Chapter 1

Lillian

I always pictured Satan as a giant red man with two horns, a tail, and a pitchfork—maybe even wings or something. I was not expecting the handsome, normal-looking man waiting for us in our living room.

When he'd crashed into the flat with a yell, the twins and I scrambled to get dressed and rushed down the hallway after Keir.

Their father's hair was the same shade of brown as the twins', his facial features sharp and inhuman like theirs too. I fucking swear, his jawline could have cut a diamond. I could see where the twins got their good looks; they were copies of him.

His eyes were red, but unlike Aiden's fire-filled ones, they were blood- red. They were the shade of red you didn't want to see glowing in the dark when you looked outside your window before bed, the shade of red that meant their owner was waiting for the chance to sink their teeth into you.

He wore black dress pants and a black button-up, cuffs rolled up to his elbows—clearly where Keir got his sense of fashion. The top three buttons were left undone, exposing his ink-covered chest. The shirt was tight enough that I could see the bars of his nipple piercings.

He was kind of hot, in the ‘he's my boyfriends' dad' sort of way.

Was it okay to call them my boyfriends? Oh well. Too late.

He exuded power, and not just because he held himself in an overly cocky way or because his face remained smug as we filed in one after the other. It was everywhere, floating in the air around him so thick, it made my blood run cold.

I peeled my eyes away from their father to examine the destruction he'd caused.

It appeared he'd become impatient with the speed at which the doors opened, so he took matters into his own hands—literally. The elevator doors were caved in at just under shoulder height, unable to close due to being so warped.

The bar along the wall had been swiped clean—glasses, bottles, and alcohol now covering the sleek black floor and a nearby wall. One of the couches looked like it had been smashed in two, and the coffee table that used to sit between the couches was splintered on the floor.

"So this is the human." His voice was slow and odious, sending chills down my spine. I dragged my eyes up to meet the pair of red ones burning holes into me. "Interesting."

I swallowed hard, suddenly feeling like I couldn't breathe. My heartbeat was too loud in my ears. The way he watched me made me feel so little standing before him.

Look at me, Lillian , Keir's voice rang in my head, but I couldn't tear myself away from my staring contest with his father. He's just trying to intimidate you. He can't hurt you here. We won't let him. I promise.

His support brought me a bit of comfort, and I stood a little straighter.

" Very interesting." Their father chuckled, and his eyes flicked to his sons.

I exhaled and looked at Keir, who was staring at me. I nodded at him to let him know I was okay, but he didn't give any reaction as he turned to face his father.

"I was very disappointed to hear your mother got to meet her first." He picked an invisible piece of lint off his shirt and flicked it away.

" She told you? " Keir looked ready to throw down.

He'd been weary of his mother knowing about me, afraid of what could come from her having such important information. Clearly, he'd been right not to trust her.

Their father laughed, and my body was instantly covered in goosebumps. The laugh of Satan was not a pleasant, joyous sound. It was beautiful, in a deadly way, but it made me cringe, like I was listening to nails on a chalkboard instead.

"Your mother can't hide anything from me. She knows better than that." The corner of his mouth twitched. "She learned that lesson a long time ago."

"If you hurt her—"

"Your mother is fine, Keir. It's your pet you should be worried about." His attention returned to me, a lethal smile on his face.

The twins stepped in front of me, forming a blockade, but it only made him laugh again. I shuddered, my sanity silently pleading for him to stop laughing. It took everything to keep my hands at my sides when they just wanted to be over my ears.

"Don't touch her," Aiden spat, venom in his voice.

"Leave her out of this," Nicholas hissed.

I should've been happy they were coming to my defense—but against their own father? He was terrifying. My mind was already racing with thoughts of all the gruesome things he was capable of.

"Stand down before you make it worse than it already is. You'll be punished accordingly for disobeying me, I assure you." He walked to the intact couch and sat on the middle cushion. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together in front of him.

"Leave them out of this. It was all me." Keir stepped in front, his voice firm, but a slight note of desperation had snuck its way in. "They didn't do anything. I told her to close the portal. I protected her. I'm the one who brought her here. I—"

" Enough !" his father shouted. The flat shook, and the lights flickered.

His crimson eyes glowed briefly before he took a single breath to compose himself into the calm, collected devil once more.

No one moved or spoke as he stared at the floor, twisting his hands in thought. When he froze, I knew it was the right time to panic.

He flashed his teeth before he spoke, and I visibly shivered at the sight. " You ," he pointed at Keir, "will be dealt with later." He turned to me, and all three brothers stiffened. "I have an idea." His eyebrows hitched up, and a smug grin splayed across his face. "You want to keep your pet , but I want to kill her. How about we make things a bit more fun?"

"Not a chance." Keir shook his head.

I could feel his worry sweeping over me like it was my own. Fuck . It made me even more stressed than I already was.

"Yes," their father countered, unphased. "She can stay…" He paused and blinked a few times, letting the false sense of security settle in. " If she becomes a demon."

"No," his sons shouted in unison.

Their father laid back on the couch casually, throwing his arm over the top and patting his other hand on the empty spot beside him as he looked right at me.

I started to move but stopped when Keir's voice sounded in my head once again.

Don't.

What choice do I have ? I answered.

I heard him sigh. He knew I was right. His father had all the power right now.

My steps were slow as I made my way to the couch and sat next to the King of Hell. My body remained stiff, my chest rising and falling rapidly. I refused to look at him, choosing to look between the three pairs of eyes glued to me, ensuring I stayed safe.

He leaned close enough for me to feel his hot breath on my ear, making me squirm. "Isn't this great? A father getting to know his sons' girlfriend?" At first, I didn't say anything, but my silence was not what he was looking for. "Answer me!" Spit hit the side of my face as he yelled, and I jumped.

I nodded rapidly, wanting him to get to the point so I could get as far away from him as possible.

"Do you want to stay here?" His head was cocked curiously. "Do you want to live in Hell with my sons?"

I gave one more look at my princes, who were breathing heavily, looking ready to pounce, before turning my head enough to make eye contact with their father.

He smiled, as though my brave move amused him.

"I do," I answered in a shaky voice.

He waited a moment before clapping his hands together loudly, like a clap of thunder, making me jump again. "Good. Then let's play a game. I love games. As I said before, you can stay if you become a demon. Do you know what it takes for a human to become a demon?"

"No." I refused to give him the satisfaction of scaring me into silence. He clearly liked it too much, and enjoyment was the last thing I wanted to bring him.

He held up three fingers. "Three little trials. That's it. Complete those three trials, and you'll be a demon." He made it sound like this was a normal occurrence, but I knew better than to think that. "You can live happily in Hell and enjoy the company of my offspring. Refuse or fail the trials, and I get to kill you."

"That's practically a death sentence," Keir interjected. "Death would actually be more merciful."

His father didn't face him as he smiled again, burning holes right into my petrified soul. "You defied me, Keir. I should be gutting her right here in front of you, making you watch the blood drain from her body as she takes her last, pitiful breath. Be grateful I am showing mercy and allowing you a way to keep your pet." His face twitched.

"The only one to ever succeed was Mom," Nicholas stated. "And she had help."

"Then I'd take the two weeks I am gracious enough to give you to prepare her. I mean, it won't help at all, but it might make things a tiny bit more… interesting ." His finger lifted to stroke my cheek, and I pulled away, giving him a disgusted look.

He was expecting me to fail. He wanted me to fail, wanted to kill me. I couldn't believe this. Satan was fucking crazy.

"I expect you at the next council meeting." He looked at his sons as he spoke. "That's two weeks. I'll even give you an extra week after revealing the trial to prepare." He took my hand and brushed a light kiss across my knuckles. "I am a gracious king, after all."

I'm going to kill him .

Stop. I'm fine. Please, just let him leave so I can breathe , I pleaded with Keir.

He touched you .

I'm fine, Keir . Please.

His father studied me for another moment before standing abruptly and walking to the damaged elevator. He flicked one more look at each of us before waving his hand, magically repairing the doors. He stepped inside, they closed, and he was finally gone.

"Are you okay, little one?" Aiden grabbed my face.

All three of them surrounded me. The twins sat on either side of me, and Keir crouched in front of my knees. Keir grabbed my hand, the one his father kissed, staring at it like he wanted to chop it off and burn it. He pulled it toward him, and for a split second, I thought he was going to cover his father's kiss with his own, but he stopped.

"Baby?" Nicholas chimed in, stealing my attention.

"I'm fine. Really." I offered them a smile, more for my benefit than theirs, because, to be honest, I was shaken to my core.

Don't lie to us . Keir's words made me look at him.

I'm not .

He cocked his eyebrow, disbelief evident in his eyes. He was getting too good at reading me. It was annoyingly comforting.

"I'm a little shaken," I confessed.

Nicholas took my hand from Keir and kissed it right over where their father had, and I didn't miss the way Keir's lips twitched.

"I hate that he touched you," Nicholas said as his brothers muttered words of agreement. Then, he brushed his finger over my cheek where their father had. "I am so sorry, Lilly. He wasn't supposed to find out."

"I knew we shouldn't have let Mother know about her." Keir stood, shaking his head as he ran his hand through his hair. " Fuck . This is all my fault. I should've been smarter. I should've had you guys leave the city. Keep her hidden. Safe. I ma—"

"Keir." Aiden left my side to stand with his brother at the window overlooking the city. "It's okay. He was bound to find out at some point. There's no going back, but we can keep her here now. Forever. She can—"

"Those trials are going to kill her, and you both know it," he snapped, looking between the twins.

The room was silent. Keir had spoken everyone's fear out loud.

Keir… I thought to him.

He didn't respond; he just glanced around the room, looking lost, then turned and left.

"Just give him ti—"

"Stop. I don't need you guys to defend him. He's a grown-ass man," I snapped at Nicholas. I instantly winced and took his hand in mine. "I'm sorry. I just…" My words trailed off.

"It's okay. We're all on edge." He offered me a small smile, one I happily returned. I leaned in, about to kiss him, when Keir stormed back into the room.

"Get dressed." His eyes were on me.

"I am dressed." I furrowed my eyebrows, confused as to why he would come back to give me such a stupid command.

"Something more… training appropriate."

I perked up, and my eyes widened. "It's four in the fucking morning, Keir. Are you nuts?"

"You need to be prepared for anything. We have no idea what he will throw your way in the trials. We start training today. We still have a few hours until breakfast. I'll take self-defense, Aiden will handle strength training, and Nicholas will train you in endurance."

Aiden wiggled his eyebrows. "Yeah, he can."

I rolled my eyes, fighting a smile as Keir growled at him. "This is not the time for your jokes."

Aiden put his hands up in the air, surrendering to his older brother.

"Ten minutes." He gave me a pointed look. "Meet me in the gym." He turned back down the hall, leaving me with the twins.

"So I'm finally going to be taught how to defend myself now that my life is in actual danger. Again." I huffed sarcastically.

I heard that .

I snorted. Of course, he'd heard me.

"I'm gonna go get dressed." I went to our bedroom and pulled out a tank top, some shorts, and a bra. The outfit was revealing, but they seemed like workout clothes. If he wanted something different, he should have been more specific.

Honestly, I wasn't sure why it mattered what I wore anyway. The gym was a private room in the flat, consisting of a large open room and a couple of other small rooms off to the side for weights and other exercise equipment. I'd known about it but never used it. Working out had never been my thing, but I guess that was about to change. I just didn't understand why I had to dress a certain way. No one would be watching us anyway.

Keir just had to be a control freak, as usual.

The twins watched me change into my clothes with hungry eyes.

"Damn," Aiden whistled from the bed.

"We just had sex this morning!" I teased them, knowing I'd have been up for another round had I not needed to get to Keir in less than five minutes.

He was finally giving me what I wanted: teaching me how to defend myself. I wouldn't let this opportunity pass, especially since my life literally depended on it now. Sex could wait.

"And? We're bonded now. It makes us want you even more," Nicholas teased back.

He stood and walked over to me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pressing his lips to my forehead. "I know I already said it, but I'm so sorry, Lilly. You didn't deserve this. We promised—"

I looked up at him and pressed my finger to his lips. "I can do this. Don't think of me like I'm dead already. I'm going to do these trials, and then we can move on. Okay?"

He nodded slowly, staring into my eyes with a tenderness only he possessed. I wrapped my hand around his neck and pulled him down so our mouths met. He moaned into me through his parted lips, and I snuck my tongue in, finding him searching for me too.

Our kiss deepened when he snaked his hand into the hair at the base of my neck, holding me to him. He took over the kiss with force, and it was my turn to moan.

"Damn."

We pulled away from each other, smiling, to find Aiden watching. He licked his lips and beckoned me over to him with a wag of his finger. "My turn."

I rolled my eyes at him with a giggle and made my way to him, straddling his lap.

His hands grabbed my waist and traveled up my body until he grabbed the sides of my face and pulled me into him. Our lips united, and I rolled my hips against him, feeling his hard length. He groaned and sucked on my bottom lip.

"Are you kidding me?"

I pulled away from Aiden to see Keir leaning in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest, looking unamused. He wore a black V-neck t-shirt that showed off his tattooed arms—plus more of his tattooed chest than usual—and gray sweatpants. It was a good look for him—a very good look.

"Sorry." I giggled. "I got distracted." I shrugged.

"I'm going to ban sex entirely if you don't take this seriously." He grabbed my wrist and yanked me out of the room, dragging me to the gym despite his brother's taunting plea that he only needed a moment with me.