Chapter Seven

Maureen

S itting in Valentin's kitchen, I'm flooded with memories of that one special night we shared here. Back before I murdered Riot's half-brother. Before all the things that I will never be able to shed, or be free from, happened. That night was the first time I'd seen Val smile. I haven't seen him smile like that since.

As we sit across from each other now, every traumatic emotion he's ever felt sprawls across his face. His father is a true monster, hurting him since the moment he took his first breath. Valentin isn't scared of anything or anyone except Laurent Erebus. And he is currently on his way here.

I'm sandwiched between Riot and Atlas, my nerves shot. "Did you know they were going to make me touch myself in front of them? That they were going to lash me?"

Val's nostrils flare as he white-knuckles the edge of the breakfast table. "No. That level of depravity shouldn't have been inflicted on you."

Atlas sighs. "Our rituals are sexual, Maur. I knew you were getting a new sigil and figured he'd parade you around a bit. But Val's right. We wouldn't have let you go down there if we knew how fucked up things would get."

I take a long pull from the whiskey bottle that he passes to me. "I've played all your sick and twisted games, Atlas. But last night was not fucking fun."

Riot fidgets with the bottle before taking a drink, his mind seemingly a million miles away. He sighs in remorse even as his gaze hardens on me, his blue eyes almost black with rage. "I underestimated his deviancy. If I pushed too hard, he would have overpowered us all and invoked the rule of Hekate. Which, trust me, would have been much fucking worse."

"You think we have power, Maur?" Atlas interjects. "You have no idea what power is until you experience our fathers. They're Nocturnus elders who have been controlling us our whole lives."

Val snickers. "That needs to end now. They think of you as a pawn, Maur. Women are always pawns in our world. I guess that's why my mom left."

His eyes are sunken, and he looks like he hasn't slept all night. My heart aches for him. It truly does. But they've been keeping too many secrets from me. "What is the rule of Hekate?"

The three of them look at each other like they're collectively about to throw up. This sends a cold burst of dread straight to my belly.

Riot spins the whiskey bottle on the table, rolling it back and forth between his palms. "It's a clause to ensure that the male initiates don't get too attached to the female ones."

"He means fall in love," Valentin mutters.

Riot throws him a dirty look before he continues. "They usually have plans for who they want us to marry—women who aren't in the order but come from good breeding. So, if we get distracted by a female initiate, if we start thinking thoughts about choosing her as our mate instead… they invoke the rule of Hekate."

He takes another pull of whiskey. Sweat beads on his forehead. "The woman would be forced to fuck every initiate whenever they wanted. Indefinitely."

My stomach knots. I saw how those men looked at me last night. They would have given anything to do more than what they did. "That's disgusting. How many times has this happened?"

"Never." Valentin shakes his head. "It's never been enforced."

My cheeks flame. "But last night, Holden threatened you with it because of me. He's not going to stop coming after me, is he?"

"No," Riot murmurs. "But he doesn't understand the bond the four of us share. He knows you broke the curse and opened the gates, but he has no idea how powerful you are. We sensed it every time. You unsettled the ravens just by being here."

Atlas pulls out a vial of poison and chugs it back while looking at me, his eyes aflame with the toxin. "As I said, it could have been much worse."

I roll my eyes at him. "Thank you for your commentary, Atlas. Let's switch places next time and see how much worse it is for you."

He chuckles. This asshole actually chuckles . "I like that kind of shit, Maur. You forget my nature. Don't get soft on me now."

And here, this whole time, I thought he was the sweet and gentle one. Fuck me. He's more unhinged than Val and Riot put together. And my traitorous pussy spasms at the thought.

Fuck, now all I can think about is his hands on me, making me do things my mind doesn't want my body to do. And my body is saying fuck you, brain, this man's cock is my medicine.

Atlas smirks as if he can read my mind. We can all sense each other's moods and emotions now that I've received two sigils from them. It's like getting imprints of thoughts and words without full sentences. But they're better at it. It frustrates the fuck out of me when I can't read them as well as they can read me.

"I want some of that." I motion to the vial.

He pulls out a fresh one, and I drink it down in one sip. I jerk forward as the poison burns my throat. A metallic taste fills my mouth as if I've swallowed a thousand needles.

I cough and lean over the table, my vision blurring.

" Whoa . Fuck. Maur, you're not supposed to drink the whole thing." Atlas rubs my back as I gasp for air.

"I thought you were teaching her moderation," Riot growls.

"She doesn't know what that is," Val adds. He removes a tin box from his jacket and offers me a joint from it. "Have a few puffs. It will take the edge off."

I've never been happier to see weed in my life. Back in the old days, my bestie, Bailey, and I would get so fucking high there wouldn't be a single snack left in the house at the end of the night.

I let Val light it for me and relish a deep, long drag, coughing a few more times as my chest expands, and the fragrant smoke fills my lungs. "What did I just drink?"

"Pure uncut nightshade," Atlas announces with pride.

"You're an imbecile," Riot barks at him.

My head is fuzzy, and my limbs feel like dead weight, but I can't stop the lazy smile from stretching across my cheeks. I'm definitely fucking high.

Val glares at me. "I'm going down to the crypts."

" Again? " Riot and Atlas bark out at the same time.

He scoffs. "Yup. I need to clear my head before dear old Dad arrives."

"Want some company?" I ask, my words slurring.

He grinds down on his teeth, flexing his jaw. "Maur… I've reached my quota of pleasantries for the day."

My stomach flips. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Less than an hour ago he expressed remorse for leaving me alone with those bastards. Now, he can't get far enough away from me. I'm starting to get whiplash from his mood swings.

He bolts up out of his chair. "Riot sulks into a bottle of whiskey, you two have your poison, and I enjoy my solitude. Not sure why that's so hard for you to grasp."

I snicker. "Well, you don't have to be a fucking dick about it. A simple no would've been fine."

I lurch back as he rushes forward and grabs the sides of my chair. "Do not think for one second that I am any different than the man you first met. Just because I don't want an entire coven of initiates coming all over you doesn't mean that I'm going to let you determine my existence."

The fucking nerve . My cheeks flame as I glare daggers at him. "Fuck you, Val. Go exist somewhere else then."

His lip curls up into the nastiest snarl as he shoves my chair back, slamming it to the ground with me still in it. My back hits the floor and knocks the wind out of me.

He kneels down to straddle me, wrapping his hands around my neck. "One more word out of your mouth, and I will fuck it so hard, you won't be able to speak ever again."

I bite my tongue, wheezing as air slowly reenters my lungs. The look in his eyes is vicious.

"Relax, Val, she's just worried about you," Atlas chirps. He chuckles again as he lips the vial, rolling his tongue around the edges to milk every drop.

Val pinches my chin. "I don't want her worry. I want her to fucking do what I ask."

I swallow hard, my throat still burning from the poison and the weed.

We stare at each other for what seems like an eternity, both fighting the urge to either kiss or kill each other.

Riot and Atlas say nothing. They do nothing. This is just what we are.

Val lets me go with a grunt but doesn't bother to pull me back up. "Let me know when he arrives."

I stare at the ceiling as I listen to him stalk off. It takes Riot a few minutes before he offers me a hand up. "He's just angry about his father coming. It's not you."

The fuck? "So now I'm his fucking punching bag?"

Riot shrugs. "You're whatever we want you to be, Maur. And in turn, we are yours to do with whatever the fuck you want."

A fire burns in me. A deep rage mixed with a craving to defy and destroy. "Is that true? Well, I'll see myself down to the crypts then. So I can do whatever I want to him."

Atlas stands up and yawns. "It's your funeral, Maur. I'm going to take a nap."

Riot cups my face in his hands. "After he kicks you out, come join us upstairs."

I have a twisted longing for all of them. It's undeniable. I'm their greedy little slut who can't get enough. But neither can they. They take what they want when they want it.

Well… then so will I.

And right now, I want Valentin on his fucking knees.

It's dark and cold as fuck down here. Here I go again, getting my ass in trouble. This addiction to it. To him . It's like a gun, and I can't take my finger off the trigger.

I haven't been down here since he locked me in that coffin. Shivers tickle my thighs as I remember the way he controlled the little bullet vibrator he shoved inside me. And when he closed the coffin lid, the rush of adrenaline consumed me. It was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.

But now my stomach twists with fear and anxiety as I stumble through the dark, wondering what state I'm going to find him in. A sane person would have walked away after getting their chair kicked over. But no, not this bitch. I'm just a glutton for more punishment.

When I get to the bottom of the stairs, the door's ajar. Either he knows I can't resist coming down here to piss him off some more, or he's just that fucking confident that I'll obey him.

Sometimes, I wish I didn't want him so badly. He's more than a walking red flag. He's the ink, the cloth, the whole fucking flagpole.

I tiptoe through the doorway like a timid mouse. Candle-filled sconces line the entire perimeter, shedding some light onto this windowless and otherwise pitch-black crypt. The flames flicker rapidly as my presence shifts the energy in the space.

I drag my fingers across the stone walls as I walk, careful not to take too many deep breaths. Afraid that this crypt will somehow suffocate me.

I didn't give much thought to what he's doing down here. If in fact he's enjoying his solitude. He could be jerking off in a coffin or hanging from the ceiling like a bat for all I know. I chuckle to myself as I picture it.

A soft breeze brushes past me, sending my pulse into a frenzy. Oh, shit.

I try to swallow down my fear, but my throat feels like sandpaper. My heart beats loud and fast in my ears. It's too quiet in this crypt. So quiet that the tiniest pin-prick of a noise rattles me. Oh, fuck, there could be rodents down here.

The air thickens as I move toward the center of the crypt. I have to squeeze in between the rows of coffins to get any farther. I look around, trying to guess which coffin he made me cum in. Maybe he's resting in that one. That night was such a blur. We were drunk on wine and lust for each other.

A loud screech makes me jump. Another subtle breeze tickles my skin, sending all the hairs on my neck straight up. Fuck this. I spin around to go back the way I came when I walk into a wall of solid muscle. I gaze up at him, my lip quivering. Fuck. He's so fucking pissed .

Val wraps a hand around my throat and backs me up against one of the coffins. "You never fucking do what you're told, do you?"

The corner of the lid presses into my back, sending sharp pains down my spine. "Haven't you learned that by now?" I taunt.

A golden light swirls in his dark-brown eyes. He clenches his jaw. "I should bend you over my knee and spank you for being such a fucking brat."

My belly flips as I glare back at him. "Don't tempt me with a good time."

He curls his fingers, applying more pressure to my throat. "You might be in over your head right now, Firecracker. I'm not in the fucking mood for one of your games."

I wrap my hand around his wrist and yank him closer. " My games? I came down here so that you didn't have to be alone. Because I know what you're feeling right now. But you lashed out at me instead of the person you really want to. Your father ."

He shoves into me, pressing his muscular chest against mine. His eyes blaze with a fury that could make your bones jump out of your skin. "You don't fucking get it. The second he gets here, I cannot look at you. I can't speak to you. Because he will fucking know ."

What the actual fuck?

Something shifts in his eyes. Something sad and lost flickers behind his long black lashes. I don't even care that he's squeezing all the air out of my lungs.

"He'll know what, Val?" I manage to squeak out, my heart hammering.

He lowers his face, his lips hovering over mine. "That I will want to skin him alive if he tries to pull the same shit with you that Holden did last night. And then he'll laugh in my face because he's stronger than me. It will make him want to hurt you more. I can't let him see ."

"Fuck," I breathe as he loosens his grip on my neck. There's no doubt in my mind that Valentin wants me. The chemistry between us is an explosion every time we're near each other. The craving to touch and kiss and fuck consumes us at all times. It creates a palpable tension that we fill with hate and anger so that we don't spontaneously combust every time one of us walks into the room.

I remember the night I stormed into his bedroom after they left me stranded on the side of the road. I stole his car that night. But, to be fair, they tampered with my car first. Val and I went from screaming at each other to fucking each other's brains out all night. There's this obsessive and toxic desire between us.

But the way he's looking at me now… It feels different.

He lets me go, and I almost whine from the lack of contact. I reach out and snatch his wrist back and clutch it to my chest. "When you don't look at me, I physically ache… So, look at me now. Give me all of you right now. Before we have to go back upstairs and pretend we don't care about each other."

He drags the tip of his tongue across his lip. "I really fucking hated you at first. I was worried you were going to ruin what Riot, Atlas, and I had built. And I didn't fucking trust you. You were just an obstacle I had to move in order to get Riot's attention back to Nocturnus."

From the moment I bumped into him on my first day at Tenebrose, I sensed he hated me. Even when he defiled me in the mud, his lust and anger worked in unison to fulfill and humiliate me at the same time. But this magnet… it pulls us in deeper and deeper every time we touch.

"And then you stopped hating me. What changed?"

He takes a step toward me again, this time not backing me into a sharp-edged coffin but embracing me. He snakes an arm around my waist. "The day you were arguing with your mother outside my uncle's classroom. When I saw her hit you… I knew. An unexplainable need to protect you came over me. You were broken just like me, sad and lonely and starving for affection. The same way I was. So I decided in that moment that if I was going to ruin you… I had to let you ruin me too."

My eyes water. All those warm fuzzy emotions I usually loathe, the ones I push down, are washing over me in waves before I can even brace myself for impact. Knowing that the two of us have been hurt the most by the ones who are supposed to love us is a bond no man, woman, or raven can break.

I plant a soft kiss on his cheek. "You're always safe with me too, Val."

We look at each other. Like, really fucking look at each other. He brushes a strand of hair off my shoulder. "I'm never going to be tender with you, Maur. That's not who I am. The Erebus sickness has nestled in my bones. It's diluted the blood in my veins with a brutality not fit for polite society. I will not apologize for who I am. But I'll never truly hurt you."

I slide my fingers around his throat, loving the way his pulse ticks up at my touch. "And I'm never going to be some docile obedient doll that you can just toss aside whenever your mood shifts. I am yours. But you're also mine . And I like the way you ruin me."

He crushes my lips with his own, snarling as he plunges his tongue inside my mouth. We moan in unison, our pulses quickening. The heat in our bodies rises as we cling to each other like feral wildlings.

I grab at his T-shirt, fisting it in my palms, clawing at it because it's in my way of his skin. I push it up and over his head. I pause for a moment to gaze at his chiseled body, letting myself take in every sigil and scar. He's beautiful. And he's all mine.

But I haven't forgotten the way he pushed me over, making the air whoosh out of my lungs. "Get on your knees, Val," I command.

He arches an eyebrow. "Careful, Maur. I'm on the fucking edge right now."

I peel off my jeans along with my black lace panties. "So am I…"

I slide my hands down my belly and spread my pussy lips open.

His eyes darken. "I won't be gentle."

"I fucking hope not." My juices glide down my thighs as I slowly rub myself. I let out a whimper as he watches.

"You're the only one I'll get down on my knees for, Maur," he growls in my ear, his breath hot and unsteady.

A smirk catches my lips as he lowers himself to the ground. He yanks my right leg up and tosses it over his shoulder, opening me up wider.

A deep moan erupts from my throat as he licks me from taint to clit. I lean back against the coffin and close my eyes. "Val…"

"Mmm." He thrusts his tongue inside my pussy, lapping at my walls like a starved animal. "You taste so fucking good," he rasps after he slides back out. He scrapes his teeth across my swollen clit before taking it in his mouth. A deep spasm spreads through my core as he sucks it.

My fingers tremble as I pull my lips wider apart, desperate for him to fill me again. "Please, Val…"

He lifts my other leg over his shoulder so I'm straddling his face. The back of the coffin digs into my back again. This time, I don't mind. This time, I barely feel the burn of its edges searing into my spine.

He pushes my hands away from my pussy and plunges his tongue back inside, filling me to the hilt. I throw my head back and scream as another spasm rips through me, sending me over the edge.

I arch back and thrust against his face with so much force the coffin creaks and rattles. He holds me up with his arms, pinning me to him as he devours me. I lock my legs around his neck as my juices spill out onto his tongue.

"Val," I whine. "Oh, fuck."

He laps up my cum greedily as he moans. The heat from his breath sends me into a frenzy as another orgasm thunders through me.

"Fuck," I cry out again.

When he comes up for air, he licks the remaining cream from his lips. "I'll get on my knees for you anytime if it means you're going to cum as hard as you just did." He slides out from under my legs and sets me back down carefully. My knees wobble, and I have to lean on him so I don't collapse.

"The way you make me cum… it's like a fucking drug. I'll never stop craving it." He uses his shirt to wipe my legs and pussy before I pull my panties and jeans back on.

The more he touches me, the harder I fall. Fucking pheromones . It's everything—his scent, his voice, the way he looks at me… It's stronger than a drug. There is no rehab for this addiction.

He leans over and kisses me. I moan again as I taste myself on his lips. "I just want to hide down here with you all night. The guys could tell your father we aren't here. That we ran away."

Val sighs. "You know that won't work, Maur. He'll sense you before he's halfway up the driveway."

I shrug and force a smile even as the anxiety builds in my chest. "It was worth a shot."

He runs his thumb across my lips. "Someday soon, there will come a time when he'll want to run from us ."

The sigil on my neck pulsates, reminding me of the oath I made to him, Riot and Atlas. It comforts me as much as it terrifies me. We're bound together by blood and ritual now. The sigil that Holden carved into me also awakens but only for a moment. I'm getting better at controlling it instead of the other way around.

"You're right," I murmur. "I can feel a shift in me." Goosebumps pebble my flesh.

He nods. "Which is why we need to give you another sigil tonight."

More blood and pain. I'm not sure how much more my body can take. But being powerless is not an option for me.

I lace my fingers through his, sending a bolt of electricity through us both. "I'm ready."