"Lily," he breathed, his stomach cramping as he tried to deny the furious instinct to take this woman to his bed and never let her go.Her soft chuckle feathered over his chest, her fingers skimming down to tease at the waistband of his jeans. He looked at her sitting there content with her lust. He had a ton of paperwork he needed to be doing, but couldn't keep his mind on it, away from her long legs curled up under her, or his mind out of his crotch. His balls tightened every time he looked at her. Fuck, he thought, I should have stayed in prison."You’re showing your fangs, werewolf," she muttered.His eyes snapped open as he reached out to grasp her shoulders, careful not to dig into her tender flesh."And you’re playing a perilous game, witch.""Should I be afraid?""Yes," he growled, although he knew with perfect clarity that there was no genuine danger.At least not to Lily. Her hand slid down his arm and tightened on his wrist. She moved his hand to her breast, then moved hers
Even as he tensed, nonetheless, Lily was giving a slight shake of her head, and without warning, she bent forward to scatter kisses over his chest, pausing at each nipple to flick her tongue over the beaded tip. Rhye groaned, one hand burying in her satin hair in silent encouragement. Later, he would wonder why Lily had so abruptly gone from trying to deny the desire that constantly pulsed between them, but for now... Hell, for now, he could only enjoy.Trailing a devastating path down the center of his stomach, she tongued his belly button, making his cock twitch with a silent plea of mercy. Rhye squeezed his eyes shut, torn between the need to flip her onto the bed and take her with a swift, glorious explosion of pleasure and the desire to allow Lily to continue her seductive torment.It was finally the feel of Lily’s soft lips stroking ever lower that made the decision.In the past, he’d always been the aggressor during a sexual encounter. His predatory nature preferred being the h
Lying in Alpha Rhye’s arms on the bed, Lily drifted in a mist of pleasure and happiness. Sweaty, shivering, sated pleasure.Bloody hell. It was more than that. It was pure heaven.That had been... Well, she didn’t actually have words to describe what had just transpired between her and Rhye. It was heaven. It was fierce, amazing, and otherworldly. It was like the first time they mated and marked her, clearly overpowering. Ravaging and insanely incredible. With a rueful smile, she glanced around the chamber. There was little left to destroy after their last bout of sex, but what hung around was now scattered across the carpet."I unaffectedly wish that your likings run toward simple things instead of Victoria's Secret in that private den of yours, alpha," she mumbled, unable to keep her fingers from tracing the scars that ran the length of his abdomen. "Things could get pricey after a fantastic night." Rhye shifted to steal a brief, heart-pounding kiss. "Since you seem to be the only
Lily tilted her chin, although her stare kept straying down to the enticing surge of strength and muscle beneath that damned shirt. Hey, she might be a demon, but she was all female. Who wouldn’t be distracted? "I don’t have issues, I just…" Her golden brows arched as she struggled to find the words. "Yes?" "I’m just not ready to think about the future," she finally added. "You’ve found Elfy. You saved me. What else do you have to think about besides the future? Our future. If you are willing, we can go back to my pack. Be the Luna my pack needed." "Without my memory? I can't do that." She latched onto the first thing that came to mind. "My memory, for one thing." He frowned. "We can…" "No, I need my memory back before going to the pack, Rhye. I can endanger your people." "Our people," Rhye muttered. Lily met his exasperated gaze with a tight smile. "I think we might have the means to track my past." ***** Stephen was not a happy demon. He’d come to this region to rescue
“Oh nothing really,” the water fairy groaned. “Oh, it was something.” Stephen turned his hand over, allowing a small ball of flame to dance in his palm. “Perhaps I should just transform you into a frag and be done with it. At least I won’t have to fret about you fluttering your lips.” Rather than trembling in terror, the vexatious nuisance leaned down to stroke her fingers lightly on the tip of his wings. “Now, let’s not be hasty, my little demon.” Ohhhhh. It was good. So good. “I am not little and I'm not your demon,” he refuted, his voice weakened. “I am majestically petite.” Her fingers dipped and fondled and tickled. “I like petite.” He groaned against his will. “Stop that.” “Your lips say no, but your damn wings say yes.” Stephen glanced over his shoulder, realizing the treacherous things were glowing like a neon light in front of a cheap bar. “Stupid wings.” “And what about these delectable little horns?” Her hands skimmed up to toy with the stunted nubs. “What do th
A wisdom that did nothing to ease his spirit as he stormed from the rooms and went in search of the council leader. Following the unmistakable scent of power and cigarettes, Rhye moved through the surveillance chambers to a large library, complete with massive TV. Not surprisingly, Dimitri was engrossed in a rare ancient manuscript rather than watching movies. The ancient werewolf had never possessed Rhye’s interest in the ever-changing society, and it was only because he was determined to please his new mate that he wasn’t still living in a humid cavern without one modern amenity.As Alpha Rhye stepped through the door, Dimitri was on his feet, his lifted brow revealing he was well aware of his companion’s tangled emotions, although he was smart enough not to comment. Instead, he listened in silence as Rhye revealed Francisco’s attempted negotiations with the Alpha Stefan, and the demon’s promise he could reveal the location of Lily’s missing memory. As he finished, Dimitri pulled a
Lily watched as the very large werewolf, extremely unnerving Dimitri disappeared through the old doors before turning to study Rhye with a scowl. She felt strangely impassive as the scent of death and brutality enveloped around her. Maybe not startling after the last few days. There was only so much a woman, even one conditioned to demon barbarity, could bear without going into emotional excess.That didn’t mean, however, she was ignorant of the threat that continued to haunt her.She had only to glance at Rhye’s tight expression to be reminded.“Rhye? What do you sense?” she whispered.“We’re being watched.” Without even skimming in her path, a seeming trend this evening, Rhye tugged two blades from his boots and handed her one. “Here… take this.Gingerly taking the dagger, she frowned at the long, lethally sharp edge.“Silver?”“Yes. Try not to stick to yourself.”“I know where I’d like to stick it. No need to tell me.”Expecting a sharp response, Lily was caught off guard as Rhye
A hand stroked up the bustier, cupping a still pert breast. “Look at me, I am nobody at Rhye's pack. I'm always the second best from Jessa. I have no friends so I traded my body for the drugs that made my personal hell bearable. Then, Almera's plan came and she introduced me to Francisco, he changed everything, and soon I’ll be the queen of all Demons...”“Queen of monsters?” She mocked, ignoring the heat of the burning coffee house as she managed another few steps. Dammit, she had to get to that dagger and kill the bitch. If Rhye were still alive…no, he was alive. She couldn’t allow herself to think anything else. And she had to get to him. “Big deal.”“It’s certainly better than wasting my time whining and pouting because you think you got a bad break.”“Bad break? I don't have any memories…"“So you had a few cuts and bruises.” The whip sizzled through the air, striking Lily’s neck even as she dove to the side.“Did you have to spread your legs for every disgusting male who couldn’
Shock at what she’d done had barely begun to flicker through her mind when she felt something heavy and oppressive build within her. A sudden, sharp pain in her chest had her crying out as something foreign inside her pulled tight, stretching like a rubber band. Oh, god, it hurts. It felt like every atom of her being was being simultaneously crushed and pulled to its breaking point. The foreign sensation grew stronger and heavier until it felt like she was being ripped apart. The agony was unreal. She tried to scream her pain, but her chest was caving in, and she couldn’t breathe. It was gathering her power. She could feel it, like a thorned vine, latching onto the tendrils; she could feel it squeezing them, choking them. With a violent, agonising wrench, it yanked her power back into her, the cold, burning pain of it tearing a ragged shriek from her throat. Like a hand swatting a fly, the whiplash of it folded her body in half and sent her hurtling toward the floor. Strong arms
Thighs clenching at the feel of it, so erotically foreign, yet so right, she writhed between kisses and moaned. In response, Rhye coils his tail around her leg, guiding her to widen her stance. He slipped a thigh between her legs at the same moment he cupped her breasts, as he sucked her earlobe into his mouth. Moaning in delight... "Oh, God..." Livia growled.The multitude of sensations had her crying out into Rhye’s mouth. Pressing her breasts into his hands, she ground down against his thigh, needing the pressure where she was so wet and swollen for him.Like an extra set of arms, she felt him wrap his majestic tail around her, enclosing her in a cocoon of warmth, safety, and need. Even with her eyes closed, she knew he didn’t surround her completely. She didn’t have to wonder why. The knowledge that he’d left a gap so she could breathe and her inner demon could watch unimpeded had a new rush of wetness slicking her core. It was like she had been transported to a different dimensio
That was enough to snap her out of the trance.Unsure if she was more freaked out about being hypnotized by a fucking tail, or charmed that it seemed to like her, she pet it in return, carefully stroking a fingertip lightly over the spade tip.If it were possible, her eyes would have widened even more at the shiver working through Rhye.Did he like that?Oh, how she wanted to play and find out.Soon, it retreated, and Livia marvelled at all three men as she really, truly realised that they weren’t humans. They were predators and, unlike humans, had the features necessary to both lure in prey and kill it. Joseph’s eyes, Rhye’s tail—they were all mesmerising."Like cuttlefish," she muttered under her breath.Rhye zeroed in on her and cocked his head. "What’s that?""Oh, nothing." Peering up at Rhye, she prompted, "You wanted to ask something earlier?"The alpha gave her a look that said he knew she was intentionally redirecting the conversation but that he was going with it. "How did it
The words escaped without thought, but she didn’t have the mental capacity to regret them, even when the room was suddenly full of low, masculine laughter."Does that mean you think I’m pretty, too?" Leon rumbled, his eyes, now a vivid purple, sparkling—literally sparkling—as though they were dotted with a thousand tiny stars.His voice had already been deep, but now it was even more so. The gravelly, bass sound vibrated through her like distant thunder but was also creepy at the same time, but Livia didn't show how scared she was of the two-headed wolf. There was something about Leon's wolf that made her shiver with fear. He was something else. There was darkness in him, and she could see it. Livia paused, seeing a vision of Leon killing Joseph in the subway, while Rhye was unconscious on his side. Livia gasped; anger settled over her, and rage throbbed in her like a heartbeat. Leon creeped into Joseph... He would kill him. Livia could feel it... She didn't have a choice but to use h
Livia frowned. She picked up on that apparently being a bad thing easily enough, but why he thought she would care was beyond her. When she voiced as much, he just blinked at her like she’d stunned him speechless; at first, she was sure.Peering between the two of them, she took in the tense set of their shoulders and the tightness in their expressions that lingered, despite her assurance that she didn’t care about their lack of purity.Deciding to fix the problem she’d inadvertently caused, Livia smiled softly at them. "I don’t care if you’re pure or as mixed as milk and coffee, but I’ve obviously stepped on a sore point, so I rescind my invitation." Hoping to lighten the mood, she ended with a haughty sniff and an imperious wave of her hand.Joseph’s eyes narrowed to suspicious slits. "Well! Now that you don’t want to see, I want to show you. What is this witchery?"Leon made a low sound and nodded, mimicking Joseph’s suspicious expression, though his grey eyes were dancing with amu
Speechless, Livia gaped at the beautiful monster before her. Drawn like a moth to a flame, she took a step closer, wanting, needing to see him, to touch him. She managed a single step before Rhye cursed, eyes wide and dark brows furrowed, as he stared down at himself."How the fuck did you do that?" he demanded, pinning her with a stunned look.God, but his eyes were unreal. Vibrant, ocean deep blue with a sunburst of bright green around the pupils. They were the eyes of a predator. Eyes of a pureblood alpha. She wanted to get lost in them, wanted to stare into them until she’d mapped every facet."I have no idea," she admitted with a slow shake of her head. At the disbelieving expression he gave her, she tried to think past the shock of seeing him and explained, "The heat of your power was starting to get painful, and then, all of a sudden, it felt like mine got pissed off and threw yours back at you.""You shouldn’t be capable of that," Rhye muttered, but it was said almost absently
The memory of the creepy, child-looking demon and the sensation of it sucking the power out of her, remembering how weak she’d felt afterward, sent a shiver down her spine and hardened her resolve. All her martial arts and self-defense training had been useless against the thrall it had used on her. She’d spent too long and worked too hard to not be a victim to give up on this now. Rhye smirked at her for the second time that day, setting a new record. His eyes shone with approval at the resolve in hers. “I can force your power out of you. If you’ll allow me to try,” he tacked on at the end. Livia appreciated the effort he was making to be more polite, now he knew she wasn’t a spy sent to surveil them. She just wasn’t sure how to react to this new Rhye. He’d gone from cold and dangerous to interested and almost nice. Almost. It was a jarring change. Seductive, dangerously enticing, and intriguing as hell, but still jarring. Livia glanced at them, gauging their reactions to his of
Cocking her head, Livia frowned at him. "I don’t understand." Her eyes went wide as it hit her. "Oh my god, I get it. So, if they make vampires popular in movies and books, demons will become stronger because more humans are glorifying them. Same for witches and werewolves and everything else, yes?""Exactly.""Holy shit. I wonder how much I affected them in my Twilight phase as a kid."Joseph growled, "Those fucking movies! The "vampire" and "werewolf" demons were out of control. The "underworld demons" were pissed. They’d been top dogs for most of what"—he glanced at Leon—"like the last thousand years?""Mm, thereabouts, yes.""Wait. Did I hear you say ‘top dogs’?" she asked, ignoring the twilight thing in favor of something more important."Yes, but now anymore," Leon nodded.“Spiteful little fuckers, really. And always hungry!” Joseph pointed to a few thin white scars crisscrossing the back of his hand, scars she’d somehow never noticed before. “They like people meat, and they are
"As Joseph said, it’s not exclusively a torture chamber, and it’s not used as such all that often. Only when we’re left with no other recourse," Rhye soothed with a small smile.Her gentle giant, the man who touched her with such tenderness and care, was talking about torturing people with about the same amount of contrition as confessing he didn’t always take the time to recycle.That wasn’t actually what shocked her, though. She knew they were on the dark grey side of the morality scale.When she continued to frown at him, he lifted a hand and cupped her cheek, looking suddenly unsure. "Does that bother you, Livia? Would it help to know we don’t hurt the innocent?"Rhye was very still at her back, she noticed. He hadn’t pulled away from her physically, but she could sense him closing off, could almost feel him pulling the cold, unfeeling mask back into place.Joseph, who’d strolled farther into the room, snorted. "Of course she knows that!" He stopped walking when she didn’t immedia