Sweat rolled off her body and heat licked her, someone needed to help her. She cried out in despair, her body burning with desire. Something brushed her skin and brought relief. A soothing voice whispered in her ear.
“Lileta, wake up.”
She jumped with a start and rolled to her back, finding green eyes staring at her. Eyes that spoke of passion and desire. “Caleb, why are you touching me?”
Why aren’t you kissing me and sinking your shaft deep inside my core?
She knew why, but her body didn’t care, it needed him.
“You were thrashing and mumbling in your sleep. I thought you were having a bad dream. I realize that’s not the case.” His gaze roamed over her like a slow burning fire, it devoured her. “Let me help you, please.”
She tried to swallow, but her throat was parched. “We can’t do this.” Gods, how she wanted to pull him to her and slip her tongue past his lips. She wanted to feel the pressure of his weight pressed against her. She should never have brought him here.
His fingers caressed her cheek and brushed hair from her face. “Stop being foolish. You know it will worsen, and soon, you’ll be unable to think. You will be a danger to both of us.”
“But what about you? The bonding affects you as well.”
“I’m older and stronger. Don’t worry about me.” His voice carried as a whisper. “I promise I won’t hurt you. I can’t stand to watch you suffer.”
She chewed her bottom lip as his hand slid down her arm, causing bumps to rise on her flesh. The knot in her stomach unraveled, but the heat at her apex burned hotter.
He leaned closer.
Her breath caught in her lungs. Was he going to try to kiss her? She would not allow him to sacrifice himself. She swallowed a moan when he brushed his lips along her neck and sent every nerve firing into overdrive. Her body was like an electrical storm and was about to short circuit. For a brief moment, she thought about the past then reined in those memories. What happened to her wasn’t her fault, and Caleb was not those men. He was her chosen.
Follow your heart.
Her mother’s voice echoed in her head, but she was confused. Was her heart in control or her body? It was hard to tell.
His fingers slipped under her shirt and pushed the fabric upward until her bra was exposed. He leaned down and ran his tongue across her naked flesh. The heat so intense she was surprised her skin didn’t blacken. He pushed the bra aside, exposing sensitive nipples. His tongue swirled across the protrusion and pulled it into his mouth. Her vision darkened, her eyes slid shut and her back arched into him.
“For the love of god, don’t stop.” Her voice came in a rasp, and she grabbed the back of his head, holding him to her. The sensations that racked her body were foreign; never before had she experienced pleasure from a man’s touch, and never had she desired it so desperately. It frightened her, but she reminded herself who she was with.
He nipped then blazed a wet trail across her chest to the other breast. Giving it the same painstaking attention. Fingers found the button and zipper on her jeans and undid them. His hand slid between the denim and the fabric of her panties then palmed her mound.
She groaned. “Caleb…” Was this what it was like to really desire someone?
“Shhh,” he whispered in her ear before nibbling on her lobe. “I won’t pass the boundary of your panties. I promise I won’t sink my fingers deep into your dripping pussy…at least not tonight.” His thumb rubbed across her swollen clit and lightning shot through the sky.
“That was you, wasn’t it?” He looked upward. “Your arousal has caused the elements of Hell to awaken.”
“Yes.” She fought for control. She wanted to rip his clothes off and have her way with him, but she knew it was impossible.
“Look at me, Lileta.”
She obeyed and caught his gaze. Longing swirled in his green gaze. His thumb continued to rub across her nub, sending waves of desire coursing through her. His other hand cupped her breast and pinched the nipple between his fingers.
“I want to look into your eyes when you come. Come for me, Angel.”
She needed no more encouragement as the first wave picked her up and carried her on its crest. She heard herself scream his name as if no longer in her own body. She thrashed, and nails dug into his arm until the wave set her gently back on the ground.
“That’s my demon mate. You’re so beautiful when you come.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. Nimble fingers zipped up her jeans and adjusted her shirt. Warm, strong arms pulled her close to his hard body. Her lids fluttered, and sleep overtook her.
Chapter Thirteen
Seth walked along Lake Michigan, snow crunching under his boots. The city now at rest, its occupants slept in preparation for tomorrow’s bustling work day. He and Lucan had separated hours ago. The other warrior moved to the interior of the city and he now patrolled the shoreline. The Draki assigned to them circled high above, searching out the demons they knew lurked in the shadows. His breath blew out an icy fog, and he tucked his hands into the pockets of his coat. Even though he was immune to the cold, he hated winter, and he hated Chicago even more.
He searched for the mental link to Lucan and connected.
Have you found any demons yet?
None. I don’t like the feeling riding up the back of my neck.
Lucan responded.
Me either. Have you spoken to the others?
He pulled up the collar on his jacket. “Fucking windy city, aptly named,” he mumbled under his breath.
Yes, all have made contact and had a few kills. The bastards are here; we simply need to find them.
He felt Lucan cut the connection just as a scream shattered the night. With lightning speed, he ran in the direction of a feminine voice.
“Let go of me, you fucking asshole,” she screeched.
The disturbance came from the docks. He flashed and appeared behind a man who was struggling, trying to get a very angry woman onto a boat. “It doesn’t look like the lady wishes to board this vessel,” Seth announced.
The man spun. “Mind your own fucking business, punk.”
Seth assessed the situation. He saw no weapons, but the man had his arm wrapped around the woman’s neck. Before he could come up with a plan that wouldn’t involve giving himself away as not being human, the female stomped a high heel onto the man’s foot.
“Bitch!” The man backhanded her, knocking her across the dock.
“Oh you should not have done that.” Seth said through clenched teeth then flashed behind the stranger. Seth grabbed the man by the head and jerked him to his chest. He then snapped his victim’s head to the right, exposing the pulse, and sank his fangs deep into the stranger’s muscular neck, hitting the vein. He didn’t bother with normal protocol for feeding. He wanted this bastard to feel everything.
He took deep pulls. His victim struggled, but he held fast. He wouldn’t kill him, it was against their laws, but he would drink enough to cause the man to black out. He kept one eye on the girl who lay sprawled out on the dock. Her life energy still burned bright so he assumed she was only unconscious. The man in his grasp weakened, and his body went limp. Seth retracted his fangs and dropped him to the frozen dock.
“It’s more than you deserve.” If he had his way, he would have tossed him into the frigid lake. Stepping over the body, he reached the girl, knelt and turned her head so he could examine her. “Oh hell.” Already the entire right side of her face was beginning to bruise. Her lip bled from where it had been split open. Still, it could have been much worse. He had taken the bastard’s memories and seen what he intended for her, she would never have survived the night.
He debated calling in Marcus to heal her then thought better. She would wake and wonder how she’d taken such a punch and been left with no marks. She’d be uncomfortable for a few days, but her injuries were not life threatening.
She stirred, her lids fluttered open, and she gasped.
“It’s all right. You are bruised, but safe.”
She opened her mouth to speak and groaned, her fingers moving to her lip. “Damn.”
“May I help you sit up?” he asked.
She nodded her approval, and he placed his hands behind her back, guiding her to a sitting position. Her gaze darted to the man lying behind him. “Did you kill him?”
“No, he is out cold and will be for some time.”
“I hope the fucker freezes to death,” she spat.
“What—may I inquire—were you doing out this late at night without an escort?”
She narrowed her gaze. “You’re a little young to be my father.”
He chuckled—if she only knew. “And you are a little ungrateful.”
Her features softened. “You’re right, I’m sorry. Thank you for coming to my rescue, even though I could have taken him myself.”
He arched a brow. “My apologies. Next time, I’ll be sure and not interfere.”
Her hands patted the ground around her. “Where is it? I need to find it.” Her voice rose in panic.
“What did you lose?” He scanned the area. Something silver glinted in the moonlight several feet away. He moved toward it, bent over and picked up the shiny object. He palmed the dagger, and its magic pulsed through his body.
“Give me that.” She was beside him, her hand grabbing for the blade. He held it out of her reach.
“Where did you get this?”
“None of your damn business.” Her blue eyes flashed with anger.
He sucked in a breath. It seemed this little redhead was as fiery as the locks that framed her beautiful face. No matter, he intended to find out how it was a human had obtained a magical blade.
Her knee made contact with his balls, and he doubled over. She grabbed the dagger and ran into the night. “Son of a bitch!”
Energy stirred behind him, and gruff laughter echoed. “I leave you to fight demons, and instead, you’re getting kneed in the sack?”
He turned to glare at Lucan, his balls still begging for mercy. “Fuck you. And by the way, she happened to be carrying the missing dagger of Embara.”
Lucan’s eyes widened. “Are you certain? The blade of the Phoenix?”
“I had it in my hand and felt its power.”
“Holy hell.”
“Precisely. We need to let Aidyn know,” Seth replied. It was imperative they find her and confiscate the dagger before she killed someone with it. Namely, one of them.
* * * *
Lileta woke with a start and found her backside pressed into something hard. Caleb was curled into her, his arms wrapped around her waist and his erection pressed into her behind. Guilt, surprise and embarrassment flooded her. She had been taken aback by the need that caused her so much discomfort, and now her cheeks grew warm at the remembrance of the pleasure Caleb had given her. The unselfish act he performed to bring her relief now caused his arousal to press into her. Her mind became a whirl of emotions.
What the hell do I do now?
Did she offer to bring him the same pleasure he had her? Her body wanted him, but her mind said doing so would only make matters worse. She wanted to curl inside herself and hope this whole damn mess would simply go away. Instead, they had a job to do, and she would not be responsible for refusing to aid the goddess Qadira. With that settled, she slipped from his embrace.
He stirred. “Are you feeling better?”
Her cheeks flushed. “Um, yes. We should be moving. We still have a lot of terrain to cover.”
He sat up and ran his fingers through his tousled locks. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and she found herself longing to trace a finger over his scar.
“If you want to know, you only need ask.”
“I…um didn’t want—”
He stepped in close, so close his breath brushed across her cheek. “Lileta, there will be no secrets between us. Ask me what you wish to know.”
She swallowed. Had she been that obvious? “Diego told me the story, but I’d like to hear it from you.” Her finger touched the raised skin. Even though it wasn’t her people who had done this to him, it was still demons and she felt a sense of responsibility.
He grabbed her hand and raised it to his lips, planting a light kiss on her knuckles. “When my brother and I were captured, Drayos chained me using magic-laced links so I was unable to break free or shift. He then used a special dagger, one that belonged to the Phoenix.”
“How the hell did he get that? I always thought that blade was a legend anyway.” She watched him pull a T-shirt over his head and tuck it into his unbuttoned jeans.
Oh Christ.
“No one knows, and no one up top would ever admit to the existence of such a weapon. I can tell you this much, it will kill an immortal if they are struck in the heart.”
Her chin dropped. The only way to kill any immortal was to sever their head. Not even a blow to the heart would do the trick. They’d simply heal. “So the dagger is real? Where is it now?”
He shrugged. “No one has seen it since Drayos’s death. You are familiar with the legend of the Phoenix god?”
“Of course. All children are taught about the great war of Jumaria, where the god lost his life. It is said his power will rise again one day, but it has never been seen. Many believe he was only a myth as was the dagger he carried.”
“I can attest that the dagger is very real,” he growled.
“How did you escape? I understand he made you drink his blood to keep you from healing.” She reached for her pack, but he grabbed it and held it while she slipped her arms through the straps.
“Yes, he forced his blood down my throat every time I would start to heal then slice me open again. Eventually, after about six months, I was rescued, by Odage.” He picked up his own pack and slung it over his shoulder.
“No wonder you had a hard time believing he was responsible for the death of the guardian queen.” It didn’t take a genius to realize Caleb felt he owed his life to the Draki Overlord.
His eyes darkened. “If it had not been for him and Diego, I would never have survived.” He looked away. “I was responsible for my brother’s death.”
Suddenly, it all seemed clear. She placed a hand on his arm. “Was it the blade that killed your brother?”