Page 30 of Penance

Huxley tucks a knuckle beneath my chin, tilting my face up to his. His coal-coloured eyes locking onto my own, searching for consent. I smile. Reassuring him, I trace my fingers down his chest, pressing the pads of my fingers against his heart, I nod.

“Nox, toss my knife,” Huxley rasps, his voice low.

He stretches out his hand, effortlessly catching what’s thrown his way without looking. I look down through my barely open eyes just as Huxley flicks a pretty little blade free.

“Give me your lips,” he orders and too tired to object, I lean in.

His lips press against mine urgently but delicately, like I’m made of glass, something special he wants to keep safe.

He tilts my head, arching my neck back into Kacey’s chest, he brings the blade to my chest. I hiss through my teeth as he carves three little lines just below my left clavicle. He goes over them, and then again and then a third time before his thumb presses into his mark. Smearing the blood around, making my eyes snap open, I peer down at the dainty ‘H’ carved into me, the horizontal line at an angle.

“My turn,” he whispers, placing his little knife into my palm.

I hum my approval, “lie back,” I hush as he does as I say.

Leaning forward, Kacey’s arms releasing me, I trail kisses down his abdomen, my tongue flicking out over his right hip bone. I lap at the spot I want to make my mark before working the blade into his deep caramel skin. Carving a two-inch cursive ‘K’ into him forever.

I collapse over his chest, his hand smoothing over the back of my head, his fingers working through my tangled silver mane.

“Shh,” Huxley soothes, “close those beautiful eyes, Darlin’, you’re safe, we’ve got you,” he whispers.

His orange, woody scent soothing me even further, his other hand stroking down my spine.

“Always, baby girl,” he promises as I succumb to the darkness, letting my heavy lids finally close.

Chapter7

Kacey

Istep into the billowing steam, head tilted back, hot water hitting my face. My hands instantly pushing back through my blonde hair as the harsh spray soaks me. I run my hands down my chest, my fingers picking at the slightly scabbing ‘K’ carved into me. It’s slashed through a large patch of shaded black ink, so it’ll scar up nicely.

It’s two-am. We all crashed for the rest of the day after our fuck session. Well, fuck session doesn’t really do what we did justice, that makes it seemlesswhen it was most definitelymore. A bonding ritual, mating in blood, claiming with marks, cementing our triad of souls. Three fractured pieces, carving themselves into each other, joining together to make something fucking beautiful.

A macabre declaration of love.

My appreciation of our woman only skyrocketed that much more as I witnessed her butcher someone that hurt her. She ruthlessly took back a piece of herself. I don’t think she realises all the things she screamed as she chopped him up into pieces. Blood coating her inked skin, her wounded hand tucked tightly into her chest, her grey-green eyes swirling like storm clouds. She was gone, disconnected, laser focused on her task. Every time the cleaver came down with a crunch-splat I smiled just a little broader. Watching my other half through the eyes of my demon was fucking spectacular.

I’m enthralled by her, completely and utterly in awe.

Every single part of me wanted to kill him myself, one of herabusers. Tag team with Nox on a little torture adventure weekend, we haven’t done that in a while. But this wasn’t my kill, wasn’t my revenge, it wasn’t me who was wronged and demanded penance.

It feels as though I’ve known her my entire existence. I’m pulled so rapturously into her orbit, I don’t know how to do anything else but follow her. Let her lead, be her faithful disciple. Worship her, protect her, sit at her feet as her most servient hellhound. I want to submit, obey and watch her flourish with us. Because I’m confident we can do that, allow her to thrive spectacularly with us.

I want nothing more than to free this world of her tormentors, sink my teeth into their throats and tear them out. Carve through their chests, rip open their insides and procure their hearts. Present them to her on my knees, wait for her to pet my head and reward me with one of those coy, closed mouth, sex goddess smiles, her dimples carving up her cheeks. Tell me I’ve done a good job and then let me plunge my tongue into her cunt. Obviously, I’d have easy access, in my head Kyla-Rose is always naked. So am I. Always together and fucking. Sometimes I imagine her letting me make love to her. Where she lets me top her for once, be in control, push her and push her until she sobs my name, her nails clawing into my back. Her fingers sliding through my blood and painting it across her. Decorating her body in my essence, coating herself with my protection.

Kyla-Rose looks beautiful in blood. I thought I liked her in white. I think I prefer her in red.

I helped dispose of the corpse once she was carried off safely in Huxley’s arms. Charlie, Nox, and I worked together in silence. Charlie only growled at Nox once during the process, which I’d call progress. Thing is, Nox just ignores it, expecting to be treated as the wrongdoer by this family, rightfully so, he fucked up. However, I found myself doing something I didn’t expect. I growled back… louder,angrier,protectively. I bared my teeth and held his scowling green gaze.

Up until now I’ve been careful around Charlie Swallow, knowing he’s the one I need to appease. He and Kyla-Rose have averyspecial relationship, one I’m sure lots of people don’t understand. There aren’t many lines drawn between them, there is nothing that is too far. They do, say and act together in a way that just fits them. They mirror each other in a million entangled ways, and I will never do anything to interfere in that.

Nevertheless, Nox is still my boy, my brother. He always will be. In our fucked up little family, we protect our own. And even if my demon snaps and hisses every time I catch those glassy eyes lost in memories, locked on our woman, I still love him. Despite what my green-eyed monster thinks. So, regardless of what happened in the past, he’s here, he’s present and he’s not going anywhere.

Charlie held my eye as I growled back, him at the head of a rapist, me at the feet. We stood and squared off, it was a very long minute, but he backed off. Yeah,the infamous Charlie Swallow let it go, and I swear I saw the ghost of a smile on his lips as we hauled the corpse into the lift. Nox didn’t say a word, but I definitely sensed shock, he thinks I’m pissed at him.

I’m not.

Okay, alittlepissed.

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