19. Pandora

19

PANDORA

H ot water cascaded down my back, soothing some of the soul-deep ache in my muscles. I stood in the shower, my waist-length, black hair slicked down my back as water beat down from above.

I kept my eyes shut, trying to focus on the sensation of the enchanted warm water and the smell of soap that mingled with the ever-present scent of caramel that clung to my skin. It was a scent I’d always treasured because it was nothing like Mother’s petunia smell.

She hated my scent so much, she tried to cut it from my flesh.

My fingers traced the raised scars on my stomach, each one a reminder of Mother's torture. I flinched as my fingertips glided over the rougher, jagged patches of skin, the deeper grooves that would never fully heal, even with my magic reserves filled.

I let out a sigh, and it was barely audible over the roar of the shower.

A subtle tug on my soul connected me to my mates in one of those random outreaches that told me how my mates were.

Reed was anxious, and I knew it was over Vane giving me nightmares. He had been staying with me the past couple of nights to protect me from the drude magic. It worked, but what would work better would be mating him. He knew it as well as I did. I needed to tell him that I was ready for him to mark me.

Hunter was vengeful, not exactly an uncommon emotion from him. He was working a case with his dad, and it was taking up a lot of his free time when he wasn’t having sessions with other students. But I missed him, and I could feel his longing for me as well.

Dex was restless, searching for something. He craved my soul, and I could feel just how desperate he was for it.

Skel was despondent as he had been since the bond snapped in place. There was a flicker of hope that wasn’t there before, though.

Hemlock was riddled with self-hatred. It broke my heart that he’d turned to drinking again, but after feeling the pain he was dealing with, I couldn’t say I didn’t understand. I knew alcohol had been his coping mechanism for who knew how long. But I did know I needed to sit down and talk with him when he was sober.

I owed it to myself to hear them out. Knowing they’d hurt Dreadful on my behalf before the bonds snapped made me want to.

Voices from the other side of the bathroom bounced off the wall, distracting me from my matebonds.

“Did you see her today?” Shadeberry's voice was sharp, tinged with disdain. “The bitch is still wearing that hideous thigh wrap. What could she really be hiding under there?”

“I bet she has a mate mark from some low class demon there.” Dreadful sneered. “I fucking hate Gravesend. She got my family kicked out of nobility, and her fucking trio of weirdos cut off my hand.”

“Did they really make you eat it?” Shadeberry asked in a hushed tone.

“Shut the fuck up, Shadeberry!” Dreadful snapped. “How do you even know that?”

“Shadowheart threatened me…he made me?—”

I held my breath, trying to block out their voices as I moved to press my back against the cold rock wall. Showering hadn’t been very eventful at the dormitory thus far, but those two were not particularly welcoming.

“Oh, and get this, apparently she’s found her mate—not one but like four or five of them!” Voidfire added, her tone dripping with malice. “Can you imagine? Someone like her finding multiple mates? It's laughable.”

My stomach dropped into my gut. Three of the demons who hated me were in here, too.

Dreadful giggled, the sound harsh and grating. “I bet I could take any of her mates and fuck them. Mated or not.”

My heart pounded in my chest, hurt and anger swirling together. I wanted to scream at them, to tell them they were wrong, but the words caught in my throat.

“Wait,” Dreadful growled, sniffing the air. “Do you smell that?”

Before I could react, the curtain was ripped open.

Dreadful, Shadeberry, and Voidfire stared at me, their expressions morphing from cruel amusement to shock and horror as they took in the sight of my scars.

I stood frozen, soap suds sliding down my body, my hands clenched at my sides.

“Oh, Fates, I’m gonna be sick,” Shadeberry whispered, her voice trembling.

“What happened to her?” Voidfire questioned. “She’s…she’s a demon. We don’t scar…not unless?—”

“Fuck.” Dreadful openly gaped at my ruined flesh.

The moment of their stunned silence gave me a chance to escape, and I moved. I jerked my towel down off the hook and hastily wrapped it around myself as I tried to cover the worst of my scars.

Voidfire stepped forward, blocking my path. “So, that’s what you’ve been hiding under that wrap?” she taunted, but there was an edge of uncertainty in her voice.

My magic reacted, and it poured from my lips and into her body, consuming as much of her soul as I could without killing her, a feeling I’d come to recognize as an overfill. I could’ve done it, but I didn’t want her death on my hands…yet.

The dark smoke returned to me, and she dropped to the stone floor with a sickening crack as it split her head open. Blood pooled around her head, and she didn’t move.

Dreadful and Shadeberry stumbled back from me.

Tears streamed down my face as I turned toward them. “You wanted to know why I killed my mother, didn’t you, Dreadful?”

Her eyes were wide with horror.

“She deserved it,” I snarled, pushing past them and snatching up my bag on the way out.

My body trembled as I stumbled out of the bathroom, running straight into Dex, who was pacing in front of the door.

“Pandora, what happened?” Dex's voice was filled with concern as he grabbed my shoulders, his gray eyes boring into mine. “You’re…you’re in a towel. Soapy and…wet?” His pupils dilated. “You…wait.” His gray eyes flicked to the door behind me. “What happened? What did they do to you?”

“Take me to Hunter.” My voice broke. “ Please .”

Dex’s expression darkened considerably, but he nodded. “I’m going to hold you to shadow-travel, okay?”

I nodded, not trusting my voice right now.

His arms wound around me, and he trembled as I rested my head against his chest. The bond flared between us, urging a marking as he shadow-traveled us to Hunter's room. I didn’t even know how he knew where it was, but I was grateful for it.

The room was dimly lit, filled with the scent of sweet chocolate. It was my first time here, but the decor was very much like my vengeance demon.

The walls were black with cream moldings, and one wall was almost completely covered by a large, detailed map of Kalista. Just like in his office, the map was marked with red Xs, most likely marking locations tied to his vengeance business. The map was backlit, giving it a glow that highlighted the red markings.

There were a couple of cream-colored armchairs positioned in the corner, and his bed was a cream furnishing with a black comforter neatly made. A couple of larger orbs of light were floating in the corners, adding a calming ambiance. Shelves lined another wall, filled with books. A sleek, black filing cabinet stood in another corner, undoubtedly filled with detailed dossiers and vengeance plans.

On his nightstand, alongside stacks of paperwork, was a single photograph in a black frame. The photo was of him and his parents when he was a child, and his smile was so happy and carefree. He was a mix of them both.

A large, cream-colored rug felt plush underfoot, a welcomed contrast to the sandstone rock beneath it.

Hunter looked up from where he was lounged back on his bed, reading on his tablet. His eyes widened in alarm. “Shadowhea—Pandora, what?—”

“I was keeping an eye on her, outside the bathroom, because knowing she’s safe soothes the ache in my chest. But…” Dex looked away, letting me go and stepping back. “She needs you.”

“You’re still soaked, starlight.” Hunter tossed his tablet to the side and got up, rushing over to me, then he glanced over his shoulder at Dex. “Stalking is bad, Shadowheart.”

Dex shrugged, staring at me. “It helped, didn’t it?”

“They know about my scars,” I blurted out, anxiety unfurling in my gut.

Dex's expression darkened further. “I should’ve watched you better. I should’ve never let them enter that bathroom.”

“Who?” Hunter asked.

“Dreadful, Shadeberry, and Voidfire,” Dex answered for me.

Hunter stepped closer, moving a wet piece of hair behind my ear that had fallen into my face. “Shadowheart, thank you for bringing her here, but could you give us a moment?”

“I won’t leave until she asks me to,” Dex bit out, his tail swishing behind him.

I swallowed a hard lump in my throat as tears welled hot in my eyes. “The first moment I met you, I thought you were terrifying, but I also wanted to get to know you more. Maybe it was the matebond.” I shook my head as tears fell. “All I know is that my ring was black. You said yourself that you liked my pain. You cut into my neck that first exercise in Demonic Feeding. You, Hemlock, and Skel cornered me after I argued with the nobles in your defense, accusing me of being just like them. You had me trembling in fear against the wall—trapped just like she had me.”

“Pandora, I—” Dex’s voice cracked.

I held up my palm. “I’m not finished. You used your shadows to intimidate me, and all I could see was Mother’s shadows. You and Skel scared me in the closet during another feeding exercise all because Hemlock and I got into an argument. Yeah, maybe I shouldn’t have called him a drunk bastard, but he called me a slut first.” My cheeks were wet as I sucked in a shaky gasp for breath. “Then, you triggered a panic attack. I passed out, Dex. After the beating I took last term, you three left me at Sunstone Revive to heal alone because I couldn’t speak. There was too much damage to my already messed up vocal cords to talk, but instead of catching on to that, you were mad at me for not talking when I couldn’t—just like Mother did.”

“Leave.” Hunter’s tone was clipped, and his horns extended from his skull.

“I—Pandora, I didn’t mean to…I know I’m fucked up, okay? But I never meant to hurt you like that.” Anguish crossed his expression, and he clutched at his chest.

“Yes, you did,” I rasped, a sob tearing out of me. “You wanted to taste my pain. How was it, Dex? Was it as sweet as you claimed it to be? Or was it bitter just before I fell from that cliff?”

“No, I…” He clutched the strands of his hair next to his horns, shaking his head in disbelief. “That was the singular worst moment of my life. Even more so than when my sister?—”

“Dex, please .” I sobbed again, pressing my hand to my mouth. “I can’t do this right now. I have soap sticking to my skin…and it’s starting to itch. You hurt me, and you’re…you’re my fated mate.” I paused, trying to hold in another sob by breathing, but I choked on it. “I’m not discounting that, but I need time to come to terms with everything. I’m not ready to hear your side yet. I know you didn’t know I was your mate, but everything you did still hurt .”

The muscle in Dex’s jaw twitched as he nodded, and tears dripped down his cheeks from his fog gray eyes.

I’d never seen so much emotion swirling in them before, but I knew every single thing I said soaked in.

Shadows encased him, and he faded into the darkness.

Hunter gestured toward the open door in his room. “You have soap all over you. Use my shower. My room is yours whenever you need it. I’ll get you a key. I’m not thrilled with the idea of you using the shared bathrooms anymore.”

“Thank you, Hunter,” I croaked, walking over his rug and onto the cold rock floor of his bathroom.

It was a sanctuary of privacy. A porcelain toilet and sink with a mirror above it was on the right, and a large glass shower was on the left.

I carefully shut the door behind me and dropped the towel before padding over to the shower and stepping inside. Once warm water streamed over me again, I didn’t feel the same ease of tension from my body that I felt earlier. My chest heaved with silent sobs that I couldn’t hold back.

The memories of last term with Dex replayed in my mind like a relentless loop, each one a dagger that twisted deeper in my heart. Our first encounter, his intent to cause me harm so he could feed off my pain, and the intimidation of his shadow magic. He hadn't known who I was to him then, hadn't realized I was the one fated for him.

I knew that. But it didn't erase the hurt.

It couldn’t soothe the sting of what he had done.

But seeing the tears drip down his cheeks almost crumbled my resolve. I saw the change in him, the regret, the realization that had dawned on him far too late. His apologies, his efforts to make amends, they were like a balm on a wound that refused to heal. Healing for me always took time.

If I could just have some more time…maybe I could figure out how to forgive him.

Maybe I could figure out how to forgive all of them.

I slid down the glass, my legs giving out as I sank to the rock floor. The warmth of the water surrounded me, a welcome contrast to the cold sandstone floor. I drew my knees to my chest, hugging them tightly as sobs wracked through me.

The shower continued the much-needed downpour, a constant rhythm that matched the pounding of my heart.

I desperately wanted to forgive him, all of them. I wanted to believe that we could move past the pain and build something beautiful like the Fates clearly believed we could do. But every time I closed my eyes, I saw them on that cliff before I fell back and into the water.

I wasn’t sure how long I stayed there, lost in my own mind, but Hunter’s knock on the door startled me back to reality.

“Is everything okay, Pandora? You’ve been in there for a while.” Worry bled through his tone.

“Y—Yes,” I croaked.

With trembling hands, I reached up and turned off the shower. It left me in a silence that was almost deafening. Pushing up off the floor, my muscles spasmed, and I yelped as I fell back onto my ass.

“I’m coming in.” The door opened, and he paused with a sharp inhale. “Pandora, my Fates.” His footsteps sounded behind me, and he opened the door to the shower.

Cold air whooshed in and over my skin, making it pebble.

My back was on full display for him to see just how many scars I had. “They’re ugly, aren’t they?”

A towel was gently laid over my shoulders before he bent down and scooped me up into his arms. “No.”

My eyes met his glowing white ones. Fierce protectiveness and something deeper, something that tugged at our souls, were in his depths. “No?”

He carried me back into his room and set me down on his bed.

My skin prickled with heat from his stare. I had been naked the majority of my life when I was chained in that cellar, but being naked around Hunter made my body come alive.

“Both scars and starlight are born of a catalyst. Both are beautiful,” he murmured, his horns slowly retreating into his skull, and his hair fell into his face. “You’re the most stunning soul in the world to me, but your physical appearance attracts me in a way words cannot do justice.”

My heart slammed in my chest as I shrugged the towel off and turned so my back was to him. “If you truly want to be my mate, I feel it’s only right that you get to see the extent of the damage my body has gone through.”

“Pandora,” he snapped, and I turned to look at him over my shoulder with wide eyes. “You are my soulmate. You’ve been fated to be mine since the moment I saw you. No scar would ever change that.”

“I understand.” I turned back and glanced down at my hands wrung together on my lap. “But still, my words stand. You can touch them.”

After a few moments of nothing but breathing, his fingertips grazed the scars on my back.

I flinched, squeezing my eyes shut, but his touch was gentle. The bed dipped as he moved closer, and his other hand glided around to my stomach, tracing the lines of my past pain with the kindest touch.

“These don't define you like you think they do,” he murmured, his breath hitching. “They are proof of your strength.”

A tear escaped, sliding down my cheek, but he wiped it away. As I opened my eyes, he was staring into them.

“Thank you.” I pressed my body against him as my soul tugged me toward him, and our bond flared as his vengeance magic and my soul eater magic buzzed around us. “Hunter…”

“Pandora.” He leaned in, his lips brushing mine in a tender kiss.

Desire burned through my veins as his lips were on mine. Each kiss sent licks of our magic in a swirl of a dance around us. His tongue slid against mine, and his fingers threaded through my hair as he slowly leaned me back on the bed with him hovering above me.

I was lost to the sensation of Hunter's soft lips, his sweet chocolate scent, and the way he made me feel things I’d never felt before.

When his fingers traced the scars on my thigh, I gasped. “Wait.”

He broke the kiss. “No,” he growled, sending heat between my legs as he moved down my body.

“Hunt—”

“Shh.” He peppered kisses all over my marred skin, and a low moan pulled from my throat.

He was so close to where I wanted him, deeply.

“I want to mark you.” His voice was rough with restraint. “If you'll let me.”

For once in the past two weeks, I didn’t have to think about what I wanted.

I reached out and touched his lips, nodding. “Please.”

“I don’t just want to mark you.” His voice dropped lower, taking on a seductive tone. “I want to taste you. Are you ready for that?”

My heart was in my throat as I nodded. “I’m ready.”

Hunter's demon form took over, and his claws elongated as he spread my thighs apart and leaned down.

“You smell so good.” His breath hit between my legs, making me realize just how wet I was.

A prick of pain spread through me as he gently dug one claw into my scarred thigh, a sliver of his magical essence flowing into me like a tidal wave. The pain left quickly as a surge of power spread through my soul. Licks of heat struck my thigh as he kept his claw embedded in my flesh and leaned forward.

He pressed a kiss to my clit before his tongue darted out and licked. A low moan hummed in his throat. “Fuck, starlight. You taste better than you smell.”

A strangled gasp tore out of me as pleasure lit me on fire. “Oh, my Fates!”

“Not the Fates, my beautiful mate, just me.” His tail flicked in arousal behind him as he covered my pussy with his hot mouth.

“Hunter,” I moaned.

His tongue lashed inside of me, working me open, and his other hand rubbed circles around my clit. His mouth never stopped working, and our magic was alive, moving around like lost lovers finally being reunited.

My head fell back as my back bowed up off the bed. Convulsive waves of ecstasy gripped me. With one last suck on my clit, the tension he built up inside of me ripped through my veins and robbed me of my senses.

A low, throaty chuckle left his lips as he kissed my pussy and pulled his claw out of my thigh. “You come so beautifully.”

“Was that…an orgasm?” I asked between pants. “Because I loved it.”

His eyes widened. “You’ve never had one?”

I shook my head. “I’ve read plenty of books, and I know what it is, but I never had the opportunity to lose myself like that before.”

A smile quirked his lips. “I’m glad I could give you your first.”

“I want you to be my first,” I told him, feeling our magic swirl around us in a cocoon of pure, raw desire. I needed more than his tongue—I needed him .

“You do?” His brows shot up. “Are you sure, starlight?”

“I want to mark you while you’re inside of me,” I said, biting my lip. “Do you think that would be okay?”

“Okay? I think it would be a fucking honor, starlight.” His fingers glided through the bloody mess his claw made of my thigh.

Even through the blood coating my skin, I could see the stunning bougainvillea with vibrant pink flowers and spiky little thorns magically etched into my skin. It almost looked like my scars wove around the mark.

It made me actually like my scars…

Tears welled in my eyes as I smiled. “I love it.”

“I love you,” he murmured, pulling back.

My breath caught in my throat as I watched him start to undress with a hungry gaze lingering in his eyes. He pulled his shirt off and tossed it somewhere in the room, and I stared at the map of Kalista etched into the skin of his chest that I hadn’t known was there. He tugged his pants down, and the hardness of his cock sprang free.

My pussy clenched.

He was big, and while I knew he was perfectly made for me, the thought of it fitting was something I couldn’t wrap my mind around.

“You’re mine, starlight.” He climbed back on top of me and cupped one of my boobs in his clawed hand. The sharp tips pressed into the soft flesh with ease, but they didn’t cut me. “Your breasts are amazing.”

“I was thinking the same about your dick,” I blurted.

His eyes darkened, and he let out a low growl that rumbled through me, sending heat to my core. “Fuck.”

“I love you,” I rasped before his mouth closed over my nipple, and I arched into him with a breathless moan. “Hunter!”

His thumb and forefinger gripped my other nipple, careful not to cut me with his claws, as he sucked on the one in his mouth. I writhed underneath him as pleasure built up, but he popped off my nipple before it could go anywhere. “You mean that?”

“Of course I mean it!” I let my legs fall open to let his warm cock rest over my pussy. “I love you not only because you’re my fated mate but because you’re one of the only demons who have shown me that you care for me.”

“I love you, Pandora,” he mumbled against my lips before sealing his mouth over mine in a searing kiss.

Then, he lined himself up at my entrance and pushed in. He swallowed my gasp as the invading thickness of his cock filled me inch by inch.

My heart was pounding, and the sharp pain lancing through me was quickly replaced by a buzzing pleasure as our bond flared between us, begging to be completed.

He eased himself out and back in slowly, his hot length searing me.

I pressed my palm over his heart as desire singed my nerves. My magic flared as I pushed my essence into his and seared our matebond into his soul.

A heart-shaped burn appeared under my palm, glowing with my magic.

He pulled away slightly as my palm slid to his stomach so we could look at my mark. “I love it.”

“I do, too.”

Our bond flared to life, overwhelming and filled with love and belonging. It was alive with an all-consuming energy that made our pleasure leak together through the bond.

His lips found mine again as he stroked in and out. Even his thrusts were meticulous. Hunter knew how to move, and I loved the feeling of giving my pleasure to him.

I clenched and rippled around his dick. Each deep thrust sent bone-tingling pleasure through me.

Another orgasm worked through me as his body tensed. He spilled himself inside me with a pleasure-filled moan, collapsing into the tangle of my arms before kissing me tenderly.

“I can’t tell you how much being mated to you means to me,” he murmured.

“I can’t explain it either, but I’ve never felt so complete in my entire life.”

Happiness radiated down the bond from us both.

He smiled and climbed out of bed to grab a towel. “I performed ceremonial magic to prevent pregnancy earlier this year, so you don’t have to worry about anything.”

“I guess I should’ve thought about that, shouldn’t I have?” I mumbled, face blooming with heat. “How irresponsible of me.”

“I would never put you in a situation where you’d have to worry like that. If I hadn’t performed the magic, I would have said something,” he assured me, cleaning between my legs and depositing the towel in the bathroom before coming back to bed and pulling me against his chest.

My soul mark was in the shape of my heart, and it had to be the singular most beautiful mark I’d ever seen on a demon.

Our bond pulsed with contentment, and I knew I was where I belonged—with who I belonged with, though I was missing more bonds.

“Thank you so much,” I whispered.

He kissed my forehead, his arms tightening around me. “For what, starlight?”

“For loving me.” My voice cracked. “For accepting me, scars and all, even before finding out we were fated.”

“I would’ve loved you even if you hadn’t been my mate.”

I believed that with my entire heart. His soul sang the same song, and souls didn’t lie. The Fates had blessed me more than I could’ve ever hoped for.