Page 17 of Insatiable

I turn to leave, but she grabs my sleeve. “It wasn’t sleeping I had in mind.” As though she hasn’t tried this move a thousand times, her hand travels up my arm, then down my body to my very unwilling cock.

She arches an eyebrow as she cups me through the fabric of my pants. “Looks like you might need a little encouragement.” She bends down to her knees, then starts to unzip my fly. I pull back before she gets the zip half way.

Her look of surprise turns very quickly into anger.

“You never say no, Felix. Don’t tell me you were arranging to meet up with that freak?”

I pull the zip of my fly to the top. “I’m not in the mood, Anthura. I’ve just eaten my own body weight in food. I can hardly move.

She licks her lips, then stands. “You’ve not been in the mood since we got to Gluttony. Let me make one thing clear, Felix. I don’t like playing second fiddle and I won’t do it to that freak. If I see you as much as look at him, I’ll have you both out of the games. I won’t need Satan. Hades will do it.”

“I don’t doubt it, Anthura, but I’m not seeing Row…Robert.” I cringe inwardly. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

This time when I try to walk away, she lets me. I let out a long sigh as I press the button to call the moving platform. Anthura might be full of shit, but some of what she’s said is true. She could have both me and Rowena thrown out of the games and she will if she suspects us. I leave the cookies on Rowena’s doorstep like I’ve done for a week then head back upstairs to my room where I lock the door behind me, then pull the night stand in front of it in case Anthura decides my excuse to not fuck her wasn’t good enough and she uses her Portal to try to get inside.

I sit on the edge of my bed, fists clenched, a mixture of frustration and longing swirling inside me. All I can think about is Rowena and how desperately I want her.

I can almost feel her warmth against my skin, the way her laughter dances in the air, wrapping around me like a spell. Her eyes, full of mischief and something deeper, tug at something primal within me. I run a hand through my hair, trying to dispel the heat rising in my core, but it’s no use. The ache for her is undeniable, intoxicating.

To go to her would be madness. I lean back, letting my head fall against the pillows, but it does nothing to ease the storm inside me. The more I think about her—her laughter, that fierce spirit of hers—the more I want to lose control. I let my hand drift down, the anger mixing with desire. Images flash through my mind, raw and vivid: Rowena standing before me, defiant and unapologetic, her hair cascading around her shoulders. I can almost hear her voice, the way she challenges me, pushing all my buttons. It fuels something dark and primal within me. I can’t help it—I need her. My fingers wrap around myself, and I start to stroke, each motion filled with a desperate hunger that matches the ache in my chest. I envision pressing her against the wall, pinning her there, claiming her. The thought of her gasping, wanting me as much as I want her, drives me further into madness. “Rowena…” I growl her name, my frustration spilling over. I imagine her biting her lip, the way she teases me with that look in her eyes, and it ignites a new wave of anger. And I've only got myself to blame. My hand moves faster, each stroke pushing me closer to the brink, but the anger only intensifies my desire. I picture her beneath me, her body arching, her breath hitching as I take control. My heart races as I imagine her surrendering to me, and the tension coils tighter within. Rowena will never surrender to me, and that's probably what makes her irresistible. I've always gotten my own way, gotten what I want... until now.With every stroke, I push against the frustration, the need to make her mine, to show her who she truly belongs to. I’m lost in my thoughts of Rowena, the images blurring as the anger surges, fueling me until I can’t hold back any longer. “Damn it, Rowena!” I shout, the tension snapping, pleasure crashing over me like a wave.

10

THE HELLBEAST

QUINN

Sitting next to Dade at the banquet had my nerves in a knot. He’d held my hand the whole time, even though I haven’t spoken to him for almost a week. He’s still holding my hand as we exit the Earthery. It feels like everything is normal but it isn’t. It can’t be. He doesn’t want me to go to the lower level and I don’t want to be without Jenny. We are at an impasse and it feels like everything I had been clinging onto is falling away, even as I still cling onto Dade’s hand.

“If I’d eaten one more thing, I’d be waddling,” I say to Dade, trying to lighten the mood as we step into the elevator. I’m still unsure of what to say if he asks me to go to his room. I’ve missed him this week more than I care to admit. It’s weird how dark my life has felt without my dark king bringing me light.

I reach for the up button, but Dade’s hand closes around mine, halting me. My breath catches in my throat as he turns to face me, his gaze intense and piercing. His eyes lock onto mine with a heat that makes my insides melt. Everything about Dade is overwhelming, but it’s this look—this electrifying intensity—that leaves me breathless and off-kilter. Every. Single. Time.

He slowly pulls a marble from his pocket, the key to accessing the lower levels, and holds it up for me to see.

“You’ve changed your mind?” I ask, hardly daring to feel hopeful. I spent the last week trying to figure out how to get to the lower levels without him or the marble. The only thing that stopped me from stealing it when he slept was the fact that I couldn’t do that to him. I need to get to Jenny, but the thought of going down into the bowels of Hell without Dade is a thought that terrifies me more than anything. It’s not the demons that might attack or all the untold horrors that I might find, but the hole in my heart I’d create if I left him. And now, I can hardly believe it, but he’s changed his mind.

“Seeing those people swinging there, watching us eat while they starved, reminded me that this is not a place I want to end up,” he growls, his voice low and rough. His black eyes lock onto mine, burning with intensity. “But more importantly, it’s not a place I want you to end up.”

He shoves the marble into the hole next to the button on the elevator, his movements sharp, then cups my face in his hands. His grip is firm, almost desperate, as if he’s holding on to something slipping away. I look up into those haunted, beautiful eyes of his, and it’s like falling in love with him all over again—only harder, deeper.

“I don’t want to be with you knowing your heart is still broken over Jenny,” he whispers roughly. “I want you to feel whole, and that will never happen unless we find her.”

I kiss him, flinging my arms around him in a surge of raw emotion just as the elevator begins its descent. The heat between us is undeniable, but beneath it, a wave of panic begins to swell. Juliette and Rowena flash in my mind—what if we actually make it out? What if we leave them behind?

My thoughts spiral as the elevator hurtles downward, the tension tightening in my chest. Then the soft ping of the elevatordoors pulls me back to the present, and my stomach drops. Fear courses through me, sharp and cold, as the doors slide open to reveal whatever awaits us.

Dade takes my hand and the marble that has popped back out of the hole and together we step out into the corridor. It’s ominously quiet, which should be a blessing, but the memories of all the things that have happened to us down here, the most recent only being last week, haunt me still.

“We know the way to the main elevator,” he says, pulling off his black shirt that I know covers the tattooed map of the underbelly of Hell. My fear has always been that each tower is built differently and the map I tattooed on Dade’s back will become useless, but as we begin to walk, a sense of familiarity washes over me. I know most of the way by memory without having to look at the map, but it doesn’t stop me running my fingers over the black ink on his skin. The corridors leading through the lower levels are eerily quiet, a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of the upper levels. Dade and I move swiftly, his tattooed back guiding us through the maze of passageways. As we delve deeper into the bowels of Hell, the air thickens with a sense of foreboding. I clutch Dade's hand tightly, drawing strength from him. We walk for hours, stopping every so often to consult the map. I’m tired and bloated from eating so much food. “We probably should have done this tomorrow morning,” I sigh, leaning against one of the gray walls. Suddenly, a low, guttural growl echoes through the corridor, causing us both to freeze in our tracks. Dade's grip on my hand tightens as he scans our surroundings, his eyes narrowing with focus. Without a word, he steers us down a narrow side passage. We emerge into a vast chamber bathed in an otherworldly glow. The source of the glow becomes apparent as we step further into the chamber. Luminous crystals jut out from the walls, casting an ethereal light that illuminates the cavernous space with a mesmerizingshimmer. Dade's eyes widen in awe, his usual stoic demeanor momentarily faltering at the sight before us. But our moment of wonderment is short-lived as a hulking figure stirs in the shadows across the chamber. A massive creature, its form twisted and contorted, slowly emerges into the light. Its eyes gleam with a malevolent intelligence, locking onto us with a predatory gaze. Dade positions himself in front of me, shielding me from the creature's advancing presence. The creature lets out a primal roar, sending shockwaves through the chamber as it charges towards us. Dade braces himself, his stance solid and unwavering. I try to pull him back, but he remains steadfast. He’s lost it! The monster is at least twice his size. My panic increases as the creature's monstrous form looms closer, its massive claws scraping against the stone floor with a menacing growl. Its eyes, filled with a malevolent intelligence, never waver from us, fixating on Dade and me with a predatory intensity. I can feel the heat of its breath, thick with malice, as it closes the distance between us. With a thunderous roar, the creature launches itself forward, its massive frame hurtling through the air with terrifying speed. Dade's reflexes are swift, as he ducks in front of me, shielding me from the monstrous beast. I use the opportunity to grab one of Dade’s wings and pull him back out into the corridor as the beast is hurled back because of the chains holding him to the far wall.

“What the hell was that thing?” I heave out, my heart pounding with each breath.

Dade shakes his head, his expression grim. “Did you see the door behind it? That’s the way out.”

I stare at the creature, still straining against its chains, then at the wall behind it. I hope Dade is wrong, but of course, he’s not. Right behind the monstrous figure is a door.

“There wasn’t a door like this in Lust,” I say, my voice tinged with disbelief.

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