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

Lucifer smiled as his appearance shimmered, his wings turning white, growing fuller as his skin became iridescent with a pearlescent sheen. Violet eyes watched me, searching my face while his black glyphs turned silver, sparkling in the sunlight, which I was guessing was an illusion.

“Yeah, sorry, Luc.” I smirked at his beautiful image that shimmered in front of me. “I prefer your darker persona much more to this one. This version is a little too sparkly for me. I feel like maybe you should wear a dress, and that harps should strum as a choir sings about your beauty. Give me bad boy Lucifer any day over this pretty boy.”

His lips jerked up into a genuine smile that knocked the air from my lungs as he returned to normal, sucking his plump lip between his perfectly white teeth. His dark head shook, and he slowly turned toward the sound of a babe crying. My heart slid into my throat as my eyes swung in the noise’s direction.

“Makenna,” I whispered breathlessly.

Luc spun, staring at me while I looked toward the muffled cries of the baby. Hesitantly, he walked to me, holding out his hand. “Do you want to meet her? She’s beautiful and looks just like you.”

“I can’t see her and not touch her. Its torture,” I admitted, swallowing thickly as tears burned in my throat.

Lucifer studied me through narrowing eyes. Slowly, he stepped closer to place his lips against my cheek, kissing the tears I hadn’t realized had escaped my eyes. His tongue darted out, tasting them before he moved back, studying me.

“Then hold her, Lena. But know this; I will kill you if you try to take Makenna from me. She is my daughter. I have grown rather attached to her, and she is mine to love selflessly. Come, she’s scared to be alone for too long. Much like your tears, hers hurt me to hear.”

I blinked, slowly jumping down from the altar to smooth out the skirt of my nightgown. I slid my hand into Luc’s as we started walking through the large marble room. He smiled wickedly, his fingers laced through mine, raising my hand to brush a soft kiss over the knuckles.

It took a few minutes to reach a bright pink room that he tugged me inside. My heart stopped and restarted until it was the only thing I could hear as my feet rooted in place, tears swimming in my eyes while I fought the emotion warring through me.

I peered at the tiny form, kicking and waving her arms inside the ivory crib while making sweet cooing noises. Luc went to Makenna, releasing my hand to pluck her gently from bed, mimicking her sounds to soothe her, causing a smile to play on her mouth.

Lucifer smiled back at Makenna, the perfect picture of a father doting on his tiny daughter. Tears slipped free from my hold, slowly trailing down my face. I marveled at Kendra’s daughter, smiling at the Devil with no fear. Her chubby cheeks held dimples, which she had to have inherited from him. Her hand moved to his mouth, and he kissed it absently while she laughed at his antics.

Stepping back, I took in the sight of him holding her, curling her into his arms while she continued smiling up at him like he was her world. Lucifer’s lips brushed Makenna’s forehead, and I frowned at the image of them together. It wasn’t what I’d expected, and it didn’t appear to be faked, either. He smiled at her, turning to look at me with a wicked smirk on his full mouth.

“You look scared, Lena.”

“I’ve never held a baby before,” I admitted, barely above a breath, as he laughed at me. “She’s so beautiful.” He nodded, continuing to hold my gaze while he stroked Makenna’s back softly.

“She takes after her mother, who was very beautiful indeed. I’d like to believe she has some of the Devil inside of her too,” he stated with a softening smile playing on his full lips. “She looks like you, too. Makenna has your eyes, hair, and smile. The way she loves blindly, uncaring that I’m a monster—” he said thickly as if his throat was swelling with emotion. “I think she gets that from you, Magdalena.”

He moved closer, handing Makenna to me before I’d realized his intentions. She fussed, peering up at me while I stared at her in wonder. Tears continued rolling down my cheeks as my heart clenched painfully. She was tiny, weighing next to nothing in my arms. Her hand lifted, brushing over my shoulder while I took in her features.

“Hello, Makenna. Your momma would have loved you so much. You’re perfect, aren’t you, sweetling? You are loved and missed by—me.” I swallowed down the realization that no one else lived to miss her or see how truly beautiful she’d turned out. Her hair was our rich, caramel color, framing wide, curious turquoise eyes that reminded me of the sea after a storm had passed.

Time went by, but I couldn’t look away from her. I felt at a loss for words and what I could offer her. Lucifer loved her. He would fight to protect her, even from me. Makenna peered back at me, her inquisitive stare holding mine while I ran my fingers through her wispy curls.

“You love her unconditionally, don’t you?” I asked, lifting my gaze to lock with his.

“Absolutely, without question,” he stated, smiling at her while she cooed. “She likes you, Lena. She lets no one else hold her, not without screaming her displeasure to the heavens. I had thought about changing her name, but it is something her mother gave her. I think she will like that about it, don’t you?”

“I do,” I admitted, wondering if I was going insane or if the Devil actually loved his child. “Is she your first?” I asked, curiously.