Den of Corruption

Den of Corruption JUNIPER COLE Copyright © 2023 by Etched & Inked Publishing 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. Den of Corruption Blurb Erebus & Myles never expected to find their mates. Witches don't have them, and it's been over a hundred years since a demon has found theirs. But the moment Erebus lays eyes on Myles he knows, he is meant to be his. Just as they are starting to explore the bond between them, attempts to steal Erebus’s collection of dark objects threaten their relationship and their lives. Because if the wrong people get their hands-on Erebus’s collection, it is more than just their budding relationship at risk. Den of Corruption is a paranormal romance about two men falling in love. It is the second in The Den series, which will follow a new couple in every book. It can be read as a standalone though characters will make appearances in later books, so they are best read in order. It contains explicit content, graphic language and situations some readers may find uncomfortable. For a more detailed description please check the content guide inside the novel. Mentions & Credit Mentions & Credit Characters by @vane.ux on Instagram (PliPlu on Etsy) https://www.instagram.com/vane.ux/ Cover by Pretty in Ink (Dez Purington) https://www.facebook.com/groups/178682156124136 Editing and Formatting by Kate Seger https://kateseger.com Dedication This book is for my readers, who have made this series blow up and renewed my love of being an author. Content Warning This book contains Sensory overload/anxiety attacks, Panic attacks, Violence, Sexual Assault of a minor by an adult, Torture, Graphic depictions of bones breaking, Blood play, Pain play, Attempted murder, Attempted kidnapping, Graphic sexual content. If any of these things are not for you, please do not read the story and trigger yourself. Kink List Sensory play (Blindfold, headphones), Bondage, Intense spanking/paddling, Sex Toys, Marking (tattoos, light bruising, hickies), Collaring, Needle play, Pain play, Edging/orgasm control/orgasm denial, Tail play, Facial, Masochism, Minor bratting, Blood Play, Breeding, Safe words/safe signal, Use of safe word, Dom/Sub. This book is not an accurate depiction of BDSM or the BDSM lifestyle, it is pure fiction. Contents 1. Erebus 2. Myles 3. Erebus 4. Myles 5. Erebus 6. Erebus 7. Myles 8. Erebus 9. Myles 10. Erebus 11. Erebus 12. Myles 13. Erebus 14. Myles 15. Erebus 16. Myles 17. Erebus 18. Erebus 19. Myles 20. Erebus 21. Erebus 22. Myles 23. Myles 24. Myles 25. Erebus 26. Erebus 27. Myles 28. Myles 29. Erebus 30. Myles Epilogue Afterword About the Author Chapter 1 Erebus Loud, shrill chimes drag me from sleep. I swat at my phone, trying to shut off the alarm. When the sound continues and grows louder, I groan, unable to find the source. It takes my mind an embarrassingly long time to realize it’s coming from my shop downstairs. I jump from bed and throw on the first scraps of clothing I can find. The dainty pink silk sleep shorts clash with the oversized yellow sweater riddled with holes, but I can’t be bothered to care. I stop at the door just long enough to tug on my purple rainboots and grab my baseball bat. Hurrying down the narrow staircase that takes me from my apartment to the shop below. I step out and scan the space for any immediate danger. I tiptoe further into the room, raising the bat as I take in the disaster. It looks like a tornado has swept through. The shelves have been ransacked, bottles of potions and ingredients strewn about. The crystal display has been upended, the precious stones littering the ground. The spell books are scattered across the counters, shelves and floors. Some have had their pages torn out others are wet and wrinkled. Even the ceremonial candles have been ruined, the wax missing chunks or completely smashed. The most concerning thing, however, is the door hanging open behind my counter. The shelf that’s supposed to hide it lies on its side. Fear and anger build inside me as I move toward the door. I dread looking inside, but I have to know what, if anything, was taken. My heart rate goes from a gallop to thunderous when a blast of dark magic hits me. The tainted magic pulses from the room in waves as if it’s searching for anything that will free it from its confines. My chest cramps painfully, and my mouth goes dry as I enter the room. The spelled glass case that houses all the dark objects and cursed items I’m storing is shattered. A small hole has been smashed into the side, just big enough for a hand to fit through. Blood coats the jagged glass. Whoever reached inside must have cut themselves while trying to steal. I move slowly through the room, cataloging everything within, my stomach roiling wildly when I realize some things are missing. “Fuck!” I scream, my palms growing sweaty as panic threatens to overwhelm me. Three things have been taken from the room. A dagger, a golden collar and ring set, and a dark potion. The dagger is the most dangerous of the stolen items. Any wounds made with it can’t heal without a specific paste that leaches the dark magic from the victim’s bloodstream. If the cuts aren’t treated within three days, the victim will succumb to the injuries and dark magic, dying a painful death. The collar and ring allow the ring bearer to bind the collared victim to them, keeping them from escaping the ring bearer. The potion causes intense paralysis in the victim, freezing their body but heightening everything they feel and experience. Glass crunches near the entrance to my shop, and I duck behind a fallen shelf. I speak an enchantment against my bat, and blue magic sparks along the