Chapter 1
Joshua
He stood next to Corey as he watched his mate dance with her father. She looked so happy and he could tell whatever he was saying to her was encouragement. Well, at least he hoped it was. Her parents had been so eager to give him their blessing to ask for her hand. Aunt Lily had thrown her arms around him and squeezed him until he felt like he was going to explode. Uncle Lukas had given him a firm handshake and gripped his shoulder. Josh shifted and Corey laughed as he glanced at him.
“That’s her dad, dude. Calm down.”
He rolled his eyes. “Uncle Lukas is happy for us. I just don’t want to share.”
He laughed again. “Why do you call him Uncle Lukas? It’s a little weird.”
Josh leaned against the stands, crossing his arms over his chest as his gaze continued to follow the father-daughter pair around the dance floor.
“My mom and her mom are best friends. They are like sisters, so growing up they were like aunts and uncles to us. She calls my mom auntie and my dad uncle, too.”
Fingers trailed up his back before something pierced his neck. He jumped and turned around. Marybell smiled at him.
“Hey, Joshy. Do you want to dance?”
“No, but thank you though. I am waiting for Lucy.”
She pouted and walked her fingers down his arm to his wrist. She gripped it and her nails dug into his skin.
“I said I wanted to dance with you. Come on.”
A haze settled over his mind before he could respond and his feet started to carry him towards the dance floor. She stood a foot back as she slowly murmured to him. He felt himself slide deeper into his brain until all he could focus on was her whispering in his head. She spun around, stepping closer to him and when she landed against him his arms went around her without hesitation.
“Lucy.”
She leaned against his chest and he put his cheek on the top of her head as he closed his eyes. They swayed together for a moment, before he stopped. He pulled away from her as his dragon, Apollo, started growling. She looked up at him and he let his arms drop from around her. She stood on her tippy toes and pulled his face down to kiss him. He pulled back and she frowned at him.
“What’s wrong, baby?,” she asked.
He ran his finger down her face and took a step back. “Who are you?”
He shook his head trying to clear his mind. He felt confused and lost. She wrapped her arms around his neck and began to kiss him there. He lifted his hands to pull her off of him when her teeth sank into his throat. He whimpered when her poison was pushed into his bloodstream. He immediately froze, unable to move. She began to whisper into his ear again and he struggled to process what she was saying. Finally, she licked his neck and his mind went dark. She moved back to smile at him and held her hand out.
“Joshy, do you want to go somewhere with me? I want to be alone.”
He nodded and took her hand. Sparks raced through his body and he pulled back as they almost burned his nerve endings, causing pain. She took his hand again and the sparks had dimmed in intensity. He smiled at her as she led him out of the packed gym, purposely walking him to the door away from where Corey stood talking to a female. She tugged him into an empty room and closed the door behind them. She pulled him over to the bookshelf across the room and climbed up on it after lifting her dress up to her hips. He stepped between her legs and leaned forward to kiss her like the whispering in his mind told him to. She stuck her hand down his pants to stroke his cock. He pushed against her hand and she giggled.
“Fuck me, Joshy.”
He pulled back to look at her again as Apollo growled in his head. His fingers circled her wrist and pulled her hand out of his pants. He went to walk away when her nails entered his neck again. His body tensed up and Apollo fell silent.
“Goddess, that girl really has a hold on you, doesn’t she? Turn around, servant!” He slowly turned back to her. “Good boy. Now, stop fighting my antivenom and we will be just fine.”
“Yes, Lucy.”
“I want you to fuck me. Drop your pants!”
He quickly undid his belt and shoved his pants and boxers down. She spread her legs and grabbed his tie to pull him towards her again. Her legs wrapped around his waist and pulled him forward to force him to slide into her. Her back arched and she moaned. He started moving inside of her and she bit into his neck again and more of her antivenom was pushed into his body.
He lifted her up and moved her two feet to the left to push her against the wall, so he could thrust into her harder. She mewled louder and he kissed her neck. The door was opened and the smell of vanilla filled his nose, making him freeze. He slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder. Lucy stood just inside the door with her mouth open. He looked back at the Lucy he had pinned against the wall and Apollo tried to raise up.
“Lucy?”
He shook his head as Apollo tried to rouse himself. He looked between the two again and his eyes went to where a flash of metal glinted in the light. He stared at his scale on the ring on Lucy’s hand. He immediately pulled out and adjusted his clothes as he backed away. He looked back at the Lucy against the wall and his heart stopped when Marybell stood in her place.
“Marybell?”
Movement by the door drew his attention again just in time for him to catch the ring that was launched through the air at him. He curled his fingers around it and he looked up at her sadly.
“Lucy, please-”
She untied her dress and lowered it down almost to her waist and began to move her fingers over her own skin. His heart shattered as his promise mark faded. Apollo howled in his head adding to his pain.
“I reject you, Joshua.”
His body jerked and pain started in his chest. He eyed her, wanting to beg for her forgiveness, but the pain rapidly moving through his body made him unable to form words. He leaned against the wall to keep from collapsing on the floor.
“Lucy, please, let me-”
“On second thought..,” Hesha said and he saw the furious dragon in her eyes as she came over to him.
Her talons moved over his body and she breathed fire on him. Apollo trembled in his head, begging her not to mark him like this. His pain crippled them both as she marked him from both her witch and vampire sides, too. Her venom chased away the rest of Marybell’s antivenom and he whimpered as the memory of what happened without the compulsion fog over it played through his mind.
“I want you to feel everything. Every time I fuck someone else, I want you to remember that’s how I just felt.” She turned back to Marybell as she retired her dress around her neck. “And you! How dare you betray your future queen like this? I should tell my grandfather and let him punish you.”
She grabbed Marybell and tossed her at him. He watched her stumble into him and he tried to step back, but his body wouldn’t listen. He was disgusted by her touch, by her as a person.
“Mark her!,” Lucy ordered.
Her aura surrounded him and he was forced to do as she had commanded. He tried to resist. Tried to communicate how sorry he was and how much he loved Lucy to her, but she kept him out of their link.
“Now, she can share your pain.”
Lucy turned around and started walking back to Corey. He opened his mouth and tried to speak again. His mouth was dry and he cursed silently.
“Lucy, please. Don’t go. I love you,” he finally managed to get out.
She spun back towards him and he could feel her anger. Her aura came out, stronger than ever before and his legs bucked, making him hit the floor.
“You will never love her. You will never love anyone but me. Say it!” He wanted to tell her that he only loved her, but once again he was unable to speak. “SAY IT!,” she roared.
He closed his eyes as his heart broke more. “You didn’t have to aura me. I’ll never love anyone, but you.” She turned around to walk out of the room. “Lucy,” he whispered, pouring every little bit of his heartbreak, love and dead hope into it.
He saw her falter, but she kept moving. The atmosphere in the room didn’t move for a minute until Corey came over and kicked Josh in the ribs.
“What the hell is your fucking problem? Do you have any idea what you just did? You broke her.”
He looked up at his best friend miserably. “I knew and I couldn’t stop.” He turned his head to glare at Marybell. “Why did you compel me?”
She shrugged. “She gave me permission to date you and then tried to kill me. Sometimes people need to learn that their actions have consequences. This was hers.”
He slowly climbed to his feet and stumbled over to her. He grabbed her around the throat.
“Open your mouth!,” he growled.
She bared her teeth as she struggled in his grip. “Let me go!”
His hand tightened. “Open your fucking mouth or I will eat you,” he warned.
She narrowed her eyes but opened her mouth. He extracted her canines while she screamed in agony. He punched her in the face and she lost consciousness. He reached for his aunt’s link.
‘Aunt Lily, can you come help me, please? I swear I can explain everything.’
‘Where are you? And it better be fucking good explanation to have my daughter so upset,’ she snapped.
He looked down at the canines in his hand. ‘I promise you that when I do, you will want to kill someone and it won’t be me. All I ask is that you be aware she can never do it again and I want to be the one to end her life.’ He took a deep breath. ‘I just want her to confirm what I tell you first. I am at the school in the gym classroom. And if you speak to Lucy, please, tell her that I’m sorry and I would have never done that to her willingly.’
‘I’m not telling her anything until we speak. I will be there in five. Stay put.’
He nudged Marybell’s leg with his foot. “Goddess, I have never hated someone so much. You cost me my everything. You better pray that I can fix this.” He kicked her harder. “Or I will find a way to make you pay and it won’t be fun.” He smiled coldly as Apollo took over. “Not for you, at least.”