Page 13 of Hell's Queen

“So, fuck me and let me help you.”

Ledger sighs. “Not like that…”

My throat dries up.

“I have finally accepted that you will never be just mine, and I will still do anything in my power to keep you safe. I need you… alive. I can’t lose any more people I love, and with the Gates of Hell possibly be—”

I shake my head. “They won’t open.”

He lets out a sigh as if he doesn’t believe me. I wouldn’t believe me either. Draco is toying with us. He brought my half-sister and Circe into this. I knew Circe was evil, but never against my family or me. Knowing she was behind my brother’s death or planning it hurts. “I need you, too, and I… I love you,” he admits.

My heart swells in my throat as I reach up, standing on my tippy toes. My breath catches in my throat as I look up at my fiery, possessive hellhound. I remember just meeting him and thinking he was the guy wanting a lap dance. Now, he is my boyfriend. “I love you too, Ledger. I will be okay. We need to eliminate the threat, and we need to go back home to my palace. I need to step up as queen.”

“And what if someone comes in and murders you? That will always be in my head. I wasn’t there. I could have—”

“So, be there next time,” I cut him off. He stares at me as if I just cut off his third and second heads. “Move in with me. I’ll make sure you have your own room and money and—”

He shakes his head. “I don’t need your money.”

“Your place is with me… with the others if they will join. I don’t care if we never see the academy again.”

He swallows. “You don’t want to be a Soul Reaper?”

I shake my head. “Inarian was right about that. I never cared to learn to be a Soul Reaper. I was just… having fun.”

“You got to meet some fiery hot guys, huh? I think there’s a fire hellhound that is kind of hot.”

I suck on my teeth. “Heard he has a Soul Reaper and a hot, smoking, sexy—”

“Okay.” He rolls his eyes at my dramatics.

“Delicious, fantastic, amazing—”

“Asura.”

“Girlfriend.” I smile, licking my lips. “Is it a yes for you to stay with me at the palace when it’s rebuilt?”

He cups the back of my head and leans into me. The campfire smell assaults my nose as he captures my lips, kissing me slower than ever. He pulls back, sighing. “If only your pussy could take another beating.”

“I can manage another one.”

Ledger snorts, rolling his eyes and stepping from the shower. Together, we towel off and get dressed. He gives me a swift kiss before leaving and promises to call me when he hears anything. I got an update from Ozzy saying he is alive, and I needed that more than I thought. Needing comfort, I find myself sitting on Jigsaw’s lap. Instead of getting how I thought he would, he pulls my feet into his lap and wraps his other arm around my waist.

“Hey, uh, orphans?” I start, making Hazen chuckle. “When we have our happily ever after and no one is killed by a rabid vampire, would you guys….”

Jigsaw’s lime-green eyes look at me, waiting for me to continue. His face is stoic, despite having me in his lap. His lips have tiny scars, and I crave to taste his sourness. I grab his cheek, and he leans into my palm and closes his eyes. Leaning forward, I kiss his lips briefly. Jigsaw was knocked out cold this morning because of the vampires that were after me. “I love you, and I’m so sorry I put you in harm’s way.”

Jigsaw sucks on his teeth, about to speak.

“Both of you. I love both of you, and I’m sorry. I didn’t know our journey would be like this.”

Jigsaw pulls my face to him again; fingers bare of the gloves he usually wears. “I would do it a million times just to get to this point.”

“I know you like me because you can touch me now, but if you want to leave after this….”

He blinks, shaking his head. “You just fucking pissed me off. I loved you before I could touch you. I was jerking off in the palace to you every night.” My brows rise. “I spit on a goddamn table for this!” I let out a giggle, almost forgetting that we started from there. “This is just a perk. What were you going to say after orphans?”

“Live with me,” I say before the nerves take over again. “Both of you. I mean, like, I don’t think I want to go back to the academy. I just thought it might be better and—”

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