At the thought of Raziels wife, cold anger stirred inside him. There was nothing he could do about it, and he knew that what had happened wasnt her fault. Hed even gone so far as to accept blood from her, though hed refused to use her wrist, insisting that one of the healers remove the blood from her body first. Hed been starving, close to death, when hed finally returned to Sheol. He would have welcomed eternal darkness, but that wasnt his fate. Once he died, hed continue in everlasting torment, judgment for the sin of falling from grace, for loving a human woman.
Over the thousands of years, hed often regretted that first impulsive reaching for what he wanted. But not since Sarah had appeared in his life. Sarah had made everything worth it.
And this this thing walking beside him. It was foretold that she would take Sarahs place by his side, in his bed, to be his consort and wife and rule the darkness with him. But the prophecy was wrong.
She was trying to ensnare him, he knew that much. He could feel the power of her sexuality, the sexuality that had crept into good mens dreams and seduced them, the sexuality that had filled the beds and pallets of a thousand demons. She was the Lilith, irresistible to most, and it was no wonder he looked at her and thought of sex. No wonder hed given in to temptation and kissed her when hed left her in Brisbane. It wouldnt happen again.
Beloch underestimated him. Azazel had been the Alpha since the fall until Raziel took over seven years ago, and as such hed chosen the Source, the woman whose blood sustained those who had no wives. He had never thought about finding the perfect mate. When the time came, the right woman had always been there. Hed recognized them, taken them, mated with them, ruled with them. And when one died, hed simply choose another, loving each one as best he could.
But Sarah had been different from the very beginning. He wasnt going to think about her, he reminded himself. He just needed to remember that hed bedded countless women, icy ones, shy ones, hot-blooded sexual ones. Hed performed as hed needed to, as he wanted to, with tenderness, with passion, with love; but never had one of them held any power over him. Not until Sarah.
The Lilith would hold no power either. He would prove to Beloch and himself that her body was simply a tool he could use and discard, that he would never fall prey to her sirens lure. He had for a brief moment. He never would again.
The house was just as theyd left it. He hadnt bothered to lock the placemost of the inhabitants of the Dark City steered clear of him. He frightened them, he knew it. Presumably they looked at him and saw garish color and eternal damnation, and they wanted neither. The denizens of the Dark City worshipped truth and moderation, attraction rather than desire, appetite rather than hunger. He and his kind were anathema to the curbed needs of the Dark City.
He had never stopped to question who and what populated this drab and sorrowful place. It was Belochs kingdom, a place out of time, and the shadows who moved here seemed more like lost souls than human or demon. He didnt care. They were no threat to him or his kindnot even the Truth Breakers or Belochs police force, the Nightmen. They couldnt leave this place; they simply existed. But even here
they couldnt touch him. They could only touch her, because hed brought her here for their cruel services.
He could smell her. Hed known her scent the moment shed walked out her apartment building door that morning, the subtle fragrance of her skin. He wondered if she emitted a mating scent, if that was how shed doomed so many. If so, he was mostly immune to it. He looked at her and wanted her. He knew that. Beloch must think him a fool not to have accepted that simple fact. Everyone should want the Lilith, even a dried-up husk of a man such as Beloch.
But while he wanted her, he hadnt been tempted to touch her or take her, and he could have, so many times. It would go no further than desire, not action. He wanted her and he ignored it, as he ignored so many of his appetites. Beloch was a fool to think hed be no match for her or his own needs.
He pushed the buttons on the old-fashioned wall switch in the front hallway, turning on the dim lights that only made the shadows deepen. She looked around her nervously, as if worried about what might be hiding in the shadows. She was foolish. The only thing she had to fear was standing right next to her. At least, until he handed her over.
Go to bed, he said gruffly as he released her. His fingers felt warm, almost stinging.
He expected her to scamper away, and indeed, she moved back, out of his reach. But then she paused, and he groaned inwardly. What did Beloch mean? Why should you be frightened of me?
Do you think Im frightened of you?
Of course not, she said, sounding annoyed. Im depressingly harmless. Still, he made it sound like theres some history between us.
There isnt, he said, only half a lie. Until last year we had never spoken, never met. Most people think you are the stuff of myths.