And at that very moment, the trolley burst into a dark orange corridor. Pumpkins of every shape and size lined the walls, their carved faces flickering in the glow of black candles. Wax dripped down the sides in slow, molten streams, gleaming under flames that burned red and amber, breathing warmth into the air around us.
My pulse was still unsteady, my body trembling from what Shai had just done. I’d never felt anything like it, never experienced anything that intense, that reckless, that alive.
“We’ve arrived,” he murmured, his voice a low, satisfied purr. He slid the horned pumpkin mask back over his head, the eyes flaring with infernal light.
“Uh-huh…” I swallowed hard, still dazed, my fingers instinctively tightening around his. The pumpkin turned toward me and smiled.It smiled.A chill ran down my spine; it had to be enchanted. I was sure of it.
Shai only nodded, that same infuriatingly calm composure back on his face. When the trolley stopped, he stepped out first and turned to me, offering his hand like the perfect gentleman… as if that very hand hadn’t just undone me moments ago.
XIII
We walked a little further along the corridor, the only sounds our footsteps and the click of my heels against the black tiles. At the entrance to the massive black doors, two huge thugs loomed, but Shai whispered something to them, and they immediately stepped aside, letting us pass without a word.
He led me inside, and the moment we crossed the threshold, we were swallowed by the pounding beat of the club music. Bright lights flickered over the crowd — people were dancing, sipping cocktails, hugging, kissing. He kept a firm hold on my hand, the chain around my neck rattling freely, though its sound was drowned out by the music.
We moved through the crowd, everyone lost in their own world, some dancing with partners, others alone, lost in the rhythm. I remembered how it used to be for me… alwaysattending these kinds of events solo. My exes never liked parties like this, but I had always wanted to go, and so I went alone, even when I was in a relationship.
Shai tightened his grip on my hand as we navigated the riot of colors, costumes ranging from green to pink, a dazzling chaos for the eyes. Finally, we slipped into a quieter section of the club. Leather sofas lined the walls, and people lounged on them, some were chatting, some were kissing, and some… well… engaging in other, more private needs.
My eyes just locked onto a girl that was dressed in a scandalously short black dress, the garment little more than an overly sexualized parody of a nun's habit. The hem rode up her thighs, exposing the tantalizing globes of her ass as she straddled a blonde man sprawled on the sofa. His blond head lolled back, long fingers tipped with razor-sharp claws digging into the curves of her waist as she rode him with wild desire. Though the sight was brazen, the sexy way she clung to his neck, her body moving in steady rhythm to his, spoke volumes of her eager participation in their sinful public display.
As we drew nearer to the entwined pair, the reason for their chosen location becoming increasingly apparent. They were positioned stage center, the main attraction in the dimly lit, cavernous room. The air thrummed with a heady mix of pulsing music and the low, lust-drunk murmur of the crowd surrounding them. It was clear this was no mere chance encounter, but a deliberate performance, a spectacle put on for the entertainment of the club's patrons. The girl's grey eyes, glazed with desire, met mine for a brief, charged moment as we passed, a secret, knowing smirk playing about her kiss-swollen lips.
"Well, well, Des," Shai called out, flashing a grin that rivaled the demon's own predatory smile. "Quite the industriousone, aren't you? Tell me, brother in misfortune, what keeps your claws so... occupied?"
The demon's eyes snapped open, a piercing emerald glare that seemed to burn through the very air. Loathing and malice radiated from those hate-filled orbs as they settled on Shai, lips curling back to reveal a set of gleaming, deadly fangs. The girl astride him let out a sharp hiss, placing a finger to her lips in a futile gesture of silence. "Shh, demon," she warned, a note of trepidation in her voice.
I clutched my demon's hand tightly and whispered to him, "Shai, let's not draw his anger, alright? That one's a demon for fucking sure, and not the friendly one sort."
A chill ran down my spine at the thought the atmosphere growing colder and more oppressive under the demon's seething glare. It was clear that this was no ordinary creature, but a being of pure malice and destruction, one whose very presence seemed to leech the warmth and light from the room. As Shai met the demon's gaze, I couldn't help but wonder if his own demonic nature would be enough to shield us from the brunt of such palpable hatred.
"Can’t you see I'm fucking busy? Let me fuck my nun girlfriend. Get lost, we'll talk later." The demon barked at Shai.
Shai chuckled darkly at the demon's dismissive tone, a wicked grin spreading across his face. He leaned over and slapped the blonde man's shoulder hard, the sharp crack cutting through the pulsing beat of the music. The demon, Desmond, merely hissed in response, baring his fangs in a vicious sneer. Undeterred, Shai laughed, a sound that sent a shiver down my spine.
Desmond returned his attention to the woman riding him, his lips moving against her ear. "Eveline, my good girl," he purred, his voice a low, seductive rasp. "Faster, move your hips faster... Faster, I fucking dare you, baby."
The woman, Eveline it seemed, let out a breathy moan, her hips starting to jump faster, bouncing with wild abandon atop the demon's lap. "Desmond!" she cried out, her voice pitching higher as her climax approached. "I'm coming! Ahhhnnn! Desmond!"
Desmond's claws raked down the curve of her ass, leaving angry red welts in their wake as he urged her on, spurring her to ride him with reckless, desperate fervor. The obscene slap of flesh against flesh filled the air, accompanied by their escalating moans and cries of rapture as they lost themselves in the throes of their devotion to each other, heedless of the audience bearing witness to their wicked display.
We walked a little farther and found ourselves at the bar. Shai ordered two cocktails, then turned toward me, leaning casually on his elbows against the counter. With a teasing grin, he reached out, pulling me closer until I was standing between his legs. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he took off his pumpkin head off him, revealing that devastatingly beautiful face and an even more mischievous smile.
“So, how did the poor guy recognize me? By my voice or something?” Shai murmured to himself, shaking his head with a laugh.
“Maybe he sensed you… you know, with your demonic intuition?” I teased, and he chuckled in response.
The bartender slid two orange, pumpkin-shaped glasses toward us. We clinked them together, the sound more like a soft chime and a giggle than a real glassy clink, it was some kind of magical trick of the cups, no doubt. We both took a sip, and Shai let out a low, satisfied groan as crimson horns shimmered into view on his head, the same ones that had been part of his pumpkin mask.
The drink was… impossible to describe. Sweet and bitter all at once, refreshing yet warm. It reminded me vaguelyof an Aperol spritz, but with something deeper,something otherworldly that lingered on the tongue like temptation itself. I moaned softly in delight, and his hands immediately tightened around me, his claws — no, fingers — tracing down my waist.
One hand toyed with the chain at my neck, tugging lightly at the dangling heart, watching with dark fascination as the chain tightened and relaxed against my throat. His gaze burned with hunger, and I melted into it, into him. His palms slid down to my hips, guiding me in slow, teasing movements from side to side.
“Don’t you want to dance?” he asked, his voice low, his eyes gleaming with heat.
“Yes… but—” I hesitated, glancing toward the couch. “Who was that couple sitting there earlier?”
“They’re gone,” he said with a lazy smile, then followed my gaze. “Ah. That was my old friend. He’s a demon too, seduction’s his specialty. Think of him as my older brother. He can charm anyone, fulfill any desire… for the right contract.”
