“I have no idea. I’ve never seen him before and didn’t catch his name…”
“Pig,” Jules flips off Spencer as he walks past us to head out the front door, clearly drunk and embarrassed.
Good. Asshole.
“Let’s get another drink. Carter said he would drive us both home!” Jules says enthusiastically.
“You know, I’m good. I’m just going to have water and then head out. Want to crash with me tonight?”
“Yeah! I’ll make breakfast in the morning! Since we are off tomorrow, let’s watch scary movies all day and eat junk food on your couch like we used to do in our teens!”
“That sounds perfect. Thanks, Jules.”
Those memories bring a smile to my face. Carter, Jules, and I used to always spend our weekends together, watching scary movies and eating junk food while we had my entire house to ourselves. They practically lived with me.
My father was a mechanic and also did repair services for people all over town. He often worked erratic hours that left little time for me. When he was home, which was not very often, it wasn’t for long—more often than not, I would find him slumped over the kitchen table, empty beer bottles scattered around like the remnants of a forgotten battle, or retreating to his room, lost in a drunken stupor.
I never had the chance to get to know my mother; she left shortly after I was born, leaving behind a void that echoed through my childhood.
After my father’s passing a few months ago, I returned to our family home to sort through the remnants of a life filled with neglect and untold stories, with the intention of selling it. But as I sifted through old photographs and mementos of my childhood with Jules and Carter, I found myself unable to let go or sever the last tie I had to my past.
Instead, with reluctance and desperation, I accepted a job with Jules—an opportunity I had sworn I would never take.Now, I find myself once again entrapped in this town, surrounded by memories I can’t escape and the weight of my family’s history pressing down on me in that very home I had hoped to leave behind.
Chapter 3
Adonis
Killing this motherfucker will be easy, something I could do in my sleep. I watch him stagger away from the bar, his movements unsteady and fueled by a mixture of liquor and frustration.
The scent of his anger hangs in the air, sharp and palpable, almost like the metallic tang of blood. I can practically taste the bitterness of his wrath on my tongue, an intoxicating flavor that ignites something profound within me. It beckons to me, a dark craving I cannot ignore.
I am a demon—a once mighty being who soared among the stars as a rising god. I was kicked out of the afterlife and stripped of my title all because I have a smart mouth, a ‘bigger purpose’, and I questioned the cosmic order. For centuries, I have been trapped in the wretched abyss of this town, a hellhole where hope withers and light fades.
Cursed for eternity, thanks to Octavia, my existence is now a shadow of what it once was, a testament to the chilling power of damnation. She stole my wings, my power, and part of my soul, just so she could be immortal. Being a demon has its perks, but being a demon stuck in this shitty little town is unbearable. At least loneliness is a fleeting concern, since I have Dax, Killian, and Amelia by my side.
I shake my thoughts from my head as I observe Spencer climb into his truck, a vehicle that unmistakably belongs to him. The oversized wheels create a clumsy, aggressive stance, while the array of political stickers plastered acrossthe back window screams personal insecurity. Each vibrant slogan and emblem, a desperate attempt to project confidence, only deepens the impression that a fragile sense of self is beneath the so-called tough exterior.
Dani and Julia must have hurt his ego when they told him he had a tiny cock.
Dani.
Listening to her thoughts made my cock hard, but smelling her intentions almost made me lose all self-control tonight.
Reading people’s thoughts and sensing their intentions is sometimes a curse itself. But, with Dani, knowing her dark desires, has me feeling like a god again.
Picturing those red lips wrapped around my cock sounds heavenly. But the things I want to do to her are sinful… Red is now my favorite color, and I see it everywhere.
Dani has the grimoire and my necklace. I sensed it the moment she removed it from wherever Octavia enchanted its hiding place. That book can break our curse and free us from this town and send us back to the afterlife… too bad that won’t work though. Thanks to me.
Centuries ago, Dax, Killian, and I were betrayed and cursed by Octavia, the witch known as ‘The Witch of Misty Hollow.’ Dumb fucking name. Puritanical settlers didn’t trust this ‘witch’ and desired total spiritual control. They thought Octavia was helping women get pregnant with her tonics—though I know damn well she tricked them. The men were visibly jealous that only women could create life. So, when Octavia was ‘helping them’, the men got butt hurt and wanted full control, so they captured Octavia and burned her alive. In exchange, Octavia cursed the town as she was burning. She went mad before they killed her. She harnessedancient magic to summon dark creatures that ravished the town. She killed anyone who got in her way.
Octavia tricked me, making me think she was my mate. She was a powerful witch, but in order to have full power, she needed the heart of a demon. She took the one sliver of good I had in my soul and then fucking cursed me here to this town. Though I was condemned from the afterlife to Earth, she made it so my time here would be hell, trapping us here until someone came along and broke the curse. It took Dax and Killian many years to forgive me for being so naïve. Luckily, I had Amelia. My best friend yet annoying little sister.
Although Octavia didn’t remain trapped here from her own curse, she left pieces of her soul behind when she cursed the town. Her dark creatures that still lurk in the fog in the woods tear apart any unfortunate soul that crosses their path. Dax, Killian, and I kill the beasts when we can, trying to protect people from the truth. Octavia wanted this whole town to burn along with everyone in it.
It’s been our mission to break the curse, so we can free ourselves, but Octavia made the spell impossible to break. It requires a mate, to not just one, but all of us, to find the grimoire and read the spell correctly. But the right one has never come along to break it.
That is, until Dani. My goddess. My mate.Ourmate…
