Page 5

5

ADAN

H er whisper echoed in my mind.

That shouldn’t be possible.

Her choice of words was interesting. Shouldn’t be. As though some part of her—buried so deep in her consciousness that she wasn’t even aware of it—already sensed the truth.

My demon stirred with a low hum of satisfaction, as if he’d been waiting for the smallest confirmation that she wasn’t fully human. An excuse to claim her immediately instead of waiting. One I ignored because it didn’t matter that I sensed something shimmering under her skin that didn’t belong in a human. Not when Calliope didn’t even seem aware there was likely some supernatural blood flowing through her veins.

And she wasn’t running. Not yet.

There was a flare of curiosity in her pretty green eyes.

The chandelier overhead still pulsed faintly, the afterglow of The Abyss responding to her presence. I let her take it in.

Once I gave her a more thorough explanation, there was no going back for either of us.

Calliope blinked slowly, as though she was trying to reconcile what she’d seen with what she knew. She tugged on a lock of strawberry-blond hair, her brows drawing together in thought.

Her eyes were cloudy when her gaze met mine again, and I knew it was time to explain.

“You’re not imagining things.”

Her head tilted to the side, and she twisted her hands together.

“You’ve stepped into a world most people don’t even know exists.” I leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on the table. “One we go to great lengths to keep hidden.”

Her lips parted, but no words came. An understandable response from someone who had never encountered anything outside the human realm before.

“There is a supernatural world, Calliope. And you’re in the very heart of it. The Abyss is more than just a building. Its stone is steeped in magic.”

Her fingers tightened around her fork, but she didn’t take another bite of the chocolate tart. I could see the questions forming in her expression. Too many for her to even know which one to start with. So I gave her the truth she didn’t yet know how to ask for.

“There’s an entire world hidden alongside what you know. One built on power, ancient bloodlines, and rules older than your maps. It’s carefully kept from human sight. Veiled in illusion and guarded by magic. Most people go their whole lives without ever glimpsing it.”

Her breath caught, and that same shiver from earlier danced across her skin. “I don’t understand. You’re making it sound like you’re not human.”

“Because I’m not.”

She dropped her fork onto the plate with a clatter, and her hand went to her throat as she gasped.

I never expected to be in the position of explaining the supernatural world to my fated mate, and I was in the unusual position of second-guessing myself. Her shock was palpable, a heavy weight in the air surrounding us, but I needed to push forward because there was no going back.

When a demon found their one, it wasn’t a question. It was a reckoning.

Mine had arrived in the form of a soaked and exhausted woman with freckles and a wary smile—utterly unaware that the moment she stepped through my doors, the world as she knew it had ended.

I stood and circled the table, pulling her chair so she faced me. Then I crouched in front of Calliope, taking her trembling hands in mine.

The moment our skin met, the faintest flicker of power pulsed through the floor. The Abyss continued to respond as though it recognized her, which made sense considering how deeply embedded my magic was in this land.

“There are shifters who share their body with a beast. Witches who draw power from the elements. Beings made of shadow…or born in flame.”

“Like in fairy tales?” she asked, skepticism clear in her expression.

My lips curved into a slight smirk. “Sometimes, it’s true that where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”

Her eyes narrowed. “If you’re telling me the truth, which of those things are you?”

“A demon.”

Her incredulity turned to astonishment as I let my other half push to the surface, my eyes bleeding to black.

“Whoa,” she breathed, her fingers clenching around mine. “Either the whiskey went to my head more than I realized, or you’re not lying.”

I pushed my demon down and tightened my grip on her hands. “You can count on me to always be honest with you, Calliope. Even when I’d prefer not to.”

“I appreciate that,” she whispered.

“Supernatural beings don’t let humans see their true faces unless there’s no other choice. And demons are the most private of all.”

She shifted nervously in her chair. “Why?”

“Because we have more to lose.”

Her brows drew together again. “You’re not all in it together to keep the secret from us?”

“To a certain extent, yes,” I conceded with a shrug. “Except demons have more enemies to make if we’re careless. It’s not only the humans we have to worry about but also others who view some of our kind as abominations because they were born in hell and didn’t stay there.”

Including me, but I wasn’t sure if she was quite ready to learn that bit of information yet when what I’d explained so far was already a lot to take in.

Her gaze searched mine. “Why are you telling me any of this?”

I leaned back slightly, the shadows of the room curling around my shoulders. “Because hiding it from you would be impossible while you’re here.”

She was understandably quiet for a long moment after my confession, processing the information I’d shared with her. Then she gave a short, breathy laugh that was forced around the edges. “It’s not as though I’ll have much of a chance to see anything else. I’ve already eaten dinner here with you, I’ll probably pass out pretty soon, and I’m leaving in the morning.”

My demon surged in protest, the word no echoing like a drumbeat behind my ribs. It took every ounce of my control to keep my expression calm while tension curled low in my gut, wrapping around my spine like smoke.

She thought she was leaving.

But I wouldn’t—couldn’t—let that happen.

I stared at her for a long moment, letting the silence stretch just enough to make her shift in her seat. “You’re not going anywhere in the morning.”

Her voice was thin as she whispered, “What?”

My eyes locked on hers, quiet and steady as I repeated, “You’re not going anywhere, Calliope.”

Her face paled, but she didn’t move. I watched her pulse flutter at her throat, delicate and unguarded. There was a freckle at the edge of her jaw, barely visible, and it took everything I had not to press my mouth there. Especially with my demon pushing hard to claim her.

I leaned in slightly and lowered my voice to a mere rasp. “Not until you understand who you are to me.”

Her pulse sped up as she whispered, “What do you mean?”

I straightened slowly, giving her space even as my demon clawed beneath my skin, furious at the distance. I had to tread carefully now. The truth couldn’t be softened—but it could be delivered with care.

“You need to understand something about demons. We don’t form attachments easily. Many of us never do. And we don’t bite like shifters. What binds us with the other half of our soul is forged in hellfire itself, so our marking is more of a brand. When we meet the one who’s meant for us—our fated mate—it’s final. Immediate. Irrevocable.”

Her brows furrowed, lips parting just slightly as she struggled to keep up. “How do you know you’ve found the right person?”

“A tether snaps into place the moment we meet the person we’re meant to claim. One that I finally felt tonight.”

She sucked in a shaky breath, and I saw her throat bob as she swallowed. “Are you saying…you think I’m your mate?”

“No.” I met her gaze without hesitation. “I’m saying I know you are.”

She froze, barely blinking. “That’s not possible. I’m human.”

I didn’t correct her—not yet. First, she needed time to accept that the world was more than she’d ever imagined. And for me to figure out what, exactly, Calliope might be.

“I don’t see how I could be your…your anything. I don’t know anything about demons, or magic, or mating, or…” The panic rose in her eyes.

Barely resisting the urge to crowd her, I took a slow step back, loosening the leash on my control just enough to soothe the flare of power in the room. “I understand this might be too much to wrap your head around in one night. Maybe it would help if I showed you a little more of the world you’ve stepped into.”

Her chest rose and fell quickly, but she didn’t run. Or demand that I leave. She was handling the situation well for a woman who had just met her first supernatural being—and learned she was his fated mate.

The same couldn’t be said for my demon half. He didn’t like the space I’d created between us and snarled in my head, furious that I hadn’t sealed the bond the moment I recognized her. But I held him back because Calliope didn’t need pressure.

She needed time.

And I was determined to give her what little I could.

“Like what?”

I gestured toward the door. “Let me show you The Abyss. Some of it, anyway.”

“I’m not sure.” Calliope’s gaze darted between me and the exit, hesitation written across every inch of her. Her shoulders were still tight, the fight-or-flight instinct clearly warring inside her.

“No pressure,” I assured her. “But you’ll understand more when you see it.”

For a long moment, she didn’t move. Then she finally nodded and stood, wiping her hands on her thighs. “Okay.”

I opened the door and held it for her, and the moment she stepped into the hallway, The Abyss responded. The lighting shifted, the sconces along the walls glowing warmer. Not brighter exactly, just more…alive. The faint hum of warded magic pulsed beneath the surface of the stone floor like a heartbeat, quiet and steady. My magic. And now hers, in a way.

She paused to look around, pretty green eyes wide with wonder. The awe on her face only made her more beautiful.

As we reached the main elevator, I pressed the button and watched as the doors slid open, the interior washed in a soft golden glow. “That was just the beginning.”