1. Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE

ANNEX'S POV

F uck. Dying never gets any easier.

Pain I can deal with, blood and broken bones, bring it all on.

But this…I look around the dark and empty space. An abyss that seems to travel endlessly in every direction with nothing but pitch darkness in sight. It rolls on, and nothing but a cold, black void surrounds me.

This dismal shit never gets easier; my body is already feeling drained and leached of any joy as I look around me.

A couple of years ago, I would die, throwing myself into bloody fights for shits and giggles, and end up here. Not caring much about the aftermath or having to deal with this bleak shithole. But now…I had people and a home to return to.

Two bright blue eyes and a pair of plump, rosy lips flash across my mind, probably accompanied by three sets of narrowed, worried gazes. Those assholes are going to give me a lecture when I return, Creed leading it like the grumpy mama bear he was.

I brush a hand down my torso and tattoos. The gaping bloody hole from my chest now gone. Our forms here always go back to their original and unwounded shells. A tiny benefit, I guess.

A slight glint catches my eye as the path opens, and I head toward it.

The ‘path' was only visible to those of the Porter bloodline. It was a fuckin' curse if you ask me. And one that flows through my very veins.

Deaths kiss.

It was a type of immortality.

Our clan was born from the unholy union of Death's Ferryman and a lower divine being. One that never should have been.

Their love cursed the children they bore and their children's children, creating our clan. A fucked up black-hearted group of soulless bastards that shouldn't exist.

We're beings not unlike immortals. We can revive after dying. Even death deeming our souls unworthy to be claimed.

Our cursed black souls can see the path back to the Passing Grounds— and with a little help —we can make our way back to our bodies in the human realm. Once our soul re-enters our broken or damaged body, we begin to heal much quicker than any shifter or other supernatural ever could.

That is, of course, as long as our bodies aren't burnt to a crisp or decapitated. And even then, there are ways to return— just a lot more painful and time-consuming.

And not something I would want to experience. Again.

I head toward the misty grey cobblestone path that shows me the way outta this dark hellhole, following them as the only light out of this place.They thread a path through this empty void until—after what feels like forever—the dark breaks, and I stop for a brief moment to take in the familiar dreary atmosphere around me.

The huge open cavern-like space is filled with a glimmering obsidian rock throughout and covering the space from top to bottom.

A grey mist seeps out around it and lightly covers the walls and ground in every direction. And in the centre of the vast space sits a dark lake and waterfall.

A real bleak-looking shithole, if you ask me.

The water itself is dark, the liquid seeming clear, reflecting its own glimmer across the lake's surface and beckoning people to it.

I say ‘water' even though that shit's not drinkable, or swimmable .

Sure you could try, but the hordes of lost souls lurking there would pull you down quicker than any anchor.

The only thing waiting for you would be a cold and slow death, one filled with misery and pain even I'm not tempted to test out.

The lost souls here would slowly feed on your dying remains, filling and inflicting their every painful memory and emotion that they experienced during life…until you joined them lurking as a soul in the dark lake.

No longer alive, but not fully dead. Just lost .

A small shiver works its way down my neck as a murky fog slithers its way over the water nearest me. Leaving an eerie feeling of being watched as I move.

I'm not afraid of a lot of shit, but this place always gave me the creeps, reminding me of my first time down here and how long it took me to get back. The days felt endless, all blurring into one long nightmare and a dark, burdensome memory I don't want to revisit any time soon.

I make my way past the lake's rocky shore toward a small black house. I say ‘house,' but it's more like a decrepit wooden shack than a place anyone would call home.

The old wooden black door slowly creaks open as I make my way nearer, a familiar face stepping out to meet me.

Valen. A weak, happy expression stretches his lips as he pulls a white mug to his mouth before taking a sip.

"I was hoping to see someone." A sad look crosses the bastard's ice-blue eyes. "I was just hoping it wouldn't be you, cousin. How many times has it been now?" He takes another step closer, brushing a hand through his shoulder-length black hair as the soft scar above his right eye raises his brow.

Val was ten years older than me and the only one in the clan that I could actually stand being around.Unfortunately, the dick chose to stay here .

I didn't mind Val; he had thoughts about our clan that were similar to mine.

Some relished in our bloodline, calling what we are and could do a ‘gift'. A dark sound rings out in my head with the thought.

Nothing could be further from the truth.It was a damn curse, a poison-laced through every drop of our blood and inch of our flesh.

You also lose a little bit of yourself each time you die: your memories, your mind, or your emotions. You slowly become a cold bastard like most of the elders in the clan, ones devoid of emotions and lacking any speck of humanity.

There is only one golden rule that we all have to abide by: someone from the clan must always guard the grounds and gateway. They spend at least a few decades down here, in this dark, empty shit of a cave.

The clan members take turns, some even preferring it after decades or centuries alive.

And Val volunteered.

For over five years now, he's manned the pathway alone. He said he felt saner here in an empty, dark cave with lost souls than with our family, a nd I couldn't blame him one bit.

"Is this your fifth or sixth time this year?" He shakes his head, the little white tuft of hair on his right side flopping forward. "You know how it can affect us. Our minds can't stay sane. It's a fragile thing. Dying multiple times can damage it and fracture it beyond repair. Just because our body and souls are stronger than others, doesn't mean we can be reckless—"

"Val," I call, cutting him off as I take a step closer. "It was different this time. I didn't jump in mindlessly."

It's true that I hadn't given a shit about my life before, pushing the madness laced in my veins to its limits and testing it with my own stupidity. But it was different now. I had Red.

Pushing her outta the way during that attack was the best thing I've ever done in my life. If I had to bleed every drop of blood and break every single bone so that she could be safe, I would do it a hundred—no, a million times over.

My gaze meets his, a curious look growing in his eyes before they trail down my front and freeze. His eyes widen, and his lips part before he flicks his gaze back toward mine.

"I suppose it was because of this." He points toward my chest and the tattoos swirling around them.

My brows pinch together. What was he—

Then I see it. In between the large snake tattoo curling around my left side is a small mark. The shape is almost like an infinity sign, yet not fully connected, with a line coming from one end mirroring the centre's curve.

I remember every tattoo I've ever gotten, and this wasn't one of them.

I rub the mark, my brows pulling downward as Valen's voice overtakes my thoughts.

"That's…a Mate Mark."

I feel my eyes widen as I meet his worried gaze.

"I've seen a similar one once before…on your father."

I shake my head, annoyance and anger burning in the pit of my stomach. "Don't mention him—"

Valen raises a hand. "I understand your disdain. Uncle…lost his mind when aunt passed, but there was no excuse for his—"

" Neglect." A small scoff leaves my lips. "I don't wanna hear it. About either of them. There's no excuse for what happened to…" I glance toward the lake, a tightness forming in my throat.

I couldn't go there. Couldn't open that box right now.

"They're no parents of mine. Just tell me what you know, Val."

He nods before gesturing toward the new mark inking my skin.

"Do you have someone…close to you these days?"

Of course I fucking do. My Red .

Was there any question about this…I already knew I was spending the rest of my existence with her. Guess it's sorta cool fate knew it too.

Red was my mate…The thought instantly has a grin pulling at my cheeks. I always knew there was something special about us. I mean, even without this cute little mark, I would follow her like a shadow. She couldn't get rid of me even if she tried.

I'll stalk that sexy ass wherever it goes. Mate or no mate. It was a done deal for me.

But to know she branded my soul, tying us together forever…My little black heart picks up its pace with the thought.

"By the look on your face, that's a yes. But you need to be careful, cousin. Our kind can become overly obsessive. And a fated mate…" A shaky breath leaves his lips. "There was only one other couple, and I know you don't want me mentioning them, but you know how that ended. You need to be careful."

The fuck I do .

Red and I will never be like my parents. We're stronger than them, and unlike them, I have my brothers. I also embrace my crazy and obsessiveness, and Red seems to accept that. She sees me , every hard and jagged edge, every broken and lost piece. And still wants more.

No . I shake my head.

"It's different, Val." A slight grin tilts my lips. " She's different. There's no gaping black hole trying to consume me anymore with Red around. The world seems more liveable now with her in it."

A soft smile spreads across the bastard's lips with my words.

"I'm glad you found it, Annex…your reason for living again."

Damn straight, it was worth living. Every second with her was precious…So why the hell am I still here?

She'd probably stab me for not telling her about this shit sooner, but maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing.

I grin. She could kick my ass later; right now, I needed to get back to her.

"Speaking of that sexy vixen. I need to get back, Val." I rush out, glancing around and toward the dilapidated shack, my impatience rapidly growing.

He takes another sip of his drink, my patience wearing thin with his slow-ass movements.

Val never was one to rush. He went at his own pace. Something I didn't care much about until now.

"I need to get back quickly. So can we get this shit rollin'?" I almost growl.

He raises a brow at my harsh tone.

"I know you're the impatient kind cousin, but you know that it's best to take time and centre yourself here." Val glances around the cavern space. "Our minds are their calmest here, and after whatever you've suffered, you should rest for a while–"

Val harps on, spewing the usual spiel about ‘your sanity' and ‘needing to stabilise', but her blue eyes flash across my mind and I'm lost to his words.

Red.

Her face, when I was leaving, looked so…broken. There was a look in her eyes I didn't ever wanna see there again.

She should have never been left like that. But I thought I had longer. I thought I'd be able to explain it. I didn't think I'd go so quickly and leave her like that.

Fuck. Those broken eyes will haunt my dreams. It was a look I never wanna see on that beautiful fucking face again.

I brush a hand through my hair, pulling the ends as my heart starts to pick up pace. I needed to see her again. And soon .

I needed to pull her close and wrap my arms around that fucking beautiful body and tell her I'm okay.That I'll never let her feel that way again because I'll never leave her side, no matter what.

A shaky breath leaves my lips, a new realisation hitting me.

I was actually grateful for this stupid curse. This horrible fucking family curse that plagued my dreams and tormented me, the very thing I hated the most. Because it meant I could go back to her and be with her. I could feel the warmth of her skin against mine and the sweet taste of her lips.

I get to listen to that sexy little laugh of hers and the cute way she glares at me when she's pissed.

Fuck, I miss her.

I shake my head. What the hell was I waiting for?

I move around Val as he continues to drone on and head toward the house. Turning open the handle of the door, I shift back to meet his gaze.

"I've got people waiting for me, Val. Help me get back quickly, or I'll do it myself."

A strange look spreads on his face, "You know it can be more dangerous that way, Annex."

"Then help me."

His gaze narrows for a split second before a small, warm grin spreads on his lips.

"I guess I won't be getting the chat I was hoping for…" He makes his way up the black steps toward me, passing me before turning around. "And I hope it's a long time again before I do. Make sure you take care of yourself, Annex. And your mate."

"Always, Val."

I step through the door frame and follow Val…

I'm coming, Red.