Page 24 of Promised to the Demon King (The Demon Brides #1)

The door swung open, and he found her right where he ordered her to be. Sitting on her chair. It was the only chair. Placed in the center of the barren room. The only other furniture they frequently used was Saint Andrew’s Cross. That was all he needed to take hold and sate her rebellion. Not that he didn’t enjoy her fire. She is the only female, demoness or mortal that has ever stirred this dominant mating drive within him. A Cerberus beast only takes one; Roz was that one for them. Not that he would admit that to anyone else, but he was confident that Roz and Asmodeus were aware of his devotion.

Her long, toned legs were crossed as she sat there, patiently waiting for her Master to dominate and remind her whom she belonged to.

He snarled.

His beastly form fills the doorway, his presence crowds the room, and she shudders, but a sinful grin plays across her face.

“I’ve been awfully lonely, Master.”

She practically purrs as she speaks. Her red eyes sparkled with devious excitement that set his beast into arousal. She knew what she was doing. She was a certified temptress, and she was all his.

Thalon measured his approach. He wanted her on edge just as he was. He tilted his head and took in her image.

“What’s the safety word?”

he snarled, his beastly urges were pushing to be released. They were used to daily intimacy, and now it was maybe weekly. They needed more of this together.

Roz looked up and tilted her head, but hers was in playful confusion. “There is no safety word in our play, Master.”

Her giggle was a playful tactic, and it worked. He was borderline frothing to claim his female in their typical rough play.

“Pull out the legs; you will be a restraint for the trouble you’ve been causing me, slut!”

He snarled again. He watched her eagerly extend the bondage legs of their sex chair. She loved this just as much as he did. She was practically a pool of arousal sitting there.

“Are you going to correct my bad behaviour, Master?”

she cooed, fluttering her lashes. He ate it up.

Roz sat vibrating with arousal and excitement as she watched Thalon strap down her limbs. He was handsome. His beastly side and human form, not Thomas, but Thalons human form. There wasn’t a thing about this man that didn’t set her heart and libido on fire. He was gasoline to her spark. Together, they fed off one another.

When she was assigned the task of guarding Nova, she accepted freely, although she was saddened to be away from Thalon.

For nearly a century, they've been each other's companions. Not seeing him around the Ring daily was going to eat at her. She could return to the Ring when Nova didn’t need her, but over the years, Nova needed her more.

It wasn’t until Nova hit her double digits in years that she finally realized that Nova was the offspring of Thalon. Her Thalon.

She knew that she had no right to be upset. They set no labels or titles to whatever their relationship was; there were no boundaries in place but the idea that he not only sought out sexual release from a mortal female but also that he sired an offspring hybrid. It hurt. She hurt.

Demons and Demoness’ got a bad rap, which was alright for her, but Thalon was one of three people closest to her, and he managed to hurt her. What were they? Was he sleeping with others?

She never voiced her pains, but she knew that Asmodeus picked up on the changes in her. Nova had as well. It was merely the offender who remained oblivious to her bruised pride and cracked heart.

Demons were only permitted to have two offspring. That was all that hell ever allowed. There was also a two-decade apart rule. Population control was essential for hell to monitor due to the overwhelming number of collected filthy souls. They took up space; although most never escaped the pit of despair, many did. That took up space within Rings.

Thalon could now only have one more offspring for his entire life in Hell. No more.

It wasn’t as though Roz was rushing to have any kin, but Thalon was the only one she’d considered having any with, and now those odds were dwindling. What if--

Roz refused to ruin her pleasure with Thalon at that moment and focus on the what-ifs. Maybe her time with Thalon was fleeting, so she should not dwell but enjoy it while it lasted.

“Hey,”

Thalon growled. His claw tilted her chin up, forcing her to look up at him. “Where did you go?”

His eyes flashed with concern, a sight no one else in Hell would see and live to tell about. Thalon was always different with her. She thought she had tamed the beast, but when she submerged herself in that thought, she was reminded of Nova and the affair with Carol. Why Carol? Why Thalon?

She adored Nova. She was such a breath of fresh air for Roz, but she hated what Nova represented. She wasn’t enough for Thalon.

“Nowhere, Master.”

She responded. Her heart pinched.

“Hey, don’t lie to me.”

Thalon is more man than beast now. He crouches down in front of his female. She looked sad and refused to meet his eyes. He reached out and drew her attention back to him. “I am not continuing our fun until you tell me the truth. We don’t lie to each other, Roz.”

Roz scoffed. “Release my shackles.”

“Who’s the Master and the servant when we are in this room, Roz?”

Thalon growled his warning, causing Roz to freeze.

There was a long pause.

“Why did you do it?”

Roz finally asked, but it was barely audible. It was barely a whisper, but Thalon caught it.

“Do what? Roz, talk to me.”

“Why’d you have kin with another woman, Thalon? Why?”

If the sudden question didn’t take Thalon off guard, the tears and emotion in Roz’s eyes did. He was stunned.

How long had she been feeling like this, he wondered.

“Asmodeus commanded me to sire a hybrid with that wretched woman, Carol. It was once and only once. There were no feelings for the vessel. It wasn’t until I saw Nova for the first time after she was born that I realized I was a father. It wasn’t something I sought out, Roz. I want no other kin if it is not--”

Thalon looked away.

“If it’s not, what? Thalon? I need you to tell me, or I don’t think--”

She stopped speaking when Thalon snapped his head back to her, daring her to finish, but she wouldn’t tempt his beast to react. That was the flash in Thalons eyes. His whole demonic aura was pulsating around them. He was the second most powerful demon in this Ring for a reason.

“You want to end this?”

Thalon stared hard at her. He felt betrayed. “I didn’t want to sleep with that bitch. I was ordered, and you want to leave me over that? My King commanded something; I must obey! You know that!”

He was yelling at this point. She could feel the vibrations of his rage in the material of the chair she was now stuck in. “I want no other woman but you, dammit! Do not make me kill everyone in this fucking Ring to make sure it stays that way, Roz! You will not abandon me.” His warning was clear. She felt the chill in her bones, and she basked in it. He was claiming her as his. It was the first time that he'd expressed himself like that. Hell did not allow visible weakness. Thalon learned quickly to school his emotions, but Roz needed to know that there was no allowance to leave him.

“Me? But you sleep around with others?”

Roz rolled her eyes.

“Stop! One woman and Asmodeus ordered it to be done. I did not choose to do so. I am unclaimed, Roz. You have not pledged yourself to me through the ritual yet. I can not refuse.”

“Yet?”

Roz was surprised by his wording.

“Fuck!”

Thalon runs his clawed hand down the length of his face in frustration. “We need to communicate better, it seems. You are the only one for me, Roz. I can have one more offspring, and it will only be yours. I see how you look after and banter with my daughter, and I have no doubts that you, Roz, will be an incredible mother to our baby when we have one and also a stepmother to my daughter, Nova. She may be our future Queen, but you are forever in her life, and I hope it will be as her stepmother.”

Thalon stared hard. He wasn’t comfortable discussing his feelings, but he needed Roz to know that he would not allow her to leave him, especially over a misunderstanding. They started their love affair what seems like a lifetime ago. They've been through too much together as warriors to serve the King in battle and as lovers. Roz is a natural seductress; it was part of her Demoness charms and aura, so Thalon was always on guard. The same is said about Roz. She was naturally a jealous Demoness and ensured the Ring knew to stay away. He was surprised that a Demoness like Roz would feel inferior to someone so lowly as Carol. There was never any comparison. He hated Carol.

“There is no one else?”

“There never has been. Carol was an order, and if you accept me and pledge, there will never be another order like Carol. I am solely yours.”

“A step-mother? Do you think--”

Roz was in tears.

“Nova loves you; she’ll accept you. I am pretty sure you’ve already earned the title of Mother with her; I see how she looks at you when she thinks no one is watching. Stop getting in your own way, my beautiful vixen. You are more than enough for me, Nova, and our future kin.”

Thalon unstrapped Roz, cradling her body into his chest and carried her out of their personal playroom. It wasn’t the right time for their type of play, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to worship her body in their bedroom chamber. She would never doubt their relationship and bond again after this night. He would make sure of it.