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CHAPTER THIRTY

I ’m sweating. Almost every inch of my body feels constricted, and I gasp as I try to fling my blankets off my legs. It feels like I’m trapped in a furnace; it’s so damn hot. I struggle harder, trying to break free from my scorching prison.

“Ow. What the hell…? Ow, fuck,” a sleep-roughened voice grumbles as I kick my legs about. I relax slightly as some awareness returns to my brain at the sound. The restriction to my body is only another person lying mostly on top of me, thankfully avoiding pressure on my belly at least. That makes sense. It’s still too hot, though. I sigh, silently vowing to free us from the blankets trapping all the heat in…as soon as I can find the willpower to do it, anyway.

“Aim for less valuable assets, Hellfire,” Rio complains sleepily a moment later.

I snort at his joke, immediately going to crack one back, when the oddity of the situation hits me like a brick and my mouth snaps shut.

Rio is in my bed. Not only is he in my bed, he’s coiled himself around me like a damn boa constrictor! I renew my wiggling, this time with a new goal in mind. After a few more moments, I finally manage to twist myself around into a better position. I flick my fingers in the direction of the bedside lamp, switching it on with a silent command of my magic. The dim lighting illuminates the space just enough to see Rio’s face. He’s staring at me with a grumpy look of indignation for having been woken up.

“What are you doing here?” I question, almost immediately breaking off into a yawn. Damn it. It’s too early for this…or too late. I actually have no idea what the time is. One of the spells worked into the windows blocks out natural light with a press of your fingertip. With no sun to tell me, it could be two in the morning or seven. I’ve been waking up so tired recently that it’s truly impossible to tell.

“The others are out strengthening the barriers and painting sigils all over the property while your brother frowns at them for ruining his ‘homely country aesthetic’, as he put it.” He snorts, then adds, “That puts me on Eden protection duty.”

He says it so simply, as if it entirely explains away him being in my bed, wrapped around my body like a snake who’s planning to swallow me whole. I understand the guys are being extra cautious after everything, but this is more than a little intense. I think Rio may possibly be the most all-or-nothing person I’ve ever met.

“You know you’ve been within arm’s reach of me since you arrived, right? I’m lucky to get a pee break by myself, so at what point have you been off Eden protection duty?” I demand, still confused about how he ended up in my bed, snuggling me.

Rio just stares at my face, not blinking, behaving like I’m the one overreacting here. He’s definitely wrong about that.

For the two days since my brother’s well-intentioned kidnapping, Rio has been my shadow, somehow managing to step up his constant vigilance to a whole new level. Wherever I am, he’s always within reach. The night before last, he slept in the hall right outside of my door, as if I didn’t already have a demon sleeping in my bed, perfectly capable of protecting me himself. What’s worse is that he kept cracking the damn door open, even after I spent an hour arguing with him about privacy.

Ash had been the one to sleep with me that night specifically so I could feed from his higher vitav levels, much to Dai and Torrin’s disappointment. I was not about to have sex with the door open. Not while Rio was right outside, and my parents and brother were sleeping down the hall. I’d at least like the damn illusion of privacy, thank you very much. I’d only barely managed to convince him not to lean directly against the shut door of the bathroom every single time I go in there. I’m pregnant, so I need to pee a lot, and I do not appreciate an audience watching or listening in while I’m doing so.

Does he think Paimon is going to slide up out of one of the drains or something?

I shudder at the thought, a new fear accidentally unlocked.

“I’m not letting anything happen to you,” he says, clearly clocking the movement. “And if that means holding you through a nightmare, then that's what I’ll do. I was on the floor until you started whimpering and tossing about,” he explains as he slowly sits up. Shirtless. In nothing but thin grey sweatpants.

My cheeks heat, but I can’t take my eyes off of him.

“I wasn’t having a bad dream,” I protest, waving my hand at the lamp and plunging us back into darkness to hide from the look in his eyes. Also, quite possibly because it’s the only way I’ll stop myself from staring. There’s no hiding for me, though, as he snaps his fingers and the lights flicker back on.

Rio’s frowning now, looking slightly offended as if I called him a liar. “Yes, you were. You were sweating, tossing, and turning. You kept whimpering and moaning…” He pauses, apparently saying the words aloud has led him to another possible conclusion. His eyes go wide, his lips parting slightly in his surprise. “Oh. So, definitely not a nightmare.”

I wince, nibbling my bottom lip as my cheeks burn with embarrassment. I should have just let him think I was being tortured in my sleep. Well, at least he can’t possibly know who the dream was about, and I’m not about to tell him. No fucking way. Besides, it’s hardly my fault his scent was in the room, teasing my sleeping horny brain. It’s not like I asked for him to be conjured up in the x-rated dream I was having.

“Nope.” With a slightly aggressive flick of my hand, I turn the lights off again, roll back over, and bury my face in my pillow.

“Eden, do you need me to go get Torrin or Daion? Or the Ashhole—I mean Ash?” he asks in a gentle tone, adding a teasing hint as he calls Ash an Ashhole.

Is he broken?

Stalking my every move. Watching me sleep. Listening to me fucking pee unless I scream at him for privacy! And even though I was having sinful-as-hell dreams about the demon hunter, he tried to comfort what he thought was a nightmare. Have I died, and this is actually some kind of hell? Luring me into a false sense of safety, only to rip the rug out from under me?

“No. And stop being so fucking nice,” I hiss, my emotions and hormones getting the better of me. Seems like that's the current theme of my life these days.

“I’m not being nice,” he snaps back, jerking upright. I feel him moving, yanking blankets out of the way and getting closer to me. I thought maybe he was about to leave, but instead he lies down, cuddling up to my back.

“Yes, you are!” I huff. “Vowing to protect me, following me around all day and night. Now you’re offering to go get the two men you were telling me to stay away from only a week ago, just so they can help me out after a sex dream! Hell, you even offered to go get Ash when you hate demons! What do you call all that, if not being nice?” I roll onto my back and look over at him, finding it difficult to argue with someone while they’re spooning me. I attempt to sit up, but my lack of abdominal strength and the big ass baby in the way make it difficult. I end up settling for rolling over onto my side so I can face him.

He’s got some stupid smirk on his face, and I want to bite him to wipe it away. I glare harder at the massive pain in my ass.

“What happened to the man who tried to kill me? The one who was constantly insulting me? What happened to telling me to pick a guy or fuck off?” I hiss. My words hit their mark, and finally that fucking smirk wipes away as he practically breathes fire, his chest heaving.

“You were taken, Eden.” Rio successfully sits up, the bastard. He moves so he can hover over me, one hand on the bed beside my head, the other cupping my cheek. The fire turns to simmering embers as he stares into my eyes with more passion than I’ve ever seen. “Right in front of me. One of the most evil beings to ever set foot on this world wrapped his hands around you, and you disappeared right in front of me.” His muscles shake as his voice trembles. I’m hypnotised by his every word. “I didn’t know what he was going to do to you. How you might be suffering. The pain he would cause you. And do you know what I felt?”

“Relief?” I can’t help but say. My sass refuses to take a day off, even in a moment like this, but especially with Rio. He lifts an annoyed brow at me, clenching his jaw.

“No, Eden. Not relief. In that moment, staring at the empty space where you had been, all I could feel was pure, soul-deep, agonising fucking fear. I’ve never been that fucking scared of anything, so terrified for someone else. For what he was doing to you or what he might do to your child.” His hand slowly drifts from my cheek down to my stomach.

The heavy weight of his warm palm against my bare belly makes me shiver. My lips part as I stare up at the man who’s been a thorn in my side since we met, taking in the way he gently touches me. How he’s looking at me right now, I swear it’s not only the thought of me being in pain that bothers him. He’s staring as if the idea of living without me is unbearable to him and like he doesn't have a clue what to do about it.

Is his overbearingness the last few days because he can’t figure out how to channel feelings for me normally? No, that's insane. Not Rio. He can’t have feelings , not for me anyway.

There’s no way that makes any sense…

“Oh my Goddess, my lusty juju is too powerful!” I yelp, shoving at his shoulders. I obviously catch him by surprise, as he goes flying off the side of the bed, landing with a thud. I wince. Fuck, a bit too much oomph there. “Shit, sorry. I wasn’t trying to send you into orbit, but you need to leave, Rio. Go get Ash or something. Maybe have one of them guard the door. I’m clearly sending out more juju than I realised. I must be drugging you…”

“Fucking shit, Eden!” he growls from the floor. “You’re not controlling me with your succubus shit. Why is that always your first assumption when someone tries to tell you that they might give a shit about you!” Rio pops his head back into view as I finally manage to sit upright, shooting me an annoyed look.

“How do you know?” I demand. “Maybe it's so damn effective, you can’t even tell.” I throw my hands up, and the stupid tank top I wore to bed rides up my belly even further, exposing the round beach ball I’m growing to the room. At least my boobs are still contained. Now is not the time for a nip-slip.

“You are so stubborn!”

“Says you! Have you met yourself? I have never in my life met anyone as stubborn as you are. You literally hated me from day one simply because I got dicked down by a demon!”

“Your mouth is filthy,” he says, slowly climbing back onto the bed. “Do I need to do something about your attitude, Eden?”

My mouth pops open, and I stare at him with wide eyes. “Like what, Rio? Murder me?”

“Murder that fucking...” Rio trails off quietly as he kneels beside me. He shoves his hands into my hair, holding me still as he leans in, only stopping a few inches away from my mouth. “No one has ever infuriated me the way that you do, Eden. You test my self-control, push all the buttons I have, and challenge me every chance you get.”

“You started the war, Rio. I only wanted to win every battle,” I murmur as his scent washes over me. He’s so close. So handsome. My eyes flutter shut, my heart racing.

A knock on the door pulls me out of the moment, and I snap my head to the side to look, but no one steps in.

“Tell him to leave,” Rio murmurs as I stare at the door, waiting.

“Eden?” It’s Daion's voice through the door. He knocks again, but I don’t know what to do. I could be hurting Rio with my juju. Daion could get him away from me, but…what if he’s right? What if I am making incorrect assumptions?

“Look at me,” Rio demands, forcing my eyes back to his, his fingers guiding me back to him. “Tell Daion to leave, Eden.” He leans in, his lips brushing mine so slightly, and I gasp. “I can give you what you need,” he whispers. My breath trembles against his lips as my body shakes. His eyes hold me hostage, and fuck, I want to give in so badly.

Rio makes everything difficult. He’s stubborn, angry, volatile. He’s also loyal, lethal in his protection of his family. He’s thoughtful, even when he wants to pretend he isn’t. Like giving me his food, even when he still hated me, simply because he saw I wanted it. What Torrin told me the day we first met was wrong. Rio isn’t just a good man; he’s one of the best.

“You’re completely sure you’re feeling okay? I’m not manipulating you?” I ask again, because I have to know. Before I leap off this cliff, I need to know he’ll catch me. I’m scared of the feelings that Rio stirs in my chest.

I’m terrified, in fact, because at this moment I realise what's been holding me back from fully giving myself to what’s been growing with Torrin and Daion. It’s Rio. No matter how much I care about the other two, I could never be the thing that comes between the three of them. If being with me means that they might lose Rio, I’m not willing to ask that of them. And I’m not willing to force Rio to choose. Tolerate me, or lose your brothers.

No, I couldn’t ever do that.

But what if Rio chose me, too?

Could this be where I belong, where I finally feel like I fit? Fuck, the warm buzz of energy in my chest that sparks with that thought nearly brings tears to my eyes.

“Do you want me?” Rio asks, looking at me like his life hangs on the edge of my answer.

“I want you,” I force myself to admit, swallowing as the knocking at the door drifts away, and all that remains is this moment between us.

He releases a shaky breath, smiling gently. “And do you want me to fuck you? Do you want me to keep fucking you as often as possible, every chance I get? Every time you get mouthy. Every time you enrage me and I need to fix your attitude? Every time I can’t control my need to have my hands on your body?” He presses a soft kiss to the corner of my lips, then leans back. “Is that what you want?”

“Yes.” This time, the word flies right out of my mouth.

“I’m never letting you escape me, Hellfire.”

For some reason, those words, ones meant to sound like a threat, are a promise instead. One that fills my heart with more joy than I knew I was capable of feeling.

“Good.” I lift my chin, daring him to take the words back with my eyes.

“Last chance, Eden. Once I sink my cock inside your soaked pussy, you’re never going to be free of me. If you leave, I’ll hunt you down. If you run, I’ll catch you. If you say yes, I’m making you mine, and I won’t ever let you walk away from me,” Rio growls the words against my skin as he presses kisses down my neck. “I’ll bind you to me. Make you mine forever. No spell on Earth could release you.”

“Have you been possessed?” I whisper, my chest heaving, my eyes falling shut as the feel of his lips against my skin seeps into my bones and lights me up from the inside out. I’m needy, wet for him already, as I reach up to pull him harder against me. He’s threatening me. That much is clear, but fucking hells bells, that was the hottest declaration I’ve ever heard.

“Yes,” Rio groans, pulling me into his lap so I can straddle his hips, my mind foggy with desire for the demon hunter that has me wrapped in his arms. “By a demonic witch who smells like sin and sends my heart and mind spiralling into the void.”

“You sound unhinged.”

“Good. You’ll take my threats seriously then.” He bites down on my shoulder, dragging his teeth across my skin, making me shiver. “Fuck, you feel so good in my arms,” he murmurs, leaning back enough to look into my eyes. “Kiss me, Eden. Leave your mark on my heart. Brand me as yours so everyone will know who my soul belongs to.”

Who the hell taught this man how to say things like that? I’m fucking weak for him. If he asked me to crawl for him right now, I’d probably only ask how far…

“Why is that so hot?” I giggle. “Anyone else threatening to bind me to them would not be sexy,” I add, frowning as I stare into his eyes, still a tiny bit concerned that he’s been possessed by my lusty juju, but we’re both too far gone to turn back now.

“Maybe you’ve already accepted your fate as mine.” He smirks, entirely too confident.

“Have I? You basically just confessed your eternal undying love for me, Rio. Vowed to hunt me down if I try to leave you and everything. If anyone has accepted their fate, it’s you,” I counter, leaning in to kiss his collarbone. He shudders under the touch of my lips, and I smile, a vicious sort of satisfaction spreading through me at his response.

“You’re obsessed,” I tease in a low whisper. I kiss up his neck slowly. “Desperate for me.” Now I kiss his jaw, dropping my weight down onto his hard length still trapped under his grey sweatpants. “Beg me to kiss you, Rio,” I finish whispering as I roll my hips, grinding into him. His growl in response is half feral.

“Please, kiss me. Put me out of my misery; make me feel your love.”

Yeah, that’ll do it.

I kiss Rio, claiming him. Marking him with my need as I bite his bottom lip, dragging it between my teeth. He moans, the sound even better than I could have imagined, his cock twitching between my thighs. I grind against him as we kiss, tongues tangled, feral sounds filling the room.

“Fuck me,” I demand on a gasp when I break away for air.

“I’ll make love to you,” he snarls back, tugging my hair enough to send tingles down my spine. “Say you’re mine, Eden.”

Panic fills my chest with his words. Say I’m his…only his? It’s like he can read my mind because he bites my neck.

“I would never ask you to walk away from them for me, Eden. I fucked up before. I was wrong. I know you need them, just as badly as I need you. You’ll be ours , but I need to hear you say you’re mine .” he soothes the bite with gentle kisses before leaning back to look into my eyes.

“I’m yours, Rio. Make me yours.”

Rio helps lay me down, hovering over my body and kissing me slowly. Gently. Like he’s memorising the feel of me. He takes his time before helping me out of my clothing and then removing his own. When he leans back, and I get a look at his entire body, I shake my head.

“You look so good.” I feel slightly self-conscious, my large pregnant belly taking up so much room, I feel it’s surely all he can see.

“You’re so incredibly stunning, Eden. I don’t want you any less even when you’re carrying someone else’s child.” Rio leans in, pressing a soft kiss to my shoulder before growling in my ear, “But one day, I’ll fill you with my cum, and then watch your belly grow with our child instead.”

My eyes go wide, but Rio doesn’t wait for a response. Instead, he grabs my hips and helps flip me onto my knees. I catch my upper body with my hands, looking over my shoulder at Rio.

The demon hunter caresses my ass, giving it a little spank while grinning at me. “Hold on tight, Hellfire.”

The first press of his cock at my entrance makes me gasp, and my eyes fall shut. I’m so wet for him already, and he slips inside me so easily.

“Fuck, you feel so good.” Rio groans, his hands gripping my hips tightly as he thrusts in fully before pulling out and pushing back in.

The stroking of his cock against my g-spot has me close to coming already, so I reach between my spread legs. I have to manoeuvre to get around my large belly, but once I do, I cup his balls in my hand. Every thrust he makes into me makes them slide against my hand. Rio shudders, his body shaking behind me. I bite my lip, cupping them as long as I can, hoping it helps him get closer to coming with me.

“Demonic little witch,” Rio hisses, slapping his hand harder against my ass. I moan, clenching around his thick cock.

As I start to pull from his vitav, my orgasm crests and I scream his name, dropping my face to the mattress. With his hands on my hips, Rio keeps me still as his thrusts get more erratic while he fucks me through my orgasm. My hand that had been cupping his balls falls to the bed as I fight to hold myself up.

“Fuck, Eden ,” he says, and the way he groans my name out is fucking sinful. “Fuck, you’re so good. Such a good girl…” His words send me spiralling into another orgasm, and I cry out into the bed beneath me, feeling the flow of energy as he tumbles over the edge with me this time.

“Rio…” I moan his name as his cock finally stops twitching inside me.

Rio stays there for a moment after, just blanketing my back with his warmth, though eventually he presses a soft kiss to the back of my neck and slowly pulls out. He helps me lie back on my side, leaving for only a moment to return with a warm wet rag. Thoughtfully, he helps clean the mess off my thighs before climbing into bed behind me again and pulling me against his body.

“Mine,” he breathes in my ear as sleep claims me once more.