KING OF THE UNDERWORLD (Earthbound Book 1)

After everything that happened between us, Lucien had his grunt Damien escort me to a room in a separate wing from the club. I haven’t heard from or seen either one of them since. Turns out Damien is his second in command. I asked him several times when I would be able to talk to Lucien again and he merely said that he would come find me when he had time to speak. It feels like it’s been an eternity since that conversation, when in reality, it’s only been a few days.

Once Damien left me alone in the room, I immediately took a shower to try and scrub Lucien’s touch from my body… and my mind. It didn’t work. I can feel his hands on me even now. Part of me feels relieved he hasn’t come to see me yet, since I clearly cannot be trusted around him.

Before leaving, Damien told me that there would be a guard outside my door at all times, should I need anything. We both know the real reason they’re there is to prevent me from escaping, but I didn’t bother correcting him. I tried opening the door once but had been shoved back by one of the guards, a huge shifter who didn’t bother speaking before closing the door in my face.

I look around the room and groan. The room I was given is glamorously large and done in tasteful colors. A four-poster bed sits on one side of the room, and the other side has a sofa, chair, and a TV attached to the wall. The other door leads to a gorgeous en-suite. If this room were anywhere else and I were in it for any other reason, I probably wouldn’t want to leave. It really is like a five-star hotel. Nothing but the best for Lucien Sinclair, right?

I’ve searched high and low for a way to escape, but there isn’t one. I’ve seen Lucien from the window several times a day, and I know he sensed me watching him but never even bothered to look up. I would have opened the window and screamed at him, or hell, found a way to climb out of it, but it is bolted shut.

Most of my time has been spent thinking about my predicament. I still can’t figure out exactly how Lucien had known I was a witch. The only answer I came up with is that his demon must be far more powerful than any of us realized. It’s clear that none of the spells we used to conceal and protect me had worked on him and it’s unlikely there are many spells out there that would have any effect on him whatsoever. I just wish we had known that while we were making our plan. We could have requested a meeting with him. I can’t imagine that would have worked out favorably for us, but at least I wouldn’t be a fucking prisoner in this room, just waiting for him to decide what to do with me.

I know my sisters must be worried about me. Even though they knew where I was headed, the plan was for me to come straight back home. I tried to get a mental link to Pamela, but it hasn’t worked. I could barely even feel her. There must be something about this room, or maybe even the building, that’s blocking my powers.

Despite my best efforts, my mind drifts back to the other night. I can’t seem to stop myself from replaying the sensation of his firm lips, the way they’d felt as they made their way down my throat, leaving feathery kisses in their wake. How his hard body had pressed against mine, making me feel like he was in absolute control of me, body and soul. Just remembering his touch, his taste, sends shivers down my spine. My body still craves him and all my efforts to fight it seem to be in vain. If I’m not careful, I could become addicted to him, and he would destroy me in a way no drug ever could.

I’m grateful to Damien for interrupting us before things could go any further, though at the time, I was just as displeased by the interruption as Lucien. The expression on his face had changed from one of lust to one of silent rage. I never want to be on the receiving end of that look. I saw his eyes flash red for the briefest moment and wonder if I imagined it.

Whatever Damien had whispered in his ear had caused him to turn on his heel and leave the room without a word to me, Damien following behind him. There was the sound of the door closing followed by the loud click of it locking, then total silence surrounded me.

I tried using my powers to get out of the room, but it hadn’t worked. The door was obviously spelled to resist magic. Damien came back a while later to escort me to where I am now.

With effort, I shove my unwanted thoughts to the back of my mind and move to the comfortable chair in front of the window, throwing myself down into it. I lean my head back, gaze at the large forecourt below, and study the heavy iron gates and tall surrounding walls. Sensing rather than seeing movement to the left of my gaze, I slowly turn my head and sit up abruptly as the doors swing open, Lucien’s tall, muscular figure stepping into view. My gut clenches when a gorgeous woman walks out behind him and moves in front of him.

She’s nearly as tall as he is, but willow thin, with black hair hanging down her back, hitting the top of her ass. Her lips are painted a deep blood red and I watch as she presses them to his cheek, leaving a smudge of lipstick behind. My hands clench into fists as their lips meet, her fingers running down his chest. I try but fail to drag my eyes away from the scene.

My chest spasms painfully as his hand strokes the woman’s slim waist and pulls her tighter against his hard body, their lips locked together in a passionate kiss. I feel nauseous as I watch them and once again experience the sensation of his hands on my own body. The feeling of betrayal ricocheting through me is completely irrational. What the hell is wrong with me!? We aren’t a couple. I don’t want to be with him; he terrifies me.

I can’t wrap my head around my reaction to witnessing him with another woman. It likely has something to do with the dreams and visions that have become more frequent since I got here. I’ve somehow been able to sense him every moment of every day. I don’t know why I’m so connected to him, why I can sense his emotions. I know when he’s pissed off and when he’s full of passion. I told myself I was imagining things when I sensed he was having sex several times over the last few days, but seeing him with this woman, I know I was only lying to myself.

Even worse, I can feel something off about the woman from here. My witch and my omega started going crazy the instant I saw her. Darkness is rooted deep inside of her, and I feel a sense of foreboding come over me. Almost as though seeing her is an omen. I know that Lucien has darkness deep inside of him. I felt it the minute he touched me, but it’s different than what I’m getting from her. I didn’t get the sense that he wanted to hurt me. For some reason, even though I’ve never even met this raven-haired woman, I get the strong feeling that she wants to destroy me.

Knowing that what I’m experiencing is likely a premonition, I resolve to do everything in my power to avoid her. I know that if we come face to face, I will likely be put in a situation where I am forced to defend myself, therefore revealing my powers, which is something that is far too dangerous for me to even consider.

If anyone ever found out that we’re a family of Omegas, shit would really hit the fan. Omegas haven’t been seen for over two-hundred years. Everyone thought we had died out, but a small group had gone into hiding and our ancestors were a part of that group.

Omegas could be male or female. For many years humans and Naturals had cherished and protected them. They can breed with both and are born healers.

Legend has it that one such being would be born and be able to control all humans and Supernaturals. Chaos ensued. Humans, out of fear and stupidity, began hunting the Omegas. Supernaturals started capturing them in hopes of breeding the child from the legend. There were a handful of individuals who didn’t agree with what was happening, so they came together to help the Omegas escape. They all fled in the night, though some were captured and killed, and only a small number survived.

Witches hadn’t fared much better and were hunted around the same time as the Omegas. There aren’t many full-blooded witches left either, and the ones we know about, we avoid. They tend to be dangerous and difficult to get along with. A few have mated with humans, and those are generally slightly less hostile. Even still, outside of the immediate family, there’s only one witch we can trust, and that’s my distant cousin Astrid, although lately, she’s been having a hard time holding her witch back. Astrid is different, though. Her blood is far less diluted than ours.

Our blood has become diluted over the years due to mating with certain humans. What most people don’t know is that there were once two different branches of human DNA. One branch was what we would now consider to be ‘normal humans,’ but the other had certain oddities in their genetic code.

The scientists in our coven realized that in order to keep our ancestors safe and to strengthen their powers, they needed to mate with only those humans who had the special genetic markers. That is what finally allowed us to control both our witches and our omegas.

The leaders of our coven endorsed this strategy, but not everyone agreed. The new laws caused some of the full-blooded witches to rebel and split off from our coven, which is why there are still some full-blooded witches out there.

We try to avoid them as much as possible because they’re dangerous. Vicious, even. They’re the reason our coven went into hiding. My ancestor’s decision to breed with those humans made us stronger and more robust, but it also gave us more human emotions. Like compassion.

My family, being a mix of both witch and omega, must protect our secret at all costs. On top of our powers, we are also stronger and more robust due to our mixed heritage. The first children conceived when my ancestors were in hiding had been bred with a combination of humans, witches, and Naturals. They were incapable of controlling their powers, and there were some dark times. A lot of mistakes were made, but as time passed and each subsequent generation was born, control became easier. When combined, the powers of Omegas mixed with any other race, could turn a child into a being so powerful, they could destroy a city without even lifting a finger.

It’s bad enough Lucien knows we are witches. If he, or anyone else for that matter, were to discover what we really are, we would be hunted by humans and Supernaturals alike. The thought of being discovered makes me sick to my stomach.

My gaze drifts back to Lucien and his lover, and I see that they are still at it in front of the house. It’s clear they don’t care who sees them. There’s no way in hell I will let Lucien touch me again. No matter how my body may scream and beg for him, I have no interest in having someone else’s sloppy seconds.

I know I’m going to regret what I’m about to do, but I am at the end of my rope and can’t seem to stop myself. I reach out for the window with both hands and, using all my unnatural strength, I wrench it open with a loud grunt. It flies up and bangs against the top of the frame. With a satisfied chuckle and zero thought to the consequences of my actions, I stick my head and shoulders out of the window and let out a loud, high-pitched whistle, hoping to gain Lucien’s attention. When that fails to work, I begin shouting down at him. Not very ladylike, I know, but I give zero fucks.

“Oi, Casanova,” I shout. Lucien looks up at me with a furrowed brow. “Oh, that got your attention, did it? We have a deal; in case you may have forgotten.” I snarl down at him, feeling particularly brave. “I want to know what the fuck you’ve been doing to hold up your end of the bargain!”

Even from this distance, I can tell I’ve pissed him off. Good. I smile to myself. Maybe now he will get his ass in gear. Curse the witch inside of me, but I can’t seem to keep my mouth shut. “Listen here, Lucien ‘Bloody Smug’ Sinclair. No matter what you say, I’m not staying in this room any longer, and you will either tell me what the hell is going on, or our so-called deal is off, and I will be leaving this bloody dump.”

His eyes bore into me like lasers, and if looks could kill, I would perish on the spot. For the first time, I consider the consequences of poking the hornet’s nest that is Lucien Sinclair’s temper. Staring into the eyes of a pissed off demon is a sensation I will never forget. But I refuse to show him any fear. I roll my eyes and glance at the woman standing next to him. She looks annoyed as well, probably because I interrupted their face-sucking session.

She turns her attention to Lucien, and I see his face get even more pissed off at whatever she’s saying to him, something I didn’t think possible. I see him reply to her, but I’m too far away to make out their words.

Her face tightens before relaxing into a satisfied smirk. She looks up at me and a smug smile spreads across her lips as she runs her eyes over my face and chest, causing my skin to crawl. I have no doubt that Lucien Sinclair can make my life miserable, but there’s something about her, something I can’t put my finger on, that causes warning bells to ring in my head. I watch as a triumphant smile lights up her face just before Lucien disappears from view, back into the building, with her following closely behind. My gut tells me I’ve just gotten myself into a bucket of trouble, more than I’ve ever been in before, and I’m going to be facing it sooner rather than later.

I have a feeling Lucien is headed up to see me now and that he’s bringing her with him. Every part of me, witch and omega included, is screaming at me to get the hell out of this room, whatever it takes. I need to face him on an even playing field, not as his captive. The way I responded to him the other night was terrifying, and I can’t allow it to happen again, especially not in her presence.

I have no doubt that whatever that woman asks of him, he will give it to her and if the vibes I was getting off her from a distance were any indication, it would not bode well for me. I’m not a violent person, I would much rather be helping than harming, but if I must hurt someone to protect myself or someone I love, I won’t hesitate to do so.

I have a bad feeling that hiding my powers will not be possible for much longer. I can only hope they will assume I am merely an extremely powerful witch and that they will be too ignorant of the past to realize I am also part Omega.

Striding to the door, I wrench it open and am unsurprised to find one of my guards, Adam, I believe his name is, leaning against the opposite wall, typing intently on the phone in his hands. I wonder if I should just carry on down the corridor or wait for him to realize I’ve left my room. I decide to wait.

It doesn’t take him long to sense someone staring at him, and I raise an eyebrow as he slowly raises his head and tucks his phone in the back pocket of his tight black jeans. He scowls at the realization that I’ve left my room and I give him a mocking smile.

“Get back in your room,” He demands, taking a step towards me. A frown appears on his face when I ignore his command.

“Not going to happen, wolf boy,” I respond in a deceptively sweet tone. I step further into the hallway and pull the door closed behind me. I will not do his bidding. The complacent little witch is gone; the powerful woman has taken over. Until now, I followed orders without question, only asking to see Lucien.

The human in me is more comfortable cowering in the face of danger, but the witch and omega inside of me will not be held back any longer. Those parts of me could easily overtake the human side of me, making me more powerful. I know I have the ability to make everyone in my path quiver in fear, and at this moment, I need to channel the witch inside of me. My omega wants to come out and join the fun, but that I cannot allow.

As I turn and walk away from him, I feel his enormous hand grab my forearm. I don’t want to hurt him, but my patience is wearing thin.

“I suggest you let go of my arm, wolf boy,” I warn with a smile, before looking pointedly at the fingers wrapped firmly around my arm. “Either take me to see Lucien, or I am leaving.”

“Look lady, I don’t want to hurt you. You need to get back in your room. Mr. Sinclair is busy and will see you when he’s available.” His face is tense and the grip on my arm tightens as he tries to pull me back. He isn’t hurting me, but I don’t like how he is trying to force me to do his bidding.

I laugh. I know what Mr. Sinclair is busy doing… or rather whom he’s busy doing. He can fuck himself.

“Oh, I know he’s busy, but I refuse to waste any more of my time here so he can play ‘hide the sausage’ with his harem.” I pull my arm from his hand and walk away.

“Regardless of what you want to do, you will go back to your room.” Adam says in a firm voice, catching up to me and grabbing my arm again.

What in bloody hell is wrong with these men? I think angrily, wrenching my arm from his grip.

“Back the fuck off!” I snarl, placing one hand on his huge chest and shoving with all my might. I watch as he staggers a few steps. He gives me a bewildered stare as he regains his balance; I can tell he’s confused. He’s wondering how a tiny little witch could move him so easily.

“I don’t have time for this shit. You will either do what I’ve asked, or you can bugger off.” My temper is being held by the tiniest thread of control, and I know that it isn’t going to take much for it to snap. I turn on my heel and walk away. He can follow or stay where he is, I don’t care.

“Fucking hell, woman. You’re a pain in the ass,” he speaks from behind me. “You’re going to get me gutted.”

I sigh and roll my eyes. “Stop being so dramatic.”

“Lady, you don’t know the half of it,” he drawls, his footsteps sounding closer. “If Lucien finds out I didn’t stop you, I’ll be in deep shit.”

“You can’t stop me even if you try,” I laugh. “I could have left days ago,” I inform him, looking over my shoulder. “Your boss? He made a deal with me. A deal he hasn’t held up his end of. You have two choices here. Take me to see him, or I am leaving, and you will not stop me. Your choice, wolfy.” I give him a blank look and shrug my shoulders. “In fact, I’m sure you can take that fancy phone out of your pocket, you know the one you were so busy playing with when I almost walked out of here without you even noticing? Take it out, call him, and tell him that I. Want. To. See. Him. NOW!”

I see his lips moving and hear him muttering. I can’t make out the words, but I’m sure it’s less than flattering. “Fine. I’ll bloody ring him while I take you to wait in the main office.” He lets out a deep sigh as he comes to stand beside me and takes the phone from his pocket. “But you owe me one.”

Yeah. Right. I don’t owe him shit.