bit of business was easy enough. “If other poachers come—”
“They won’t. I will be sending my best soldiers to track down each and every one. If they aren’t dead by the end of the day, I’ll be shocked.”
Excellent. Now, for the second bit of business, which packed more of a punch. His torment was about to reach new heights. “I’ve decided we’re together now. You and me. We’re boyfriend and girlfriend. Fully committed. We’re going to be the underworld’s ‘it’ couple, and that’s that. If you want your book decoded, I mean.”
Now he swung around, his eyes were wide, his pupils blown. A flush brightened his cheeks. “You’ve decided?”
“Yep. It’s a done deal.”
“Let me see if I understand you correctly,” he said, pushing the words through clenched teeth. Do not laugh. “You plan to endure my unskilled lovemaking for eternity, as my one and only girlfriend?”
“Yes, and you aren’t to practice with others. Cheating is unacceptable.”
“I... You... I haven’t agreed to a relationship, much less an exclusive one!” he bellowed. “We are not a couple, Sunny.”
Do. Not. Laugh. “But, darling. I’m the smart one in this relationship, remember?” She faked a wince, as if embarrassed for him “Of course I realized we’d make a great couple first. That doesn’t mean your poor, sweet brain won’t get there eventually. Just don’t be too hard on yourself, okay? From now on, that’s my job.”
His lips pulled back from his teeth
, his expression pure menace. “You aren’t the first female to want more than I’m willing to give. I prefer to remain single.”
She blew him a kiss. “Be honest. Would you prefer roses or orchids at our wedding?”
He bowed up, all he-man-like, and the laughter that brewed at the back of her throat nearly escaped. “You cannot tell a man he’s yours and expect him to comply. He must agree.”
“Are you sure? Because that sounds dumb.”
“I’m sure,” he huffed, glaring at her.
“But...you’re mine,” she insisted.
The longer he glared, the more his gaze sizzled with possessiveness, making it harder for Sunny to breathe. Pressure built inside her, her skin pulling too tight over her bones. Need and want collided, wrecking her calm.
“W-William,” she rasped.
His aura grew darker by the second, reminding her of molten lava. Then he looked past her and frowned. Why the—
She sensed another presence and whipped around. A ginormous man with red skin, dark hair and extra-large muscles appeared. He was handsome in a monstrous kind of way.
“Sunny, cover yourself,” William demanded. “Rathbone, turn around.”
The guy—Rathbone—never turned around. Sunny remained in place, too. How would William react if she let the other man look his fill?
Play with fire, and you’ll get burned.
Good! She wanted to burn. She’d scar, and she’d remember: never crave a prince of darkness.
Muttering under his breath about stubborn females and irreverent kings, William stalked to the closet, grabbed a robe, then returned to Sunny. He draped the cloth over her shoulders, effectively hiding her curves, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it. Fine! She knew how she felt—delighted—and hated herself.
William snapped, “What are you doing here, Rathbone?”
“I came with a message from your father.” Rathbone perused Sunny from head to toe. Slowly. With mating season so close, she expected shivers and heat, bu-u-ut daisy! She felt nothing. Only William affected her.