Page 104 of Hunted By Fear

She’s in Hell, for fuck’s sake; who knows what could happen there.

Worse still, I can’t go to her.

Without thinking about it, I move behind Lucifer. Reaching out, I rest my hand on his shoulder just as he teleports himself back to the underworld.

It doesn’t feel the same when I’m not the one in control, but even more than that, it doesn’t feel the same going into the center of Hell versus the border.

“Are you out of your mind?” Lucifer’s eyes burn with barely controlled rage as his hand closes around my throat, and finally, I see it, the difference.

This isn’t my friend anymore.

No, this is the King of Hell, the devil, and he’s dangerous.

“You could have died!”

What?

“If I hadn’t already brought you across the river, your brain would be a fucking puddle right now, Ruin!”

Oh, well, shit.

Maybe it’s possible he’s the devil and my friend.

“I wasn’t thinking—”

“No shit!” he hisses, cutting me off, and I get it, but also I’m not the main concern right now, or I’m not supposed to be.

It’s like he remembers at the same time I think it; his fingers loosen before he releases me completely, whipping around and moving to a door that he throws open before descending down what appears to be a god-awful amount of stairs.

The dungeon?

I massage my throat as I breathe deeply, moving to follow him at a much slower pace.

What pulled him away?

In the hall, I pause for a moment to listen, and that’s when I hear it, a sound that makes me feel like someone’s gripping my heart with their bare hand.

Aeri’s crying, sniffling, and sobbing.

The sound is heart-wrenching, and I’m moving without even realizing it, my sore throat forgotten as if my body craves her as much as my mind does.

I’m so screwed when it comes to this tiny ray of sunshine, but I’d gladly go blind if it meant I got to look at her for even another moment.

Something’s wrong. The pain she’s feeling, I can’t get a read on it.

It’s not like with her missing Ruin or even when Rome visits her dreams; this is almost like an invisible force is attacking her.

Whatever it is, it’s enough to bring her to her knees.

I attempted to reach her at Ruin’s, but despite our mate bond, it was as if something was stopping me. Before now, I’ve tried to stay out of her head, worried it would trigger her with everything that Rome’s done, but this was an emergency.

I move through the castle, letting my senses guide me, knowing they will lead me to her faster than anything else. I’ve been staying busy, keeping away to give her space, room to heal, but there’s no denying I crave her in every way I can.

I’m drawn to her; there’s nothing I can do about it, nothing anyone can do about it, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

My mate.

Father said I would never be worthy of one, that no demon would be, but would you look at that… wrong as usual.