Page 20 of Queen of the Wicked (Afterlife #1)

Alessia

A s misogynistic as it was, harlots in this realm were known for not caring who was in the room.

Alessia was supposed to be a woman who aimed to please wherever and whenever, no matter where she was.

If she refused and acted shy, backing down, Kael would know her ruse was all a lie, and what would happen then?

She didn’t know what the stakes were, nor did she know what secrets Erebos hid from Kael, but she promised Isla that she would protect him.

That was precisely what she’d do.

Alessia twirled the ends of her ponytail and stared longingly up at Erebos. “Well? It’s up to you, Your Majesty .”

Erebos was putting on a persona, too, she realized, when he gave her a cocky grin and gripped her chin. “I am not seeking pleasure, Lillian , but if you are desiring it, I shall give it. There is nothing I like more than dealing out pain for pleasure.”

You don’t have to do this, Erebos said .

If I say no, is there another way of fooling him? This would be much easier if I knew what you were hiding, Erebos. I can’t help if I don’t know how to play the game.

Later. There is too much to explain in little time. I am uncertain if there is another way out of this, but if this is not what you want, please let me know, and I will find an alternative solution. He is baiting you.

She figured as much, but if finding her mother required her to go along with this plan, she would put her hatred for the lord to the wayside. Plus, it could be worse. As insufferable as Erebos was, Alessia wasn’t ashamed to admit he was attractive. They could go back to hating each other tomorrow.

“Do your worst,” she said.

Erebos strolled to his throne, continuing to speak to her in her mind. What I am about to do… What you are about to experience will be painful, Alessia. Are you sure this is what you want?

I just told you to do your worst, so do it.

Erebos took his seat on the throne, then turned to Eryx and Izara. “You may take your leave. I will summon you when we are finished here.”

They both looked more than relieved.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” they murmured with a bow, rushing for the elevator.

Kael watched with an intense gaze, and his jaw clenched. He didn’t want to be wrong; judging from his lack of an arrogant smirk, he was eating his words. If he wanted to be a disgusting perv and watch this, then so be it, but she’d sure as hell give him a show.

Erebos waved her over, and when she stood between his legs, he wasted no time tugging her into his lap. If she didn’t know any better, it was almost like he’d wanted to do it for a while.

Her knees straddled his thighs, and the expression that took over his face, the darkening of his eyes… He truly looked like the Lord of Hell.

Soft skin, he said into her mind as he lifted the dress to rest over her ass. It sat at her waist, and Alessia fidgeted on his lap, surprisingly begging for his touch. She knew he could tell when she hadn’t yet learned to put her mental shields up.

Are you sure? he asked again.

Erebos, if you don’t do something right this instant ? —

His hand landed against her ass with a loud crack, and Alessia yelped from the unexpectedness of it, biting hard on her bottom lip.

It was bound to leave a mark, maybe even a bruise, but surprisingly, when he rubbed the skin gently after the hit…

The wetness that gathered between her thighs was practically a waterfall.

“What a filthy slut you are,” he said degradingly, “needing to do this during one of my meetings.” Another crack, and Alessia’s head tilted back, wincing from the pain but refusing to let Kael see it.

I’m sorry, Erebos said. You’re doing so good.

He was coaxing her through it, praising her, and Alessia didn’t know which version of him she liked more. Not when he smacked with both hands this time. Kael, standing behind them, didn’t even occur to her. Not anymore. Not when what she needed was release .

That foreign person inside her began to take over, and although she wasn’t mad, that power in her gut stirred, craving and demanding more.

He forcefully grabbed her chin to make her look at him, and Erebos wasn’t found. The voice floating in her mind was just as foreign as the person he claimed to be. The man staring back at her was brutal. Lethal . Hauntingly beautiful. “You like the pain, don’t you?”

“Oh, yes ,” she breathed, but she didn’t need to put on a show when she wasn’t acting. She did like it, and Erebos could tell the minute his eyes went purely black, dripping into a gaze more sinful than level one of Hell.

Again and again, he hit her raw and sensitive skin, and when her flesh was on the verge of bruising permanently, he moved a hand between her thighs, pressing his middle finger against her slit.

Oh shit, he moaned into her mind. Put a shield up. Now.

How? I-I don’t know how to.

Christ, Alessia, Hurry. Put it up NOW.

You stupid, stupid girl, the person inside her added. What a predicament you’ve gotten yourselves into.

Put the shield up NOW, Alessia commanded.

Doing as told, she watched a transparent bubble form around them. Erebos released a sigh of relief and stuck a finger inside her, the scent of cherries filling the bubble.

There aren’t any cherry trees around, she mused.

I know, he replied, but his voice was strained. Weak and filled with a yearning so intense it would have brought her to her knees if she weren’t already on them. Do you want me to continue ?

Please, she begged.

Erebos wrapped a hand around her throat and squeezed, an arrogant smile plastered on his face. “Take it,” he told her sternly. “How many fingers can you take, whore?” When he added another, Alessia’s jaw dropped open from the pleasure.

So fucking beautiful, Erebos…thought? It seemed his mental shields were down, even for a brief moment. Was he that weak?

Exquisite.

Extraordinary.

He pumped his fingers in and out, nothing but the sound of her wet pussy filling the cave.

Being sequestered her entire life, Alessia hadn’t slept with a man before, but she had delved into self-pleasure.

Still, it had never felt like this. She never had a man hit all of the right spots without having to ask.

It was like he knew her body like a map memorized by heart.

Every sensitive lick of flesh hummed beneath his touch, his fingers dancing across her skin like music notes leading up to the final crescendo.

“Dirty little slut,” he seethed, adding a third. Three of his fingers were inside her, and Alessia was filled to the brim with a hand that large. Every thrust of those fingers stretched her deeper, and the scent of cherries was so intense she could practically taste it.

He jutted his thumb out to brush against her clit, and a shudder raked through her from the sensitivity. “Are you going to come for me?”

Alessia nodded desperately, grinding against his fingers while his hand gripped her throat tightly, slightly cutting off her airway. Pleasure had reached a new peak. She didn’t know it could feel this good. She didn’t know something could feel so right.

You’re taking my fingers so well, he said. Watch how incredible you look while you ride them.

Alessia glanced down at his fingers buried inside of her, at her hips rocking against him, and the sheer waterfall that trailed down his hand from her. His thumb was pressed against her throat, his other rubbing her clit, and Alessia’s eyes rolled to the back of her head.

Beautiful.

He thrust his fingers again. “Dirty.”

Sensational.

“Fucking.”

Stunning.

“Pathetic.”

Insatiable.

“Slut.”

Fuck, don’t come, Erebos pleaded when he scanned her face. Whatever you do, don’t come. You need to fake it, Alessia.

But Alessia had already broken against him.

Her cry of pleasure came crashing down around them, the transparent bubble going with it.

Erebos cursed under his breath but let her ride out her high on his fingers, coaxing her walls and gathering all of the wetness that followed.

She was still coming, still riding, and Erebos grunted, stroking her hair with his free hand until she finally felt empty. And then he stuck his fingers into his mouth, groaning at the taste on his tongue.

Alessia was too transfixed to notice that Kael had stepped closer. With a long drag from his nose, he chuckled. “A whore?” he asked. “I find that extremely hard to believe, Lord of Hell.”

Erebos pulled Alessia’s dress back down and smiled. “It is not exactly up to me, is it?”

Alessia furrowed her eyebrows together, and Kael noticed it instantly, being the over-analyzer he was.

“You are confused?” he asked. He seemed to know the answer already, and Alessia began to wonder if all of this was just an act the entire time.

His smug smile was back, and for reasons Alessia couldn’t piece together, it seemed he had won this round.

“So very intriguing, Erebos. I do not think I need my friend to come today after all. Best to save that for a time King Bastian can join us.”

“Was there even a friend to begin with?” Erebos asked through gritted teeth.

Kael chuckled. “Until next time, Lord of Hell, and it was a pleasure , Lillian . Thank you for the show and the insight.”