Taken by the Demon King

Chapter Four (Caim's POV) Obsession Unleashed

I release Hazel with difficulty, my hands reluctant to leave the warm curve of her waist. Never, in all my eons of existence, have I reacted this way to a female—much less a human. Her scent hits me strangely, sweet and dangerous, and just thinking about it makes me want to taste her until I lose my mind, to possess her right there on the filthy ground. I’ve had countless women, innumerable succubi, but none have unsettled me like this. I hold her waist pressed against my body a moment longer than necessary.

What the f**k is this? Maybe she’s a distraction? One of my brothers could have sent her. Probably.

✧

She stumbles on the gray soil, her wide brown eyes scanning the trees for some refuge. I imagine her trying to run from me, and the thought makes me want to mark her, bind her to me.

“Don’t move, human,” I growl, my voice deeper than I intended. She flinches, but her eyes lock onto mine with defiance. That almost makes me laugh. Or kiss her again. s**t.

✧

Kidnapping humans was never one of my favorite games, but this one… I run my claws along her delicate face, feeling the soft skin yield under my touch. Hazel parts her lips in surprise, a gasp escapes. And I can’t stop staring at her full, plump lips, begging to be tasted. Desire hits me like a punch.

I release her with difficulty.

✧

Before I can say more, headlights slice through the forest’s darkness, casting beams that dance between the trees. She trembles, looking at me with desperation, and something in me tightens.

What could be so bad that a woman would run like this in the middle of the night? The light illuminates Hazel’s face more, and I notice the purple bruise over her left eye. She trembles and stares at me in despair.

✧

I watch as the car slows down. What could drive a woman to flee at this hour? The barking snaps me out of it. I glare at the small creature biting my feet, tugging at me.

The little demon keeps trying to pull my leg away.

I huff, annoyed, and drag my claws over one of the runes on my left arm. Black blood drips, and the ground beneath my feet begins to give way, opening a black circle that pulses like a diseased heart in the soil. Hazel stares at the portal in despair, and I smile, letting my fangs show more.

She swallows hard.

✧

“Ninaaaaaaa,” she whispers as the dog leaps straight into the portal, vanishing in the fall. Hazel starts hyperventilating, glancing at the road where the headlights draw closer.

“Do I need to carry you?” I can’t hide my irritation, and she steps back. If I had to hunt her again, I’m certain I’d lose all control, and this human might not survive. “Or do you want to stay and chat with your boyfriend?”

✧

“He’s not my…” She stops, rage flashing in her eyes. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“I know you’re a huge problem,” I retort, pulling her toward the arch. I can’t help noticing how fragile she seems. The barking echoes from within the portal, and she stares at the hole.

✧

A voice whispers in my mind, low: “Master, greetings, I’ve been waiting for you.” I glance at Hazel, just to ensure she didn’t hear.

“Hazeeeellll,” my skin burns, and I clench my teeth. I glare at the blond man rummaging through the car. I grab the human, letting the portal swallow us. I cast one last look at him.

✧

A familiar scent hits me, and I growl, irritated. He seems to hear me and turns his head toward me, squinting as if trying to see me in the dark.

I yank her into my arms in one motion; she screams in fright, which amuses me as we fall into the abyss.

The air is heavy, hot, the sounds of breaking bones and screams hitting me full force. She curls into my arms, her sweet scent contrasting with the sulfur burning my nose. Though I’ve overseen Hell’s judgments for centuries, I can’t get used to the smell of burning flesh or the screams.

✧

Her heart pounds fast against my chest. I tighten my grip, my claws grazing the soft skin of her back lightly. Her tears wet my skin, and my body reacts against my will. I clench my jaw, fighting the urge to taste them, to lick the salt of her fear and lose myself in it.

As soon as we reach home, I’ll seek the Book of her Life. She’s certainly no ordinary human.

The pages, if they exist, might reveal what makes her so different.

✧

It doesn’t take long for my feet to hit solid ground. I huff, still holding Hazel, and begin walking through the Forest of Souls, a rugged terrain of red earth and tall trees.

“Are we in Hell?” she whispers, curled up.

“Not exactly, this is the Forest of Souls, where all make their passage,” I reply. She stares at me in panic.

“So I’m dead?” she whimpers.

“Not yet,” I answer, irritated. “More likely soon,” I confess.

✧

She shrinks, her eyes fixed on mine. They blink once, twice, before closing as she falls into a deep sleep.

I’ve never used my powers to knock a woman unconscious, and that unsettles me.

“I wonder what a demon was doing on Earth, beside a mere human,” I murmur, eyeing the small creature approaching me in the forest’s darkness. From the first moment, I knew something was off.

“An honor, master,” she replies in a low voice, bowing her head before me.

✧

At first glance, she seems almost human—damp skin under the flickering light.

Dark, tangled hair falls in wild strands around her delicate face, contrasting with the feline ears atop her head, betraying her inhuman origin.

Black flame-like tattoos coil around her neck and shoulders, vivid against her full red lips and delicate nose.

She must be a hybrid.

“Answer me… why?” I can barely mask my irritation. With each word, my voice grows harsher, and she trembles before me.

“I was assigned to watch her… to ensure she survived until you found her.”

✧

I breathe deeply, forcing the anger deep into my chest.

“By whom?”

“By the Architect!” her voice falters. I should’ve known my father was up to something. “Irritated by your constant disobedience,” she finishes.

“What is she?” I whisper, staring at Hazel in my arms. Her black, wavy hair falls in disarray, framing her sleeping face against my chest. My gaze, against my will, traces the generous curves of her body. Her brown eyes had unsettled me before… everything about her is too alluring, like only a succubus could be. Yet her scent is entirely human.