KING OF THE UNDERWORLD (Earthbound Book 1)

I feel my stomach clench and tighten with anxiety. Seeing the shifters again is bringing up all my old fears and insecurities. I fight to keep control of my emotions, even as I feel myself growing increasingly uneasy under their scrutiny. I push my long silver hair behind my ear as I continue to ignore Jacob’s and his mate’s stares. The sight of the happy couple has been battering me since they came through the door. Knowing they’re still together is breaking my heart. I should be the one sitting at his side.

I need to find a way to lock these feelings away, but the mark he gave me so long ago is throbbing due to him being in such close proximity. I’m just relieved that the concealment spell I put in place is still working.

The council member who seems to suspect us of lying is an idiot. Why the hell would we make something like this up? What could it possibly gain us to pretend that our sister is missing? He’s obviously human; maybe all of them are needlessly paranoid.

“If we knew where our sister was, why would we be here? Why would we ask Lucien for his help?” I question, rolling my eyes. What a complete twat. How do these people even get elected to the council?

As though I hadn’t even spoken, the council member looks around the table. “Am I the only one who thinks this doesn’t ring true? I think they’re hiding something.” He looks back at me before continuing, “And I demand to know what the hell it is!” His lips are puckered in annoyance as he slams his hand down against the table.

“No one is hiding anything or lying about anything,” I reply in a droll tone, crossing my arms across my chest, the motion making my cleavage more pronounced. With an expression of disgust, the council member turns up his nose and looks over at Lucien.

What a rude bastard!

Lucien looks at the man with an expression of irritation on his face. “Megan was last seen in my club, which is why Scarlett came to me and asked for my help in finding her. Scarlett and her family will be remaining here as I continue searching for answers,” Lucien informs everyone. We haven’t discussed staying past the meeting, so I’m surprised at his announcement.

The council member’s lips thin with annoyance. “Lucien. You know the council must be informed before you take any further action. I will inform them of the situation and get back to you.”

Lucien snarls, causing everyone to lean back in their chairs. His eyes flash red and when he speaks, his voice is deeper and echoes around the room. “Do whatever the fuck you want, but do not forget to whom you are speaking to!”

The council member blanches, cowering in his seat. “I’m s-s-sorry, Lucien. I meant no offense,” he stammers.

Little weasel. He has no problem treating me with disrespect, but the big bad demon reprimands him and he acts like a submissive little puppy.

LUCIEN

My demon is fired up and unwilling to go back under the surface. I cannot believe that stupid little human would dare speak to me in such a way. Who the fuck does he think he is?

I hear someone clear their throat and look around the table to see that the insubordinate territory leaders seem to have finally finished their lists and are passing them over to the region leaders. I don’t bother to read the lists handed over to me. I just pass them to Jaden who glances down at them before folding them and placing them in the pocket of his black suit jacket. I will look at the names later this evening.

I feel Aria leaning into me and the sensation of her breath against my neck and her fingers stroking sensuously down my arm make me shudder in disgust. “My love. I think it’s prudent you inform everyone here exactly who… and what these… ladies are,” she says loudly, gaining the attention of the entire room.

Fucking. Bitch.

ARIA

I’m going to take them down. They have no right to be here. I’m livid and my demon isn’t having it.

I’m fueled by hatred and vengeance. I want to eviscerate every single one of the witches sitting at this table. I watch with delight as the leaders and council members look at Lucien to gauge his reaction to my words.

I can tell he’s pissed. A thin smile appears on his lips. “Do you have a death wish, Aria?” he asks in a deadly whisper. A shiver runs down my spine as his demon flashes in his eyes.

Reluctantly, I bow my head in surrender. I’m glad I said it, but perhaps I should have found a way to reveal their identity without putting myself at risk. I just want him to get rid of his whore and the rest of the cunts sitting with her. I recognize the bitch covered in those freaky tattoos. The people in this room should know who they’re dealing with. If only so they can deal with my problem for me.

My precious spy has given me invaluable intel. Lucien’s plaything has apparently been making friends with one of Lucien’s men and he hardly leaves her side, and I’ve already set the wheels in motion to get rid of Alex. My spy told me he’s gone to visit his family and I’ve made sure he won’t be returning.

Whore. I will teach her not to touch what belongs to me!

I lock eyes with her and let her see my hostility as I run my fingertips down Lucien’s hard chest and kiss him on the cheek. “I’m sorry, my love,” I whisper in his ear, my voice soft and timid. “I just can’t bear the thought of you looking like a fool, which is what will happen if you allow this charade to continue.”

LUCIEN

Aria bows her head and whimpers when I glare at her. Her punishment will have to wait. I can feel my demon straining to be released, but I push him back. Now is not the time. I’m not the only one struggling to hold their temper, though. Damien and Jaden aren’t faring much better. I can feel the tension running through them as they try not to react. Aria has put every single person in this room in danger.

Aria never does anything without a reason. I should have followed my gut and had her banned from the meeting. I should have known she wouldn’t be able to keep her mouth shut.

The room is silent, still. Everyone is looking at me, trying to figure out what the hell she’s talking about. The councilor finally speaks up. “Lucien? Care to explain?”

Before I can respond, Aria shoots out of her seat beside me, pointing at Scarlett and her family. “You fools!” she screeches. “Can’t you sense the abomination among us?”

“What the fuck is Aria talking about, Lucien?” the council member demands, a shadow of alarm crossing his face as he stands up, the rest of the council following suit.

“You bloody fools! Those women are witches! Every last one of them. Can’t you idiots feel it? Can’t you sense the witch inside them!?” Aria rants.

The room is cloaked in shocked silence, and I finally have a chance to speak. “Sit the fuck down and shut your fucking mouth, Aria.” I snarl. I need to get her under control before all hell breaks loose.

“No. Lucien, it’s time you opened your eyes. You’ve obviously gone soft, believing everything that red-haired cunt tells you. I’ve done some investigating of my own. They’re making it all up. There is no sister. They are the ones responsible for the missing humans and Naturals. It is time we find out what they’re really up to.”

“Do you have any proof of these allegations, Aria?” a member of the council asks. “Because until you provide proof, this is merely hearsay.”

“I hate to say it, but I agree with him. We will need proof that what you’re saying is true. If they are indeed witches, why have they chosen to reveal themselves now? If they’ve been living in secret among us all this time, why would they come out in the open?” Jax questions.

“Archer. Did you know about these witches?” Jacob’s mate demands, speaking to the Angel, her haughty tone seeming to echo around the room.

Attempting to calm his mate, Jacob takes her hand into his larger one and kisses her fingers tenderly. “Marguerite, my love. None of us know if these women are really witches. However, I too would like to know whether you knew of this, Archer.” Jacob looks at the Angel with eyebrows raised.

The Angel shakes his head. “You know we do not interfere.”

What he says is true. Angels are forbidden from speaking of what they know. Should they issue a warning, even one that saves lives, they’ll be punished. They could even lose their wings.

Slowly removing her hand from her mate’s, Marguerite mutters, loudly enough for everyone to hear, “Guess that’s a yes, then.” She turns to glare at Melissa, Scarlett’s cousin.

One of the guards standing behind Gil-Galad speaks up. “Are you a witch?”

The Fae King turns and glares at the woman and her face flushes pink as she winces, before she runs from the room.

I place my hand on Aria’s arm, hoping the distraction will give me a moment to keep her quiet, but she shakes me off. “Don’t you fucking touch me,” she snarls. Turning to the room, she screeches, “Are you all witless? How can you not see that they are witches?!”

“Aria. Calm. The. Fuck. Down.” I growl quietly. The rest of the room is looking at Aria like she’s lost her damn mind, and I’m hoping I can get things under control before the situation blows up completely.

Those hopes disappear when Aria turns and looks at Scarlett. Before I can stop her, she’s throwing a swirling ball of red, blue, and yellow energy straight at the witches. Damien, Jaden, and I jump from our seats.

SCARLETT

We don’t have time to react. I watch in horror as a ball of light flied straight towards me before slamming into my chest. It feels like a wrecking ball. The impact causes the chair I’m sitting in to fly backward, slamming into the wall behind me. I feel my head strike the stone. Fuck! My head starts to pound immediately. I shake it in an attempt to clear my vision, causing pain to ricochet around my brain. With eyes screwed up in pain, I try to take in my surroundings. Everything appears to be happening in slow motion.

Through cloudy vision, I can just barely see Aria. She’s standing in the same place, and I’m almost certain I can hear her chanting. Behind her back, a whirling portal forms and as it grows and stabilizes, I watch in fascinated horror as a group of about twenty men step through it into the room. They look around the room, standing at attention, until Aria starts shouting orders in a language I’ve never heard before. The men charge towards us.

I try to stand, only to fall right back on my ass. Whatever the hell she hit me with was no typical energy bolt. It has physically weakened me. My witch tries to emerge, and it takes nearly all my remaining strength to push her back down. Her frustration and anger fuels my own rage. I long to let her come forward, but I know it’s a terrible idea. My omega has remained blissfully silent, but I can feel her watching. Something is definitely wrong with me, though.

I force my hand to lift and touch the back of my head. Shit. There’s a deep gash there and I can feel blood sliding down my temple. When I look at my hand, it’s covered in sticky red blood. My omega finally jumps up and takes notice. I’m more seriously injured than I thought. Warmth travels through my body, growing nearly unbearable, before I feel the wound on my head stitch itself closed. I know if I have any other injuries, she’ll take care of them.

I need to help my family. I try to stand once more, but my legs tremble, knees buckling. Biting back a cry of frustration, I collapse in my chair and watch helplessly as the scene unfolds around me.

Melissa reaches behind her back, pulling out a long gold and silver sword. How the hell did she manage to bring that in here? I saw her go through the scanner. Turning swiftly, she strides towards me, determination written across her face. In horror, I watch as a man walks up behind her, and before I can even shout a warning, she pivots on the balls of her feet, silver hair flying around her head as she swings the sword and slices the man’s head clean off. My mouth drops open in awe as his head wobbles slightly before dropping to the floor.

Sensing another man charging in her direction, Melissa ignores the blood covering her face and body and, waiting until he’s almost upon her, she ducks under his weapon before lashing out with her foot, kicking him in the abdomen. Once he’s down, she leans forward and runs her blade through his stomach.

Pulling her blade free quickly, she twists and jumps back as another weapon whistles through the air in the exact place her head was only seconds before. Throwing her sword up in the air, she cartwheels, catching the blade as she lands in a crouch. She swipes the sword clean through his legs and his piercing scream echoes around the room as blood pours from his wounds. Standing, she continues cutting through the enemy as she makes her way towards me.

I watch as the rest of my family joins the flight, their features changing one by one to reveal the witches who share their bodies. My sisters conjure their individual daggers to defend themselves, using them to cut and stab any who would harm us.

Evelyn marches towards Melissa, fire burning in her eyes. My heart jumps to my throat as a large man reaches out to grab her from behind, tangling his hand in her multicolored hair and dragging her into his arms.

I hear her grunt as she grabs onto him, her feet sliding backwards despite her struggle. I feel helpless as I watch him tug her head back, bringing a thin black dagger up to her throat. Her screams are deafening as she manages to twist her body around until they’re face to face, and almost as though her hair has caught fire, it changes color and starts to glow. Her eyes change from their deep emerald green to a brighter green with orange and red flames swirling in their center. The side of her mouth quirks as she lets of his wrist and lashes out with her fist, striking him in the face repeatedly.

His head snaps back and forth as she hits him, his nose splitting open and splattering blood all around them. With one final punch, he lets go of her hair and staggers backward. He bobbles on his feet for a moment before hitting the floor with a thud.

Evelyn grabs the black dagger from his hand and plunges it straight through his heart, twisting it until it’s embedded deep inside his chest. With a grunt, she pulls it back out and slices his throat with it.

Something in the corner of my eye catches my attention and I look to see Pamela using one of the men as her shield as another tries to thrust his sword through her stomach. Beside her, Mia is stabbing her dagger into the groin of her own attacker, and he falls to the ground, a river of bright yellow blood pooling beneath his body.

Across the room, an enormous man with ash-grey skin and black soulless eyes grabs Abigail from behind. I glance around and see that nobody else has noticed she’s in trouble. If I don’t manage to do something, she could get severely injured. I reach down and grab the dagger I keep in an ankle holster and gather as much strength as I can muster, hurling the dagger at him. It flies straight and true, burrowing right between his shoulder blades.

I allow my witch to come forward, and she forces the blade to rotate one way, then the other, shoving it deeper inside of him. Finally, his arms let go and Abigail turns, facing the demon who had her in his grasp. Her witch is now out in full force; her black hair has turned a pale white; her eyes lit an eerie yellow. A sinister smile appears on her face as she slices the demon chest to groin, gutting him. She watches with a satisfied smirk as his innards fall to the floor at her feet. She looks at me and our eyes meet, and she gives me a nod of thanks before turning back to the fight.

I see Ava fighting in the corner of the room and notice that Evelyn has joined Melissa and they are fighting back-to-back. An endless horde of men continue to rush from the portal Aria created and the territory leaders and council members have finally joined the fray. There are several people who are apparently disloyal to their leaders, or perhaps they’re just cowards, because they’re gathered in the far corner of the room, trying to avoid getting pulled into the fight.

I notice my family, Lucien, Damien, and Jaden all throwing worried looks my way. I must look worse than I thought. They can’t afford to concentrate on me, though. Any distraction could cost them their lives.

Opening the link to my family, I feel our minds meld together and order them to stop worrying about me, assuring them that my omega is healing my wounds. Breaking the link, I watch Mia and Abigail join forces. Chanting, they clutch each other’s hands, raising them in the air. Their eyes change color, turning a dark purple as their chanting grows in intensity, causing a massive fiery black ball to appear in front of them. Even from where I’m sitting, I can feel the power reverberating through me.

Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hits me out of nowhere. What the fuck is happening? My entire body begins to tremble and the pain inside my head intensifies. I have no idea what’s happening and I’m fucking terrified.

In a panic, I look around. I can’t find Emma. Where is she? Out of the corner of my eye, I see Aria staring at me and when I turn to look, she smirks. Fear takes over and I black out.

SCARLETT

^{SIX MONTHS LATER}

I watch the ocean as I wait for the sun to rise. I still cannot believe how he played me. I was such a fool to believe in him. What’s the saying? Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

Never again. I hate him.

Is it possible to both hate and love someone at the same time? I’ve heard people say that there’s a thin line between the two, but I never really understood it until now.

I have more than just myself to think of now. I know he’s going to find me eventually, but it will take time. Still, I really need to start planning my next move.

“Scarlett. It’s time,” Pamela calls out to me, just as the sun breaches the horizon.

With a groan, I manage to stand from my chair and slowly make my way over to my sisters who are gathered, waiting for me, my hands gently placed upon my stomach.