Page 41

Harlow

Friday Morning

Dark Haven Cafeteria

T he first wave of demons escaped during breakfast. Even from the cafeteria we could hear the roar of the gargoyles. It shook the building, plates and silverware rattling for a moment until the room fell into silence.

By the time Drake dragged Roman and me to the rooftops, it was pure chaos.

Demons had spilled into the human world like never before. Cars were crashing together, and smoke was billowing in the air from fires nearby.

I couldn’t imagine the damage they would do in days if this was mere minutes.

“What do we do?” I asked, my voice breaking with tears.

This meant the gargoyles had not only failed their post, but I had failed as well.

Hel had told me it was my job to close the portal, and here I was witnessing what was likely the downfall of humanity.

Even the portal responded, fracturing even further so more demons were pouring out. They must have known some had gained their freedom or had been wearing us down so they could move as one.

“There’s not much we can do. I have no idea what to tell you, Harlow. The gargoyles can’t leave the grounds, and Ivar and I can’t just go slaughtering these motherfuckers in the streets. Only Hel herself can drag them back to Helheim, and it seems she’s not willing to do that.” Drake was ranting now, pacing back and forth while he threw his hands up in frustration.

I froze at his words.

“Is it really that easy?” I asked. Anger flared within me, and I clenched my fists so hard my nails were digging into the soft flesh of my palms. “She can just fucking drag them back and she’s allowing this?!”

Drake shrugged. “I don’t know but she sure as hell isn’t doing anything to stop it.”

I could see the frustration on his face and the bond was full of all of our panic and anger.

Roman stood to the side, peering out into the chaos unfolding below. Even now, more smoke was flowing out of several more buildings in the distance. I had a strong feeling there would be riots by nightfall.

“Ivar’s here,” Drake said. The ground below filled with shadows, swallowing half of the demons and giving the power back to the gargoyles. They worked with impressive efficiency to take back control.

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. Even if they could do nothing about those that already escaped, at least we had Dark Haven back.

But if it happened once... that meant it could happen again.

“I should venture out, see how bad it is,” Drake said solemnly.

“Take me with you,” I begged. “There’s no one stopping us anymore. Roman can come, too.”

As soon as the words left my lips, Roman was shaking his head.

“No, I don’t want to leave,” he said with enough conviction I held my hands up.

“Okay,” I said. “But I do. Please?”

Drake looked down at me like he was considering it. “Ivar and Kol have enough to deal with. They’re going to freak out if you’re not here.”

“Let them,” I said. “I can’t just stay here like fucking Rapunzel. They can deal with the grounds, and we can check the outside world.”

“Fine,” Drake relented. “But you have to stay close. I don’t know what we’re going to be dealing with out there.”

“Okay. I will,” I promised. Honestly, I’d agree to anything to get outside of Dark Haven even for an hour. “How do we get past security?”

“There’s no security anymore,” Drake admitted. “There’s very few staff members left at all outside of the kitchens and that’s only because they come in through the back entrance and leave the same way. Anyone left watching patients knows. There’s no way they don’t.”

“Perfect!” I grinned. “I’m going to go grab some shoes and a hoodie.”

It felt selfish to be excited for an outing when the world literally depended on me. But if I didn’t reset myself like this… then all would truly be lost. I was barely holding on.

Freedom and a proper nest would go a long way right now.

“Come on. We can’t do anything from the rooftop anyway,” Drake said, clapping Roman on the back as he headed for the door.

Roman’s uneasiness had him retreating the moment we got back to the third floor.

Drake waited in the common room as I changed and grabbed my wallet.

Technically, I was stuck here by law, but I doubted anyone would notice. I wasn’t going to turn down an opportunity to get out of this building at least for a few moments.

Dark haven was home, I had no intentions of running away. As much as I wanted to leave Helheim and all of Hel’s chaos behind.

The lobby was empty when we entered, and Drake pulled out a keycard from his pocket. He scanned it and pulled open the gate.

We made it as far as the stone gargoyles out front before Monty was in front of me.

“Where the fuck do you think you two are going?” he growled. “I can’t be here babysitting you.”

“Nobody asked you to,” I yelled right back. “We’ll be back in a few minutes, Monty. We’re going to see how bad things are out in the city and just get out of this fucking place for a minute. I need to clear my head.”

My voice was bordering on hysterical at the possibility of being yanked right back inside Dark Haven.

Monty stared at me with his soulless eyes, giving nothing away as usual, but after a few beats, he finally nodded once, disappearing in an angry swirl of shadows.

It was the best blessing I would get.

One I knew I’d pay for later. That was fine, he could punish me all he wanted as long as I could get some fresh air.

We took off on foot, walking down the block toward the sound of sirens and screams. No demons crossed our path as we wound through the business district. They were likely long gone.

Sticking around would have been suicide for them if Monty or any of his loyal demons found them. If there were even any of those left.

It was shocking to see that most businesses were running as usual, as if the chaos further in town wasn’t going to affect them.

Were they truly this oblivious?

The answer was yes. Hadn’t the patients at Dark Haven done the same with demons running among them?

I couldn’t wait to see what the news reports said tomorrow. What intricate stories they would come up with to describe the impossible. It’d be a mess of scrambling for explanations while Dark Haven fought to regain full control.

Another rumble had Drake grabbing me and bracing against the nearest brick wall. It lasted for several long moments and I closed my eyes in defeat. I knew the portal was even wider now, like a gaping maw ready to swallow Dark Haven whole.

Even being outside did nothing for my mood. I felt powerless and frustrated and was getting really fucking sick of this.

I knew the moment I went back, I’d be demanding an audience with Hel. The ominous comments and zero answers were over.

If she gave me nothing, then I’d be walking out of Dark Haven completely, leaving her to clean up her own fucking mess.

The question would be, would the guys come with me? Could they? I was positive Vane would have funds stashed somewhere. It could help us hide away.

Even angrily thinking about running away made my chest ache. Monty and Kol could never follow, and I don’t think I could ever break them in such a profound way. Or myself. They were just as much a part of me now.

Monty had visited me before, but it was never for long. He was perpetually in and out of my life.

Here, he was a constant.

At least, he was until the portal ruined everything.

We started walking again. A few humans peeked out of the shops but shrugged and shook their heads, likely chalking it up to nothing.

I couldn’t help but drink in every shop and cafe we walked past. When this was all over could I visit them whenever I wanted. Would I no longer be a prisoner?

“A nesting shop,” Drake noted. “You know, I never really put much thought into how you omegas dealt with not having one.”

“I’m sure it’s hard for some. I think that’s why Layne likes the boiler room. It’s warm and closed over, dark and she has her things down there.”

“And for you?” he asked, his green eyes seeing right through the evasion.

“I’ve never had one,” I admitted. “We don’t need nests until we hit puberty, for me that hit when I was with my grandmother.”

“The one who tried to get you exorcized?” he asked, lips twitching in amusement.

“If only she could see me now,” I snorted, then the laughter bubbled out of me until we were both belly laughing at the thought. It was like a release of all the pent up emotion.

When we stopped laughing I decided to let him in a bit more.

“I’ve always wanted one but I’ve been on suppressors for so long now I don’t know anything else. Even with those the nesting instincts hit sometimes but it’s been a lot worse since finding mates.”

“If we weren’t always together I have a feeling I’d be missing half my clothes by now,” he said, giving me a wink.

“You act like I haven’t done that,” I tease. His eyes widen but I keep walking ahead.

“We’ll get you a nest when this is over, Harlow. I promise.”

“Thanks,” I say, giving his hand a squeeze but not meeting his eyes. I don’t want to think about the fact he might not be able to give me that.

Drake stopped. “Would it be insensitive of me to say we should go get some ice cream?” Drake asked. We both ignored another explosion in the distance.

His statement threw me off so much I let out a startled laugh. I figured Drake would be ready to go full warrior mode, striking down any demons we came across like a vigilante.

Could a demon even be a vigilante?

Once I got my mind to calm down, I couldn’t resist the offer.

“You had me at ice cream,” I joked. “Is there a place around here?”

“Yeah, just up the street. We can check out that block as we go,” he answered as he led me by our joined hands. It felt so strange and surreal to be holding hands with one of my mates as we went for ice cream.

Sure there was a whole demon apocalypse happening but we had to take our moments where we could get them. Especially now that hell had literally broken loose. It would take everything we had to figure out how to put it back together.

The streets were relatively normal as we made our way to the ice cream shop. The scent of waffle cones and sweet cream wafted out of the small storefront. I was practically salivating by the time we reached the order window.

“Hello, cuties, can I help you?” The old woman looked unaffected by the chaos in her city.

“Can I have a scoop of triple chocolate and a scoop of s’mores ice cream in a waffle cone?” I asked.

“Chocolate lover, a girl after my own heart,” she joked as she scooped out my order and handed it over. “And for you sweet cheeks?”

“Vanilla.”

“Excuse me?” I asked, choking on my first bite of ice cream.

“You heard me,” he said with a mock glare.

“I had you pictured for rocky road... anything but vanilla ,” I said as I burst out into laughter.

He chuckled softly as he watched me wipe away my tears. It was the most I’d laughed in weeks.

“What can I say, I’m a boring kind of guy.” That had me laughing even harder.

“You are definitely not boring.”

Drake paid for us and stuck an insane tip in her jar.

We walked farther into the city, eating ice cream and enjoying the moment.

I had never realized how calm it was at Dark Haven until stepping outside. Between the sirens, people talking and yelling, and traffic, it was almost too loud to handle.

“It’s weird being outside,” I admitted.

“It’s healthy to get out every once in a while, even if we decide to stay,” he said. I felt his gaze on me and thoughts of leaving fell away.

“I have nowhere else to go, Drake. I’m not going to leave you here, and I know you’re not going to leave because of your mom. I’m not sure about Hiro, but Roman doesn’t even want to leave. Monty and Kol are obviously stuck besides quick visits outside where no humans can actually see them. We could go out once in a while, have dinner in town, see a movie, live real lives, but Dark Haven is our home. Even if it gets shut down as a hospital, we’ll just turn it into a private property. I’m sure we can forge something to get ownership.”

Drake let out a long breath. “You don’t know how much I needed to hear that.”

He stopped, pulling me forward by my belt loop and kissing me hard. He tasted like vanilla ice cream and I decided maybe that was the perfect flavor for him.

“I’m glad you came to Dark Haven, Harlow.”

“Me, too.” I may have come in kicking and screaming, but now I would do anything in my power to just keep my home in one piece.

Monty

The flow of demons had finally slowed as evening descended on the grounds of Dark Haven.

Harlow had been gone for a few hours and she wasn’t back yet. I could tell she needed the escape, and I was trying to respect that she needed space. But having her gone was driving me fucking crazy.

We’d cleaned up the carnage, sending the demons back to Helheim. The ones who’d gotten past us were beyond our control.

It wouldn’t be long before they were destroyed anyway. Being that far from the portal when it was only partially open meant they’d burn from the inside out within days.

Then another wave of demons would try to replace them.

It was a never-ending cycle I was swiftly growing tired of.

The moment I felt Harlow’s presence, I was in front of her. My hands and gaze scanned her to ensure she was fine before I whisked her away to a private room, not even bothering to warn Drake.

Fuck the half demon, he’d had her long enough.

“Do you know how fucking worried I was with you on the outside? I was here dealing with this and you were—” I paused as I took in a deep breath. Her scent was accompanied by a hint of chocolate. “Did you get ice cream while we were slaughtering demons?”

My voice was full of shock but I found it eased something in my chest. I liked that she had someone to soften her when I couldn’t. She was still a fragile human and I needed to remind myself of that once in a while.

Harlow’s cheeks burned but fire flared in her eyes as she glared up at me. “I did the first normal fucking thing that I’ve done in months. I’ve given everything to Dark Haven, everything .”

Seeing her anger only fueled mine, and before I knew it, I was tearing away at her clothes, turning her around and bending her over the desk.

We needed to clash on a primal level before we tore each other apart with our words.

“Really?!” she yelled back at me. “Is this how we’re going to solve every disagreement?”

“Are you saying no?” I growled, taunting her, knowing damn well she was already wet for me.

As if to prove my point, I slid my finger over her exposed pussy. She moaned as I teased her and when I pulled my hand back, my finger was coated in her slick.

She continued to bite out insults as I finger-fucked her, stretching her until she took four of my fingers without complaint.

“Fine, Monty. Fuck me, then we’re going to talk about us.”

“Well, I’d say we’re in the right fucking place for that, Harlow,” I said as I slammed into her.

She let out a keening cry, my cock too much for her even though I’d prepared her body. I didn’t wait or hesitate as I fucked her, slamming my thick shaft into her so fast and hard the desk was scraping across floor. I needed to know she was mine. To feel her. To reassure myself she was truly back.

My obsession with her was even more intense now that I’d bitten her and solidified our bond.

I showed no mercy, using her body to get every ounce of frustration out of mine.

Seeing the demons escaping, knowing my queen had betrayed me, watching Harlow find normal moments with her fucking humans and half demon that I could never have with her, was all just too much.

“Monty,” she gasped out as I wrapped my tail around her, teasing over her clit until she was coming on my cock, screaming my name like a curse as her greedy cunt clenched around me.

The smell of her slick had me breathing her in, running my nose along her spine and letting it infiltrate my being.

I continued to fuck her without stopping, using her and wringing pleasure from her body with no remorse.

It was clearing my own tension, which was really the goal here.

Needing more, I ripped off my mask and tossed it on the ground as I pulled out of her, turning her around and slamming her back down on my cock. She could only grab onto my cloak, holding on tight as I slammed into her swollen pussy.

“Fuck you, Monty,” she seethed. But now her hips rocked, meeting me thrust for thrust as she rode my cock shamelessly. Those gorgeous blue eyes rolled back in her head as she clung to me.

Her next orgasm had her entire body shaking, milking my cock, but I refused to come yet.

Slick spilled out around us, trailing down her ass and coating the desktop in her desire. It was making my head spin but still I held on.

I wasn’t done with her yet.

She dug her nails into me as I slammed her into the wall, my wide mouth slanting over hers as my knot locked her in place. It wasn’t a sweet kiss, I could never give her that, it was a tangle of teeth and tongue, and she loved every fucking second of it, still rocking her hips as I devoured her.

Her cries were beautiful as I nipped my way down her neck onto the top of her breasts, marking her as I punished her body.

Her curses filled the air and they only fueled my hunger. She didn’t fall apart like this for anyone else. This was all mine.

“You break so beautifully for me, Harlow.”

With that I came undone, filling her completely as I bit down on her neck. My knot had her screaming as it pushed her to her limits and beyond. If she wasn’t an omega it would break her, but her body could handle me and we both knew that.

Her human and half breed may be able to give her the outside world that I couldn’t, but I left my mark on her and had infiltrated her senses, her body, her mind, her soul, and I knew she could never let me go.

“What did you want to talk about? You have my attention.” Normally we weren’t the talk-about-our-feelings type. However, if she was this insistent, I’d entertain the idea for now. Especially with my knot holding her in place.

“Where do you keep going? I feel like you’ve been avoiding me, Monty.” It was blunt and full of hurt.

“I’m doing what I can to keep you alive. Playing two sides of a war isn’t easy and half the time you’re walking right into danger,” I said.

She blinked up at me.

“I don’t—” I cut her off with a harsh laugh.

“Third-floor-staff hallway?” She grimaced at my words.

“There was no other choice,” she defended weakly. “I can’t just let you guys do everything for me all of the time.”

“You’re human and extremely fragile, Harlow. If I lost complete control, I could break you. We demons and gargoyles are not the same breed. We can handle the fighting. You cannot. Which is good because I like you soft and a bit reliant on me. It makes me feel like I have a purpose.”

“You have always had a purpose, Monty,” she argued. “You’re a commander of Helheim. And you’ve always been my best friend. I wouldn’t have survived without you.”

“When you were first on the run. The first night on the streets. I killed two men for you,” I admitted with a grin.

“What?” she gasped. “While I slept?”

“You were having bad hallucinations and didn’t know I was there. When you passed out in the park, two men found you. Their thoughts and words sealed their fate. No one will ever find them.”

“Did you burn them to ash?” she asked, not at all put off by the fact I’d admitted to killing someone for her.

“No. I killed them and took their souls to Helheim. They’re currently spending eternity wandering the frigid wastes.” The thought had my grin widening and she shook her head.

“You’re a twisted demon, Monty.”

“I’ve never claimed to be otherwise. I’m not this soft demon who will be able to work out your complicated emotions. But I will always make sure you’re safe.”

“You love me,” she joked. But there was a question in there. It was hard. Love wasn’t an emotion demons knew well. The truth was, I was devoted to Harlow and had been for years. She was who I thought of always and would defy my queen for.

“Don’t tell anyone. It would ruin my credibility.” She grinned wider at that, and her smile almost warmed my nonexistent heart.

“Your secret is safe with me.”