The Never List

by Jade Presley

To the readers who always struggle to pick a favorite book boyfriend. Don’t worry—here, you’ll never have to choose. It’s okay to love them all.

The demis—descendants of those blessed by the goddesses—had fallen out of favor with the kings centuries ago, back when they’d each ruled over their own territories, like the Legends do now.

Ivy quickly dabs the brush against the spot at the base of my skull, covering the light, silvery mark that showed up when I was ten. The one that looks like a tiny cloud. The mark of a demi blessed by the goddess Neph.

But she abandoned us long ago, along with my friends’ mothers, the goddesses Tareena, Eirdis, and Neph.

Kal’s has rubies, Pierce’s has emeralds, and Axl’s, sapphires. Mine has black diamonds, a nod to my Obsidian city.

Those eyes grin like a cat catching a canary. “With all the other sheep?” I’m already backing away, but I don’t break his gaze. “Baa,” I say, then wink at him before whirling around and losing myself in the crowd.

What kind of an asshole steals someone’s favorite escape? Me. I’m the asshole.

Even at this speed, it feels like I’m being chased. And I like it.

“Thirteen,” he says, that silken voice awakening every nerve ending in my body. “The Legends of Chaos choose number thirteen.”

SQUEALING

“Touch her like that one more time, and you’ll lose more than that arm,” the man says, and the enforcer bows quickly before practically sprinting off the dais.

The rubies, that’s Kal Erhart. Sapphires is Axl Dawson. Emeralds is Pierce Bertrand. And the black diamonds…that’s Jax Lavine.

“I belong to the Legends of Chaos, and they will be the only ones laying claim to me.”

If they wanted an easy win, they picked the wrong fucking girl.

Axl smiles at me. His lips are full and wide, that grin absolutely infectious as he walks up to me. He’s so damn tall, with bronze skin over tons of muscle, and his energy is just as large. It’s a marvel there’s space enough for him in this room; it makes me wonder what else about him might be big.

Men like that don’t need a silent princess; they need a sharp warrior, someone who will fight by their side and not cower in fear when their darkness comes out to play.

“I’d rather they know now,” I answer. “Know what?” “That I’ll never be what they expect.”

Blue. The woman wore blue to my city. She’s a mixture of courage and rebellion, and it makes me want to claim her as mine like no one else before her has.

Her eyes flare. “If this is the result,” she says, “I’ll be sure to do it again,” once again shocking me.

“When I fuck you, Rylee Gray,” I say, kissing the top of the lace undergarment that still covers her, “it will be in a place where you can scream my name.”

But this? This is unrestrained need. This is pure, carnal pleasure. This is chaos.

She bites her lip, almost like she’s trying to hide the smile that steals my breath. Fuck, I’m already losing it for this woman, and we’ve barely begun.

Goddesses help me, I’m ready to fall on my knees for this one.

“If it’s yours,” I say, “if it’s the Legends’ fight, then it’s mine.”

“You’ll be the end of me,” he says. “I can already tell.”

“Rylee,” he groans before tugging on my hair, pulling himself from my mouth. He drags his thumb over my swollen lips, his chest rising and falling as he leans forward in the chair. “When I come tonight,” he says, voice hoarse, “it’s going to be inside you.”

“Fuck,” Kal says, eyes on me. “Look at you. Look at how perfect you are under me.”

I want to lose myself in him. I want to live in this bliss for the rest of forever. I want to live where nothing outside of this feeling exists. I want to fall.

But even as Kal continues to kiss every inch of my skin, I can’t help but think, At least it’ll be fun on the way down.

When he kisses me like this, I’m reduced to nothing more than a woman vying for his heart.

“Fuck, Rylee,” Kal groans into my mouth. His hand moves from my hip to my thigh, hiking up my dress until he finds the lace between. “I’ve never been this starved for anyone.”

“Now be a good girl and come on my hand,” he demands, pressing the heel of his palm against that sensitive bundle of nerves.

“How bad do you want me?” I ask.

How bad, bad do ya want me?

“You’re such a good fucking girl,” Kal says, gently gripping my chin.

Fire courses through my veins, all my instincts narrowing to one base truth—Rylee is mine. My mate in every way that matters.

And that’s when I realize: Pierce is puppeteering me to his liking. And goddess save me, I love the way he pulls the strings.

She swallows me down, and I swear I’m in fucking love.

“But,” I say, eyes welling. “It hasn’t been a full month—” “I don’t need a month,” he says, then presses his lips to mine. “I choose you.”

“And don’t worry, darling,” he says. “I’ll keep your secret until you’re ready to share it with all of us.”

“The minute I heard your voice, the minute I sensed your emotions, you felt like mine.”

Fuck, she tastes like cherries and whiskey as I sweep my tongue into her mouth possessively.

Fates above, this woman was truly made for me.

“Haven’t you ever heard of the Nightmare’s playroom?”

Jax’s pupils blow out, and he rocks against me again. “I’ll ruin you,” he says.

“Then ruin me,” I say against his mouth.

“I’m an Ashlander.” I lift my hands, palms up, sending a soft gust of wind just powerful enough to ruffle each of their hair. “And a demi,” I say, revealing the last secret I have, hoping to all the goddesses above that they won’t damn me for it.

Shame threatens to overwhelm me, but I bat the bitch down. I’ve had enough hiding,

I feel like a queen.

“Fuck,” Kal hisses as I force him to thrust into my mouth. His hand flexes around my face, sliding to tangle in my hair. “You want me to fuck your mouth, my little demi?”

“I love you,” Axl whispers into my ear. “Fucking love the way you can take us. All of us.”

“I love you,” I say to him, then to Axl and Kal and Pierce. “My love is not so wavering that a little thing like death would weaken it.”