144790316 things forbidden

8/11/2019 144790316 Things Forbidden

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Things Forbidden

By Raquel Dove

Published by Raquel Dove for Smashwords

Copyright !" Raquel Dove


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Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Than# you for downloading this free eboo#$ %lthough this is a

free boo#& it remains the 'opyrighted property of the author& and may

not be reprodu'ed& 'opied and distributed for 'ommer'ial or non(

'ommer'ial purposes$ )f you en*oyed this boo#& please en'ourage your

friends to download their own 'opy at Smashwords$'om& where they

'an also dis'over other wor#s by this author$ Than# you for your

support$


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Chapter +ne

,is senses swam with an overload of her$ ,e fought the feral growl

that was rising in his throat at his own a'tions$ ,e was disgusted with

himself& even as he 'ontinued to wat'h her from behind the 'over of

trees$ )t was wrong$ -o& it was absolutely forbidden$ Taboo$ ,e 'ould

never have her$ Should never have her$ %nd yet he wanted her with

every fiber of his being$ %nd so& he 'ontinued to wat'h her$ ,e

wat'hed the thin fabri' of her shirt pool as it hit the grass beneath

her$ ,e wat'hed as the warm summer air #issed her e.posed breasts&

per#ing up her perfe't pin# nipples$ ,e wat'hed as a tiny bead of

sweat glided down her taught supple body$ ,er hands& perfe'tly

mani'ured& rea'hed for the /ipper of her *ean shorts whi'h promptly

*oined her top on the ground$ ,e felt the pressure in his pants growing

as she rea'hed ba'# to ta#e her golden hair down& giving him a

glorious view of her body$ -othing was left to his imagination& save for

the things he wanted to do with said body$ ,is hand rea'hed for the

steadily in'reasing lump in his pants& ad*usting himself to

a''ommodate the in'rease in si/e$ The simple tou'h brought a

measure of fri'tional pleasure and he found his hand lingering&

rubbing& en*oying the ele'tri'ity of his own tou'h$

,e shoo# his head& fighting with everything he had to loo# away$

-ot only was what he was doing wrong in prin'iple& but mating with a

human was stri'tly forbidden$ )t was beyond forbidden& a'tually$0ostly for the possibility of the unholy offspring that 'ould be

produ'ed$ )t was the worst thing a being li#e himself 'ould do$ %nd a

demon lord of his stature should be far above su'h vile a'ts$ ,e

'len'hed his *aw as he tried to for'e himself to wal# away$ 1ust one


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more glan'e& he told himself$ There2s no harm in *ust loo#ing$

The human woman was young& in her early twenties$ ,e 'ould tell

a lot about her simply by her s'ent$ ,er into.i'ating s'ent$ She was

single& or had at least not been tou'hed by a male for quite some

time$ She had a dog$ % small one& a 1a'# Russell$ ,e 'ould smell the

pet2s s'ent on hers& 'overing her 'lothes and every in'h of her s#in$

,e lifted his nose& inhaling deeply as a light bree/e pi'#ed up& 'arrying

the girls s'ent 'loser to him$ )t swirled around him& taunting him$ The

subtle notes of amber that tinted her s'ent were of an added pleasure

to him$ ,e 'ould hear the girl2s heartbeat$ Slow& steady& and strong$

She was a healthy 'reature& and inno'ent$ )t made his 'urrent a'tions

even more deplorable& and at the same time even harder to stop$ )f he

didn2t leave soon& he might do something he would regret& and

possibly be senten'ed to death for$

The girl2s lithe body was 'ompletely e.posed to his hungry view&

and it made him a'he with need$ She turned& tiptoeing to the edge of

the small pond& dipping one foot in to test the water$ ,e wat'hed& in a

mild hypnotia& as the deli'ate 'urve of her bottom boun'ed with every

step$ ,is body tensed& the heat pooling in his groin$ ,is hand rea'hedfor his lap& on'e again trying to ad*ust himself to a''ommodate the

added length$ ,is tongue trailed out to li'# his lips$ ,e wanted this

'reature$ ,e wasn2t sure why& he had never felt su'h an urge towards

a human before$ There was *ust something about her$ )t wasn2t the

first time he had seen her either$ She 'ame here often$ 0ore often

than a lone female should in the middle of the night$

The girl dove headfirst into the pond& disturbing the pla'id water$

She disappeared under the surfa'e for a few se'onds before finally

bobbing ba'# up for air$ She 'ame to rest on a large ro'# under the

water& her breasts bobbing *ust above the surfa'e$

,e too# a deep& steady breath& trying to subdue his urges and for'e

himself to leave$ ,e was *ust beginning to win& but the girl2s ne.t


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a'tions rooted him to the spot$ She loo#ed around& as if suddenly

worried that someone might be wat'hing her$ %fter a tense moment

she de'ided she was safe in her se'lusion$ ,er small hand began to

rub the bobbing mound of flesh that was teasing the surfa'e of the

water$ ,er fingertips found the small round nipple and she rolled the

fleshy nub between her fingers& a sigh es'aping her moist lips$ ,er

other hand trailed down her stoma'h& beneath the water$ ,e 'ould see

by the rhythmi' ti'# of her bi'ep e.a'tly what she was doing$ There

was no way he 'ould leave now& no matter how bad he #new he

should$ ,e *ust had to wat'h this s'ene play out$

,e began to rub absently at the bulge in his pants& hoping to

relieve some of the pressure that had built& his eyes lo'#ed on the

magnifi'ent sight before him$ ,is attentions grew more franti' as the

soft moaning pleasures of the girl rea'hed his sensitive ears$ ,is

/ipper was threatening to 'ause serious pain and he moved to un/ip

the offending devi'e$ 1ust as he was about to release himself from the

suddenly too tight 'onfines of his pants& the girl s'reamed& wide eyed

and slapping a free hand over her e.posed breasts$ For a split se'ond

he thought she had somehow spotted him$ But when he loo#ed in thedire'tion of her ga/e he saw the sour'e of her indignant fright$ %

greasy loo#ing male human had stepped out from the wooded area

that surrounded the pond$

3-eed a hand there& girly45 he as#ed& a si'#ly grin on his s'raggly

fa'e as he rubbed his 'rot'h$ ,e 'learly displayed his arousal to the

girl& not hiding the vile thoughts that were on his mind$

36et away from me&5 the girl shrie#ed& fear and anger swirling in

her wide blue eyes$

,uman matters were of little 'onsequen'e to a demon lord su'h as

himself$ ,e #new the best thing for him to do was wal# away from this

situation$ ,is desire had gone limp the moment he saw the filthy male

anyway$ There was no further reason for him to be here$ ,e turned to


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leave as the man too# another step towards the inde'ent woman$ She

s'reamed again$

3There ain2t no one around& honey&5 his voi'e dripped li#e poison

from his lips& as his grungy hands wor#ed to untie his tattered pants$

3%in2t no one goin to save you$5

,e #new he should *ust leave$ 7hat 'ould he do anyway4 Save the

girl4 8et his presen'e be #nown to her4 )t was not right in his world$

,e had to thin# of the bigger pi'ture$ That bigger pi'ture did not

in'lude this human girl$ 9ven if she was inno'ent$ 9ven if he did en*oy

seeing her$ Smelling her$ ,er deli'ate s'ent that& as he well #new

would forever be tainted by this filthy human male2s if he had his way

with her$ That is something he 'ertainly did not want to happen$ ,e

'ould stop it from happening$ -ot be'ause he would stoop so low as to

'are about and prote't a feeble human girl$ ,e 'ould do it for his own

selfish reasons$ Be'ause he en*oyed the girl2s s'ent as it was& for

whatever reason$ That was enough self('onvin'ing for the young

demon prin'e$

)n a heartbeat the demon was standing between the humans$ ,e

'ould hear the girl2s gasp of sho'# from behind him& and felt an oddswell of pride as he pi'#ed up the mild relief in her s'ent$ ,e didn2t

give the man before him a moment to blin# before his 'lawed hand

ripped through his rib'age& grasping the still beating heart and ripping

it out$ The man 'rumpled un'eremoniously to the ground$

,e e.pe'ted the girl to run off into the night& s'reaming at the sight

she had *ust witnessed$ )nstead& as he turned slowly around to fa'e

her& he found an odd loo# in her eyes$

3Th:than# you&5 she managed to sputter out$ ,er forehead

'reased as she too# in the sight of him$ ,e was now 'overed in blood&

but otherwise dressed in what loo#ed li#e a very e.pensive suit$ ,is

'old bla'# hair was tousled with gel and 'ontrasted sharply with his

pale white s#in$ ,is eyes were a haunting silver& and his ears were


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deli'ately pointed$ 37ho are you45

,e #new he had already done too mu'h$ ,e had saved the girl& he

'ould and should *ust leave now& without a word$ But try as he might&

he 'ouldn2t stop the words from 'oming out of his mouth$

3Do you not fear me45 he as#ed& a perfe'tly groomed bla'# brow

ar'hed in disbelief$ ,e dropped the bloody heart he had been holding$

3;ou *ust saved me&5 she said matter(of(fa'tly& 37hy would ) fear

you45

,e felt a strange pin'h in his 'hest at the naivety of the girl$ )f she

#new who he was& and everything he was 'apable of& she would fear

him far more than her previous atta'#er$

37hy do you 'ome here& alone and so vulnerable45 he said& trying

to sha#e the strange hold she had on him$ ,is voi'e was steady and

'old& but held an unmista#able hint of 'on'ern behind it$

3) *ust li#e to get away&5 she said& loo#ing away& 3this is the only

pla'e that ma#es me feel at pea'e$ 7ait:how did you #now ) 'ome

here45

Before reali/ation had fully hit her& the demon lord disappeared$

The absolute last thing he wanted to do was get into an e.planatory'onversation with a human girl that wasn2t even supposed to #now he

e.isted$ ,e breathed a heavy sigh of relief when he was far enough

away from her& and finally out from under her hypnoti/ing influen'e$

,e didn2t #now if she would ever be brave enough to visit the pond

again& but it didn2t really matter$ ,e had the girls2 s'ent lo'#ed firmly

in his mind now$ ,e would be able to find her anywhere she went$


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Chapter Two

,e was surprised to see her 'ome here again$ ,e was sure their

en'ounter would have s'ared her off$ %nd yet& here she was$ Foolish

human& he thought to himself$ This is why their spe'ies was so

inferior$ She had nearly been raped& possibly #illed& and then

witnessed a 'reature ripping out a still beating heart$ +ne would thin#

it would deter a person from returning$ %nd yet& here she was$

Somewhere in the ba'# of his mind a thought registered$ ,e should

not be so 'on'erned with a human and her in'omprehensible a'tions$

But for some reason he de'ided to ignore that thought$ ,e was merely

'urious& he de'ided$

,e wat'hed her& mu'h li#e he had the last time he had seen her

here$ She was loo#ing for something$ She was loo#ing for someone$

,e 'ould have #i'#ed himself if he was any less dignified of a demon$

She was loo#ing for him$ 7hat a stupid girl$ She had seen what he

'ould do$ ,ad seen that he 'ould tear her to pie'es without a se'ond

thought$

Perhaps the girl was a maso'hist$ Perhaps the thought of danger

e.'ited her$ Perhaps he had been wrong in his original assessment of

her& in her inno'en'e$ But that was absurd$ ,e was never wrong in his

assessments$ This girl was either brave or stupid$ 1udging by

everything else he had seen of her& she was stupid$3) #now you2re here&5 she 'alled out into the night& 3and ) #now

you2ve been wat'hing me$5

This was getting interesting& he thought$ ,e had indeed been

wat'hing her$ ,e had followed her home that night& hiding in the


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shadows& moving faster than she 'ould ever see$ The girl lived in a

rough neighborhood& and she lived alone$ ,e witnessed her in dire't

danger at least three separate times on her wal# home$ ,e wondered

what made her a't so irresponsibly$ She was 'urious to him& and he

li#ed to satisfy his 'uriosity when it was piqued$ So he de'ided to

follow her& learn more about her$ )t had been about a wee# in human

time$

3Come out&5 she 'alled again& twirling around& eyes trying to see

into the dar#ness around her$

,e #new it was wrong& even as he de'ided to do it$ But there was

something about this 'onfounding 'reature that was ma#ing him a't

entirely out of 'hara'ter$ ,e mentally berated himself as he stepped

out of the bushes that were 'on'ealing him$

37hy are you following me45 she said& her fa'e for'ed into a

s'owl$ Try as she might she wasn2t truly angry with him$ 0ore *ust

'urious as to why this strange 'reature suddenly seemed to be so

atta'hed to her$

37hy do you behave so re'#lessly45 he as#ed& ignoring her

question$3) as#ed you a question first&5 she said& putting her hands on her

hips$ ,e stepped 'loser to her& his pe'uliar features on'e again

be'oming apparent as he stepped into the moonlight that spilled into

the 'learing around the small pond$ ,is silvery eyes held her in a

tran'e that made it hard to maintain her 'omposure$ She felt a heat

growing inside her at the hunger that hid *ust beyond his stoi' ga/e$

3%nd my question should 'learly answer yours&5 he said$ ,is voi'e

was thi'# and 'reamy as it spilled from his lips$ ,e was 'alm& his steps

'al'ulated as he 'ir'led around her li#e a predator si/ing up its prey$

The intensity of his presen'e threatened to bu'#le her #nees as she

whipped her head around her& following his movements$

3So:what4 %re you prote'ting me or something45 she as#ed$


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3-o&5 he s'offed& his eyes narrowing on her as he stopped 'ir'ling$

The thought of him prote'ting a human was absurd at best$ 3) am

merely 'urious$ ;our #ind is usually stupid& but you are e.'eptionally

so$5

She was ta#en aba'# by the une.pe'ted insult$ For a moment& her

mind tried to 'ontemplate a suffi'ient 'omeba'#$ But then she

reali/ed the situation she found herself in& and a 'omeba'# seemed of

very little importan'e$

30y #ind45 she said& her eyes following him as he on'e again began

'ir'ling her$ ,e was dressed impe''ably& in a suit and tie& as he was

the last time she had seen him$ There was a loo# in his eyes that told

her she should be running from him right now$ 37hat are you45

3) am 'urious&5 he said& fully aware that it in no way answered her

question$ ,e always en*oyed toying with his prey$ )t made his usually

droll wor# somewhat entertaining$ %nd now& it was ma#ing the girl2s

growing frustration with him even further entertaining$

3That2s not what ) meant&5 she said$ She for'ed her voi'e to be

harsh& her brow to be furrowed$ She wanted to sound fearless& to

sound li#e she was not terrified by the 'reature that was before her$,er fa#e emotions 'ould never fool him& though she didn2t #now it$ ,e

'ould read every feeling that ran through her as easily as a boo#$

3) #now what you meant& girl&5 he said& suddenly standing behind

her& his words a harsh whisper in her ear$ ,is speed and sudden

pro.imity made her *ump& and she 'ursed herself for allowing a sliver

of fear to show$ % rumbling 'hu'#le e'hoed in his 'hest& 'ausing the

heat in her stoma'h to grow$ % ghostly smir# wor#ed its way onto his

fa'e before it vanished and he moved to fa'e her dire'tly$

3,ow:5 she breathed& her words failing her at his speed$ 3,ow do

you move so fast45

3;ou as# many questions&5 he said& his narrow silver eyes fo'used

on her wide blue ones$


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3%nd you don2t answer any&5 she 'ountered& for'ing her fear away$

3So why do you 'ontinue to as#&5 he said$ ,e 'ould play this game

all night if that is what the girl wished$ But she would most 'ertainly

lose$ ,e was en*oying his new little toy so mu'h that he didn2t even

reali/e how off the reservation he was$ )f the wrong person 'aught him

a'tually 'onversing with this human in su'h a way there would be no

saving him$

3+#&5 she said& inspiration firing a'ross her mind$ ,e was toying

with her$ %nd he was 'learly en*oying himself$ But she was by no

means stupid& as he had so rudely put it& and she was going to show

him that by beating him at his own game$ 3) will satisfy your 'uriosity

and then you 'an leave me alone$ %s# me whatever you want and )

will answer$5

For a moment& *ust a split se'ond& he was at a loss$ +f 'ourse he

qui'#ly re'overed& stepping ba'# from the girl$ Could she possibly

mean what she had *ust said4 She must be entirely stupid to say su'h

a thing$

3;ou will satisfy my 'uriosity45 he said& a slender brow ar'hing in

interest$3%nd then you will leave me alone45 she said with a firm nod&

hoping he would a''ept her proposal$

3


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thought she meant it& she felt the oddest pin'h of sadness at the

thought that he a'tually would leave her alone$ She had sought him

out for a reason$ She wanted answers$

3+h& but my 'uriosity runs very deep&5 he said& his footsteps on'e

again 'oming to a halt *ust in front of her& 3and ) intend to be fully

satisfied$5


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Chapter Three

,e had to give the girl some 'redit$ )n spite of the fear that

permeated her s'ent& she was maintaining her outward 'omposure

remar#ably well$ 0ost humans ran at the mere sight of him$ The

question again popped into his head$ 7as this girl 'ompletely stupid4

Perhaps she was$ But there was still something about her$ Something

that made her so different from the rest of her #ind$

37ill you *ust get on with it45 She said& for'ing herself to be strong$

The last thing she wanted was for him to thin# she was s'ared of him$

She would never give him the upper hand& even if she was absolutely

terrified$ She swallowed hard as his steps brought him 'loser to her& a

dangerous smir# on his lips$ Fleshy lips that loo#ed firm and oh so

sedu'tive$ She wondered what those lips would taste li#e$ She qui'#ly

#i'#ed herself mentally for thin#ing su'h thoughts$ -ow was definitely

not the time$

3


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arms over her 'hest$

3-o&5 he said flatly& his eyes narrowed in indignation$ To thin# he

would ever stoop to su'h a dastardly thing was absolutely insulting$

,owever& he wasn2t about to tell her e.a'tly how good his sense of

smell was$ 3) will be as#ing the questions& to whi'h you will reply$ %s

per our arrangement$5

%n odd 'hill ran down her spine as he said those last words$ ,is

smug e.pression told her there was more meaning behind those words

than she thought$

37hat e.a'tly do you mean& =our arrangement245 she as#ed$

3%gain& ) will be as#ing the questions&5 he said$ ,is lips 'ra'#ed

into a half smile and an ever so slightly pointed 'anine popped out&

glistening softly in the moonlight$ 3,owever& sin'e ) am in'lined to& )

will inform you of the stupidity you have demonstrated$5

3Stop 'alling me stupid&5 she said& her voi'e tinted with hurt at the

'ontinued insults& even though she tried to hide it$

3;ou a'tually offered me a deal&5 he said& a ghost of a 'hu'#le in

his voi'e$ 3)n all my years& ) have never re'eived a 'ontra't so easily$

%nd su'h a lu'rative one for myself$5She felt the blood drain from her fa'e as his half smile spread into a

full one$ Things were starting to sound very bad for her& and the 'o'#y

grin on his fa'e 'onfirmed it$ She had to as#$ But oh how she did not

want to$ She wanted to 'url up under one of the many ro'#s that

littered the edge of the pond and die& far away from this frightening&

into.i'ating& devastatingly handsome:she mind(#i'#ed herself again$

These thoughts were entirely out of pla'e in her 'urrent situation$

37hat ='ontra't245 she as#ed& furrowing her brows in 'on'ern$

,e was entirely enthralled and amused by this 'reature$ The way

her emotions flitted through her at su'h a ne'# brea#ing speed was so

in'redibly entertaining$ ,e wondered if it was typi'al for humans to

e.perien'e their emotions in su'h a manner$ -one of the ones he had


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ever dealt with were li#e this$ ,e on'e again suppressed the it'hing

thought that he shouldn2t even 'are& and definitely should not be

en*oying her the way he was$

3;ou offered me terms& girl&5 he said& 3and ) a''epted$ )t is a

binding agreement$5

3) didn2t sign anything&5 she said$ She 'rossed her arms a'ross her

'hest& her fa'e shining with self( satisfa'tion$ There was no way he

'ould hold her to anything if she didn2t sign something$

3;ou don2t have to&5 he said$ ,e instantly appeared behind her&

and on'e again reveled in the way she *er#ed at the une.pe'ted

move$ But still& she didn2t step away from him$ She stood her ground&

and in a small way he admired her for that$ She had more ba'#bone

than most males of her #ind& whi'h wasn2t e.a'tly saying a lot$

3+#& loo#&5 she said& turning around$ She 'ame nose to nose with

him& and she reali/ed a little too late that he was even more

intimidating this 'lose$ She struggled to pull the words from her

mouth& trying to muster up as mu'h 'ourage as possible$ 3) don2t have

time to stand around here all night$5

3;ou stated terms& ) verified& and we agreed&5 he said& his voi'e'alm as he stared ba'# at her$ Their bodies were so 'lose he 'ould feel

the warmth 'oming from her supple s#in$ )t sent an odd wave of desire

over him that he qui'#ly for'ed himself to ignore$ 3;ou are now under

a binding 'ontra't to me to& as you put it& satisfy my 'uriosity$ 8u'#ily

for me& that is an e.tremely vague term$5

3That2s not a 'ontra't&5 she said& sha#ing her head$ She wanted to

step ba'#& wanted to get away from the suffo'ating tran'e he put on

her$ But she would not$ She would be stalwart in her resistan'e to him

and not show any signs of wea#ness if she 'ould help it$

3But it is&5 he replied& the smile on'e again forming on his lips$ 3)t

is a demon2s 'ontra't& girl$5

She stared blan#ly at him as his words sun# in$ ,ad he not loo#ed


16/63

the part of being entirely not human she would have laughed$ But this

was no *o#e& and the gravity of her situation was beginning to sin# in$

37hat do ) have to do45 she as#ed& her heart sin#ing into her

stoma'h with ea'h word$ She was beginning to reali/e that he wasn2t

going to be leaving her alone anytime soon$

3;ou simply have to satisfy my 'uriosity$ The 'ontra't will be

fulfilled& and you will be released from any bond&5 he said& his silver

eyes sear'hing every e.pression flashing a'ross her fa'e$

3%nd what happens if ) *ust wal# away45 she said$

3) believe you remember your unwel'omed visitor from our last

en'ounter$5 he said& an eyebrow 'o'#ed and a half smile on his lips$

3The things ) will be allowed to do to you will ma#e that loo# li#e

tame$5


17/63


18/63

su'#ed in a sharp breath and held it& waiting for him to answer her

question& or release her& or ravage her& or whatever the hell he was

planning on doing$ She *ust wanted him to stop toying with her$

3) li#e you&5 he said& his voi'e a deep whisper$ ,is response was

not at all what she had e.pe'ted$ She snapped her head ba'# to loo#

up at him& 'onfusion and surprise twirling in her big blue eyes$ ,e

hovered over her& his grip around her waist strong$ ,is lips parted and

she 'ould feel the heat of his breaths on her own lips$ ,er body tingled

in anti'ipation& the hot flush that ran over her body ma#ing her want to

melt in his arms$ ,e reveled in the overwhelming s'ent of her desire&

thoroughly pleased with her obvious attra'tion to him$ ,is eyes 'aught

hers as they teetered on the edge of a #iss$

3)t would be su'h a shame if ) had to #ill you&5 he said& his words

barely more than a mumble& but she heard them perfe'tly 'lear and it

*olted her out of her da/e$ She pulled away from him& turning around

to 'onfront him$

3>ill me45 she said$ ,e 'ould see the fright on her fa'e and it

tugged oddly at his 'hest$ ,e brushed away the feeling& allowing his

amusement to get the better of him on'e more$3)f you brea'h our 'ontra't you will be'ome indentured to me&5 he

said& the devilishly handsome smir# spreading a'ross his fa'e& 3Brea#

the 'ontra't and you be'ome my slave$ ) 'an do with you whatever )

see fit$5

The true meaning of her thoughtless a'tions finally sun# in$ She

had in fa't& done something e.tremely stupid$ She 'ursed her re'#less

nature$ She had to find a way out of this$ There was no way she would

be indentured to a demon& and *udging by his behavior thus far he

would most li#ely try to ma#e that happen$ She needed to #now the

rules to this thing if she was going to figure a way out of it$ 0aybe

there was a loophole or something$

3+#&5 she said& lifting her 'hin& hoping to appear more 'onfident


19/63


20/63

Chapter Five

,e began to 'ir'le her again& his eyes wat'hing with a twin#le that

'ompletely unnerved her$ She had to really thin# about her ne.t

move$ This demon was tri'#y& and he was doing his best to trap her$

7hat his true intentions were& she still 'ould not dis'ern$

37hat2s your name45 she as#ed$ She wanted to #now who she was

dealing with$ % sudden dar#ness 'louded his features$

3Do not ever as# me that&5 he snapped$ There was su'h mali'e

behind his voi'e& su'h a sudden shift in his demeanor that it frightened

her$ 3;ou will never #now my name& girl$5

,e 'ould see that he had s'ared the girl$ )t was not his intention&

but that was something so guarded by every demon that to as# for it

was the most offensive thing one 'ould do$ -ot that the girl would

#now that$ ,e reali/ed she was li#ely only being 'urious$ But to learn

the name of a demon was to 'ontrol that demon$ %nd there were only

two 'reatures in e.isten'e that had ever #nown his name& his mother

and father$ ,e intended to #eep it that way$

3)$$)2m sorry&5 she said& stumbling over her words& trying to

understand what had so drasti'ally 'hanged his mood$ She did not li#e

his mirthful nature mu'h& but his angry one was downright terrifying$

She had seen what he 'ould do& and even though he had told her that

he 'ould not harm her& she still did not want to ma#e him mad$3-ever mind that&5 he said& pushing aside the insult$ ,is features

rela.ed ba'# into a playful smir#$ 37e should get started$5

37ait&5 she said& her 'uriosity getting the better of her$ 3Don2t you

want to #now my name45


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22/63


23/63

pulled away from her$ ,e was pleased to see the small pout that

formed on her lips at the abrupt stop$

37ait&5 she said& snapping out of her da/e with a blin#& 3There are

more nights4 That2s not what ) signed up for$ ) want to be done with

all this now$5

3) will be seeing you soon& ?oe&5 he said a 'o'#y half smile on his

fa'e as he trailed a finger down her narrow 'hin$

,e disappeared from her sight in an instant and she released a

heavy breath& feeling the weight of his presen'e lifting$ She had to do

something about this$ There had to be some way she 'ould gain the

upper hand$ The demon had a very parti'ular way of dressing$ That

would be her starting point$


24/63

Chapter Si.

?oe2s fingers un'ons'iously dabbed at her lips as she tried her

hardest to pay attention to the le'ture$ %ll she 'ould thin# about was

the #iss$ The way his lips felt against hers& so firm and demanding$ )t

was so wrong& she #new it was& but it felt so ama/ingly good$ She

'ould feel her 'hee#s blushing as she re'alled his taste$ ,e was so

sinfully deli'ious$ The way his presen'e left her #nees feeling wea#$

The way her name sounded in his honeyed baritone of a voi'e$ She

'ould lie to anyone else& but she 'ouldn2t lie to herself$ She wanted

more of him& even though she #new he was a very bad thing to want$

30s$ Carver&5 the professor2s voi'e was stern as he 'ut into her

daydream$ 3)s there something you find more interesting45

3-o& Dr$ 8awren'e&5 ?oe said& swallowing the lump of

embarrassment in her throat as she sat up in her seat& trying to loo#

attentive$ There was& in fa't& something she found mu'h more

interesting$ 3Sorry& )2m listening$5

,e gave her a disapproving s'owl before returning to his le'ture$

?oe loo#ed down at her wat'h$ The 'lass had *ust begun& but it felt li#e

he had been droning on for hours$ She had to 'lear her mind of this

demon$ This 'lass was important and the last thing she needed was

another distra'tion$ She was definitely going to have to do something

this$ 7hen the 'lass finally ended& she made her way over to thelibrary$ She had some resear'h to do$

A


25/63


26/63

advantage& amassing vast fortunes over the 'enturies that they would

live$ Paris was no e.'eption to this rule$

3) have been doing resear'h&5 he said& again hoping his friend

would let the sub*e't die$ The half(smile on 1a'#son2s fa'e told Paris he

still wasn2t buying it$ 8u'#ily& the 6rand 9lder de'ided to ta#e that

moment to enter the room& effe'tively drawing the attention away

from him and his unusual behavior$

The 6rand 9lder was the supreme authority for all demons$ ,e was

immensely powerful& but his body was getting old$ ,e was little more

than a wrin#led hus# of a man now& requiring assistan'e for even the

slightest movement$ ,e was helped up the steps of a small dais at the

far end of the meeting hall where his #ind had gathered for 'enturies$

The room was in the massive pala'e of the 6rand 9lder& in a dimension

separate from the human2s world$ ,e sat on the throne with the

Coun'il seated *ust slightly behind on either side of him$ There were

five Demon 8ords on the 'oun'il& and together with the 6rand 9lder&

they were the ruling body in the demon 'ommunity$ They made the

laws& they enfor'ed them& and they were 'onstantly fighting amongst

themselves$% time of un'ertainty was 'oming$ The 6rand 9lder had no sons&

and only one daughter that was quite possibly the ugliest thing Paris

had ever seen$ +nly a son 'ould be'ome the ne.t 6rand 9lder& and it

was be'oming painfully obvious that no demon was willing to mate his

daughter& even if it meant be'oming the most powerful demon in

e.isten'e$ )f he passed on with no son in law to ta#e his pla'e& the

entire #ingdom would erupt into a 'haoti' power struggle$

37hile you were doing resear'h&5 1a'#son whispered& a smir# on his

fa'e that severely unnerved him& 3father 'ame by the store to tal#$5

1a'#son2s father was on the Coun'il$ Paris& although not outwardly

noti'eable& began to get very nervous$ There was something big going

on$ For the Coun'il to be assembled together with the 6rand 9lder was


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28/63

3) 'hose&5 the demon prin'ess spo#e& revealing 'roo#ed& badly

yellowed teeth& drawing out her words in a high pit'hed whine& 38ord

Paris$5

A

This demon was upper('lass$ ?oe re'ogni/ed one of his outfits$

She had seen it through the glass of a very high end 'lothing boutique

downtown$ There were really only a handful of people that 'ould afford

things from that store& and they were all very mu'h upper('lass$ She

'ould find him there& she *ust #new it$ But finding him would be

fruitless unless she had some ammunition$ This demon was not to be

trifled with& and the ne.t time she met him& she wanted to be

prepared$

The sta'# of boo#s she was 'arrying went tumbling a'ross the

small library table as she set them down$ 9verything she 'ould find on

demons and the o''ult$ There had to be something in here that would

help her$


29/63

Chapter Seven

Paris tried as best he 'ould to maintain his 'omposure while the

spoiled demon prin'ess 'lung to his arm$ 9ven her s'ent was reviling$

)t wasn2t that be'oming the 6rand 9lder wasn2t worth a few sa'rifi'es$

+n the 'ontrary& that is pre'isely what every demon wanted& and Paris

was no different$ But he had many 'enturies left in his life& with many

opportunities to otherwise gain that power$ ,e did not thin# putting up

with Salem was a fair pri'e to pay$

3) want a big mating 'eremony&5 she said& a wide smile on her fa'e

that only served to ma#e her loo# even more hideous$ She was

'ompletely oblivious to the fa't that everyone around her despised

her$ )t wasn2t that she was too ugly to li#e$ )t wasn2t even the fa't that

she was little more than a spoiled brat$ Salem was *ust one of those

people that nobody li#ed$ ,er aura e.uded a sense of disagreeability$

,er physi'al aspe'ts only added to her so'ial downfall$

)t wasn2t a surprise that she would pi'# Paris to be her mate$ ,e

was by far the most eligible demon ba'helor$ ,is dashing good loo#s&

'ombined with his aloof poise& made him the fantasy of every Demon

8ady$ 0any of the ladies he had obliged& further propagating his

las'ivious reputation$ ,e was& in short& god2s gift to demonesses$

3%nd ) want it to be soon&5 Salem 'ontinued$ 3) don2t want to wait

long for the mating rituals$5She wiggled her bushy brown eyebrows as she loo#ed up

suggestively at Paris$ ,e wanted to hurl$ ,is mind was going ten

different ways$ First& there was no way he was a'tually going to go

through with this$ ,e would have to thin# very 'arefully about how to


30/63

wiggle his way out of this one$ Se'ond& he was going to #ill 1a'#son$

The one demon he a'tually 'ounted as a friend& who was 'urrently

trying to 'ontain his amusement& 'ould have warned him about this$

Third& he #new he had enemies that were waiting for the right moment

to stri#e$ 0any of them were embittered mates& whose females had

found more 'omfort in Paris2 arms than theirs$ Some of them were

'hildhood enemies& made from one slight or another$ Still others were

blood feuds$ Rivalries that ran through family lines$ Paris2 parents

were no longer alive$ ,e had been an only 'hild& and had no other

family members to spea# of$ That left the bad blood of generations

squarely upon his broad shoulders$ %nd his family had a lot of bad

blood$ The sum total of all the enemies he had made at 'ourt was *ust

about every single person in attendan'e$ ,e 'ould hear the whispers

going on all around him as the 'rowd ad*usted to what had *ust

happened$

3%re you listening to me45 Salem said angrily& po#ing a fat finger

into his rib a 'ouple of times$ 37hy are you so quiet45

3) heard you&5 Paris said& loo#ing down into her tubby fa'e$ ,e

wanted to push the 'reature as far away from his person as he 'ould&but he #new he had to be 'areful$ The 6rand 9lder was old& but he still

held all the power of the an'estors and that is something no one dared

'hallenge$ ,e would have to play this very 'arefully$ %nd if there was

one thing Paris #new& it was how to manipulate a situation$ ,e for'ed

his most 'harming smile& swallowing the rising bile$ 30y dear& you

shall have whatever you li#e$5

A

)t had ta#en her hours of reading& but she had finally found

something$ That snea#y little bastard was going down$ %t first& ?oe

had thought to find a loophole in her 'ontra't& something that she


31/63

'ould use to get out of it& or something in it that she 'ould use against

him$ But when she unrolled the s'roll to read it& she reali/ed it was in

Spanish$ That snea#y bastard$ She should have figured he had more

tri'#s up his sleeve to toy with her& but she eventually found the

perfe't thing anyway$ )t was in the oddest little boo#& no bigger than

an inde. 'ard$ She found it 'rammed between two giant te.tboo#s on

religious history and philosophy$ There was no title& or mar#ings of any

#ind on the boo#& only a worn out light green 'over with a 'ouple of

dog(eared pages$ She almost didn2t even loo# at it& but as soon as she

opened the little boo#& a smile lit her fa'e$ This was the #ey& not only

to her freedom& but to gaining the upper hand on him$ % ritual that

would reverse the terms of the 'ontra't$

?oe pulled out a pie'e of paper and a pen and began to feverishly

'opy a list of items$ 0ost of them were pe'uliar& but nothing that she

would have too mu'h trouble finding$ There was only one thing she

needed that would present a bit of a problem$ % personal belonging of

the demon$ Fortunately& she #new e.a'tly how she was going to go

about getting it$


32/63

Chapter 9ight

?oe had never felt more out of pla'e$ ,er torn *eans and worn out

bla'# tan# top 'ontrasted with the fine 'lothing that surrounded her$

She had never been in this store& though she had passed it many

times$ )t had loo#ed stuffy from the outside& despite the ultra(modern

d'or& and now that she was inside her suspi'ions had been

'onfirmed$ She pi'#ed up the pri'e tag on a plain white& men2s dress

shirt& turning it over to 'he'# the pri'e$ She had to 'ount the /eros in

the number before gently setting the tag down and ba'#ing away from

the table of obs'enely pri'ed shirts$ )t was more money than she

made in a month$

3That is handpi'#ed 9gyptian 'otton&5 a drawn out voi'e said

behind her$ She *umped at the sudden presen'e& whirling around$

)ntense blue eyes met her from behind a handsome mas# of

smugness$ There was something about the way that he was loo#ing at

her that put her 'ompletely on edge$ She had never met him before&

she would remember him if she did& but there was an odd sense of

re'ognition on his fa'e$

3;ou loo# lost&5 he said& a thin smile on his lips$

3):um&5 ?oe sear'hed her mind for an answer$ She had

momentarily forgotten why she had 'ome in here in the first pla'e$ ,is

presen'e was overwhelming$ )t reminded her of the demon$ 3)2mloo#ing for someone& a'tually$ % 'ustomer maybe$5

3)s that so45 the man& dressed in a 'risp white suit& said$ ,is smile

broadened& ma#ing ?oe even more un'omfortable$ 37hat is this

person2s name45


33/63

37ell& ) don2t a'tually #now&5 ?oe said& her 'hee#s heating in

embarrassment as she reali/ed how silly she must loo# to this person$

She *ust #new he was *udging her$ )t was obvious she 'ouldn2t afford

to be in this store& and it was unli#ely she a'tually #new someone that

'ould$

3Paris&5 the man said& gaining a very 'onfused loo# from the girl$

3Tall& dar#& and handsome45 he 'ontinued& his brows raised in

assumed 'orre'tness$ 3


34/63

Chapter -ine

)t was hard for Paris to de'ide if he was happy or not when he felt

her summoning him$ +n the one hand he was thoroughly intrigued

that she had figured this one out so qui'#ly$ )t also gave him an

e.'use to get away from the barna'le that had atta'hed herself to

him$ But it was also e.tremely ris#y$ )f Salem de'ided to get 'urious it

'ould 'ause some serious problems for him$ Regardless& he was being

summoned& and there was no way for him to get around it$

30y dear&5 he said& 'utting Salem2s rambling$ ,e for'ed himself to

a't disappointed$ 3)2m afraid business 'alls$5

3-o&5 she said& puffing her already fat lips in a pout that did nothing

for her$ 3) want to tal# more about our mating plans$ There is so mu'h

to do$ %nd ) want to pi'# a 'a#e today$ ) want to buy a new dress for

the engagement party too:5

30y prin'ess&5 he said& for'ing ba'# his utter irritation& 3you #now )

'annot ignore the 'all$5

3Fine&5 she said with a heavy sigh$ 36o$ But 'ome ba'# qui'#ly$5

3%s fast as ) 'an&5 Paris said& flashing a handsome smir# before

disappearing$

A

37hy isn2t this wor#ing45 ?oe said as she waved the bundle of

burning herbs in the air$ 3) followed the dire'tions$5

She stu'# her nose in the small boo# that she had found the ritual

in$ She s'anned the pages of instru'tions& 'onfirming that she hadn2t


35/63

forgotten anything$ % s'owl formed on her fa'e$ She had followed it

word for word$

3Damn it&5 she huffed& dropping the boo# on the table$ ,er eyes

fell upon the rather amused loo#ing demon that had haunted her

thoughts of late$

3;ou have to give it a moment&5 Paris said with a playful smir#$

3%fter all& ) was on the other side of the 'ity$5

She noti'ed something was different about him$ % subtle

differen'e$ ,is ears were no longer gently pointed& but rounded

instead$ ,is 'anines were no longer elongated$ ,e loo#ed human$

She was so busy gaw#ing at him in surprise that she almost forgot to

finish the ritual$ She qui'#ly s'ooped the boo# ba'# up& and began

reading as best as she 'ould from the 8atin that was written on the

page$

Paris wat'hed her rather patheti' attempt with his arms 'rossed

over his 'hest$ ,e was debating on whether to have fun with her or

*ust go ahead and itemi/e all the things she had done in'orre'tly here$

She was attempting a spell to 'hange the terms of the 'ontra't$ 9ven

an e.perien'ed dar#s arts pra'titioner would have diffi'ulty pulling thisone off$ )t was 'ompletely illegal& and probably the stupidest thing she

had done thus far& but he had to give her a measure of 'redit for

trying$ ,ad she a'tually done it 'orre'tly& he would be in a fair amount

of hot water$

3;ou really are an intriguing little thing&5 he said& interrupting her

mid(senten'e of what sounded li#e a 'hi'#en garbling$ She shrugged

off his 'omment and tried to 'ontinue& her fa'e set with determination$

3%''urate pronun'iation is vital&5 he said& 'utting on'e again into

her misguided attempts$ 3;ou have already failed$5

3The 'ontra't is in Spanish&5 ?oe said with a huff& giving up on the

ritual and narrowing her eyes at him$ 3;ou are not playing fair$5

3) never said ) was going to& ?oe&5 he said& the sound of her name


36/63

dripping so sedu'tively off his lips made her heart flutter$

3) have a right to read it&5 she said& trying to gather her thoughts$

)t was so hard to 'on'entrate around him when suddenly all she 'ould

remember was the way his lips felt against hers$ ,ot and firm&

demanding her 'omplian'e$ 3)t2s all in Spanish$5

3+ops&5 Paris said with a shrug of his shoulders$ 3) write those

things in so many languages& it2s sometimes hard to #eep them

straight$5

3;ou did that on purpose&5 ?oe said& sha#ing a mani'ured inde.

finger at him$ 3That2s not fair$5

3Fair45 Paris said& his shapely brow ar'hing$ ,e stepped 'loser to

her& en*oying the way her heart rate in'reased as he drew 'loser$ ,e

'ould hear it pounding against her rib'age as she tried to be strong

before him$ 3Shall we dis'uss what it is you are doing here45

3)2m:5 she stumbled over her words& reali/ing that he had her

stu'#& again$

3) see you found that little boo#&5 Paris said$ The smir# that spread

a'ross his handsome *aw let her #now he had something to do with it$

3;ou5 she shrie#ed& balling her fist up and stri#ing out at him$ ,eeasily dodged her with a 'hu'#le e'hoing in his 'hest$ ,e appeared

dire'tly behind her$

3?oe&5 he said& and again she 'ould feel herself getting hot with

*ust her name spo#en$ 3)2ve been doing this a very long time$5

,is nose twit'hed as he pi'#ed up the faint but unmista#able mus#

of her arousal$ ,is ego inflated to momentous proportions with the

fa't that spea#ing her name was enough to ma#e her want him$ ,e

moved& appearing *ust before her& leaving barely a spa'e between

them$ She su'#ed in a sharp breath as his rapid movements$ ,er eyes

sear'hed his fa'e with apprehension& waiting for his ne.t move$

Paris hesitated for a moment& his eyes lo'#ed on the deli'ious little

mounds of flesh he so badly wanted to assault$ ,e lifted a hand&


37/63


38/63

Chapter Ten

3)t loo#s li#e she is trying to brea# her 'ontra't&5 Salem said& seeing

the room filled with the ritual elements$ The putrid smell that poured

from her mouth as she spo#e made ?oe want to pu#e$

3This is your fian'45 she as#ed& slapping a hand over her mouth&

not wanting to taste the sten'h$ There was disbelief in her eyes as she

loo#ed ba'# and forth between the handsome demon& Paris& and

Salem$ )t *ust didn2t ma#e any sense$ )f she didn2t have the strong

sense of being in danger she probably would have laughed at the irony

of it$

3,ow dare you insult me&5 Salem said& her tiny eyes popping with

rage$ She stomped her fat foot against the 'arpeted floor& loo#ing at

Paris with a finger pointing at ?oe$ 3Ta#e her$ She has brea'hed the

'ontra't and ) want her to pay$5

3Darling&5 Paris said& tu'#ing a 'rispy lo'# of brown hair behind

Salem2s rather large ear$ ,e was hoping to pursued her without

drawing too mu'h suspi'ion$ 3She is a very lu'rative 'ontra't for me$

)t would not be wise to do su'h a thing$5

3-ot wise45 Salem hissed& her thi'# eyebrows pulled down in

anger$ 3Consequen'es for a brea'h of 'ontra't are eternal servitude$

,ow 'ould that not be of more benefit to us than a basi' 'ontra't45

3,ey&5 ?oe said& 'rossing her arms$ She was absolutely fed up withall this demon business$ 3) am no one2s slave$ %nd as soon as his:5

3Shut up& human&5 Paris snapped& for on'e the mirth was

'ompletely absent from his e.pression$ ,e had never been more

serious in his life$ ,e 'ould see the immediate hurt in ?oe2s eyes& but


39/63

he had to be for'eful$ She was about to bring a world of diffi'ulties to

them if she said anything more$ This entire situation was getting

rapidly out of hand$ Paris had to ta#e her& if only to shut Salem up$ ,e

would figure out a way to release her later$ For now he *ust needed to

#eep Salem quiet$ )f Paris a'tually had to turn in ?oe2s 'ontra't& there

would be more questions$ The whole agreement was made on rather

sha#y ground and if anyone dug deep enough they would find that he

didn2t a'tually have authority to ma#e the deal in the first pla'e$ First(

timers were reserved for spe'ial agents$ %nd ?oe was definitely a first(

timer$

3)f it will ma#e you happy&5 Paris said flashing his most 'harming

grin$ 37hy don2t you return4 ) will ta#e 'are of this business$5

3But ) want to see you dis'ipline her for insulting me&5 Salem said&

the natural whine in her voi'e rising even higher$ 3She needs to learn

her pla'e now$5

3) believe the sun will set soon& my dear&5 Paris said& with a glan'e

at his wat'h& 3didn2t you want to pi'# out a 'a#e for the 'eremony45

3+h yes&5 Salem said$ ,er eyes grew wide with her e.'itement as

she rubbed her hands together in anti'ipation$ She li'#ed her puffylips& salivating *ust thin#ing about the 'a#e$ She 'ouldn2t ris# shifting

in front of a human& even if it was for 'a#e$ 3) want a big one$

9.pensive too$5

3%nything you li#e&5 Paris said& his 'hee#s beginning to a'he from

the for'ed smile$ Salem disappeared from the room and his fa'e

dropped as he loo#ed at ?oe$

37hat was she tal#ing about45 ?oe as#ed him quietly& still stinging

from his suddenly harsh regard$ Paris 'ould feel the fear overwhelming

her every emotion and he found he did not li#e it$

3;ou do not #now what you have done&5 Paris said& his voi'e

softening signifi'antly$ ,e 'ould smell the salty tears that were on the

edge of spilling$ 31ust do as ) say& and ) may still be able to fi. this$5


40/63

3,ow 'an ) trust you45 ?oe said& near hysteria as her tears began

to flow$ 3;ou have done everything you 'an to tri'# me& sin'e the very

moment ) met you$ %ll ) wanted was to be left alone$5

Paris was 'ompletely at a loss$ ,e was used to 'rying$ 0ost of the

humans he did business tried to use it for sympathy at some point$ )t

usually had no effe't on him& but he found ?oe2s tears to be espe'ially

dis'omforting$ ,e wasn2t quite sure why& but he *ust wanted her to

stop$ -ot be'ause he found the sound or smell irritating& whi'h was

usually the 'ase with humans& but be'ause he *ust didn2t want her to

'ry$ ,e didn2t want to hear or smell her 'rying$

3) made a mista#e&5 Paris said$ )t was a phrase he never uttered&

mostly be'ause it never happened$ But he hoped it would 'alm ?oe& at

least enough to stop her 'rying$ ,e had every intention of re'tifying

this situation$ ,e had learned his lesson and he was done 'hasing his

'uriosity$ 3) will fi. this$ %nd ) will leave you alone$5

,is last words were surprisingly painful to say$ There was still so

mu'h he wanted from her$ So mu'h he wanted to finish$ ,e wanted to

taste more than *ust her soft lips$ ,e wanted to feel more than *ust a

gentle tou'h$ ,e wanted to do the one thing that was most forbiddento his #ind$ ,e wanted it with every fiber of his being$ Faster than she

'ould even 'omprehend& he was beside her$ ,e wrapped his arm

around her& pulling her into his 'hest$

3Stop 'rying&5 he said& his voi'e little more than a hus#y whisper& 3)

will not let anything happen to you& but you need to do e.a'tly as )

say$5


41/63

Chapter 9leven

3Do you love her45 ?oe as#ed& as she wiped the tears from her

eyes$ She had 'almed down signifi'antly from her initial sho'# at

be'oming a demon2s slave$

3Do not be ridi'ulous&5 Paris said with a s'off& 3Does it loo# li#e )

love her45

37ell&5 ?oe said& 3you give her anything she whines for$5

?oe didn2t really thin# he did$ %t least& she 'ouldn2t understand

how he 'ould$ She was never one to *udge& or disli#e people based on

how they loo#ed& but this demoness was downright ugly$ They *ust did

not loo# right together$ ,e was so handsome and 'harming$ She was

*ust so off(putting in every way$ But he treated her li#e a prin'ess$ )t

didn2t ma#e any sense$

3) have to&5 Paris said$ ,e didn2t 'are to elaborate any further$ ,e

was not in the habit of e.plaining himself to anyone$

37hy did you #iss me45 ?oe as#ed& wanting to get off the sub*e't of

the spoiled demoness$ The question had been on her mind sin'e it

happened anyone& maybe he would be in'lined to answer her$

3Be'ause ) wanted to&5 Paris said$ ,e #new she was loo#ing for

more& but he had been as#ing himself the same thing$

39ven though you are engaged&5 ?oe as#ed$ She wasn2t sure if

demon relationships wor#ed the same as human ones$ The last thingshe wanted to be was a home wre'#er$ 9ven if he didn2t really love

her$

3That2s a re'ent development&5 Paris said$ 3-ow stop tal#ing$ 7e

must go$5


42/63

37here are we going45 She as#ed$

31ust be quiet&5 he said as he on'e again wrapped his arm around

her$ She blin#ed and they were suddenly not in her bedroom any

more$

3This is my home&5 Paris said& seeing her sho'# and 'onfusion at

the sudden 'hange of s'enery$ 3;ou will stay here$5

3Stay here45 she said& loo#ing around the rather si/eable

apartment$ 37here are you going45

3) thought ) said be quiet&5 he said$ ?oe 'ould see an unspo#en

pressure weighing on him$ ,e had lost all his playfulness& and

although he was hiding it very well& she 'ould tell he was 'on'erned$

38oo#& ) *ust want to #now what is going on&5 ?oe said& 3)2ll trust

you& and do what you say$ But ) *ust need to #now$5

3Brea'hing our 'ontra't as you did brings heavy 'onsequen'es&5

Paris said$ ,is eyes were fi.ed on ?oe2s as he spo#e$ 39ternal

servitude$5

3%re you really going to fi. this45 ?oe as#ed$ ,er mind was

s'reaming that there was no way she 'ould trust him$ ,e had tri'#ed

her before& after all$3)2m going to do my best& ?oe&5 he said$ She 'ould see the

sin'erity in his eyes and it brought her a little bit of 'omfort$

3+#&5 she said& with a small nod$ 37hat do you need me to do45

31ust stay here& and try not to do anything stupid&5 he said$ ,e

disappeared before she even had time to respond$

A

,is apartment was absolutely ridi'ulous$ -o one needed that mu'h

spa'e$ ?oe roamed the empty rooms& losing 'ount after the about the

eight$ She had never seen a pla'e this big inside the 'ity$ ,is heating

and 'ooling bill alone must 'ost him a fortune$ )t had a very modern


43/63

design& 'lean but entirely uninviting$ 1ust li#e the 'lothing store he

owned$ She 'ouldn2t seem to find a pla'e to sit that didn2t ma#e her

un'omfortable& so instead she de'ided to pass the time snooping$ She

still wasn2t sure that she 'ould trust Paris$ 0aybe she 'ould find

something to hold against him& *ust in 'ase he was trying to tri'# her

yet again$

She pi'#ed her way around the massive apartment& opening

drawers and loo#ing in bo.es$ For the most part everything was

empty$ 9ven the #it'hen only had a bare fridge and dusty 'upboards$

%t the end of a hallway lined with rooms that ran off from the main

living room& she found a massive room$ )t was the most ama/ing thing

she had ever seen and she envied him more than she had ever envied

anybody in that moment$ ,e had all the 'lassi's& as well as all the

'urrent bestselling boo#s$ There were boo#s in every 'ategory of non(

fi'tion imaginable& all meti'ulously arranged on rows of boo#shelves

that filled the rather large room$ She wal#ed through the spa'e&

marveling at the sheer number of boo#s he had& wondering if he had

even opened most of them$ ,is private 'olle'tion would rival most

libraries she had been to$ )n the middle of the room was a table with a'hair& and a small lamp$ % boo# was prominently displayed on the

table$ The 'over was old and worn& binding a thi'# sta'# of yellowed

par'hment$ ?oe ran her fingers over the bla'#& pebbled leather 'over&

reading the gold embossed letters on the front$ Demoni' Proto'ol$


44/63

Chapter Twelve

30y 8ord&5 1a'#son said& with a mo'#ing grin and an e.aggerated

bow as he saw Paris enter the shop$ 3,ow is your blushing bride45

3;ou #now )2m going to #ill you&5 Paris said& not sharing in his

friend2s amusement$ 3)t will be my first a't as 6rand 9lder$5

1a'#son 'ouldn2t hold ba'# his laughter$ )t really was the funniest

thing he had ever seen$ There wasn2t a demon alive that 'ould

stoma'h a night with the 6rand 9lder2s daughter$ %nd here was Paris&

the most desired male demon& betrothed to her$ )n truth& 1a'#son was

a bit *ealous of her$ ,e wouldn2t mind spending at least one night with

Paris$

3) always #new you were a braver demon than )&5 1a'#son said& 3)2m

loo#ing forward to the engagement party tonight$5

3) have no intention of mating her&5 Paris said& #nowing full well

what his friend2s rea'tion would be$ ,is father was on the Coun'il$ )t

was that same Coun'il that had a hand in the arrangement of the

union$ Paris wasn2t stupid$ This wasn2t *ust about the 6rand 9lder2s

spoiled daughter getting her way$ %nd it wasn2t about having an heir

either$ )t was something more than that$ There was a quiet power

struggle going on between Coun'il members& and this was simply a

manifestation of that$

3)2m going to pretend ) didn2t hear that&5 1a'#son said$3)2m sure you are&5 Paris said$ 3But ) need to #now that you2ll be on

my side when the time 'omes$5

3;ou #now )2m always on your side& Paris&5 he said& the smile fading

momentarily from his fa'e$ 3There is no need to even as#$5


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36ood&5 Paris said$ ,e wasn2t e.a'tly sure what he was going to do

yet& but whatever it was he would need someone he 'ould 'ount on$

3) had the most interesting en'ounter today&5 1a'#son said&

'hanging the sub*e't$ ,e didn2t have the greatest relationship with his

father& but the thought of having to betray him was not something he

wanted to dwell on$ ,e preferred living in blissful denial whenever he

'ould$

3)s that so45 Paris said& #nowing e.a'tly where this was going$ ,e

#new when the girl summoned him that she must have found 1a'#son$

)t happened all the time$ )t was the suit$ ,e #new they were unique&

and of the highest quality$ That2s why he wore them& and sold them$

But it was an in'onvenien'e that it seemed to help people find him

more often than he wanted$ %nd 1a'#son was far too loose lipped

about his personal information$

3% rather attra'tive human woman&5 1a'#son said& a twin#le in his

blue eyes$ 3%nd guess who she was loo#ing for$5

30y newest 'lient&5 Paris said$ ,e really did not want to get into

this$ )t wasn2t that he was afraid of 1a'#son #nowing the truth$ 1a'#son

would never betray him$ 9ven if he did 'ommit the ultimateinfra'tion$ ,e simply did not want to deal with his bothersome taunts$

9spe'ially at the moment$ ,e had far more important issues to deal

with$

3She loo#ed very new& Paris&5 1a'#son 'ontinued& even as he

sensed his friends rising irritation$ 3) don2t need to remind you of the

dangers of a 6eneral %gent turning an @ntou'hed$ ;ou did assess her&

right45

3+f 'ourse ) assessed her&5 Paris s'offed& offended at the very idea

that he would need the reminder$

3%nd you are 'ertain4 She was not @ntou'hed45 1a'#son as#ed&

pushing the sub*e't$ ,e 'ould see his friend was getting annoyed with

his line of questioning& but he #new it was ne'essary$ 1a'#son had


46/63

been there to help pi'# up the pie'es through many messes over the

'enturies$ ,e #new when his friend was doing something that 'ould

blow up in his fa'e$

3) am never wrong&5 Paris said$ ,e was 'areful with his words$

1a'#son was very good at sniffing out lies$ That was one of the reasons

he li#ed having him around& e.'ept when he was the one being

questioned$ ,e wasn2t te'hni'ally lying$ ,e had assessed her& and he

was 'orre't$ She was definitely an @ntou'hed$ ,e had #nown the

'onsequen'es at the time& and hadn2t really thought too mu'h about it

at the time$ ,is mind was o''upied with more 'arnal thoughts$ But he

was now starting to reali/e the amount of trouble he 'ould possibly be

in$ 9spe'ially if anyone de'ided to do any digging and found out this

was& in fa't& her first 'ontra't$ 6eneral %gents were stri'tly forbidden

from offering a first(time 'ontra't$ Spe'ial %gents& with a more

a''ommodating nature& were the only ones that 'ould ma#e a first

time deal$ Clients needed to be taught proto'ol$ )t was benefi'ial for

future 'ontra'ts that they understand the pro'ess$ )t a'tually wor#ed

to prevent a lot of the mista#es the girl had already made$

3She is rather attra'tive for a human&5 1a'#son said& wat'hing hisfriend 'losely for a rea'tion$ )t was one thing if Paris was *ust brea#ing

the rules to gain a lu'rative 'ontra't$ Be'ause of who 1a'#son2s father

was& he #new it was not un'ommon for demons to brea# this rule$ But

if there was something more& if Paris saw the girl as more than *ust a

'lient& that meant big trouble$ 0ating between humans and demons

were 'ondemnable$ )t was unthin#able& and 1a'#son felt bad

immediately for having to as# su'h a thing of his friend$

3) suppose she is&5 Paris said$ ,e #new e.a'tly what his friend was

getting at$ 3)f you2re into humans$5

3%re you45 1a'#son as#ed him point blan#$ )t was an insult& a slap

in the fa'e$ %nd 1a'#son #new he ris#ed fa'ing Paris2 wrath$ But he

had to as# it$


47/63

3That2s a ridi'ulous question&5 Paris said& not ready to fa'e the

truth for himself$

3%nd you are avoiding the question&5 1a'#son fired ba'# at him$ ,e

wasn2t going to let this go$ ,e had to #now if Paris was about to ma#e

a terrible mista#e$

3Be'ause it is an absurd assumption&5 Paris said$ ,e maintained

his 'ool e.terior& but inside he was boiling$ ,e wanted to rip 1a'#son2s

throat out& but at the same time he #new that would be entirely

hypo'riti'al of him$ ,e had to fa'e the truth$ ,e apparently was into

humans$ This one at least$


48/63

Chapter Thirteen

3) get a new slave for a mating gift&5 Salem said& bragging to the

ladies of the 'ourt that followed 'onstantly on her heels$ She fanned

herself with the folding fan that she li#ed to 'arry with her

everywhere$ )t wasn2t that the room was hot& it was *ust she was so fat

that every room felt hot to her$ 3The stupid little thing tried to brea'h

'ontra't with Paris$5

3,ow e.'iting&5 %thena& one of her relu'tant minions& said& trying to

sound interested$ She fli'#ed a lo'# of long red hair over her shoulder$

3;ou are the envy of all the 'ourt$5

%thena shared a loo# with the other ladies& who all new that wasn2t

even 'lose to true$ -o one envied Salem for anything$ %nd if she

honestly thought that Paris was going to go through with the mating&

she was delusional$ 9veryone but her #new he was only going along so

as not to suffer the anger of the 6rand 9lder$ ,e2d almost 'ertainly

find a way to wiggle out of this$ ,e was very 'unning$ ,er mind

wandered to the night she had spent with Paris& not so long ago$ ,e

had a sala'ious reputation for a reason& and he had 'ertainly lived up

to it$ )t would be su'h a shame if he suddenly be'ame tied to su'h an

unworthy 'reature li#e Salem$

3She2s a young one too&5 Salem 'ontinued& 'heerfully unaware that

nobody really 'ared about what she was saying$3Paris always did get the most lu'rative 'ontra'ts&5 %thena said&

doing her best to 'arry on the for'ed 'onversation$

3;es&5 Salem said& 3,e does$ ;ou really should see this one$ She is

quite e.'eptional$5


49/63


50/63

A

,e should have e.pe'ted this$ ,e hadn2t& he didn2t #now why$ But

there she was$ )n his personal library& reading from a boo# that no

human should ever see$ Paris really wanted to be mad at himself$

7hat started out as su'h inno'ent 'uriosity had turned into a 'omplete

mess for him$

3This is a very informative boo#&5 ?oe said& a smir# on her fa'e& as

she loo#ed up at Paris$ She had learned a lot in the hours that he had

left her alone here$

3That boo# is not meant for your eyes&5 Paris said$ ,is voi'e was

firm& but still #ind$ ,e really 'ouldn2t fault her for a mista#e that he

had made$ ,e had been ma#ing a lot of mista#es lately when it 'ame

to this girl$ ,e wondered if it had anything to do with the fa't that she

was @ntou'hed$

3) 'an see why&5 ?oe said& 'ontinuing to read from it$ 3,ow2s your

fian'45

She had meant it to be a *ab& but Paris 'ould hear the *ealousy inher voi'e and he found it rather pleased him$

3She is demanding your presen'e&5 Paris said$ 3;ou must 'hange$5

3Change45 ?oe said& her eyebrows s'run'hing together$ 3)nto

what45

3There is a dress in the spare bedroom$ ) believe it will fit you&5

Paris said& eyeing her torn *eans paired with dingy old flip flops with

disdain$

3,ow do you #now what si/e ) wear&5 ?oe said as she stood from

the des#$ She put a balled fist on the 'urve of her hip& as she 'o'#ed

her ne'# slightly$ 3) have a unique fit$5

3)2m very familiar with the female form&5 Paris said& unable to hide

his playful smir#$


51/63

?oe2s 'hee#s burned red hot as his eyes roamed her 'urves&

devouring every perfe't swell$ ,e pulled in his bottom lip& biting it

lightly$ She thought she was going to faint from the pure sedu'tion of

the whole thing$ She too# a deep breath& pushing out the naughty

thoughts that were beginning to invade her mind$

3Fine&5 she said$ 3)2ll go try it on$ But stop loo#ing at me li#e that$5

The dress was the most gorgeous pie'e of 'lothing she had ever

seen& made of a deep blue sil#$ )t fit her perfe'tly& as Paris was so

annoyingly 'ertain it would& but she felt li#e she didn2t belong in it$ )t

was *ust too fan'y& probably 'ost a fortune& and ?oe had never been

anywhere that would require su'h a dress$ The ne'#line plunged to

her bellybutton& and a slit ran all the way to the top of her thigh& with

thin straps that ran over her shoulder$ She 'ouldn2t quite rea'h to get

the short /ipper in the ba'# that would help the dress to hug her body$

The breath almost stu'# in Paris2 throat as she emerged from the

room& holding the dress he had handpi'#ed to herself$ )t fit her even

better than he had imagined it would& and he 'ouldn2t help his desire

from rising$ She was stunning$

3) 'an2t rea'h the /ipper&5 she said& trying to avoid the hungry starein his eyes$

3Come here&5 he said$ She 'omplied& turning her ba'# to him so he

'ould fi. the /ipper$ ,e put his hands on her shoulders when he was

finished$ There was no way he 'ould suffi'iently prepare her for what

she was about to be brought into$ Demon so'iety was diffi'ult for even

Paris to navigate$ +ne slip up and they would eat her alive$ They were

ruthless& 'unning& and had been around for 'enturies& doing what they

did$ %lthough he had duties within the 'ourt that he 'ould not

abandon& he had done his best to distan'e himself from su'h things$

3The royal proto'ol is very stri't&5 Paris said& turning her around to

fa'e him$ 3) unfortunately don2t have time to tea'h you anything$ 1ust

stay quiet& #eep your head down& and do e.a'tly as you are told$5


52/63

37hy are you doing this45 ?oe as#ed$ ,e 'ould see the fear in her

big blue eyes& 'ould smell the fear in her aura$ ,e wished more than

anything that he 'ould ta#e that fear away$ ,e was starting to lose

faith in his own ability to re'tify this situation& the further he got into

it$

3) have to&5 he said& 3her father is more powerful than ) am able to

oppose$ ) must do as she says& for now$5

3;ou don2t want to marry her45 ?oe as#ed$ There was a small

amount of hope in her words& and Paris found it strangely endearing$

3+f 'ourse not&5 he said$ For her to even thin# su'h a thing was

absurd$ 37e have to go now$5

3+#&5 she said with a heavy breath$ 3)2m ready$5


53/63

Chapter Fourteen

There was no way ?oe 'ould have ever been prepared for what she

was thrust into$ )n the blin# of an eye& she found herself in a large

ballroom& the walls 'overed entirely in mirrors$ The room was lit with a

multitude of 'andles that seemed to float unatta'hed around the room&

li#e magi'$ The beauty of the room was marred by the hundreds of

frightening 'hara'ters that o''upied the room& all with eyes on her$

37here am )45 she as#ed in a whisper as she tried to 'alm her

rapidly in'reasing pulse$

3This is the 6rand 9lder2s pala'e&5 Paris said& 3+nly a very sele't

few humans have ever had the privilege of being here$ -one of them

lived to tell about it$5

36reat&5 ?oe said& shooting Paris an uneasy loo#$

31ust do as you are told& and you will be fine& human&5 %thena said&

'oming up beside her$ She gave Paris a 'oy smile& hoping to get his

attention$

37here is she45 Paris as#ed& noti'ing the rather pleasant absen'e

of his fian'$

37ith her father& ) believe&5 %thena said$ She ran a hand through

?oe2s soft yellow hair& inspe'ting her$ 3She did not mention how pretty

this one was$5

?oe eyed the beautiful demoness with e.treme 'aution$ She hadeven more mis'hief in her eyes than Paris& and that really made her

nervous$ She was in some hot water here& and she would definitely

need to wat'h her step$

3Than# you&5 ?oe said softly$ She did not want to ris# angering


54/63

anybody$ 0a#ing that brat Salem mad is what got her in this mess in

the first pla'e$ She would *ust 'over all her bases& and be as ni'e as

she 'ould to everyone$ ,opefully the evening would end qui'#ly$ Paris

told her he 'ouldn2t harm her& and she hoped that rule pertained to

everyone$ ,er mind began to wor# on a way to get herself out of this$

She had *ust spent hours reading a boo# about their rules$ 0ost of

them made absolutely no sense to ?oe$ But there were a few that

stood out to her& a few that she may be able to use to her advantage$

3Polite& too&5 %thena said& loo#ing at Paris with a grin$

3)ndeed&5 he said$ ,e was relieved that the girl had suddenly found

some manners& but he 'ould see her mind wor#ing feverishly& and it

seriously worried him$ The loo# she had on her fa'e was the same one

she had every time she did something stupid& whi'h was unfortunately

often$

30y dear&5 1a'#son said& ma#ing a sudden appearan'e ne.t to ?oe$

,e e.tended his hand to her in greeting$ She eyed it suspi'iously&

'ontemplating whether or not to a''ept it$

3There is no need to be so 'autious&5 1a'#son said& seeing her

hesitation& 3)f ) was going to harm you& ) would have done it by now$5Salem made a grand re(entran'e into the ballroom& her father by

her side$ She had 'hanged her dress to one that was tighter fitting and

lower 'ut than her previous& ma#ing everyone in the room want to

re'oil in horror$

3)s she serious45 ?oe said& not meaning for the thought to a'tually

leave her head$ 9ven though she said it barely louder than a whisper&

the sensitivity of their ears meant that every demon in the room heard

her$

The demon prin'ess stomped down the 'enter of the ballroom& her

eyes set angrily on ?oe$ She rea'hed a meaty arm ba'# as far as her

limited range would allow& 'oming ba'# to sma'# her squarely on the

*aw with a loud pop$ ?oe fell to the ground& her hand rising to her


55/63

rapidly bruising 'hee# and rubbing at it softly in mild disbelief$ She

narrowed her eyes at the unruly demoness$ She2d had enough of this$

)f no one else was going to stand up to this brat& she would$ %nd she

*ust so happened to remember something she had read that would

help her$

3) 'hallenge you&5 ?oe said with as mu'h strength as she 'ould

muster$ 3) 'hallenge you Salem$5

The room was so quiet you 'ould hear a mouse 'ough$ Paris *ust

wanted to sha#e his head$ ,e #new ?oe was overdue to do something

stupid& but this was beyond stupid$ This was absolutely imbe'ili'$

Salem may be fat and slow by demon standards& but she 'ould still

tear ?oe to pie'es in a heartbeat$

37hat did you say to me& human45 Salem said& the 'orners of her

lips turning upward$ %t this point she was willing to sa'rifi'e an eternal

slave for a 'han'e to dig her 'laws into the disrespe'tful human2s soft

flesh$

3;ou heard me&5 ?oe said& determined to stand her ground despite

her growing feeling of dread$ 3+r is there so mu'h fat 'logging your

ears you 'ouldn2t45The room erupted in hushed whispering& suppressed laughing and

astonished gasping$ Salem2s lips flopped open li#e a fish out of water

as she tried to 'omprehend the insult$ -o one had ever spo#en to her

in su'h a manner$ She was 'ompletely at a loss of how to rea't$

3This girl is my new hero&5 1a'#son said& *abbing Paris in the ribs$

,e had a feeling this evening would be entertaining& but this was far

better than he imagined$ ,e made a mental note to as# Paris where

he found this little wild 'ard$ She was quite entertaining$ There was

definitely something spe'ial about her$ But& mostly& he was *ust happy

someone finally 'alled the prin'ess on her serious weight problem$

3) heard you fine&5 Salem said& finally re'overing from the insult& 3)

*ust didn2t thin# a human 'ould sin# to the depths of su'h stupidity$5


56/63

Chapter Fifteen

?oe reali/ed immediately the gravity of her mista#e when a demon

rolled over a small 'art with a number of different weapons on it$ She

hadn2t e.a'tly #nown what the 'hallenge would be$ She *ust #new that

if she won it would release any debt that was 'urrently held over her$

%pparently she had to a'tually fight for her freedom$

3)2ll let you 'hoose your weapon first&5 Salem said& 3) want to use

my bare 'laws$ ) am going to en*oy the feeling of ripping through your

flesh$5

?oe loo#ed down at the table of shiny metal ob*e'ts& with a heavy

swallow$ She was in way over her head$ There were swords of

different styles& a spear& a ma'e& a few other things she didn2t even

#now what to 'all$ She had no idea how to use any of them$

3) don2t suppose you have a gun&5 she said& mostly wishful thin#ing

to herself$

36uns have no effe't on demons&5 Salem said& wat'hing ?oe with

wi'#ed pleasure in her shit brown eyes$ She was loo#ing forward to

putting this human in her pla'e$ )t was unfortunate that she wouldn2t

have a slave anymore& but the thought of #illing her was almost as

satisfying$ 3Choose your weapon$ Euit stalling$5

Paris loo#ed on in a mild sho'#& something that was a very foreign

feeling to him$ There was no way he 'ould let this happen$ The girlwas going to die& and it was entirely his fault$ 7ell& not entirely his

fault$ ,er stupidity played a rather large part of it& but Paris 'ould

have stopped this a long time ago$ ,e did not thin# it would play out

in quite this way$ Despite what many would thin#& demons a'tually


57/63

have a 'ons'ien'e$ They are *ust better at suppressing it than most$

But for some reason the thought of her death& and that it was at least

in part his fault& was more than his 'ons'ien'e 'ould bear$

Salem barely gave ?oe time to blin# from the time she pi'#ed up a

broad edge sword$ The demon prin'ess atta'#ed her with everything

her robust form 'ould muster$ ?oe tried as best she 'ould to defle't

the atta'#& raising her sword to blo'# the swipe of the demoness2

'laws$ She managed to blo'# to stri#e& but the for'e of it #no'#ed her

ba'#wards onto the floor$ Salem poun'ed on top of her& straddling her

torso& the for'e of her weight #no'#ing the wind out of ?oe$

The already dim light of the ballroom began to fade from ?oe2s

eyes as the breath was slowly for'ed out of her$ She had to do

something& she 'ouldn2t die li#e this$ ,er mind was too fu//y to thin#&

and the only defense she 'ould muster was to flail her arms about&

hoping to hit something$ Salem rea'hed ba'#& her ra/or sharp 'laws

e.tending in preparation to sli'e through ?oe2s flesh$

?oe slammed her eyes shut& unable to wat'h her own impending

death$ But instead of the pain of 'laws ripping through her& she felt a

'alming warmth engulf her body$ ,er eyes opened to see Salem& herheavy brow s'run'hed in 'onfusion as a soft blue light emanated from

?oe for *ust a moment$ She 'ould feel the air 'oming ba'# into her

lungs& and her mind began to wor#$ She loo#ed around her for

something& anything$ ,er eyes fell upon the sword she had originally

'hosen& *ust in'hes from her$ 7ithout another thought& she s'ooped it

ba'# up& plunging into the 'hest of the demoness$ Salem s'ree'hed in

pain& slapping at the sword in her 'hest as blood spewed all over ?oe&

before finally #eeling over dead$ ?oe managed to squee/e out from

under the mass of dead weight$ She rose sha#ily to her feet& the sho'#

of what had *ust happened still plastered on her blood 'overed fa'e$

The ballroom e.ploded in mass 'onfusion$ This was an

unpre'edented o''urren'e$ -o human had ever a'tually #illed a


58/63

demon& mu'h less the daughter of the 6rand 9lder$ -obody #new

what happened& or how to rea't$ )t all happened so qui'#ly$

Paris #new what had happened$ ,e didn2t #now why he hadn2t

thought of it before$ There were always fail safeties in this business$

?oe& although nobody but Paris #new& was an @ntou'hed$ ,is 'ontra't

with her would never validate& and he had #nown that from the

moment he had drawn it up$ She was off limits$ -o demon would ever

have the power to physi'ally harm her& so long as she maintained her

inno'en'e$ )t only lasted a split se'ond& and he wasn2t even sure

anyone else had seen it& but the small blue light that engulfed the girl

told him all he needed to #now$ She was prote'ted by a power far

greater than any demon2s$


59/63

Chapter Si.teen

Paris used the disarray to get ?oe out of the pala'e$ ,e brought

her ba'# to his pla'e& putting a barrier in pla'e so that no one would

'ome loo#ing for them$ ,e had a new found respe't for the girl$ -ot

*ust be'ause she had done what he 'ould not$ She got him out of a

very sti'#y situation$ The demon prin'ess was dead& and there was no

way it 'ould be held against him$ The situation 'ouldn2t have turned

out more perfe't if Paris had planned it$ +f 'ourse there was now

going to be a ma*or fallout$ The 6rand 9lder2s bloodline had *ust been

ended& and he was very 'lose to dying himself$ The fight for his

position was about to begin$ The future of his people was very mu'h in

question$

3%re you really going to leave me alone now45 ?oe as#ed as she

wiped the last of the demoness2 blood from her fa'e$ She reali/ed now

*ust how sad that thought made her$ Despite everything that had

happened& she found that the demon had somehow gained a pla'e in

her heart$ There was *ust something about him that she 'ouldn2t stay

away from$ She didn2t want him to leave her alone$

3)f that is what you wish&5 Paris said& and this time his 'harm was

genuine$ ,e truly meant it too$ )f ?oe wanted to be left alone after all

of this& he didn2t blame her$ She had been through more than

someone li#e her deserved$ ,e felt a twinge of guilt& #nowing that hewas the reason for it all$

3;ou #now&5 ?oe said& trying to prolong the time she had left with

him$ She wanted to leave things on a good note with him$ )f this was

the last time she would ever see him& she wanted to say everything


60/63

that needed to be said$ 3) still remember you saved my life$ )2ll always

be than#ful$5

3?oe&5 he said$ ,is voi'e was smooth& a heavy whisper as he 'ame

'loser to her$ % grin spread a'ross his fa'e as his eyes began to

appre'iate her body on'e more$ ,is nose pi'#ed up her faint arousal

and he *ust 'ouldn2t wait any longer$ There were no more distra'tions$

There would be no more 'alls$ -othing would interrupt their time

together now$ ,e 'ould finally dis'over everything he had waited so

long to dis'over$

3Paris&5 ?oe questioned in a whisper& a lump in her throat that she

'ouldn2t seem to get rid of$ She too# in a deep breath as his hands

found her hips& his eyes lo'#ed onto hers$ ,is ga/e burned into her&

ma#ing her feel hot and 'old at the same time$ % tingling heat began

to a''umulate in her stoma'h as his lips found hers& his tou'h

surprisingly gentle$ ,e wrapped a hand in her hair& pulling her 'loser

into him& nipping lightly at her lips& 'oa.ing her to open& to let him in$

She happily 'omplied& her tongue finding his as they fought for

dominan'e$ % rumble e'hoed in his 'hest& a purr of pleasure$

?oe pulled ba'#& unsure of the strange vo'ali/ation$ She loo#ed upat him& her eyes gla/ed over him desire& a question on her brow$ ,is

arm wrapped around her waist and he pulled her ba'# into him& his

purr of desire even more intense$ The vibrations rattled through her

and she found her arousal in'reasing with the sensation$ ,is fingers

found the /ipper on her dress and he pulled it down& the sil# bloodied

gown sliding freely off her shoulders and to the floor at her feet$

,is lips 'aressed her ne'#& pausing at the 'roo# were it met her

shoulders& en*oying the shiver that ran through her$ % throaty moan

en'ouraged him to 'ontinue& and his hands grasped he

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