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“I’m sorry. Do you two have a history or something?”

  “No, Chloe. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to be left alone.”

  Steps sounded behind her and Chloe turned to see Tyrian headed towards her. She smiled at him but he didn’t back.

  “You shouldn’t be down here,” he said. “Draven, meeting in thirty. We have some

  developments on the demon.” The warrior turned back around, his smile back on his face.

  “Sure thing, Commander.” His eyes flickered to Chloe’s and his smile died.

  Tyrian grabbed her arm and led her down the hall. “What were you talking to Draven

  about?”

  Chloe debated telling him the truth. Would he be mad that she was trying to pair his ex-frimar with a new host? “I was just looking for you.” She cringed inside, hating that she just lied to him.

  “How’s the spell coming with your sister? We need it soon.”

  “I was just about to go work on it, actually. Lily says she’s also going to make a potion that may help to kill it in case it gets nears me.” He turned to her, pressing her gently against the wall.

  “It won’t,” he promised. His fingers passed through her hair. “You are so beautiful it twists me up inside.” He sounded amazed and unhappy at the thought. Chloe wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him closer.

  “And you, my sexy Commander, make my head spin every time you touch me.” As his

  eyes fell to her lips, Chloe’s heart thumped wildly. God, she loved this man.

  Her entire body stiffened.

  “What’s wrong?” You’re entirely too perceptive was what she wanted to say.

  “Nothing, just got a chill.” Damn, second lie in two minutes. See, this is what happens, she thought. But then his arms came around her and pressed her into the heat of his body and she sighed. Maybe some lies weren’t so bad after all.

  His lips came down on hers and the kiss was sweet with a trace of longing. He claimed her with a sincere passion that swept her off her feet and made her feel like she was floating.

  When he pulled back, she looked up at him. Her heart raced so fast, and yes, she knew.

  She loved this man.

  “Come on.” Tyrian led her to the great room and dropped her off with her sister. She saw Lucinda was sitting at the edge of her seat with her spine stiff and straight, her hands folded gently in her lap.

  “Finish your spell. I’ll come get you later.”

  “Bye,” she whispered and gave him one last kiss before walking away. A sharp spank

  landed on her ass as she turned away. Her jaw dropped as she spun around to see him laughing.

  But she had no time to say anything because he spun around and went in the other direction.

  Progress? Check.

  “Lucinda, I’m so glad you came down.” The vampire blushed prettily and fidgeted in her seat.

  “Yes, well, thank you for inviting me.”

  “I was just telling Luci, you can call her that by the way, that she’d look smokin’ in a black leather jump suit. Don’t you think, sis? With those Cat Woman type boots that go all the way up,” Lily said.

  “Oh, yes. You’d have all the men after you.” The vampire blushed even harder and Chloe felt guilty. She was about to mutter an apology, in fact, when a rapping sounded behind her.

  All three of them turned to see Draven standing there. His smile was gone once again, and his brow was furrowed. He glanced at Chloe and swore she almost saw anger there.

  “Lucinda, may I speak with you?” Chloe climbed to the edge of her seat to see this.

  Draven even sounded...polite. The beautiful vampire stood and walked gracefully to the warrior.

  “What’s all this about? Lily whispered. Chloe quickly rehashed what happened with

  Lucinda and her conversation with Draven while they eagerly watched on.

  “Oh, my God. You should have let me come. Look at that, he totally wants her!”

  Chloe wasn’t so sure. “I don’t know, Lily. He was pretty angry and he still looks pretty upset.”

  “That’s the ‘because I want you and shouldn’t have you’ anger, sis. Duh.” Chloe glared at Lily then they both shushed as Lucinda approached the warrior.

  She dipped into a little bow, keeping her eyes downcast. Just faintly, Chloe could make out the sound of voices but not distinct words.

  “Damn,” she muttered.

  Their conversation was short and soon Lucinda was returning to her seat, bright pink on her cheeks.

  Chloe opened her mouth to talk but Lily beat her to it, “Spill now! That man wants you bad.”

  Lucinda pressed a dainty hand to her mouth but it did nothing to hide her blush. “Warrior Draven asked, said he’d be honored in fact, to act as my host. ”

  “Tell me you said yes,” Chloe demanded.

  Lucinda pulled her hand away to reveal a woman’s smile—naughty and secretive. “A

  lady never reveals her true desires at first. I graciously told him that I would be happy to think upon it.”

  Lily and Chloe burst out laughing and soon Lucinda’s surprisingly bawdy laughter joined them. The vampire looked startled at her own laughter and quickly stifled it.

  “I’m sorry,” she said.

  “Don’t be. That’s priceless. You’ll have that man eating out of your gloved hand if you wanted,” Lily said.

  “Oh, I doubt that. He’s much too strong. Besides, I like him the way he is. I wouldn’t want him to change.”

  Chloe and Lily both awwed at the same time.

  The conversation slowed as they finally got to work on the spell. Lily wrote a catchy chant and willed the words with magic, as she called it. They spent the next few hours preparing a concoction with an array of ingredients that produced the nastiest smell Chloe’d ever smelled.

  Well, not as bad as that demon smelled.

  As the last of the ingredients were stirred in, the potion didn’t poof with smoke or explode so much as make wet, garbled sounds as if it, too, were unhappy with its existence. It looked thick as tar and Chloe wondered how she’d “throw” this stuff on anything. Maybe if she had a butter knife she could coax it out like ketchup.

  “Are you sure this thing will work, Lily?”

  She shrugged. “No, but it’s worth a shot.”

  Chloe read over the piece of paper with the spell on it. Go back whence you came, I unsummon thee demon. Chloe blinked, and then read it again.

  “That’s it? It’s not even two sentences. The spell from before was like a paragraph.”

  “Just trust me, sis. It’ll work...I think.”

  Chloe grimaced and prayed her sister was right. Standing, she stretched her stiff muscles.

  “All right, I’m going to bed.”

  “Memorize that spell and here,” Lily said putting a cork cap on the flask then handing it to her, “keep that with you at all times. You’ll never know when this thing might show up.”

  Chloe’s stomach clenched with that unsettling feeling. “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, Lily.

  Goodnight, Lucinda.” Chloe made for Tyrian’s bedroom with heavy steps.

  She took a quick shower then climbed naked into the bed. She wanted to wait up for him, wanted to kiss him goodnight, but her eyelids grew heavy and soon she was asleep.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Henry flung open the medical ward’s door with a bang. Nanu jumped, glancing up at him nervously from behind her desk. Yeah, you’d better be scared.

  Last night he’d let her into his room, into his bed, and into his heart. Then he’d awakened to a cold bed next to him. He’d checked the bathroom but she wasn’t there. She wasn’t even in her own bedroom. And when he’d gone searching for her, all he found was her brother, who told him in not so gentle words to fuck off.

  Henry slammed the door shut and stalked to her. She was smart enough to recognize his anger. She backed up into the corner, her palms held out.

  “Henry, hear me out, please,” she
said softly.

  “Hear you out? If you wanted to talk to me, you could have found me. You knew I was looking for you. You promised me, Nanu! What the fuck...” he said, spinning around and running a hand through his hair.

  “I know. I’m so sorry.”

  “Was this just sex to you? Was this just a fuck? Do you get off on fucking a warrior?” He turned and glared at her. Her face paled but he didn’t relent. She’d hurt him, hard and deep.

  “Don’t fucking look at me like that. Don’t play innocent. You knew what you did, what you said to me, and what I expected. How could you—” Henry roared and kicked a chair, sending it flying into a cabinet with a loud metal chink.

  She jumped and that helped to calm him down—some. “No, I had to leave. I’m sorry.”

  Henry’s anger boiled hot. He stalked to her, crowded her against the corner.

  He pulled her against him and slammed his mouth down on hers. Her hands were stiff but soon fisted his shirt and damn, it felt good. He was mindless for her. Blinded by fear and anger.

  He ripped at her pants, his tongue working in her mouth, and then he felt her fingers working just as frantically, pulling his hard cock out. He grabbed her thigh and lifted her, spread her open, then drove inside.

  She cried out against him and he groaned at the feel of her wet channel gripping him so hotly. He didn’t stop. Couldn’t.

  His mouth ate at hers as he pounded her into the wall. She cried out quickly, her short fingernails digging deeply into his back. It only took a few hard thrusts for her pussy to clench and milk him as she came.

  It was too much. Too quick. He drove through her sweet, tight muscles then pulled his mouth away to shout as he came hard, deep inside her.

  He came back to earth like a dropped bowling ball. He tore himself away from her,

  panting. They both righted their clothing, her movements much slower, her fingers trembling.

  “Is that all you want from me?”

  She hung her head and the soft sound of her sob was like a knife to his heart. At least, a bigger one than she already had planted there. The urge to go to her, wrap her in his arms, and kiss her was so strong. He had to back away. He waited on the other side of the desk until she could speak.

  “No, I’m sorry. It wasn’t like that. I didn’t want any of that to happen.”

  Henry’s blood froze. “What do you mean any of it?”

  She lifted her watery gaze to him. “Not that, of course. I don’t regret being with you for a minute.”

  “Then why did you leave? You made your decision. Or are you just a liar?” A vicious, beautiful liar that had his heart beating in her small hands.

  “I- I can’t talk about it.”

  Henry laughed, the sound bitter and harsh. “Why? I don’t understand.”

  She didn’t have to answer because the medical ward’s door slammed open and Nanu’s

  brother strolled in.

  “I think it’s time you leave here, warrior,” Heru said and went to stand by his sister as if by visually blocking his view of her, he could protect her. He was very wrong.

  “She made her choice, Heru. She’s mine.” Heru’s laughter was mocking.

  “I have the say in what she does, not you. I disagree with the match. My sister will not mate with half-breed demon filth.”

  Henry jumped towards him, ready to feel bones crack, but Nanu stepped between them.

  The look on her face broke his heart. She looked torn and lost, so sad his eyes nearly mirrored the tears in hers.

  “Choose,” he told her. “You know I would do anything for you. Just say my name.”

  Choose me, his eyes pleaded with her.

  She took a ragged sigh, her head hanging low. “I can’t.”

  “You did the other night. You chose me,” Henry said fiercely. His world was hanging in silken threads by the tips of his fingers, slowly dwindling away.

  “She doesn’t answer to you, demon.” Henry bared his teeth at the bastard, his chest pumping with the urge, the need, to fight.

  “I love you, Nanu. Don’t do this. Choose what you want.” Nanu’s gasp was like music to his ears, she looked at him with raw emotion on her face. Sadness and hope all at the same time.

  Then, like an old record player dying, Henry watched her face shut down. Watched as all hope was erased like a candle being snuffed. The life in her dimmed and slowly she shook her head.

  Henry growled, pain eating at him with sharp teeth. “Leave demon filth, leave,” Heru said, a smile on his face.

  Henry took a deep breath and slowly walked away, leaving his heart in that room.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Chloe rolled over at the sound of the door closing. She blinked in the darkened room and smiled up at the man who had so quickly changed her world.

  She’d dreamt that she told him she loved him. She’d had two versions of the same dream.

  In one version he slowly smiled at her, then made love to her, and afterwards he confessed that he too loved her. It was overly romantic, but hey, it was a dream.

  However, the other version had been more like a nightmare. She’d told him she loved him and all the ice she’d ever seen in him cemented until frost formed over his words. He’d pushed her away brutally, shutting her out of his life for good.

  He came and sat down on the bed next to her. His hand ran through her hair and gripped it gently, tilting her head towards him.

  “I want you.”

  Chloe shivered at his voice. It was deep and raspy. She nodded at him and he tossed the cover off her body.

  He hesitated as he saw her naked body, then stepped back and started tearing off his clothes. His movements were hurried, impatient.

  “Is everything okay?” Chloe was almost afraid to ask because that same gut feeling was there. Telling her something bad was going to happen. But to who and when? She had no idea, and the waiting was killing her.

  He lay down beside her and kissed the top of her breast. “No,” he breathed against her, his breath puckering her nipple. “I haven’t seen you...I needed to see you.”

  Her breath quickened at his words. His tongue traced her nipple then sucked her deeply into his mouth. Hot pleasure zapped through her body like electricity. She drove her fingers into his hair and threw away the hair tie that bound it. Dark hair fell around her in waves.

  His hands shaped her breasts roughly and her sex pulsed in answer. He kissed his way down her stomach, over her hips and thighs. Slowly he opened her legs, pushing his big body between them.

  Chloe panted as he pressed soft kisses followed by gentle bites up one thigh, then the other, never touching where she wanted him the most.

  “I love being down here.” His voice was guttural. “Your smell, your taste. The way you come apart as I tongue you. I could do it all day.”

  One thick finger slid inside her. Chloe’s nipples hardened even more. In and out, he stroked. Tempting and filling her with something that was a reminder of something much longer and thicker that she wanted so desperately.

  “Tyrian, please,” she moaned. His tongue passed lightly over her folds, then dove in with a dexterous move. He licked her bud once before pulling away.

  “What, my sweet? Don’t you like it when I suck you? When I prepare you for my cock?”

  Chloe let out a ragged breath, her body tense as a bowstring. “So much, Ty. Please take me, just take me.” She was so empty inside.

  He chuckled against her wet flesh, the sound purely masculine. “I think not yet, Chloe. I would taste you first. Make your pussy wet and open for me.” Chloe moaned at his words. Her body flooding with sparks of pleasure.

  His finger dragged out of her flesh before thrusting back in. A moment later his lips kissed her bud, the touch so gentle it was like a feather caressing her. She writhed against him, thrusting her sex against his lips. Yet he only teased her more and more.

  Sweat beaded her forehead. She breathed like she was running a mile, and all the while his ca
resses were so gentle and light against her.

  “Tyrian!”

  He lapped at her once, teasing her bundle of nerves with what could be. “What, my sweet Chloe?”

  “Please, let me come. Please.” Sweat formed on her brow, her hips trembled against him.

  He sucked a lip in to his mouth and Chloe’s body tightened with pleasure, cream coating the finger he slowly thrust inside her. Finally, slowly his tongue caressed her bud. He licked her lazily, excruciatingly slow. His fingers squeezed and released her inner thigh like a cat kneading.

  His touch built her up to a trembling, unimaginable precipice.

  They created a rhythm. His slow licking, her hips arching against him, his finger

  thrusting inside her.

  “Tyrian, Tyrian,” she chanted, her head spilling side to side. Suddenly, his tongue worked faster.

  Chloe screamed as only he could make her do. Waves crashed inside her, her body strung tight, and then snapped. Her harsh cries echoed in the room as her hips rolled against him, as intense pleasure flooded through her.

  He gentled his tongue, easing her back down to earth where she panted for air. He gave one last lingering lick then pulled away.

  “You are beautiful.” His husky voice sent shivers over her. “Come here,” he said, and picked her up.

  He wrapped her legs around his waist, set her core above his rigid cock, then pressed her down onto him.

  “Perfect. Wet and open, just for me.” Chloe tried to say something, but couldn’t form words. As he entered that last inch inside her, she moaned, writhing against him.

  He did all the work. Lifting her and dragging her back down over his hard rod. She

  memorized the feel of him, the way he spread her open until she felt split in half. The way he hit her so deep, pressing against the center of her nerves where only he could reach.

  Chloe dragged her eyes open. Sitting face to face with him brought the intimacy of the moment that much closer. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him to her, and he brought her down on him harder, faster.

  Chloe swung her hair out, baring her neck. In a husky whisper she said, “Take from me.”