Page 32 of Ashes to Ashes

“I am a human, and I will not fail.”

He could end this game now, tell her that she could not possibly own the necklace, but she began to speak, obviously not concerned with his threat.

“It is silver, as sparkly as a star if your kind ever saw one. The chain is delicate, a single braid of metal that was clearly too dainty for a place like this realm.”

Intrigued, Leviathan slowed his pace toward her, his wings unfurling behind him like a dark storm. None of this was possible, and yet, she’d known far more than the others. Even her description was more detailed.

“This is not possible,” he snarled and turned to walk away, determined not to murder the poor girl who’d captivated his attention for her stupidity.

Leviathan glanced back, his eyes meeting Ashe’s without any intent to let her off easy. The girl stood there, so unperturbed by his threat, and yet she didn’t seem confident either. Her defiance only made him more curious. He circled around her again, the scent of her hair and skin enveloping him like thick fog in a dimly lit forest. His demonic senses heightened at the prospect of having found something rare and wonderful.

“A circular pendant, encrusted with small diamonds and it slides freely over the chain,” she finished confidently.

Leviathan stopped mid-step, his heart pounding as he turned back to face her.

She was right.

He stalked towards her, towering over her petite form as he studied her face intensely. Her eyes held no deceit or guile. Instead, they were wide and bright with excitement at having found something so rare and precious—something that couldchange the course of their existence forever if real. “How?” he ground out through gritted teeth, demanding an explanation.

Leviathan did not let her answer. He already knew how. The human had found the demoness and killed her after demanding to know about the pendant in an attempt to take what was not hers.

For a moment, a split second, Leviathan swore his heart shattered knowing the demon who drove him to such passion was no longer alive to ensure his happiness.

How could Ashe have done that?It didn’t matter. She would not be allowed to commit such a crime.

Leviathan leaned down, almost inhaling her scent, his dark wings brushing against her body. She didn’t flinch or shy away, which only fueled his curiosity. He longed to taste her skin, but he held himself back. “Tell me,” He breathed out, his voice low and threatening.

His tail flicked out from behind him, slithering across the cold stone floor as if it had a life of its own. Slowly, he bent down, invading her personal space, his lips inches from her ear as he whispered hoarsely, “You should know what happens when you steal from me.”

Ashe shivered under his threat but did not flinch or retreat. Her scent intoxicated him from this close. It was intoxicating yet somehow familiar. She was strong and resilient like no other human he’d encountered before. She met his gaze steadily, not afraid to challenge him even while surrounded by beasts like these. She swallowed hard as he continued to loom over her, their bodies almost touching now.

“I don’t know,” she said plainly.

With a swift movement, Leviathan’s hand shot out and grabbed a fistful of her hair, pulling her head back so that their eyes met. His black wings flapped slightly, rustling as they brushed against her soft skin. “You have no idea what you’vedone,” he growled slowly, his voice only loud enough for Ashe to hear.

Something stopped him, something burning within him, forcing him to hold back.

A small part of him paused, analyzing the situation like a predator studying its prey and the way it made him feel.

Her eyes were like chips of ice, never wavering from his intense gaze—even as she gasped under his grip on her hair. Her shiver sent waves of heat through his body that he couldn’t explain. She was beautiful. Too beautiful for this place, yet here she was, standing before him with such defiance that it made his heart race. He could taste her fear mingled with desire in the air around them both, intoxicating him further. He brought his face closer still so that their breaths mingled together.

Desire sent blood to his cock.

This human had a powerful hold over him, and if she had killed two demons, he needed to end her sensual power over him.

“What makes you so special?” he demanded again, narrowing his eyes at her.

“It’s my necklace.” She said again, as if he wasn’t pressed against her as intimately as any lover would.

With a flick of his free hand, Leviathan moved in a puff of smoke.

From the grounds into the dungeon just outside the castle, Leviathan moved so swiftly in his release of his grip that Ashe slammed into the wall, her head someone avoiding the blow, but her shoulder bending backward, displaced.

An unfamiliar pang pinged somewhere deep inside of Leviathan, but he ignored it, transporting just outside the already locked cell.

The prince stared at Ashe, eyes burning with curiosity and fierceness. Her red hair fell around her shoulders like a cloak ofpassion, drawing him in as if it were alive. He could feel himself reacting to her presence and hated that he couldn’t control it. His heart thundered in his chest, pounding with the need to possess her, to mark her as his own.

The same exact response his body had to the demoness at the ball.

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