25. Worshipped

ASHER

She said it back.

It took everything I had not to sneak off with my pet just so I could tease the hell out of her pussy and express my gratitude the best way I could right now. I had contemplated seeing if Tydinn and Aydin had finished with the animals so that we could use the solitude of that space, but when the demon finally returned with straw sticking out in various places, I scrapped the idea.

Sand was one thing to get in every single goddamn hole that it could, but it was nothing more than a pesky annoyance. Straw simply took annoyance to a whole new level. It just wasn't worth the risk when I didn't have a clue as to if my pet would even find the setting sexy.

For now, I tucked the idea on the back burner with the intention of poking at her until I found out where the idea fell. If she didn't like the idea of going nuts in a makeshift barn, then it was no loss on my part. I was content to take her back to the hotel for the meantime.

The council member was still en route. Although I had no idea who they were sending to bear witness to the tasks for Quinn, I knew we still had time for me to unleash havoc on her pussy. Which meant I had a number of days to either keep her glued to my bed with bliss painted on her face or continue showing her all the parts of Vegas that were dear to my heart.

My cell phone started vibrating in my pocket, forcing me to shift my weight just enough to retrieve it from my jacket without tugging my other hand from Quinn's knee. While I wasn't against delivery of the news that the council member's yacht had managed to surpass recent prediction of its landing, there was an overwhelming part of me that yearned for it to be news tied in to something else.

I found a single text waiting for me.

CUPID"S SIREN: Your package has been delivered to the front desk at Duat, as requested. Staff will either deliver to your room prior to your arrival or you can pick it up when you check in.

The edges of my lips twitched. Excellent. I responded with a quick text that I would prefer just to pick it up at the desk. That would get Quinn's curiosity burning.

I didn't realize how much the emotions had leaked out onto my face until my pet uttered a puzzled noise. "What are you up to now?"

Arching an eyebrow, I tucked the cell phone back into my pocket. "What makes you think I am up to no good?"

She shifted in her seat so that she could lean toward me. "Because of that." She poked the edges of my lips, still curled into a slight smirk. "Any time I see that on your face is because you're up to something. Can you even play poker with a tell like that, Asher?"

"I can play poker fine, pet." I reached out to seize her hand. One sharp pull and that stunning body of hers was straining against the seat belt. The gears were already turning in my mind as I pondered over the possibility of putting Aydin through a little more hell before he was released from my service for the night. After all, what demon wouldn't want to hear the moans that could come from these lips?

She was every man's ultimate fantasy.

Her gray eyes flashed with a surge of mischievousness that tore through her veins. She was feeling just as playful as I was. "If you actually had a good poker face, then I wouldn't be able to figure out that you're up to something again. I don't think you realize how often I see that expression on your face."

I was managing to maintain my iron will until a sweet aroma slammed me in the face. Taking another breath wasn't required when I was fully aware of where it was coming from. I held onto her wrist while my spare hand was able to lash out and shove the buckle down.

Quinn squealed as she was released, allowing me to yank her over to my seat and straight onto my waiting lap. Every single muscle in her body had already tensed just from her world changing that dramatically. The tension didn't lurk in those muscles once her body sensed where we'd landed: straight on my waiting lap with one hell of a hard cock pressing into her ass. "Asher!" she managed with a squeak.

I was quick to wrap my arms around her to keep her pinned against me. "Yes, pet?" I nuzzled her neck. The delicious aroma leaking out from between those legs really got going when I got the fangs involved.

"W-We're still in the car!"

"And I have an unwavering faith in Aydin's ability to keep it straight while I enjoy teasing you." I grazed the tips down her fragile skin, leaving a slightly irritated line all the way down to her shoulder. Only when I decided to end the trail did I allow the tips of my fangs to nick at her skin, causing a tiny wound. I was quick to flick my tongue out to claim the sole crimson droplet that escaped.

Quinn shook against me with a noise that could only be described as a mixture of several combined and every single one of them was fighting for dominance.

Judging from the rising irritation leaking from the front of the SUV, there was no doubt in my mind that Aydin would much prefer not to be in the vicinity of us should I choose to create a sexual act in a moving car. That didn't mean he wasn't interested in hearing what noises I could squeeze from her lips, not when he had shifted several times with a soft grunt in the last minute alone. Playing as our audience just wasn't something he seemed to enjoy.

I could hear the noise from the SUV's engine rising, which only reassured what my gut could sense.

Alas, it wasn't for everyone and I was already going to have to give him a bonus for putting up with Quinn's playful behavior at the circus tonight. If I put him through much more, he would end up boycotting any future protection services required of him when it came to me.

Fortunately for both the tense demon and the frazzled pet on my lap, the hotel wasn't too far off. I allowed her to slip off of me as the SUV pulled up by the front doors, coming to a halt with a slight squeal of the tires. It took everything I had not to smirk at Aydin's back as I freed myself and eased out of the vehicle. "Come, pet." I held out a hand to help her down.

I could almost hear a breath of relief leaking from the demon in the driver's seat as soon as she got out of the vehicle. "I'll park the car and then join you inside, sire." He slammed the gas hard enough to where the door slammed shut from the force alone.

Quinn stared after it with wide eyes. "Is he okay?"

Snorting, I tucked an arm around her back and prompted her toward the hotel with me. "I very much doubt it. He's not used to dealing with such a naughty little girl like you, pet, nor has he been forced to put up with my constant desire to fuck. Archer threw him into the fire on this one."

She shivered, that pussy of hers still on fire despite the brief physical contact between us. It was very much aware of how close it had come to my cock, despite only two layers of material that had been in the way. Her body was already turned on so much that her pants were soaked with her juices.

Which meant my new toy would very much come in handy tonight.

"I thought you were well known for that playboy behavior of yours," Quinn teased. She melted into my side as we strolled into the hotel. There was no denying that she was horny as hell and her body yearned for more physical contact than just this. Except now, we were walking into yet another new location for her and that meant another surge of wide eyes glued to our arrival. Granted, her body was lacking some of the tension that she had carried at the start of our day and that could only mean she was getting used to it ─ as far as one could with the sudden shift of lifestyle like this.

Snickering, I dragged the tips of my fingers against her hip. I was greatly pleased when it squeezed a shiver out of her. "Oh, I was. That doesn't mean Archer would loan Aydin to me often enough for him to really handle that firsthand himself. Most of the places I've gone to in the past few years were always mine. Which usually meant that at least one of my demon lords would be within range and they could simply accompany me instead. It's not often that I would go anywhere without one of them."

There were at least four women working behind the counter with a male general manager lurking within range to provide assistance. With three of them distracted due to a guest of various needs, it was left to the young dirty blonde on the far end to greet me. The smile was quick to those pale pink lips until she realized who she was staring at. That was when words seemed to fail her.

I really should pay Vegas a visit more often once Lazarus and Marcillo have been dealt with,I noted. Clearly, I didn't come around here enough for my people to have another reaction.

The woman jolted slightly to shake off the initial shock. That smile grew, along with a surge of heat gracing her cheeks. "Hello, Prince Asher! The Duat is delighted to have you staying with us for a few days."

As soon as my name launched off her tongue, the general manager behind her was quick to join her at the desk. "Good evening, sire!" He straightened his back immediately with one hand firmly holding his sleek velvet jacket. "I trust your travels went well, despite the delay to the hotel?"

Quinn threw a quizzical gaze in my direction.

"The flight was uneventful. I simply opted to show my mate around this lovely town first." I guided her straight up to the desk. Although the other guests were quick to notice my presence, leaving my poor pet to deal with another wave of wide-eyed stares, I remained focused on the general manager. My eyes flickered toward the golden name tag attached to his jacket. Julius.

"What a swell idea." Julius' chin rose sharply. There was no mistaking the pride he held toward Vegas, not when the entire city was saturated with every sin a paranormal being could yearn for.

That was what had made Nevada such a critical territory to acquire in the beginning. Business was booming.

He beamed at us. "I trust the lady enjoyed our wonderful town?"

My pet tensed against me. "It's lovely," She managed through clenched teeth.

The general manager released a pleased hum before he shifted his attention to the young woman typing away on her computer beside him. "Come now, Maria. What is the hold-up? No guest should have to wait in line any more than a few minutes. Not that you are just any guest, Prince Asher. You are our future king and you should be treated as such!"

It was one thing to paint that wide smile on his face simply because he knew where the two of us stood within the hierarchy ─ but it was another thing entirely to insult someone beneath him just to make himself look even better in my eyes. I pressed my lips together as a surge of irritation washed through my veins.

Maria, on the other hand, seemed to be used to that type of treatment from her boss. She simply offered a small smile. "My apologies, sire. The room was cleaned before your plane landed and security was going through it again to ensure nothing…was left behind." Pulling away from the desk, she turned toward the large cluster of cubby holes on the wall behind her. She retrieved a golden keycard from the top row. It only took her a moment to realize there was also a package waiting in the same hole. "This also seems to have come for you."

The annoyance haunting my body dissipated immediately as I watched those pale fingers curl around the package. I honed in on it as Maria faced me again, sliding both across the desk. It took everything I had not to snatch the package up like a little boy waking up on Christmas morning. My cock twitched as the eagerness to get my pet up to the penthouse grew stronger.

"Should we open the package up to ensure there is nothing…threatening inside, sire?" Julius inquired.

Absolutely not.I wasn't one to be embarrassed by the contents within, not when the rest of the paranormal races were fully aware of how much I enjoyed my sexuality. The rest of the room certainly would be once they realized what was being concealed inside. That didn't mean that I wanted the surprise to be spoiled for my curious pet. I simply opted to shake my head, gathering everything in silence.

Maria clasped her hands together, offering a slight bow of her head that Julius immediately mirrored. "We at the Duat thank you for gracing us with your presence, sire. We hope you enjoy your stay."

"Please let us know if there is anything else we could do for you," the general manager insisted.

It took everything I had not to let my upper lip curl from the demon rushing out those words. No one likes a suck-up, Julius… I was relieved when a vibration in my jacket pocket provided me the necessary distraction I needed. Seizing the package, I handed it over to Quinn to hold onto while I kept the keycard pinned against my palm. I could sense her curiosity growing as we strolled toward the elevator designated only for the penthouse.

While her mind went wild on what could be contained within, I retrieved my cell phone to check the new message.

MALAKAI BIANCO: Mr. Kaia would like to extend the invitation to you with hopes that you will join him for a few rounds of poker beginning at 3 A.M. Should I mark you down as attending?

Quinn's fascination with the package dissipated only for a moment when a high ding alerted us to the elevator's arrival prior to the metal doors sliding apart. She offered absolutely no resistance when I nudged her to enter with me. As those doors shut, her attention was back on the package. I could see the gears turning within that head at what it could even be.

My lips twitched. I couldn't wait to see how wide those eyes got once she was finally allowed to tear it open. It took everything I had to focus on responding to the surprise text message, politely declining the offer. Even if I had the slightest bit of desire to attend to a mindless game of cards, the hard cock tucked into my pants would have devoured that immediately.

I had every intention of spending the rest of our evening with my head buried between those legs while I ensured all of the guests below us could hear her screaming my name. My pet wouldn't be able to walk by the time I was through with her tonight.

Tucking the phone back in my pocket, I threw a quick glance up at the numbers. There was a part of me that was swallowed by disbelief that we were only halfway up the building while the rest was simply annoyed that the elevator couldn't move faster.

"So what is it?" Quinn angled the package with the feeble hope there would be a hole in it somewhere that she could peek through.

My smirk simply grew as I watched her. It was baffling how the way she was squinting at it could still come across as sexy and leave my cock painfully hard. This woman could snore in her sleep and I would probably find it adorable. "You'll have to wait and see," I purred. A hint of irritation surged through me when the cell phone vibrated again, hinting at a response from my uncle's goon.

MALAKAI BIANCO: Are you sure, sire? He promises to provide proper entertainment for the remainder of the evening, should you desire it.

It took everything I had not to scowl. A month ago, that promise would have been tempting. Tonight, I wasn't interested. I simply ignored the text and tucked the phone away. If it wasn't for the fact that it was the main line between myself and the demon lords, I would have opted for smashing it against the wall.

Those gray eyes slid toward me with a hint of shock and confirmation. "It's for me?"

"Of course it is…" I turned on her so quickly that a startled gasp escaped her lips. That cute little noise simply egged me on as I approached her like a predator honing in on its prey. As soon as she was backed up against the elevator wall, I slammed a hand against the metal near her face. "Which makes me wonder… Do you have the faintest idea of what it could be?"

I could hear her heart skipping a beat before it simply went into overdrive. Hell, even the strong aroma leaking from between those legs had become even stronger now that I had her pinned. Her lips parted and it took her a solid ten seconds just to even form the words. "J-Jewelry?" she stammered.

A deep growl rumbled from my chest. "Not quite."

Those eyes widened even further. "Lingerie?"

I grinned down at her. "You're heading in the right direction, but no." I tilted my head and grazed my fangs along her jawline, squeezing one hell of a shiver from her body. "Do you give up, pet?"

Her body trembled against me. "I-Is it…?" That was the moment when all of her senses were so overwhelmed that her mind simply failed her. All she could do was shake against me as my close presence sent every single sense into overdrive.

With the infuriating ding still piercing the air above us, I opted for distracting myself the best way that I could right now. I shifted my left hand along the chilly metal wall until I had my thumb curled over her neck, keeping her pinned while my spare hand ventured south.

Quinn's breathing hitched when she realized just what I was up to. "A-Asher─," she stammered.

It was just a weak protest with the lingering underlying fear of being discovered once those doors parted. With almost ten floors left to go, having an unexpected witness on our floor was the least of my concerns. Right now, the beast within me yearned to be appeased. The edges of my lips curled into a coy smirk as I slid my hand into her pants. The material kept me pinned to her to where both my fingers and my palm dragged along her skin.

It was such a simple touch, yet it had her melting into me with a whine.

I started delivering a series of nips to her jawline as I continued to move my hand. It didn't take long for me to brush up against that hot entrance. Considering there was no underwear to be seen, I was free to run along her clit.

My pet bucked her hips against my hand with a gasp.

The smirk on my face grew as I watched the bliss leak out onto her face. I'd barely begun my torment for the evening and she was already so wet for me. "It won't be much longer until I can take you again…just like we both want, pet," I growled in her ear. I pushed until the waistline couldn't keep me from sliding a finger into her pussy.

Those juices coated my finger immediately. Quinn was completely oblivious to just how much of a mess we were making, content to dig her head into the elevator wall while she angled her hips to draw me in further. There was no attempt to silence a groan when I added another finger inside. "T-That's still too long," she panted.

I couldn't agree more. I'd gone without piercing a pussy plenty of times until one caught my eye enough to prompt it, but there was just something unique about my little pet. I was just as addicted to fucking her as I was with simple physical contact. While I had enough knowledge at my fingertips to where I could still satisfy her the best way I could for right now, I knew we were both missing the bittersweet touch of my cock buried deep inside her. Yet, that was the small price we were having to pay until the task arose.

Releasing a low snarl, I shifted so that I could start nipping at her neck while I continued to thrust my fingers inside her. Those walls were already starting to close in around me with the sweet promise that her first orgasm wasn't far off. I had absolutely no problem with increasing the pace until she was thrown over that edge.

Quinn's fingers dug into my shoulder as she screamed my name. Neither of us were aware of the fact that the elevator had quit moving and the doors had parted, giving us one witness right off the bat.

A throat cleared, prompting me out of the intoxicating haze. "Your penthouse is ready for you, sire."

My pet stiffened against me with my hand still jammed down the front of her pants and her juices leaking down my fingers. I simply slid my gaze over toward the butler waiting for us with his hands clasped behind his back.

This was not the worst he'd seen and the lack of a change in his expression simply confirmed it. He simply took a few steps back and gestured at the single door waiting for us. "Nothing was found in the apartment, as previously stated by the staff at the front desk. Both the fridge and the bar have been restocked. Your shipment of wine was also delivered a few hours ago."

The fact that her clit was pulsing against my palm with an endless need was the only reason why I tugged my hand free. All I could manage was growling a quick thank you at him while I tugged my pet toward the penthouse. The need to tease her every way I could right now was becoming too strong to ignore and I wanted to succumb to the urge. I flicked the keycard against the scanner. As soon as it beeped approval, I threw the front door open and pulled her inside.

Quinn's eyes widened as I slammed the door shut before I tucked her against it. She was accustomed to seeing this type of hunger from me, only the shock swirling in those gray irises warned that being restricted from penetrating her had certainly heightened it to a new level.

"Do you want to see what is in that package?" I growled in her ear.

Those fingers dug into my chest as she melted into me, her own lust consuming every single inch of that perfect body. "Y-Yes!"

A pleased chuckle rumbled from me. Tucking an arm behind her back, I pulled her away from the front door and settled for teleporting us directly into the bedroom. It was such a small distance to where walking would have sufficed, but I had a beast to tame. I didn't have the patience for such a slow trudge tonight. All I had to do was pull my arm away for my pet to drop down onto the bed with a panicked squeal.

Gods, the noise was enough to make my cock twitch. I was already hard enough to where still being tucked into these pants was painful. I needed to get this rolling so that I could shed all of our clothing. "Why don't you open that, pet?" Easing a leg onto the bed beside her. I worked on getting her clothes off first.

It took a moment for Quinn to process the command that had been delivered, her mind distracted by my fingers grazing against her skin while the new material was pulled off her body. She set the box aside so that I could strip her shirt off. Only once the last article of clothing had been removed did she finally get to work on tearing it open.

The beast within me snarled against the sudden surge of control as I slowed my movements, giving her time to rip the tape off and tug the flaps open. I lowered near the end of the bed, nudging her legs apart. Absolute delight washed through me when her pussy grew even wetter as the surprise was finally revealed.

Quinn's eyes widened at the sight of the dildo tucked away within the box. She was forced to rest her weight on an elbow while she dragged her fingers along the toy.

"Recognize it?"

Her gaze shifted toward me. "Did you actually sit down long enough for someone to make your dick into a dildo, Asher?" she breathed. "When on earth did you do this?"

My lips curled into a pleased smirk as the shock continued to work its way through her system. I encouraged her to pull the dildo from the box just so that I could toss the rest of it aside. "It was done before we met, I'm afraid. You'd be surprised how much of a fantasy it is for someone to fuck a prince's cock. The company approached me several decades ago with an inquiry for mine. Apparently it sells very well."

A pained groan escaped me as those elegant fingers of hers curled around the dildo. The only sight that was better than this was when she had them around the real thing. My cock strained against the pants, reminding me of the simple fact that I had yet to free it. I rose off the ground so that I could work on tugging my belt off.

"They have one of every prince?" She raised an eyebrow.

I responded with an abrupt nod. "Even the Jinn sprang for it."

The elegant expression painting her face soon shifted into one of disgust. "Does that mean they did one for Marcillo?"

It almost brought me to my knees as the laughter tore through my veins. If her expression wasn't enough to please me because of how she felt about the angel, her tone certainly did. I managed to yank my belt loose with the loud snap of the leather jolting her out of her thoughts. As those gray eyes widened at it, I couldn't help but smirk. "He did. It leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to…the bedroom."

Her body was seized by a fit of laughter. "R-Really?" she managed in between gasps.

"As much as the mortal kind would like to believe that the angels were the ones gifted by the deities of creation to be…quite gifted when it comes to this area…I'm afraid anyone who had the chance to see it for themselves was disappointed." I reached out to drape the belt along the back of her neck, prompting those eyes to return to me. "Considering that I can't take that tight little pussy myself right now…I figure we'll go for the next best thing."

The air caught in Quinn's throat as our gazes locked. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that laying the belt around her neck like that had her mind drifting back to the early days, before our bond became clear as to what it really was. A small part of me had been concerned that it would be an area that I couldn't touch because of how it was introduced in the first place, yet there wasn't a single sign of fear or rage swirling within those stunning eyes. If anything, her nipples had hardened into hard points and goosebumps danced along her exposed skin.

I'll be damned. This girl was going to be the death of me simply because of her body's eager response to every goddamn kink I introduced to her. There was no way in hell she was leaving my bed for days once the tasks were taken care of. I didn't want her to be able to walk when she finally did have to leave it.

I kept my eyes trained on hers while I felt along the belt, prompting the pointed end through the metal piece until it essentially turned into a makeshift collar with a leash. I tugged on it so that the leather would nestle against that delicate skin. All it took was a slight pull for her to suck in another sharp breath. "Take off my pants, pet."

Those stunning eyes widened until they were nothing more than elegant ovals that were haunted by shock and utter delight. This was a side of me that she hadn't seen in a little bit. The firm command certainly tipped its heat toward our early days together. While she had rebutted it with a surge of defiance back then, it was completely absent now. She broke eye contact so that she could focus on pulling the buttons loose. Her hands were shaking so badly that it took more effort than either of us wanted.

Still, it wasn't long until she shoved the pants down and my boxers dangled at my ankles with them. A delighted squeak escaped her when my cock sprang to attention, already hard from the torture I had put myself through. Every inch of it was so swollen that I yearned to put it in her mouth.

Gods, the only thing better than that mouth of hers was that pussy.

I stepped out of my clothes, kicking them off to the side before I reached out to take the dildo from her. "Can you see how much my cock weeps for you, pet? All I want is to bury myself inside of you ─ to fuck you until you have tears streaming down those cheeks." I tugged on the belt, encouraging her to lean forward until the tip brushed against her lips. "Suck it."

Quinn's lips parted immediately. She ran her tongue along the tip until it opened to reveal the suction underneath. As soon as it was exposed, she delivered nips around the edge until my legs were buckling beneath me. She didn't offer a single amount of protest when I lashed out, tangling my fingers in her hair with the desperate attempt to keep myself upright.

I tightened my grip. "That mouth of yours is going to get you into trouble," I panted.

She responded with a pleased hum that vibrated up the entire length of my cock until it attempted to spread in my body itself. Her movements ceased for a moment while the gears inside that pretty little head started turning. All it took was a quick groan on her part ─ as well as sharp jerking from me ─ for a theory to be confirmed. Those lips curled into a smirk. She released another loud moan as she drew me further into her mouth, leaving me on the verge of collapsing.

It took everything I had just to remain upright. I couldn't even keep a firm grip on our makeshift leash with how much she was abusing my cock with the added vibrations. She was even dragging those teeth along the ridges that made up the shaft to see if she could bring me to my knees. In the end, I was forced to prompt her further back on the bed just so I could rest my knee against the mattress.

The last thing I wanted was to end up on the floor with my cock yanked from her mouth, especially when it felt so goddamn good.

"Because we have to wait until the appropriate task for me to take you again…" I raised the dildo up, prompting those beautiful eyes to lock on it. "...we're going to use the next best thing. I will still fuck you with my cock, pet." My upper lip curled into a wide smirk, exposing fangs. "Spread those legs."

Quinn immediately obeyed with a soft whimper. Anticipation haunted her body, leaving behind a light layer of sweat.

With our new toy gripped tightly in one hand, I lowered myself to her pussy. I latched onto her waiting clit with my teeth. As much as I wanted to bury this within her, I couldn't resist torturing this special little thing first. Her hips bucking against me was the only reward I needed. A pleased chuckle escaped me. I switched over to her favorite sucking method and continued going at the clit until she was wailing in pleasure. It wasn't long until I felt her fingers find their way into my hair and the familiar sting of her nails digging into my scalp.

"F-Fuck, Asher!" She arched her back with a groan. "If you're going to use that toy on me, I'm begging you ─ use it."

I released her clit to run my tongue along her entrance, squeezing out another violent wiggle from my pet. "As you wish," I growled. It took everything I had to pull away from the heat when all I really wanted to do was bury myself in it. There were already more juices leaking out of her pussy, beckoning for me to taste. Gritting my teeth, I settled for rubbing the dildo against it until every inch was coated.

Quinn pressed her head into the mattress with a lustful whine. "Asher."

Be careful what you wish for, pet. Positioning the toy at her entrance, I had no problem with pushing it inside. I only allowed myself to move slowly for the first initial inch. While the company was able to mimic everything about my cock except for the suctioning tip — that was something I simply didn't advertise — it was still made of silicone. Any man worth his salt would notice that the texture was different enough that the woman's body resisted at first.

Gasping trickled into the air as my pet slammed her hands down onto the mattress, opting for digging those nails into the comforter instead of trying to leave any more marks on my scalp. Her back arched every time I slid another inch inside her. It was one thing to feel her take my cock like she did, but it was another thing entirely to see it.

What Quinn didn't realize was that by being restricted by the Council from taking her myself simply allowed me to try another combination that I might not have thought of this early in the game. While she shifted her hips to take the dildo further inside her pussy, I situated my cock near the entrance.

I'd never seen those gray eyes fly open so fast until the head started suctioning on her clit. A loud squeal was ripped from her lips and her hips bucked several times. Whether it was her body's natural attempt to shake me loose, I had no clue. It just didn't quite realize that I had one hell of an iron grip and I had no intention of removing her from this ride.

As my suction head worked on her clit, already driving orgasms from my delirious pet, I worked on a thrusting motion with the dildo itself. It was already becoming extremely difficult to pull the toy back out with those walls closing in around it. My smirk grew.

It seemed the toy was a good investment in more than one way.

"A-Asher!" Quinn's entire body arched as I delivered one hell of a thrust into her pussy. Between it and the suction head, there was no stopping the orgasm from ripping through her. Several loud groans echoed off the walls around us, mixed with whines and whimpers in between every single one. There was even the tell tale sign of ripping beneath her body as the material bunched up in her palms. Yet, the sight of seeing those eyes roll up into the back of her head prompted me to pick up speed.

Not too much longer until I can replace this toy with my cock again, pet.

I closed my eyes, content to lose myself in the heavenly symphony of her noises. I would have succeeded if it wasn"t for the pounding from the front door. My head whipped toward the right as a livid snarl escaped my lips. Was there really someone that was reckless enough to interrupt my current torture session?

My pet was so lost in her own bliss that she didn't even seem to hear the noise.

The pounding came again, followed by muffled shouting. "Asher, answer the goddamn door!"

I immediately ceased all of the movements within Quinn, even tugging my cock away from her clit to stop the suction.

Although she lay there on the bed, sprawled out beneath me while she fought to regain her breathing, the next set of pounding attracted her attention. She immediately scooted along the bed until she could sit up. Her wide gray eyes swung toward me. "Is that Archer?" she panted.

My upper lip curled and a livid snarl escaped me. "It would appear so."

I had gotten so caught up in the moment that I had only sought to strip the clothing from the lower half of my body, which meant my cell phone was still nestled up against my chest. I jammed my fingers inside. A quick check revealed that I had no missed calls.

Yet here the demon lord was, banging on the damn door. Considering that he had just been in New Orleans to keep an eye on the Nephilim, him coming directly to my location was nothing short of a bad omen.

Arching an eyebrow, I reluctantly gathered my discarded clothes from the floor. "Don't get too comfortable, pet. We're not done."

Quinn tugged the dildo out of her pussy, her cheeks flushing when the toy came out with a loud plop. The blush only grew darker when both of us were granted the amazing sight of how covered it had become.

"Looks like it does a fantastic job," I teased. The amusement didn't last long as the demon started pounding on the door again. Gritting my teeth, it took everything I had not to succumb to a series of irritable noises. "I will return shortly, pet. Continue to play with the toy, if you'd like." I retreated from the bedroom with a wink, taking great care to tug the double doors shut to give her privacy.

By the time Archer started going at the door again, I was weighed down with rage. I ripped it open just as his fist came toward the wood. "Is there a reason why you're interrupting me when a cell phone works perfectly fine?"

The demon lord simply stared back at me. Every fiber of his being was weighed down with exhaustion, although that wasn't what had the air catching my throat. It was the fear haunting those purple eyes. "Boss, it's Nico," he rasped.

That dissolved my rage immediately. I turned my head slightly, glaring at him through narrowed eyes. "What about Nico?" When he hesitated, I hardened my tone, "Archer."

His breathing quickened and he averted his gaze. "They took him, boss. Nico's gone."

"What the fuck do you mean he's gone?"

The demon lord tensed as the icy edge woven within my words. He didn't seem to have the strength to resume eye contact with me ─ not that he seemed to have enough to do anything more than stand. In the midst of my annoyance, I hadn't even realized that his entire face was littered with cuts and blood stains that had come from someone else. "I…I was on my way back from New Orleans. Someone was tailing me. That's why I hadn't come here sooner. They were closing in until…until they fucking vanished."

I gestured for him to join us in the penthouse, stepping out of the way to grant him entrance. As he slowly made his way inside, I eased the door shut behind him. My body was still clinging to the intoxicating haze that had started weaseling into my body from tormenting Quinn with her new toy, yet that didn't stop me from being consumed by a blinding chill that I hadn't experienced in centuries.

Out of all the demon lords that had stayed loyal to me throughout the centuries, Nico was the one I never anticipated ever running into a problem. Without a female to cloud his thoughts, how could he have been caught off guard?

I ran my fingers through my hair as Archer led the way toward the open living room. While he made a beeline for the bar to grab a glass of wine, I settled for simply studying his demeanor. There hadn't been a doubt in my mind that they could all handle themselves. We'd had to before and we all came out on the other side with a fair number of injuries.

Yet, one had completely disappeared into thin air while this one was struggling to stay on his feet.

Blowing out a slow breath, I eyed him. "What happened?"

Archer shook his head slowly, continuing to pour the wine until it drew close to the brim. Only when he risked spilling it over the edge did he finally stop and raise the glass. He didn't answer me right away. It took several large gulps of the wine before he finally seemed to regain the ability to speak. Setting the glass down, he leaned against the bar and hung his head. "I was on my way back to Montana. Since…it felt like I was being followed, I didn't want to lead them straight to you."

I nodded slowly. Marcillo had already performed one hell of a power play by blowing up my father's jet once it had taken off. It would be foolish to dismiss the idea that they would not only come gunning for me here in Vegas, but they would pass up the chance to take out a council member as well. We'd lost them in the past during their journey to the future king.

It was why they had opted for Vegas this time. Not only did it eliminate the possibility of them being jumped at an eastern port, but this city was ours. It had been for years.

He blew out a sharp breath, letting those purple eyes focus on a random piece of fluff resting on the bar surface rather than drifting back toward me. "At some point…they were gone. I didn't know what had happened to them until I pulled up to Nico's place. The entire place was destroyed, Asher. Every single person inside was dead, including those in his pit."

Chills trickled down my spine. The missing gun shipment…These bastards had tailed after the demon lord until they realized what their end destination was. Considering that it hadn't been that long ago since I had been holed up in the manor, they had probably gone in with the hope of bringing me down with everyone else. I was their end target. Everyone else was simply in the way.

My eyes flickered toward the closed doors as I was forced to accept how close we'd both come to being eliminated with them. It was one thing for my pet to brush death simply because she'd allied herself with an organization seeking to rob me blind. It wasn't anything close to dealing with the wrath of a scorned Nephilim and a desperate angel.

If this fucker was willing to consume the essence of a child just to bolt, there wasn't a single line that he wouldn't cross.

Archer's fingers curled around the wine glass as he fought to gain full control over his thoughts. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that they were so scattered that he was struggling to explain it all to me. "I've already called the others. They're all on high alert. My men have been trying to hack into any remaining cameras near Nico's home but it looks like most of them were destroyed prior to the slaughter."

"So it could either be Marcillo's men or the Nephilim's," I murmured.

Did it really matter at this point? The mere fact that they had joined ranks meant I could gun for both of them with every intention of burning it all down.

As much as I wanted to focus on the demon lord so that I could help smooth those frazzled nerves ─ especially before Quinn picked up on the severity of what was going on ─ I didn't get the chance to. I found the hair rising on the back of my neck within seconds of the demon lord falling silent. My back straightened and I turned slightly, allowing my gaze to survey the entire penthouse.

Aside from Archer slumped against the bar with his full glass of wine and Quinn nestled up on the bed, there were no signs of anyone else being on this floor. That didn't stop my magic from humming beneath my skin with a sense of restlessness that left me on edge. It didn't matter if I couldn't sense where the source of its agitation was, it was still there.

It would be reckless not to acknowledge it.

I arched an eyebrow, reluctantly releasing just a small piece of my magic to feel along every single wall so that it could locate the problem for me. "So they may have taken Nico back to New Orleans and we wouldn't know."

"Not exactly." The demon lord pushed the glass away. "I checked various ones further south just to see if anyone stood out. Enough people have seen Lazarus' ugly mug to where my guys knew what to look for. They didn't go back to New Orleans."

"Then where did they take him?" I snarled.

His purple eyes narrowed into thin slits. "I don't know yet. I've got eyes along every single border, for every goddamn state under your control. I've been getting alerts for various states that indicate they are taking a southern path, but it's more geared toward the western coast. So far, they've gone through Idaho. If they keep on the predicted trajectory, then that would make their destination─"

"Here." As soon as the realization sank in as to what the Nephilim's end game might be, the icy chill haunting my body launched into a full-on arctic freeze. Every single one of my senses went on high alert while my lungs restricted airflow down to the bare minimum. That was the moment when I noticed the sudden spike in energy lurking within the air ─ seconds before the front door was kicked open and something metallic was tossed inside.

Time slowed down to a crawl as I whipped my head toward it. For every time it slammed into the tile floor and flipped in another direction, it seemed to take an eternity to do so. By the time I could will my body to react to its presence, it had already sparked into effect. I tore my gaze away from it with a livid snarl as a bright light exploded within the room. It didn't matter if I couldn't quite pinpoint the noise being emitted from the damn thing, it still had my ears ringing. The sensation was almost as bad as how bad my eyes were watering.

Archer cast his wine glass away. Any signs of exhaustion had dissolved immediately, replaced by the loyalty to me woven into every ounce of his being. He lunged over the bar and charged at the intruders with his demonic fangs bared. A layer of ice scattered beneath his boot every time he thrust it down.

An enraged roar echoed off of the penthouse walls from the other side as our unwanted guests gunned straight for him. It wasn't until the brute broke through the growing smoke that either of us could see the full extent of his height. While I tended to tower over most beings by a solid foot, this bastard had one on me. In truth, he reminded me of nothing better than the mutated monster Frankenstein.

Complete with all the jagged scars.

The two demons collided, the impact causing a wild shift of energy within the air. It allowed the impact of the stun grenade to be prolonged. They were completely oblivious as they immediately shifted to carry out close combat. For every move one of them made, the other one countered.

The only thing the intruding brute couldn't seem to stop was the simple fact that Archer had magic and he didn't. The demon lord was quick to pull in that heavy advantage with a mixture of bob and weaves, with some feints to seal the deal.

It left the brute shaking with rage. He released a snarl and made a wild grab for him. The sound was nothing short of animalistic. He was ready to paint the tile red with the demon lord's blood to the point where that's all he could picture.

Gritting my teeth, I eased onto my knees. The room was still spinning around me to where I couldn't risk getting up too quickly. The stun grenade had landed so close that it had left all of my senses in utter agony. It was not a situation I ever found myself in simply because I didn't allow it.

Archer coming to the penthouse in a panic had been more of a distraction than I wanted to admit. Exactly as the bastards intended it to be.

While the two demons continued their dance amongst all the smoke, another form was beginning to emerge. It took me a moment to recognize the same sour demon that had taken up a post at the edge of the casino floor. Malakai.

His gaze shifted in my direction as soon as his name crossed my mind. A pleased smirk crossed his face once our gazes locked. "Never thought I would see the day when I saw the prince of demons on his goddamn knees! Lazarus insisted you would be anticipating our every move. Guess the fucker was worried about nothing." He threw his head back, releasing a cackle that made my skin crawl.

My upper lip curled to expose my fangs. I reached up to seize the arm of the chair, rising off the ground carefully. There wasn't a single part of me that was willing to let my eyes stray the entire time I worked on getting back on my feet. Breaking into the penthouse certainly left me in a foul mood, but mentioning the Nephilim had me seeing red. I wanted nothing more than to see Malakai's face hanging off of him in strips.

Or scorched all the way to his spine.

Just the thought had my magic swirling beneath my skin, humming with the same eagerness to rip this bastard apart.

Malakai scoffed at me, jerking his chin higher. "You should've just taken the bait, sire. None of this would have been necessary if you'd just accepted the offer and gone off to do a little gambling of your own. That's no matter. I've always wanted to bring down the fuckers who are so content to serve your every need. Then we'll really see if you're fit to rule all demon kind without puppets to heed your every call!"

I trained my eyes on him, running my tongue along the tips of my fangs. Sharp waves of pain shot down my spine as it resulted in very thin lines being left behind, yet the sensation helped clear the lingering haze caused by the flash grenade. That simply freed up more room for the rage coursing from the depths of my soul.

Not only had the Nephilim deemed it necessary to take one of Archer's men, but he had even gone as far as to take my right hand. Now his own soldiers had been sent to pierce my temporary humble abode? I was ready to send both of their heads back to New Orleans, the box complete with a goddamn bow.

My opponent chuckled softly. "Do you really think it wise to take me on so soon after receiving the royal mark? I saw you during that fight last night. Antonio managed to land a few strikes. You've always prided yourself on making it out of one without a single injury. You're slow on your feet right now. Fighting me would be nothing short of tempting fate. Where would that leave that lovely prize of yours?"

It was reckless to allow a livid snarl to escape from my lips, yet I couldn't stifle the noise before it escaped. Hell, the fact it had didn't even seem to matter. The expression on my face was all he needed for him to realize he'd struck a nerve.

Malakai flexed his hands, allowing his knuckles to pop from the mundane movement. "You were more of a threat when you hadn't tied yourself to such a fragile thing. Now you're just as weak as that doll of yours is. Your toy."

For a split second, I could feel my body willing itself over to my emotions. If I hadn't recognized the searing heat tearing through my veins, I wouldn't have been able to catch myself before I had shifted. My rage was willing to send me forward with a blind attack of my own. It didn't matter if I would essentially miss, it was still more than willing to send me out. I managed to stiffen up my body, preventing the attack from being carried out.

The demon drew his head back slightly, stunned that I had managed to regain control over myself before I had moved an inch. The emotion was quickly dissolved by irritation. "You're a fool if you believe the rest of our kind will embrace her as your queen, Asher. That girl is nothing more than a tainted bastard that should've been killed off by the one that spawned her. There will always be humanity lurking within that soul," he scoffed. "Perhaps I'll do us all a favor and remove her from the equation."

It was another desperate attempt to get me to take the bait. I gritted my teeth as the rage continued to build within me, feeding into the fire that was already swirling within me. It wasn't strong enough to cast out with a firm destination in mind. Allowing my magic freedom this early would guarantee that it would get everywhere and I had one precious soul that I had to protect. "Touch her and I'll ensure you die slowly. No one will ever find the pieces."

Malakai responded with a huff. "I fail to see what is so special about that one. No matter. It's given you a weakness that Lazarus can use." He spread his hands and roared, "Go get the little bitch, Kotto!"

It didn't occur to me that maybe the brute was biding his time and fucking around with Archer. As soon as that order was cast into the air, he managed to jerk his feet free from the chunks of ice that kept them rooted to the floor. He swooped down to rip a large chunk of it off the tile, releasing a roar of his own as he slammed it against Archer's face.

There was enough force packed behind the attack that the demon lord was driven down into the ground without a chance to deflect it.

As soon as the brute's body angled toward the closed bedroom doors, I jolted in that direction. Every single part of me was prepared to lunge forward and jam my hand into his body as far as it would go. I would aim for his heart, content to rip it from the surrounding veins. It was something simple but critical that would essentially stop him cold. Yet the subtle movement on my part was quickly countered by Malakai.

"We're not done," he hissed. "If you want to save that little damsel of yours, Asher Aeternus, you'll have to remove me from your path."

Small flames sparked to life along my palm, snapping his dark gaze down. "Very well, then. Would you like to be charred to a crisp or falling apart as a pile of melted flesh? I'll accept the bill to clean up bodily ooze."

There was a brief flicker of fear leaking out into those eyes. Malakai was genuinely concerned by the presence of my magic, especially when he had assumed that I had been weakened to the point where I wouldn"t risk using it.

While that was essentially true, he had forced my hand. I would do anything to ensure he was cast out of my way and Kotto didn't have the chance to grab my treasured pet. With any luck, she would have heard all the commotion and taken refuge in the bathroom. It wouldn't stop someone of Kotto's size, but it would give me a chance to deal with his handler.

I flexed my fingers, allowing the small flames to grow across every inch of my skin until it had engulfed my entire hand. "I don't have a problem with baking myself a traitor, Malakai. Perhaps I'll take notes from the fabled Vlad the Impaler from the human's mythology and jam a wooden stake up your ass to ensure you get charred."

His upper lip curled. "You don't have enough strength to back up that threat."

"Want to run your chances?" I taunted him.

My opponent responded with a scoff. "I will gladly give my life to the cause if that means bringing you down!" He lunged at me.

It took everything I had to erase the rest of the world. Most of my senses were still pretty jumbled up from the flash grenade and I already had one moving target that I needed to bring down to ensure my pet's safety. But the way Malakai was coming at me reminded me of the moment I chose to step into the ring with Antonio.

Just because he'd managed to land a few strikes didn't guarantee him the win he sought. I could only hope the fates would grace me with the same luck because the bastard wasn't wrong. I wasn't at my full strength since the mark had been passed on to me. That didn't mean I was down for the count. My upper lip curled as he charged straight for me. It took every ounce of restraint to avoid shifting until he was just outside of arm's reach.

I jerked my body sideways, bringing myself both out of his grasp as well as his direct path. While he flew past me with an enraged roar, my hand lashed out and caught him by his collar. With one sharp pull, I snapped him back in my direction long enough for me to slam my foot into his back and send him straight down onto the tile. The flames caressing my hand immediately started dripping the second I had him pinned.

His eyes widened as the flames grew so hot that they took on a molten lava appearance. It was certainly not a level of my magic that I had allowed myself to showcase before. The fact that I was displaying it now was leaving the demon with second thoughts about where he'd placed his loyalty.

It was too little, far too late.

He'd threatened my pet's safety. It was not something I would ever tolerate from anyone, common folk or royalty. His skin being cooked off the bones would be the message I would deliver around the world.

Quinn Faxiss was off-limits.

A violent crashing followed by a high-pitched scream was enough to jolt me out of the enraged haze that I had allowed myself to tumble into. My head whipped toward the bedroom. The searing heat within my veins was quickly replaced by an icy chill that could only rival an arctic freeze. I knew the doors wouldn't stand much of a chance against someone like Kotto, but he'd gotten through the first set in record time.

Even if Malakai hadn't intended to play the part as bait, he'd certainly succeeded because now the brute had taken down the bathroom door. Quinn's panicked cry revealed that he was currently working his way into the room.

That was the only chance my opponent needed to grab a folded knife from his belt loop. With a flick of his wrist, the blade was freed from the handle and he twisted his upper body to jam the weapon into my leg.

Red dots painted my vision as an agonizing pain pulsed up the rest of my body. The air caught in my throat, my gaze snapping back to the demon still pinned beneath me. He wasn't able to catch me in the one leg that was keeping him down, yet he still managed to force my leg to fold beneath me. I crashed down onto the ground with a gasp while liquid droplets of my magic were flung across the room.

The smell of burning flesh warned that Malakai hadn't reacted fast enough to ensure his own hide was spared. Still, he seized the opportunity to scramble out from underneath and put himself outside of my reach. His upper body jerked wildly as he worked to shrug off his own suit jacket. It was nothing more than a feeble attempt to prevent the impending damage to his back.

For simple flames, that was all he would need to do. For something that was borderline actual lava, it was only a matter of time before it started cooking its way all the way out of his chest. It would be nothing short of a miracle if it did nothing more than graze the edge of his heart.

I immediately drew up my wounded leg, yanking the weapon free before he had the chance to recover his weapon. While the demon scrambled back until he was pressed against the wall, swearing in our native tongue, I contemplated flicking the weapon in between those eyes. The only thing that spared his immediate death was the heavy thudding coming in my direction. As he rounded the corner with Quinn writhing on his shoulder, I flung the dagger.

Kotto's hold on her loosened the second Malakai's weapon sank into his eye and pierced his brain. While she slid off with a gasp, his lips parted to release a pained cry. The connection between his mind and body had already been severed, leaving him to stumble forward until he simply came crashing down.

Quinn was quick to scurry back to avoid getting caught in the crossfire, those gray eyes wide with terror. It didn't even matter to her that she had gone straight over the trail of glass left behind by Archer. She simply kept going until she was against the opposite wall. That still didn't appear to be enough distance between her and the fallen brute. "W-What the fuck just happened?" she breathed.

Curling my upper lip, I shifted on the floor so that I could tuck my injured leg beneath me and just use my knee so that I could rise. It didn't matter how tenderly I was trying to treat the wound, getting off the ground still hurt like hell. I tightened my grip on the chair, the wood groaning beneath the intense pressure. "I'm going to send your heads to Lazarus in a fucking gift basket," I snarled.

Malakai continued to thrash against the wall as my magic worked its way through his body. He bared his clenched teeth at me. "Go ahead, then. Do it. He'll replace us with more demons who want nothing more than to see you fall!"

I stalked toward him with a low growl that rumbled from within my chest. If he wanted a brutal death where I would rip his head off of his shoulders, then I would give him it. His brain would keep functioning long enough to process what was going on before the life finally seeped from his eyes.

"Asher!"

The panic woven within my pet's voice was enough to drive away the overwhelming thirst for Malakai's blood on my hands. My head whipped toward her just as a wooden plank came into my peripheral view seconds before it slammed into me. The entire room grew hazy around me as I went down. What…? Who the fuck snuck up on me?

"I should have known better than to send you two in to do the work for me," Sol snarled, tossing the plank down beside me. "Did I not specify that you had to bring both of them down if you had any hopes of grabbing the girl?"

Shock tore through my veins when my uncle's voice finally registered. With Malakai essentially out of commission and the time he had left trimming down rapidly with each passing second, there was no ounce of concern on my part to roll over and put my back to him. My upper lip curled as my movement attracted Sol's narrowed gaze toward me. "I suppose the advice you gave Quinn and I didn't mean a goddamn thing, did it?" I snarled at him.

"Oh no, I was serious when I told you not to snuff out the life within the other." Sol rested hand on his chest with a slight smirk. "I just…left out the part where your time together was shorter than you anticipated." He casually drifted toward Quinn, that grin growing on his face when the movements squeezed a whimper from her.

I slammed a hand down, the frightened sounds from my beloved pet sending a surge of agonizing heat down my spine. Hearing it once was painful enough. The noise being forced out of her yet again was already bringing the red dots back to my vision. If it wasn't for the nasty concussion that my own flesh and blood had delivered, I would have planted myself in between them.

My uncle's eyes flickered toward me. A sigh blew from his lips. "You just don't know when to stay down, do you, boy? You're more like your father than you're willing to accept. The old fucker didn't know when to bow down, either." He reached out to grab a piece of the broken coffee table. Cocking his head to the side, he snapped it in half to create a sharpened end. He tossed the other piece aside before he turned on his heel. "I lost count of how many years we waited for him to finally leave Italy. I'll give him this much… He knew we would bring him down as soon as he did. Poor bastard probably realized he was going to die."

A low growl erupted from my chest. Despite the way the room was still spinning around me, I was desperate to get back on my feet. I didn't care how much damage I did to my own body by forcing a rapid response as long as it meant my pet would be safe.

It just wasn't willing to move as quickly as I wanted.

Sol teleported over me, bringing a boot down on my back just like I had with Malakai. "There's no point in trying, boy. You're absolutely useless to that girl now. Both you and Archer have taken on too much damage. It's time for you to accept that I'm taking her and she will become tainted."

I pushed against the tile, eager to throw his weight off of me.

"I'm sick of this stubbornness in you," he hissed. "It reminds me a little too much of your weak-willed mother. Always eager to maintain just a small piece of herself while Salvatore slowly rewrote her wiring. I could see where that relationship was heading from the moment he demanded an audience with her. She thought she could change him. So where does that leave you, boy? Do you think you're going to change the minds of millions of demons with that timid pet of yours?"

"You have no right to speak of her, leech," I snarled. Despite the pain pulsing from the back of my skull as well as the knife wound to my leg, I threw every ounce of my strength into throwing my body aside. It wouldn't do much more than make him stumble. Yet I was clinging to the small piece of hope that there was something within reach that I could jam into his Achille's heel.

I just didn't anticipate the bastard to bring the sharp wood down into my back. My body seized up immediately upon the intrusion. There was enough force backed behind the blow that the tile couldn't reflect it. The wooden piece simply buried into it, leaving me pinned against the ground. The air caught in my throat as a burning heat ripped through my veins.

"At least I get the satisfaction of knowing that I am leaving you here to die," Sol grumbled. He pushed on the wooden piece just a little more until a ragged gasp escaped my lips. Only then did he finally pull away and stalk straight for my pet. "Who knew mixed blood could create such a problem? You really did create waves, pet. The two of you might've made one hell of a difference if we'd allowed you to rise to the throne."

"I will rip your head off of your shoulders if you touch her." I snarled at his back.

"No, you won't, boy…" His voice grew soft as he drew closer to my frightened pet. "You'll be dead by the time I deliver her to Lazarus. It would be best to pray to the gods that your soul doesn't linger around to watch her own demise. She'll be nothing more than a hollow shell by the time he's finished with her."

I struggled to wiggle the wooden piece from the tile. It didn't matter to me how much it was tearing up my body when all I could think about was how my own blood was now closing in on my mate like the true predator that he was. His loyalty was to a man that was far more lost to the world and he was eager to collect his own reward. My muscles seized up when Quinn released a panicked shriek.

Sol jerked her against him before he thrust her back, using the force of her head smacking against the wall to knock her out cold. "The human body is so fragile," he muttered under his breath as he tossed her over his shoulder like a ragdoll. "It's nice she can endure more than the average mortal. She'll provide some amusement to him."

Every ounce of warmth was sapped from my body as her scream was simply cut short, leaving the entire room flooded with a silence that left my soul ready to crumble. Panic tore through my veins, bringing with it a surge of adrenaline that was eager to help me get loose. All I could focus on was prying her loose from Sol's grip shortly before I delivered on my promise. As much as I was willing to destroy my own body to save her, I couldn't shake the wooden piece loose from the floor.

My uncle cast a scowl in my direction. "Mates are overrated, Asher. You had a better chance of surviving this war if you hadn't bought this piece of pussy. Maybe you'll learn in the next life." Tucking his hand under her ass to keep her pinned against him, he started for the shattered front door. Those lips parted to let loose an innocent tune as he went.

I thrashed against the wooden piece, both anger and panic surging through me. "Quinn!" I knew better than to succumb to such a useless emotion, especially when it would simply work against me. It didn't matter how many hours my father had spent, drilling that vital piece of advice into my head. I couldn't bring myself to calm down long enough to focus. All that circled in my head was that the enemy had still gotten what they had come for.

They had Quinn. My mate and my future queen.

It was my main purpose to protect her…and I had failed.

I am coming for you, Quinn. I will save you from them.

I would die trying.