Page 51 of Sealed By Fire (The Nature Hunters Academy 2)

“Yes,” Osiris said. “If you were to choose Ra, you could never be separated from him to be with someone else, nor could he choose to be with anyone else.”

“And if I choose you?”

“You will be mine for all eternity.”

Shelly kept her head from shaking somehow because there was no way she was going to choose him. No. Freaking. Way.

“Am I just supposed to choose right now?”

Osiris shook his head. “You will spend twenty-four hours with each of us.”

“Twenty-four hours and then I’m supposed to choose my”—she paused and swallowed—“mate?”

He nodded as if this was the most rational thing ever. Dude was delusional. But then, hewasthe devil. It wasn’t like he could possibly be sane. Who could stay sane with all the never-ending wailing and burning going on all the time? She’d only been conscious in hell for fifteen minutes, and she was already becoming a little twitchy, which wasnota good look on her.

“Who goes first?” she asked.

“What’s that?” said Osiris.

“Who gets the first twenty-four hours? You or Ra?”

Osiris narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. “You pick.”

“I choose Ra.” She heard the breath rush out of Ra and felt it against her face. Had he stepped closer to her?

“So be it,” said Osiris. Shelly wanted to laugh. The lord of the underworld sounded like a petulant child. “I will allow you a place away from the inhabitants of the underworld in which to spend your allotted time. But you may not leave,” he said. “Also…” Osiris’s eyes began to fill with flames, and his face took on a sinister glare. “No sex.”

Shelly’s mouth dropped open. Though she knew her face was no longer physically on fire, she felt as if she’d just gone up in flames. The flames of the embarrassment of someone discussing her sex life, or lack thereof, out in the open. As if it was his business and up for discussion.

“You don’t beat around the bush do you?” she asked.

“I do not … and I will not permit my competitor to beat around your bush, either.”

“Holy sh—” She slapped her hand over her mouth to keep from cursing at the lord of the underworld. She couldn’t believe he’d just used a sexual pun in such a vulgar way. Then she mentally kicked herself. He was the devil. Did she expect him tonotact like an evil prick? Apparently, she would have to keep reminding herself of that fact. Mainly because he was so attractive and there was something contradictory about the devil being handsome.

She felt a large hand wrap around her own and looked down to find Ra’s fingers entwining with hers. It felt good. Really,reallygood. And right, as if her hand had been waiting her whole life to be held captive by his.

“Where should we go?” Ra asked, speaking for the first time in a while.

Osiris flicked his wrist, and a door appeared out of nowhere. “Take that door. It will open to the abode you may share for the next twenty-four hours. If she is deflowered, I will kill you.”

“Okay, that’s enough,” Shelly snapped. “We will not discuss the state of my garden. Got it?” She glared at Osiris.

His lips turned up. “You are delicious,” he said in a low growl. “I do hope you choose me. I can tell you will be a wildcat.”

Shelly held up her hand. “If you finish that sentence with ‘in bed,’ I will cut off your man parts. That is assuming you have man parts.”

He took a step toward her, his hand going to his belt as he began to undo it.

In a flash, Ra swung her up into his arms, opened the door, and stepped through it. He slammed it closed behind him, but not fast enough to keep out Osiris’s mocking laughter.

Ra set her on her feet, and she straightened her dress and looked around. They were in a lush bedroom. It looked as if it was furnished by someone with plenty of money— a ridiculous amount of money—so much that they could use hundred dollar bills as their bedspread, rugs, and curtains if they wanted.

“Wow,” Shelly said as she turned in a circle, taking in the stunning room.

There was a huge bed in the center of the room with four posts and gorgeous black silk fabric draped lazily around the tops and sides. The black-and-red silk sheets and comforter were covered in enough pillows to create an awesome pillow fort.

“For someone who was adamant that there be no sexy time, he sure gave us the perfect environment. Holy hellfire I said that out loud, didn’t I?”

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