Below me, the students in the Academy go about their business as usual. It’s crazy to me that I can be filled with such turmoil, yet the rest of the Afterlife continues on, not a care or a stress to bother them, totally oblivious to my suffering.
Surging into the air, I crest and hurtle towards the winding river that cleaves the Academy from the mainland. Arms stretched in front of me, I descend rapidly, the mist from the water coating my skin. It’s only when I’m mere inches away do I pull up, testing the strength of my wings, and soar parallel to the raging water. I pass under Pontem Veritas and wind through the high cliffs to where the water emerges into the nameless ocean.
Only there do I land, tearing off my shoes and letting my feet plunge into the sand. I take a deep breath of the salted air and let the cool winds wash over me.
Here, I begin to rebuild my wall, carefully constructing it brick by brick, surrounding my heart. I let her in too easily—I can’t allow that to happen again. I perch on the edge of the beach, letting the water wash over my feet until the sun begins to set, creating a brilliant painting of colors in the sky.
I coach myself that I can heal from this, that I don’t really need her, but I know that's a lie. This Afterlife isn’t worth living if Hadley isn’t by my side.
My eyes feel heavy as I run through everything that happened today. I need to rest. The monsters in Hell are only growing in number. I need to make sure I’m ready for when I’m sent back down there to fight them again.
With one final look at the orange sun descending under the waterline, I take to the air once more and fly to the Demon dorms. I enter from the rear, not wanting to deal with the hassle of the common rooms. Plus, my dorm is just on the end.
Once inside my room, I close the door and head for my shower, needing to wash off this day from my skin. Ignoring my hamper, I peel off my sandy, soaking wet clothes and abandon them on my floor before stepping under the heated water.
I groan as the hot liquid pours down my body. I’ve learned there are two types of people in the world—the type that takes lukewarm showers, and the kind like me who wants to see their skin steaming when they step out from it.
Here, in the Demon dorms, our showers have been modified to accommodate our wings. And not to brag, but I have one of the larger pairs of wings here at the Academy.
But Hadley doesn’t care…
I shake the thought from my mind and grab the soap, washing the sweat, sand, and grime from my body. After I’m clean and feeling better—having decided to avoid Hadley at all costs—I grab a towel, wrap it around my waist, and step out from the shower.
My bed is still a mess, covers strewn across it from where I slept last, but it calls to me. I’m just about to slip inside when there’s a soft knocking on my door.
I freeze, contemplating whether or not I should pretend that I’m not really here.
“Brax, I know you’re in there. Can I come in?” Hadley’s voice filters through the door, and she sounds…sad. I know I shouldn’t answer, I know seeing her will break me, but my body automatically walks to her as if some unseen force pulls us together. The next thing I know, I’ve thrown open the door.
I try to keep my face impassive, resting one arm against the frame, head cocked to the side. “Can I help you?” I mutter stoically. Hadley’s mouth gapes, her eyes wide as she stares at me. She starts with my messy hair, trails her gaze down my chest to my abs still dripping with water, then to the towel sitting low, below my hips.
“God, you’re beautiful,” she says breathlessly.
Not what I was expecting.
I try to ignore her words, pretend that her nearness isn’t causing my heart to thrash inside me, but I’m failing.
Being with her is like second nature—my body craves her, needs her. My hand reaches for her without me telling it to, and I rub my thumb down her cheek. She shudders and holds my hand to her face. Closing her eyes, she nuzzles into my palm.
“Can I help you?” I repeat, though my voice quivers this time.
She opens her eyes, the gorgeous blue orbs seeing through me, right into who I am. She sees behind the Demon, behind my hard façade. She sees the real me, the me I try to hide from the world to protect myself.
“Brax, I need you,” she implores, eyes searching mine.
But then I remember the vile creature she’s standing up for, and I tear my hand from her, storming inside my dorm. “You don’t need me. You have someone else to take my place,” I growl.
“I-Is that what you think?” she stutters, entering behind me and closing my door. “Do you think I don’t want you anymore?”
I can't turn to look at her—seeing her is too painful, hurts too much. “Did you ever even love me?” My voice breaks as I fumble with the edges of the towel.
Her delicate hand rests on my back as she walks around my wings and stands in front of me. “How can you even ask me that?” Her words are filled with her own pain, sincerity evident. “Is this because of Caius?”
I scoff at his name and pull away from her to sit down on my bed, staring at my folded hands on my lap. “Brax, this isn’t fair. Caius was my Fated in my previous life. He is as destined to be mine as you are. He’s a part of me, just as I’m a part of you. Please, don’t do this to me. Let me love you. Let me back in.”
She steps up to my knees, her hips pressed against my skin, and cups my face in her hands, forcing me to meet her gaze. I look up in her eyes, and see nothing but love emanating from them…love for me.
“I love you, Brax,” she says softly. “I have since the first time I locked eyes with you. My heart knows you, my soul needs you. Please, be with me.”
And just like that, my wall crumbles.
“You love me?” My voice tremors with insecurity.
“More than I thought possible, my broody Demon.” She smiles then, and seeing her happy ignites a fire inside of me. “Let me show you how much.”
Nervous excitement fills me as Hadley takes a step back from me and grabs the hem of her oversized, borrowed sweatshirt and slowly lifts it over her head, revealing her body inch by glorious inch. When she pulls it over her head, I find she’s only wearing a tiny pair of panties below it.
She’s fucking perfect.
Hard muscles and delicious curves, her sandy blonde hair cascading over her shoulders. Her breasts are magnificent, supple and rounded, with pert pink nipples that are perfect for sucking.
Hadley rests her hands on my shoulders and climbs on my lap, her panty-clad pussy resting on my towel-covered cock, then she pushes me down.
She rests her elbow on my shoulder, holding her chin with one hand. With the other, she tugs on my hair and traces down my horn. “How could I not love someone as wonderful as you, Brax? You were my hardest quadruplet to crack, you made me work for your love. I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”
My heart stutters, and I bite my lip, words lodged in my burning throat. “Hadley,” I rasp as I thread my fingers through her hair and pull her lips down to mine. A tear leaks from the corner of my eye as I feel her passion enter me through her kiss.
She moans against my lips, the sound flooding my cock. My grip on her hair tightens, and I trail the fingers of my free hand up and down her bare spine, before delving under her panties to grab her ass.