Page 58 of Stalked By Pestilence
“But why bother when Lucifer can’t touch you now that you’ve become my bride?”
I gawked at him. “I’ve become yourwhat?”
“You said it yourself—”
“Excuse you, no I didn’t. I said Asha was a bride, and she likes all that bullshit. All her romances end in it. I don’t want that life. I’m my own damn woman. You be the fucking bride,” I rambled, pulse kicking up at the thought of binding myself to him forever.
I mean, in a way, I already had.
I was now Spicy Pestilence.
Ugh, I hated how into him I was. It was seriously crazy how easily it all happened after years of finding men worthless outside of their dicks, but it really seemed like I’d fallen for Zelus against my better judgment.
Not that I ever planned to tell him. My bestie wasn’t helping by egging it on any chance she got. He’d tried to kill her, but it was as if she’d forgotten it ever happened.
Zelus’s smile pulled me out of my head. “Oh, there’s a thought, pet. I’d look proper fit in a wedding dress.” He tapped his chin. “Yes, I accept. I’ll be your bride, Viper. Let’s get hitched.”
I closed my eyes and prayed for patience. When that didn’t work, I smacked him and ignored his happy giggles as I stomped off again. “Don’t distract me. I’m onto something, and I want to have it figured out by the time those two get back.”
I was swept off my feet into his arms before I could fight him over it. Zelus’s mouth crashed into mine, and like always, I leaned into his aggressive touch and kissed him back. Then my head reminded me I was trying to do something.
Pushing, I scrambled and disappeared, only to reappear behind him. I could work with that. With a hard kick to his ass, I sent the asshole sprawling out. But as always, he laughed and laid out over the floor like he’d fallen on purpose.
I opened my mouth, ready to spiral into theories and insults in equal measure, but Asha appeared just feet from Zelus with Thanatos. Her eyes dropped to him on the floor and then me, standing over him with my arms crossed.
“Are we interrupting?” Her smirk was as devilish as Zelus’s.
I walked over the jerk on the ground and hugged her. “Not at all. Welcome home, you sexy bitch.”
When I pulled away, Thanatos was staring at me, another pensive look on his face. “That mark…”
I touched the weird symbols that wrapped around my throat like a choker and the act sent a ripple of scales washing across my skin.
Asha’s eyes widened and then snapped over to Thanatos. “Is she—”
“Pestilence?” His stare tracked the scales, then lifted to where my fangs had sharpened. “Your soul has changed, much like Asha’s did. I no longer need to tether you here.”
Having the confirmation was a breath of fresh air. Zelus was already grabbing me around the waist and tucking me in close, beaming in pride. Thanatos stared at me as if I was a puzzle he intended to figure out, but I’d already drawn several conclusions.
“I think this has something to do with being a Counter Soul,” I said to him. “It might be the answer to stopping the apocalypse.”
Asha touched my scales in awe, but Thanatos and Zelus shared a weighted glance.
“It’ll be a little harder to test right away. Limos and Ares have disappeared,” Thanatos started, eyeing the two of us with an apathetic expression. “And I think Michael has something to do with it.”