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Chapter Three

Thanatos

F uck.

I’d acted without thinking. I’d intervened in a way I couldn’t take back. But those disgusting pigs put their filthy fucking hands on her. They’d try to hurt my little raven, and every single one of them deserved worse than they got. Have it my way and I would’ve burned their insides to liquid and kept their souls locked in their bodies long enough to feel every excruciating second of it.

But…she was watching. I couldn’t just leave her there. Not after she’d seen what I could do. Not when, in order to collect her soul, I needed her to stay safe.

The woman was an evil-human magnet.

Without realizing it, I’d thoughtlessly intervened on several attempts made by demon-infested men to hurt the oblivious little human. I’d even jimmied my way into a window as a raven to scratch and peck at that bastard boss of hers who thought he could put his hands on what was mine. He was lucky I needed to rely on my bird form in daylight because I would’ve done more damage as a shadow had I been given the option. Of course, I made sure to pay him a visit later to satisfy my rage.

Humans who committed evil on a normal basis were especially attractive to demons. A perfect vessel to manipulate. But the number of demon-possessed humans that seemed to hover around my little raven was unnatural. As if something about her was a lure to them. But I couldn’t fathom a reason. From what I’d observed, she was the farthest thing from morally corrupt.

I didn’t make it a habit of intervening on human-demon affairs. They ripened souls by feeding a human’s urge to sin. Only angels cared about the corruption of a human’s soul. Only angels were meant to protect worthy souls from demons. As Death, I was meant only to take a soul in whatever state it came to me. But I couldn’t let my little raven become anyone’s target, not until I’d ripened her soul to personally collect.

So, I’d kept an eye on her in a form she didn’t see as a threat—a raven or shadow. Granted, I’d grown fond of fucking around with her every chance I got. Being Death rarely afforded me the entertainment that Asha became at a moment’s notice. The little human was rather eccentric and reactive when she thought no one was watching. I found myself looking for ways to drag it out of her, and the nights quickly became my favorite time to play.

It wasn’t intentional at first. It was easier to come at night as the shadows. Her presence seemed to have a lure I couldn’t refuse. And in order to strike, I needed to be calculated. I needed to have a plan that couldn’t fail.

Initially, my observations of her were meant only to aid in ripening her soul, but my presence caused a disturbance with her dreams. So, she’d wake in a state of panic. A few times, she even rolled right off the bed in her fright. I’d barely caught myself before snickering, because I could mask my presence but not my voice.

Every night with her hair a mess atop her head and loose clothes hanging off her body like she never bothered to shop for the right size, she’d rant and sing weird tunes I didn’t always recognize, proclaiming herself the master of her emotions and dreams.

Once, she’d even sent her pointed finger my direction, whispering, “Be gone, demon!” I froze, not sure how but convinced she’d seen me. But instead, she ambled to her feet and strolled right past me to the bathroom, mumbling about how her bladder was “stupid” and “couldn’t read a room.”

Honestly, the little thing never made much sense, so why did I crave every word that came out of her ridiculous but lush mouth?

No matter how many times it happened, Asha never failed to entertain me. It was addictive. Sure, being the Reaper of Souls came with an especially dark sense of humor, but I rarely found myself laughing. I rarely smiled at all. So, it’d become a habit of sorts to come to her in the dead of night and seek out the escape her antics offered.

It was very unlike me to spend so much time away from my duties as Death. I didn’t necessarily need to be present. It was true that Death was everywhere, as was I. The ravens and shadows were my messengers whenever I wasn’t available—an extension of my consciousness and desires—but I’d never found a reason to stay away.

Not until her.

If the others knew how often I followed a little human around, I’d lose face with them. They’d think I’d gone insane. And they’d be right to think so. If they knew how I’d spent every night watching her chest rise and fall, counting her breaths, and carefully memorizing her shape and face, they’d intervene on my behalf to see that my duty was fulfilled. Because we only had one moon cycle left to bring the end of the world.

I’d never intended for them to find out I’d already discovered her months before any of them found theirs, but now my entire plan was fucked in a single night. No, if I were honest, it was fucked from the moment our eyes met.

When she finally saw me.

When her gorgeous green eyes dragged down my body, both afraid and thirsty for what I could do to her, it was painfully clear I’d miscalculated. I’d underestimated what months spent watching her might do to my head. Who knew that there was someone out there more powerful than Death.

And her name was Asha.

Fucking shit.

Tonight was the first time I’d chosen to show myself to her. I was curious if she’d notice me. What reaction would she have when our eyes met and she was faced with a stranger she’d normally avoid? Would she glare and say something with that biting wit of hers? Would I make her pussy wet and throbbing with need even when I was everything she shouldn’t want? Would I be the escape she sought tonight? Or maybe…would she know me somehow? Would she recognize me as the shadow and raven who’d followed her for months?

What I wondered most out of everything was whether or not I’d finally get to taste her lips and feel those luscious curves pressed against me.

When she stood there in front of me— finally seeing me —I didn’t care what rule it broke to talk to her. What I risked by reaching out. What could inevitably go wrong if the usual tricks didn’t work on her. Because all I wanted was to hear my name in that raspy tone of hers. All I could think about was finding a reason to touch and feel her warmth under my hands.

Unfortunately, before I could do anything but stare, another demon-possessed human came looking for her. This one gave me pause. His corruption was so far gone he wouldn’t live long. His soul had been ripened by too many demons. And whatever acts he’d already committed, they didn’t bode well for my little raven. So, I let her escape to keep her safe and followed him instead.

If not for that stupid angel who didn’t know her place, I would’ve gotten to her sooner. But I honestly thought she’d already gotten away like all those times before.

She was clever and resourceful. I’d seen it enough times to know Asha wouldn’t hesitate to fight back. It was beautiful how perfectly she punished bad men infested with demons. Too many times when I thought I’d have to be the one to save her, the little human proved she was plenty capable of doing it herself. So, I hung back and watched. I let my little raven punish them in my stead.

Sometimes, I wondered which one of us was truly Death.

Except, when I found her with him, he’d brought more demon-infested bastards, and they’d already overpowered her. The rage went straight to my head. I lost control. I wanted to feel their blood coat my hands and paint my face. Every single bastard would pay with their lives for what they did to what was mine. A punishment so thorough it’d stay with them even as they burned in the recesses of Hell.

But I couldn’t do it as a shadow or raven. So, I came to them as Thanatos. I reaped their souls as Death. I personally sent each bastard to the deepest level of Hell for hurting her.

I didn’t hesitate to take Asha with me. Homicidal rage still melted the flesh from my bones, and I needed to have her in my arms to calm it. I’d already done what I promised never to do. I’d shown myself for who I was, and now I’d need to act quickly if I was going to ripen her soul for the apocalypse.

Letting the shadows remove the blood that saturated my body, I walked through her apartment like I did every night. She’d stayed uncomfortably silent all the way to her room. I carefully laid the little human out over her unmade bed, and her inquisitive eyes finally lifted to my face, seeing something I wished she hadn’t.

Her nightmare.

I’d expected her to scream and shout at me, but she didn’t. If anything, she was too quiet. Of course, she was likely in shock and still unsure of what she witnessed, so I didn’t push. I didn’t speak. I simply took a seat beside her, absently fixing the loose hair that laid across her mouth.

Unlike other humans, I couldn’t read her thoughts. I suspected it was another measure put in place because of who she was and what her soul meant for the apocalypse. But what we knew about Counter Souls was limited to theory. The only thing we knew for certain was that each one of us had one, and reaping any one of them would bring the apocalypse.

“You’ve been here before.” It wasn’t a question; it was a statement. “Is this a dream, then? Is that what’s happening? Dudes can’t tear other dudes apart. You’re not a monster.”

Oh, but I was. The greatest monster of them all.

Asha’s voice wasn’t the robust, sarcastic tone I’d come to expect from her. Tonight, she was afraid. And though I’d enjoyed her fear every night since finding her, tonight’s burned a hole in my throat.

The shock and denial from the night’s events could be exploited to make her think it’d all been a nightmare. I could disappear into the shadows and leave her to think she’d hallucinated everything. It was better to come to her as another human who looked like a man from her dreams—to make her fall into lust and ripen her soul by exploiting her desires. Zelus would. He was a master of conquering others through their desires. But I didn’t want her to forget me. I wanted her to know who I was.

I wanted her to know the monster.

“No, little raven. As much as you wish it were, none of this is a dream.” I dipped my head down, stealing her innocent gaze for a heartbeat before fusing my lips with hers.

I expected Asha to punish me for taking advantage of her. I was rarely surprised by anything, but my little raven continued to baffle. Instead of hitting me, she wrapped her arms around my shoulders and dragged me back down for another kiss.

A groan rumbled inside my chest, reveling in how sweet she tasted. Pleasure was a luxury as the Reaper of Souls, and her mouth against mine was fucking perfection. I could only guess what it’d feel like when my cock made its home inside her, sweetening her soul for the end of the world. It’d probably be the greatest pleasure of them all.

Only one moon cycle left. Only a short month to take this lovely human’s soul, but I’d do it as Thanatos and no one else.