Page 20 of Bound to Death

Did he just say angels? Wait…but why?I wanted to ask, but for some reason, I didn’t. I just shrugged as if I wasn’t surrounded by the holy-shits of supernatural problems and replied, “Guess there are perks to being friends with Death, huh?”

I didn’t expect him to laugh. Definitely not when we were surrounded by demons waiting to kill us. Well, me at least since, apparently, Death couldn’t die. Must be nice. But Thanatos threw his head back and laughed like I’d told the funniest joke he’d ever heard. I called bullshit. He was easily a bazillion years old, so I couldn’t be the first comedian he’d encountered.

Then his paranormal grey gaze returned, excited by something I couldn’t even pretend to know. “That’s right. So many perks. But have it my way, not the friend kind.”

I couldn’t keep up. Everything seemed to be moving both unbelievably fast and excruciatingly slow at the same time. Were all supernatural men like this, or was it just Death? The way he purred the last bit was another jolt and electric sensation down my body, straight to the thirsty-as-fuck snatch between my legs.

Oh, god. I can’t be turned on right now with so many reasons to be scared.

I was starting to think that the only fear I’d ever experience with this impossible man was sexual, and fuck, I’d never worried about pouncing on someone while being afraid I’d die at any second at the hands of a goddamn demon.

Large hands eclipsed my jaw before Thanatos dipped down and stole a kiss. His tongue slipped into my mouth, devouring me hungrily before he pulled away, smirking. “You heard the lady. Send all of Hell a message they can’t ignore. No one touches what’s mine,” he called out to no one in particular.

The shadows came alive around us, writhing and stretching. The ravens perched along the building and on the railings shot down, attacking the figures closing in on us.

Chapter Ten

Asha

The sea of black shapes and glowing eyes reacted in horror as they were attacked like this wasThe Birdsmovie—the single-most terrifying film I’d ever watched as a child.

But as soon as the eerie sounds of demons being torn apart by beaks and shadows started to grow louder, Thanatos walked me back until I hit the wall behind me. He crowded me, blocking my view from the crazy shit happening behind him. His thumb swept across my bottom lip before he lifted me under my ass like I weighed nothing at all. He pinned my body to the wet wall with his. Water slid down his gorgeous face, but he said nothing, only stared.

An eerie shriek filled the air. The shadows moving along the brick across from me responded angrily. Don’t ask me how I knew they were angry, but I got the sense that something had changed. My skin prickled with the sudden ominous sensation in the air. My flight or fight response was activated, and I squirmed anxiously, desperate to get away from whatever danger the demons brought with them.

I swallowed when a ghost of a smile tilted Thanatos’s mouth after I tried to lean to the side to see what was happening. Most of the noise was smothered by the thunder and electric cracks of lightning. I couldn’t hear anything, just the rhythmic sound of water hitting the metal balcony above us, but the dangerous sensation invading the space only intensified as the seconds ticked on.

“Don’t worry about all that, little raven. I’m the scariest monster out here. Those bastards don’t know their place,” he said, putting his mouth directly next to my ear. “But they will.”

I stiffened, not prepared for the storm of heat hitting my thighs and stomach. He’d spoken in such a sultry tone as if we weren’t in public and feet away from an epic battle I desperately wished to watch. Or maybe this was a normal Saturday afternoon for Death?

“I don’t know what the fuck is happening…” I whispered before gasping. His hips rolled into mine, sending a message—a message I wasn’t confident I could stop myself from answering.

Nipping my ear, Thanatos rumbled a promise. Or maybe to some, it’d be considered a threat. “A little demon nuisance isn’t going to come between me and my plans, Ash. I thought I’d made that perfectly clear this morning. You intrigue me, and it’s going to take more than a few demons to keep me from fucking you like I did last night.”

My head knocked back into brick, and I sucked in a greedy breath. It was hard to breathe with him whispering those filthy things in my ear.

Memories invaded my head of him fucking me while I was bound in his shadows. I wanted him to do it again. It was all I thought about since waking up. Not the fear of being assaulted. Not witnessing five men get torn apart. Not even the fact that he was some impossible supernatural being who reaped souls and sent them to their afterlife. No, I was remembering how his tongue felt inside me. His powerful body in motion. His greedy kisses and sultry smiles. His pierced cock slamming into me without mercy. I was thinking about how much I wanted him to chase me the second I ran away. I couldn’t make sense of my own thoughts.

I was a fucking mess.

Thanatos knew just what to say to make me forget he was the terrifying killer who controlled shadows and ravens and couldn’t die. Or that he was the monster who could reap my soul and end my life. Because when I should be frozen with fear, I was clinging to him out of desperate need instead. I hadn’t caught my breath since I crossed paths with him in the club. You know, before everything went supernaturally to shit.

“And I thought I made myself perfectly clear, Mr. Killer. I’m far too busy for this shit. Either take my soul or get lost. If my number isn’t up, then I’ve got shit to do.”

Where had all my confidence come from? In what world did I think I stood a fucking chance against Death himself? But Iguess the biggest question was how threatening my words would come across with my hands gripping his wet shirt, pulling his chest to mine while my legs wrapped tighter around his hips. Talk about saying one thing and doing another.

I was a full-body contradiction.

He'd noticed. It was all in the little raise of one of his eyebrows as he looked down first at my hands, then at my legs wrapped around his waist. His sexy grin when our eyes met again made the thirsty thing between my legs contract, and my hips moved before I realized. He sucked in a quick breath before closing his eyes.

My heartbeat was in my ears, waiting for him to either kill me or fucking kiss me already. Justdo something.Honestly, I’d take any response at this point. The suspense was brutal. I couldn’t take much more of it. I didn’t stand a chance against him no matter what he chose to do next.

Pushing against me, the dangerous supernatural beast bent his head and devoured my mouth. Even through the wet denim, I could feel how hard he was for me when we’d barely done anything at all. In the middle of a battle and storm, Death stole my common sense and self-preservation with his hungry kiss. I couldn’t run anymore. I wanted to be there with him. Call me stupid, say it was a death wish, call it reckless lust, but I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and pulled myself closer to his face, chasing his tongue whenever it retreated in the slightest.

Rain fell on us from the holes in the metal balcony, and I was completely drenched—in more than one sense—by the time he leaned away to glance over his shoulder. I followed his line of sight, noticing that we were now the sole entertainment for about a hundred ravens. Even the shadows writhing over the walls seemed to be watching. Weird didn’t quite cover the feeling. The shadows moved closer, reaching for me again, and I heard the beast of a man sigh like their reaction annoyed him.

His thumb stroked my cheek, taking a long moment where all I heard was the rain falling and the sky roaring. Before I could lean in for another kiss, Thanatos took several steps back with me still held firmly in his arms.

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