Unleash The Darkness: (Eternally Mated Novela) Read online

  Unleash The Darkness

  Eternally Mated Novella

  Valerie Twombly

  Unleash The Darkness

  Copyright © 2017 by Valerie Twombly

  Edited by The Editing Hall & JRT Editing

  Cover by Original Syn

  ISBN: 978-1-63535-542-0

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Dedication

  To my mother. You never knew those episodes of Dark Shadows would lead to this.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Also by Valerie Twombly

  Chapter One

  Seph looked at the recently fallen angels beside him and shook his head. They had no idea what they were in for.

  “I’m going to check the perimeter. You two keep a watch here. If you see anything suspicious... Yell.” Lyzander had already taken off to rescue his mate while Seph waited outside with Cade and Raze.

  The two nodded and Seph took off, heading behind the small cabin where Aezyla was holding Kelana hostage. When he rounded the corner, he spotted two demons, weapons at the ready. Clearly, they were about to lay ambush to his brethren on the other side, and Seph was having none of it. Feeling feisty, and wanting to get home to his mate for an evening of sport fucking, he unraveled his senses to reach out further. There were at least several dozen more demons lying in wait along the ridge of the mountains a few yards away. This was definitely a trap, and they were outnumbered six to one. There was only one way to even out this little soirée and make sure the others stayed safe. Seph summoned his solid black wings, and his transformation into a reaper began in a ripple across his body.

  He didn’t need a weapon to take care of demons in this realm. They were at the bottom of his food chain, and his mere presence was enough to scare most of them shitless. A reaper’s power was twofold in Hell.

  Wind whipped up, catching his robe sending sails of black fabric to trail behind him as he headed closer to the enemy. Pointing a now bony finger, he said, “I would reconsider your options.” His voice, now several octaves lower, was also edged with an evil that made mortals shiver.

  The two demons looked up, their eyes wide. Both dropped their weapons on the ground and took a step back. “Reaper. We mean no harm,” one replied in a shaky voice.

  “Then I suggest you flee. Now!” He leaned closer and spread his massive wings. The two in front of him turned tail and ran. Seph called forth several fireballs and launched them at their heels. They would be sure to get the point and not try to return if they wished to keep their heads.

  With those two gone, he set his sights on the remaining demons. Seph moved across the rocky landscape. His reaper boots never touched the ground as he floated to where the others hid. He drew closer, the evil and darkness swirling around him and soothing him like an old friend. He allowed it to flow inside him, become one with his soul. It filled him with power so raw and dark, he swore he could destroy the world. Maybe he could, but there was still a small spark of light. The one that kept him from going totally over the edge and always brought him back. He loved feeling the darkness as it flowed through his veins, and being in Lulerain, the pits of Hell, only fed his hungry soul. Every time he unleashed his darkness, it became more like an addiction. Harder to step away from when the job was done. It was the ultimate high, but if he let it, it could turn him into the most vile creature to ever walk the earth.

  Pushing toward where the others hid, he noted several Baenor demons slithering behind him. In the human world, they would be akin to a twelve-foot cobra, only with much larger fangs and eyes that sparkled like amethyst. For some reason, reapers were like the pied fucking piper of the Baenor in Hell. Suited him just fine considering the only other beast feared more than a hellsnake was a hellhound. They both had ferocious appetites.

  Hovering only feet away from where a small army of demons hid among the boulders, Seph chuckled to himself. The demons remained silent. Probably hoping they would go undetected.

  Idiots.

  This time he laughed out loud before he launched several fireballs toward the rocks. A few screeches and several curses were shouted back his way, but the demons held their ground.

  “Fine. I love a good torture.” Seph pointed at the two Baenors on his right. “You two”—he waved his hand toward several large boulders—“circle that way and give no mercy.” The snakes sprang into action. Their massive heads held high in the air and their tongues flickered out to taste the scent of their next meal. It didn’t take long for the snakes to strike and paralyze their victims. Even Seph had to turn away rather than watch the feasting. Besides, he had his own demons to fry.

  A demon to his left threw a blade aimed at Seph’s chest. Seph let loose a blue arc of power that lashed out like a lasso and wrapped around the demon, squeezing as it burned through the skin, muscle and bone. The creature’s screams and the stench of burnt flesh filled the air and seduced the reaper. It wasn’t often he got to torture. Mostly he scared the shit out of humans then escorted them to their not so happily ever after. This proved to be too much fun, and he was happy they had chosen not to run like the others.

  When several demons decided to try and escape, he summoned his scythe. The blade’s edge glistened in the night’s sky, revealing its readiness to cut through bone like butter.

  He swung.

  Three heads left their bodies and flew through the air, landing with a hard splat on the rocky ground. The rest of the army ran and Seph raced behind them, mocking their weakness as they fled deeper into the mountains. Satisfied there was no more threat, he took a long deep breath and forced his body to absorb his wings. With another burning lung full of air, he began the painful transformation back. Flesh grew cell by cell over his bones at a rate so rapid it sent him to his knees. His jaw ached from clenching it through the pain. Within seconds, he was back to looking human. All traces of the black robe now replaced with the jeans he had donned earlier in the day. He pushed to his feet and stretched his neck, bones snapping back into place, then headed back to where he had left Cade and Raze. Halfway there, he stopped abruptly and scanned the area, swearing he felt the oily slickness of evil slide across his skin, but when he searched there was nothing. Shrugging his shoulders, he moved back toward the cabin.

  Must be an after effect. He’d only ever been in Lulerain a few times and had discovered his reaper was far too comfortable here. It was why he hadn’t returned to the pits since he’d met Eva, the true light of his life. His mate kept him sane, and he knew if anything ever happened to her, there would be nothing to stop his darkness from taking over. Heaven and Hell help them all.

  As he approached, Lyzander had Kelana in his arms as the angel stormed out the door.

  “Let’s get the hell out of here,” Lyzander said and Seph couldn’t agree more.

  Chapter Two

  Eva was kicked back sipping a glass of wine when Seph burst through the front door as if Lucifer himself was hot on his ass. From the gl
eam in his eyes, and the scowl on his face, his latest assignment must have had an effect on him. Instantly she feared for Kelana.

  “Did you find her?”

  “Yes, she is well and with Zander.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief then raised her glass. “Have some wine with me. There’s an extra one there for you.”

  “I’ll have to go out later, but I have time to get you naked.” He sent her a grin that caused shivers to ripple down her spine. “Isn’t today the anniversary of the day we first met?” He kicked off his boots, poured his wine then joined her on the couch.

  She nodded. “It feels like yesterday.”

  “I remember it as if it was.” He cupped her cheek. “You are my light, my love, my entire world. Always remember that.”

  “And you mine.” She raised her glass and they touched the rims together before taking a sip. Eva leaned back into Seph’s embrace. “I thought my mother was going to have a fit when you showed up at the door for the first time.”

  “I don’t think she believed I was truly an angel,” he chuckled.

  Memories of him dressed in a black leather jacket and riding an Indian, widened her smile. He looked every bit the bad boy, and it was an instant attraction. Years later when Seph discarded the jacket, Eva snatched it and placed it in the back of the closet. When he was away for a lengthy period, she would pull it out and don it. The scent reminiscent of him.

  “And you in that red dress. Your dark curls touching your shoulders.”

  Her smile turned to laughter. “It was my favorite too. I thought I was all that in that dress.”

  “You were and still are.” He placed his hand on her thigh, and heat seeped through the denim, searing her skin.

  “I’d turned twenty-five the day before and been summoned to go before the Tribunal. They said an escort would come for me. I had no idea what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t you.” When she opened the door, she had expected a saintly man with white wings and a halo. Instead, she was surprised by leather and tattoos and loved it.

  He shrugged and took a sip of wine. “I was in the ’hood so volunteered. I had no idea you would bewitch me.” He set his glass on the table. “I was a confirmed bachelor.”

  Eva set her glass down then crawled into his lap. Running her fingers into his silky dark hair, she closed her eyes and pulled up memories from the past.

  He cupped her ass.

  “I’ll never forget the looks on the Tribunal’s faces when you declared there was no need to find me a match because you were it.”

  “I’m full of surprises.” Seph ran his thumb across the fabric of her thin tee and her nipple hardened. She rotated her hips, grinding against his erection.

  “You’re a tease,” she whispered and opened her eyes to stare at him.

  His brown gaze darkened. “I can ease that pain now, or you can wait until I get back.”

  There was no way she was waiting. Even after being together so long, he still stoked her fire. She grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it off, flinging it across the room. “I’ll take now and later.”

  He responded by wrapping his mouth around her nipple and swirling his tongue across the sensitive peak. She gasped and dug her nails into his back, and he gripped her ass tighter. Holding her firm to his erection and rocking his hips, he gave her nipple a gentle bite. “Too many clothes,” he growled.

  She pushed away. “Easy to fix.” Standing, she slipped out of her jeans and panties while he rose and shoved off his own jeans and shirt. His erection was beautiful as ever. Perfection encased in velvet and it was all hers. She shoved him back to sitting on the couch, straddled him, and slid down on his shaft.

  They both moaned.

  Before she could regain her senses, he dug his fingers into the flesh on her ass and lifted her. His hips rocked, sending his length sliding in and out. The sound of their bodies slamming together and heavy breathing broke the silence.

  “Damn, baby. I never get tired of fucking you. Make yourself come while I watch,” he commanded.

  Eva reached between her legs and rubbed her clit. The sensation of his cock filling her and the nerves firing in her sensitive nub had her clenching her thighs against him. When his hot lips wrapped around a nipple, she came undone. Shattered into a million pieces.

  “I’m not done with you.” His voice full of raw passion, he lifted her off him and set her on the couch, parted her thighs, and dove in. His tongue delved into her sheath then across her nub and back inside her. He kept up the torture until she was on the edge, then he looked up.

  “No coming until I tell you.”

  Biting her lower lip, her muscles tensed from being on the verge of another orgasm. When she thought she’d pass out from being on the edge, he stopped, rolled her over, and entered from behind. A stinging swat to her ass heated her sex further until she thought she would melt everything around her. He slid a finger along the crack of her ass then slipped it inside.

  She bit her lip harder. It was the only way she could keep from coming undone.

  He was relentless. Fucking her hard and fast then slow. Pulling out until his tip was at her entrance, she wanted to beg him to let her come once more. Again, he pounded into her and then finally he uttered the words she was begging to hear.

  “Come for me,” he whispered.

  The room moved under her and she screamed, swept away on a tidal wave of bliss as Seph joined her. Together they slipped into the fireworks and nothing else mattered but that moment. He pulled her to his chest and nibbled her earlobe.

  “I love you,” he whispered.

  “I love you, too.” This man rocked her world and he may think she was his light, but Eva believed it was the other way around. He completed her. She remembered when her mother told her she was special. Eva had just entered the first grade at a private school when her mother had the talk with her. From that day forward, Eva was groomed to become who she was today. She missed her mother, but also knew her mother was in a happy place.

  Seph moved off and began to dress. “Sorry to run but duty calls.”

  Eva collapsed on the couch. “I’m pretty sure I’ll still be in this same position when you get back. I can’t move.”

  He bent down and a shit-eating grin came into view. “Always my goal. To leave you breathless.” He leaned in and gave her a passionate kiss.

  “You always do. Don’t forget to come back to me.” It had become her ritual when he went on duty to give him a small reminder. Seph might think he hid his darkness well, but she sensed it and wanted him to know he had a duty to her––to them––to stay on the good side.

  He brushed his fingers through her hair then stood. “I always come back to my little dove.” Then he was gone.

  Seph stood outside for a moment and looked back at his dimly lit home. The taste of his mate was still on his lips and her scent on his skin. It was his reminder of what he had to live for. Pulling on the dark thread in his soul that hummed when it was time for him to go to work, he opened a portal and stepped through. On the other side, Seph was no longer the angelic man his Eva loved. He was a reaper and everything about him was filled with darkness.

  His victim lay in a hospital bed. Monitors blinked and beeped next to him. A nurse adjusted an IV then left the room. Seph took a look around, opening his senses. Outside the door were two armed guards. He looked at the wristband on the man’s left arm. Simon Underwood. The man’s entire life unraveled in Seph’s mind like a fast forward video.

  Murder and rape.

  The man was as sick as they came. With more than fifty victims to his credit, he had mutilated and tortured, making them beg him for mercy he never intended to give. Seph sat in the chair in the corner and leaned back, his gaze fixed on Mr. Underwood. The man’s life had been full of death up until he was finally caught twenty years ago. Now his body shut down, the cancer eating away at him until there was nothing left.

  The man stirred, opened his eyes, and looked straight at Seph. His lips
parted. “Who are you?”

  “Your conscience.”

  The man tried to laugh, but instead his lungs rebelled and he coughed. “I don’t have one.”

  “Apparently so.” Seph rose from his seat. “You have nothing you wish to say before you die? Anyone you want to beg for forgiveness?” Not that it would matter. He was too far gone to save now. He’d done too much damage to humanity.

  The man’s lip curled to reveal yellow teeth. “I don’t believe in Heaven and Hell. They are fictional places.”

  Seph offered a grin. He enjoyed his job and the dawning in one’s eyes when they saw what he really was. He began his transformation. First, his wings appeared and the man’s gaze widened. It was at this point they usually had a moment to believe in angels, but it was short lived. His transformation continued at lightning speed until he stood before his victim and watched the man’s features change from disbelief to complete horror.

  “How unfortunate for you, the myth is real. You’ll now feel what your victims did, but it will be never-ending. An eternity of endless rape and torture.” Seph touched the protesting man’s chest. “Simon Underwood. You are hereby condemned to Hell, where there will be no mercy on your soul.”

  The man screamed his last breath then his heart stopped. Seph latched onto his soul, an invisible shackle tying them together, and jerked him free of his body. The man looked down at himself then to Seph with horror-filled eyes, but there wasn’t an ounce of remorse that ran through the reaper. His darkness filled him, and this was the moment he was created for. As the nurses hurried into the room to silence the screaming monitors, Simon tried to call out to them, but they could no longer hear him. Seph summoned a portal. The onyx hole spun into a crazy pattern of blackness and outstretched arms whose clawed fingers reached outward. Seph stepped in, pulling his charge with him, and they were instantly transported to the iron gates.