She rubbed her eyes and then blinked them open, expecting to see her parents looking down at her in her room. Instead, she met Charles ’s concerned gaze, and she was still in the underworld with evidence of a bloody battle surrounding her.“All is well, my sweet daughter,” Charles ' voice caressed her mind as she approached her.Sha’ní peered deeper into her mother’s eyes and sought her soul. She had never seen her mother’s soul before. The gray demon could not possibly duplicate that, right?Charles froze when she felt her power. Sha’ní was shocked to see a gray, solid, soul. It was littered with scars. One scare zig-zagged down the middle. Souls did not look like that.Tears burst out of her eyes as she sobbed. She was still in a nightmare. “What you see is true,” Charles projected. Her mother’s love and her scent of wildflowers caressed her like she used to do.“A god’s soul is different from a mortal’s soul, and mine is more so. It was tested by divine fire and survived only to be
"Have you always been this way?”“I do not know what you mean. I will leave you be and return when I have had a moment with mother,” Sha’ní lunged at him and embraced him. His body jerked, and his claws raked the chair as he stood.Sha’ní fell on her rump and stared at the angry jackal. His eyes glowed red as he panted.Kebachet realized what he had done and rubbed the back of his neck, “My apologies, Sister. Please do not do that again.”Sha’ní stood and clasped his hand. His green eyes locked on to her gaze, “I should be the one to apologize. I got excited.”Sha’ní smiled as she turned toward the door, “I should have known not to hug you. You were raised to believe affection is a weakness. You have all the markings of Jasper ’s son.”It was not merely the fact you hugged me. You glow with love and life like mother does,” Kebachet struggled with words to explain his reaction, “It stirred a painful memory,” he finally said as he returned to the chair."Besides, your skin feels like a
Once her moment came, she wedged the crescent blade into his thrust and turned the crescent blade hard. She heard a snap of his wrist as he dropped Death.Sha’ní attacked again, putting Atumn on the defensive. She continued striking and pulsing power until they were beyond the reach of Death.Suddenly the underworld lit up like daylight. Howls and screams shook the ground. Sha’ní gambled a quick glance and noticed the souls had arrived and pulsed their glow.They stood behind the wall of steel the jackals created. Each jackal and death knight had at least one soul behind it. The warriors passed between her and pulsed power blocking demonic attacks.Sha’ní took advantage of Atumn’s distractions and took Life from his grasp. She released Inki and ran to collect Death.Atumn reached her just as she bent to grab Death’s hilt. Ra lifted her by her scruff. She used his momentum and thrust Death behind her.It worked. Ra screamed and fell to his knees with Death protruding from his eye. As i
Charles relived the eight thousand years she was a vampire through Jasper ’s experiences. She had no control over his body; however, she heard every thought and felt every emotion as he strove to guide the female vampire to the god’s realm.He was faced with destroying a creature he loved and struggled to find a solution. When there seemed to be none, and he concluded he must end her life, his mate broke through and glowed brilliantly. He could not be more proud of her.Charles ’s ascension and marriage to him were the happiest times of his life. He shared every thought as he governed the underworld and took his role as husband and father.Jasper ’s anxiety over Charles ever finding out his true nature forced him to be creative and keep his inner thoughts away from her. Her deep blue eyes peered up at him in awe when he surprised her, and it made him feel unstoppable.He molded her into the goddess she was. He poured his very soul into her; however, her fire and determined will to liv
As he released Charles from his grasp, he stepped back and gazed at her. Her entire body glowed. The raging storm had quieted to a spring rain. She was still in pain; however, he was not the cause of it. Her love and admiration for only him alone spoke volumes. Her soul screamed to be touched by him. She would bear him another child if he requested it.Charles could not be more beautiful at that moment.Jasper caressed her cheek, and she leaned into it. Her scent changed and invited him to continue his caress. He would oblige; however, there were responsibilities that must be addressed first.“We should speak with Sha’ní. She has seen too much. She will have questions we must answer.”Charles nodded and stepped away from his touch, “I wish to speak with Horace first.”“As you wish,” Jasper paused for a moment and gazed at Charles , “I will be forever grateful for your love and continued forgiveness. You are beyond beautiful and priceless.”“I love you too, husband,” Charles nuzzled Ja
“Greetings, Charles .”Her name rolled from his deep rumbly voice like velvet. Charles was infatuated with her husband. They had dark times in their lives; however, no matter how angry she was with him, she could never resist him. Her mind and body continued to react to him as though she had met him for the first time.“Greetings, husband. Are you ready to face your daughter?”“I am.”Charles touched the nearby pillar and summoned Sha’ní, then stepped down from her chair and embraced her god.“I wish to run away with you, master of my heart.”Her desire to be with him and to feel his special embrace grew into a powerful need. She did not care about the world or her daughter at that moment. She wished to be his as it had been before when he was not a god but her master, and she was a vampire who found love and submitted to a male. Those were the best times of her existence.“That can be arranged. Our daughter has matured. I believe she has reached her godhood.”His voice rumbled in his
Jasper Sha’ní opened the door and stood aside, allowing Jasper to enter the dark dwelling. The first floor of the home was open spaced with a spacious entrance and an intimate sitting area. A staircase hugged the back wall and ended at a catwalk going back toward the front of the house.Jasper ignored his daughter’s torment as he traveled the horrendous green carpet toward the sitting area. He suspected she pulled him aside because she wished to tell him something displeasing and possibly embarrassing. He would wait until she was ready to speak to him.Sha’ní followed him and stood still as a statue as Jasper faced her and leaned on the back of the couch. Her jackal skin was dull, and her cyan eyes hid behind the dark pupils. She was about to tell him something displeasing and feared his reaction.His daughter had grown beautifully and reached her godhood. The least he could do was hear her heart and remain calm.Sha’ní took a deep breath and shoulders slowly relaxed when she noticed
“I will not ask again, child. Speak, or I will force it from you.”Charles ' cool fingers gently touched his tightening arm, Give your word, husband. If what I suspect she is protecting is true, then you will wish to know. Do not react to what your eyes tell you.“Not until you promise, daddy. Promise me you will trust me and not jump to conclusions,” Sha’ní continued. She was unaware of their private conversation.Jasper whipped his head around to glare at Charles . He would not be ruled by his family. Spit it out, wife. What is it you think you know?“Daddy, please! I am begging you. You control your emotions all the time. You control your mind and demand we do the same. I am only asking you to continue.”Charles ’s eyes widened, and her pupils dilated as she focused on something behind her. Her vision through the bond and the speed of her heart caught Jasper by surprise. Somehow a demon escaped the battle and was approaching Sha’ní from behind.Charles Charles could not believe wh
Those nights were not about love. It was about possession and reclaiming his authority over her body. He would force her to know him to be master, not the bastard traitor.If he had his way, Kebachet would remain gone. Unfortunately, her brother was her link to life. He must fulfill his duty to her to calm the storm and keep the demon within dormant. Without him, earth would be lost.Sha’ní would not simply die of a broken heart as Charles would do. Her grief matched that of Lilene’s personality, and she possessed the blood of Set. One could imagine the kind of evil she could become. She would never betray those she loved; however, if she felt betrayed, the consequences were grim.KebachetKebachet roamed the outer realms and forged relationships with allied gods. He never bothered with the mortals. They were simply pawns in a bigger game. The gods were the true power of their world. They would reach out to him and whisper floating rumors on occasion. In return, Kebachet agreed to aid
and pulled her to him.Her body collided into a wall of hard muscles and then conformed to it as he dove for her lips with a searing kiss. She held on to him and soaked in his desire for her. She wanted him to take her to the magical place he showed her on the first night.Horace slammed the door behind her, making the decorative weapons on the wall rattle. He shredded her clothing into tatter scraps while he pushed her further into his chambers.His scent is disgusting. You belong to me, Beautiful. It seems you need reminding of that, his deep voice growled in her mind.Sha’ní could not respond to his displeasure. His hands worked in a frenzy on her body as his mouth nipped and sucked in places that made her weak.She landed on her back on the bed with a bounce, and Horace’s vampire form pounced. His passion sheathed inside with a punishing strike fueled with his hot jealousy. She was dizzy from his onslaught and could hardly comprehend what was happening.“Give me your love, Sha’ní,
Sha’ní cupped his jaw and gently turned him to face her. Her crystal eyes begged him to fall in their depth and share her love for eternity.His sins still clung to him even though he was pardoned. He was still capable of horrors that would give anyone nightmares. Her soul was too pure to be tainted by him.“You are your father’s son. You have Charles ’s heart. You are cold and stubborn, yet compassionate and empathetic."You say the males of the gods are the alphas. They are the masters of the home. I see this quality in you.“You want to shut everyone out and become stronger than before. You are afraid you will become what you once were.“I have a feeling Ra gave you a new body with a new mind strong enough to resist any temptation to become what you once were in the underworld or the demon realm.”Her words and acceptance sliced him open and burned away the delicate wall he started building. How could a goddess love a demon?“You are not a demon. You never were. Your soul was only
Horace blocked most of her attacks while she cursed him and her life. She used every foul word she thought of to hit him where she hurt the most.Horace grabbed both her wrists and pinned them to her back. The front of her body slammed into his chest as she fought to free herself.She spit on his face. The thick saliva rolled down his cheek in thin strings, but he didn’t release her.“I hate you! You should have stayed in the shadows playing with humans. How could you do this to me!”His exposed chest was pressed against her. She only had to call his soul for help, and it would have no choice but to destroy its vessel.HoraceSha’ní’s red eyes suddenly returned to their natural color and went blank as she sagged in Horace’s grip.Jasper ’s black form appeared out of the darkness of the underworld and gazed at the precious jackal in his arms. He used his ability to paralyze Sha’ní. It would not last long.Horace carefully lowered Sha’ní to the ground, “You must fix this, brother. Her m
Kebachet’s screams quieted, and his sweaty body relaxed, forcing her to hold his weight. She panted from the strain as the last of her power trickled away.Just before she dropped Kebachet and went unconscious, the ribbon of power that connected them snapped and back lashed. A thunderous concussion smacked her mind, and a flood of emotions and images pulled her under the wave. They came so quickly that she could not filter them or make sense of what she saw. There was no up or down. The invading thoughts erased everything she experienced and latched onto her without mercy.Everything was tinted in red. The sky, the stone ground, and the monstrous creatures were all red. Her body hurt from freezing temperatures, and her chest felt like she was having a heart attack as her fist plunged on its own accord into a body and ripped its beating heart out.The red world returned with the sounds of creatures being tormented. It happened repeatedly, and each time a different innocent soul or a m
“No. They will not,” his baritone voice rumbled with an icy edge while his pale eyes continued to devour her.Sha’ní was confused and mortified and utterly attracted to him. She wanted nothing more than to please him, and she didn’t understand why he was so angry with her. But the display of his aggression was making her body warm inside, and the knots in her tummy leaked in hot drips between her thighs.Sha’ní lowered her gaze and picked at her nails, “You wish to do this in private?”“It is not my wish to be bonded to anyone. My thoughts are my own. My actions are not to be questioned. I will live as I see fit within the laws of the gods.”His words stung and tears started to blur her vision as she continued to pick at her nails. She understood he was a private person. That had already been established. It was why Jasper had been working with him.A hooked finger lifted her chin so her eyes would meet Kebachet’s gaze, “I am thankful for your gift and willingness to help me. You will
Kebachet’s entire body tensed as he pulled Sha’ní closer to him. He buried his nose into her neck and inhaled her scent. It was then she knew this soul had been lost. It broke her heart.She realized Kebachet was sharing his heart with her and willing to be venerable. It was a great honor to be let into the heart of a prideful soul who would not tolerate weakness. It meant he trusted her enough to be natural with her.Sha’ní could not imagine a world without Kebachet. She was not sure how she survived without him all of this time.A tear fell down her cheek at the thought of losing him. This soul was a warm, passionate soul. His heart was capable of love so strong it could kill an entire realm of demons.She did not understand how it could be dying when Ra made a perfect body and Jasper had control over its fate.“Brother?”Kebachet inhaled deeply, then moaned a sleepy response.“While your body was still new, your soul cried out to me and said it felt death.”“I suggest reading about
“Please,” she whispered as anxious tears stung her eyes.“Your fear is disgusting, sister. Do not disappoint me,” He warned.“But your soul...”"Is not your concern,” he interrupted, “Trust the god of the dead.”It was a silent reminder that Jasper was in control, and if he wanted his soul, he would have taken it long ago. Trust was hard to give when it had been broken by lies and secrets.She swallowed hard, then forced her back to the two males in her life who she loved deeply and teleported to Horace’s chambers. Horace always had the answers. Maybe he would be willing to share his knowledge or perhaps wipe away her anxiety with his magnificent body.Her core coiled, and warmth seeped through her as she remembered the night he took her to a magical place.Sha’ní let herself in without knocking. It felt a bit strange inviting herself into someone else’s home, but he said she had access to his chambers at any time during their relationship.The god of war sat in a simple wooden chair
“What’s so funny?”“You, sister. You are lonely, yet a powerful god desires you, and you resist him.“You are not daddy’s little girl. Respect him in his presence. Beyond that, he does not need to know of your private life. It does not matter if he approves or not.“I assure you, Jasper understands this.”“Do you feel the same as Jasper ? Do you feel I should change my words and become a daughter worthy of the god of the dead?”“You are unique, Sha’ní,” Kebachet said before his mind slipped back into unconsciousness.Moments later, Kebachet’s soul burst with light within his chest. I see you, It whispered.Sha’ní touched the blue glow, and it pulsed in response.“Do you know who you are?”I am Kebachet, son of Jasper and Charles .“Do you know who I am?”Daughter of Jasper and Charles .“What is your desire?”To find forgiveness from the god of the dead and the goddess of balance.“Do you wish to live?”The soul pulsed within Kebachet’s chest as it thought a moment. Yes, It wailedSha