KING OF THE UNDERWORLD (Earthbound Book 1)

My mind is whirling with confusion and hurt. All the promises Lucien made were nothing but lies. Tears surge up unexpectedly and spill down my cheeks. With the back of my hand, I swipe them away.

If I close my eyes, I know I will see Lucien holding Aria in his arms as he kisses her passionately. I feel an overwhelming urge to hurt him the same way he’s hurt me, but I will not let him break me.

I grab my laptop and sit on the bed, forcing myself to focus on work. Between the confrontation with Aria and what I saw between her and Lucien, I’m on edge. Letting my witch come to the surface was impulsive and foolish. In doing so, I revealed just how powerful I am, but the moment I saw the look in her eyes, I knew she was there to hurt me, to kill me if she could.

As if that situation weren’t bad enough, the memory of Aria in Lucien’s arms is haunting me. I feel hurt, sick to my stomach; confused. How could Lucien tell me he cares about me, that I matter to him, and then turn around and be with her like that? I wonder if he knows I saw them together. I doubt it. He looked quite engrossed in what he was doing. If he thinks I’m willing to just be one of many, he has a surprise coming. I do not share. And if he thinks I’m going to gullibly swallow his lies… I’m nobody’s fool! He told me he was going to deal with Aria. I guess we just had different ideas of what that would look like.

After seeing them together, it was apparent they are still very much intimate with one another. The images rushing through my mind are giving me a headache. I feel like such an idiot for believing he cared about me.

I feel a presence in the room and look up to see Lucien standing in front of the bedroom door, leaning against the wall. I hadn’t heard him knock; I must have been too distracted. Either that or he just walked in as though he had every right to do so. His muscular arms are crossed over his thick chest, his eyes locked on my face. Our eyes meet and time seems to stop for a moment.

He’s so beautiful it makes me ache inside. I try to keep my face blank, devoid of any emotion. I remain still and stare at him, waiting for him to say something.

A muscle in his jaw flexes. Oh shit. I swallow a lump in my throat and attempt to appear confident. I don’t want him to see the effect he has on me. Darkness rolls off him in waves; he is the dark to my light. His intense stare feels like an inferno scorching across my skin, setting my body on fire. I know that if I don’t get out of this room, get as far away from him as possible, he will be inside of me before I can even think to protest.

I watch with wide eyes as he pushes himself away from the wall, his long legs eating up the distance between us. He wraps his hand around my upper arm, his grip firm but gentle, and pulls me up until I’m standing in front of him. My hand flies to his chest, stopping him from pulling me closer.

“Don’t,” I whisper, my eyes closing briefly as I try to ward off the pleasurable sensation of standing so near to him. I open my eyes and find his attention locked on my lips. For just a second, I forget what I witnessed, forget how hurt and angry I am.

He starts to close the distance between our lips and my fury rushes in, more potent than ever. I yank myself out of his arms. “How many women have you been with since you told me I was yours? Other than Aria, of course!” I grind the words out between clenched teeth.

Curses fall from his mouth as his eyes flash red, blazing a fiery red. He growls. “Who told you?”

My own eyes burning, I glare at him, my temper rising further. “No. One. Told. Me.” My words are quiet but deadly. I step further away from him. I need to not be so close to him or I may lose touch with why I’m so angry and let him take me anyway. “I saw you.”

“You saw me?” He replies sharply, his expression clouded. “When?”

Rage threatens to choke me. “Does it matter!? You’re nothing but a liar. I saw you kissing her. Now answer my question!” I shout, and his jaw flexes at my demand.

“You think you can question me?” His curt voice lashes out at me, his body vibrating as he takes a threatening step in my direction. “You think you can demand answers when you keep your own secrets?”

“Secrets!? What secrets are you talking about?” I ask, spreading my arms wide. I may not have been totally honest with him, but it’s only been to protect myself, to protect the people I care about. I haven’t lied to him; not like he’s lied to me. And it isn’t like he’s proven that he can be trusted. Every time I turn around, it seems like he’s saying one thing and doing another. Why would I give someone information that could spell the end of me, the end of my family, when I can’t trust them?

“Tell me, Scarlett, why Aria is black and blue, why she looks like someone beat the shit out of her. She said you attacked her, that she was trying to smooth things over with you and you lashed out for no reason.” His tone his cold, his teeth clenched so tightly together, I’m certain they will crack.

A peal of manic laughter escapes me, the sound echoing around the room. Oh, Aria is good. She’s really pulled the blinder over his eyes, hasn’t she?

Black eyes flash red and I watch Lucien try to rein in his temper, his hands clenched in fists. Losing the battle, he shouts, “You think this is fucking funny? You changed in front of her and assaulted her!”

Color rushes to my cheeks. “Funny? Of course, I don’t think this is funny!” I shout back, marching towards him and only stopping when we are toe to toe. Our eyes lock, his blazing into my own, his dark eyebrows merging into a savage line. “You should get your facts straight, Demon.” I growl.

Can’t he see what she’s doing? She thought she could best me, could scare me, and ended up losing the fight. When she realized I wouldn’t be taken down so easily, she decided to run to him, try to make him get rid of me.

Stabbing him in the chest with my finger, I shout, “I warned you to keep her away from me. She came after me, attacked me, and I defended myself, exactly as I said I would!”

“Stop. Fucking. Poking. Me.” he says menacingly, grabbing my hand and forcing it down to my side.

“Oh, am I hurting you? The big, bad, dangerous demon.” I scoff, yanking my hands from his. I step back. I don’t want his hands on me.

Scowling, he looks me up and down. “You don’t have a single mark on you.”

I yank down the neck of my jumper, revealing the deeply embedded scratches around my throat. “What the fuck are these then? You think I did this to myself?” I demand.

My body tenses when he lifts his hand, extending it towards my neck as though to touch me. “You’re telling me Aria did this? That she attacked you first?” He asks with a frown, examining the marks. I back away further. I don’t want him touching me, not if he doesn’t believe me. I can tell by his expression he doesn’t like it when I move away from him.

Letting go of the neck of my sweater, I sigh. “I did not seek her out. She came at me. I told you I would defend myself, and I did.”

“She said you changed…” he begins, trailing off as his eyes search my face for a reaction.

I take a deep steadying breath. I’m not surprised she told him about my witch. How can I get him to understand? I can already picture his reaction and I know he isn’t going to like what I’m about to say.

Rubbing my forehead, I try to come up with the easiest way to explain. “You know I’m part human and part witch. The witch is inside of me. I told you that when my witch senses I’m in danger, she comes forward. When that happens, when she comes out, she reveals herself fully. I can either call her forward or, if she senses I’m too injured to call her, she can come forward of her own accord.”

Lifting my chin, I lock eyes with him. I watch his as they flash red and back to black. I study him intently, his face seeming to flicker, as though it’s changing in appearance, and I know I’m witnessing his demon. I stand my ground, trying my hardest not to panic. I know there’s no point in trying to run; there’s no way I could outrun him.

“So, you didn’t attack her?” He asks through clenched teeth.

Hasn’t he been listening?! Bloody hell. “I didn’t say that. How many times do I need to repeat myself? She approached me, she attacked me. I defended myself. My witch had no choice but to come out and protect me. If I’m in danger or if we see someone worth saving in danger, she comes out and deals with the situation.”

I feel my witch bristling at his questions. She wants me to release her so she can answer for herself, but that would only make things worse. I push back against her, telling her to stay put.

Feeling miserable, I close my eyes. I can’t bear to look at him. “If you believe Aria, that is your choice, but I’m telling you the true account of what happened. I won’t keep repeating myself,” I tell him, defeat ringing in my voice.

“I believe you.” My eyes fly open in shock. Lucien is standing in front of me, an expression of satisfaction painted across his face. “It is in my nature to question everyone around me. Even those I trust. It’s how I’ve managed to successfully rule my territory for so long. But I believe you. I was skeptical when she came to me, and I only kissed her to make her think I believed her so she wouldn’t come after you again. It was to buy me time to figure out how to handle things.”

I don’t believe my ears. Can I trust what he’s saying, that he believes me over Aria? She’s been in his life for so long. I want to believe what he’s saying is true, but I’ve seen them together. I’ve witnessed the affection he has for her with my own two eyes, and if that was all a ruse, how can I trust that the emotion he’s showing me now is genuine?

My doubts must show because he steps closer to me and gently cradles my face in his rough hands. His touch is tender, yet still commanding. His fingertips run softly down my skin, sliding down to the top of my jumper. He slowly pulls it down, revealing the marks on my neck. I feel the tips of his fingers caress over the deep red scratches.

I hadn’t realized how badly she marked me until I got back to my room and examined the area. Her hand hadn’t actually touched me, so I didn’t expect to find anything. I was wrong though, and the scratches are still sore. They’re deep and raw, and while my omega is trying her best to heal them from within, she’s having trouble doing so, for reasons unknown to both of us.

“I’m sorry,” Lucien whispers. I can feel the rage flowing out of him, even as he trails his knuckles over my cheek with care. The look on his face is unlike any I’ve seen on him before, almost as though he thinks I’m the most precious thing he’s ever seen. His lips touch my neck and shivers of desire race through me as he places soft butterfly kisses there. With a sigh, my eyes flutter shut. “Lucien.” His name is a plea on my lips.

“I will deal with this. Aria will not touch you again. I promise.” His voice is quiet, and I can tell most of his rage is directed at himself, that he’s taking responsibility for her actions.

“I can protect myself,” I protest, opening my eyes and meeting his gaze. “I can take care of myself. But that isn’t the problem, Lucien. What I witnessed, between the two of you… I can’t get it out of my head. It’s embedded deeply in my mind, and I keep seeing it over and over again.”

I hear the sigh that falls from his mouth. His lips brush against my brow. “Whatever you think you saw…”

I scoff! Does he really take me for a fool?! “Really!?” I interrupt him. “So, you putting your tongue down her throat meant nothing? There was no other way to handle the situation? Don’t take me for a bloody idiot, Lucien.” I tear myself from his arms and walk away, wanting to be alone with my thoughts.

“I don’t think you’re a fool, Scarlett,” he says, walking towards me with fire burning in his eyes. “I will do everything in my power to protect you. Even if that means hurting you in order to keep you safe.”

I shake my head. “You being with her doesn’t just hurt me, Lucien. It is killing the feelings I have for you. If you keep things up with her, no matter the reason why, those feelings will die a slow death. If you give yourself to another, there cannot be an us,” I explain, moving away from him again. I need to get my head on straight and standing so close to him is messing with my ability to reason. I sit on the edge of the bed and look at the floor. Does he really think I can accept him being with Aria, or anyone else, and still be with him? “Tell me Lucien, what the hell did I witness exactly?”

“I handled her the only way I know how. I’m sorry, Scarlett. I will make it up to you somehow.” His apology surprises me. Lucien Sinclair is not the type of man to apologize.

His intense stare burns into me, lighting my body on fire. Even though he’s apologized, I feel I should be fighting the lust building inside of me. He has a lover, for heaven’s sake. I hate how weak he makes me.

I watch with bated breath as he stalks towards me. With powerful strides, he reaches me quickly and before I know it, he’s pulling me to my feet and lifting me into his arms. My traitorous body leaves me no choice but to wrap my legs tightly around his waist as his hands firmly grip my ass.

His lips crash down on mine in a punishing kiss before he tosses me onto the bed, my hair fanning across the mattress like a flame. His body presses down on mine, his heat engulfing me. Using his knee, he spreads my thighs apart, his fingertips skimming the flesh on my stomach. Goosebumps erupt all over my body. I know I should be fighting him, shouldn’t be letting him touch me, but logic has left me. All I have left is the pleasure he makes me feel, pleasure unlike anything I’ve known before.

A jolt of excitement hits me as he looks down at me. Hunger, matching my own, burns in his eyes. They flash from black to red and back again; I know what that flash means. His demon is right under the surface. I bite down on my bottom lip, loving the intensity in his gaze.

My breathing becomes labored as he continues to watch me, more so when he leans in and presses his lips down on mine. His mouth is rough and my lips tingle, electricity popping through the air like a lightning storm as his tongue enters my mouth. His hips roll against me, his hardness pressing against my pussy. I gasp into his mouth and his lips leave mine, allowing me to suck in some much-needed air as his mouth assaults my neck. His teeth are gentle, nipping along the tender skin before he sucks hard, using enough force to leave a mark. I grip his hair, wanting more. Needing more.

Pulling my hands away from his head, Lucien stands, grabbing my hips and pulling me down the bed until my legs are dangling off the edge. He grabs my top and yanks it up over my head.

“Don’t hide from me,” he growls, as I start to cover my breasts with my hands. He grabs my wrists and pins them down on the bed, his hungry gaze roving over my body. Letting go of my arms, he places his hands on my knees, sliding them up the inside of my thighs. My breathing quickens with his slow progress. His fingers reach the top of my jeans, and he unbuttons them before slowly pulling down the zipper. He roughly grabs the waistband and yanks them down my legs, getting them off in one pull and leaving me completely bare.

Lucien stands back and stares at me for several minutes, my body spread over the bed. “You’re fucking gorgeous,” his voice deepens sending a shiver down my spine. “I’m going to have so much fun with you.” He gives me a wicked grin before his teeth clamp down on my earlobe, pulling it into his mouth and sucking hard. My eyes close in sheer delight and I let out a small whimper. My insides flutter with excitement when he backs off the bed and turns around, looking for something.

A devious expression appears on his face as he grabs my robe from a nearby chair and pulls out the belt.

What the hell does he think he’s going to do with that? My omega asks. I’m asking myself the same question.

“What is that for?” I ask in a whisper.

“I’m not going to hurt you, I promise. If you ask me to stop, I will.” Lucien assures me. “Now slide up the bed,” he demands with a deep growl.

I swallow, watching as his eyes turn red. I sense that the person standing before me is no longer Lucien Sinclair, but the demon hidden inside of him. He has something in mind, and I think I know what he’s planning. The question I keep asking myself is, should I be worried? My body, unable to resist the promise of pleasure in Lucien’s eyes, acts of its own accord, moving up the bed as he commanded.

He smiles in satisfaction. “Put your hands together above your head, near the headboard.”

I glance behind me at the headboard then at the belt in his hands and swallow hard.

“Now, Scarlett,” he orders in his deep voice.

I take a deep breath. Oh, shit. I can’t believe what I’m about to do, but want what he can give me, even if it scares me. It might be crazy to trust the man in front of me, but I somehow know he won’t hurt me. Not like that.

Biting my lip, I place my hands above my head and lock my fingers together. He kneels on the bed, sliding his body over mine, and I gasp as his massive form caresses my bare flesh and he looks down at me with hunger. The smell of his aftershave fills my senses as his hands slide up my arms and fix the belt around my wrists, tying them to the headboard.

He moves back down my body, and I swallow hard at the look in his eyes as he gazes hungrily at the sight of my body spread out before him, his for the taking. I long to touch him.

“Don’t move unless I tell you to.” He stands at the edge of the bed, staring at me with red eyes. He grabs my legs, spreading them wide, and looks down at my pussy like a man starved for a meal. My body tenses. I’m not shy about being naked, but I am feeling nervous. It is an uncomfortable yet pleasant sensation to be laid bare for him, helpless with my hands bound above me.

“So fucking perfect,” he growls, licking his bottom lip as he kneels and lowers his head between my legs. He wastes no time, sticking his tongue out and sliding it over my flesh. It flicks against my clit, and I jolt, my hands banging against the headboard. I clench my eyes shut at the sudden pleasure racing through my pussy and up over my entire body. Waves of intense desire crash over me and I moan, thrashing my head from side to side.

“Oh, God,” I shout, and he chuckles against my core before pulling away, leaving me wanting and hungry for his touch.

He looks down at me as he gets to his feet. “You’re so responsive,” he marvels, softly stroking over my wetness with his fingertips.

I gasp as he moves closer and shifts his body so he’s once again between my thighs. He brings his hand up and I see he’s gripping something. It looks like a can of whipped cream. Where the hell did that come from!?

He licks his lips as I watch him and chuckles at my confused expression. The can comes up and I gasp as he squirts a long line of the whipped cream along my inner thigh. The sting of cold renders my senses useless for a moment, before the contrast of his hot mouth sends me into overdrive. My clit tingles from the pleasurable sensations coursing through my body.

He sprays another blast of whipped cream at the top of my pussy, and my body trembles as he licks from one side to the other. His mouth is so close to my clit. My breathing picks up, his warm tongue melting the cream on my skin. My hands wiggle against their restraints as I try to contain the energy building inside me. I’m desperate for more but he seems content to keep licking me slowly, torturing me. I had no idea this could be so erotic. My heart races when I hear him shaking the can again.

Oh my God. Where will he spray next? I close my eyes and wait, my body strung tight as a bow. My body arches in shock, a moan escaping my mouth, when I feel the cold hit my clit. His mouth lowers, his tongue circling and lapping away. Heat radiates from my skin as he continues to work me over. The noises coming from my throat are like nothing I’ve heard before, but I barely even hear them over the sound of blood rushing in my ears.

He moves a hand up to cup my breast, his fingers tweaking my nipple, just hard enough to be painful as I get closer and closer to the edge. His tongue is relentless; the more he builds me up, the hotter my body gets. I don’t know how much more I can take. I pull against my restraints. The thrill of being tied up only adds to the pleasure I’m feeling.

He wraps his mouth around my clit and sucks hard and lights flash behind my eyes. My entire body quivers as everything around me shatters into pieces. Fire explodes in my core, the orgasm more intense than I ever could have imagined. My body is overwhelmed with ecstasy. I scream out his name and then I’m coming down, gasping for air.

“It feels like I’ve been waiting forever for a taste of you. That was so worth the fucking wait,” he growls, nipping at my clit. “You taste like the sweetest, most delicious honey.” He sucks my clit one more time, making me moan as my body continues to climb down from the intense high, before pulling back and swiping his hand across his mouth, taking the last of the whipped cream and my juices from his face.

“What are you doing to me?” I whisper, hating that he can see how much he affects me.

“Giving you pleasure like you’ve never known,” he whispers in my ear. I jolt. I didn’t realize he had moved up my body so quickly.

Letting my head flop to the side, I try to avoid his gaze. I feel embarrassed. Not just because I’ve never done anything like this before, but because it’s Lucien Sinclair. A demon. And I’m about to let him claim me with his body.

His weight pins me to the bed, and he growls. “I’m not even close to finished with you yet. I need to be inside of you.” A shudder runs through my body at his words.

He stands, kicking off his shoes and yanking off his socks before unbuttoning his pants. He pulls them down his lean thighs and throws them across the room. All I can do is stare at his enormous cock with astonishment. I’ve felt his hardness against my body and knew he wouldn’t be small… but I was in no way prepared for the sight before me.

I hear my witch giggle. Shit. How the hell is that monster going to fit inside of you?

Shut up! I snap back at her.

I’m nervous enough without her input.

He doesn’t give me much time to gaze at his perfection and I whimper when his body is on top of mine and I’m no longer able to look at his body. That dark hooded look I’ve grown accustomed to is back on his face. Looking deep into my eyes, he runs his hands over my arms.

His eyes flash red as his demon growls, “MINE,” before his hands are fisting in my hair. I gasp, my pussy tingling.

“I am not yours,” I shoot back, even as my body rebels against me, arching closer to him.

“You are mine, witch. Ours,” He insists gruffly, sniffing my hair. “You belong to us.” His other hand moves down my body, reaching the juncture of my thighs. His fingers dance along the edge of my folds and my legs spread further, almost without my permission, granting him entrance. His touch is dominant, possessive, as he takes control of my pleasure once more. Fingers slide slowly inside of me, and I moan as his thumb presses hard against my clit.

I feel myself open for him, walls stretching, and my hips buck up against him, wanting more. I feel beads of sweat forming at my temples. He knows exactly how and where to touch me. I’m already close to the edge again. I moan loudly as he massages my clit with his thumb. When he stops, pulling his hand away, the orgasm fades, making me whine in protest.

He trails his fingertips up and down my thigh, his touch so soft it almost feels like he’s using a feather. He grips the outside of my thigh and brings it up around his waist. I move with him as his cock shifts in line with my pussy. I’m so engrossed in the sensation of him pressed against me, I don’t even care that he left me hanging just a moment ago. All I care about is having more of him.

“This pussy is mine,” he murmurs as he thrusts inside of me, and I moan and gasp, his length stretching me. He stills, allowing my body to adjust to his size, and I feel him pulsing. He looks into my eyes, resting his forehead against mine. We stay like that for a long moment, basking in one another’s closeness, before he lifts his head and begins moving in and out of me. Now that my body has gotten used to him, his cock feels so fucking good as he thrusts deep. His fingers dig into my thigh and I’m sure I will have marks there later, but I don’t care.

He lifts himself up, wrapping both my legs around my waist, and fists my hair in his hands. His thrusts are hard, deep. Calculated. They hit the perfect spot as he gets me closer to the place only he has ever been able to take me to. Shudders wrack my body as I move my hips faster, in time with his. He thrusts again and again, causing me to scream with delight. Intense pleasure continues to build inside of me, my back arching off the bed as the heat intensifies, my body so freaking hot I feel I might explode into pieces.

He hits my pleasure spot over and over. Spots dance in my vision, my muscles clenching around him. It feels like I have lightning inside of me. Every part of my body shakes, the orgasm even more intense than the last. My pussy squeezes his cock as it pulses around him, and he growls, the vibration sending a jolt of pleasure through me.

“Fuck me harder,” I plead into his ear, thrusting my hips towards him as he pounds me into the bed.

At my words, a loud groan escapes his mouth and his thrusts become harder. Faster. I try to hold on, but my body is spent as I ride out the last waves of my orgasm. I know he’s right on the edge, so I tighten my pussy, wanting to send him over. He growls and his head drops next to mine, his teeth latching onto my neck hard. I know there’s going to be a mark there, and I’m surprised at how that thought makes me happy. He explodes inside of me, letting out a deep sexual moan. For several moments, he lays on top of me, both of us trying to catch our breath. Finally, with a light groan, he pulls out of me, dropping a kiss to my temple. My legs lower to the bed as he reaches up, freeing my hands.

My breathing is still labored when he lays down beside me and I struggle with what to say or do next. We’ve both been fighting against this moment since we set eyes on each other, both of us wrestling this insane chemistry between us. It was dangerous to let him touch me, and it can’t happen again. I don’t want to be involved with someone who has another woman.

I try to forget the look in his eyes when he said I was mine. How can I be? It makes no sense. I reach up and touch my neck, where he bit me. It tingles and burns, and I can feel the indentations from his teeth. When I pull my hand away, there are dots of blood on my fingertips. What the hell!?