Page 24 of Gods and Graves

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

KRYS

I don’t think anything will compare to staring down at Thea’s flushed, post-orgasmic face.

Fuck, just thinking about what I did to her earlier—what Krystian did—makes my cock harden.

My sunny counterpart doesn’t think I’m aware of what goes on during the day, but that just isn’t true.

I know everything, including how fast we’ve fallen for this intoxicating woman.

Krystian is afraid to confess the truth to her, to admit how much he needs her, but I’m not.

Thea is mine.

I’ve claimed her, and there’s no going back for me. She has imprinted herself into the foundation of my very soul, weaving herself in such a manner I have no hope of untangling her. Not that I want to.

There’s no fear in her eyes when she stares up at me. No trepidation or unease or distrust. She knows I’ll never hurt her, that I’m just one side of a coin, and my existence revolves around her now.

I lower my lips to hers, nibbling on her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood.

I don’t want to be gentle. Not like Krystian was.

I need to consume her. Make her mine. Burrow myself so far inside of her that she can never remove me.

“I’m not going to be gentle, shortstack,” I warn her.

An impish smile tugs at her lips. “Then maybe you shouldn’t lead.”

Before I can comment, she rolls us so she’s on top and I’m beneath her. I can’t say I mind the new position.

I grip her hips and smirk. “You want to ride me, love?”

Instead of answering with words, she reaches behind her and lines my cock up with her entrance. She slowly slides herself onto my length, and we both moan. I arch my hips up and shove all the way in, not giving her a chance to adjust to the intrusion. She doesn’t need me to.

She’s fucking mine. Her body was made for me.

“Holy fuck!” She places her palms on my chest and rides me, her tits bouncing in a way that makes me lose my fucking mind.

I’ll kill for this girl.

Die for her.

The sound of slapping skin fills the room, intermingled with our moans and gasps.

“Yes, Krys, yes. Fuck. Yes. Your cock. Fuck.” She’s so close to her next release that she’s not thinking coherently.

The sight of her sweat-drenched skin, matted blonde hair, and glazed eyes nearly undoes me.

I grip her hips tightly as she leans over me, burying her face in my neck. My cock reaches a new position inside of her, which makes her cries grow even louder. I imagine every single one of my brothers can hear her right now—and are wishing they are the one with her instead.

“Come for me, Thea. Come on my cock.” I swear as my cock spasms inside of her, and Thea explodes with a scream, throwing her head back.

Cum drips down her thighs, but she doesn’t seem to notice as she lowers herself on top of me.

“Fuck, Krys,” she whimpers, wrapping her arms around me.

I’m damn near feral for this girl. The things I want to do to her…

But no. She’s not ready for that yet.

Next time, though.

My cock stiffens at just the thought of my handprints on her rounded ass.

“You’re mine, Thea,” I tell her, both as a promise and a warning. “You’re not leaving me. I won’t let you. I’ll fucking tie you to the bed if that’s what I need to do.”

She doesn’t look scared by my proclamation. If anything, her lips curl up, dark satisfaction in her blue eyes.

“Is that so?”

“That doesn’t scare you?” I question, brushing at a strand of her sweat-soaked hair.

But I already know the answer.

“Would it scare you if I said I felt the exact same?” The confession is almost whispered, like she’s afraid of speaking those words out loud and being rejected.

I kiss her desperately, hungrily, pulling at her bottom lip with my teeth.

Fucking hell, I love the way she looks when she’s flushed and freshly fucked.

“You’re not afraid of me,” I muse, running my fingers down her cheek.

“Of course not.” A wide yawn cracks open her jaw, and her eyelids begin to droop. “You’re Krystian.”

My heart thumps faster.

It’s the first time anyone has referred to me by that name. Everyone wants to believe I’m some separate entity, but that’s not true.

I’m Krystian.

And I’m also hers.

I’m made up of darkness and violence and death, but all of those facets of myself belong to her. She wields me. I’m her weapon to do with as she pleases.

“Go to sleep, my love. You’re tired.” I press a kiss to her forehead.

“Will you stay with me?” Her lashes flutter open, vulnerability flashing in those blue depths.

“Until you fall asleep,” I promise.

She seems satisfied by that answer and yawns again, her lids drooping.

“Goodnight, Krystian.” Her voice slurs.

“Goodnight.”

I exit the bedroom an hour later to three jealous, possessive glares.

Everett balls his hands into fists, the muscles in his jaw working overtime.

“If you took advantage of her, so help me god…” He takes a threatening step forward.

Anger flares deep in my chest. “I would never do such a thing.”

Even with no inhibitions, I would never, ever hurt someone that way, least of all Thea.

“We all heard her cries of pleasure,” Rafe deadpans, his brown eyes hard. “She definitely wanted what he was giving her.”

Zaid scrubs a hand through his dark hair, muttering something that sounds suspiciously like, “Lucky bastard,” under his breath.

I bite down on my smug grin.

But there’s a reason I’m here right now and not snuggled with my shortstack.

I glance at Rafe and quirk an eyebrow. “Fancy going on a trip with me?”

A dark, malevolent grin unfurls on his lips, giving him a devilish appearance. It’s rare the blood fae smiles, but when he does, it’s always when death or torture is involved. The bastard makes me look sane.

“I thought you’d never ask.” Rafe takes a step towards me.

“Wait.” Zaid holds up both hands, his expression pinched. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“Not at all,” I respond honestly, my grin widening. “Which makes it the best idea.”

Everett scowls and crosses his arms, but he doesn’t protest. He knows, as well as I do, that it’s our only option.

“Just…be careful, okay?” Zaid chews on his lower lip.

“Never.” I smirk, then allow the smile to fall off my face. “Take care of her.”

“Always,” Zaid vows.

Everett simply mutters, “Yeah, sure, whatever.”

For him, that’s a battle cry. He may not want to admit it to even himself, but the surly bastard will protect our little reaper with his life. Somehow, she has wiggled her way past all of our defenses, burrowing so deep under our skin that we have no hope of removing her.

Rafe nods seriously then unsheathes a blade. He brings it to his palm, creating a deep wound, and blood spills. A portal sputters to life, materializing in the center of the living room.

Zaid and Everett step back as I move towards the portal.

“Adíos,” I say, saluting them.

Then I step through the portal…directly into an orgy.

Revulsion crinkles my nose as I take in the numerous writhing, moaning bodies.

Rafe appears directly behind me, and the portal snaps shut.

“Disgusting,” Rafe murmurs, though his voice doesn’t change inflection, remaining completely impassive.

Nobody bats an eye at the portal or our sudden arrival. I imagine we’re not the first supernaturals to arrive here.

“This way,” I tell Rafe, moving carefully through the bodies.

In front of me, a vampire is getting her tits sucked by a human and a fairy. A shifter fucks her from behind as she moans and cries. Next to them, a warlock sucks the cock of a werewolf.

“Krys.” The vampire reaches for me, her nails digging into my arm. “Come join.”

At one point, I might’ve taken her up on the offer, but that was before.

“No thanks, darling.” I offer her a tight smile. “I’m a taken man.”

Her lips purse in an exaggerated pout. “I don’t see anyone else here.”

Her manicured finger trails down my bicep.

“Hands off,” Rafe growls, grabbing her wrist.

She sucks in a sharp gasp, pain flaring in her eyes. Rafe stares at her silently, and though I can’t read his expression, whatever the vampire sees makes her skitter away, her metaphorical tail between her legs.

“She’s lucky she didn’t touch me,” Rafe says darkly, continuing his way through the throng of naked bodies.

At that exact moment, a warlock reaches for Rafe desperately.

Rafe breaks the man’s fingers, though his screams are lost in the cries of pleasure.

I smirk at the bloodthirsty psycho.

“I like the way you work,” I tell him.

“He touched what doesn’t belong to him,” Rafe says seriously.

I suppose I’m not the only one completely under Thea’s spell.

In the distance, I hear Aphrodite moan and then cry out. We turn to see the goddess surrounded by five men and three women, all naked and touching her and caressing her. Aphrodite pulls one of the women into a kiss, fondling her breasts, while one of the men kisses up and down her neck.

“She’s distracted.” I pull my gaze away, feeling bored and desperate to return to Thea.

I want to crawl into bed and wrap my arms around her before she wakes up.

The two of us take the elevator up to the penthouse—the same one we just left.

There are two guards stationed there, but we dispatch them within seconds.

“Search everywhere,” I instruct Rafe, already moving towards the bed—and doing my damndest to ignore the crusty condoms, lacy bras, and wet strap-ons littering the surface.

Between the two of us, we open every drawer, check under every surface, sift through every article of clothing, study every sex toy for clues.

The bitch is hiding something.

“Found something,” Rafe interjects quietly.

I move towards him and peer over his shoulder.

At first, I think I’m looking at a sketchbook, but then I realize that the designs on the page are tattoos. Intermixed with the sketches are photographs of skin with the designs.

“Aphrodite has a tattoo book?” My brows lift in disbelief.

I try to remember if I ever saw any on the goddess before.

Rafe continues to study the book intently, and I finally find what has captured his attention.

There, in the far corner of the page, is the sketch of a very familiar rune.

The same rune on Thea’s dagger.

It almost appears to be two swooping lines with an arch overtop of it and a dot below it. Unlike the other sketches, there are no accompanying photographs.

“It could just be a coincidence,” I murmur as Rafe flips to the front of the book.

He grunts but doesn’t agree or disagree. I’m beginning to believe nothing to do with Thea is a coincidence. I don’t know if it’s divine intervention or fate or the product of meddling gods…but a coincidence? Definitely not.

“Wait. Stop.” I jab a finger down. “Look.”

Written in cursive script are the words— Property of Athena.