Chapter 40 #2
“I’m not playing any fucking games,” he snaps.
“So, I’m just a business transaction then?” I ask.
“No. That’s not what I meant, and you know it.” He growls.
“So, what do you mean, Kori? Because I’m tired of your bullshit now.”
He raises a brow. “Such a foul mouth, my little flower. I’m really rubbing off on you.”
I roll my eyes. “Maybe you are.”
He sighs, running a hand through his tousled hair. “And that’s exactly what I don’t want. You’re too pure for a man like me, Daisy. I don’t know how to navigate this.” He gestures between us. “I don’t love. I don’t do gentle. I’m a beast, a man built to destroy, born from darkness.”
I step between his legs again and cup his cheek. He closes his eyes at the contact, inhaling deeply.
“Look at me, Korithax,” I murmur.
His obsidian eyes meet mine, and I take a deep inhale, trying to calm my nerves.
“I told you; I’m yours. And if you don’t want me, that’s fine.
But I’m only going to say this once, because I’m not going to beg you to feel the same way.
I want you, Korithax. I see who you are, what you are, and where you came from. And I still choose you.”
My heart thunders in my chest, the fear of rejection almost too much as he stares at me in utter silence. He exhales sharply, dropping his head and shaking it.
I sigh, lowering my hand. I take a step back, “Okay,” I whisper, my voice trembling as I feel my heart crack—fracturing just like the stone all around us.
We sit in silence for an hour.
Korithax hasn’t moved from the bed, and I alternate between the windows in the room, looking out over the realm before me. It’s terrifying here. Nothing but broken rock, rivers of lava, and storm-filled skies. I really can’t wait to leave.
If I’m right, we only have one more realm before we arrive in Noxthrallia, where I’ll say goodbye to my mortal life and spend thousands of years with a man who sees me as nothing more than a contract.
I suck my bottom lip between my teeth to stop it from trembling, and discreetly wipe away the tear that escapes my eyes.
How did I let myself begin to feel this way for him when I knew from the start he only wanted a bride to silence the celestial asshats who controlled the realms?
He’d done nothing but treat me like dirt, and my traitorous heart still decided she wanted him.
Evidentially, I’m living up to the ‘weak, pathetic mortal,’ brand he gave me.
Clearly I just have issues with caring about asshole men. My dad, Ethan, now Korithax. Lucky me.
A knock at the door pulls me from my thoughts. I turn and watch as Korithax strides over and opens it. He nods once, takes something from the guard, and shuts the door behind him.
He’s holding a scroll, sealed with his sigil pressed into ruby-coloured wax. He breaks it open and reads it as I bite the side of my thumb, waiting patiently.
“FUCK!” He roars, slamming his fist into the wall. Lava trickles over his hand before he jerks away with a hiss, chunks of stone crumbling to the floor.
I startle. “What is it?” I ask, walking toward him.
He turns to face me, his eyes feral. “Those fucking assholes, who think they’re so high and mighty. That’s what’s wrong.”
He paces, dragging a hand through his hair.
“Calm down,” I say gently, reaching out. He shrugs me off, still pacing. I sigh and sink onto the edge of the stone bed, finally giving my aching feet relief from those god forsaken heels.
“What happened?” I ask.
“They summoned Aran, demanding to know where I am. They know I’m with you—and they’re threatening consequences if we don’t return soon.”
I frown. “But that’s not possible. It took us five days just to get here.”
Of course, we spent an extra night in Solara, but even so, four days without an extra stay is crazy.
“I know. Aran says he’s dealing with it, but they’re pissed. They’ve given us three days to return.”
My eyes widen. “What happens if we don’t?”
He shakes his head, his jaw clenched. “I don’t know.”
“So what do we do?” I ask nervously.
He exhales sharply, rubbing a hand down his face. “Looks like I’ll have to ass-kiss Elyistria and hope she’ll help us with her magic.”
“Who’s Elyistria?”
“The goddess of Luminaria, which is the next realm we go to. She rules over light magic and mercy. She’s extremely powerful, probably more powerful than the Divine Six. How they haven’t tried to destroy her like they did the First Queen, I don’t know.”
“The First Queen?” I echo, nervous that all my questions are going to further piss him off.
“The first Queen of Hell. Rumour has it, the Divine Six destroyed her to preserve their rule. She was beloved—strong, powerful, fair, and loving. All of that combined made her very dangerous to them.”
He lowers himself to the floor in front of me, pushing my thighs apart to move closer.
“Your birthmark,” he murmurs, brushing his thumb over it. My skin pebbles under his touch. “It looks oddly like her symbol.”
I smile faintly. “My mother always said it looked like a little flame.”
He nods, studying it. “Her symbol is a flame—within a crackled circle of thorns.”
“Well, mine’s just a weird-looking flame. So not that similar.”
He pulls his gaze from the mark, nodding. “Maybe. Either way, we need to convince Elyistria to help us return faster.”
I stiffen. “Wait… so we’re not turning me immortal?”
He smirks, brushing a lock of hair from my face. “Oh, my little flower. Of course we are. When we return—with you as my immortal bride—I’ll finally shut those bastards up about the throne.”
I offer him a tight-lipped smile, nodding. “Right. The business transaction in all of this.”
He groans, tipping his head forward to rest his forehead on my shoulder. “Can we not do this right now, Daisy?”
“Sorry,” I whisper, my voice cracking.
He looks at me, his expression almost softening as he lifts my face to look at him.
“I’m not frustrated with you. I’m frustrated with them.
Because…” He growls in frustration and blows out a breath whilst staring into my eyes.
“Because you are the first thing in existence that’s ever made me care about whether or not I die.
And if they could wipe out the strongest Queen in history… what could they do to me?”
I stare at him, stunned.
“Whilst you’re still mortal, I won’t claim you.
I can’t. You’re too easy for everyone else to hurt.
But as an immortal, it’ll be much harder.
Although, if anyone even tries, I’ll tear them apart and burn what’s left.
” His onyx eyes stare into mine, holding so much emotion it makes my heart stutter.
“For the first time in my life, Daisy, I’m fearful.
When they took you in Aurora’s Veil, I felt something I’ve never known.
I’ve lost friends on the battlefields; I’ve watched that many people die it no longer means anything.
But when they took you? All I felt was rage, desperation, and a soul-deep panic that you’d be lost to me. ”
His voice drops. “Your soul calls to mine, Daisy. It tugs. And when it’s safe, I’ll answer that fucking call. But right now, I have to keep you alive. I won’t lose you. I can’t lose you.”
I stare at him in absolute awe, a tear rolling down my cheek. I lean in slowly, truly testing the boundaries to see if I’m reading between the lines correctly. I’m done with hot and cold. I’m done with confusion. Right here, right now, I need to know where I stand with this infuriating creature.
“Kiss me, Korithax,” I whisper.
He hesitates, and I feel my heart begin to ache. I nod once and move away from his touch, accepting that he’s set in his decision.
He grips my chin and pulls me back towards him, his eyes alight. “Fuck it.”
His lips crash into mine with such ferocity that I collapse into his lap on the floor. I thread my hands into his hair, moaning with a mixture of pleasure and relief as he groans into my mouth.
He pulls back, panting. “Fuck,” he breathes. “I’ll never tire of your lips. Especially when you’re moaning into my mouth.”
I smile and kiss him again, tongues exploring as I grind against him. I feel him harden beneath me and release another breathy moan.
“Daisy,” he growls. “Stop it.”
I pull back just slightly, pushing myself up onto my knees. “You want me to stop?” I lean in, kissing under his jaw, feather light and teasing.
His hands clamp down on my hips to hold me still. “Yes!”
I continue my trail of kisses, moving my lips across his chest since his grip is stopping me from reaching his neck with our height difference. “Are you sure?”
He swallows hard, his composure cracking. “Yes.”
“Okay,” I whisper, suddenly standing. My dress slips from my shoulders slightly, exposing my breasts and my peaked nipples.
A growl rips from him before he lunges, lifting me so fast I shriek. He moves to pin me to the wall. I wrap my arms around his neck as he slides his hands beneath the skirt of my dress, whilst his teeth graze my throat.
He pauses as his hands reach my backside, pulling his head back to stare me dead in the eyes. “Are you… not wearing panties?”
I giggle, blushing slightly. “Nope.”
A sharp slap hits my ass, and I yelp, clinging to him. He frees his cock in one swift movement, the head pushing against my soaking entrance.
“This is mine,” he growls, rubbing the head of his cock up and down my clit.
“Yours,” I gasp as he suddenly thrusts into me, filling me to the hilt. The sting brings tears to my eyes as he fucks me against the stone wall, and I find myself not caring about the burning lava pouring through the cracks surrounding my body.
His breath is hot in my ear. “Fuck, Daisy. Your little cunt is so wet for me.”
“Is this part of the business transaction?” I mutter between moans, clinging tighter as he slams into me.
The question makes him relentlessly pound into me, and I feel myself struggling to accommodate him as he pulls all the way out to the tip and slams back into me.
“Strictly. Business,” He grounds out between thrusts.
It doesn’t take long for the pain to melt into pleasure, and I feel myself building and building until the ecstasy of an orgasm is tearing through my body. My entire body shakes as he buries himself so deep in me, my inner walls gripping him through the waves of pleasure.
“That’s my good girl,” he growls. “Coming all over my cock.”
He grins, sliding himself out of me with a grunt. He walks over to the stone bed with me in his arms and lays me down gently, the cold concrete making goosebumps erupt all over my body.
“Head off the edge, princess.”
I obey, letting my circlet fall as I dangle my head off the bed.
“Let’s see how well that pretty mouth takes me.”
He drops to his knees, and I gasp at the sight of him from this angle.
His thick, veined cock is positioned above my face, slicked with my arousal and pulsing with need.
I hesitate at the size of him before opening my mouth wide.
He slides the head past my lips, slowly pushing himself in until my mouth is filled entirely.
He hits the back of my throat in a punishing thrust that makes me gag, my eyes streaming with tears.
There’s still so much left of him that won’t fit, so I wrap my hand around the rest of him and move in time with his thrusts.
“Fuuuuuuck, Daisy. That’s it, good girl,” he groans as he leans forward to play with my hardened nipples.
I hum, hollowing out my cheeks as he continues to assault my throat with his cock, my jaw aching from the size of him.
“Fuck. That’s it.” He grunts, upping his pace as he nears his release. “Swallow me, baby.”
He groans loudly, emptying his hot cum into my throat, the salty liquid sliding down. He releases my nipples and pulls out of my mouth, panting.
“Fuck. You’re incredible.” He grins from above me.
I wipe my face to clean up the spit and cum I didn’t manage to swallow, and sit up. “Was that… good?” I nervously ask.
“Daisy,” he says, crouching down to hold my face in his hands. “That was fucking incredible.”
I blush as he leans forward and places a kiss on my forehead.
He tucks himself back in and then holds out a hand for me, “Ready to go to Luminaria?”
I glance at my dress. “I think it’s customary that I wear a new outfit for each realm, to match the vibe. Let me get changed.” I point to my face. “I should probably clean up whatever mess you’ve made of my face, too.”
He groans. “Fine. I fucking love that dress though. And wear panties, for gods’ sake. You’re going to be the death of me otherwise.”
I giggle, slipping into the bathroom, excited to see what the hell Lyivia has planned for me next.