Page 88 of Touched By Death

It would seem that Little Red Riding Hood has a fetish for dangerous and deadly wolves.

His low chuckle is as sinister as the nefarious look in his eyes. He sets his tumbler down. Every shift of muscle is intentional, like a seductive dance designed to entrap me and hold me frozen in place while he takes his time stalking me.

“I see Genesis underestimated your powers.” He tuts, walking closer. “Look at you…” In a sudden blur of movement, he crosses the floor and grabs me in a fierce chokehold. With his teeth bared, he growls, “That wasn’t a smart move, little angel. You know I can’t let an angel that’s more powerful than me exist in my kingdom.”

I choke out, “You won’t kill me, Lucifer.”

“No? Tell me why, sweetheart.”

Heart thrashing inside my chest, I challenge him with my eyes. “Because you crave the light. If you kill me, you won’t have access to it.”

His humorless smile is slow to form. “You’re a little shit-stirrer, angel.”

“I play my cards well,” I counter, pulsing between my legs. “Ever heard the saying, keep your enemies close?”

His heated, soft breath wafts over my lips. He peels me back, layer by layer, until all that’s left is my exposed and shivering soul. “If you weren’t fire-bonded to my son, I’d chain you to that pole like a worthless human.”

“If you weren’t his father, I would kill you so fucking slowly you’d beg me to deliver you into the hands of the reaper himself.”

“Those are big words from a little fledgling that’s covered in my cum.”

I bare my teeth with a vicious snarl, and he lifts me off the wall and slams me against it. “Don’t entice me further. I’m already hard as a fucking rock again and ready to tie you up and fuck your wings.”

I’m just about to choke out a response when a sound in the hallway outside startles me. Lucifer’s cruel smile grows, and he leans in to whisper in my ear, “Run, little girl. Once my son smells my cum on your pussy, he’ll kill you with his bare hands. But not before fucking you until you’re a broken, ruined mess. There’s no coming back from this. If you thought the hunt was for fun, think again. This time, the hunter is out for blood.” His warm breath caresses the curve of my skin in a whisper of seduction. “Your blood.”

Without thinking, I shove him off, wrench open the door, and run blindly down the hallway. The hem of my skirt sticks to the cum on my thighs. I’m marked with the devil’s scent. All the while, Lucifer’s words scream loudly in my ears.

“Run, little girl.”

Chapter Thirty-One

AURELIA

My lungs burn as I flee down hallway after hallway.

Behind me, Daemon’s dark voice disturbs the pounding of my heartbeat in my ears. They prick to hear his taunting threat. “There’s nowhere to hide, little witch.”

As I escape into the ballroom, my pounding footsteps on the expansive marble flooring echo loudly. Overhead, a domed ceiling that’s covered in detailed paintings of fallen angels and battles looms like a gaping, vast void. The maroon curtains have been tied back to let the moon cast streaks across the cold floor, and its ethereal glow surrounds me like a misty fog in an enchanted forest. I spin around, my hair flying around me, and look back at the large doors. There’s no sign of Daemon yet, so I dart left to hide behind one of the large marble pillars. Seconds pass and then the heavy creak announces his arrival.

With my heart in my throat, I close my eyes, cursing my hiding place. I’ll have no choice but to run again. But where? I look over at the windows again. All the other ones have been boarded shut except for these. I could break the glass and flee into the night. But what would I use? The room is void of items.

“I can hear your fluttering heartbeat, little angel.”

My hand flies up to my mouth to stifle the frightened whimper that threatens to give away my hiding place. Daemon’s heavy footsteps sound on the floor, followed by the soft rustle of his wings and his enticing, toe-curling chuckle. More footsteps follow, and Ronan’s voice sends my heart skyrocketing. “Let’s spread out.”

“What’s it like?” Daemon asks me with a hint of dark humor in his voice. “To be hunted like a helpless, pathetic little mouse? You’re trapped, Aurelia. There’s nowhere left to hide. No option but to step out from your hiding spot and submit.”

Fuck him. I grind my teeth, lowering my hand from my mouth.

A soft peal of feminine laughter drifts through the silence to stroke over my bare legs in a ghosting touch. “We’re gonna fuck you hard, little angel. Your tears won’t save you now—” Dariana is abruptly cut off, and the sudden, intrusive silence sends my heartbeat into overdrive. Hand on the pillar, I chance a look around the corner. Daemon scents the air once, twice, and then everything about him falls eerily still, like the last ripple on a glassy pond.

The others stiffen too, sensing the shift in the air. How the playfulness morphs into dangerous intent. “That fucker!” Daemon growls out. “I should have known.”

“What’s wrong?” Dariana asks carefully while Daemon walks deeper into the room, closer to where I’m hiding.

Panic holds me in its grip with deeply buried talons that refuse to let go. I need to run, but where the fuck to? I’m trapped.

“My father…” Daemon says, stopping and spinning in a circle while breathing in the air. His head snaps in my direction, and I startle with a gasp.

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