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My back arches off the tree. Stars illuminate at the periphery of my vision as Killian returns his hand right back to my throat .

“Dani,” his voice lowers, “I would betray every god, every demon, and every goddess in this entire universe, just to be inside of you. Just to feel this…” He thrusts into me harder.

My fingers dig into his back as I pull him closer. His hand keeps going from my throat to my mouth, to my breasts, and then back to my throat again.

“Killian,” I moan while throwing my head back as my legs cling tightly to him for support. The skin on my back is rubbed raw from the tree but I push the irritation aside.

His fingers dig into my throat and hip, pulling us closer. He kisses my neck, his teeth grazing my skin.

I want him to bite me. Mark me. Make me bleed. I want to give him my blood.

My side starts to burn, but I ignore it, liking the pain.

“Every. Piece. Of. You. Is. Mine!” He says each word with a hard thrust and my pussy clenches around his cock. His voice is rigid with want and desire. He bites my neck and then bites my collarbone, marking me.

His mouth finds my nipple as he keeps plunging into me. His teeth graze the sensitive skin as he bites down and then sucks fiercely. I arch my back again, hissing in pleasure.

“Take every part of me, Killian,” my voice is hoarse.

Our bodies slide against one another, our skin wet from rain and sweat.

I rock my hips into him, “Harder. Give it to me harder, Killian.”

He growls and grabs my throat again while drilling into me. My heart swells with lust. With need. My vision starts to blur from his hand around my throat, and I start to come as he thrusts deeper and deeper inside of me.

I grab his hand, remove it from my throat, and lean forward, sinking my teeth into his shoulder as my body convulses from waves of pleasure .

“Fuck, yes. Dani.” His thrusts become more feral as my pussy squeezes his cock from my intense orgasm. Our bodies dance in a primal rhythm as he comes deep inside of me.

I clutch him tightly.

His mask vanishes from his face and I push the soaking wet hair from his eyes and get lost in them.

For a moment, we stare at each other with such passion that I forget we are naked out in the woods.

A shiver snakes down my body.

“Your body temperature is lowering. Let’s get you back.” As he holds me in his arms, his head tilts to the side, and he stares at my side. He whispers, “Our bond has started.”

A large vinelike pattern, intertwined with a rune, sits on my side, the same color as my skin.

“You marked me, too?!” I shout as I examine my side. However, my anger quickly dissipates as I admire the beauty of the mark. His mark.

“I can’t help it. It’s going to happen because of the bond. Because you are my mate…” He pauses and the word ‘mate’ repeats in my head. “It’s beautiful. Just like you.” Killian smirks and I want him all over again.

“That’s uh… That’s part of the bond, part of being all of our mates. Once you complete it, your marks will shade in darker, like a tattoo—”

“Just like all of yours… I’ll bear each of your runes? A demon sigil,” I finish his sentence.

“Yes. Here, let me heal you quickly.” He sets me down and then waves his hands over my back.

I can tell my skin is raw and bleeding from the oak tree, but I didn’t care at the moment.

My back warms from his healing hands, then my knees and the bottom of my feet as he grabs each foot to heal. My heart skips a beat. I’m naked, in the woods, with a demon, and my heart just skipped a beat...

Knocking me from my thoughts, Killian again lifts me in his arms. He holds my naked body against his .

I rest my head against his warm chest and sigh.

Suddenly, darkness surrounds us, and we disappear from the woods and appear back into the house.

My vision is blurred momentarily, and I feel slightly dizzy as Killian lays me down.

I don’t recognize this room.

“This is my room,” he says while putting on dry sweatpants and a white cotton shirt. He hands me one of his oversized shirts to put on. “You are welcome in here at any time. You need to rest. Lay here for a while. I’ll have Amelia bring you some food shortly.”

“Can you all summon food or clothes or anything you desire like Amelia can?” I ask, genuinely curious.

“Nope. We all have different perks. Dax and I can heal, Adonis can’t.

Adonis can read thoughts and intentions, Dax and I cannot.

All of us can influence moods, though Dax’s influence is the strongest. Amelia can basically summon anything you desire, kind of like a fairy godmother, if you want to think of her that way.

” I chuckle at the fairy godmother comment.

“The three of us can transport you with us from one place to another, as long as it is within this town. If the curse was broken, we could take you anywhere. Even to the afterlife if you so wished…”

“The afterlife?”

“So many questions,” he smirks.

I glance around his room. It exudes a darkly elegant charm, perfectly reflecting his demon nature and love for opulence.

The walls are painted a deep, rich black, creating an almost velvety backdrop that gives the space a cozy yet ominous feel.

Intricate gold patterns twist and swirl across the surface, catching the dim light and adding a touch of luxury.

I sit on his grand, ornate bed, tucked in the corner of the room against the wall, which is draped in gold velvet sheets, with golden accents on the headboard .

A large, gilded mirror framed with elaborate designs hangs on one wall. Gold candlesticks line the windowsill and hold flickering black candles, casting playful shadows that dance across the room.

Scattered around the space are various artifacts that Killian seems to have collected—jewels encased in glass displays, dark tomes bound in leather, and curious trinkets I’ve never seen before.

“I like to collect things over the years,” he admits as he holds his covers down for me to crawl under.

The cozy embrace of his bed cocoons me, its warmth radiating against my cold, damp skin. As I sink into the plush mattress, it feels like I’m being cradled by a soft, fluffy cloud, each layer of fabric caressing my body and melting away the chill that clings to me.

“Rest, sunshine.” He kisses my temple and goes to walk away, but I catch his hand.

“No. Stay. Lay with me. Please?” I bite my lower lip, embarrassed at the intimacy I want from him. From all of them.

“Anything for you, sunshine.” His wet hair hangs messy on his face, a few strands dangling over those beautiful eyes.

He crawls into bed with me, pulling my back against his warm body.

I nudge his dick with my ass and feel him go hard. “Careful. Or else I’ll have to take you again, right here, right now. And sunshine, I can’t promise the others won’t want to join.”

He rests his hard length against my back, and I am immediately turned on again.

“Your mark… your rune. Have you always had that?”

He runs his warm fingers under my jaw and moves my wet hair behind my shoulder.

“When I was condemned from the afterlife, that’s when I got my mark. My rune. Every demon has one. It’s imprinted on our bodies. Mine is Berkano. Adonis’ is Nauthiz and Dax’s is Kenaz. Each of our runes is a symbol of our nature.” He answers honestly.

“What was that thing in the woods earlier? That… creature?”

“That would be a shadowmire. Foul, demonic, entities. They travel in the fog and prey on anything that crosses paths with them. We can thank Octavia and her curse for that one.”

“Are there more creatures like that? That Octavia created?”

“Yes, but not here. Not in Misty Hollow. We only have to be on the lookout for shadowmires. And I suppose any unpleasant spirit as well. When Octavia cursed us and the town, a lot of spirits were trapped here too. And some, are very unhappy. This town isn’t what you think, Dani.

It’s dangerous. The folklore you grew up with, it’s all true. ”

“Are… are all three of you together?” I have no clue why I just blurted that question out… There are so many more important questions that I should be asking, but selfishly, I only care about them.

Killian smiles and squeezes me tighter. “Yes. More so me and Dax but Adonis joins in once in a while. Demons think differently than humans do. Attraction is attraction. When the three of us were cursed here, a bond formed between us. It’s hard to explain, but we care for each other deeply.”

I nod my head and trace his arm that holds my stomach.

“Do you guys… do you sleep with other women? Or men?” His laugh makes my body respond.

“No, sunshine. We have had our share of women over the centuries who come and go in this town, but no men. That’s just between us three guys.

We have eyes only for you Dani. We are loyal beasts.

We expect the same from you,” he kisses my lips and nips. I stifle a moan.

“Why do you call me that? Sunshine…”

“Because, that’s what you are to me. Your smile radiates warmth like the first light of dawn, and your beauty shines with brilliance.

Dani, you are the sun in my universe, casting away the shadows that linger within my soul.

You are a profound sense of peace. You make me feel things.

Good things. Even though it’s been only a minute of knowing one another, the second you summoned us and bound us to you, a connection formed between us that I can’t explain. ”

That is the sweetest thing I have ever heard. My heart swells and I lift my chin up to him and kiss him.

“Because of the bond? Because I’m now your mate?” He nods his head up and down.

I want to get lost in him again, but I have so many questions.

“How did I actually summon you guys? I’m not a witch. I’m not magical. I’m not religious… I’m just me” I shrug.

Killian’s eyes shimmer and he cups my cheek. “You don’t have to be a witch to cast a spell, Dani. It’s all about intentions. Casting a spell has nothing to do with religion or spirituality. It’s like a radio station. You’re either tuned out or tuned in, and I’d say you’re clearly the latter.”

I nod at what he said. It makes perfect sense to me.

“Why were you condemned?”

“I was condemned back to earth as a demon because my journey wasn’t finished. I had healing I needed to do. Once I was healed, I had an even greater purpose in helping Dax and Adonis. And now… I know what my true purpose is.”

“What’s that?” I yawn, while tracing his rune on his side with my fingertips.

“To be with you, sunshine. Now, get some rest.”

Killian’s words surround me like a soft, comforting blanket, wrapping around my heart and sending delightful shivers through my entire being.

Could I already be developing feelings too?

He presses his lips gently against mine. I can feel the warmth radiating from his chest, inviting me to lean in closer.

With each passing moment, my eyelids grow heavier, weighed down by a sense of serenity. I find solace resting against him, my worries fading away as I surrender to the embrace of Killian.

I drift into a deep and peaceful sleep.