Hellfire Crown by Meg Xuemei X.

 

CHAPTER 1

Tessa

 

 

Dark orange flames shot up from the summit of the king’s castle, searing the usually gloomy sky to crimson. Even from this distance, I could hear the thundering and crackling as fire burned through the once magnificent castle.

Rage rippled out of Loki, electrifying the air. My skin buzzed with alarm. The hellfire ablaze in his midnight eyes was terrible. For a breath, I wondered what was worse—his fury at my betrayal, or toward the pureblooded demons’ treachery.

His business with me wasn’t finished, even though we’d mated like two wild beasts. The king would interrogate me and wouldn’t let me off the hook easily. He’d warned me, “You’ll have to wait if you still want to take my head, Bunny.”

His strong arm tightened around my shoulder, either to trap me or protect me. It didn’t matter what his true intention was; he’d make sure I was going nowhere.

I stared at the bleeding sky, briefly pondering the history between Lucifer and Loki, the tricky political situation of the Underworld, and the fragile truce between the king and the pureblooded archdemons.

It wasn’t a shock that the pureblooded demons had finally rebelled. Loki had tried to deploy the televised Bride Trials to sate the demons’ bloodlust and quench the unrest in his realm. He’d needed to strengthen his rule as the new half-blood king.

It hadn’t worked. The pureblooded demons’ prejudice and hatred toward the half-bloods ran too far and too deep. While Loki had tried to distract them, they were using the distraction to uproot their king.

Loki had bitterly regretted having the Bride Trials after I’d come into the picture. He’d confessed to me in his vulnerable state how he feared for my life. I could die in any of the trials, as I’d had a target on my back since the very first.

It was too late for him to cancel the trials, and it was equally late for me to back out.

Not that I intended to. I wasn’t going to let any other women have him.

And Loki wasn’t going to kill me for my bounty contract on him, at least not now. That was clear and comforting, even though he still talked tough.

We had issues, but who didn’t?

Loki pulled me closer, as if he’d heard my thoughts.

I had grabbed my shirt, and it covered most of my boobs and ass, but the king remained naked, not caring that the Hell Cat was getting the best view from her vantage point perching on the back of the sofa behind us, staring at his taut ass.

I didn’t blame Snow White for ogling. Even while the castle was smoldering with flames, Loki was still a sight to watch—broad warrior shoulders, V-shaped dark golden torso, trim hips with a perfect ass, and muscular legs. His every line spelled refinement and power.

He might not mind his nudity and would strut anywhere with his naked butt, but I was a more conservative Ice Fae, especially now I believed his ass belonged to me. I looked around, eager to find something, even a pillow, to cover part of it.

The king remained proudly erect, and lust still coursed through my veins despite the Underworld burning, despite the cat watching.

Loki tore his livid gaze from the window and turned to regard me, and tenderness lightened the dark fury in his eyes.

“Our enemies don’t know we’re here,” said the king. “You’re safe here, Bunny. Snowflake will guard you as well.”

“Scratch that,” I said. “I don’t stay put. I don’t stay behind. You might want to get used to that.”

“If I could do whatever I wanted, I’d wrap you in an unbreakable bubble, lock you in the highest, warded, windowless tower, and throw away the only key.”

“Glad to know how brilliant you are at attempting to doom me.”

“Why do I get the feeling that we’re bickering like an old couple?” He let out an exasperated sigh while cutting me a stern look, which failed to conceal the desire for me boiling underneath.

“Because you’re an idiot most of the time,” I said. “Let’s get moving and go fight.”

“That’s your hot idiot,” he said, his thumb tracing my cheekbone, and my frost twirled around his fingers in a caress. “You want to make a statement and fight beside me as my queen?”

“Not your queen, but your mate,” I said softly. “I’m still in the middle of the trials. It’s not a statement, but the right thing to do.” I gestured at his gorgeous body and then mine, flushing a little. “Things will have to change from now on.”

A feral smirk lit his handsome face.

“Things already changed when I first laid my eyes upon you, Bunny,” he said, his wolf peeking out in approval but seeming to want more action. Lust and longing bled out in the adoring beast’s amber eyes.

Loki growled, and I knew it wasn’t toward me.

This isn’t the time, asshole! he barked. Have some restraint and dignity in front of Mate.

For some reason, the king was always mean and impatient toward his beast, and the black wolf was no picnic toward him either.

Grow some balls for Mate, I heard the beast retort.

Wow, the wolf was no kinder than the king. I’d gotten used to listening to their bickering, even when I noticed that I was the center of nearly every fight. I put on a blank expression and pretended I hadn’t heard anything.

It was smart not to be dragged into the middle of it. When they talked to me alone, the king was tougher, and the beast was all smitten like an adoring puppy. But as soon as he turned to Loki, he put on his baddest predator face again and tried to dominate the demon side.

The wolf is a tricky monster, I thought fondly. My monster.

I arched an eyebrow at Loki. “You need to put some clothes on before we march to your castle. You don’t want everyone to see your butt shamelessly uncovered.”

“Why not?” He smirked at me. “It’s a nice butt.”

“I’ve told you there’ll be boundaries from now on,” I said. “You might think it’s your sole right to claim me. I reserve the equal right to mark you as mine. You don’t just fuck me and then fuck with me.”

“Wow, slow down, Mate,” he called. Amusement glinted in his eyes, yet it couldn’t do much to reduce the tightness and tension in him. We had a battle to go to and an uprising to suppress. “I’m not going to fuck with you. Not even in my dreams. I just didn’t think you could be as possessive as me.”

“I have layers, Loki, in case you forgot.”

The wolf growled in approval, always eager and quick to offer his opinions. I contained a smile. In the beast’s eyes, the king was an utter jerk, and I could do nothing wrong. And he was more than grateful and couldn’t believe his luck that I’d even taken them in.

Loki chuckled darkly before he snapped his fingers.

Black armor formed around his body like a second skin. It was the first time I’d seen him wear armor. While his hair was still tousled and he looked wild, he was a warrior god incarnate.

The cat let out a regretful sigh. I’d forgotten she was still with us.

“Wait for me, Loki,” I said, about to rush to my downstairs quarters to get my own armor.

“No need,” he said.

The king snapped his fingers. My armor appeared, forming around my body as well.

I blinked. No one could dress or undress me in this fashion. My armor was keyed only to me. Loki couldn’t get it off me last time, but now my armor was keyed to his command as well.

What had transpired?

A spark lit my thoughts.

Being mated to the King of the Underworld had changed everything.

The cat yawned, since there was nothing for her to stare at now. “Guess I’ll see you around.” She shot out in a flash of white, vanishing into the darkness outside the dome as soon as it dropped the shield.

Loki cupped my cheeks and peeked into my eyes. “I like it that you stand by me, Mate. But if things get too messy, you’ll leave for safety. When I say run, you—”

I shook his hand off my skin and rolled my eyes. “Oh, please. Let’s go.”

“You never let me finish my sentences anymore,” he complained.

“Then you should talk less,” I said.

“Haha, you’re such a delight,” he said.

In a blast of hellfire, the king teleported us to the scorching castle.