Prologue Asher

The strange chill of Hell's Heart settled over me. No matter how much I had prepared for this, I could barely restrain myself from grabbing Lily and taking her away.

She stood there, hugging herself, seeming fragile and beautiful at the same time. Like a perfect rose trapped in glass.

She glanced back at me again, not seeming to notice she sought me out as she processed Cole's question.

"Why are you… human?"

Because that was the plan.

This would allow me to help her.

This would give me a chance to save her.

I had been watching Lily for a long time.

Much longer than she could ever know.

She was my mate. I was her first, even if she didn't remember it.

I certainly did. Our connection seemed to freeze time as her gaze dipped, breaking from mine.

Ever since I learned of her return, she had been a forbidden fruit. All supernaturals lost their memories after the event, but I'd been exempt for some reason. Her father had forbidden me to go anywhere near her until he brought her home.

Now, I knew why.

This was when she needed me most. Two realms were draining her magic to the point where she needed to be constantly replenished like a water-filled basin with a leak. And I hadn't forgotten about her because our original, fragile mate-bond had protected me.

In doing so, it had shattered into a thousand pieces, leaving a barely tangible thread behind. I thought she had died. But the truth was that she had used the only source of power strong enough to protect my mind. She would have known we would rekindle what we once had. She had protected my mind so that I could find her and help her when she needed me most.

Now was that time.

I'll do this for you, Lily.

Sharing her was something I'd never been prepared for. I was an incubus. I was designed to fully satisfy any woman I chose to bed. I wasn't a full-blooded incubus, either, so I'd never drained one to death. I had just enough power to channel sexual energy, be it into myself or other sources.

Then again, I never bedded humans. I wasn't sure how safe it would be to feed on Lily now, so I was already plotting ways around that.

Because after I had mate-bonded Lily, I'd starved. The incubus part of me almost died, but she didn't need to know that.

It was why her libido had been in overdrive ever since she came to Derek's mansion.

She probably thought it was the drain of two realms that made her so hungry.

But really… it had been me.

I had no regrets. She was my mate.

And soon, I'd help her remember what we once had.

Because no matter how many mates had a piece of her soul, I was the only one who knew how to help her now.

And if they wanted to play… so be it. I'd show them the other half of my lineage that no one knew about…