The Demon's Claim [House of Arcane #2]

For Underworld to thrive again.

Logan O’Sullivan’s POV

‘My Lord, congratulations on your wedding and I hope that you will live happily ever after with your new wife,’ my father/follower said as I was waving my hand at him dismissively. We were speaking the Ancient language, Latin, which I know that Nora would never get a gist of it.

‘Why are you here? You got me any news about the Underworld?’ I asked him before he shook his head. He was avoiding my eyes before I was arching my eyebrow at him.

‘Well, what did you have then?’

‘It’s about your in-laws. They…have been found dead,’ he said before I stood up. I was looking at him before my face hardened. I can feel my jaws were clenching tightly.

‘When, who reported it? Where?’ I asked my father as he was giving a police report file. I took it and I was reading it. I turned to look at my father before I dismissed him.

I have to tell Nora right now but how?

We just got married and this thing happened. I don’t know who was behind all this but I think…someone was trying to target Nora’s family. She was in danger. If she was not with me right now, what could have happened to her?

Do not think about it, Luc. She’s not Cornelia and this is the Mortal Realm. You are safe, you are hidden. Your identity was not leaked yet to your prick cousin, I thought before I closed the file as I can sense Nora was closing on me from behind.

‘What language was that? It was nothing like I heard before,’ she said before I turned to look at her. She was crossing her arms as she was looking at me. I smiled at her before I was giving her the files that I know it will be a miracle for her not to react.

‘There is something that you need to know. I have to warn you…it is disturbing,’ I said as Nora took the file. She arched her eyebrows at me before flipping the files.

And gasped.

And dropped it to the floor.

‘No!’ she said as she was shaking her head while putting her hands to her mouth. I was coming over to her but she went out of my reach. She was looking around before she was taking a deep breath to calm herself.

‘How…why…when…what?’ she asked herself before she sat at the chair that was available in the library. I was looking at her before she was leaning forward, gripping her hands together as she was praying for her parents’ safety in the afterlife.

She mumbled something about a saint or a holy spirit so that they went to heaven and all that stuff that Catholics do.

But I was not Catholic, I am a Lord of the Underworld. If anything, I would be saying welcome to them if they ended up in my realm.

I was taking my time as Nora was chanting away under her breaths as she was looking at the ceiling. I did not sit beside her for I don’t know what to do. I am after all an immortal that got reincarnated as a mortal.

This was all a whole new experience to me.

‘Amen,’ she said before she stood up and she turned to look at me. I stood up a little straighter as Nora was coming at me, her face was serious before she slapped me.

What. The. Hell?!

I touched my cheek that was just got slapped by her. I blinked my eyes before I was looking at her, properly this time. Her eyes were red as if she was crying and her cheeks were wet. I don’t know why but I think I can have a guess.

‘You did this! You killed them!’ she accused me, pointing her finger at me as I sighed. I rubbed my cheek that was still stung from her slap. Man, this woman was really something else.

‘And why would I do that?’ I asked her as Nora was breathing hard right now. Her chest was rising and falling in front of me in the most sensual way.

I know I should not notice but I did and it was a bad timing as well. The poor woman was crying and weeping for her dead parents, honestly!

‘I don’t know. Perhaps you will more control of my father’s company and you just have to marry me in order to get it before you staged their deaths. You are an imbecile, slimy wanker—‘ she said as she was ready to strike again. This time, I prepared.

I took her hand before it can hit my face as well as I stepped back before her foot can kick me. I pushed her against the walls before Nora was screaming colorful curses at me. If anything, a sailor would be shame to hear her right now.

That was some spicy curses that I never thought a woman knows.

‘Are you done?’ I asked her as she was looking at me, breathing hardly. I was looking at her red face that was full of freckles and her blue-green eyes were burning.

Burning with hatred for me, that’s for sure.

‘Okay, so you think that I will be having an ulterior motive to marry you which is the total control of your father’s company and I killed him in order to get all the shares?’

‘I know you will be a despiteful person!’ she shouted as I was gripping her hands tighter. She was struggling before I was trying to make sure that she will stay still.

‘That’s pretty interesting when I don’t even want that stupid company. All I need was—‘

Nora laughed humorlessly before she was narrowing her eyes at me. ‘All you need was that to get me to sleep with you and this marriage will be in truth. I don’t think I ever despise a person so quickly than you!’ she hissed at me as I looked at her. She was writhing under my grips before I was looking at her.

‘Like I said before, I will not be sleeping with you. If anything, you turn my stomach to acid for you’re not my ideal type,’ I said with disgust before Nora’s eyes flared to mine.

‘Good, now can you let me go? I cannot stand to be with you in the same room,’ she said before I stepped and released her. She was rubbing her wrists, which were red by the way, because of my grips. Now I felt sorry for her.

No, you should not. She is not your Cornelia. You’re just happened to be reincarnated into this body that was supposed to be marrying her. That’s all. I thought as I was looking at her. Nora glared at me before she went away as she was walking out the library. I looked at her retreating figure and sighed as I was rubbing my mouth.

Why do the fucking prophecy has to be telling me that I will have to find a woman and married her before I can find my Cornelia. If anything, that’s bullshit. If I be perfectly honest.

I went to the decanter and poured myself a drink as I know that I will be needing a lot of them.

Lots and lots of drinks to dull this pain in my chest for having the worst fate in my reincarnation ever.

Nora McCarthy’s POV

I went out of the room as I was looking at the portraits that told me Logan O’Sullivan was a man of power. A man with wealth. When I think about it, I know that he did not need to kill my father to be a wealthy man.

He was already one.

I took a deep breath as I was rubbing my hands through my hair, trying to make sure that I was not dreaming. Only a couple of months ago, I was talking to them at the dinner table. I was listening to their banter and I was feeling the warmth of my mother’s never ending fairytale dreams or my father’s strict voice.

God, I missed them. I missed them so much that I was falling to my knees in front of the portraits of Logan’s family tree. I felt the tears were coming down from my cheeks and I was gasping for air.

Oh God, I did not even say I love them. And the fact that they’re gone now…

My heart ached for the family that I only knew. I don’t know why I was being stubborn to not go home when my father told me that he has arranged a marriage for me that I ended up marrying him because I don’t want my family to be homeless.

And now, I was all alone.

No family, my friends were not truthful and I have a husband that I knew nothing about. He might be a serial killer for all I knew.

But his gentleness in handling my anger…my heart was aching for his touch as my wrists were throbbing for it. I don’t know why in that moment when I was breathing hard and trapped inside his hands, I was turned so.

So much turned on.

I shook my head as I know it was only a trick. A hormonal need that I have to ignore. Not until I discover who was the real person. Or whether I can trust Logan O’Sullivan truly or not. I made up my mind and I will go forth with this idea of mine.

I will find my father’s killer and my reluctant husband will be helping me out.