Revealing the Monster (Playing with Monsters #4) by Amelia Hutchins

“I didn’t say you’d get a choice in me destroying the world, sweet girl. I said I would destroy it, and no one could stop me if I decide to do so. Do you understand that? I am the one the gods fear and cannot control. I am the oldest living thing inside this world, far older than that little boy who offered you what you crave most, knowing your vulnerabilities because he created those weaknesses within you. Remember that because I have no mercy. I don’t care if this world continues turning on its pathetic fucking axis. I only care that you’re mine and with me. If you’re not, then I have no reason to protect this world you love so much from continuing to exist. I would swallow it whole and watch it burn without caring who suffered. You are my world, Magdalena. Without you, everything else ceases to exist.”

I swallowed past the fear and warmth of his words. Still staring up into his iridescent gaze, he lifted his hands, wiping away my tears before lowering his lips, brushing them against my forehead. I whispered his name softly, and his voice echoed through my mind as I heard the distant screams of souls crying out in pain. He would destroy the world for me. I didn’t need to question it because Lucian didn’t make idle threats, ever.

Most men bought women flowers or trinkets.

Not Lucian. No, not him.

He promised to eradicate worlds for me and murder anyone who stood in our way.

He wasn’t a hero or even cared about the archetype that the world labeled him. He didn’t play by the same rules we did. He’d probably been present when the rules were created and laughed when he was told to follow them. He was that old. Lucian was the villain, and I was the woman he wanted at his side, burning down the world if it threatened our goals.

World peace, my ass; I didn’t care about peace or rules.

This world hadn’t given a shit about me, and I wasn’t about to care about it now. Lucian was all that mattered, and as long as I was beside him, nothing else could touch what we had. I smiled, exhaling while he shimmered before me. I brushed my lips against his, pulling him toward the door as he solidified.

“Let’s send Nyx away quickly. I need you to finish soothing the ache you created.”

“Greedy little bitch, aren’t you?”

“So what if I am? You like me being greedy when it benefits you.” I laughed, closing my eyes against the sensation of his touch and the pressure of his hand against mine as he squeezed it.

“Let’s get this over with,” he grumbled, smacking my butt playfully. “My girl needs to be fucked and reminded whom she belongs to.”





Chapter Four




There’s bliss in not knowing every secret in a world, but there’s danger in not knowing the ones that could change everything. ~Lena



Lucian’s men stepped into formation behind us when we entered the bar area, working like a well-oiled machine. Each man was an extension of Lucian, doing what needed to be done without being told. My eyes slid to Bane; his expression tightened the moment he turned, his gaze drifting over me. He smirked, making the scar on his face more pronounced, but it didn’t alter the deadly beauty of his features. If anything, it enhanced them and gave him an edge the others lacked.

Layton had his dark blonde hair up in a bun, which I’d learned he did to annoy the shit out of Lucian. Unlike most men, he pulled it off and made it look sexy. His ice-blue eyes slid to mine, winking as he caught me admiring him.

Deviant, I’d discovered, could change his appearance when he wanted but chose black hair that held a blue tint to it most of the time. Moss-green eyes framed in thick, lush black lashes made his gaze look exotic. His tattoos pulsed against his light skin. The other men had bronze or sun-kissed tones, but Deviant was pale, making all his other features stand out in contrast. He was also quieter than the others and hardly ever spoke, but it was no bullshit and straight for blood when he did.

Devlin, who had finally healed after being left for dead by Lucifer, smirked at me when my gaze lit on him. He nodded his dark head at me as his whiskey-colored eyes sparkled with amusement. Devlin was the youngest in Lucian’s group and the most carefree of them all. He still held a boyish charm that had once caught my interest. That ended when I’d learned he’d been playing a part, monitoring me for Lucian before the Awakening ceremony.

My chest clenched the moment I realized Spyder hadn’t arrived with the other men. He usually appeared from the shadows whenever someone showed up unannounced. I missed him, even though it was dangerous to be around him until we severed the bond.

Last week, I’d kissed him without thinking. Lucian hadn’t been jealous or even reacted to it, because he knew it wasn’t me. The magic used in the ceremony was winding us together, which made me wonder what would happen when we reached the end of that coil. We’d been searching for a cure, but I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that both Spyder and Lucian were hiding something detrimental from me.

Nyx stood at the bar, drumming her fingers on it impatiently as she fully unleashed her power with angry waves that rushed through the room. Her black hair was up in braids, exposing her back, highlighting a tattoo of the moon among the stars that moved as if it were a living picture or a portal that opened into a world blanketed in the night. Her mercury-colored eyes narrowed the moment she caught sight of us, flashing her rage.

“Where is she?” Nyx’s voice was cold and threatening, echoing through this level of the club.