Page 19

Chapter

Seventeen

GRIM

I was keenly aware that there was something ominous about the image I cut—a dark figure standing out in the pure white snow amongst the bare trees and frozen pond. I was the danger lurking not in shadow but plain sight.

Unbidden, my eyes shot to the ground where my shadow rippled, moving like a marionette although I remained still. He was restless. My power had returned in leaps and bounds over the last few weeks. Admittedly, it had been slow going in the immediate aftermath of Hel’s ritual, but now that I was out here surrounded by nature my power reservoir was nearly overflowing. Unlike my brothers, who had to go out in order to rebuild their strength, I merely had to exist. The circle of life continued no matter where I was. At any given moment, something in my proximity was in a state of decay. That was all I required.

Sin liked to remind me how categorically unfair it was that I could be replenished so easily. I’d given up trying to make him understand that with this power, I also suffered the crippling knowledge that I’d never know the touch of a friend or lover without killing them. And while, yes, I could refill my reservoir by walking into a room and killing everyone in sight, I alone knew how fragile mortal lives were. How precious. So I preferred not to. Instead, I reaped souls when I had to in order to serve a greater purpose.

My footsteps crunched across the frozen ground as I made my way back from my stroll. Disappointment threaded through me at the knowledge that Merri hadn’t come out as she usually did. I’d accompanied her daily, though she was none the wiser. I enjoyed watching the way her breath made little clouds as she walked, the sight of her hair blowing in the wind, the scent of her that was left in her wake. She’d become my obsession ever since the dream I’d had.

Oh, who was I kidding? I’d been obsessing over her from the moment we took her. But now? Keeping her in my sight was damn near a compulsion. The longer I went without seeing her, the stronger the itch beneath my skin. Even now it scratched at me, urging me to go seek her out and discover what had kept her indoors today.

A gentle tugging in my belly drew my attention from the ice-covered pond. It was a sensation I was intimately familiar with, and at first, panic gripped my chest. Someone was dying, and the pull was coming from the direction of the house.

“Fuck.”

I didn’t even bother with walking the relatively short distance, calling on our preferred—though less used—method of teleporting. Between one heartbeat and the next, I was at the door. Just as I went to enter, that tugging came again, this time pulling me away from the door.

Brow furrowed, I turned, my shadow lengthening and stretching like a sentient compass, leading me in the direction I was meant to go. The soul I would be reaping wasn’t inside. But who was it?

I followed, rounding the corner until I came upon the broken body of a raven, its wings twitching, neck bent at an unnatural angle. The poor thing must’ve flown into a pane of glass but hadn’t hit quite hard enough to avoid a slow and painful death.

“Hush now, I’ve got you,” I murmured, sending the shadow form of my hand out to the bird.

It struggled for only a moment before I carefully scooped its soul from its body, leaving the remains silent and still on the snow. Before returning to me, my shadowed fist opened, releasing the flickering soul. I watched the spark fly away, its spirit form taking shape the further it flew. Relief filled me as the soul was given back to the universe. Contrary to popular belief, Death wasn’t a sinister enemy. Not always. I preferred to think of myself as the close of a chapter. A necessary break before starting again. There was peace in that. And mercy.

Although, of course, there didn’t have to be. That gift was mine alone to offer or withhold.

Energized from the power boost, I made my way back to the front of the house, my mind still weighing the role I played in this world. It wasn’t until I was halfway up the stairs that I caught the sound of Merri’s laughter and that infernal itching beneath my skin came roaring back.

“What’s so funny, wildflower?”

I hated knowing someone was making her laugh when I couldn’t even touch her. It sent jealousy blazing through every cell in my body to think Sin or Chaos was in her room with her right now.

“No fair, man. You sunk my battleship. You always fucking win this game.” Sin’s voice filtered from the den, followed by Chaos’s satisfied laugh.

“Strategy is not your strong suit.”

Peeking around the corner, I saw that they were alone. No Merri.

If not them causing her mirth, who?

A more rational man would not have taken that as an invitation to go and discover the answer.

Another giggle came from upstairs. There was no way it could be Malice making her laugh. He didn’t entertain anyone.

“Who do you have in there with you?” I murmured as I ascended the rest of the staircase and made my way to her closed door.

With barely a whisper of sound, I cracked it open and peered inside. Merri was sitting at her desk, computer on, fingers flying over her keyboard. From the way she’d been giggling, I couldn’t surmise whether she was working or playing. Fuck me, but I wanted her to be playing with me .

You could always log in and watch.

As far as ideas went, it wasn’t terrible.

“Mmm, but do you have big ones?” she murmured before she typed something and let out another giggle.

Oh, I’d show her big ones. The walls and door around me darkened as my shadow expanded along with my jealousy. All I wanted was for my dream encounter with Merri to be real, and hearing her flirting with some knob online only drove home the point that I would never have her.

I’d have to settle for the pieces of her that were available to me.

With that thought in mind, I stalked down the hall, my shadow swelling behind me like a billowing cloak.

Just ahead, Sin turned the corner, heading to his room. He took one look at me from his doorway and snickered. “Looks like the ‘I am the night’ portion of the day has begun. Go on. Say it. I’m Batman.”

Without a word, I sent my shadow at him, shoving him inside and slamming the door closed in his face.

“Ow,” he whimpered from behind the wood. “My nose.”

I smirked, then pulled my darkness in closer. He’d be fine. Unfortunately.

With Merri’s sweet giggles still echoing in my head, I stormed into my room and made a beeline for my computer. The curtains were already drawn, blanketing the large space in comforting shadows, and as the screen came to life, I gave myself a moment to gather my composure.

“If you’re going to be distracted, wildflower, it’s going to be because of me.”

I logged in to my account on TwoLips and navigated straight to the only page that interested me. Merri’s.

She wasn’t live.

A sneer curled my upper lip. Was she in a private session?

No. She wasn’t logged in at all. The little green circle at the bottom right of her picture was gray.

So who the fuck was she talking to?

Before I had a chance to follow the line of thought, I noticed the little 1 icon next to the envelope symbol at the top of my screen. I had a new unread message.

That could only be from one person.

I clicked on the icon, and my mouth ran dry at the video that began auto-playing.

“Oh hi, Daddy,” Merri purred into the camera.

Her voice went directly to my cock. I’d already been half hard since spying on her in her room, but now? Fuck, I was done for. It was like a pulse of lust was trained straight between my legs.

My gaze wandered over her form, the sweet-as-pie pair of braids trailing over her shoulders, the pouty pink lips, her spray of freckles. But what really got me was the crisp white men’s button-down she wore. It was many sizes too large for her, only held closed by two buttons in the middle of the shirt, the fabric gaping open and showing tantalizing glimpses of her silken skin.

“I hope you don’t mind,” she continued, fingers lazily playing with the placket of the shirt, drawing my attention to her cleavage. “I snuck into your closet and grabbed one of your shirts.”

I glanced at my closet before my brain reminded me that she didn’t actually know who I was, so she couldn’t have done that. But the thought that she had... fuuuck.

She brought the collar to her nose and inhaled. “Mmm, it smells like you. God, I miss you, Daddy.” Her bottom lip pushed out into a little frown.

Annnd my palm had somehow found its way to my rock-hard erection. I gave myself a squeeze and groaned as my dick throbbed in response. If she was anywhere as good with her mouth as my subconscious had made her out to be, I wouldn’t make it out of a night with her alive. What a twist that would be.

“Such a good fucking girl for me,” I rasped out, knowing she couldn’t hear me but desperate to say it nonetheless.

She leaned closer to the camera, and I swore I could see a tiny sliver of dusky nipple. “I hope you can find some time for us soon. I’d really love to talk to you and make sure you’re getting all your... needs met. Just let me know when you want to see me, okay, Daddy?”

“How about right now, wildflower?” I murmured.

“Hope you’re having a great day, or if not, that my little message made it better,” she continued, blowing a kiss into the camera. “Bye for now... Daddy.”

The message ended and I already missed the sound of her voice. I didn’t care that she didn’t know she was speaking to me , Grimsby. That message was still created for me, which only sent every feral, obsessive part of me into overdrive.

It took all of a heartbeat for me to pull my aching cock free of my trousers and press play on the video again. I might not be able to touch her, but I could still remember the way her hot little mouth felt as she sucked on me like I was her favorite thing in the world.

Closing my fist around my length, I began a slow rhythm as I focused on her. The way her eyes sparkled when she spoke, the shape of her mouth, the play of fingers over her delicate throat. I was already keyed up from earlier, but now? Fuck, now I was wound so tight I knew it wouldn’t take much more before I found my release.

Merri had just blown me her second kiss when a hand touched my shoulder.

“Inevitable, huh?” Sin asked from behind me. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to stay off her site.”

“Motherfucker!” I snarled, jumping up from my chair. “What the hell are you doing in my room uninvited?”

“Uninvited?” Sin asked, a smirk on his mouth. “I wouldn’t say that.” He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “My nose doesn’t lie.”

“You could smell my dick?” I glanced down at my now flagging erection.

“Gross. No. But I sure as hell could smell your lust. I’m sure Merri could too. Maybe I should call her in here?” He glanced over his shoulder. “Oh, Me—” his words cut off on a grunt as I elbowed him hard in the stomach.

“If you say another word, I’ll string you up by your balls and leave you outside for the ravens to pick at.”

Sin frowned for a beat and then shrugged. “Wouldn’t be the worst way I’ve spent a day.”

“Get the fuck out of my room.”

His eyes fluttered closed and he took another deep inhale. “Thanks for the snack.” Then the bastard winked and added, “Daddy.”