Touch of a Ruthless Demon

Contents Also by A.M. Mason Trigger Warning 1. What in the Fresh Hell? 2. The New Normal Is Not Being Normal 3. How to Care For Your Succubus 4. The Challenges of Dating the Future King 5. Runway Show from Hell 6. It's Okay, Who Needs Self-Esteem Anyway? 7. Trouble in Paradise 8. Exercise in Pointlessness 9. New Program 10. If You Have to Be a Bitch, Be a Bad Bitch 11. Going to Work Is the Fastest Way to Ruin a Good Morning 12. Tears of Rage 13. I Can Fight This Fight Myself 14. According to 90s Sitcoms, This Is What a “Normal” Family Does 15. Fuck These Hormones 16. Not the Boss of Me 17. Road Trips and Rescue Missions Require Salty Snacks 18. The Scary Kind of Smile 19. It’s All Fun and Games till It Gets Real 20. Badass with a Great Ass 21. Sometimes Texting Is Easier 22. Life Goals 23. Bitches and Bullshit 24. What’s a Party without a Lot of Fucking Drama? 25. The Butler Did It 26. If Your Soulmate Doesn't Believe You, Why Should Anyone Else? 27. Should I Stay or Should I Go? 28. What the Fuck Just Happened? 29. What Does a Girl Have to Do for a Decent Mentor? 30. Fuck Honor; Be a Survivor 31. Fuck the Plan 32. The Madness in Monsters 33. Everything Hurts 34. What Are Those!? I. Court of a New King 1. Long Live the What Now? 2. Bad Nights Can Lead to Good Mornings About the Author Kiss of a Hellish Prince Copyright © 2022 by A.M. Mason All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Cover Design by Kevin Brand Graphics Edited by Zero Alchemy Formatted by Jennifer Laslie Also by A.M. Mason One Night with a Demon Soldier: A Shadowed Fate Novella Kiss of a Hellish Prince Coming Soon Court of a New King Fate of a Silver Dragon Rise of a Cursed City Queen of a Blood Clan This book is dedicated to my loving husband who delivers fresh hot coffee as I write. Without your love, support, and expert knowledge on coffee to milk to vanilla syrup ratios this book would have never happened. Trigger Warning Note from the author: This book contains mature content meant for readers 18+. This includes graphic sex scenes, some BDSM and power play dynamics, as well as high stakes situations that include violence and kidnapping. If you are concerned some darker elements may be triggering for you, then I would urge you to proceed with caution as this series may not be the right fit for you. I hope you enjoy Tori’s adventure as much as I loved writing it. Chapter 1 What in the Fresh Hell? I knew it wasn’t his fault, but I blamed him anyway. Rage simmered just under my skin, making me tighten my grip on my blade. Sweat coated my back, and blood dripped down my arm where he had landed a lucky shot. I planned my next attack, looking for my opportunity to inflict as much pain as possible. That was the only time I got to make him pay. “You don’t have to do this,” Murmur said, gasping for breath, tossing his own blade back and forth between his hands. “We can stop whenever you like.” “I’m aware,” I said. Anger clouded my vision. All I could see was him. He was my lover’s best friend and cousin, someone I genuinely liked and considered a friend, but he let her leave. My best friend was gone because of this cocky son of a bitch. “If you say so.” He sank into a fighting stance and attacked. I wasn’t fast enough to block every hit, but I could block most of them, and that was good enough. He left a few more scratches on my arms. I barely felt them. What were a few superficial scratches compared to losing Sarah? He wasn’t fighting; he was toying with me. I clenched my jaw and focused. I landed a solid hit with my fist under his ribs, making him double over a bit. He backed up to take a few breaths. I wasn’t about to let him get away with that. I lunged for him again with my dagger, knowing he would roll to the side and strike. I dropped my blade with my right hand and spun around, catching it with my left, before feeling it sink into his chest. The move gave the blade no momentum. It had no actual force behind it, but I didn’t need it to. I had held the blade just under his ribs so the weight of his body pushed into the sharp point. All I had to do was hold it still while he fell on it. I dropped his body to the floor as he rolled to his back, my dagger, a Valentine’s gift from his cousin, stuck through him. Blood pooled at the hilt, staining his bright-white shirt. I pulled the blade from his chest and wiped it on his shoulder before sliding it into the scabbard strapped to my thigh. I waited for feelings of remorse or regret to come. They never did. Neither did relief. I was still so angry. “This is a new shirt!” Murmur said, sitting up, his eyes flashing a bright, silvery-blue anger. “What the fuck, Tori?” “And…” I said, not sure what he wanted me to say. He lunged for me again. His fist slammed against my face, making my vision in one eye white out for a moment. Something inside me snapped. My fangs dropped, and my nails elongated to sharp claws. Baring my fangs, I attacked. Not bothering with any type of stance or form, I loosened the control I had over