Chapter Twenty

 

Soft hands stroked over his shoulders and chest, making his breath catch. Gods, he’d missed her! Lips met his in a tender kiss like velvet against silk. He moaned. More, he needed more. Guided by instinct, he pressed open her mouth, slipping his tongue between her lush lips. He groaned at her taste. Their mouths dueling, he gripped her hair to make sure she couldn’t leave him. Again.

The nectar of her kiss sent fire tunneling through his body. Caught between dreams and wakefulness, Malachi breathed in her gardenia and smoke scent. He wanted to carry that smell with him everywhere, he wanted it to seep into his pores and mark his body. Tangling his fingers in her hair, he devoured her with his mouth. He needed her.

Blood pumped through his body, heading straight for his groin. He shifted, the sheet sliding off, leaving nothing between them. The touch of her cool skin against his own fueled his desire. Growling with need, he rolled them over until she was beneath him. He should slow down, savor having her beneath him, but he was guided by blind instinct. She’d left him and she needed to realize that there was no going back for her. Never.

Hands widespread to touch as much of her as he could, he stroked her breasts, flicking his thumbs over her nipples until they were hard.

He forced himself away from her mouth. His lips found her nipple unerringly, his eyes closed to keep the dream close. She groaned and shifted under him as his tongue swirled around her stiff flesh. Hands clasped at her waist, he held her still as he moved to the next breast, drawing on her savagely. Her sharp cries spurred him on.

The sweet musk of her arousal rose in the air. He growled, wedging his body between her restless legs. Lingering, nibbling kisses bisected her torso. He wanted to taste her, make her feel the same madness he did.

Her legs opened wider before his mouth reached its destination. He rained soft kisses on the tender skin of her lower abdomen. Silken thighs were treated with the same pseudo-innocent salutation.

She squirmed in his hands. He breathed deep of her need and pressed his cock into the sheets as arousal hammered at him. The need to take, to possess was overwhelming, but he’d have his revenge first. Awareness crept in. He knew she was really here, in his bed, and he would make damned sure she wouldn’t leave him again, no matter how idiotic he behaved.

She was trembling, her breath quick and ragged. Good. She was almost ready. Dipping his head, he swiped his tongue from her entrance to the tiny button at the apex of her thighs. Arousal dripped from her body. Small hands clenched in his hair, pulling him back to her.

He smiled against her folds, flicking his tongue over her clitoris, her breathy cries sounding like a symphony to his ears. Anchoring her with one arm over her hips, he pushed into her slick, hot entrance with two fingers. Her flesh slowly yielded to his invasion, tight around him. In and out, slow and steady, thrusting into her tense little body the way his cock demanded.

But first, the lesson. A simple swirl of the tongue, accompanied by a slow pumping of his hands into her sheath and she was screaming his name. The primal clenching of her body had him thrusting against the sheets. No, he wouldn’t lose control yet.

Fierce possessiveness griped him. This was his time, his female. He rose above her. He’d never made love to her in this position, and suddenly he wanted it more than anything. Her lax body trembled, but he would hear no arguments.

Gripping her behind the knees, he spread her legs up and out, opening her wide. He could hear her panting. Was she scared that he would hurt her? She breathed his name. No, she was trembling for him, panting in need, desire. Holding her legs steady, he found her heat, bathing the tip of his cock in her arousal.

He moaned softly. With a slow flex of his hips, he slid into her welcoming body. Her tense muscles gave way to his hardness until he nudged the mouth of her womb. He growled loudly, throwing his head back. His fangs descended.

Not yet, he thought fiercely.

Slow glide out, torturously slow thrust in. Out, in, she shook as he took his time with her. His balls ached for release, but he wasn’t ready. No, she was going to learn never to leave him. No one else could give this to her. No kings would make her feel this way.

Pulling out until he was barely in her, he stopped. Her hips wiggled as though to bring him back, but still he waited. Whispered demands in her native tongue pleased him. He thrust in hard. She cried out. Slowly pulled out again, her hips lifted trying to keep him. He waited again. This time her demands were louder, her hips moved frantically. Yes. She knew.

Lowering his head, he opened his eyes. Saw her bathed in darkness, saw her shadowy form. But she could never disguise her green eyes, hazy with desire and- he cut the thought off. He wouldn’t think of softer emotions. Not when he was teaching her what it meant to be to belong to a demon Halfling.

“Mine,” he ground out, thrusting deep, hard and fast.

He paused before pulling out with deliberate slowness. It was agonizing, but showed her the control he had over her pleasure.

“Mine,” he repeated, slamming forward. Her breath hitched on a sob.

The thrusts picked up tempo. Withdraw, slam forward, until their bodies were slapping together, slick with desire and sweat. The word “mine” was pulled from the very depths of his soul as he thrust. Her fingernails scored his shoulders, raking down his back. He gave a triumphant laugh. She was savage in her need to reach fulfillment. Her eyes glowed in the darkness of the room.

She reached climax, shattering around him, a thin wail tearing out of her throat. He gritted his teeth, his control held by a thread. Slipping the backs of her knees to the crook of his elbows, he planted his fists on either side of her shoulders. Her hips angled up. He plunged again.

“No,” she whispered, her head thrashing from side to side. “No, no more!”

“Yes,” he growled, pushing into her steadily.

Her mouth opened, her forehead creased every time he pressed forward. She was tight and he was probably causing her discomfort, but she rose to meet his plunging cock. He stole her words of protest with a savage kiss, his tongue dipping into her mouth with every surge of his cock. Her channel was wetter, tighter, closing around him. She was stealing his control with each thrust.

His balls drew up. He was close.

“Who are you?” he demanded harshly, his breathing choppy.

“Noelani!”

“No. Who.” Thrust “Are.” Retreat. “You.” Hard thrust.

“Y-yours,” she whimpered, turning her head to the side.

Roaring in victory, he darted down. His fangs pierced the vein in her throat with his final controlled thrust. The sweet rush of her blood in his mouth threw away all of his finesse. He plunged and thrust into her welcoming body savagely.

Her scream of completion flowed into him. Sharp teeth sank into his shoulder as her fingernails raked down his sides. She bit him in her passion, her inner muscles clamping around him tightly, flexing and releasing until he came as well. Slamming into her one last time, his seed spilling into her tight warmth, he threw his head back to roar his masculine triumph.

Her sweat slick body went limp, her chest rising and falling as sobs racked her body. He released his hold on her legs, letting her limbs settle on either side of his. Slumped over her, he pressed soft kisses over her damp face, his shaky hands awkwardly smoothing back her hair.

“You’re mine,” he rasped into her ear. He closed his eyes. “You’re mine. Don’t ever leave me again.”

He rolled to the side, pulling her against him, arranging her legs and arms over his body. Relief coursed through him. She was back and she was his. She wasn’t going to ever leave him again. He wouldn’t allow it.

He lay next to her, his mind surprisingly clear of the effects of alcohol. There was more to his need to possess her than just getting off, or being angry at her. Laying claim to her by blood was a vampire trait, but the need to make her admit to his mastery was all demon. Malachi wasn’t a hundred percent sure what that meant, but he wouldn’t let her forget her promise.

*****

Lani woke, warm and content. Blinking open her eyes, she focused on the face next to hers. Sometime during the night, they’d turned to face each other. Malachi was sleeping, his expression relaxed and showing the same traces of contentment she felt.

Was this love? This feeling traveling through her body felt as though it would burst out of her at the slightest touch. She shied away from it. She couldn’t bind her life to his. Death was her only destiny, redemption and life his. This week with him had been the best of her entire existence and she’d hold that close when she entered the After.

Turning away from the heart’s deliverance, she looked out the window. Dawn was coming, and with it another day to protect her lover. She eased from his tight hold, stopping when he grumbled and grabbed for her. A smile crept across her face at his sleepy, disgruntled expression when she pulled completely away from him. Her pillow found its way into his arms, his nose burrowing into it for her scent.

Tenderness filled her. This male had done what no other being had ever managed. He’d pulled her from the coldness she’d been heading towards. It was a fine gift, she thought as she dressed. She felt as though she could win any battle with the love she had for him.

She paused, the hairs on the back of her neck lifting in awareness. There was tension in the air. Thick and heavy, it pressed on her. Shooting a quick glance at Malachi, she saw that he was sleeping completely undisturbed. She cursed softly. Luther.

Scrambling to finish dressing, Lani kept as quiet as she could. The last thing she needed was Malachi to wake up and see her pulled through an inverted portal. She paused in the act of lacing up her boot. He’d wake up and see she was gone. Biting her lip, she stared at the figure in the bed.

Gods, she didn’t want to leave him! Not just because it would be the last time she ever saw him, but because she’d sworn never to leave him again. Except there was nothing for it. Luther was calling her and she couldn’t refuse. As much as she’d love nothing more than to hide in Malachi’s arms, she’d be torn from them if she tried.

And if Luther ever realized how much she loved Malachi, he’d do his best to torture her with the information. She knew Luther, knew what got him off. No, she had to remain strong.

The power rose sharply. Forcing herself to finish dressing, she pulled on her weapons, strapping them down for the upcoming journey.

Malachi let out a grumbling sigh. Her heart melted at the sound. A lump formed in her throat. No! She couldn’t weaken; she didn’t need Luther to see a trace of emotion in her. But she didn’t want to hurt Malachi. Coming to a quick decision, she rummaged around Malachi’s library, finding a paper and pen.

Biting her lip hard enough to make it bleed, she tried to think of what to tell him. She had only a few more seconds before she was pulled out of Malachi’s life forever. Dashing off a few quick lines, she ran back to the bedroom, placing the letter on the one weapon she wasn’t taking with her.

The portal appeared with a loud pop. Throwing one frantic glance at Malachi, Shade was pulled into the swirling vortex. Her last sight of him was the beautiful line of his back.

I love you, she mouthed silently before the portal closed, throwing her into the wormhole.

*****

Luther strained at the portal. Shade was being resistant, which was unheard of. She knew the consequences of rejecting his commands. Except this time he wasn’t calling her for himself, unfortunately. No, his master demanded Shade’s presence.

Shade hadn’t completed her task in the allotted time. Luther wasn’t sure if the master would give her another chance or not. Her greedy, bootlicking parents so far hadn’t impressed the master with their usefulness. He shuddered. For the last four days, they’d had sex with every guard in the fortress, eaten their way through his stores, and complained about the lack of entertainment.

He frowned, forcing more power into the summoning. The vial of Shade’s blood he wore on a string around his neck was nearly boiling at the power he was emitting. That blood was his link to her, the only thing that could call her to him at his whim, and it wasn’t working. Digging deep, he thrust more power down the link between them.

Ah, he felt her. She wasn’t fighting now. He eased up on the power, tugging Shade through the wormhole. To him. The master wouldn’t mind if he had a little fun with her first. She would pay for making him dip into his power reserves.

Patient now, he waited for her to spill through the portal. Blood rushed through his veins, his heart pounded. It was going to be fun having Shade home again.

*****

The smile on Luther’s face was the first thing Shade saw when she fell out of the portal. The second thing she saw was that she wasn’t in the dungeon, or any of the receiving rooms. Luther had called her to him from the comfort of his bedroom.

Luther’s living areas were ornate from what she remembered. The dungeon was the only room that wasn’t decorated in Louis XIV furniture. The bedroom dripped with gold gilded furnishings, painted silk upholstered every chair. The focus of the room was the state bed with its elaborate drapes. She shuddered. Gold, crimson, and dark wood. The room looked like a bordello to her, and from the look on Luther’s face, he was ready to add her as its main attraction.

Wariness replaced any lingering warmth she felt from recognizing her love for Malachi. Luther always had plans and it looked as though his latest was to warm her up for death with his favorite means of torture. The excitement on his face gave credence to her suspicions. Fuck.

“Shade,” he said, his voice oozing charm and satisfaction. “I’ve been waiting for you. Did you think you could keep me from calling you through?”

Silently, she shook her head. She slowly pushed herself to her feet, bending her knees and balancing on her heels. She needed to try to get the vial away from him before she could attempt to kill him.

He quirked an eyebrow at her, his eyes curious. Did he sense something different about her? Gods, she hoped not. If there was one thing Luther loved, it was a puzzle and he’d see her change in attitude as something he needed to figure out. Even if it meant breaking her bit by bit.

His shirt was unbuttoned, the white silk showcasing his chest. Her heart tripped. She remembered scenarios like this too well. Except this time she wasn’t chained down by anything but the vial of blood hanging from his neck. Luther’s massive chest rippled as he stretched. It was an impressive display, but she’d long lost any attraction to it, or him.

“Why did you call me back so soon?” she asked, trying for a cold tone. She wasn’t even sure she knew what it meant to be cold anymore. Not since Malachi.

The other eyebrow joined the first. It was an expression that conveyed deep surprise. She’d never asked him anything willingly. Dammit, she was already screwing up!

“You haven’t completed your assignment,” he replied, walking towards her with confidence.

Her hands clenched into fists. She’d give almost anything to be able to tear his heart out with her bare hands. Her gaze strayed to the vial as it swung lazily from one side of his chest to the other. That vial held not only power over her, but it was also the symbol of her lost innocence and fall from grace.

He smiled. “You remember the night I filled this vial, don’t you, Shade?”

Of course she remembered. It had been the first night of her fifty-three years of captivity. If she closed her eyes, she could still see him filling the vial with the blood from his invasion mingled with his seed. She repressed a shudder of revulsion. He’d stood over her, chanting his incantation, closing the trap on her.

“The power wouldn’t have worked without a little of your blood mingled with mine,” he told her now. “It could’ve been a prick of your finger, but I wanted you, Shade. I wanted your innocence, but most of all, I wanted all of that emotion you used to ooze.” His gaze traveled over her. “You used to glow with it. Then, you weren’t fun anymore.” He stared at her, a pout on his face. “Did I break you, Shade? Or do you just hide your feelings better now?”

The horror she’d held at bay threatened to overwhelm her. She couldn’t do this, she thought in terror. She couldn’t pretend indifference. The flight or fight instinct all living organisms have rooted in their psyche reared up. Run. Run away.

He must’ve read the intent in her eyes because he teleported directly before her, banding his arms tightly around her. “Oh no, my little Shade,” he whispered in her ear. “You’ve been a naughty girl and it’s time you receive your punishment.”