She didn’t stop him when he pulled her shirt off. She didn’t resist when he used a claw to slice her skirt away. In fact, she was getting more turned on by the second.

He wadded up the remains of her clothes and tossed them to the shore, his torso muscles contracting. He ran his knuckle along her bra strap. “This should go as well.”

“I thought I got to keep my underwear on.”

“By royal decree, all beaches in hell are topless. As of today.”

Dare she? Again she was reminded of the pomegranate lesson. “Topless, huh?” She reached back to unstrap her bra. “The king here must be brilliant.”

“Equaled only by his clever queen.”

“What’s she like?”

“A lusty temptress. Subjects can hear her screams of pleasure coming from the castle.”

Had they? Her face heated. “Can they hear the king’s roars?”

He nodded. “And they envy him every one.”

She removed her bra.

He rubbed his claw-tipped hand over his mouth. “If you knew what the sight of those does to me . . .”

Her nipples stiffened even more. She could feel the sun’s heat on them.

“Also by royal decree, the beaches are bottomless.”

Skinny-dipping with a demon in hell. What could possibly go wrong?

But she was starting to trust him more. Still high from all these new changes and sensations, she said, “I don’t want to break the king’s laws.” She reached down to pull off her panties.

His eyes widened with surprise. “My laws are important.”

As she threw her underwear toward the shore, his eyes locked on the movements of her breasts.

With a growl, he tore his own pants off.

Catching a vague glimpse of his dick through the waves, she dragged her gaze up. “When we race, will your wings slow you down?” She sized him up. “They aren’t very hydrodynamic.”

“I’ll hold my own.” He turned to toss his pants away.

“Oh? Then you better—” She dove, swimming for a head start.

 

Calliope looked like a sleek torpedo in the water. As Sian watched her, his mind was as blown as hers had been over the beach and serpents.

Then he remembered their race. Tracing to her side, he swam full speed to the cove, keeping pace with her. On the way back, he beat her.

She surfaced with a sputter. “You cheated!” Smoothing her wet hair back, she stood in water up to her chest.

“You still haven’t said no tracing.”

“Tricksy demon.” She shielded her eyes from the sun. “How big is this sea? I came across different accounts in my reading.”

“It would take weeks to sail across.”

She blinked up at him. “And the dimension?”

“You are queen of a gigantic realm. There are many regions. The Badlands, the Highlands, the Stygian Marsh, Slaughter Gorge.”

“Where you sent those legions of demon warriors for more punishment.”

“Just so,” he said, picking up on her undertone of censure. But he didn’t acknowledge it. “Last week I ran for four days and covered only a fraction of the lands here.”

“The days you didn’t come to the tower?”

In a wry tone, he said, “I intended to be gone for months. I remained away from you for ninety-six whole hours. Even then . . .”

“Even then?”

“A demon doesn’t like to be separated from his mate.”

“Ah.” Calliope waded, seeming to enjoy just floating in the gentle swells.

“To what did you attribute your interest in this realm?”

“I didn’t know. My parents found my fascination disturbing, but nothing could stop it.”

Disturbing. They sounded similar to her parents in her past. “Do you still disbelieve you’re reincarnated?”

She shrugged. “I’m different. You’re different. I care more about the future than the past.”

Yet his future outlook was limited. Enjoy this while you can, Sian.

Her expression was relaxed, her eyes bright. In the sun, one was gold, the other amethyst. “I was deeply disappointed when I thought that your eyes matched.”

“Why?”

“How many males have a female so unique?”

“I didn’t even know you had green eyes until yesterday.” His rage and lust must have kept his irises black for days. “What made you calmer?”

“A demon’s mate is thought to center him.” After the claiming, at least. Until then, Sian would be at the mercy of his mating instincts, battling them at every turn.

Calliope’s cheeks, already pinkened in the sun, warmed even more as she asked, “Could people really hear my screams all over?”

“If you listen closely, you can still hear echoes.” He would need an eternity just to steal blushes from her. How easily tricking had turned to teasing.

“Ha. At least I don’t trigger earthquakes when I come. Or slice bathtubs open. What did that poor tub do to piss you off?”

His lips twitched. “That was my first time to pleasure my mate, and the experience affected my release intensely.”

She tapped her chin. “Did it? I wasn’t sure until the tub murder. Have you always reacted that way with females?”

“Never. I’ve maintained strict control.”

“How?”

“With ridiculous ease. Then you come along. . . .”

The seabed began vibrating beneath their feet. The waves rolling toward shore quavered and sloshed erratically.

“What’s going on?” She sidled closer to him.

He faced the beach. “Hellhounds approach.”

THIRTY-SIX

The silver and black brush lining the shore rustled, the larger trees bending.

Lila got goose bumps in the warm water when a pack of creatures burst onto the beach.

Though she’d seen illustrations of hellhounds, their appearance still shocked her. Each one was as big as a car, with bloodred eyes, dripping fangs, and spikes lining its back.

There were five adults and two puppies, all with charcoal-gray fur. Blood and bits of gristle covered their maws.

She sensed Abyssian’s gaze slide to her, but she couldn’t hide her wonder. Sea serpents and hellhounds and a playdate in hell. She muttered, “Holy shit.”