Two hours had passed.
Jax found himself in a mansion that screamed wealth and power.
The demon girlâNerith Vo-Rha, as heâd learned came from no ordinary family.
Her father was a General. One who served directly under the Emperor of the Demon Realm.
âSo I accidentally got engaged to demon nobility. Again with the royalty. Why is it always royalty?â
Nerith had left him alone almost immediately after arriving.
"Preparations," sheâd said. "We visit The Infernal Sanctum soon. Be ready. Wear what the servants provide. And hide your identity from everyone."
Then sheâd vanished.
Leaving Jax to wander the empty halls.
Bored.
Restless.
His feet carried him through corridor after corridor until something caught his eye.
A window. Slightly open.
And through itâa woman.
Jax stopped.
Same crimson eyes as Nerith. Same snow-white hair cascading down her shoulders.
But no wings.
She sat at a vanity while maids fussed over her hair. Elegant. Mature. The kind of beauty that aged like fine wine.
âThat must be Nerithâs mother.â
As if sensing his gaze, she looked up.
Their eyes met.
Jaxâs heart stuttered.
âShit. Caught.â
But instead of anger, she smiled.
And gestured for him to come inside.
âWait. Is this... an invitation?â
His legs moved before his brain could object.
He entered the room.
The maids turned, confused by the intrusion.
But the woman simply raised a hand.
"Leave us."
They obeyed without question. Filing out silently.
Jax stood frozen as she rose from her seat.
She walked past himâclose enough that he caught her scent. Something floral. Intoxicating.
His eyes betrayed him.
They dropped to her backside.
âHoly mother of all that is unholy.â
Her ass was a masterpiece. Curved to absolute perfection. Each step made it sway hypnotically.
His hand moved on its own.
Straight to his hardening cock.
He started stroking. Fast. Desperate.
âSave your cum, Jax. This is it. She wants me alone. My beauty has captivated my mother-in-law.â
His fantasies ran wild.
âBefore I even taste the wife, Iâm getting the mother. Classic. The forbidden fruit before the wedding feast.â
He recalled all those stories. The husband caught in affairs moments before marriage. The mother-in-law seducing the groom to destroy the union.
âIs she trying to break the wedding? Test my loyalty? Either wayâIâM IN.â
She locked the door.
Click.
Then moved to the window.
Closed it. Sealed it tight.
Jaxâs stroking intensified.
âYes. Complete privacy. No witnesses. This is happening.â
Then she turned.
"You must be Jax."
Jaxâs hand froze mid-stroke.
He yanked his hand away from his crotch.
"Y-Yes! Mother! I meanâmiss! I mean motheâ"
She smiled warmly.
"You donât need to pretend with me. I know everything about this arrangement. About her plan."
She gestured to the bed.
"Sit."
Jaxâs heart was still racing. He sat beside her on the bedâs edge.
"What do you think of my daughter?"
The question caught him off guard.
He considered his answer carefully.
"I might be wrong, but... I think sheâs been showing me a fake side."
He recalled their interactions. The cold demeanor. The harsh words.
But beneath that ice, heâd caught glimpses. Moments when warmth broke through. A cute and caring expression she couldnât quite suppress.
"Iâve seen people like her before. People who are terrible at hiding their true nature."
The mother laughed softly.
"Fake side? My Nerith?"
Her eyes glistened.
"Now I understand why she was so nervous when I asked to meet you."
Jax waited.
"My daughter..."
Her voice grew heavy with emotion.
"...has a heart made of kindness. Of compassion. Of boundless care for others."
She looked toward the window.
"She has lived her entire life thinking of everyone but herself. Making others smile. Bringing happiness wherever she walked."
A sad smile crossed her lips.
"The maids you saw? They donât see her as their mistress. They see her as a daughter. A sister. A friend."
"Thatâs just who she is."
Silence stretched between them.
"And what did she receive in return for all that kindness?"
Her voice cracked.
"Suffering. Torture. A future designed to break her."
Jaxâs playfulness faded.
"She was promised to someone. The son of an Arc Demon. A creature so twisted, so cruel, that even other demons whisper his name with fear."
Her hands trembled in her lap.
"That marriage would have been her death. Not quicklyâno. Slowly. Piece by piece. Until nothing remained of the daughter I raised."
She looked at Jax directly.
"That is why she found you. Why she seems desperate. Why sheâs willing to use a complete stranger."
Tears threatened to fall.
"You are her escape. Her only chance."
Jax processed this silently.
The mother stood.
"I told you this because youâre the first."
She walked toward the door.
"The first person she has ever used. Ever manipulated. It goes against everything she is."
She unlocked the door.
"But I know my daughter. She will compensate you fairly. Probably more than fairly. Because thatâs simply who she is."
She glanced back at him.
"Now go. Get ready. If she returns and finds you in those trackpants, sheâll be furious."
Jax rose.
He walked toward the entrance.
Then stopped thinking the agony of the mother the care for her daughter.
And a daughter who he now knows was just someone with some sad story.
He Turned.
"Mother."
She looked at him.
"Donât worry about Nerith."
His voice carried no jokes. No mockery.
"As long as I stand beside herânone of them will touch her."
-- -- --
After arriving at the Infernal Sanctum
The Infernal Sanctum was exactly as ominous as it sounded.
Dark stone architecture. Crimson banners. Torches that burned with flames that seemed almost alive.
But Jaxâs eyes werenât on the dĂ©cor.
They were locked on Nerith.
She wore a wedding dress unlike anything heâd seen.
Black silk that seemed to absorb light itself. The fabric clung to her figure like liquid shadow, accentuating every curve while maintaining an otherworldly elegance.
Crimson embroidery traced patterns along the bodice, ancient demonic symbols that pulsed faintly with power.
The skirt flowed behind her like dark water, a train of midnight that whispered against the stone floor.
Her shoulders were bare, the dress held by thin straps that crossed her back in intricate designs.
A veil of translucent black gauze covered her face, but her crimson eyes burned through it like dying stars.
She was terrifying.
She was beautiful.
She was about to be his wife.
âOkay. Maybe this marriage thing isnât so bad after all.â
Beside them stood a handful of demonsâwitnesses, probably. And Nerithâs mother, watching with hopeful, tearful eyes.
At the altar stood a priest. Ancient. Withered. Wearing robes covered in symbols.
Behind him loomed a massive statue.
A demon lord of some kind.
Jax studied it.
Imposing horns. Muscular frame. Fearsome presence.
But the face...
âWhy does it look so... horny?â
The sculptor had clearly made some choices. The expression was less "lord of darkness" and more "guy who just saw his first pair of tits."
Jax bit his cheek to suppress laughter.
Nerithâs glare burned through her veil.
He straightened immediately.
The priest raised a horn to his lips.
BWOOOOOOM.
The most ridiculous sound echoed through the sanctum.
âThatâs the sacred horn? It sounds like a constipated elephant.â
The priest spoke.
"Our Lord Azoth watches from above. His blessing shall shower upon you both as you begin your new life together."
He nodded solemnly.
"You may begin."
Nerith turned to Jax.
Through the veil, her crimson eyes found his.
She spoke.
"By name and by will, I open the bond."
Her voice was steady. Practiced.
"I offer my name to yours. My path beside yours."
She paused.
"Do you accept my name, my path, and my bond?"
Jax blinked.
"Uh... yup. I guess."
The priestâs eye twitched.
Nerithâs eye twitched.
Her mother sighed.
But the ritual continued.
"Then make me yours..."
Nerith stepped closer.
"...with the sacred kiss before Lord Azoth."
She closed her eyes.
Lifted her veil.
Waited.
Jax leaned in.
His gaze fixed on her lips.
Soft. Pink. Slightly parted.
âWhy not?â
He closed the distance.
Ready to devour them completely.