Touched By Sin: A Dark Paranormal Romance (Sins of The Fallen Book 1)

“Wake up, little angel.”

Aching everywhere from sleeping on the uncomfortable couch, I blink my eyes open. Three sets of dark eyes peer down at me. I scramble back, my heart thundering to life.

“Did you sleep well?” Ronan asks, reaching out to slide my hair from my face. I bare my teeth, and they laugh at me as Ronan pats my cheek hard. “Feeling feisty this morning?”

I grind my teeth but don’t offer a reply.

Daemon throws something at me, and it lands on my chest. “Put these on.”

When I don’t move, he sighs. “It’s clothes. Like these.” He points to the dark fabric he wears on his body. “This is a T-shirt, and these are jeans.” Gesturing impatiently at the material in my hands, he looks at me expectantly. “Put them on.”

I don’t move. They exchange glances, and Ronan tries hard not to laugh, causing my cheeks to heat with embarrassment.

“Like these.” Alaric flaps his T-shirt.

Losing patience, Daemon shoulders past him and grabs the lumps of fabric on my chest. He forcefully pulls one over my head, guiding my arms through the holes. It’s long, falling mid-thigh. “It’s a dress.”

“A dress?” I ask, peering up at him.

“Yes, a fucking dress! And these are a pair of panties.” He dangles a flimsy piece of fabric in front of me.

He’s so attractive, he’s hard to look at.

They all are.

“You told me not to hide from you.”

His dark eyes collide with mine. “I don’t want other men looking at you.” Crouching down in front of me, he helps me put on the silk panties before rising to his feet. I follow him with my gaze as he walks out with his dark wings tucked behind him. They’re so big that they almost trail the floor.

“Brush your hair,” Alaric orders, handing me a hairbrush. At least this is something I’m familiar with. I accept it and set to work on the tangly knots.

“You’re coming to school with us today.” Ronan lights a cigarette and blows a cloud of smoke at the ceiling.

“It’s dark outside,” I point out.

“You’re in the underworld. It’s always dark here.”

“Oh.”

“Yes, oh.”

The embers spark bright orange as he takes a deep drag, peering at me with his curious dark eyes. “You’re a virgin, but have you ever had a boyfriend?”

“What’s a boyfriend?” I ask, making them chuckle.

Alaric clasps my chin hard, bringing his face close to mine. “I bet you’ve never been kissed either.”

My lips tingle at his words. I shouldn’t like how rough he is. No one has ever touched me like this before, not before last night.

“I bet your pouty little lips have never tasted a man’s.” His cruel smile and the knowing glint in his eyes are my undoing. I try to squeeze my thighs together discreetly, but he notices.

Smirking, he brushes his thumb over my mouth. “We’ll have so much fun with you.”

Ronan continues smoking as Alaric walks out the door and shuts it with a soft click. I don’t dare move off the couch while he watches me through the tendrils of smoke. I’m painfully aware of the fabric against my skin and how it has ridden up my thighs. His dark eyes drink me up, tracing my every curve and lingering in forbidden places.

When he’s done smoking, he crushes the cigarette beneath his boot, clasps my arm, and drags me off the couch. “It’s time to go.”

“Where to?” I ask.

He hauls me into the hallway and down a set of stairs. The stone walls are lined with flickering torches that light our way, casting shadows along the walls. Beneath my feet, the steps are icy cold and I shiver.

“There are certain rules we expect you to adhere to when we leave here.” His voice is deep and raspy as he digs his fingers into my neck. I fight the tingle that threatens. The others wait for us by the bottom of the stairs, their dark, hungry eyes tracking my every step.

Daemon moves forward. “You’re ours now and we get to do with you as we fucking please, do you understand?”

A blush creeps up my neck as anger rises within me thick and fast. It’s a feeling I’ve only ever read about, as mythical as the boys in front of me. I glare at him, and he glowers back.

“Do you understand?” he asks tersely again.

I close the small distance between us. Behind me, my wings ache to stretch out and show him I’m not scared. I follow that instinct, and the fire that flickers in his eyes burns brighter when my wings unfold.

“I am not yours!”

In one swift motion, his hand shoots out and grabs me by the throat.

My wings snap shut.

“I can still taste your sweet pussy on my lips, little angel. Let’s not pretend you don’t want me to taste you again.”

Behind me, Ronan and Alaric chuckle darkly.

“I hate you!” I snarl, surprised by the violent emotion.

Hate…

It’s unlike any other emotion. Volatile and destructive, like a tornado in a trailer park. I want to hurt him while he begs for more. I want to claw his eyes out. I also want to climb him like the tree I used to scale as a young girl to look over the wall at the forest beyond.

His eyes flicker with danger and his smile grows. “Never felt anger before, beautiful girl? Tell me,” he taunts, breathing against my lips. “Are you wet? Greedy for cock? Want to feel your tight little virgin cunt stretched to its limit? Hate sex is the best.”

My wings are out again, and his unfolds to match mine. His wide smile is taunting, knowing.

“You can’t beat me,” he whispers, squeezing my throat while skimming his fingers up my thigh, beneath my dress. The slide of his touch over my damp panties causes me to gasp into his mouth. Daemon snatches up my lip, sucking on it until my legs threaten to give out. “No looking at other boys,” he warns, snaking his fingers inside my panties. “If I catch you flirting with another boy, I’ll make you regret it, understood?”

My hips rock forward, seeking the reward building slowly inside me when he rubs my clit. The same warm, fuzzy feeling that stole my breath last night.

A hand behind me slides over my wing, tracing the curve. “They’re so white.”

Daemon doesn’t look away from my face as he says, “When we’re done with her, the color of her wings won’t matter. She’ll be corrupt beyond repair. Her precious Heaven won’t want her back.”

My eyes roll to the back of my head, and just when I’m about to be swept out to sea and drowned in his magical touch, he steps away. I’m unsteady on my legs, swaying on the spot. Strong hands grip me from behind, and a set of soft lips whisper in my ear, “Watch.”

Daemon looks me in the eye while licking me off his fingers. I shiver as they disappear into his mouth before slowly sliding back out. “So fucking delicious,” he drawls, moving forward again, patting my cheek with his damp digits. “Be a good girl today, and we’ll take care of that ache later.”

He’s right—my pussy throbs with need. I want to beg him to finish what he started and put me out of my misery with his forbidden touch and filthy words, but I clamp my mouth shut instead. I’m a goddamn angel. I am pure. Or I was until last night, a voice inside my head whispers.

“Let’s get this show on the road.” Ronan walks past and opens the door for us. He smiles at me on my way out. “Don’t look so angry, little angel. Would you rather we keep our new toy locked away in the tower?”

“I can’t believe we caught a fucking angel,” Alaric drawls behind me as we set off down the gravel path.

Daemon walks ahead of us, the embers of his cigarette glowing orange in the darkness.

“I know,” Ronan responds. “The others will be so fucking jealous.”

“Hey, Daemon. What did your dad say when you told him about the angel?”

Daemon turns and walks backward, his muscles straining against his dark T-shirt. Lowering the cigarette from his lips, he blows out a thick cloud of smoke. “He wants to see her for himself when he returns.”

“Uh-oh,” laughs Alaric, shoving me forward a step with his hand on my back. “Do you hear that, sweet thing? You’ll meet Daddy dearest soon. Daemon’s father is not someone you want to upset.”

I release a laugh. “You’re so cliche!”

He side-eyes me with a smirk. “Why’s that?”

“Well, think about it. Three bad boys abduct me in the woods late at night, and their fathers turn out to be these powerful men everyone fears.” I roll my eyes. “It’s cliche.”

Daemon’s low chuckle up ahead makes the hairs on my neck rise. “Your innocence is refreshing,” he says, his breath dancing in the wind.

Why is there a nip in the air here when it’s warm in Eden?

Ronan speaks up behind me, “Daemon’s father is one of the most powerful fallen angels here. It’s why Daemon’s wings are so big.”

“I know how wingspan works,” I snark, earning me another shove from Alaric.

“Shut that pretty mouth of yours, or I’ll put it to good use.”

The scary part is that my heart picks up speed at his threat. These boys make me feel alive in a way I didn’t know was possible. This exhilarating fear is the feeling I craved when I snuck out through the gates.

“You said one of the most powerful angels. Who else?”

Daemon plays with a fireball in his hand as we keep walking. It’s Ronan who speaks. “Daemon’s cousin Dmitriy. Their dads are both equally powerful.”

“Right,” I drawl, “just when I thought it couldn’t get any more cliche, we climb to new heights.”

The boys gather around me as we reach a break in the trees. “Why don’t you fly in Eden?” Alaric asks me, slowly unfolding his wings behind him.

I turn in a circle, watching their impressive wings block out the forest. “I-I don’t know. I’ve never flown.”

“You’ll soon learn,” Daemon promises, stepping up to me and sliding his arm around my waist. We shoot up into the sky, and I gasp with surprise. The treetops spread out beneath me like a green blanket in the darkness.

I circle my arms around Daemon’s neck and wrap my thighs around his waist, hanging on for dear life like a spider monkey with my nose buried in his neck. If I look down, I’ll scream. His chest vibrates with chuckles, and his powerful wings slice through the air with every shift as we soar through the sky.

“You can look down. I won’t let you fall.”

I shake my head, clinging on tighter. I’m never looking down. If I do, I’ll panic and lose my grip, despite his promise not to let me fall. The wind in my wings tickles, awakening something primal inside me, and the ache to spread them and have them carry me is overwhelming as they flutter open experimentally behind me.

“Have you never had the urge to fly?” Daemon asks. I like him like this: kind and curious. My response is a quick shake of my head against his neck. We don’t fly in Eden. What would have stopped me from flying over the wall if we did?

“How is she coping?” Ronan asks to my left, his voice laced with amusement.

“Better you than me if she pukes,” Alaric teases.

Daemon’s neck smells amazing, masculine and wild. If I could bottle his smell and give it a name, I would call it Bad Decisions. That’s what these fallen angels are—your mother’s worst nightmare. They’re the thief in the night that climbs in through your bedroom window to steal your innocence. What’s worse? You give it up freely.

I don’t know how long we fly before my feet finally touch solid ground. We’re not alone anymore, there are other young angels everywhere, dark and tall like my captors. In front of us is a tall stone building that reminds me of the castles from the fairytales back home. Four high towers and awnings. Stained glass windows and sharp-toothed gargoyles.

Eden is relatively small, while everything here is big. I’ve never seen so many students in my life before. Girls and boys watch me curiously. I shrug Daemon off and brush my hands down my dress, grateful to be covered. Everyone is naked back home, so being aware of my body and its nakedness beneath the thin layer of this dress is a strange sensation.

“Remember,” Daemon says, clasping the back of my neck, “you’re ours.”

A beautiful girl with long, raven hair saunters up to us, her hips swaying and her long hair moving in an imaginary breeze. Her eyes sweep down my body and her red-painted lips curl in disgust. “Who’s she?”

“Little angel, meet Dariana. She’s the resident bitch, so stay out of her way.”

The girl, Dariana, sneers at Ronan.

“Dari, the little angel is our new toy, so be nice to her. We found her walking the woods by herself last night.” Daemon sounds proud, his fangs gleaming in the moonlight when he flashes her a smile.

“She’s so bright.” Her nose scrunches up as she looks at me. “She shimmers.”

“That’s because she’s a true angel,” Alaric points out, walking ahead toward the castle.

Dariana’s dark eyes snap to me. “You stole an angel?”

Daemon shoves me forward with his hand on my neck. “What do you do when you find a shiny coin on the ground? You pick it up.”

Stumbling forward, I try hard not to fall on my face. It’s humiliating to be paraded around like this. I stand out with my white wings in a sea of black feathers and dark eyes. Next to Daemon’s olive skin, mine looks translucent and pale as snow.

“What are you going to do with her?” Dariana asks. Her instant dislike for me is palpable in the cool air. She had these boys to herself before they snatched me, and she dislikes the competition now that they have a new and more exciting toy.

“What we do with any other girl. Fuck her every hole and leave her ruined.” Daemon’s grip on my neck turns painful. He leans close and breathes me in. “But we’ll take our time with this one. Toy with her a bit before we discard her in the forest to fend for herself.”

“In the forest,” laughs Dariana. “They won’t let her back into Eden when you’re through with her. She’ll have no home.”

Daemon’s eyes are on me as he replies, “Well, then she better convince me to keep her. Isn’t that right, sweet angel?”

“Fuck you!” I hiss, tearing free from his grip. Dariana’s trill laughter turns heads, and curious eyes follow me as I storm inside the building with no clue where I’m going or why I’m here. More girls, wearing black dresses with thin shoulder straps that fall mid-thigh, join their little clique. They eye me with disdain as if I’m an insect they want to squash beneath their feet.

“Where are you going?” Alaric asks, slinging his arm over my shoulders. His smile is infuriating.

Another boy joins their group, eyeing me curiously before an easy smile finds his lips. “I’ve never seen a girl turn you down before.”

“That’s because girls don’t turn us down,” Ronan replies behind me. We’re in a large open hallway with a grand staircase leading up to the second and third floors. Students lean on the railing upstairs, looking down at us and whispering. I’m the fresh gossip, the splash of color in an otherwise bland existence.

An older man with a neatly trimmed beard descends the stairs. He does a double-take when he sees me. “Are my eyes deceiving me?”

Alaric’s smile is easy, but Daemon is tense as he takes up position in front of me.

“My, my, I haven’t seen an angel from Eden in a very long time,” the man says, walking up to us. “Care to explain why she’s here?”

“We found her in the forest.”

“Interesting,” the man says, drawing the word out. He drags his eyes down my body and then back up again. “Pray tell, why were you outside the gates?”

Is he talking to me? I look to the others for help, but they’re intent on the man in front of us. “Err? I was curious.”

His eyebrows shoot up. “Curious?”

“Who are you?” I ask.

Dariana sniggers behind me.

“Who am I?” the man asks me, giving Daemon a long sideways glance before clasping his shoulder. He smiles at me. “Daemon is my nephew.” The boy in question is stiff as a rod, and I get the sense he doesn’t care much for his uncle.

“What are you doing here?” Daemon questions the man, who chuckles and lets go of Daemon’s shoulder. “I came to see my son and nephew. I’ve been away for a few days.”

Daemon says nothing.

“Well, I better be going. It was lovely to meet you,” the man says to me, his smile too wide and sugary to be genuine. Daemon and Alaric watch him leave while Ronan scrolls on his phone.

“I don’t trust him,” Daemon growls, and Alaric nods in agreement. “I didn’t like how he looked at her.” They exchange a glance, communicating silently. I wish I knew what was going on inside their heads. Something tells me I’ll need to figure them out if I want a chance at escaping this place. Freya will be beside herself with worry by now.

Dariana shoots me a disgusted look as she walks past me with her friends. To the boys, she says, “See you in class.”

I watch them leave, secretly admiring their black feathers. The girls’ wings aren’t as big as the boys’, but the black feathers shine beneath the glow from the flickering torches on the walls.

A warm hand slides around the back of my neck, shoving me forward.

“I can walk without you pushing me everywhere,” I growl at Daemon, but he ignores me. His grip hurts and his jaw is tense as we walk up the stairs, then down a hallway lined with doors. Some are propped open, revealing classrooms. In Eden, we do all our lessons out on the soft grass. It’s warm back home, not chilly like here. Maybe that’s why our teachers don’t crowd us into cramped classrooms.

We enter one and find seats toward the back. Ronan pulls out a chair, sits down, and drags me onto his lap. His hand snakes beneath the table, possessively cupping my pussy through my dress. A whimper slips from my lips. His heated breath wafts over my ear when he chuckles. “Want me to touch you in front of everyone here?” The warmth of his hand leaves my pussy, only to slide over my skin as he inches my dress up my legs. My body lights up like fireworks, every nerve ending coming alive.

I try to wriggle off, but he bands his arm around my waist and continues his torturous journey toward my throbbing heat. The tips of his fingers ghost over my panties, and I jolt in his arms, my lips parting. I feel him smile against my ear. “Ignore everyone else. It’s just you and me here.”

It’s a little difficult to ignore the students flooding through the door and walking past our desk. But he’s right—I soon forget when his hand slides inside my panties.

“Ssshh!” he soothes. “Be quiet, beautiful. You don’t want the other students to realize I’m defiling you in the classroom, do you?”

Alaric knows exactly what’s going on as he snorts with amusement and shakes his head. “I thought I was cruel.”

Ronan laughs in my ear, his skilled fingers rubbing my aching clit in slow, mind-blowing circles. “She likes it.”

Before I stumbled upon these boys, I had never felt a sensation like it. I spread my legs beneath the table despite knowing this sinful act could see me banished from Eden.

“Feels good, huh?” he breathes, shoving a thick finger inside me. “Don’t make a sound, or I’ll stop.”

The slide of him against my inner walls… The full feeling and the slight sting from the stretch. I’m falling apart.

“Just put her out of her misery,” Daemon drawls, balancing on his chair’s back legs with his phone in his hand, looking bored and busy at the same time.

“I think I’ll torture her all through class,” Ronan chuckles as the teacher—a middle-aged woman with curly, dark hair and a flowy dress—enters the room. The minute her eyes land on me, she halts, pressing a hand to her chest. Alaric hides a laugh behind his closed fist, and Daemon doesn’t look up from his phone.

“What on Hell’s earth is that? An angel? Oh, boys,” she tuts, shaking her head tiredly, “you bring so much trouble to our lands.”

Daemon finally looks up and says in a slow, bored voice, “She left Eden of her own free will. The elders won’t lift a finger to get her back. Besides,” a slow smile curves his lips, “she’s already too defiled to be accepted back inside the pearly gates.”

My head snaps in his direction. Is that true? Am I no longer pure? Even as the thought enters my mind, I know I’m not. The slide of Ronan’s finger inside me and the flick of his thumb over my clit speaks the truth. But how can sin feel so good? I couldn’t ask Ronan to stop even if I tried. Not when he grinds down with the heel of his palm, whispering dirty words in my ear. Words I shouldn’t like so much. Words like, “Your tight virgin cunt squeezes me so well.”

Exasperated, the teacher shakes her head and walks up to the blackboard. The scrape of the chalk cuts through the silence while she mutters under her breath. I’m flushed, and my cheeks are blotchy with desire. I squirm on Ronan’s lap, in need of release. My core tenses and slowly melts as the pleasure builds between my legs.

“Good girl,” he praises, his hot breath dancing over the sensitive skin below my ear. “Keep nice and quiet for me.”

The teacher launches into a discussion about fire magic, but I can’t hear her as I climb higher and higher.

“You torture the girl,” Alaric says with a laugh.

“You know classes bore me, and this beats listening to Mrs. Avery.”

Just when I’m about to come, Ronan slides his hand out from my panties, leaving me trembling on his lap. “Not yet.”

What does he mean by ‘not yet?’ I’m so aroused, it hurts. The look I give him when I turn on his lap makes Daemon chuckle and place his phone down on the desk.

“Come here, beautiful,” he coaxes, leaning back in his chair, his legs spread wide, the bulge in his jeans visible. “I’ll take care of you.”

A boy at the front is conjuring a fireball or attempting to while Mrs. Avery instructs him. Daemon, Alaric, and Ronan make it look easy when they do it. My feet move on their own accord. I have no say in the matter. My body knows that the boy with the cruel smile and hellfire in his eyes can give me what I need. Daemon smirks, and Alaric stifles a laugh behind his hand when I slide onto Daemon’s lap, spreading my legs beneath the table.

I don’t care. All I can focus on is the heat of Daemon’s hard chest against my back and his big hand as he slides my panties aside. I ache. Fuck, how I crave release.

“What will you offer me in exchange for taking care of your needs?” he asks, his touch a little too rough.

I don’t reply, I’m too turned on to think straight. If I respond now, I’ll agree to shit I shouldn’t. His touch verges on pain. It’s a fine line to balance, and I’m close to slipping off. I need more.

“Answer me, beautiful.”

“No,” I choke out, and he smiles as he slides his other hand up to my throat. His fingers wrap around me and he whispers in my ear, “Then I won’t let you come. I’ll keep you teetering on the edge until you beg me on your knees to fuck you so hard that you forget your own name.”

“Oh, God,” I moan under my breath. The other students are throwing us curious glances, but I don’t think they’re wise about what’s going on. They’re too distracted by a real-life angel. I’m as much of a mythological creature from their fairytales as they are mine.

“You won’t want to leave Hell once I’m done with you.” His warm lips press against my cheek, and his grip on my throat tightens. “You’ll beg and moan on your knees for me to let you stay. I suggest you do as I say. Be a good girl, and I might consider it.”

“Fuck you,” I hiss through the drugging pleasure. “I’ll never beg.”

His hand disappears, and my eyes fly open. No, no, no. Why did he stop?

“Then I won’t let you come. None of us will.”

My swollen clit throbs with its own heartbeat, and my pussy feels empty. These feelings are new and foreign to me. I need the ache gone. I need to straddle Daemon and rub myself against the thick bulge in his jeans until the wave comes crashing against the shore.

“Daemon,” Mrs. Avery says, slowly walking up to us, her wings fluttering behind her. “Why don’t you show the angel how you conjure a fireball?”

I catch a whiff of my scent on his hand when he lifts it off my lap and clicks his fingers. A fireball sparks to life, and flickering flames dance in front of me, making me gasp. Daemon shifts his hand, and the fireball takes on the shape of a wolf howling at the moon.

Mrs. Avery glows with pride. “Well done, Daemon. Your powers are coming in nicely.

Powers?

She walks back toward her desk, her hands clasped behind her back. “Your powers all come in at different times. There’s no right or wrong. Some of you will be more powerful than others, and that’s okay. By now, you should all have the ability to conjure up hellfire at the click of a finger. This Friday, I’ll test you on it.” Her eyes find mine. “Well, almost every one of you will have the ability to manipulate hellfire.”

“You’re not born of Hell,” Alaric whispers, leaning in from across the aisle.

“Stating the obvious,” I comment drily, making the three of them chuckle.

When the class ends, they drag me out of the room and down a long, carpeted hallway. The walls are lined with lit torches and framed paintings of fallen angels, all with large, black wings that spread out behind them. Students whisper and snigger as we walk past. I duck my head, feeling embarrassed. Daemon’s grip on my arm doesn’t ease up. I’m sure I’ll bruise.

“What are you doing?” I ask when he pushes me into the bathroom.

He ignores me, roaring at girls by the sinks, “Get out!”

They scatter like a sea of cockroaches, and then we’re alone. Ronan checks that the toilet stalls are empty while Alaric flips the lock. Scanning my eyes around the spacious bathroom, I back away. There’s a large stained-glass window to my left and a small couch pressed up against the wall beneath it. The air smells citrusy. My lower back connects with the sinks, and I let out a small gasp. They stalk me, three predators sizing up their prey. There’s no escape. I would have to run past them to get out, but how far would I get before they caught up? Would I make it past the first corner?

“You look frightened,” Alaric says with a knowing smirk.

They’re in front of me now. Ronan reaches out to drag his thumb over my bottom lip. He pulls it away from my teeth, his eyes darkening. His touch is not gentle, and I realize I don’t want it to be. I want rough hands and the promise of hell that flickers in the boys’ eyes. My breath hitches and my nipples peak, straining against the thin fabric of my dress.

“What shall we do with her?” Ronan asks.

Daemon shoulders past him, grabs my hips, and lifts me up on the sink. He steps between my legs, sliding my dress up my thighs until it’s pooled around my waist and my damp panties are on display. His finger hooks the fabric, pulling them roughly aside. My heart trips over itself, my breath catching in my throat when the cool air hits my sensitive slit.

“Let’s torment her.”

He fists my hair at the same time he shoves his thick finger inside me. It hurts, but I want more. “Let’s steal the very last of her innocence.”

My body rocks on the sink as he rams his finger inside my pussy hard and fast. The burn soon shifts into pleasure, becoming something wild and untamed.

“I want to see her crawl on her fucking knees for us.”

My head falls back on a moan when he pulls my hair to expose my neck to his hungry lips and sharp fangs.

“When we’re done with her, she’ll be ruined for other angels. Isn’t that right, sweet angel?” he taunts, grabbing my chin and forcing my mouth back to his. He kisses me hard, drugging me with his scent and the punishing sweeps of his tongue.

Alaric nudges him out of the way and then takes his place, teasing my throbbing clit with his fingers. He flicks it once, twice, then thrusts his digit inside me until he’s knuckle-deep. “Look down,” he whispers. “See that?” He slides his finger back out, and I gasp at the slick arousal glistening in the soft glow from the torches on the walls. “That’s what we do to you.” He shoves back in, much rougher this time. “We dirty you up.”

“Oh, God,” I whimper, clutching his T-shirt. I’m burning up. Slowly but fucking surely, the flames of Hell crawl up my skin, torching my sanity.

“You’re in Hell now, little angel. There’s no God here. There’s only pleasure and sin, all the things your creator denied you of to keep you pure.” He chuckles, and the dirty sound sends tingles straight to my pussy. “Fuck pure! We want you on your back, moaning with your legs spread, ready to take our cocks like a good little angel whore.”

I don’t even notice him leave, but then, when a moment of clarity resurfaces, I gasp into Ronan’s mouth as he grips the back of my neck, crushing his mouth against mine. His fangs elongate, grazing up against my lip. I taste blood on my tongue, a rich coppery taste that makes him groan and lean back to slap my cheek—not hard, but with enough power behind the blow to stun me. I blink up at him, dazed. His lips come back down, and he fucks me with his fingers until all I can see and taste is him. His scent, his power, and his whispered, filthy words against my lips.

“That’s enough!” Daemon orders and Ronan steps back, leaving me wanting and breathing hard. They watch me with hungry eyes.

As I lower my gaze, I realize the top of my black dress is pushed down to reveal my small breasts. My nipples are hard points that beg for a warm mouth and a skilled tongue. My daze slowly evaporates like the morning mist. I flick my gaze between the fallen angels. “What’s happening?”

They take their sweet time answering. Daemon steps forward, sliding my dress back up to cover my breasts. “We’re teaching you a lesson, little angel.”

“A lesson?” I ask, trying to close my legs, but he pries them open and slides his fingers through my wetness. Holding his glistening finger up in front of me, he says, “If you want to come, you have to beg.” He prods my mouth with his slick digit, forcing me to taste myself on him. “You don’t get to come unless we let you. It’s a privilege you earn when you’re a good girl. Please us,” he whispers, watching me suck on his finger, “and we’ll reward you.”

As soon as his finger slides out, I bare my teeth and snap my legs shut. “You’ll never get me to beg.”

They don’t look surprised by my response. If anything, they look pleased, as if they enjoy the chase.

“As you wish,” Daemon replies with a smirk. They file out, and I stare after them, wondering what just happened.

Are they coming back? Am I free to go?

Is this a test?

My pulsing clit is momentarily forgotten as I slide my ass off the sink before padding softly over to the door. I ease it open and peer outside. There’s no sign of them anywhere, so I shut the door again and consider my options. This is too good to be true—they’re not letting me go this easily. It’s a test to see what I’ll do. But there’s no other way out unless I smash the stained glass. My only choice is to step into the hallway and see what happens, so that’s what I do.

Inching the door open, I join the other students on their way to class. I’m the only splash of white in a sea of black. Students stop to stare at me with a mixture of awe, curiosity, and weariness. The crowd parts, revealing Daemon and his friends leaning against the lockers that line the wall.

I bolt.

My feet thunder on the stone floor as I turn the corner and run down the next hallway. I don’t know which way is out, and I don’t know how I’ll ever find my way back home if I do make it out. It doesn’t matter. There’s only one thought going through my mind on loop: I need to escape the three fallen angels tormenting me.

As I round another corner, I collide with a hard chest and stumble back. Warm hands steady me. I look up into a set of chocolate-brown eyes.

“Hello there,” the boy says, his eyes sparkling with amusement as I jump back, looking behind me like a spooked rabbit on the run from the fox. Or in this case, foxes.

When I try to step past him, he stops me.

“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” He looks familiar, but my mind could be playing tricks on me. All the fallen angels look similar, with dark features and black clothing.

I try to escape past him again, but he circles his fingers around my wrist and pulls me closer to him. “Are you okay?”

I’m not okay. Three dark-winged angels are trying to capture me. I quickly shake my head, looking nervously behind me.

“Who are you running from?” he asks, drawing my attention back to him.

“Daemon, Alaric, and Ronan,” I reply, figuring everyone here knows who they are. His jaw hardens and he slides his hand into mine, then steers me into an empty classroom. The door shuts with a soft click. Nerves lock me in place as he places his finger over his lips, telling me without words to be quiet. Soon after, heavy feet thunder on the floor outside. Alaric’s deep voice drifts through, “Where the fuck did she go?”

Their footsteps fade away until the only sound is my pounding heartbeat. The boy’s concerned eyes come to mine, and it dawns on me that I’m locked in an empty classroom with a stranger.

“Are you okay?” he asks. “They didn’t hurt you, did they?”

“No,” I reply, relaxing somewhat. He seems kind, unlike everyone else I’ve met in my short time here.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I need to escape this place. I don’t know how to find my way out. All the hallways look the same,” I admit, feeling foolish.

He slowly walks up to me, his hands in his pockets. His broad shoulders and strong arms draw my eyes. Heat rises to my cheeks. Since I got here, I have noticed things about boys that I never did before.

“I’ll show you the way out,” he promises.

I light up with hope. “Really?”

He smiles. “Sure.”

My cheeks blaze red. I avert my gaze, fighting the urge to fidget. My body feels strange. Nervous and trembling.

“But we need to wait a while until they’re in class. They’ll find you if we leave now.”

“Oh, okay.”

“What’s Eden like?” he asks curiously, and a smile finds its way to my lips.

“It’s warm, and the sun is always shining. The colors…. So many flowers and greenery, you wouldn’t believe.” It saddens me to think I might never feel the sun warm my cheeks unless I make my escape and find my way back home. Even if flowers grew here, you wouldn’t see their varying shades of color because of the perpetual night.

“I’ve never seen the sun,” the boy admits.

“You haven’t?”

“No. It’s always night in the underworld.”

Curious about him, I inch closer, scanning my inquisitive eyes over the wings visible behind his shoulders. They’re big, which makes me think he’s not just any boy. Big wings are a sign of power and ability. He’s studying my wings too, and I suddenly feel insecure about my white feathers.

“After the fall, our wings turned as black as night to symbolize the true nature of our souls. Yours is still in its purest form.”

I don’t know about that, I think, sinking down on a desk next to him. My three tormentors are on a mission to corrupt me, and they’ve done a fine job of it in the short time I’ve been here. Why else would my eyes linger on the muscles in his arms or the sharp line of his jaw when he turns his head to scan the darkness outside the window?

“Is it true that you don’t know how to fly?”

“I don’t.”

His eyes collide with mine, and he studies me for a long moment before he says, “Unfold your wings.”

“Excuse me?” I blush harder.

“You don’t have to.”

My wings slowly unfold until I feel them stretch to their full length behind me. The boy’s eyes widen with curiosity. He rises to his feet and circles me. “Are your parents of high standing?”

“I don’t know who my parents are.”

The boy stops in front of me and frowns. “How is that possible?”

My wings slowly come down behind me, and I shrug. “No one knows their parents in Eden. We’re born of the Light.”

His eyes bug out and he makes a weird sound deep in his throat, like a cough or a choked laugh. “The Light?”

It sounds so stupid—I’m aware of that. I duck my head to hide my blush. “Can we talk about something else, please?”

Sensing my discomfort, he doesn’t push me for answers. His shoes appear in my vision, and he tips my chin up with his fingers. “Don’t hide.”

“Why are you being nice to me?”

His smile is soft, teasing. “Don’t you want me to be?”

“Things are different here. The people are… different.”

He nods as if that makes sense while I peer up at him from beneath my dark lashes.

“What’s your name?”

Just then, the door flies open.