Page 16 of Devil’s Doom (Jaga and the Devil #2)

Chapter sixteen

Trust

I try to get off his lap, but he holds me without effort, his eyes quizzical as he observes my struggle. I huff with frustration, squirming in the cage of his arms until I end up straddling him, my hands planted on his chest.

When I make a little headway, he simply readjusts his hold and brings me closer, until my skirt bunches around my hips, my core pressed against his erection. His mouth twitches in a small smirk, a fissure in his mask, and I groan in helpless fury.

I wish I didn’t spend all my magic. My well is filled to the brim, but it’s his power, and as I once learned, I can’t use his own magic against him. All I have is my physical strength, and it’s clearly not enough.

When my attempt to break free makes his cock buck against me, I give up, shooting him a foul look. Woland chuckles with obvious pleasure.

“Negotiating implies a level of trust,” I hiss. “I don’t trust you at all.”

He inclines his head slowly, his neck muscles taut under the weight of his antlers. “And yet, we will negotiate, because I have power over your friends, and you’re currently helpless to stop me. Honestly, Jaga. Sometimes, you’re such a thrilling challenge, and then you blunder so badly.”

I dig my nails into his chest. “How did I blunder?”

“You found people to care about. Again. When will you learn? The only way to be strong is to stay completely self-reliant. Caring for others is a weakness. Believe me. I am ruthless enough to exploit it, and I’m not the only one.”

I stare at his smug face, his eyes hooded, that glib mouth so sensuous, and I have an urge to claw his smirk right off. He’s right. Lech, Rada, and Dar being at Woland’s mercy is my worst nightmare, and of course it happened. I should have learned not to make friends.

At the same time, I couldn’t have stopped it. When they came into my life, I was starving for company and affection. And if you starve someone long enough and then put food in front of them, they won’t be able to stop eating.

“Fine. I haven’t learned. But it seems like you’ve learned little, too. I’m disappointed,” I say, forcing my voice to be calm.

He raises a single eyebrow. “Oh? And what haven’t I learned?”

“What happened the last time you killed my friend?” I ask through clenched teeth. “Did it work out the way you wanted?”

His eyes glitter, that obnoxious smirk gone. I stare at him with belligerence until he heaves a long-suffering sigh and purses his lips.

“Your friends are still alive, aren’t they?” he asks, angry and a bit petulant. “But their continued existence depends on what we decide in this room. I can let them live. I can send their souls to Wyraj. Or I can obliterate their bodies and souls until nothing is left. Which is why you will negotiate with me—you can’t afford not to.”

Even as he threatens me with things that make my blood chill in my veins, he keeps playing with my hair. I wonder why. Is it something he enjoys or simply another manipulation tactic?

I hate that I can’t tell when he lies. I used to think strong lust or anger made him honest, but I learned the hard way that he can easily deceive me while buried thorns-deep in my cunt.

The devil’s deceit isn’t just limited to words. He lies with his whole body, and it’s sick, but I crave that body and his lies. My chest warms with longing, my core pulsing with need, and I bite the inside of my cheek, doing my best to hide it.

He grips my hair and sharply bares my throat. I cry out from pain even as a wanton spark of desire shoots through my belly. I’m as twisted as he is.

But Woland isn’t about to guzzle more of my blood. His fingers trace the space between my collarbones, his eyes tight with a frown. When I try to look down, his hold loosens, and he lets me. I notice the faintest reddish glow painting the skin over my sternum.

“So that’s where it is,” the devil whispers, stroking that place until it flares with sensitivity. “A part of me that you willingly put inside you. That’s perverse, little witch.”

I try to scoff, but it comes out forced. My heart beats faster, his touch and that peculiar, intense look in his eyes making me squirm.

“I had to hide it from you. You’d take it away.”

He hums in thought, gazing at that glow, his fingers stroking and stroking in a hypnotic rhythm. He speaks with slow deliberation, as if trying to solve a riddle.

“Maybe. But you could have chosen any other way. You could have made me unable to touch it or a number of other things. But you chose to bury it next to your heart.”

Suddenly, he grins, his eyes sparkling with triumph. My throat grows dry. Even as I can’t help but drink in his gorgeous face, cold shivers crawl down my spine. I feel like he discovered something, only—what? I didn’t bury the pendant inside me consciously. I just wanted to hide it, and my magic did the rest.

“Here is what I propose,” Woland says with an easy smile, confident and infinitely amused. “You and your friends will stay here and join the rebellion. You, my darling, will make yourself available whenever I want to have your blood or fuck. And in return, I will protect your friends and stop trying to claim you.”

“No.”

That word is a reflex. It’s what I always say to him, and my panic at his suddenly triumphant mood makes me resort to old patterns. Woland doesn’t seem deterred, a low chuckle vibrating in his throat.

“Fine. I feel generous today, so I’ll let you choose how they die.”

He grins like it’s a good joke. I clench my fists and hit his chest once, frustrated.

“No. Let me think it through.”

“Oh, think away. I’ll amuse myself while you consider.”

Before I have time to ask what he plans, Woland’s large hand settles low on my back. He pulls me closer in a sharp tug, his erection nestling between my legs. He rolls his hips, his eyes on me, sparkling smugly.

“Gods,” I gasp out, trying to sound dismayed even though I’m anything but.

I hate him, I fear him, yet I missed him with all my being. Now that he’s here, seducing me like the devil he is, I can’t even pretend to be indifferent.

“What’s the matter?” he asks with false concern. “Do I distract you?”

“Eat your tail,” I grumble, looking away to hide my blush.

He laughs, warm and hearty, and I clench my teeth, resisting the urge to look at him. Woland is beautiful when he laughs, but I should probably train myself to stop noticing it. I wish I were more in control, but my body comes alive under his touch, and it feels too good to deny myself.

“You know, if you agree to my terms, you’ll have a chance to explore every inch of my tail,” he tempts me in a smooth purr. “I’ll have you here often, sometimes a few times a day if you can take it. Your absence made me quite frustrated.”

That takes me by surprise, since I thought he only wanted to fuck me to get me pregnant. I look up, gasping when our eyes meet. He looks so pleased. Happy and content, like having me in his lap and trading insults is his favorite pastime in the world.

Liar , I remind myself.

“Oh, yes, because you only want what you can’t have,” I scoff. “Or so you once told me. If I agree, then, there’s a good chance you’ll lose interest. It makes your offer more attractive.”

He flexes his hips, holding me firmly against him. “That’s adorable, but I know you’re lying. You want me just as much as I want you. Maybe more.”

He presses against my lower back, grinding against me. His cock rubs my clit through my clothes, and I bite my tongue hard, hoping the pain will override the pleasure. Woland grips the back of my head and takes my mouth in a savage kiss, his hands positioning me just as he wants. I feel like a doll in his grip, used for his pleasure, but instead of cooling my ardor, it only makes it hotter.

“Tell me you want me,” he growls against my mouth before plunging his tongue deep as he thrusts against me. “Tell me it hurt to be apart. Tell me you suffered.”

“I did,” I breathe as his hot mouth slides down my jaw and kisses my throat, sucking on the spot he bit earlier. “But not… Oh, gods… Not because of you. You’re a liar. I don’t want you.”

He grunts, his teeth sinking in while he ruts into me, faster and faster. My underthings chafe, and gods, I would kill to have him inside me, but at the same time, I’d rather die than admit that.

“You call me a liar, yet you lie, too,” he hisses, his fingers hooking at my neckline. He pulls hard, and my dress splits down my front. “Deceitful little thing. Tell me you missed me.”

“No,” I gasp, my mind muddling from pleasure. I don’t think straight. “I had other people to keep me company.”

Woland freezes. I realize I’ve made a terrible mistake. He pulls away, his face perfectly neutral, the grip of his fingers too tight.

“Oh, you had?” he asks, idle curiosity in his voice. “Who got to fuck you in my absence? The upir? Let me congratulate him.”

If I didn’t know him so well, I would be fooled, but I see the fury he tries to hide.

“No,” I answer, cold dread filling my stomach. “Not him. Not anyone.”

“Are you sure?” His voice is so cold, eyes narrowed to slits. “Because what I told you in that sheep barn still stands. If you let another man touch you, I’ll rip him apart and take you on top of his cooling body. Do you understand?”

Fear, fury, and desire roll through me in a nauseating tangle. I believe he will do as he says, but I don’t understand why. Is he jealous? After everything, it makes no sense.

“It’s boring when you repeat yourself,” I grit out through clenched teeth, desperately trying to calm my roaring emotions. “And why do you care if I fuck someone? It’s not like I’d let them claim me, which is the only thing you want from me. I’m the key to winning your precious war.” I snort. “How is that going, by the way? Have any victories lately?”

For a moment, I think he’ll take the bait and fight, forgetting about Lech. Woland’s nostrils flare with a slow, deliberate breath. We stare at each other without blinking, and I honestly can’t tell whether he’ll strike me or kiss me. The devil surprises me by doing neither.

He lowers his head until our foreheads touch. He’s silent for a long while, his breaths fanning my face, and the longer it takes, the more afraid I am, until my hands begin to tremble. He huffs out a long sigh and strokes my hair once.

“All I wanted was for you to say you missed me.”

I gulp, my throat constricting. He sounds… I don’t know. Sincere, but I’m scared to believe him.

“I did my best not to,” I whisper, and it’s the truth. I tried very hard. Every day.

He huffs, and I close my eyes, drinking in the warmth of his exhale.

Woland’s voice is barely a murmur. “See? There it is. A tiny victory. And all I had to do was threaten your friend, or whoever he is to you.”

“Just a friend. And it wasn’t because of your threat. It just seemed like you weren’t lying for once. A truth for a truth is a fair trade.”

“And lie for a lie?” he asks, quiet and weary.

“It’s only fair.”

The devil sighs, cradling my head like it’s precious. He isn’t hard anymore, and it feels unnatural to be pressed up against him without arousal being our reason to touch.

“Here is a truth,” he says, sliding my torn dress off my shoulders. “I looked for you in all the wrong places. The King of Bees said you were under his protection, and I personally combed through every inch of that cursed forest. I trusted no one else with the task.”

“Protection, my ass.” I hiss as Woland’s claws trail gently down my bare back, my skin breaking out in gooseflesh even as I fight the urge to sag against him. This feels so good. “I was there for a few days, and he let a poroniec attack me. So I left.”

“A poroniec, hm? What did it look like? A boy or a girl?”

I shrug, not fooled by the fake indifference in his voice. “Why do you want to know? It doesn’t matter.”

“Oh, poppy girl. Of course it matters. I have a reputation to maintain, so if a bies touches what’s mine, I retaliate. Even if that bies is more animal than a person.”

I remember the poroniec children I saw until now. They all looked like beautiful mortal kids—until they didn’t.

“Animal?”

He scoffs with disdain. “Mokosz is the one who makes them. I told her it was a moronic idea, since they are no better than rabid foxes. An adult bies usually comes to their senses after they arrive in Slawa, but a feral child can’t grow up on its own. She never listened, of course. Children are her favorite playthings.”

He drags his claws down my scalp, and I can’t hold back a moan of pleasure, too engrossed in his words to control myself. Woland chuckles.

“So? What did it look like?”

“Don’t worry,” I sigh, finally allowing myself to rest against his warm chest. “I killed it. And since I don’t belong to you, you don’t need to concern yourself with my enemies.”

“Stubborn little witch,” he murmurs, two claws stroking down the sides of my spine. “What happened after? Did you go straight to the city?”

“I met an utopek. He kindly told me everything I wanted to know and even gave me a pot.”

Woland snorts with amusement. “I thought we were trading truths. Utopeks aren’t kind. How did you force him to obey?”

“I might have had a sip of your blood and pinned him to the ground. By the way, the poor thing almost pissed himself when I mentioned your name.”

Woland hums. “See? That’s the power of reputation. What happened later?”

I smile against the sturdy muscle of his chest, snuggling closer, while his cock fills up again.

“I answered all your questions, but you’ve shared little so far. That’s not a fair trade.”

Woland scratches my back a bit too hard, and I gasp with a shiver.

“Very well, poppy girl. What do you want to know?”

I have maybe a thousand questions to ask, but there’s one that plagued my thoughts recently, and Woland is the only one who can answer it for me.

“What was the purpose of your latest attack on Perun’s fence?”

He makes a soft sound of surprise, then turns me deftly in his lap until I face away from him. His tail rises between my naked legs and wraps around my thigh. He drags his nails down my sternum and stomach, and I lean my head back against his chest. His cock strains against my lower back.

“I’m doing a bad job distracting you,” he murmurs, his claws sliding down my bare breast, just missing my nipple. It still hardens, and I shiver from his touch. “If you are able to ask questions about my war strategy. Good ones, too.”

“You’re stalling.” My voice is breathy as his claw circles my nipple with gentle care.

“I’m thinking what to do with you. Tell me why you asked that question, and I’ll decide whether to answer.”

“I asked because… Woland!”

He pinches my nipple, making me arch in his lap. A lightning bolt of pleasure blazes to my core, and he doesn’t stop, kneading my flesh lazily.

“Go on, darling.”

“Because you’re not stupid,” I gasp. “You lost… gods… Lech said that attack had no chance of winning. But you… You always try to win. So what was the purpose?”

He dips a finger between my legs, and we both hiss, I from how good it feels, he from how wet he finds me. Woland’s finger slides into me, slow and possessive, and retreats as he raises his hand, conjuring a few light orbs in his shadowy cave.

“You always need the light,” I grumble, closing my eyes as I swallow convulsively. I’m letting him do this. Again.

“Yes. I love looking at you.”

My eyes fly open in astonishment, landing on his raised hand. He turns it slowly, as if admiring his middle finger that now glistens with my arousal. His claw is short and blunt, and I’m grateful for that small mercy.

“Stop gloating,” I bite out, my face flaming.

“No. Since you won’t tell me you missed me, I’ll take my confirmation where I find it. Your body is more generous than you, love. Kneel on top of me.”

He lifts me easily, and I do as he says. I balance on top of his spread thighs, sitting on my heels, and his clawed hands rest on my waist.

“I’ll answer your question,” he says, and I can just hear the smile in his voice. “After you take my deal, after we fuck, when my thorns are inside you. That’s when I’ll tell you. What do you say, darling?”