CHAPTER 1
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“You can touch me, lamb,” Héctor whispered in joy.
The Demigod of Death kissed me, searing me like a dark, burning star. The ground pulled away from my feet, not because I was so dazed from his scorching passion—well, I was dazzled, but who wouldn’t be when she was kissed by a death demigod?
He flew me high into the sky, one arm wrapped around me. His other hand slid into my lush hair, where he anchored it at the base of my skull to secure a kiss.
My legs sneaked around his waist. The hard head of his erection pricked against my bottom, making me giddy with expectation.
Finally I was going to have a break. I was going to get what I wanted—a dream love come true.
Rigid air currents rushed by my ears as the noise of the wind picked up. The earth sprawled far beneath my feet.
A sliver of worry sank into the back of my mind. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Héctor, but shouldn’t he pay attention to flying?
Shouldn’t he take more care about which direction we were going?
Though I was flattered by his passion for me, I hadn’t lost my senses.
Héctor was different than his brethren, but he was still a demigod. And from my dealings with the other demigods, I’d say they were ruthless and they didn’t take anything other than themselves seriously.
They were notorious for acting on a whim.
I tore my lips from Héctor by sheer will and immediately regretted it. Residual pleasure buzzed over my skin, and my body screamed in protest against leaving the sensational source, demanding I lock lips with the smoldering-hot man again.
It hadn’t taken long for my body to get addicted to the Demigod of Death.
Héctor peeked down at me, his sapphire eyes flashing with dark light. He didn’t approve of the empty, cold air that filled the distance between our lips.
“Lamb, what’s wrong?” he asked softly, but a dominating will underlined his every word.
“You’re flying blindly while you have a passenger,” I blurted out. “So I’ll keep an eye open for both of us. I don’t like always taking on more responsibilities than everyone else. But it seems to be my lot in life!”
His disapproval turned to faint amusement, the corners of his sensual mouth tugging up.
I gazed at his lips, mesmerized.
Just like that, I wanted to taste and savor him again. Let the consequences be damned, even though we were in the air.
I leaned toward him, but pulled back the moment before diving in.
“I see. My lamb has some trust issues,” he said, his voice deep and silky, and my sex clenched in desire at the sound of it. “I’ll have to earn your trust first. It’s my fault that I didn’t explain to you that I’d never take your safety lightly. But I’ve flown across New York so many times I could do it blindfolded.”
“What about distracted?”
“That too,” he said. “And you never need to worry about responsibilities or chores. I’ll take care of you.”
“You will?” I asked. “How?”
He smiled. “You’ll see.”
I gaped at his massive wings that rode the wind. The afternoon sunlight glinted off his raven-black feathers.
“My lamb likes my wings,” he said, noticing the rapt look in my eyes.
“They’re okay,” I said, not wanting him to know how engrossed I was with his magnificent beauty.
If I kept watching the graceful movements of his obsidian wings, I might have an orgasm right in the air.
And that would be anticlimactic.
I turned my glance down to earth.
Sparks of fire and trails of smoke twirled among the buildings in Upper Manhattan. A small battle between the demons and the Dominion soldiers raged in the streets of Harlem.
Héctor followed my line of sight. He didn’t appear concerned about the fight, which meant that sort of battle was normal in the warzone.
Peace was an impossible dream, forever out of humanity’s reach. Yet midtown Manhattan was devoid of any violence, bristling with vitality and activities.
Humans of various nationalities strolled down the streets. Cars prowled by, fighting for the right to the road against the pedestrians, and a group of civilians sat on the long stairs of a building across from a public library, feeding the pigeons while listening to music through their headsets.
The Great Merge hadn’t affected every circle of life, partly due to the demigods’ protection of their realm. Many humans still lived inside their own bubbles, which could shatter anytime.
They had no fucking idea.
I returned my attention to my companion, the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. My heart ached,