Demon Puppet

Chapter 11

Several hours pass before Hero finally lands, his feet softly touching the ground. He continues carrying me, holding me close to his chest before finally setting me down on the ground. I immediately turn towards him and sit cross-legged, looking up at him patiently.

He raises an eyebrow at me with a sly smile. "What?"

"You promised me you would tell me the origin story."

"The what?" He frowns. "Oh, oh. Your origin story. I thought you meant the Imitators' origin story. That would take a while."

I bite my lip sheepishly. "Well, I'd like to hear that one too..."

"I'll leave that one for your parents to tell," he says nonchalantly. He sighs as he plops onto the ground and leans back against a rock, completely relaxed. I glance around, taking in the scenery. He had been flying for a while, and I didn't recognize where we were. We appeared to be high up on a mountainside. Although there were still plenty of trees, large rocks were scattered everywhere, and the ground was tough and hard beneath our feet.

Hero watches me with an amused grin. "Don't worry, princess," he says. "We're safe up here. The wolves would never go this far beyond their territory, and I doubt that silly demon will be catching up anytime soon."

I wince when I remember the pain that flashed across Leo's face. "Was it really necessary to break both of his wings?"

Hero's grin vanishes immediately. "Are you feeling sorry for them, Noelle?"

I swallow thickly. "Well, I, uh—"

I yelp as Hero lunges quickly, pinning me to the ground. His face hovers over mine, and his brilliant red eyes peer down at me. "They're trying to take you away from me," he growls. "They're trying to take you away. From me." He leans even closer, and I hold my breath nervously. "You're mine, Noelle. Mine. I'm not going to let anyone else have you. I won't stand by and watch anymore. You're my mate."

"Right," I squeak, trying not to move.

His expression softens, and he almost smiles again. The corners of his lips turn up crookedly, and his eyes gaze warmly into mine. "You can breathe now, silly."

I exhale as he straightens up. "Was that necessary?"

"Why do you keep asking if everything I do is necessary?" He snorts. "I should be able to pin you down whenever I want."

My face turns bright red. "You should not do that whenever you wan—" I shriek as he pounces on me again, straddling my waist and looking down at me with an amused expression.

"What were you saying?" He teases.

I growl and push him off. "Was that really—"

"If you say 'necessary,' I'm going to bite you. Or maybe you'd like that?" He winked.

I curl my lip back in a grimace. "You bite me, and I'll—god dammit!" I roar as he jumps on me again and pins me down. "GET OFF ME!"

"Or you'll what?" He purrs, brushing a hair out of my face. "Whatcha gonna do, princess?"

"If you don't get off me right now, so help me, I—"

"Hush, princess," he whispers, leaning down and pressing his lips against mine. I grumble in frustration but stop struggling. Something flickers inside me, and I feel a warmth spread from my toes to my fingers. Some part of me liked being kissed by Hero.

He pulls away and grins, reading my thoughts. "Of course you like being kissed by me. I'm an excellent kisser. And we are mates."

"Oh, get over yourself," I mumble, pushing him off again. "Are you going to tell me that story or what?"