Page 23 of Mortal Desires

She was little. A small frame, far too breakable. She also smelled exquisite, even with the flowers gripped in her hands hiding her scent. Her hair was full of curls, alive and soft looking. She wore everything well, from the dress they put her in, to the innocence in her gaze.

I wanted her as dirty as the rest of the underworld.

Discreetly I nodded, starting the wheels of justice before she even said I do.

He stepped in front of her like I planned, offering his arm. Pilar stood frozen in place. She paled as much as the flowers she carried, and I watched with a satisfied smile.

All the Morales girls hated their father, but Pilar was the most afraid. It was easy to torture someone when they delivered their fears on a silver platter.

Her father was scum. Thirsty for power that never belonged to him. He married a Morales, impregnated her enough times to have her powers diluted, and then killed her. And even after that, he still couldn’t get what he wanted. His own daughters killed him, and his incapacity to move on dropped him on my lap. Another pawn at my disposal.

To me, they were all just humans, but the royal court was composed of witch families and they were thirsty for their first look at a Morales. They watched her with hunger in their eyes, waiting to see her walk so beautifully down the aisle to a creature like me while being escorted by the man she feared the most.

Her eyes filled with tears as she swung them in my direction. Her accusation was so loud, all realms of existence surely heard.

Shattered, broken, and lost.

Just how I liked her.

To my surprise, she swallowed whatever tears threatened to fall and hooked her arm on her father's, moving my way.

Adrian’s was the most important weapon in my arsenal. Right along with her little ghost friend.

With Penny, I controlled Pilar with love. With Adrian, I controlled her with fear.

Either way, she was mine.

Finally mine.

She made her way to me, like an angel walking to her doom. I barely spared Adrian a glance.

He was nothing.

She was everything.

“Let’s start.” Our officiant opened the books to an old scripture, the laws of the underworld listed like any of its citizens ever cared to follow them.

She was shaking but refusing to look her father’s way.

I wondered how deep it went. I thought she’d be so angry when she saw what I could do. Instead, she was having almost an allergic reaction to her father.

I cleared my throat and urged the man to start the ceremony, but right by my side, she swayed. Her knees buckled, and I quickly caught her before she hit the floor.

She fucking fainted.

I looked down at the woman in my arms, so tiny, weighing almost nothing, and I swore under my breath.

“Give us a minute,” I grumbled to the officiant.

Creating a door to the side room, I left the throne room while they all talked in hushed tones. One of her maids stepped forward to follow, but with one look I stopped her in her tracks.

If they bonded in one day, I’d need to make a rotation.

This wasn’t a place for Pilar to have allies.

I placed her on the couch with more care than she deserved, sat right across from her… and waited.

Finally, she moved. First, only under the eyelids, and then a hand twitched as she completely opened her eyes.

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