Page 79 of Queen of the Wicked
That damn dress.
Coated in darkness, the black skintight gown showcased every dip and curve she possessed, with corathin petals stitched into the bodice before flaring at the knees. It caused her to sparkle in the glow of the candelabras, her hair in perfectly curled ringlets that stopped at her breasts, with a neckline so low it was an effort not to rip the dress right off her.
Those ruby-painted lips and a sinful smile to match were the embodiment of a temptation so wicked that he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that ifhewere a demon striving for freedom in this realm, he would have failed in epic proportions the second he laid eyes on her.
She was the light at what he assumed was a never-ending tunnel, a rare glimpse of the sun in a world that had been so dark.
He had been drowning, seconds from being submerged, and she reached her hand out of nowhere to bring him to shore. In that moment, with the luminous glare causing the corathins to sparkle, she was a lethal combination of wicked and righteous, and he’d never been more proud to call her his mate.
“I would like to remain here in Hell,” Isla answered. Erebos had been so caught up in Alessia that he had forgotten he had asked the handmaid a question. “So long as I can remain here at the castle? I have grown rather fond of tending to Alessia, and I would prefer to maintain my job rather than seek a new one.” It also helped that she would remain near the general, wholooked like he had one thought on his mind as he admired Isla from afar.
“I would be honored for you to remain on staff, Isla.” He only spared her a glance before seeking out Alessia once more. “Please enjoy the rest of the night, everyone. Right now, I have other matters to attend to.”
The realm could judge him all they wanted for cutting the ceremony short. Erebos hardly paid their response any mind before the musicians resumed, and he strode for Alessia in the center of the dancefloor.
A hand on his arm stopped him from doing so. “Your Majesty.” Catalina dipped into a curtsy in a flowy, red dress with panels that had slits so high they nearly reached the apex of her thigh. “Are you leaving?”
Aggravated at the interruption, he sighed heavily through his nose and shrugged out of her grasp. “It appears so.” What he wanted to tell her was that he was about to fuck his mate into next week, but he kept his mouth shut, impatiently tapping his dress shoes against the pristine floor.
“You do not wish for my services?” She cocked her head to the side and studied him.
Services.He hated that term. Catalina had been the only one he truly indulged in of all the women in the realm. Others were used as a facade for Bastian’s annual visits, but he had formed a genuine friendship with Catalina that eventually developed into something more. He had never loved her, but it was far more thanservices.
“Your services are no longer required, Catalina. Now, if you’ll excuse—” His voice trailed off at the sight of Alessia storming out of the ballroom, leaving shadows inher wake. Thankfully, the demons were too invested in the party to notice, but Catalina arched a perfectly plucked brow at Alessia’s display of power.
“That is interesting,” she mused. “She has powers?”
The mating bond kicked into place, a wave of protectiveness that had him towering over the escort in seconds. “You speak of this to no one,” he warned. Of all the demons in the realm to discover the truth, Catalina was the worst. She frequently visited Heaven, although Erebos warned her to limit her visits. Word could easily spread to Bastian if she so much ashintedthat Alessia was powerful.
“I won’t,” she whispered, darting her eyes to the lord's tight hold on her wrist. He instantly released her when he noticed, but the bond was still frantic in his chest, seeking reassurance it couldn’t get.
That, or he was feeling Alessia’s emotions.
“If you’ll excuse me,” he muttered while brushing past. There would be a later time to speak with Catalina, but his priority would always remain Alessia. Judging by the tendrils of smoke oozing from her body, she didn’t take kindly to his conversation with the escort.
Picking up his pace to the double doors, he hoped the Makers would be on his side as he prepared to face his mate’s wrath.
Chapter 32
Alessia
Pure, undilutedfurypumped through Alessia’s bloodstream. It threatened to take over every vein, pore, and artery as her heels clicked angrily against the marble floors, heading nowhere. She was walking simply to attempt to calm herself down. If she hadn’t left when she did, Catalina would be dead on the floor, joining the rest of the souls in the Unknown.
The thought was ridiculous when Alessia had no reason to react so quickly to a simple arm touch. Erebos had shrugged her off; it wasn’t hisfault, but even if hehadwanted Catalina to touch him, it wasn’t like Alessia had any claim to him. They weren’t dating. They weren’t married. They sharedonekiss. That didn’t entitle her to kill women he’d previously slept with before.
Smoke flared behind her as a warning to anyone who passed to seek shelter immediately to avoid the anger pulsating at her fingertips, begging to unleash it on the first person who dared get in her path. Thankfully, the halls were empty with everyone at the ball, leavingAlessia alone with her raging combination of hormones and powers.
Stop running from me, Little Mortal.
Erebos hadn’t asked permission to enter her mind, and the knowledge irked her past the point of no return.
Bite me,she sneered back.
Would that make you feel better? If so, I’d gladly oblige.
Approaching the end of the hall, she found herself at the door of Erebos’s study, despising thatthiswas the room she had unintentionally sought out for comfort. Still, she didn’t have it in her to continue walking when this would be the best chance to find a semblance of control.
Striding into the room, she inhaled the scent of parchment and ink, her chest heaving as emotions continued to course through her.I’ll pass. I’m sure Catalina would take you up on that offer, though.
