Thanatos froze. Electricity seeming to flow through his entire body as Evie repositioned herself on his lap. His hands found their way into her hair, and he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. She groaned slightly in his mouth, her body responding to every touch. His own feeling like it was in overdrive for a moment, he allowed himself to be lost in the frenzy.
*What the fuck are you doing? *
His brain finally kicked back in. Thanatos gripped her shoulders pulling her away from him. Her eyes slowly opened, and he couldn’t help but be slightly taken back at how dark her green orbs looked, the lust in them evident. He glared at her, pushing her off him.
“Who the fuck told you, you could kiss me?”
“You did,” she said straightening herself, matching his glare with her own.
“I told you to go kiss your…” his words trailed off as he processed what she said before her lips collided with his.
*Hi Soul Tie*
She crossed her arms to her chest, “That’s right. You’re my Soul Tie.”
“Dearie if that’s the case, you must be a glutton for punishment,” Cybrus announced lightly chuckling.
Thanatos stood from his chair and looked at her. “You heard the man.” he walked down the steps, preparing to exit the room, “Me with a Soul Tie…ridiculous.”
Evie didn’t respond, but through her facial expression, Thanatos knew he'd made his point.
“Are you sure he’s your Soul Tie?” Nyx asked her, in a way that made it clear she already knew the answer. Evie had no doubt before and after that kiss, she knew more than ever he was the one. She nodded her head, and Nyx sighed, “Honey…I’m not sure you know WHO Thanatos is.”
“Death,” she responded, causing Nyx and the king’s mouths to drop.
“Then you know that him being your Soul Tie is not possible.”
“Does the same apply to him?” Evie pointed towards Prince Romulus.
“She has a point mother. If it’s possible that I have a Soul Tie, so can Thanatos.” He smiled his kid-like smile at Evie, and she immediately smiled in return. “I have a strong suspicion that we’re going to be good friends.” His eyes seem to beam.
“So do I.”
King Cybrus interrupted their conversation, his words laced with his displeasure. “Romulus having a Soul Tie is different! Romulus gives life, while Thanatos destr-”
“I wouldn’t finish that statement if I were you,” Nyx interrupted her husband. “I’ve had just about enough of you taking digs at our son. It’s not his fault who he is, and you know it.”
Cybrus muttered something under his breath but made sure his wife couldn’t hear it. She turned to Evie. “I will be honest with you. Thanatos isn’t known to be the nicest man.”
“Oh! It gets worse than that display just now?”
A laugh escaped her mouth, “I will also be honest in the fact that I’ve never seen my son display both annoyance and desire for someone within a mere few minutes.” She placed her hand under her chin, “I’m inclined to think you are indeed his Soul Tie.”
Romulus stood and joined us by his mother’s side, his pale blue eyes almost dancing. “She’s his Soul Tie mom, I can feel it.” He kissed her on her temple, and Evie could hear King Cybrus scoff.
“With all due respect, you really have no idea what you’re getting yourself into with that one.”
Her skin prickled. He was getting on her last nerve and though she didn’t know Thanatos well, she still didn’t like his father’s blatant disrespect. She sized him up and her eyes cut into slits, “With all due *respect* your majesty…I’m going to enjoy finding out.”
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The crisp night air calmed Thanatos’s nerves as he made his way around the courtyard of his brother’s mansion. They were only four years apart, but polar opposites in every way he could think of. Romulus’s place, so full of light, bright colors, and constant movement, while he much preferred the solitude and darker nature of his home.
Thanatos took in the white lilies framing the pathway leading to a large fountain. He dipped his hand into its water, the coolness aiding in dispelling the last of the electric spikes that refused to leave his body. With the taste of Evie’s lips still haunting him, he splashed his face with the water as well.
*Snap the fuck out of it*
Looking up to the sky, his mind wandered. There’s no way in hell she could be telling the truth but what was her angle? The entire interaction frustrated him. Being the last of the necromancers guaranteed her safety, so why pretend to be his Soul Tie? Images of her body molded into his danced in his head.
“Fuck…I need to get home.”
A snap of a twig caused his eyes to dart towards the darkness of the courtyard.
“Stop being a little pussy and help me with this before they see,” someone whispered.
The pungent smell of blood wafted through Thanatos nose, inviting him to take a closer look. Creeping quietly, he moved towards the sound of the rustling leaves feeling that whatever was bleeding was barely holding on. Its impending death pulling forth a stir of emotions within him.
“Wh-Why did you have to kill it?” A smaller voice said to the other.
For a brief moment, there was silence, only to be interrupted by the sound of a hand colliding with a face.
“DON’T YOU EVER QUESTION ME. DO AS YOU’RE TOLD!” The larger voice barked. Thanatos felt his eyes blacken as his senses took over and evaluated the impending scene.
“Tie up its legs.”
“I-I don’t want to.”
“YOU WEAK LITTL-”
Thanatos caught the large man’s hand in mid-air as it prepared to strike the woman standing near him for the second time. Digging his claws deep into his wrist, the man writhed in agony letting out a howl as blood began to trickle from the wound. Releasing him, the man scurried away from Thanatos and it was at that moment Thanatos noticed the fawn lying at his feet. Its shallow breath and glassy eyes called to him. The blood from the deep claw gash to its chest slowly taking its lifeforce.
“Don’t move,” he said to the large man and his companion before turning his attention back to the dying animal. Reaching down, Thanatos stroked its head, and its breath immediately began to slow down. Its eyes never left his, its pain tearing at him with each labored inhale it took.
“I release you.” he said, allowing a black mist to escape from his mouth and travel in the air to hers. As the mist seeps in, the fawn lifted its leg, placing it gently into his hand. He smiled, “You’re welcome, my friend.”
With one more exhale, the animal died. Rage permeated through his skin so thick he wondered if those around could see it.
“You killed this animal for sport?” Thanatos said standing, locking eyes with the culprit.
The pain from his grasp caused the man to shift into his wolf form. With his fangs protruding from his mouth, his yellow eyes stared at the reaper wildly, “I-I wasn’t thinking.”
“Yes, you were.” A deep laugh resonated inside Thanatos, “You were thinking that because you’re a werewolf the rules of decency don’t apply to you even though-” I turned to look at the female beside him, “Your mate here tried to warn you.”
The fear etched on their faces both angered and excited him, “Your mate will not survive this…but you…count this as your only free pass.”
She looked at him, the fear dissolving and another emotion he couldn’t understand replaced it.
“Thank you,” she said in a soft voice, before darting farther into the darkness not once looking back.
“She couldn’t get away from you fast enough.” He teased lifting the werewolf from the ground, “Do you know who I am?” Too terrified to speak, he only nodded. “Then you know your death will not be merciful.” Thanatos threw the werewolf against the tree, watching as he landed in a heap to the ground.
“Am I interrupting something?” Evie’s soft voice called over his shoulder sending prickles onto his neck.
“This doesn’t concern you.”
“Anything that concerns my Soul Tie, concerns me.”
He whipped around to face her, his eyes black as night, “I’m not your fucking Soul Tie.”
She took a step back slightly but didn’t run away, “So you felt nothing when you kissed me?” Her brow raised as she waited for his answer.
“Don’t overthink a kiss Poppet, you’re not my first.”
A smirk played on her lips, “But I’ll be your last.”
“Oh, you’re one of those huh?”
“One of what?”
“One of those women who think their innocence can soothe the beast inside the demon?” He laughed, “Hate to break it to you, this isn’t a fairytale, and you won’t get that happy ending.”
Evie took a step towards him, her eyes gleaming under the moonlight. She bit the side of her lip. “Do I look innocent to you?”
The way her red dress drew sinful lines around her curves made him want to shout a resounding
*No*
But her sweet eyes, and angelic face, make him second guess his intuition. As if she could hear his thoughts, she walked around him and stood across from the wolf. Upon seeing her he stood, his large body towering her. Thanatos motioned for the werewolf’s body to rise from the ground, placing him into a paralyzing trance. Slowly, he drew a vertical line in the air. The further the line travels the more the cut is imitated onto his body causing it to tear in two. Evie's eyes widened as she watched Thanatos calmly divide the werewolf while he screamed in agony.
He laughed at her reaction, “Still Think I’m your Soul Tie poppet?”
Evie tilted her head slightly and reached under the right side of her dress. Pulling out a dagger she tosses it into the dying man landing it with perfect precision into his right leg. Stunned, Thanatos released him from his trance, letting his body fall to the ground.
“Thank you,” the wounded criminal manages to get out and Evie smiles.
“I want my knife back.” She pulled the dagger from his leg and inserted it with all her might into his chest.
Dragging the blade downward, she creates a gash that resembles the one he’d given the fawn. As she painted her hands with his blood before inserting the blade back into the hidden sleeve on her leg, a slew of emotions coursed through Thanatos. The mixture of smells and the sight of the excitement in her eyes as she carved the wolf caused his manhood to throb against the hem of his pants. Without another word she walks past him, stopping only once she was almost out of view.
“See you at home Soul Tie.”
“What? You’re not coming to my house.”
“Your mother gave me the keys.”
He huffed loudly, “You’re not coming to my house,” he repeated.
Evie turned and sauntered back towards him, her movements sinful, and he immediately cursed to himself for not letting her just walk away. Grabbing two fist fulls of his tux jacket, she lifts herself onto the balls of her feet, watching in amusement as he fought the urge to kiss her again. Poking out her bottom lip, she used the voice that sent chills up his spine the first time he heard it.
“But Reaper, I thought you said this was the part where my Soul Tie totes me home and fucks each and every hole I have?”