Page 18 of To Hell and Back
Shock tore through her at his possessive statements. He didn’t seem like he was joking, but the idea of being mated to this powerful supernatural seemed utterly ridiculous. She wasn’t sure who he was or even what he was yet, but she wanted it to be true. Wanted it as much as she’d wanted to live again.
That thought was a stark reminder of what he’d just said.
How the hell could he smell death on her?
The gods’ warnings about attracting attention from the powerful supernaturals rang through her head. Not even a day into her rebirth, and she’d already fucking failed. Then again, maybe not. Since he claimed she was his mate, that hopefully meant he wouldn’t turn her into the Supernatural Council or punish her for breaking whatever magical rules were in place regarding cheating death.
Unsure what to say, she hedged a bit. “That…is a long story.”
He pulled back enough to stare down at her. Obviously, he didn’t care for that response. In a placating gesture, she patted his chest. When she realized what she was doing, she tried to pull her hand away, but he covered it with his own, holding it in place over his heart.
He studied her in silence for several heartbeats, then he said, “You don’t seem afraid of me.”
“Oh, I am,” she blurted out honestly. “But I don’t react to scary things the way normal people do most of the time. Sorry, that was rude. I wasn’t really calling you a thing. I just meant—”
“Don’t worry. I don’t offend easily, little one.”
“That’s good, considering I tend to blurt out whatever is in my head. You said I was your mate. Is that true?”
His lips curved into a small smile as he nodded.
She thought he was handsome before, but when he smiled, he was sheer perfection. Damn, she worried she might start drooling when twin dimples appeared on his cheeks. They were as lethal as real weapons. It really wasn’t fair for him to be so freaking good-looking. It was easy to get distracted staring at him, but his silent scrutiny was starting to get to her. There was no need for torture when all it took was an intimidating staring contest to get what he wanted.
Ready to break, she swallowed hard. “Hypothetically, does that mean you would protect me if something bad happens?”
His smile immediately shifted back to a fierce frown as he snarled, “I will destroy anyone who dares to harm you.”
That vow should have frightened her.
Instead, it gave her immeasurable comfort. It was also a major turn-on. Even though he was scary as hell, she felt safe in his arms. She cherished it since that was something she hadn’t felt in a really long time. She had always considered herself fortunate for having people in her life who cared about her, but she’d never understood how intense a bond with a mate could be.
She’d dreamed about what it would be like to have a mate. Had spent hours speculating with her friends about who they would all end up with. But she’d never actually believed she would find her mate. Not when she had been a witch with no magic, and certainly not when she was a prisoner.
Literally stumbling into her mate’s arms after being reborn was nothing short of a stroke of pure luck. Not only was he devastatingly handsome, he also seemed to be the perfect person to help her on her revenge quest.
But that meant she had to trust him with the whole truth first.
The entire, sordid tale could wait, but she knew she had to give him something now.
Taking a deep breath, she blew it out slowly before confessing, “Basically, I died and my soul was sent to the Hell Realm. But the God of Souls and the Goddess of Revenge found a way to send me back. So, here I am.”
His brows furrowed. “There is no God of Souls or Goddess of Revenge.”
She winced, then sighed. “There will be…a year from now.”
“Now, this sounds like an intriguing story,” Arson called out from where he was still seated. When she glanced over at him, he gave her a friendly wave. “Hi, Seneca. What brings you out and about this rainy afternoon? I mean, besides meeting your mate. Then again, since he came here on business, you probably didn’t know he was here. You two are pretty lucky you found each other.”
She wheezed out a breathless laugh. “You don’t know the half of it.”
“Congratulations, anyway.” Arson grinned. “Never thought I’d see the big guy settle down. Killian might seem scary, but he…okay, he is pretty scary.”
“Watch it,” Killian growled in warning.
“As his mate, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about, though,” Arson hurried to explain. “I mean, besides the normal worries one might have being a reaper’s mate.”
Holy fuck, her mate was a reaper?
Seneca had no idea how to respond to that bit of information. As a reaper, he was one of the most formidable supernaturals in the six realms, while she was just a basic witch with a touch of luck. Talk about a magically mismatched couple. Perhaps her lucky curse really was a blessing, though. How else would fate have paired her with such a powerful mate?
