Chapter 2

‘So, did he pass the test?’

Satan was standing at the window of his cavernous bedroom, looking out onto his dominion. He was wearing the long red dressing gown Kaitlyn had seen him wearing once before. A torch flickered by his head, shimmering against his short golden hair. The window was open and the screams of those burning were sharp and piercing.

‘Depends on what you mean by pass,’ Kaitlyn said, folding her arms. She trembled but kept her nerve.

The fireplace was cold and empty. His lizard-skin chair shimmered against the flames of the flickering torches bracketed into the walls. In the centre of the room, his great four-poster bed with its heavy drapes and black silken sheets stood ready and waiting.

He turned, then frowned. ‘I don’t like the look on your face. Change it.’

‘Change it to what?’

‘Something meek. Something mild.’ His frown deepened. ‘Back to the way it was. What’s that on your hands?’

Kaitlyn lifted them. ‘Angel blood.’

‘Liar.’ Sweeping around his gown, he marched towards her. ‘You always were a terrible liar.’

Kaitlyn bit back a yelp of pain as he seized her wrist in a crushing grip and lifted her hand to his face. He smelled her palm, then leaned in and licked it. His eyes widened, then narrowed.

‘I guess I do know him better than you,’ Kaitlyn said bravely.

Satan’s nostrils flared. ‘I don’t believe you.’

‘You don’t believe your own nose? You don’t believe your own eyes?’

Throwing away her arm, he seized her between the legs. Kaitlyn yelped and shoved at his chest but his grip was powerful.

‘Do you want to smell me down there too?’ she snapped at a burst of rage. ‘Do you want to lick me? Because I can assure you, you’ll find him inside me—for real. In a way you haven’t been. In a way you will never be.’ Kaitlyn’s heart was galloping. Her thighs were so tight they felt like tree trunks. Where was such courage—or was it stupidity—coming from? Was it because of Zeke’s words? Was it because of Jacob?

A smile tugged at the corner of her lip. ’And it felt good. It felt good in a way you have never made me feel and never make me feel.’

Kaitlyn looked towards the window at a piercing scream. Satan didn’t move, still gripping her between the legs, expressionless and quiet.

Releasing her, he flashed his perfect white teeth in a devious grin. ‘Is that so?’

He turned and walked towards the fireplace. Despite her courage, Kaitlyn felt more afraid than ever. What was he up to? His behaviour was so erratic, his reactions unpredictable. The Great Deceiver …

The Great Mystery.

With a clench of his fist, the fireplace roared with blue flames. They leapt and jabbed and danced. Kaitlyn recalled the bruises he’d left on her, the nasty hickey on her neck, the trauma inside her after he’d raped her. With a rush of dread, she realised what an idiot she was. Had she forgotten who she was dealing with?

‘Tell me, Kaitlyn. Do you like animals?’

‘Y-yes,’ she said. ‘O-Of course. Everyone does.’

He turned and Kaitlyn stepped back—his eyes were red. Like blood. ‘Do you like jackals? The way they howl? The way they eat? The way they chase down their prey? Have you ever seen a jackal on the attack before?’

Kaitlyn took another step back. ‘Please. I-I didn’t mean it.’

‘Didn’t you now?’ He walked towards her, slowly, measuredly, with long powerful strides.

He paused briefly to sweep off his gown. Instead of dropping to the floor it floated on the air. It hung there impossibly for several moments before it sucked up into the high ceiling. Kaitlyn staggered backwards.

‘They’re really quite … feral.’ Naked, his golden skin glowing against the firelight, he leered at her from beneath his brow. There was something different about him. Something she couldn’t explain. A wildness, something wolf-like. His eyes were narrow. His jaw was ticking. His voice was too low, impossibly low, like a growl. ‘Remember what I told you, Kaitlyn? Remember what I told you about knowing whose side you should be on?’

He stalked towards her as Kaitlyn stumbled backwards. A ghastly shadow passed over his face and for a moment he truly did seem like a real wolf. His red eyes glowed. His lips pulled back to reveal a mouth full of sharp teeth. Then the shadow vanished, replaced by his currently terrifying but usual handsome face. Kaitlyn blinked.

She reached the wall. She turned to look for the door. It was a few steps to her left. It was open. But that didn’t mean anything. All he needed to do was shut it in her face. She turned back to him, mouth open, wanting to say something, to beg, to plead, but was unable to make her lips move.

He stopped in the middle of the room, fists clenched at his sides, shoulders rising and falling with each panting breath. There was something about his posture but she couldn’t explain what. Something … unnatural. She felt the terror of it like a blast of ice in her bloodstream. Something was happening. She needed to get out!

Kaitlyn’s heart began to pound when she noticed a shadow against the wall—Satan’s shadow. It seemed to be growing. Not only growing but reshaping. Its arms lengthened, its hands grew unnaturally big. And its head—it wasn’t human. A snout sprouted out from the centre of its face.

A jackal.

And yet Satan himself hadn’t changed. Kaitlyn dug her fingers into the volcanic rock of the wall. He was sneering as he stared at her with those blood red eyes. Was he enjoying himself? Was he angry? Was he ?

Who could tell?

The Great Deceiver. The Great Mystery.

His eyes narrowed to slits. He gritted his teeth and again Kaitlyn thought she saw a flash of those long canines.

‘Get away, Kaitlyn,’ he growled. ‘I suggest you get away—if you can.’

With a beast-like snarl that made Kaitlyn jump, he lifted his arms, doubtless preparing to conduct some kind of terrible magic. Kaitlyn didn’t need to be told twice, fleeing through the door.

’Jacob!

’ she screamed as she raced down the hall, her bare feet slapping hard against the floor. ‘Help me!’ But there was no answer; he was far away in the safety of the real world, wrapped up in his warm bed, sleeping peacefully.

‘Wake up,’ she commanded herself in choking gasps. ’Wake up. Wake up.

!’ But all it did was make her breathless.

Her feet thudded loudly. The torches along the wall flickered against her passing. She was careful to keep her eyes to the floor as well as ahead, remembering how she’d tripped over one of his demonic “pets”. Though she saw them creeping in the shadows, they didn’t get in her way. She glanced behind her but the hall was empty.

Soon, she couldn’t run any further and eventually slowed to a stop. How long was this damn hall? Her chest was tight. Her heart was pounding.

Bracing her trembling hands up against the wall, she gasped at the air. The hall certainly seemed to go forever. She was sure it had never been this long before. She whipped her head around at the sound of a distant snarl, but the hall was still empty. Next followed a horrible piercing howl that echoed sharply against the walls. It was so loud she clapped her hands to her ears.

Kaitlyn didn’t need to think. She ran.

Torch upon torch flashed by. Her heart was skipping beats. Her breath caught in her throat. And still the hall did not end. Then she heard it—the sound of footsteps. Loud. Heavy. Coming up behind her, swift and pounding.

She tried to sprint. She was fast. She’d won competitions! But it was painful to run in her bare feet … and if she’d only stop wasting valuable energy looking over her shoulder …

Stop looking! Just run!

Kaitlyn looked behind her again. And that was when she saw it—his shadow. That great jackal shadow. Against the wall, it stalked her. One by one the torches snuffed out as it rushed past them at a speed that was terrifying. She sped ahead, all the while knowing it was useless. This was Satan’s domain and there was nothing she could do to escape it.

This damn hall! It truly was endless! And she suddenly realised that she was never going to reach its end, that this was simply more of Satan’s magic, as unfair as it was. Against all her instincts, she slowed, then stopped.

She turned.

‘Come and get me, then!’ she gasped, bracing her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. ‘Come and GET ME!’

All the muscles down her back seemed to clench in unison. Her heart was pounding in her throat. She struggled to suck down the air. In answer to her challenge, she expected … no … she to see Satan as he should be, marching handsomely down the hall, devious and unapologetic and ruthless—but the Satan she knew.

It wasn’t.

Kaitlyn’s heart sank. The jackal. Just as he was in shadow, now he was in the flesh. And yet it wasn’t a jackal. His head was certainly wolf-like: long snout, narrow eyes, hungry canines. But that was where the similarities ended.

Whatever unnatural and horrifying construct of terrors he was, he was massive, standing almost twice her height with long gangly arms and legs that ended in enormous hands and feet. He was skinny, his grey, mottled skin stretched tightly over the bones of his ribcage and the flat, hard muscles of his abdomen. Long twisting wiry hairs sprang out from his ears and armpits and across his round shoulders. And the smell—it wafted down the hall like a toxic cloud. Drool hung from his mouth in sticky, fat globules that fell to the floor with loud splats.

But none of that was as horrifying as what stood between his legs. Amid a clump of disgusting, matted pubic hair was an impossibly immense erection. It was so big and heavy it swayed about like a log, pale and mottled like the rest of him. A gleam of nauseating pus-like liquid oozed from the tip.

Kaitlyn looked away.

He laughed, a deep throaty chuckle that turned Kaitlyn cold.

Kaitlyn squeezed her eyes shut. ‘Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.’

Over and over she repeated it. Even as she heard the heavy thud of his footsteps. Even as the smell of his unbelievable stink filled her lungs and sinuses and almost made her puke in her mouth. Even as she felt the warmth of his body heat beating against her front.

It did nothing.

Kaitlyn jerked back her head when she felt something brush against her face. Her eyes snapped open. He was touching her! Stroking her cheek with the side of one of his long sharp claws. All of his great yellow teeth were on show as he smiled. And it was a hungry smile. Ravenous. His breath made her turn her head with a wince.

‘Leave me—leave me alone.’ Her voice was barely a croak. She was trembling so hard she bit her tongue.

A tear trickled down her cheek. Kaitlyn turned her face away further as he leaned in to lap it away with his long, sticky tongue. He sniggered.

Kaitlyn gasped as he began dragging his claws through her hair like he would fingers. Wisps of hair floated to the ground as he scraped painfully against her scalp.

Kaitlyn flung herself away when his erection bumped against her waist. ‘Keep away!’ She glanced down in disgust at the long trail of pus-like semen smeared along her nightie.

He smacked his chops. ‘Then run.’

’

. No I will not!’ She would not play into his hands—not again. He would make her run until she collapsed—she knew it!

Shutting her eyes, Kaitlyn did something she hadn’t done in years. “‘Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.’ Dropping to her knees, she clasped her hands together.

Satan huffed a hoarse laugh.

‘…hallowed be thy name …’ Kaitlyn shouted as she felt his long, gangly arm wrap around her waist. ‘…thy kingdom come …’ Her knees buckled as he hauled her to her feet. She almost fell, but he held her up with his massive strength. The words caught in her throat as he dragged her back down the hallway.

Kaitlyn opened her eyes but snapped them shut again. ‘… thy will be done on earth …’ She sucked in a breath when he threw her ahead. She almost crashed to the floor but somehow managed to keep her feet, staggering into a wall instead. She turned at the sound of the door banging shut.

They were back in his bedroom—already, as though her terrified sprint down the hall had never happened. He remained the jackal, tall and hideous and menacing. The flickering light of the torches brought out every wrinkle, every lesion, every sagging muscle and leaking sore. His red gaze gleamed like blood as he feasted his eyes upon her. His erection seemed even bigger and more terrible than it had before Kaitlyn screamed when he suddenly charged. She turned to run, but he caught her with one of those long, gangly arms with stunning speed. He spun her about. Before she could scream, before she could even take a breath, his wet, hard snout was in her face.

Kaitlyn coughed and spluttered as he lapped at her face with his long, wet tongue. It stank so bad. It felt even worse. It was in her hair. It slapped against her eyes. It was in her mouth!

‘Stop!’ She shoved him away, then began wiping furiously at her face.

More laughter. Then he was upon her again, one massive paw gripping her forearm as he dragged her towards the bed.

‘No!’

He sliced a long claw down the front of her nightie, then began ripping it off her in pieces. Petrified with terror, Kaitlyn could no longer scream. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t think. He wasn’t going to … He wasn’t going to …. Surely, not like this! Not with that massive …

between his legs! Surely, not even Satan could be so cruel. It swung around as he moved, battering against her hips and thighs. It was heavy and hard and bruising. It smeared more of that foul cum across her skin.

‘Stop it!’

His snout was in her face again. He shoved her onto the bed, half on, half off, her legs hanging over the edge. She screamed as he wriggled over the top of her. There was so much of him! So massive and long and filthy. His erection kept swaying around like a steer on a sailboat, seeking, searching … finding.

It whacked between her thighs, dragging more of that warm, obscene semen along her skin in sticky trails. What if he put it into her? What would happen then? She couldn’t have him inside. She couldn’t have his inside her! She punched and kicked and raked her fingers down his arms but all it seemed to do was make him more keen.

More hungry.

Drool dripped down her body as he lowered his tongue to her breast.

‘No!’ She burst into tears. Shutting her eyes, she turned her head.

Kaitlyn sucked in a choking breath as the tip of his large, disgusting shaft pressed up hard against the lips of her vagina. She clenched her fists into the sheets as she tried not to think of the pain and the awful events waiting ahead. He would tear her apart! She remembered the blood from the last time—and that was from his regular penis! She braced herself.

Braced herself …

…

Hesitantly, reluctantly, she opened her eyes. The jackal was gone, Satan now in its place: blonde hair, remarkable face, astounding body. Those eyes, though. Blue they might be but they were dark with malice. His lips were pulled back into a soulless sneer.

He pulled away, his now very normal erection bobbing between his legs. Kaitlyn took a breath, then released it. She was shaking and weak. She’d never been so thankful for his mercy.

And she hated it. She hated him so much.

‘Take it as a warning,’ Satan said. ‘Try me again, Kaitlyn. You think it’s been hard so far?’ His eyes flashed red. He turned his head, and a shadow of a snout replaced his perfect nose.

Kaitlyn clawed her fingers into the sheets.

He turned back to her—normal again. ’You have no idea. Who do you think you’re dealing with? I am Satan!’ His eyes flashed red. ‘Now, what do you say to me?’

‘I’m—I’m sorry.’

’And what? And what, ?’

‘And—and thank you.’

His face softened. The red drained from his eyes. The sneer left his mouth. Cocking his head, he gave her a false, gentle smile. ‘Good girl.’ Smoothing his hand down her side, he grabbed her hip.

‘You’ll be a good girl, won’t you Kaitlyn?’ He looked into her eyes. ‘If he touches you again, I’ll know about it. Tell him that, Kaitlyn. Tell him I’ll know about it and that I’ll hurt you for it.’ He smiled to himself as he twirled a finger in her belly button. ‘He thinks he’s won but it’s only a small victory. In the end, all he’s done is made the battle more complicated—and more dangerous.’

Leaning over, he kissed Kaitlyn’s belly button. Kaitlyn gasped as he dragged his tongue up her abdomen. Swinging her legs into bed, Satan joined her in the sheets. She sucked in a breath as he pressed his mouth to her left breast. Kaitlyn clawed her hands into the mattress, trying her best not to feel anything. But it was impossible—as always. She was made for him. No matter what, she would always be his vessel.

His future. His prophecy.

The thought of making love to him twisted up her insides in a way it had never done before. She was cheating on Jacob. Jacob was lying in bed next to her, resting peacefully, after having sacrificed so much, and here she was …

Though she fought, she failed. Though she rejected Satan in her mind and heart, her body ached for him.

‘Try not to think, Kaitlyn,’ Satan said, looking knowingly into her eyes. ’It was inevitable. Us being together inevitable and nothing is going to stop us.’ He stroked her cheek with the backs of his fingers. ‘Kiss me.’

Kaitlyn turned to him, even as a tear trickled down her cheek. Leaning in, he kissed her on the lips. Just as their tongues met, he buried himself deep inside her. More tears trickled as Kaitlyn kissed him back, rocking with his thrusting hips.

He was surprisingly gentle. Sliding his hands into hers, he pushed himself ever more deeply into her, gliding in and out rhythmically. He kissed her on the cheek, on the nose, on the ear. Sweet and gentle, terrifying and horrific. She was wrong. He wasn’t the Great Deceiver, he wasn’t the Great Mystery—he was the Great Manipulator.

He pressed his mouth to her ear. ‘You’re mine, Kaitlyn, remember that. No matter how long it takes, no matter how well you hide, I’ll find you. And if not that, then you’ll come to me. Remember that too, Kaitlyn.’ Kaitlyn cried out as he thrust harder. ‘I’m waiting for you. All you need do is go outside, leave the protection of God, and all this silliness can be over.’

Kaitlyn cried out again, gripping onto his shoulders as he slowed his pace so he could push in more deeply. That familiar pressure started to rise up her midriff. She turned hot. She thrust up against him, urging him to go on.

Digging her nails into the muscles of his shoulders, she threw back her head with a gasp.

Satan nibbled at her throat as he thrust, then thrust again, pushing in deep, pushing in hard, until he forced Kaitlyn to cry out a third time. He shuddered into her with a growl.

He held himself inside her, pinning her hands into the bed, his eyes boring into hers. ‘What did you say, Kaitlyn? Didn’t you say that Jacob made you feel good in a way that I couldn’t?’ He kissed her cheek, then kissed her on the lips. ‘Is that true, Kaitlyn?’

‘No,’ she choked.

Satan smiled. ‘Of course it’s not.’ Kaitlyn gasped as he pushed his erection in impossibly deep. ‘Tell me, Kaitlyn. Tell me how you feel. Open your heart to me. You know you want to.’

‘I-I—’ She shook her head. ‘No.’

Pulling out of her, Satan knelt between her thighs, his penis shimmering against the brightness of the torchlight, hard and flushed and wet with her secretions. Smiling, he traced his finger up her slit. Kaitlyn’s legs shuddered.

‘Tell me, Kaitlyn,’ he whispered.

‘I-I …’ She swallowed. ‘I love you.’

His smile broadened. ‘Good.’ And he leaned in and pressed his mouth to her throbbing labia.