Land of Monsters (Savage Lands #8)

Chapter 29

“Fuck, I’m exhausted.” Scorpion slunk down in the seat across from mine, his lids closing briefly. “I need a drink.”

“Yeah.” I nodded, feeling the train jerk as it pulled out of the Prague station. We had just finished a run from Budapest to Prague for Brexley’s uncle, and now were heading back. Besides the supplies, a few newly human-fae went to work with Mykel, looking for a new life.

Getting the victims of Sonya settled was one of the things bringing me solace lately. It felt good to see them thriving with their new powers, learning to adapt, finding a new home to settle into away from the horrors they went through.

However, not everyone in the tunnels survived that night, and a handful did not want our help, running off like they could escape the truth. But for the last three months, for those who did want help, I did everything I could to give them the chance.

I worked hard for Scorpion and Warwick, proving to everyone they could trust me again. Believe in me. I owed my family everything, and I threw myself into work. I picked up every job I could in Warwick and Scorpion’s “supply” business, keeping myself so busy I could ignore the ache in my chest. The pull to her that saturated my dreams and consumed the moments I let my mind wander.

Every second, the desire to go to her was outright painful, but the memory of letting Wesley die, knowing every one of those Primul had escaped that night, made me put my head down and work harder.

“Fuck, this train better be fast.” Scorpion shifted in his seat. “I need to get home to Hanna.”

“How is she?” I already knew the answer but felt Scorpion needed to get it out.

He huffed, his eyes going distant, running a hand through his hair. “Like she hasn’t been through enough,” he muttered, his hand rolling in a fist. “She has nightmares almost every night, though she tries to hide them from me.”

The mark on her neck never healed; the engraved P etched into her skin was just as red and vibrant as the day she got it.

A darkness fluttered over Scorpion.

“What?”

He exhaled and appeared to be debating whether to tell me.

“She calls out his name sometimes.”

“What?” My eyes popped. “Z’s?”

“Not in a sexual way. Like he’s tormenting her through her dreams.” He swallowed. “Like he’s calling to her.” He shook his head. “Probably just trauma from her past coming up again.”

“Yeah.” I pressed my lips together. Hanna had been through more than most. “I’ll make something to help her sleep. Take away her dreams.”

“Thank you.” Scorpion dipped his chin. I could see her hurt was breaking him into pieces.

“She’ll get through this. She is so fucking strong.”

“She is.” He nodded. “Okay, I think I’m gonna go get a drink. Want anything, you miserable pain in the ass?” He stood up, already walking toward the refreshment carriage.

I was here and working, but everyone saw how miserable I was without her.

“No.” I shook my head. I didn’t fully give up drinking, but I still hated how low they’d seen me, picking me up from the gutters. Plus, drinking made me want her more.

The slice of pain at the mere thought of her closed my lids, the train rattling down the tracks lulling me into my thoughts. My fingers rhythmically played with the two plastic objects in my jacket pocket, things I kept with me at all times, reminding me of her.

I told her I would come for her. It was the truth, but I needed to get my shit together. Set things right with my family. I had hurt them a lot. But the agony in my chest was getting too much to bear, and it was showing. If becoming part of her world was how I kept her, then that’s what I would do.

No choice existed for me now.

The scent of a flaky apple strudel and coffee filled my nose, and the rustling of someone sitting across from me opened my eyes. “That was fas—” I stopped and went still, but my heart felt like it was tumbling through my chest.

I blinked several times. No fucking way.

“You didn’t even shower, did you?” Her nose wrinkled, her gaze going over my jeans and t-shirt, dirty from moving cargo.

Shock dropped my mouth open, a sense of déjà vu rolling through me, but my brain wasn’t accepting the beautiful creature my eyes were taking in. She wore casual jeans and a V-neck t-shirt with no expensive earrings or charms this time. Just her. Nothing like the girl I sat across from back in December.

“What—” I sat up straight. “What are you doing here?”

“This time, it better not be because you spent the night in a brothel.” She ignored me, taking a bite of the strudel, a cheeky smile growing on her face. “At least not without me.”

The ache in my soul throbbed like a heartbeat, my body shaking with the need to touch her. “I better not be dreaming.”

“Why don’t you find out?”

“Raven,” I croaked, scrambling from my chair. I grabbed her, the coffee spilling on the floor as I yanked her from her seat and heaved her into me, my mouth crashing down on hers. Hunger vibrated my body with a growl, something in my soul settling in place. I devoured her, not caring about the young family a few seats away. Nothing else mattered more than having her in my arms again. “Fuck, I can breathe again,” I muttered against her lips before claiming them again. Her hands tangled in my hair, matching my intensity with her own. My fingers threaded through her glossy strands, cut a few inches shorter than before, as I reached for her face.

Staring down into her stunning eyes, I shook my head. “Seriously, what are you doing here?”

“I was tired of waiting.” She smirked. “So I came for you. My dweller is possessive. She doesn’t like not getting what she wants.”

I leaned over, my teeth nipping at the tendon in her neck, feeling her jerk under me, her dweller becoming submissive to me.

“Ash,” she whispered, and I smelled her wetness, her desire.

“How long do I have before you need to go back?” I muttered in her ear.

“As long as you will have me.”

“What?” I pulled back, my eyebrows knitting.

“I realized following in my mother’s shoes is not what I want. I want to be in the action, living life on my terms,” she said. “I sat down with my parents and told them I no longer want to be an active royal.”

“Wh-what?” I sputtered.

“They didn’t fight me because they saw I wasn’t happy.” She wrinkled her nose. “Though there were some compromises.”

“Compromises?”

“I finish school,” she stated. “But lucky enough, Budapest has a university I am very interested in.”

“Oh, really?” I couldn’t stop touching her.

“Yes, and I will have to do some international diplomatic things when the king and queen need me to step in, especially in dealing with both Romania and Russia.”

Both countries were in upheaval after their presidents were murdered. President Lazar and President Kozlov, along with their wives, were victims of Sonya. Many were trying to stake their claim and seize power, creating an even more unstable environment within the already turbulent countries. It was not going well for the innocent people just trying to live their lives.

“Yes, I hear from Killian there are a lot of issues with both countries. Might take a long time to work out. Like centuries. At least.”

“I heard even longer than that.”

“So, you are here. To stay?” My hands roamed over her figure. Fuck, she was stunning.

“Yes, but I think my father will be heading here to settle me into school. He mentioned wanting to speak with that fucking tree fairy trying to steal his daughter .” She nipped at my lips.

“If I can handle his daughter…” I tucked hair behind her ear. “I can surely handle him.” I couldn’t stop smiling, but I forced myself to, gazing down at her seriously. “You’re sure you’re okay with this?”

“You have given up and lost so much in your life.” She peered up at me. “I thought it was time someone sacrificed for you.”

“So going to school in the stunning city of Budapest, with no job, while getting fucked multiple times a day is a sacrifice?”

“A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.” She shrugged with a grin. She quickly went serious, her thumb sliding over my bottom lip. “Look, I don’t know what I want to do with my life right now. I just know whatever it is, it’s with you.”

“And what I want to do with my life… is you.” I pulled her in, my lips grazing hers. “You know how insatiable nature fairies are? We’re relentless.”

“Do you know how horny dark dwellers are? Ravenous.” She wrapped her arms around my neck.

I yanked out the pair of die from my pocket, the ones I had used on her in the brothel that one night. My lucky dice. Though Opie still was pissed I ruined his costume. He got me back, taking an extra chapter from the fae book to create a dress with a cape.

I twirled the die between my fingers, watching Raven’s mouth gape. “Is that…?”

“Yep.” I smirked. “Ready to take a gamble?”

“With you? Always.” Her mouth brushed mine. “You know, we never did end up fucking on a train.”

“We need to remedy that. Now.” I lifted her up, her legs wrapping around my waist as I headed for the caboose cart, not caring what thieves, killers, and criminals were among them, watching me fuck her hard in the hay, listening to her scream and cry out my name.

Because we were the baddest monsters there.

THE END!!!