Page 28

T WENTY -E IGHT C AMILLE

I find my way back to the bedroom I was put in when Blake brought me here and close the door. After contemplating using the furniture to barricade it, I decide against it and wander to the seating area across from the bed.

I don’t feel as though I’m in danger being here but that definitely doesn’t mean I’m happy about it. I’m also waiting for Xander to explain what’s actually going on. While part of me would much rather stay in the dark and enjoy the ignorance of not knowing, my anxiety isn’t having it. I need to know.

I drop onto the end of the bed and find Harper’s number in Xander’s phone. She picks up on the first ring.

“I’m going to kick your ass to the ninth circle of hell, you fuck—”

“Harper,” I cut in, “it’s me.”

“Cami, holy shit.” The relief in her voice is clear. “Are you okay? Xander told me you’re with him, and I’ll be there as soon as I can, but—”

“Take a breath, Harper. I’m fine. Anxious and annoyed but otherwise okay. You’re back in Seattle?”

“Yeah. I got a red-eye and went directly to HQ when I landed.”

I inhale slowly before asking, “Have you spoken to my parents?”

“Uh, nope. That’s all you, babe. Sorry.”

I cringe. “They’re going to lose their minds. I don’t even know what I’m going to tell them.”

“If Noah wasn’t expecting you for training at Ballard, you could probably get away with not telling them anything for at least a few days, but he’ll want to know where you are when you don’t show up.”

Groaning, I pull the tie out of my hair and rake my fingers through it. “They’re not going to understand, Harper.”

“I take it you haven’t told them about the whole soulmate thing?”

“Yeah, that’s a big no.” I wouldn’t know where to start with that conversation, considering I still know little about it myself. I fall back against the mattress and stare at the ceiling. “This is so messed up and it keeps getting worse.”

“We’ll figure it out, babe. If you give your dad a call and let him know you’re out of town maybe you don’t have to tell him and your mom everything right now.”

I drum my fingers against my stomach, turning that over in my head. It sounds like a better idea than trying to explain where I am and why I’m here. That said, there’s the added complication of Noah. I’m not sure he’ll believe I just left town, and when he’s not able to get ahold of me, I don’t want him reaching out to my parents.

When I share my worry with Harper, she hums. “I’ll tell him you came back to Seattle with me.”

“Don’t you think he’ll see through that? I was just there before you visited me in New York.”

“Maybe, but I don’t see another option. I think we need to take our chances and cross that bridge if and when we come to it.”

She’s right. I’m limited in what I can do when I don’t want to share information about what’s going on here—not that I have much.

“Okay,” I finally say. “When do you think you’ll get here?”

“I’ll try for the next few days. I signed up to teach a few novice classes at HQ and it’ll look suspicious if I cancel at the last minute.”

“You’re staying there, right? You’re not alone?”

“Yes. I’m perfectly safe. No creepy, big-bad demon is going to get their hands on me.”

“What exactly has Xander told you about Marrick and everything going on? because I know pretty much nothing.”

“Maybe you should talk to Xander about that.”

I blow out a breath, rolling onto my side and tucking a pillow under my head. “I’d really rather not.”

She sighs. “The short version is that Marrick was Lucia’s lover and wants to be king. You already know he made threats against me in an attempt to manipulate Xander into passing the crown to him, but when he didn’t immediately agree, Marrick attacked his council. He killed one member and severely injured another—his own daughter—to send a message to Xander.”

My eyes go wide, my chest tightening, and I have to sit up to take my next breath. “All of this to rule the underworld?”

There’s a small stretch of silence before she says, “There’s more.”

I swing my legs over the side of the bed and plant them on the floor, suddenly needing to feel grounded. “I’m still trying to catch up on what you just told me.”

“I know it’s a lot. We don’t need to talk about it right now.”

Sighing, I say, “I’m sorry. Are you sure?”

“Of course. I have to run but I’ll see you soon.”

“Okay. Harper?”

“Yeah?”

“You know how much I love you, right? You are the most amazing friend I could ever have, and I just need you to know how much you mean to me.”

There’s a brief silence, and then Harper says in a thick voice, “Right back at you, babe.”

Just as we’re ending the call, a soft knock sounds at the door. I turn as Xander steps into the room and closes the door behind him, approaching at an easy pace.

“I talked to Harper,” I say.

“And your parents?” he asks.

“Not yet. I’m going to call my dad and Harper is going to tell Noah that I went back to Seattle with her to explain my absence from training.”

He pauses at the end of the bed, his expression darkening at the mention of Noah before he nods. “Did she say when she’ll be traveling here?”

“As soon as she can without raising suspicions of where she’s going. Her superiors wouldn’t be too thrilled with a family reunion, and the last thing she needs right now is to be considered a traitor by the organization she’s worked to be part of for years.”

His lips twitch briefly, and he moves closer, dropping down next to me on the side of the bed. “Fair point.”

I sit straighter, his nearness putting my senses on high alert. “Are you going to tell me what you’ve been holding back?”

He angles himself toward me, his palms flat against his thighs. “I can if that’s what you want. I also understand if you’d rather not know. If you’re able to accept that you’re safe here, then you don’t need to be burdened with anything else.”

I arch a brow at him, as if to say yeah, right.

“Of course not,” he murmurs, exhaling a soft but humorless laugh.

“Harper told me about the demon that killed someone from your council.” I meet his gaze, frowning at the hardness there. “I’m sorry.”

He inclines his head. “Marrick will pay for what he’s done. And threatened. And planned. He’ll never see his dream of taking my throne.”

My throne .

The air of power around Xander has grown stronger in the time since he killed Lucia, but it’s moments like this, when he says things like that, he truly seems like the royalty he is.

I catch my bottom lip between my teeth, glancing at my lap as I fumble with how to respond. I understand the sense of territoriality but not to the degree of ending someone’s life.

You’re playing a different game now , I remind myself. The demon world is dark and twisted, and I need to adjust my perception of things if I’m going to make it out alive.

“So you’re going to hunt him down and execute him?”

Xander’s hands curl into fists. “Hunting him won’t be necessary. He’s already sent a warning of what’s coming.”

My stomach sinks, and something makes me reach for him, covering his fists with my hands. “What’s coming?”

His shoulders rise and fall before he turns his face to meet my gaze. “An army that Marrick is building by creating demons.”

I tighten my grip on his hands without even realizing it until his eyes flick downward briefly. “ Creating demons? Is that even possible? I mean, how would that work?”

He shakes his head. “This is the first I’ve heard of it, but I’m inclined to say yes. Marrick doesn’t use empty threats.” He turns his hands over, lacing his fingers through mine. “My council is looking into it.”

Right. His council. I have yet to meet them—besides Blake, of course—and the idea they know more about me than I do them puts me on edge. Meeting new people is anxiety inducing as it is. With the added layer of tension to this scenario, I’d much rather avoid them while I’m here, though I get the feeling I can only do that for so long.

“Is Gio part of your council?”

“No. Gio refuses to get involved in the politics of our world. He’s just a good friend.”

I nod. “If Marrick is planning to make demons, we need to stop him before he can.”

He traces his thumb in a light circle on the back of my hand. “And we will. I don’t want you to worry about this.”

My brows inch up my forehead. “You know who you’re talking to, don’t you?”

Xander smiles faintly. “Of course.” He shifts closer, brushing my thigh with his as he leans in and lowers his voice. “As much as you don’t want to be here, I’m selfishly glad you are.”

Heat rises in my cheeks, my lips parting as my eyes dart between his, searching for a hint of what’s going on in his head.

“Xander,” I murmur.

“Camille,” he levels.

“Kiss me.”

He releases one of my hands to reach up and cup the side of my face. I lean in to his touch, pulling in a breath before his lips crash down on mine. My eyes shut of their own volition, and I close the remaining distance between us, pulling my hand from his to grab the front of his shirt and tug him in.

Xander snakes an arm around my waist and pulls me onto his lap, deepening the kiss and pushing his fingers into my hair to cradle my head. My heart thunders in my chest as my head spins, and I lose myself to the sensations flooding through me. It’s far too easy to push everything else away when we kiss.

I shouldn’t want this—shouldn’t want him —but I can’t deny my need for him. Even if I loathe the part of me that does.

Pushing him back onto the mattress, I straddle him as our lips move in sync, just as they always have. I lower myself until my chest is pressed to his, and our hearts pound against our rib cages, desperate to be close to each other.

The pressure in my chest heightens tenfold and my lungs ache, but I don’t break the kiss. I’m terrified of what the end of this moment will bring. I’m not ready to face it.

Xander pulls his lips from mine, and I hover over him as we catch our breaths. When I finally open my eyes, I find him gazing up at me with a look so consuming it threatens to steal the air from my lungs anew.

“What are we doing?” I breathe, shifting to move off him.

He catches my hips, keeping me in place, and his hands on me makes my pulse surge. Heat pools low in my stomach, and I gasp sharply when he rolls us onto the middle of the bed and pins me beneath him. The weight of him sends sparks of anticipation racing across my skin, and I already know I’m playing a losing game against my willpower to resist him.

“You’re going to tell me what you want me to do,” he says, leaning in until his lips brush mine again, “and I’m going to do it.”

My entire body flushes with warmth, my throat going dry as I search his expression. He’s serious .

I press my lips together, lowering my gaze to his chest as I try and fail to ignore the throbbing between my thighs.

“Eyes on me,” he says, snagging my chin and lifting my face until our gazes meet. “That’s better.”

With my heart thumping in my chest, I lick the dryness from my lips. “I thought you were going to do what I wanted.”

His smirk is downright wicked. “And what is it that you want, Camille?”

You .

It must be clear on my face, because his eyes darken with the same lust spreading through me at a dizzying speed.

“Tell me you want me,” he murmurs.

“I…” My lips part in a silent gasp when he presses a deft hand between my thighs, my leggings the only barrier between him and where I ache for his touch. “Yes.”

He brushes his thumb back and forth over my core, tilting his head to the side. “Yes, what?”

My eyes narrow at the taunting lilt in his voice. “I want you. You know I do.”

“Hmm.” He presses his mouth to mine in the whisper of a kiss, then murmurs, “You’re mine.”

“Yes.” The word tumbles from my lips before I can consider snapping my mouth shut, the muscles in my abdomen tightening.

“Say it.” His voice is a smooth, hypnotizing demand I can’t ignore, much less deny answering.

“I’m yours.”

He slides his fingers to the waistband of my leggings and slips his hand inside. The first brush of his fingers against my core has me sucking in a shuddering breath.

“Is this what you want?” His breath caresses my cheek, his lips brushing along my jaw.

“Mmm,” I moan, lifting my hips to guide him closer to where I crave. I slide my hand up his chest, curling it around his neck and tugging him down until our lips meet again.

My pulse jackhammers when he slowly enters me with a finger, using his thumb to tease the bundle of nerves at the apex of my thighs. I make a sound against his lips that encourages him to double his efforts as his tongue flicks along my lips until they part to let him in. He kisses me deeply, bringing me closer to the edge with each subtle movement between my legs.

I lose track of my breath as I give myself over to the pleasure he’s wringing from my body. I grip the hair at the back of his neck, tugging it as I circle my hips and whimper as he adds another finger inside me. His lips leave mine, trailing along my jaw and finding the pulse at my throat. He kisses and nips at the sensitive skin below my ear, and I gasp his name as I tighten around him, my only warning as pleasure explodes from my core, leaving me lightheaded and warm.

Even as my heart continues to pound and I catch my breath, I know I need more.

I need all of him .

As much as I’m his… Xander is mine .

His face is pressed to the crook of my neck, and when I reach for the button on the front of his pants, he chuckles softly. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I want to say I’m fucking the king of hell, but you have yet to take the throne, so I guess I’m fucking the king of nothing.”

I have no idea what possesses me to say that, but the shock on his face when he pulls back to look at me fills me with a smug sense of pride that I latch on to.

His eyes darken, flickering black before returning to their normal brown as he cocks his head to regard me. “Is that so?”

I purse my lips, popping the button open and tugging his zipper down. “You tell me. We’ve established what I want.” My eyes flit between his. “Do you want me, Xander?”

A possessive growl rumbles through his chest, and I shouldn’t be drawn to that sound, yet heat fills my face as I hold his gaze. His pupils are blown, his expression dark with lust as he dips his face until his nose grazes mine.

“You,” he breathes, “are all that I want.”

Between one moment and the next, his mouth captures mine with a searing kiss that promises to ruin me for anyone else.

I lose track of time as his mouth explores mine before his lips travel across my body. Our clothes quickly end up on the floor, and when Xander positions himself at my entrance, there isn’t a thought of hesitation in my mind. I urge him on until he pushes inside me, stealing the air from my lungs.

Wrapping my legs around him, a moan slips from my lips as he starts to move, and we find a delicious rhythm that has us both racing toward release in minutes.

“Camille,” he breathes my name desperately, as if it’s a prayer, his voice deep with arousal.

“Don’t stop.” I lift my hips to meet his thrusts, tightening around him when he hits a particularly sensitive spot. My head spins, my brow dotted with sweat as I slide my hands from his shoulders to his face, cupping his cheeks and bringing his lips to mine.

Our kiss is feverish and desperate, and I lose my perception of reality as the pleasure consuming my body crests, and I cry out, the sound muffled by his mouth on mine.

He continues to thrust into me until his thighs tense as he reaches his own climax, and we cling to each other to ride out the warm, continuous waves of euphoria together.

If this is what being damned feels like, I’ll gladly accept my fate in hell.

I’m not sure how long we lie next to each other, my head resting against his chest while he runs his fingers along my hair. I think I’m almost asleep when there’s a sharp knock at the door.

“Ignore it,” I grumble.

Xander chuckles, then sighs. “You know I can’t.”

“Xander,” Blake says through the door. His tone is deep and serious, setting me on edge immediately.

“What is it?” Xander barks back without moving.

“It’s time,” Blake responds, “and you’re going home for this one.”

I frown, my stomach sinking as Xander tenses beneath me.

It’s time for his final trial.

Xander’s chest rises and falls slowly. “Give me a minute.”

There’s a beat of silence followed by, “We’ll be in the car.”

Once I’m sure Blake is no longer standing on the other side of the door, I whisper, “I don’t want you to go.” My eyes burn with the threat of tears, and I don’t want Xander to see them. I’m trying so hard to keep the emotions at bay, but the thought of him traveling to the place he grew up fills me with an ice-cold fear that I’m going to lose him all over again.

“I know.” He brushes his thumb over my cheek, making my skin tingle. “I don’t want to go either.”

My forehead drops against his chest, and I inhale slowly. “Tell me you’re coming back.”

Xander presses his lips to the top of my head, sighing softly. “Of course I am.” He pulls back enough to look into my eyes. “When will you realize? Hell won’t ever be able to keep me from you, mo shíorghrá .”