Revealing the Monster by Amelia Hutchins

Chapter Seventeen

Some women are born to rule, but Lena, she’s a natural-born queen that was created to sit beside me on my throne. There’s so much she doesn’t see, but I intend to show her. ~Lucian

Lucian

Leaning against the railing, I stared out at the club, studying the people dancing, feeding, and openly fucking on the dancefloor. Many patrons were drunk and high, oblivious to the monsters using them and hunting them inside my club.

I’d revoked the feeding laws for most of the Otherworld beings. After all, it wasn’t like their existence was hidden and still a secret. But, if the humans were stupid enough to be in a club known for entertaining such creatures and didn’t take precautions, then they deserved what befell them.

Gazing down at a female, I watched her legs raise as two men fucked her. Her hands were around a vampire’s throat while an incubus demon took her from behind. The look of wonder in her eyes pissed me off and reminded me of Lena’s gaze, hooded with lust as Spyder and I fucked her. My threats hadn’t mattered. Lena and Spyder knew who she truly belonged to in that room, filled with lust, sex, and magic. She was mine.

I wasn’t so certain that I would allow Spyder to keep those memories. I didn’t enjoy the fact that he knew how dirty and perfect my woman was. She’d shed her human skin and embraced the monster she’d become while handling us both.

No woman had ever taken us both more than once, but Lena had held her own between us. My attention shifted to the bar, and I snorted, finding Spyder watching the same scene I’d been observing. His ice-blue gaze left the trio, lifting to lock with mine, and I saw anger burning within them.

Turning away from Spyder’s glare, I headed toward my office. I knew Spyder would be there before I reached the door. Bane nodded in my direction, studying my posture to guess the shit he’d have to clean up this time due to my temper.

Usually, Bane used his magic to fix what Lena and I wrecked inside the office. More often than not, she’d come in angry and fuck that frustration out on my dick. I preferred that form of anger management, but she’d tried to walk out on me. Lena thought she could escape me? Fuck that and fuck her. That wasn’t happening, ever.

“Why the fuck didn’t you just tell her the truth?” Spyder demanded, entering directly behind me as he stepped out of the shadows he used to travel.

I exhaled, moving to the sideboard inside my office to pour some whiskey. “It isn’t your place to question me, Spyder. Don’t confuse me sharing her once with allowing you to dictate what becomes of her. I permitted it because you’re my oldest friend and brother, and I didn’t want to lose you. I knew Lena wouldn’t understand you being reborn. I also wouldn’t want anyone else at my side when this shit collapses, and I have to decide whether to save this world or watch it die again.”

“I don’t give a fuck about her right now, Lucian. It isn’t about Lena. This about you and what you fucking deserve,” Spyder snapped, running his fingers through his hair. “She’s hurting, and you could fix that pain she is housing. Tell her the fucking truth. She will understand that you did it for her and that because she had escaped Death’s reach, creating an echo that came at a hefty cost, you had no other choice.” He shook his head, glaring at me before continuing.

“The moment she broke Death’s grasp on her, her entire line was linked and marked to replace her in the ground. Tell her about Harbinger, and make her see what you did and why you did it. You fucking spared her mother and the coven. You also gave her grandmother a painless death that you damn well know the reapers wouldn’t have given her. When Lena messed with magic that only the gods may use, she marked each of her family members for death. Not you, asshole. You want her to think you’re her villain, and you’re not.”

“I can’t tell her shit, Spyder. I won’t risk my son’s life just because she fucking hurts right now. Lena continues to go to Lucifer, which can only happen if she’s willing. Until that changes, I will not tell her about our son. Lucifer can read her mind and all her thoughts. If she knew her son was alive, so would the Devil. She doesn’t need that guilt. It’s better this way, and I can easily control her.”

“It isn’t easier. You panicked because you’re afraid Lena will choose to leave you. That pisses you off, and you wanted to make sure she didn’t leave. I get it; you’re addicted to the little minx, and why shouldn’t you be? She’s amazing, Lucian. She checks all your boxes. Lena is everything that you wanted in Katarina, without her selfish, petty bullshit. You won’t keep her like this, though, and we both know it. You want her? Tell her the truth.”

“Since when did you become a fucking sounding board of reason, asshole?” I snorted, holding his stare. Spyder shook his dark head, then grunted, scrubbing his hand over his mouth.

“I wouldn’t need to be a fucking sounding board if you weren’t a dick,” he returned with a chuckle. “Tell me you’re not fearful of her leaving you.” When I merely continued to glower at him, he smiled. “That’s what I thought. You’re afraid you will lose her, and you’ve never lost anything. Lena fucking died, and you had to deal with it, and now that she’s back and in your grasp, you don’t want to chance something happening to her.” Spyder chuckled, knowing he’d pegged it on the nose. “It’s not that easy, though, is it? Because we both know how much her family meant to her, and you can’t just tell her how you feel. You can’t tell Lena that you love her or that you sacrificed her family and coven to give her the one thing she wants. Luc is a problem, but he isn’t the only fucking one. If Lena is captured and confronts her actual creator, gates will start to open, and she’d be lost.”

“I’d fucking kill him first, Spyder. I’d decimate him and Hell to keep her with me,” I declared.

“You know Erie has Asmodeus. If you are smart, you will handle him before he figures out the furies are back. If he finds out and runs to Luc, shit will go sideways fast. Luc likes Lena, and that is the only thing keeping him from turning his little visits into a horror show.”

“If Erie cannot control Asmodeus until I’ve finished what I started, I will end him,” I admitted, exhaling past the worry that thought created. I trailed a finger over the condensation on my glass, remembering Lena’s tears, and my stomach coiled at the reminder.

I hated her tears, but the idea of Lucifer knowing our son lived would be a fucking disaster. The sadistic prick had already offered a womb to Lena, aware that any child she birthed would be attached to my seal. It wasn’t that I hadn’t wanted a child with Lena. But until everything came together, it wasn’t a possibility. We’d created a monster, and while I wouldn’t care if we did it again, she would. I’d enjoy making one with her or an army of them.

I sat at my desk, snorting as the memory of Lena first entering my office, angry at being punished, replayed inside my head. Fuck if I hadn’t wanted to bend her pretty ass over my desk and show her exactly who the fuck she was messing with. Magdalena had been a fire that burned so hot it had scalded me. And hell if I hadn’t needed to feel her against me. That witch left her mark on me, burrowing deep beneath my skin.

Lena wasn’t that girl anymore, though; she’d changed. I carried that guilt and pride, which was a strange combination to feel. She had grown bolder, unafraid to take or demand what she wanted from me—from the world. She was chaos and beauty, combined with a purity that I didn’t deserve. I knew she was too good for me, too innocent. If anyone from my world figured out that she still housed human emotions, they would tear her apart. Emotions were a weakness, and weakness would be used against you.

Pouring more whiskey, I reached into the drawer, pulling out another glass. I detested that Spyder had fucked Lena, but I hadn’t hated watching her get off. The only good thing that came out of the ordeal was that he was no longer thinking about her sexually. So what the fuck was he doing caring about her emotional state?

“Fuck you,” he rumbled, lifting black eyes to hold mine. All human exterior melted away, and we relaxed into our chairs, swallowed by the shadows. “I fucked your girl, asshole. Get over it. You enjoyed breaking her and watching that pussy get fucked. I know you. You pushed it to go further than it needed to go. You wanted her to ache and never crave that shit again. If you hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been allowed to enjoy all that her body had to give.”

“Are we done talking about her pussy?” I snapped, staring at the glass as it spider-webbed from the pressure of my hold. “Keep my girl’s pussy out of your mouth, Spyder.”

“It was a delicious pussy, though,” he teased, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, staring at me. “I don’t crave Lena like that anymore, Lucian. In fact, I could take her or leave her. I do, however, care about her emotions because if you unleash those furies, they’re coming for me, brother. You and I both know that. They want revenge for what I did, and it’s fucking justified.”

“That’s your problem, and you know I’m right fucking here if or when you need me. I’ve always been beside you, asshole. That much is a given. The only way those bitches escape Lena is if she’s dead. That isn’t fucking happening again. The only weapon that can kill her was tossed into the Unseelie Prison, inside Faery,” I admitted, running my finger over the rim of the glass.

“She asked if you loved her, and she didn’t understand your reply.”

“She will get it when she’s ready to recognize the gravity of it,” I grunted, hating that she expected words. Fuck words, they’d never done shit.

Humans wanted pretty words. Hollow words whispered as the sweat cooled from their bodies after a hard fuck. They were just that, words. I wouldn’t ever say them again. I’d heard people say that shit in a moment of passion and then ask me to take the person’s life in the same breath while perspiration still bathed their brow. Words held little meaning, but actions were undeniable and spoke louder than anything else.

I knew she loved me. I hadn’t needed her to say it for me to know how she felt. She’d proven it to me. Lena had taken her life to prevent my suffering, which spoke of something much deeper than love. She was a selfless creature. One that was too fucking pure to hold the monsters inside of her. Fuck, Lena was too pure to have fallen in love with me, the fucking monster that had others trembling at the mere mention of my name.

Me? I’d destroy this entire universe to protect Lena, and I’d told her that much. I’d stood aside as her lineage was snuffed out. I couldn’t intervene on their behalf because magic had consequences. Lena had come back, and in doing so, dominos had tipped over.

One life from a bloodline coming back could be ignored. Three lives weren’t allowed. There was a steep price, and I wasn’t allowing Death to take Lena or Harbinger from me again. So, I’d agreed to let her bloodline pay the cost because not even I could stop it from happening. Not that I would have, anyway. Her line would have died, eventually, and she’d have hurt because of it.

Watching people die a slow, painful death wasn’t pleasant for those who didn’t age. I’d watched countless others die of old age, rotting from the inside out. Complicating matters, I’d cursed her line long ago. They were all born cursed, and they’d died that way, too.

The curse made it easier for me to find them and their coven when they were reborn. However, this time there wouldn’t be a rebirth because their death was final because of Lena’s action and becoming immortal.

I’d ensured that her family had a quick and painless death by allowing demons to consume their souls. They had felt nothing from the moment the demons inhabited their bodies. It had been simple and easy, providing the best possible outcome for them.

Death enjoyed giving pain when he and his reapers collected a soul owed to him. I’d prevented that, which was a miracle, considering everything happening at that time. That was my kindness, and she’d forgive me, eventually. She had to. We had a child together who waited for us to return to him.

Reaching into my pocket, I turned the knob on the toy, imagining her squirming in my bed. My dick twitched, excited about how ready and needy she’d be when I returned. Lena was wild when she was pissed off, and it made her unpredictable. I smiled, lifting my attention back to Spyder as I pushed the small remote back in my pocket.

“Tell me, brother. Is she on your bed crying out your name in anger or pleasure?” Spyder asked, steepling his fingers in front of his mouth.

“Both. I don’t half-ass anything with Lena. What did you discover at the address I sent you to check out?” I inquired, changing the subject.

“Exactly what you thought it was. The Unseelie prison is contaminating this world and remaking what it was missing. My guess, Faery claimed Asher for the light heir, and in doing so, the balance between dark and light fae became too unbalanced. Faery does not know what the darker portion of its world is creating. Ryder sent word that Zahruk is having issues, having sprouted huge black wings seemingly overnight.”

I snorted, shaking my head. “He’s the new King of the Horde, so wings aren’t unexpected.”

“I thought that, too, but they’re not like Ryder’s. He is worried about his brother because those wings look more Unseelie than that of the horde. Zahruk touched that shit inside the alley, which means that Faery may have claimed him to become an Unseelie prince. Interesting fact? Lena held hands with Zahruk and had that substance on her as well.”

“That’s a fucking problem,” I grumbled, narrowing my eyes on Spyder as I exhaled. “Why would she touch him?”

“Stop being a jealous asshole. Zahruk helped Lena off the ground, where they’d been knocked back. Alden was there too, but he hasn’t shown signs of being affected by the substance. The Guild has gone on lockdown, but the word from inside the guild is that shit is going wrong. I sent Devlin in to see what he could discover, but they’re locked in the shelter. My fear is this. With only a few of the original Unseelie and Seelie free and accepted by the fae, is Faery creating more to replace the ones that it lost? Or are there other beings that escaped when Synthia freed Malachi, producing an army of new fae princes?”

“Bloody hell, that would be a fucking mess.” I exhaled, lifting my glass to my lips, downing the whiskey.

“Exactly.” Spyder sat back in the chair, shaking his head. “I’ve already sent word to Ryder and Syn, explaining the situation. I’m guessing that when Synthia opened the gates to that prison, the Seelie weren’t down there alone. Each world within Faery has to have a balance, just like every world outside of it. If I’m the other caste of fae inside that prison, and I’m pissed off, I want revenge for being left behind. Only I don’t have anyone remaining to direct that anger at, so I aim it at the only thing left.”

“Danu’s daughter,” I snorted, leaning against the desk, watching the shadows that twisted around Spyder. “And she’s untouchable with Ryder at her side.”

“So if you can’t get to her, who do you go after?” he countered, smirking.

“You take her most prized possession,” I answered offhandedly, hating the pathetic games that creatures played. I reached into my pocket, turning the device up to max, peering at the clock. “That’s only if there were Unseelie still alive within the prison when it was opened. A newly born prince wouldn’t be upset enough to walk into the palace and capture the princess. He wouldn’t have the balls to do it, taunting them after the fact. That would suggest that Kahleena is being held inside the Unseelie prison, and something as old as Ryder himself has his daughter.”

“Who is still young and naïve and shouldn’t even be out of diapers yet, technically.”

“You saw her, asshole. She’s beautiful and all woman. She aged within the City of the Gods. She’s not a child, and he won’t treat her as such.”

“Ryder and Synthia are going to murder whoever took her,” Spyder chuckled.

“If they find him,” I returned before peeking back at the clock.

Lena had been in my bed for five hours, unable to remove the device I’d pushed into her tight channel. I needed her to know she couldn’t escape me. The idea of her leaving and ending up in Lucifer’s hands made my stomach churn. I knew what he would do to her. He was a selfish prick, and he would punish her. The last woman he’d reprimanded spent days on a stage, being tortured by demons until she’d finally succumbed to the wounds they’d inflicted.

He’d break my girl, and I’d destroy his fucking world into dust and ruins. I was bound by laws where he was concerned, but there was nothing big enough to stop me from destroying this universe if Lena died. Lucifer knew that, which was why she’d never die if he got his hands on her. He’d put her in one of his cages, keeping her alive to pull her out and use as entertainment or wreck her when he remembered she was there. I wouldn’t allow that to happen, ever.

“He knows you’d destroy him and his world. Lucifer may be hell-bent on revenge, but I have a feeling he actually likes her, Lucian. He craves love, and Lena is special. Hell, even without that bond, I don’t want to see that girl hurt. I’ve never met a woman who was as selfless as Lena. She had waged a war against monsters, and she’d won. She died, but Lena fucking won and ended your pain. You may not say the words, but you love that girl. I do too.”

“You aren’t touching her again, asshole.”

“No, and I don’t crave to fuck her anymore. I like Lena and I care what happens to her. She died, ended up with three furies inside of her, and she is holding them. Name one other being in history that held all three furies without going insane within days of receiving them. Even though those bitches live within her, Lena still has this innocence that shines through her pretty eyes. When Lena looks at you, her entire heart is in that stare. You’re one lucky prick. Had I been five minutes earlier, I could’ve been the lucky one to get the worst submissive in the history of mankind.”

“Asshole,” I grumbled, holding Spyder’s obsidian gaze, swimming with inky shadows. “She’s not submissive, but she plays it well. I enjoy her fire and her need to disobey.”

“You like punishing her. Admit it,” Spyder snorted, holding the glass to his lips, downing it quickly. One thousand-year-old scotch was wasted on him and Lena. Neither appreciated the fine taste of it. “That’s why she’s inside your room, writhing on your bed while you hold that remote, driving her pleasure to an unbearable level. You knew she wouldn’t fuck you after what she learned today. So, you improvised. How’s that reclaiming sex going? Is she yours yet, or is she dreaming about climbing my ladder?”

“You know I’m going to have to remove the memories of you with her, right? I won’t spend an eternity hearing about her pining after your ladder, and I ain’t doing that shit to my dick.”

“It enhances the pleasure of both participants, asshole. She came hard enough on it. You should think about getting one. She enjoyed it,” he snickered. “Lena’s a fucking climber.”

“She also enjoys me without your bedazzled cock around,” I countered, standing to go back to her. “See what the others have learned and get eyes on Alden. Lena is attached to the old bastard. Have Devlin check-in on Joshua and the other furies and assess how they’re managing without Nyx.”

“On it,” he stated, rising from his chair to lean over the desk. “Lena is worth fighting for, Lucian. If you don’t make her see reason, you will lose her. Maybe not in the sense of actually losing her, but that doesn’t mean she won’t vanish in other ways. Women are fickle as fuck, and you can’t predict how they feel or react to shit. She also needs to know where she stands with you. You’re all she has left, and right now, she’s not sure about that either. You’re a cold bastard, and you have a good reason to be. But Lena, she’s your girl, asshole. Stop fighting her and allow her to fight beside you.”

“If I could just come out and tell her and be assured that our child was safe from that asshole, don’t you think I would? Harbinger is safe for now, but that’s because only you, me, and Death know he’s alive. He’s in stasis, and that is where he will stay until I can get her to understand or end the threat Lucifer poses to him.” Glaring at Spyder, I shook my head.

“Go, she’s waiting for you.”

“I know she is,” I chuckled, but it wasn’t her body making me need to get back to her. It was to see her with my own fucking eyes, to see that she was still safe. Leaving her was an issue, one that fucked my head up since she slit her pretty throat in front of me.

I exited my office, moving through the club, feeling eyes on me every step of the way down the hall. I knew Lucifer was watching, and I also knew he wanted Lena for more than just to torture, too. He wanted her because she could love a monster. Lena was a different breed, one who didn’t let a rough exterior bother her.

She’d looked beyond my hardness, loving me regardless of my cold detachment. I’d put that girl through hell, and we were so close to the finish line. Once I was done here, and Lucifer was in a fucking cage, we’d finish what I had planned for Lena. We’d be free to live without worry or looking over our shoulders, waiting for the sky to fall.

Entering my bedroom, I grinned at seeing her spread out, covered in arousal. Her scent drifted to me, and I felt a twinge of regret at not smelling brimstone and sulfur. So I was a sadistic prick who took pleasure in fucking her hard and angry sometimes. She enjoyed it, too. Moving to the bed, I leaned over her, finding her eyes barely open as her lips parted, and a sultry moan escaped her throat.

“I’m going to kill you,” she whispered through parched lips.

“Why don’t you try to kill my dick with that tight, wet pussy of yours to start?”

“This is a new low, Lucian. Even for you!” she seethed, pumping her hips while following me with her heavily hooded eyes.

“You’re so fucking pretty, Magdalena. You look ready to be fucked, are you?”

“I needed you hours ago. Now I’m beyond caring, asshole.”

“Then I guess you won’t mind waiting until after I’ve showered, right?”