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

“Morning,” I whispered against his hungry mouth.

“You’re absolutely gorgeous, Magdalena. I can’t believe you allowed me to take you all night after what Spyder and I did to you.”

“It was only you. I can never get enough of you, asshole. Where is he?” I asked, watching as Lucian backed up, giving me room. “Did it work? Please tell me it worked, Lucian.”

“The bond is severed, but the mating link is still there.”

“But he doesn’t have to be reborn, right? We can figure out how to end this shit, and he can be free of me, of us.”

“We figured out a few things after you finally passed out. I don’t think it was you who claimed Spyder as your mate. We believe the furies did, and they did it to punish him. They have tried to make him atone for events that happened in the past a few times. They weren’t strong enough to get to him before. I think they found a back door through the magic we’d used, which gave them access to him. You were bonded with Spyder when you claimed him, allowing the furies to claim him, too. He isn’t mated to you, Lena. Not in the way we assumed. He’s mated to the furies within you. They’re vengeful beings that ensure those who do wicked deeds pay for them in blood. Spyder has escaped them before, and now that we know what we’re dealing with, he will do it again, somehow.”

“So the bond is broken. No more sex, right?”

“You almost sound afraid,” he chuckled, lifting a brow and running his nose against my jawline. “Or is it disappointment I hear?”

“No offense, but my vagina and pretty much all of me never wants to experience that again. Once was enough for me, thank you. I don’t feel like anyone should ever do that more than once. You guys are fucking savages. I need to bathe in holy water, and I need that bath to be inside a room with sage burning and a priest to baptize my ass.”

His lips curled into an unguarded smile, and he leaned over, kissing my forehead gently. “Good. Once was too much for me, and I wanted to murder him for making you scream in pleasure. I don’t like sharing you with anyone, after all. Not that I didn’t like it or enjoy watching someone else fuck you, but I prefer you only get fucked by me.”

“Was he here?” I asked, swallowing down the uneasiness at the idea of Lucifer observing us inside that bedroom. Lucian had created a glass wall from a special material that only allowed the Devil to see what happened in the bedroom. The glass had shattered when even the furies had reached their limit at being between Lucian and Spyder.

“Lucifer was here last night, but he only saw what you allowed him to see. He watched us with you, and we let him witness our pleasure until we needed to begin the spell requirements. That means he may become unhinged if he really wanted you for his bride. From now on, you don’t leave here without an escort. Not even to step outside. You’re either with Spyder or me. We’re the only ones here who can fight the Devil to protect you.”

“But without the bond, Spyder won’t be able to find me now.” I swallowed past the emptiness where the bond had been. I’d known releasing him had downfalls, but more benefits, too.

“You’re still his mate.” Lucian’s tone had changed, growing angrier with the words. “Even if you aren’t responsible for claiming him, the results are the same. He can find you if we need to, and so can I. With the Hell Gates open, Lucifer can’t hide you from us. There’s nowhere he can run with you that I cannot follow, Lena. I will always find you and protect you.”

I shivered as my heart clenched. I’d told Lucian I loved him again. And, while he hadn’t run away or moved out of our room this time, he hadn’t said it back to me. It hurt deeply, considering everything we’d been through together. I didn’t need some huge declaration of love, but I needed to know where we stood. Why was it so difficult for him to say the words back to me?

“Don’t do that, little one. It was just sex,” Lucian growled, lying beside me to pull me against his body, enveloping me in his heat. “You can’t feel shame for what you enjoyed, and I know you. You liked it, and I don’t regret allowing you to experience it once. I’ve always pushed you to be open about your needs and your pleasure. You’re mine, and that’s all that matters. We severed the bond, and we figured out where to start, freeing Spyder from the furies who claimed him.”

That much was true. I couldn’t regret releasing Spyder. He once wanted to slit my throat but ended up embedded into my soul as my friend. Sex with Spyder wasn’t something that would ever happen again. I refused to let it affect us or our friendship.

Life was too damn short to let something like that place a wall between us. I felt relief knowing I hadn’t personally claimed him. It was one less guilt that I had to carry around. Less baggage I’d need to unpack.

“So, I won’t feel the need to be with him ever again, right? The compulsion that Spyder and I had is gone?” I clarified, watching the way Lucian’s eyes narrowed on me.

“Yes. Unless it wasn’t the bond creating your sexual fantasies about him,” he murmured against my ear. “If that is the case, I will have to kill him after all.”

I chuckled, smiling, only to realize he wasn’t joking. “I’m certain it was the bond. I never wanted to even be in the same room with him before we did the spell. You and I are together, and I’m not craving Spyder anymore. That’s all that matters, right?” I waited, and he smiled, kissing my cheek without returning my sentiment.