Devour the Dark (Devourer, #2)

by Nikki St. Crowe

In the Dark Archives, his name is cited seven hundred thirty-four times but only by ‘Crocodile.’ His birth name seems to have been expunged from the records, either by him or someone else. The facts I know about him are: 1. He is old—older than I am—but there is no consensus on how old. He is older than Hook and Wendy but not as old as Peter Pan. 2. The Crocodile is a member of The Bone Society, one of the Isle’s secret societies. The Bone Society is credited with inventing time as we know it. 3. The roster of the Bone Society is secret, though I suspect the list is short. Because members are some kind of unknown creature that needs blood to stave off transforming and devouring everything in their wake. But there is no scientific name for their kind, which leads me to believe their origins are either hidden for a reason, or they aren’t from this realm. 4. The Crocodile is Vane’s older brother. Vane is a Lost Boy, Peter Pan’s most trusted friend. The Crocodile and Vane come from a well-known, wealthy family of Darkland. The Maddred family. They are often cited together as the Madd brothers. Their father was Duke of Maddred for a time, with Roc expected to inherit the title. Until their father tried to overthrow the monarchy, and their family was stripped of all their possessions and titles. Afterward, Vane and the Crocodile worked their way up through the ranks of the darker side of Darkland known as the Umbrage. 5. The Crocodile and Vane ruled the Umbrage for over a decade...

“And Hook—” Pan says. “I’m not leaving him to you,” I tell him, risking my neck and my head. “I’m going after him. He’s my monster now.”

“I want her to come,” she tells me. “You don’t get a say,” I remind her. Winnie presses closer so that I’m now cornered by two Darling women. If one wasn’t enough… “I’m going.” Winnie crosses her arms over her chest. Behind me, Roc laughs. “You must know by now, brother, that it’s a futile endeavor, arguing with a Darling.” The Neverland Shadow seems to echo this. I can feel it laughing at me. That fucker.

“But you follow my orders. You do not wander around on your own. And did I mention you will obey me?” She angles a hip toward me as the shadow’s energy dances. “Of course, Dark One. I will obey every word.”

“If we’re to do this, the three of us, it must be explicitly clear that you both have me equally. I like to share. It’s my favorite thing in the world. I want the Captain’s cock in my mouth and my cock in your pussy and I want to hear you both moan as you come for me.” His touch trails up and up, thumb brushing over my peaked nipple. “I have no time for jealousy. And certainly not pity

“You’re holding them at arm’s length just like you did me. I know what you’re doing. You don’t have to try to find words to explain it because I already know you’re going to downplay it. You want to be happy again? Grab them by the shirt and embrace them. And don’t ever let go.”

“Tell me,” she says between gasps. “Promise me.” “I am moved by very little, Wendy Darling.” I sink to her jawline, kissing down her neck. “I wouldn’t have crossed an ocean to find you if you were nothing more than a game.”

“Did you save the ship?” Roc asks, teasing me. “I like to make myself useful.” He smiles at me over the top of Wendy’s head. “I always have a use for you, Captain.”

“Let me tell you a secret: we’re all mad.”

“The twins aren’t as obvious about it as Vane and Pan. Kas and Bash aren’t as possessive or territorial. But yes, I’m with all four of them. We’ve negotiated all of the pitfalls of a five-person relationship. And trust me, there are a lot. But what I was saying is, while I might have come to them very late in their relationships, and I could have easily felt like a fifth wheel, I quickly learned they needed me just as much as I needed them. Hook and Roc might have established something before finding you—which honestly, the fact I’m even saying that is wild, trust me, they were trying to kill each other not that long ago. But anyway, what I mean is, you are not a third wheel. They need you for who you are, just like you need them for who they are. You just have to figure out what that is and embrace it.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” I say to Roc. “I have no occasion to wear it. It’s a waste of your money.” “Oh I didn’t buy it for you,” he answers. “I’m confused.” “It was mostly self-serving. I wanted the opportunity to rip it from your body sometime in the near future.” He winks at me. A blush burns through my cheeks. “And that, Your Majesty, is exactly why I bought that dress. Impropriety makes you flush and I find it fucking hot. I will have you begging for depravity before long.”

“Once I’ve completed the task, you find Malachi to confirm. If he doesn’t have the hat on him, I will yank his insides out his fucking nose.” “No, you won’t.” Winnie pats my thigh. “Because once he’s dead, we won’t know where he put this magical hat.” “Then I’ll force the hat’s location out of him and then yank his insides out his fucking nose.”

As is traditional for Darkland coat of arms, there’s a knight’s helm at the top, one of the medieval kind with a slit for the eyes, and a giant black plume rising from the crown. Behind the helm is a red and black flourish. Beneath is the shield with the crescent moon and two stars, flanked by the standard two supporting figures: a raven and a skeleton. The family motto is beneath in old darkish: viere magnar, mori melius. Live great, die better.

I’m so fucking hard, it almost hurts. I chase the feel of her, the wetness of her tongue, the heat of her mouth, the way she pops off my dick with swollen, red lips. And then she’s covering me again, eyes tearing up as I hit the back of her throat, deep, deeper. “You can take him,” Roc says, his other hand coming to her jaw, fingers pressed into her, commanding every one of her movements. “When he comes, don’t swallow it. Share it with me.”

“There is nothing you can say to change his mind,” the witch says through Roc’s mouth. I grit my teeth, hold my breath. “You’re wrong,” James argues. “Do you remember, Crocodile? ‘Just six words.’” Roc inhales. “But I don’t need six. I just need three.”

love you too,” he says. “I guess I need four words.” We laugh. “I need to hear that story,” Wendy says. “I’ll do one better,” Roc tells her. “I’ll show you.”

“Where you go, I follow.” “Just three words?” I repeat. He runs his tongue along the inside of his bottom lip. He’s doing that on purpose, dragging my gaze to his fucking mouth. “I’ll use six if you’re giving them,” he says. I wink at him. “Six will do.”