silk pants that hugged his hips. A knowing smile curved his full, luscious mouth as he shuffled toward me. He grasped his bottom lip between his teeth, releasing it before pausing in front of me.
“I want you, Lena. I want you to be mine. You fucked me over, and I get it; I do. I hurt you. I can be a bit overzealous and aggressive, but you’re into that. Aren’t you? I watched you with Lucian, and then I saw him break you. I won’t do that to you, ever. You’ll give me a son, and we’ll raise our children together. Our son and my daughter,” he offered, pushing his fingers through his thick, silky dark hair. “Let me return what I stole from you. If you choose me, I will give you everything you want. Be my queen, and we will rule the new world together. You will be at my side, as my equal.”
“You intend to end the world, Luc.” I pulled my stare back to his dark blue indigo depths, using his nickname on purpose, watching as he shivered with anticipation from the reminder of when he had me on his stage, demanding I call him Luc. “I am from that world, not yours. I get that you’re mad at me because you lowered your walls and whispered your insecurities to me. But here’s the truth: You bashed in my fucking head. You killed me, even before I used a dagger to end my life. You are to blame for mine and my son’s death.”
“I can’t deny that,” he stated honestly, closing the distance between us. Lucifer trailed his finger down the skin he’d exposed, drifting lower until his tattooed fingers stopped before they could dip into my dress. “I’m the Devil and not a nice guy. I didn’t know you, and what I did that night created this version of you. You were going to die one way or another, no matter what I did.” He inhaled, stepping closer until my body was flush against his. “I can give you another son. I can give you the world and whatever else you want.”
“Can you give me my son back?” I asked icily. His thick lashes dusted his high cheekbones before he opened his eyes to stare at me.
Having the Devil gaze into your eyes was seduction dipped into wicked desire. Luc wasn’t the ideology of what you’d expect the Devil to be. He had weaknesses, and he’d allowed me to see them once. I’d used his vulnerabilities against him, but then the prick had prematurely ended my life that night.
“No, because not even Death knows where your son, Harbinger, ended up, strangely enough. It makes me curious, considering only a few creatures are powerful enough to recall a life from the Keepers of Souls, me being one of them. Yet when I call for his, it does not answer me. Someone either bartered for your son’s soul or stole it. I did try since Makenna would love to have him as a brother, back with us.”
“Before I died, I ensured that my son’s soul would be reborn, so it isn’t surprising to me that you could not call it to you.” I smoothed the fabric of my dress, trying to hide my grief while talking about my son. “You’re so certain that we end up together?”
“Let’s just say that I’m certain once you figure out what Lucian has done to you and your family, you’ll choose me, Magdalena. I know what happened and how you were returned to him. I know Hades made it so that only I, Lucian, and himself could bring you pleasure. I don’t see you settling for Hades to get a quick fuck when you’re in the mood. You’re not that type of woman, which is part of your allure. You need to feel love, and that’s something I have craved for a very long time. You and I want the same thing. We want to know love and for it to last the ages.” He lowered his lips and brushed them against mine.
“You could find someone else to love you,” I breathed against his kiss, closing my heavy eyelids against the temptation his mouth created.
“Why would I do that? I felt your love when you kissed me before. Sure, you believed me to be Lucian, and it was a cheap trick, but I tasted you, and you enjoyed being with me. You thought I was a monster that couldn’t be loved,