Page 59

Kol

Gargoyle Stronghold

H el put me in Dark Haven centuries ago. I was nothing more than a stone statue, sentient in moments and long stretches of darkness. Helheim was closer to a distant memory than I expected.

Walking back in the stronghold was no different. The stone of this place forged me, but somehow, it no longer felt like home.

Everything was the same, yet different.

New buildings rested among the old, and I didn’t recognize the gargoyles walking the streets.

Hell, my brother was now twice my size and had taken the spot originally intended for me, before Hel got her prophecy and threw caution to the wind.

When she was still invested in our realm and actually upholding its integrity.

Yet I wouldn’t change how things played out. Sure, I’d slept for centuries, but I woke up to a mate. Harlow had shown me how to live and had helped me realize how far Hel had fallen from the leader I’d idolized and sworn my loyalty to.

Helheim had always been a somber place. Everyone did their duty or was forced to face the consequences.

For years I’d watched her pluck away leaders that were never seen again.

Unlike the other gargoyles, I knew Harlow’s worth. I’d already seen her show integrity and knew how she operated. Hel had always viewed this realm as a prison, but for Harlow, it was something new and exciting.

My omega was free from her struggles and her past, and for the first time, she was shown respect. The confidence she was growing was fitting for both my mate and her position.

Hel had created this world, had given us and the demons life. But Harlow would bring Helheim to life in her own way.

Not all souls here deserved to be punished. This was the end of life for all souls not fitting Odin’s warrior lifestyle. It didn’t make them any less worthy of a peaceful afterlife.

As the gargoyles greeted Achar, I was glad I didn’t come alone with Harlow. We were strangers here.

“Where are the other gargoyles?” I questioned when the streets filled with only half of the numbers I expected.

“Hel decided they weren’t worthy,” Achar answered. His voice was solemn and held a pain that only watching your brethren die could induce.

The creatures of Helheim weren’t known for holding emotion. Harlow had put me in my place the moment she met me. She showed me that duty and unquestioning loyalty weren’t enough.

It seemed half our species learned that the hard way.

“What became of them?” Gargoyles couldn’t simply be unmade. Harlow had cleared most of the prison, so I knew they weren’t inside.

The dark look he threw my way told me I would not like this answer.

“She crumbled them into dust and built them into the walls of her castle. Did you notice it looked different than it did centuries ago?”

My stomach turned at the thought. Even when I was in pieces in the prison, I was sentient. I couldn’t speak, but I could hear and think. My stone eyes were forced in only one direction, unblinking, but I could see.

Did that mean they could, too?

The idea of spending centuries never reforming yet forced to exist and observe sounded like a level of torture I couldn’t comprehend.

They could likely hear every conversation, listened to Hel’s descent into madness and her escape. They were forced to know the world they took pride in was failing and they were sworn to protect it... yet couldn’t.

“What part of the castle?” I questioned. It was half a question but he knew what I was asking.

“She extended the entrance to the portal and created new walls in her throne room. The ceiling is higher than ever,” he explained.

“Our new queen will save our brothers,” I said with confidence. Harlow would never let them continue a tortured vigil above her castle.

She’d be as horrified as I was.

But it would have to wait.

For now, we needed to find our warriors and protect Helheim. The portal had to be closed before it was too late for any of us. If Odin’s wrath rained down on us, there’d be nothing left to protect.

“They brought in five demons, we need to match that number,” I told Achar.

At one time, I’d have called the shots, chosen our guards, but this time I stood aside while he handled it.

Achar was swift, calling out names until five gargoyles stood before us.

“This is one of the Queen’s men and a former leader of our kind. He holds a higher rank than I do.”

Achar’s announcement was met with all five of the guards folding their wings and bowing their heads in a show of respect and deferment to my rank.

This time, I returned the gesture. It felt like something Harlow would do and if they protected my mate, then they deserved my respect. I wanted to become the commander they deserved.

Helheim was changing and we’d change with it.

“Now we return to the castle. You won’t be coming back here, grab what you need,” I told them.

They flew away, returning several minutes later with packs in their hands.

The gargoyles flew behind us as we headed for the castle. The entire time, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to go back to Dark Haven, even temporarily.

Once the portal closed, would we ever return again? Earth and Helheim would be balanced again, the gods off our backs, and we’d have to find whatever life we wanted to live here.

Could Harlow be happy living in Helheim for good?

Harlow

The Castle

Mediating Elkan and Drake was like talking to a fucking wall. It only took five minutes to realize there wasn’t much I could do to force them to talk. They either weren’t ready or too stubborn to try.

“Look. I have a lot to figure out and I didn’t want you going into this battle with regrets. We don’t know what we’re going to face on the other side. So, make peace with whatever this is between you.”

They looked at me but I stood and walked out, leaving the two demons to either talk or stare at the floor. I no longer cared.

Roman was waiting in the hallway, his arms crossed as he leaned against the far wall, eyebrows raising at the slam of the door behind me.

“How did it go?” he questioned.

“Awful, as expected,” I said with a shrug. “What are you doing out here?”

He rubbed his chest and winced. “I could feel your frustration,” he admitted. “It was uncomfortable, so I came out here to wait for you, to see if I could do anything to help.”

A grin spread across my face. “Are you offering me a little stress relief?” I asked. He barked out a laugh and wiggled his thick eyebrows.

“I absolutely am now,” he agreed, already sweeping me up in his arms and stalking down the hall. He pushed open a door to a random room with a table and chairs in the center. Roman cleared the chairs with a kick of his foot so he could put me on the table.

He stepped back long enough to rip his clothes off. My eyes were glued to every inch of skin he revealed.

Roman had always been fit, but now his muscles rippled with every movement he made. His skin was darker now, tinted gray, but he still looked like himself, which I loved.

His dark hair was short and styled the same, his face similar, though sharper now that he was literally carved from stone.

And his cock?

It could rival Monty’s.

I was suddenly very glad to no longer be human. They couldn’t break me now.

My eyes fluttered closed as I breathed in deep, letting his fiery scent and alpha musk hit me, my body responding with a fresh wave of slick trickling down my thighs.

Roman watched me with the same level of desperation. It was reassuring that they still found me as attractive as I found them.

“I don’t think I’ve told you how gorgeous you are,” he said as he stepped forward to tear my clothes to shreds, tossing the scraps of cloth aside.

At least I could make new ones.

“Stop with your pretty words and fuck me, gargoyle,” I demanded.

“As you wish,” he teased before spreading my legs wide. He paused for a moment, watching with a grin as slick trickled from my core. The longer he watched, the more I groaned, my need glistening on my pussy and inviting him in.

Finally Roman dove forward, his long tongue teasing and lapping at me as if he were savoring the flavor with each stroke. He was demanding, and I could barely breathe as I thrust into his face, my fingers tangling and tugging at his hair as I chased my release.

My pussy clenched around nothing as I came, and he was pulling me off the table as it still thundered through me, bending me over like he hadn’t just shattered me into a million pieces.

My omega preened at her alpha manhandling her, moving me how he saw fit, using me for his own pleasure.

He kicked my legs apart and lined himself up, teasing the tip of his cock through my slick, spreading it around in slow, torturous strokes that had me cursing him again.

Even if he was rough before, he was far more gentle as he pushed forward, filling my pussy with his impressive cock. Each inch felt like torture, the pleasure and pain warring within me until I was shattering again from penetration alone.

His sweet and gentle action was short-lived. With a feral roar as my warning, his fingers dug into my sides.

He took my second orgasm as his sign to push me to my limits, shoving me down over the table as he fucked me hard and fast now. It was all I could do to cling to the table.

His stone-hard hips continuously slammed into my ass with a loud crack. I had to bite back a laugh at the thought that fucking him was more like a spanking than a simple fuck.

The Roman who left Dark Haven was worried, afraid, almost timid. Now he was confident in his abilities, strong, and sexy as hell. There was no holding back and that was what I always wanted from him. I wanted my mates as they were, no hiding, no insecurity, just them.

My thoughts were torn away as he reached around me, tweaking my hard nipples between his fingers as he slammed into me. He chuckled, low and rumbling, as he forced my body to give him more yet.

There was no being quiet, and just like with the others, I refused to hide from this. If these were our only moments of pure freedom for now, I’d enjoy them.

Just as my body tightened, an orgasm teetering on the edge, I felt eyes on us. Mine flew open and I turned, shocked to see Zetta standing off to the side.

She didn’t look away or cast her gaze down, she simply stood and stared at us. Like we should initiate the conversation.

“Can I help you?” I asked, voice rough and breathless.

“The gargoyles have returned. They asked me to summon you.”

“I bet they did,” Roman grunted. He hadn’t stopped fucking me as we spoke.

Thankfully, Zetta disappeared when the message was delivered.

“You better finish, gargoyle,” I taunted him.

“Only when you do, Queen,” he shot right back, moving one hand away from my breast and down to my clit. The fact he could do all that but never let his rhythm falter was impressive.

My world exploded around me as he forced me to come again. It was intense enough I screamed against the waves of unrelenting pleasure and power that thrummed through me.

My pussy clenched around him as his knot grew, locking us in place. It pushed my already stretched pussy further and I whimpered as it had my aftershocks turning into yet another release. How I had anything left for my alpha was a damn mystery.

Roman picked up my wrist, biting down as he did before, marking me once more.

“I’m yours, in this life and our last,” he said as he pulled away, flicking his tongue over the wound to seal it.

His pleasure and love radiated through the fresh bond, strong and unwavering. He was mine. Forever.

Just as he forced me to come, I did the same to him, my body milking him for every ounce of his cum. He roared out as his knot reached just near my breaking point and resting there. It pushed against my sensitive walls, tears streaming down my cheeks as my emotions reached new heights. I’d never felt anything as deeply as I had since our new awakening, each bond stronger than I could have ever imagined.

We rested in silence, his strong body stretched over mine until his knot released us.

Roman pulled out of me gently, helping me stand. If I were still human, I wouldn’t be walking for a week.

He was sweet enough to clean me off, chuckling as I burned the ripped and cum-covered clothes and summoned a new outfit.

I waited as he put his on before he led me out of the room with a hand on my lower back.

Whatever stress we’d managed to shed was back in full force the moment I saw my small army of gargoyles and demons waiting for me.

Every one of them was armed, and standing in the middle was Valgri. His face was more stoic than ever, which was not a good sign.

“The gods are talking. You need to go now, I’m afraid. Odin is an impatient god. Whatever time frame he gave you is now gone.”

“Where are Elkan and Achar?” I called out. The demon and the gargoyle stepped around the guards and to the front.

“I’m here,” Elkan said. Achar simply stood silent, waiting for my orders.

“You two are here to protect Helheim. I promise I’ll bring you whatever information on Sarah that I can, Elkan, but I need you here.”

The demon didn’t hesitate to nod. He’d always done what was right for Helheim and was punished for it. But even now he was showing me the same loyalty.

“Keep it safe together. There is no more separating the ranks,” I said firmly. Stepping forward I placed a hand on their chests, giving them a fresh wave of power, and Helheim was eager to give it. The realm deemed them worthy.

“The realm will be safe, my queen,” Achar promised, his voice full of awe. The gargoyles behind him all nodded in agreement.

That was enough for me.

“Monty, can you lead us to the portal?”

The commander turned to his own guards. “Respect their orders or there will be consequences.”

That was all he gave them before he stalked away and we were forced to keep up with him.

At least the guys were already armed and ready to go. There was no preamble or talk of plans, we had no clue what we were facing but we were all eager to end this for good.

I grabbed my spear before heading out of the throne room behind the others.

My stomach knotted with anxiety, something I didn’t expect to bring into this life.

Dark Haven had been a stepping stone for the demons, but now that the portal was wide open, I was afraid there’d be nothing left of the place I called home.

My friends were there, and I feared that if they survived, it would have only broken them further.

Layne and Crew were fighters, but they were also human.

As was Sarah.

I might not be a human anymore but the thought of that broke my heart. I would do anything I could to make sure that they survived.

We descended farther into the castle without a word. Tensions were high enough it pulsed through the shared bond, adding to my stress.

Each of us was worried. There was no turning back and the gods were watching, waiting for us to fail.

The worst part was I was no more confident in closing the portal than I was before I died.

There had never been a guide or rulebook, it was riddles and guesswork that ended with a blade to the chest.

I knew it wouldn’t be simple.

Monty pushed open a heavy wooden door revealing an empty room. There was a carved stone archway in the middle of the room, a blue flame swirling under it. I could feel the pull of the human world, of Dark Haven, and the demons beyond it.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” I pushed through them and walked straight to the flame. Helheim’s presence urged me toward it, and I would not ignore it. The realm hadn’t steered me wrong yet.

I didn’t stop walking until I had stepped out of the flames and into the familiar courtyard. As Dark Haven came into focus, my jaw dropped at what I saw.