Chapter 60
CHAPTER SIXTY
Erebus scowled as he looked out his window.
He watched the waves rolling angrily, reflecting his own foul mood.
He’d failed to kill the right fairy king, and that was his chance to send Ken back to the ocean.
It would be impossible for him to enter Elysia now.
His plan had failed miserably. His mind was being scrambled as he drove himself mad, his thoughts jumbling together, and he wasn’t thinking properly. He began to mutter to himself.
“It’s all the Kraken’s fault. It’s all the Kraken’s fault,” he kept repeating as he nodded, convincing himself of that.
In order to take Alexa, he would have to face Ken head-on in battle, something he wasn’t particularly interested in doing.
Ken was dangerous … one of the few gods that had killed another god before.
He didn’t want to fight against him. He would need to find someone who could enter Elysia and assassinate the right fairy king.
Erebus knew his only shot at this would be to either find a fairy mixed with a demon or to find a dark fairy. Some dark fairies were against the fairy kingdom.
“I need to find one strong enough, but …”
“Yes—that could work …”
“That would be my best chance.” He nodded his head as he began to weave a messy web in his head.
Erebus had extravagant plans in his mind.
He would take the fairy princess and make her his.
And with her by his side, he would have the perfect queen for his transition.
He planned to become an original demon, and once his transition was complete, he would kill the Demon King and take the crown as his own.
“Yes, that’s what I’ll do.”
The Demon King was also an original demon.
He was more powerful and craftier than all the other demons.
He’d gained the support of the masses, rallying them behind him.
With the full demonic support, he was able to take control and become the Demon King …
Marcus. All this time, Marcus had gone unchallenged by others.
He’d held the crown with no opposition. Until now.
Erebus had his eyes on King Marcus’ position.
If he could devour the Demon King’s soul, he would have the power to take over as the new Demon King.
But he needed Ken out of the way. If there was one deity that could trip up his plans, it was the damn Kraken.
He didn’t fear the other deities like he feared Ken, because he’d seen the darkness in Ken before.
He’d seen a power he didn’t want to challenge.
He pondered quietly, gazing out into the sea and contemplating his next move. He needed someone opposed to the fairy kingdom. His best bet was definitely a dark fairy. He needed to find one who wouldn’t be too difficult to persuade and whose loyalty would be to him alone.
He knew the dark fairies had their own agenda.
While some followed the fairy kingdom, others wouldn’t be caught dead following a light fairy.
Those same ones would never side with a demon either.
He needed to find something that would be appealing to them, something that would be of great importance to them.
And then it came to him. Of course … the answer was simple.
The dark fairies wanted the fairy crown. So why not promise to give it to them?
He would give them Alexa … not permanently, of course. Just long enough for her to produce the heir they would need. Why not? He could allow Alexa to be used just long enough to get pregnant. Then he would claim her after that.
“Yes … that’s a good idea.”
And he would take care of the other fairy princess in the vampire kingdom once he became the Demon King. Erebus was pleased with his plan. He would use Alexa to bribe a dark fairy to work with him. However, first, he had to find this dark fairy.
“This time it will work.”
He thought about which of the dark fairies had the most power and ability. One that would easily denounce their own kind. The dark elves were a possibility … or an Unblessed Court hound shifter.
“The Unblessed Court!”
That was his answer. This was the organization that dark and evil fairies belonged to. Any creature that had even a trace of fairy ancestry was accepted into the Unblessed Court.
The Unblessed Court has been known to have a vendetta against the light fairies and their Blessed Court. And because they were still fairy kin, they were openly accepted in Elysia, the kingdom that protected all fairies.
Erebus snickered to himself as a sinister smile spread across his face. His smile soon faded as he furrowed his brows.
“What if Ken has already marked her?”
He forgot about one very important detail in his maniacal scheming.
“That damn bastard … even more reason to kill the fairy king. But if Alexa is already marked, I won’t stop with the killing.
It won’t be just the fairy king. Why not?
Let’s kill them all. Indeed …” He nodded his head as a new plan was formulated in his mind.
“Yes … that’s what I’ll do.” He turned from the window and walked down the cold walkway.
“I need to find that witch. We have plans.”
“There is a castle inside the castle.” Mikah gaped and looked around at the large underground dome they’d just entered. “It’s like another world down here.” The floor beneath him was packed dirt, and the walls looked like thick rocks and boulders.
“It’s a training dome.” Ken shrugged as he watched Alexa looking up.
“How high is it to the ceiling? Looks like about ten stories …” Alexa looked over at Ken, who nodded his head.
“My beast is about six stories high, so it leaves a little extra room for shifting.” Ken watched Mikah turn to look at him.
“Six stories high? Duuude! You know how big you can crap in that form?” Mikah looked excited as he tried to imagine it. Jasper let out a stifled laugh as Ken looked down, shaking his head.
“So shouldn’t we get you to the water or something?” Jasper quirked his brow at Ken, who laughed loudly.
“You’re blurring fantasy movies with me.
I’m not a squid. I’m not even a deity of the water.
That would be Leviathan, which is why his summon ability is water.
My element is the earth.” Ken rubbed his hand over Alexa’s side.
He looked into her blue eyes and gave her a faint smile.
“It’s okay if you’re afraid after, or if you think differently.
” He watched as she went to interject, and he placed his fingers on her lips.
“Don’t say anything now. I just wanted to let you know. ”
Alexa kissed his fingers and placed her hand on his, holding it softly. “You’re making a much bigger deal out of this. I’m sorry others were cruel to you. But I’m your mate. I won’t be afraid of you.” She could see the sadness in his eyes as he nodded his head.
Ken squeezed Alexa’s hand before releasing it and walking away. Mikah came and stood beside Alexa. He bumped her shoulder and winked at her. They were all curious to see what Ken’s form looked like. She watched Ken finally stop walking at the far end of the room.
Alexa could see his green eyes staring at her.
Tremors began in the ground beneath her as her mate began to grow, changing to a muddy brown color, and his skin looked more like a tough hide.
His body was taking shape all at once as he grew to a gigantic size, similar in stature to a centaur.
Well, just the general shape, but not the features.
He now stood on all fours, with enormous feet that were round and wide and sharp claws that dug into the ground below.
The upper body had two monstrous arms on each side of his torso and muscles bulging from his arms and chest. His fingers had sharp talons that protruded slightly.
And then there was his head. His eyes were a rich, dark gold.
He had sharp, jagged teeth and a mouth that could easily swallow a human whole.
Saliva oozed from his sharp fangs in large drips.
An ear-piercing bellow ripped from his throat as he shifted his entire body to look over at Alexa. He stood there watching her curiously, wondering what she was going to do.
Mikah looked at the Kraken in amazement.
Sure, if it wasn’t Ken, he would be apprehensive right now.
The beast in front of him was something you could only imagine in your nightmares.
Nothing about it was warm and friendly. The grotesque beast in front of him was nothing like the godly form of the man.
Mikah whistled as he craned his neck to look up at Ken. “You’re like Godzilla … wait a minute. Have you visited Tokyo like that?” Mikah smirked up at Ken. The monster made an unrecognizable sound from its throat. “You can’t speak in that form?”
No, only mentally, Ken answered through a mindlink.
“Jasper, look!” Mikah said, pointing over at Ken. “Look at his monstrous—” Mikah trailed off as Ken roared over his voice. Mikah shrugged his shoulders as Jasper laughed.
“Put away the measuring tape, Mikah. You clearly lost this one,” Jasper teased.
Alexa looked over Ken in awe. She caught his gaze and smiled at him reassuringly. Slowly, she began to walk toward him, feeling so tiny as she approached the colossal monster. There was no fear inside her. He was beautiful … he was her mate.
He took a small step toward her, and the ground rippled in response. Even his soft step sounded loud as his foot touched the ground. She imagined it would sound like thunder to hear him run. He bent his head down a bit and she was able to see his face better.
His mouth hung slightly open, and behind the fangs, rows of teeth went on and on into the dark of his throat, a cavern with no visible end.
This close, she could finally study his skin.
It wasn’t skin at all, not really. It was hide like living rock, plates of it stacked and seamed, with deep valleys and ridges running through it the way cracks run through dry stone.
Every breath he took made the seams shift and grind faintly, like the earth easing itself apart and settling again.
He was his element made flesh. The earth itself had taken the shape of her mate.
Ken’s eyes were hypnotic. They were molten gold with vertical slit pupils, reminding her of a cat’s eyes.
Alexa kept looking into them, trying to find the monster in him but seeing only the man, only her mate.
She saw the love he felt for her. It was the same love she felt for him.
She wanted to give him more than just her love, though. She wanted to give him her soul.
Alexa swallowed down the lump in her throat. She felt emotional looking at her mate. He was hers. It was hard to believe he was actually hers. She smiled up at him, and he saw the tears in her eyes.
I’m sorry … this is my form.
Alexa listened as Ken’s sad voice rang out in her mind.
She shook her head and realized he’d misunderstood.
She continued walking toward him, holding out her hand to touch him.
“Ken …” You’re mine. All of you belongs to me.
Even this. I can’t believe you’re my mate.
And now there’s nothing stopping you from marking me.
A deep, low noise sounded from his chest as the beast shifted closer to her. He eased himself to his knees, making the ground tremble beneath her, then slowly lowered his head so she could touch him.
Alexa reached out and touched the side of his face. His skin was rough and hard, but the sweet shocks and tingles still erupted from her fingers. She smiled at him as she stared into his eyes.
I mean it, Ken. I want you to mark me before the day is over.