The Throne of Broken Gods (Gods & Monsters, #2)

by Amber V. Nicole

“Yup, this was supposed to be a date.” His eyes gleamed, his throat bobbing nervously as if he had been waiting to hear those exact words. “A date?”

You cannot be within an inch of Kaden without your powers. Not because I think you are weak, but if he hurt you again, touched you, I’d level the world.”

“Just let me stab him. Once.” “Dianna.” He said my name as a warning.

“Fine.” “That’s it? You’ll let me.” He picked up his spoon and took another bite. “Sure. You may deliver your final blow once I am done with him. I’ll make sure I’ve incapacitated enough that he cannot hurt you if your powers are not back. Will that suffice?” My lips twisted in a smirk. “You’re cute when you’re homicidal.” He made a noise low in his throat. “Do not be mean, then flirt with me.” “Why? It’s our whole dynamic.”

“Dianna,” he paused, seeming to gather his words, “there is no life with you in it that would be horrible. Horrible is living without you.”

“I need you to understand what you’re doing. What you are asking for. I know what I said before about you using me, but I lied. The second I touch you, once I take you completely, there will be no other. I will not share you. There will be no other lovers. I am not Kaden. I will demand you and only you. Do you understand? You mean too much to me. If we do this, you are mine, and I will not share you.”

FOAMING AT THE MOUTH!!!!!

“You deserve to be worshiped like the goddess you are,” he said, pressing another kiss to my brow. “I’m not a goddess.” “You are mine.”

“Gods above, if I had my powers right now, I’d incinerate you for teasing me.” I looked down at him. “There’s my girl,” he growled, his voice rough with desire.

“I want the words, my Dianna. Tell me what you like.”

OH MY GOD

It was Samkiel. It had always been Samkiel.

Hurt? Pain? All fleeting, all temporary. But this, what I felt for him? That was eternal.

“Dianna, baby.”

“I can barely breathe without you, Dianna.”

“You are very special to me. No one feels like you. No one else can ruin me so completely. I know without a doubt that if I had an amata, even if they were alive today, I’d still choose you. It will always be you, Dianna.” I felt tears prick my eyes. “Destiny be damned?” “You are better than any destiny.”

Time did not seem to exist when I was with Dianna.

He caught me looking and smiled. “You know you don’t have to ask. Come join me,” he said, temptation itself. “I already showered. You’re the one who got home late.” I placed the cloth down and turned toward him, leaning back against the counter. Suddenly, every bit of his attention focused on me. He stilled, water flowing over the carved muscles of his chest and thighs. “What?” I asked, cocking my head. “Home?” he asked, his voice husky and low, but I heard him. I hadn’t even thought about it. The word had slipped out easily. I stared into the deep gray of his eyes and realized that he had become my home. I didn’t bother trying to hide it. I was a terrible liar, anyway. “That’s what it feels like with you.” He smiled as if I’d just handed him a priceless gift.

You’re a protector, a guardian, and,” I reached up and wrapped my hand around the back of his neck, pulling him down to me as I went to my tiptoes, “my best friend.” A smile lit his face, chasing the shadows from his eyes. I ran my thumb against his jaw. “I liked everything until that last part,” he said. It took a moment for it to register. “Oh, gods, the friend word? Still?” I pushed playfully at his face. He shrugged one of those powerful shoulders and slid his hand down my back to pull me closer. “Call me something else.” “Hmm. Egotistical? Self-righteous. Demanding?” His eyes narrowed. “Don’t look at me like that. Who

“Okay. I just wish I had my powers. Maybe I could go with you and incinerate them if they try to keep you.”

“Suck me, Dianna.” I smiled, his cock resting against my lips. “No.” His groan sent molten heat to my core. “Please.” I ignored him, flicking my tongue once more. “Do you wish for me to beg? I’ll beg.” Samkiel panted. My hand stroked him idly, continuing my torture. “Kings don’t beg.” His hips thrust helplessly. “I will for you.” “Yeah?” I asked. My grip tightened at the base of his cock, flicking my tongue teasingly against his shaft. “Yes,” Samkiel hissed. “Tempting, but no.”

I wanted him to know, to see, that even if I could not say the words he so desperately wanted, he owned me, mind, body, and soul.

“That’s it, baby. Say my name. Tell me who makes you feel this good. Tell me who you belong to.”

Oh. My. God.

“You know, if this god thing doesn’t work out, you could also have a career in party planning.” He chuckled, low and deep. “It is perfect,” he said, but he didn’t look at the lights or the arrangements, just at me.

Awwww

You led me out of my darkness, Dianna. Now let me lead you, or I can follow you into the dark, but there is no me without you. Not anymore. Do you understand?”

I fixed the back straps of the tiny black dress I had Samkiel make me. I told him he could only look and not touch until later since he forbade me from killing Vincent. He claimed I was torturing him and got me back by wearing a button-up white shirt and dark slacks that fit too fucking well.

I love them

I know if anyone ever hurt him, family or not, I would rip them to pieces and sleep like a baby afterward.

I placed my glass down on the thick stone wall and rubbed my hands together. Reggie’s eyes darted toward them as if searching for something.

The mark! Hes looking for the mark!

Xavier leaned against the railing next to me, and we watched the others in the kitchen. Cameron made some weird gesture and Imogen laughed. Vincent rolled his eyes behind them, all of them gathering snacks. Samkiel, as always, looked for me. He saw who I was with and stayed with Logan and Neverra.

This is so sweet. They are a family

Samkiel is kind, sweet, and very caring. He is good and doesn’t deserve to be treated like that. Not by me, not by family, not by anyone.” Xavier didn’t even flinch, his eyes tracking Cameron. He held the plate out toward me. “I understand.” I picked up the fork and cut the rich cake, taking a bite. “Sunshine,” he said. I nodded as we watched the two people we knew we couldn’t live without. “Sunshine.”

I went back inside and placed the picture on the mantle beside the one of Gabby and me at the beach. I had moved it downstairs so she could be a part of our home.

“Are you in love with him?” I asked. “What?” “Are you marrying him because you’re in love with him, or are you settling?” “Oh, fuck off, Cameron.” “Are you in love with him?” I shouted, emotion out, ruling me harder than any storm Samkiel could conjure. My heart broke when he didn’t answer. He stared at me. Please, my heart begged, it cried, it screamed. Please don’t be in love with him. Please. “It doesn’t matter.” He dropped his gaze from mine.

“You’re late,” I said, feeling him stop behind me. “I got here as soon as I could.” The music began slowly at first as everyone got settled in. “Hmm,” I said, turning to face him. “Nice suit, Vincent.” Vincent came to my side, as tense now as he was when he first started working for me.

WHAT THE FUCK?!!!!

“Did you know? You said turning her would prevent that. Killing her fraudulent sister was to prevent that. Do you have any fucking idea⁠—” “The mark is not on her finger. You overreact like a child would.” His eyes popped open, all six of them. “I have seen a multitude of possibilities, their bonding being the least likely. The time shall still pass.”

The betrayal!!!

“Good fucking girl.” He groaned as he leaned forward, fisting a handful of my hair.

Ahhhhh. I NEED THAT

This was what I needed, what I wanted. To be completely owned by Samkiel, belonging to no other.

Me too girl

“Do you want to come?” I nodded and whimpered, feeling his hand flex against my throat. “Beg me for it.” “Please,” I cried, but his thrusting slowed, and that release I wanted slipped further from my reach. “You can do better than that.” “Samkiel!” I screamed,

“There is no force in this world or the next strong enough to keep me from you. Do you understand?”

“But if you don’t come back, I’ll have to destroy the world or do something drastic, and who is going to clean up that mess?”

“She is beautiful. Is she yours?” “Yes.”

“Yes, yes, everyone is upset because I found someone I want to spend my life with.

“Kaden was more than a general to him?” The Higher One nodded. My hands fisted. “A lover?” “No.” She smiled widely and shook her head, her dark hair spilling over her shoulders. “A son.”

WHAT?!?

The Higher One looked at me curiously. “Who? Your amata?” My heart stopped. “My what?” “Your amata. You know, this beautiful being,” she said, gesturing toward the facade of Dianna she wore. “You know, I really thought The Order killed her as an infant, but here we are. Kind of funny, huh? She’s definitely your type, though.” My entire world shifted.

I KNEW IT!

I had one. It was Dianna. It was always Dianna. Every thought, every feeling I had for her since the day I met her, why she touched every part of me, why I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Everything fell into place as if I had found a key to a puzzle, and everything finally made sense. It was deeper than love in mortal terms. Dianna was part of my soul.

My last thought was of him. It was always him.

Awe he loves him so much

“You better hope I don’t get out of this. I will kill you both if he dies.”

“Where. Is. She?” I snarled, the sound so primal the room shook, and the symbols encasing me vibrated. Everyone took notice. Even Kaden paused for a split second.

When existing seemed too much, long before she came into my life.

She pulled at the ends of the off-white flowy dress as she swayed. “We don’t really have a form where I am now, but I remember we wore matching dresses when we went to⁠—” Her words ended on a grunt as I grabbed her, my arms wrapping around her so tight not even I could breathe. My head rested on her shoulder, parts of her hair tickling my nose, and her smell, gods, that smell. I had forgotten the way she smelled. The last scent I had of her was cold and empty, with death already gripping her. Her arms wrapped around me, and I squeezed tighter.

im sobbing

Love fearlessly and blindly, but love nonetheless.

My last dying thought as that blade came closer was not the cruel grins of my enemies or the traitorous family that stood around me. No, it was of her. Dianna.

I knew that even in death, I’d find no peace in the afterlife, for there was no peace without her.