Cruel Devotion (Monsters of Darkness #1)

Bunny

My world was dark no matter how hard I blinked. My head throbbed and my surroundings rushed me as I sat up. Little pebbles stuck to my back and tattered fabric stuck to my skin. The world stopped spinning at the sound of dripping water. There was a heavy stench of mildew and rusted iron.

Drip.

Drop.

Drip.

Drop.

Drip.

Lowering my hands to the floor, I felt around. My fingers traced the lines etched in the stone floor. Shifting forward to crawl, hissing as I scraped my knees. Bumping into something, I wrapped my hand around it. Cold and long. Bars. I was in a cell.

Really hitting all the tropes now:

Kidnapping.

Trauma.

And now imprisonment.

Drip.

Drop.

Drip.

Drop.

Now that I was alone with no monster in sight, I felt safe. For a second. Then, it was replaced with hopelessness. And there was no blade to ease my mind. Staring into the darkness, I laughed maniacally. I was forced to face reality. I was trapped, with no way of escaping. Even if I somehow got out, I wouldn’t get far. I wasn’t athletic, couldn’t run to save my life, and had no idea where I was. Something creaked in the distance, alerting me to the monster’s arrival. My fingers trembled as I sat back on my heels, the sound of footsteps drawing closer. Instinct screamed that I find somewhere to hide, but I couldn’t move. The faint glow of a light floated closer, and my pulse raced with each approaching step.

How does a monster hold a flashlight?

“Yep. I’ve lost it.”

Another creak echoed, followed by the clang of metal slamming shut. When the ball of light was finally close enough, I froze, but not because of fear. My gaze locked on his hand, the veins running up his forearm, and the dark tattoos etched into his skin. I shouldn’t have noticed these things—but I couldn’t help it. And I didn’t stop there. A black wolf on his neck and piercing gray eyes that were almost transparent. His lips were lush, his head shaved, hair replaced by tattoos. His frame was wide and he towered over me.

Human .

Not only that.

This man was fine.

Dark romance fine.

Like I’ll chain myself up, no worries, fine.

My thoughts were out of touch with reality. This man could help me. His gaze searched the cell before dropping to me.

“One?” He tilted his head to the side, his movements unnervingly animalistic.

“What?” I rasped, my throat dry and scratchy.

“He only brought back one?” His tone was casual, as if we weren’t talking about my kidnapping.

“Y-yes. It’s just me.” My voice cracked as my stomach knotted at where this conversation was headed.

“Poor thing.” He didn’t sound empathetic.

“Can you help me?” My voice trembled.

“It’s easier when there are more to shoulder the burden. You’ll have to meet his every need and fulfill his sick cravings.” Completely ignoring my plea, something was off. His facial expressions didn’t match his words. It was as if the thought of the monster using me excited him. Dropping to a squat, he leaned in, and sniffed the air like an animal.

What is he doing?

Maybe he’s a monster too.

“Tell me, has Darius fucked you?” A wolfish smile spread across his face. A feeling welled up inside of me, but I ignored it. Like this situation, it was wrong, and it was getting worse by the second. I shook my head and inched back.

“Ah, ah. Don’t lie to me.”

Fuck this.

“If you’re not going to help me, you can fucking leave,” I hissed.

“I can smell it. The heady scent of his seed.” He was ignoring me again.

“You’re sick.” He reached through the bars and I moved just out of the way. His fingers danced in the air over exposed skin. The light illuminated bite marks.

“I haven’t even done anything yet,” he mumbled.

Using logic wasn’t going to work here. This man wasn’t in his right head.

“Where am I? What does… Darius want with me?” One was a monster who wanted to use me like a pet, and the other a man who wanted to hear about it. When he didn’t answer, I tried again.

“Please. I don’t want to be here.” The man’s brows kissed and his eyes softened. His hand disappeared behind him. There was a jingling of keys and then I stared at him as he paused by a lock. Understanding, I held it while he pushed it in. My throat went dry as it clicked. The cell door opened. Yanking on the chain, it fell to the ground. He pushed the bars, and the door creaked as it gave way.

It didn’t make sense, but it didn’t matter. My hopes soared as I stood on wobbly feet. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of me. Filling my space and blocking my path. Arching my neck, those eyes that reminded me of lightning sent a chill down my spine. Taking a step back, he mirrored me.

I was now in a cell with a man.

“Thank you,” I rasped, refusing to let go of that newfound hope.

“Oh, , I’m not here to help you.”

“My name’s not , it’s Eloise.”

Because that’s what I should be upset about.

“Why not?” I whined, trying to focus on the real problem.

“I don’t want to.” Once again, his comforting tone warred against the words he spoke. He placed the torch on the wall as I retreated. I blinked and his shirt disappeared. His face glitched from man to silver wolf and back.

I was wrong. He wasn’t a man.

“What are you?” Putting my hands up as if I could keep him away.

“Am I not human enough for you?” He ran his finger down my arm, but I felt claws.

“You’re not hu—”

“Beast. A gifted one. You see what I want you to see.” He reached for me and eager to get away, I stumbled back. Falling, I grasped at air until a thick arm wrapped around my waist and he pulled me close.

“We shared a womb. What’s his is mine.”

If he was glamoring his true self, it would make sense.

“But isn’t that something Fae do?” I whispered.

“Don’t you think it’s unfair he’s the only one who’s been inside you?” He ran his nails over his tattooed head.

I’m sure my face morphed in disgust, but he was too focused on how he was wronged. I couldn’t use logic to talk to him; nothing here made sense. Book knowledge told me he should be a fae, even though he looked like a werewolf. But he didn’t have a human form. The man in front of me was an illusion, so the full moon probably didn’t have an effect on him.

“No, no, I don’t,” I rasped. He bit down on his lip seductively, and his eyes roamed down to my shoulder. He poked it and I twitched from the pain.

“I don’t know how to feel about this. He was in such a rush, he didn’t even make it back. We could have taken you together, but he had a taste without me. But that’s not it, is it? He didn’t take a bite. What could it mean? What could you mean?” He wasn’t even talking to me at this point, but I needed to be part of this conversation. As much as I wanted to punch him, it wouldn’t do anything.

What could I do against a monster?

“Am I special?” His attention snapped to mine.

“Do you want to be?” His words made things clench.

“What do I mean if I’m not?” I whispered. His gaze lowered to my lips.

“Lunch.”

I balked.

“I can’t ignore it,” he huffed, his chest rising and falling against mine. Lowering us to the ground, he pushed me on my back, and him on his knees.

“Stop.” The word a prayer on my lips.

“Your hole leaks,” he murmured. Spreading my thighs, I was as powerless to stop him as I had been to stop his brother. Pulling on my hips, my chest rose, and his head dipped between my thighs. My body twitched as he dragged his warm tongue up my inner thigh.

Did he just lick up what I think he did?

As if he read my mind, his eyes peered down at me as he did it again. When he surfaced, he stuck his tongue out, Darius’ cum glistened.

My gods.

“I don’t know what made you do this, but you won’t do it again.” He brought me to him, my body lifting off the ground. So shocked by what he did, I didn’t realize what he meant until he ran his tongue over my cuts. My cheeks flamed.

This was wrong.

But, oh, how my dark romance heart swooned.