Revealing the Monster by Amelia Hutchins
Chapter Eight
Here, Spyder, Spyder. Here is your chance to ride her. ~Lena
I entered Nightshade without issue, stopping at the bar to kiss my favorite bartender, Vlad, on the cheek. He laughed, shaking his dark head as his silver eyes surveyed me. Today they weren’t swirling, which normally gave me pause. Let’s be honest; swirling eyes that studied you intently should freak anyone out. He wore a tight, sleeveless shirt that exposed the tattoos, covering his arms from shoulder to wrist. Jeans hugged his slim hips, and he looked as if he’d just stepped out of a magazine for men’s physique.
“Here comes trouble,” Vlad chuckled, pouring two fingers of scotch into a chilled glass before pushing it toward me. “What brings you in here tonight, Lena? I’m surprised Lucian allowed you out with the Devil hunting you.”
“I’m not afraid of Lucifer,” I admitted, drinking deeply of the cool scotch. “It appears that he intends to lure me to him by using Makenna. He seems attached to her, playing the perfect father. It’s creepy and endearing at the same time.”
“Lucian didn’t let you out, did he?” Vlad countered, running his hand over his mouth before grabbing a towel and wiping down the pristine bar surface. “Should I expect him to come in and wreck the place to get you back?”
“No, he knows I am out and where I am,” I assured, even though I hadn’t actually asked permission. I told him my plans, but he’d laughed and walked away. “Hey, it isn’t my fault. I said I was going to speak with Alden, then to find the monster we’ve been hunting.” I didn’t dare whisper Spyder’s name yet, not until I’d finished my drink to hunt him down.
He chuckled, shaking his head, causing his hair to brush over his shoulder blades. I turned, facing the people moving around the bar. It had grown since the last time I’d been in, expanding to be a full nightclub. Magic had been used to increase the space and to fortify it against demons and other enemies.
The floor below us was used for feeding, based on whatever clientele Vlad allowed down there. Lucian had explained how Vlad brought in people who fed off humans, pointing them toward the patrons into that sort of thing. Below the feeding portion of the establishment were rooms Vlad had been using to give creatures safe harbor against the more dangerous monsters currently taking over the city.
“So, what really brings you in tonight? I don’t assume you came here to see me, pretty girl.”
I chuckled, turning to smile at him. “You could charm a chastity belt off of a nun, Vlad. But you’re right. I didn’t come just to visit. I am looking for Spyder. I heard from a source that he was here, helping you.”
Lifting the glass to my lips, I watched him over the rim as he smirked, studying me. “He’s here, down a level. You’re aware of what happens down there, aren’t you?” he asked pointedly, lifting a brow in silent challenge. “He’s assisting some people right now.”
“He hasn’t checked in with us for over a week.”
“He’s a big boy, and old enough to know what he wants, Lena.” Vlad nodded at someone over my shoulder, turning to grab a bottle from the highest shelf. I studied how he moved, gliding across the bar to retrieve a large glass, pouring crimson into it. “Spyder’s in the room at the furthest end of the hall. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. What is happening inside is consensual, and they are paying customers that asked for him specifically.”
Heat pooled in my center. Shaking it off, I rose to my feet, downing the drink. Vlad shook his head when I reached into my pocket, smirking. A woman walked up, leaning over the counter, which exposed her breasts. Her hand touched Vlad’s, and she nodded her head in silent thanks. Picking up the goblet of blood, she tipped it back, turning to stare at me. Pulling the glass away from her mouth, she smiled, revealing wicked-looking fangs.
“She’s pretty, Vlad. Is she on the menu? I’d like to taste her,” the woman stated, her tone multi-layered as she moved closer, brushing her fingers over my cheek. “I’d like to do a lot more than taste her blood, too.”
The furies within me screamed at her touch. I saw my eyes turn black in the reflection of her blue gaze. Her hand dropped, and she stepped back as a cold smile played on my lips. Yet she wasn’t scared of me, even though any sane person would have run at the sight of my face turning from pretty to grim reaper within seconds.
“I’m intrigued,” she whispered. “What are you, darling?”
“She’s a fury and off-limits, Selina. She belongs to Lucian Blackstone,” Vlad announced loud enough that at the mention of Lucian’s name, the people within earshot peered up from their conversations to look at me. I tilted my head as the blood drained from the vampire’s already pale complexion.
“I didn’t know she was his. You must tell Lucian that I had no idea you were his property,” she whispered, bowing her head. “I beg of you.”
“No harm was caused, Selina.” I grinned smugly as she turned, moving away from me without a backward glance.
Dismissing Selina and the eyes of those gawking at me with curiosity, I left the bar. I walked to the staircase leading down into the feeder section while others watched, whispering as I passed them. Then my attention shifted to the stage where Adrian sat, smiling, observing me slip away. As I’d neared the stairs to the lower level, Adrian appeared before me. Leaning against the wall, he dropped his head forward, studying me.
“You sure you want to go down there? It won’t be pretty,” he grunted, running his turquoise eyes over my face. “I think Spyder’s trying to fuck you out of his system, Lena. He’s not having much success. You should leave him to it. You hear me? You really don’t want to see what is happening inside that room.”
“I’m going down there to invite him to my bed so that he can get from me what he needs, Adrian. I got him into this situation, and I will get him out. Now, if you’re done trying to prevent me from seeing him fucking, you’re a little late since I’ve already had his cock down my throat. I’m going to the lower level to find him.”
“Damn, I didn’t see that one coming.” Adrian’s lips jerked into a devilish grin as his fangs snaked out, tugging on his lower lip. “If you ever get free, I’ll be putting my hat into the ring for a taste of you. You got a taste of me, sugar. It’s only fair I get one in return.”
“Deal, Adrian. But only if it doesn’t work out between myself and Lucian. You see, I was born to be his, so chances of that happening are zero.” His eyes flashed in amusement at my reply.
“I figured as much. I know not to mess with Lucian’s girl or him. Spyder’s down the hall, the furthest door on the left. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Noted. Thanks for the heads up,” I called back, swaying my hips as he watched me walk away.
I’d gotten more confident with the furies within me. I knew they were the ones pushing me, yet they’d been quiet for a while now. They’d become a part of me, growing silent until I was in danger. I had noticed that when something or someone new entered my surroundings, I’d hear them whispering inside my head. I’d receive a warning that alerted me to whatever kind of creature was getting close, like Erie and war drums mixed with the sound of swords clashing together. Vampires caused me to hear heartbeats, which was weirdly cute—Lucian silence, and that was eerie as shit.
I was also more open regarding life, not worried about what people thought of me. I’d lost my human fears, reverting to more end of the freaking world concerns. However, a certain numbness filled me, which I had filed away as grief from losing Harbinger. Not that I didn’t wish I had him, but wishing wouldn’t bring my son back.
I also no longer suffered his death echo or mine. I was confident Lucian had something to do with that, since he hadn’t seemed at all shocked that during the last three full moons, I hadn’t had a single one.
Reaching the end of the hall, I paused at the door, lifting my hand to the knob before tilting and pressing my head against the wooden surface, listening. No sounds escaped the room, or any of the other rooms, for that matter. The only noise I’d heard since coming downstairs had been the clicking of my heels over the tiles. My stomach tightened with unease, knowing that I was about to fight against the need to replace some female he was pleasuring, just to confront him.
Turning the knob, I entered, pausing at the multiple moans I clearly hear. There wasn’t just one female inside with Spyder. It was a full-on sex party, with him sitting in a chair, watching everyone fuck around him like he was the king of the orgy. He was shirtless, covered in sweat and shadows that bathed him in dim candlelight. The sound of passion and skin slapping together echoed through the room.
Spyder’s eyes slid to mine, holding them as the sounds increased. I didn’t look away from him, staring into his gaze as he lifted from the chair. His broad chest rose and fell as his dark head tilted to the side, slowly dragging his heated gaze up and down my body with naked hunger banked in his icy blue glare.
The entire area smelled of sex and magic, reminding me of the time Spyder held me as he and Lucian performed the spell that had cemented our bond. Spyder crept toward me, sleek muscles glistening with a fine sheen of sweat covering the dark ink of his tattoos. I swallowed down the moan that built in my throat, threatening to undo me. This probably wouldn’t go down as my brightest moment.
A man stepped in front of me, grabbing me without warning. Spyder reached for his throat, wrapping his fingers around it. I watched in silence as he sent the male flying to the other side of the room, where he slid down the wall, unconscious from the force of hitting it. The growl that escaped from Spyder had everyone taking part in the orgy, rushing for the door, fleeing the room as if the monsters within it scared them.
Spyder’s chest continued rising and falling with rapid, wild breaths as he stared me down. The shadows surrounding him pulsed, moving with his labored breathing. Tension rolled off of him in waves, and it wasn’t friendly. He would pounce the moment I moved, which meant I wasn’t moving. He stepped closer, forcing me to back into the wall.
His hand slammed against the surface beside my face, and he lowered his head, closing the distance between his lips and mine. Spyder didn’t kiss me. He smelled me as a growl rumbled up through his chest and stopped. He clasped my bottom lip with his teeth, pulling it. The coppery tang of blood hit my taste buds, and I moaned huskily, swiping my tongue against the wounded flesh.
He released my lip, lifting his head to peer down at me. “You lost, Kitty? Because I sure as fuck didn’t invite you to my party,” he hissed, peering down at my tight camisole, which did little to hide the fact that my nipples had hardened with need.
“It’s time to come home, Spyder.”
“Does Lucian know you’re here? Unprotected and alone with me?” he continued, ignoring me. His body slammed mine into the wall, and I shook my head. “You like watching me get off?”
“Yes,” I admitted, smirking as his eyes grew hooded. “You asked, asshole.”
I lifted my hands, running them over the muscles of his chest, and his cheek clenched, tightening as he allowed it. I rocked on my heels, peering into his gaze with a cocky smile tugging my lips. He smelled of wickedness, sex, and spices. He smirked, lowering his mouth to suck against my racing pulse at the hollow column of my throat, creating a need that ached between my thighs. I closed my eyes, praying I had enough strength to push him away without Lucian being here.
“Come home, Spyder. Let’s end this,” I whispered huskily. My voice came out like honey dripping from the comb.
“End this? You think you can handle that?” he asked, pushing his cock against my belly. He was trying to scare me, and a smarter girl would have run away from him. Spyder smirked coldly, his heated depths pooling with lust. Shadows slithered around me, tightening against my limbs as he allowed them to spread my body wide for him.
“I do.” I refused to back down from him.
Spyder lowered his mouth against mine, brushing his lips in a soft sweep against my cheek before he lifted his hand. He pushed my head against the wall as he cradled my neck, stroking his thumb over my jackhammering pulse. His erection throbbed, which I could feel through his jeans. Removing his hand, he slid it through my hair to jerk my head back, peering down into my gaze.
“I want to rip our clothes off and defile every single inch of your smooth, flawless flesh. Do you get it, Lena? I want to consume you. I want to hear you screaming and coming undone. More than that, I want to taste your blood as it coats your pretty body. Think you could handle that?” he hissed, challenging me.
“First off, get your pussy coated dick away from me. You don’t come at me with another woman’s arousal still painting that magnificent cock of yours, asshole. I’m a lady, and you’ll treat me as such and respect that I deserve better than to taste someone else on your dick.” I shoved him away, glaring at him. He allowed it, stepping back, turning his head as he sensed Lucian standing in the shadows of the room. “Second, you are coming home with us.”
“You knew she was on her way here, and you fucking allowed it?” he accused as Lucian stepped into view.
“I did, brother. She is persistent,” Lucian admitted. He didn’t know I’d planned to hunt down Spyder, but he kept that tidbit to himself, thankfully. I’d known Lucian would come since I’d need a ride home, and the instant he noticed me missing, he’d have tracked me.
“Take Lena and leave, Lucian. I’m at the end of my rope, and her taunts ain’t fucking helping it any. I’ve made my choice.”
“It’s a stupid-ass choice.” I crossed my arms over my chest, digging my heels in, glaring at Spyder as I lifted a brow in challenge.
“It’s my life, and I decide, Kitty.”
“It’s still a stupid fucking decision. You’re going to fuck me because that’s the option I choose.”
His eyes widened before he turned to Lucian. “Muzzle her, now.”
“Lena’s chosen this path, and I can’t say I’m opposed to it, Spyder. One night where she isn’t mine,” Lucian returned, fixing his tie. “She’s ours. Anything goes, and we don’t give her any mercy. I warned her that having two primordial beings going hard against her soft body wouldn’t be wise, but she told me how she’d wished you had thrown her down and fucked her in Portland.” Spyder’s eyes snapped back to me, narrowing as if I’d betrayed him somehow.
“I did.” I shrugged nonchalantly, staring him down. “I also wanted to suck you off and be that store worker who got to swallow that fucking cock. I’m not going to lie about what I crave or what I want. Since I died and came back a fury, I find that I’m done pretending not to want this, whatever it is. For one night, we go hard, and we end this. No offense, Spyder, but I really want you out of my dirty fucking mind. I am sick and tired of dreaming about riding your dick because, let us be honest here; we aren’t the ones creating need between us. We’re all pulled into this situation because I got my pussy licked by Hades while fucking Lucifer in a pretty damn convincing Lucian suit.”
“Keep his name out of your fucking mouth, Kitty,” Spyder snarled, and Lucian snorted his agreement. “No. It isn’t happening. Take her home.”
“You can come with us willingly, or I’ll knock your ass out and ride your dick so that I know how it feels, and you get nothing from it. Do you really want to miss out on finally feeling me from the inside? Choose.” I buffed my nails on my shirt, glaring at both men as Spyder grunted and then laughed.
“Is she for real?” Spyder asked, staring me down.
“I want this to happen. Before, I wasn’t ready. I’d been through hell, and I cared what everyone would think of me. I’m done caring because only a few people’s opinions matter to me, and two of them are standing right here inside this room, Spyder. No one else has to understand this, but we all want this to take place. We won’t know if we tried everything possible to avoid your stupid-ass decision unless we do this.”
“Lena, no,” Spyder growled, using my name, which was rare for him. “You think I can fucking live with this, your pity fuck?”
“I don’t want a pity fuck, asshole. I want you to unleash that darkness within you on me, and I’m not asking you to hold anything back,” I admitted, as his shoulders shook with laughter.
“Get out and take her with you. I made my choice. I’m not changing my mind.”
“Fuck you.” I wasn’t backing down. “You selfish prick. You might be able to live with your decision, but I can’t! I don’t want this fucking baggage. I have enough shit that I don’t even know how to unpack! I lost my child, my family, and everyone I loved, Spyder. I can’t live knowing that I didn’t do anything, and that you died because of me! Like everyone else. You don’t get to put this shit on me. Do you hear me? I can’t keep losing people. You are not supposed to die, dammit. You’re immortal. So no, you don’t get to be some fucking martyr when I want to fuck you! Okay? Okay!”
Both men stood silently, watching me wipe away the tears that ran down my cheeks. I pulled myself together and looked at Spyder. Squaring my shoulders, I shook my head, fighting down the emotion that was trying to swallow me whole.
“Your decision to die is stupid, and you and Lucian know it. You will be at the club, and you will fuck me. Understand? I’m willing, and I crave this. I have craved you since Portland, asshole. I was scared before, but I am not anymore. If I can enjoy Hades and Lucifer, then I’m pretty sure I’m going to fucking love you assholes going at me hard. No mercy. Nothing is off-limits. I will belong to you both for one night, and after that, we figure out how to remove the mating mark from each of you.”
“No,” Lucian growled, unleashing his power at my words. “Not my mark. You’re my girl, Lena. You don’t get to choose for me again. I like having your mark on me.”
My heart clenched, and I nodded before turning my gaze toward him. Lucian looked pissed, which wasn’t ever good. He walked toward me, inching into my space with his power filling the room. Lucian grabbed me, his hands gripping to my shirt as if he intended to rip it off, but I stopped him.
“Not here and not tonight, as it’s already half over. I have a headache,” I chirped, and Lucian narrowed his eyes on me. “I mean, I don’t actually have a headache. I asked Alden to grab the files on the furies. We’re not set up for the spell, and it has to be done exactly how we did it on the night this began. You said we’re doing this once. If that is the case, the spell should be performed correctly. I want this; I do. But not in some bedroom covered in other people’s stuff.” I winced, shaking my head as Lucian stepped back, smiling. “I mean, eww. Really? I’m a lady. I do have some standards for my kink. You get me? Plus, I want it to be where I’m comfortable and feel safe to shed all my inhibitions and just unleash everything. Home makes me feel that, or the club, I guess. It’s pretty much our home now. I also want to ensure that if there’s a way to remove the mating mark from Spyder, we do it because the spell might require body fluids, which you old-as-shit people enjoyed adding to all your rituals. Really, you’re all very unsanitary. I’m all for orgies, but drinking each other’s blood is a bit farfetched, don’t you think?”
“Kitty is right, Lucian. Not here. Not where I agreed to murder everyone inside this room before leaving. She’s a lady, after all.” My head swung toward Spyder, who smirked while holding my gaze. “You didn’t believe I had becoming a monk, did you? Your little mark? It kills whoever I fuck, but not me. I tried because it would have spared Lucian having to end my life.”
“The men?” I asked, curious about his position on that subject. I held my hands up. “I’m not judging; you do you, Spyder.”
He snorted, shaking his head as he trailed his gaze down my body slowly. “I’d have snapped their necks. They’re all human.”
“Noted,” I nodded. “Makes sense. I—there were like thirty people inside this room,” I swallowed, as Spyder’s lips jerk into a deadly smile.
“No mercy, Kitty,” he chuckled.
“Right…” I turned as Lucian took me in with a matching smile to the one Spyder wore. Shit. What the hell was I thinking? These two would literally destroy me, and I still wanted it. I guess I shouldn’t consider myself sane after all.
“No mercy. No rules. You’re not mine or his. You’re ours. That means you’re nothing but the woman we’ll use to get ourselves off. Our wants, our desires, they’re the only thing that will matter inside that room. There’s no safe word to tap out. For one night, you shall know what it feels like to be our toy, and we’re going to take pleasure in playing with you and doing our best to break you. If you’re a good girl, we’ll make sure you enjoy it, too. So, march your tight ass up those stairs and sit at the bar before I forget where the hell we are and fuck you right here. Now!” Lucian ordered sharply, causing my gaze to slide to Spyder’s, who watched me with naked hunger burning in his inky depths. “Now, Lena.”
I left the room, my heart thundering in my chest as the door slammed without me having to close it. I climbed the stairs, bypassing the orgy that had moved into the hallway. No one touched me, but then I could feel Lucian’s power humming through the club, which meant everyone else, felt it as well. Sliding onto the stool at the bar, I looked at Vlad, who sat with his back against the wall of bottles, shaking his head. He crossed his tattooed arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes on me.
“You could have at least let Spyder finish his deal with the paying clientele to murder them before you entered the room.”
“I wasn’t aware it was a suicide party and not just a wild orgy. You could have told me, and I’d have waited until he’d finished.”
“Liar,” Vlad snorted as he returned to bartender mode. “Let’s drink because, from the amount of power Lucian is radiating, I have a feeling you’re going to need it.”
I laughed, but it was hollow, and I was pretty certain he was correct in his assumption. Lucian wasn’t happy I’d come here without him, but then he had kept such a tight rope on me that I was beginning to feel it tightening around my neck like a noose. I may have the Devil on my heels, but the Devil had Lucian on his. Out of the two of them, I feared Lucian more.
