No, he was bad. Slowly, he reached out. Let me help you. All right? His fingers lightly pried at hers, opening them up. The bloody remain fell from her grasp, and he caught it with his free hand, tossing it over his shoulder, away from her. Now, isnt that better?
Thankfully, his action didnt send her into another rage. She merely released a deep breath.
Whats your name? he asked.
Wh-what?
Still moving at an unhurried pace, he brushed a strand of hair from her face and hooked it behind her ear. She leaned into his touch, even nuzzled her cheek against his palm. He allowed the caress to linger, savoring the softness of her skin when deep down he recognized the thin ledge of danger he walked. To encourage his attraction, to crave more of her, was to condemn her to utter misery as hed done Darla. But he didnt pull away, even when she gripped his wrist and guided his hand through the silkiness of her hair, clearly wanting to be petted. He massaged her scalp. She practically purred.
Sabin couldnt recall a time hed been sotender with a woman, not even with Darla. Much as hed cared for her, hed placed more importance on victory than on her well-being. But at that moment, something about this girl drew him. She was just so lost and alone, feelings he knew well. He wanted to hug her.
See? Youre already craving more. Frowning, he forced his arm to fall to his side.
A slight cry of despair escaped her, and maintaining what little distance there was between them became even harder. How could this needy creature have so savagely slain the human? Didnt seem possible, and he wouldnt have believed it had the story simply been relayed to him. Hed had to see it. Not that there had been much to see, given how quickly shed moved.
Perhaps, like him, like his friends, she was captive to a dark force inside her. Perhaps she was helpless to stop it from treating her body as a puppet. The moment those thoughts struck him, he knew hed guessed correctly. The way her eyes had changed colorthe horror shed exuded when she had realized what shed done
When Maddox slid into one of his demons violent rages, the same changes overtook him. She couldnt help what she was and probably hated herself for it, the little darling.
Whats your name, red?
Her lips edged into a frown, a mimic of his. Name?
Yes. Name. What youre called.
She blinked. What Im called. The shallow rasp in her voice was fading, leaving a dawning awareness. What Imoh. Gwendolyn. Gwen. Yes, thats my name.
Gwendolyn. Gwen. A lovely name for a lovely girl.
Traces of color were returning to her face, and she blinked again, this time dragging her attention to him. She offered him a hesitant smile, one that spoke of welcome, relief and hope. Youre Sabin.
Exactly how sensitive were her ears? Yes.
You didnt hurt me. Even when I There was wonder in her voice, wonder tinged with regret.
No, I didnt hurt you. He wanted to add, Nor will I, but he wasnt sure that was true. In his single-minded quest to defeat the Hunters, hed lost a good man, a great friend. Hed healed from countless near-fatal injuries and had buried several slain lovers. If necessary, he would sacrifice this little bird to the cause as well, whether he desired her or not.
Unless you soften, Doubt suddenly piped up.
I wont. It was a vow, because he refused to believe otherwise. And it was a reinforcement of what hed already known: he wasnt an honorable man. He would use her.
Gwens gaze skittered past him, and her smile vanished. Where are your men? They were right here. I didntIdid I
No, you didnt hurt them. Theyre just outside the chamber, I swear it.
Her shoulders sagged as a sigh of relief escaped her. Thank you. She seemed to be speaking to herself. Ioh, heavens.
She had just spotted the Hunter shed slain, he realized.
She paled again. Hehes missingall that bloodhow could I
Sabin purposely leaned to the side, blocking her view and consuming her entire line of vision. Are you thirsty? Hungry?
Those unusual eyes swung to him, now lit with wild interest. You have food? Real food?
Every muscle in his body tightened at the sight of that interest. There was an almost euphoric edge to it. She could be toying with him, pretending to be excited by what he offered in order to relax his guard for an easier escape. Must you be like your demon and doubt everyone and everything?
I have energy bars, he said. Not sure they can be classified as food, but theyll keep you strong. Not that she needed any more strength.
Her lashes drifted closed, and she sighed dreamily. Energy bars sound divine. I havent eaten in over a year, but Ive imagined it. Over and over again. Chocolate and cakes, ice cream and peanut butter.
A whole year without a crumb? They gave you nothing?
Those dark lashes lifted. She didnt nod or reply in the affirmative, but then, she didnt have to. The truth was there in her now-grim expression.
As soon as he finished interrogating the Hunters, every single one hed found in these catacombs was going to die. By his hand. Hed take his time with the kills, too, enjoy every slash, every drop of blood spilled. This girl was a Harpy, spawn of Lucifer as Gideon had said, but even she did not deserve the gnawing torture of starvation. How did you survive? I know youre immortal, but even immortals need sustenance to remain strong.
They put something in the ventilation system, a special chemical to keep us alive and docile.
Didnt fully work on you, I take it?
No. Her little pink tongue slashed over her lips hungrily. You mentioned energy bars?
Well have to leave this chamber to get them. Can you do that? Or rather, would she do it? He doubted he could force her to do anything she didnt want to without ending up cut and broken, maybe dead. He wondered how the Hunters had trapped her. How they had gotten her here and lived to tell the tale.
A slight hesitation. Then, Yes. I can.
Once again moving slowly, Sabin clutched her arm and helped her to her feet. She swayed. No, he realized, she snuggled up next to him, seeking closer contact with his body. He stiffened, poised to pull awaykeep her at a distance, have to keep her at a distancewhen she sighed, her breath trekking through the slashes in his shirt and onto his chest.
Now his eyes closed in ecstasy. He even wound an arm around her waist, urging her closer. Utterly trusting, she rested her head in the hollow of his neck.
Ive dreamed about this, too, she whispered. So warm. So strong.
He swallowed the sudden lump in his throat, felt Doubt prowling the corridors of his mind, rattling the bars, desperate to escape, to obliterate Gwens ease with him.
Too much faith, the demon said, as if that were some sort of disease.
The perfect amount, if Sabin were being honest with himself. He liked that a woman was looking at him as if he were a prince of light rather than a king of darkness, someone she needed to run screaming from. He liked that shed allowed him to soothe her torment.
Foolish of her, though, he had to admit. Sabin was no ones hero. He was their worst enemy.
Let me talk to her! the demon demanded, a child denied a favorite treat.
Quiet. Causing Gwen to doubt him could very well rouse the feral Harpy, placing his men in danger. That, Sabin would not allow. They were too important to him, too necessary.
Distance, as hed realized before, was needed. He dropped his arms and stepped away. No touching. The words were a croak, harsher than hed intended and she blanched. Now come. Lets get out of here.
CHAPTER FOUR
THE WOMAN WAS GOING TO KILL HIM, and not because she was stronger and more vicious than he was. Which, if he thought about it, she was. Hed never ripped a mans throat out with his teeth, and he was damned impressed that Gwen had. Shed made the Lords of the Underworld look like marshmallows.
Two full days had passed since Sabin and his crew had rescued her from the pyramid. The only time shed seemed content was at her first glimpse of the sun. Since then, she had not relaxed. Or eaten. The energy bars shed so wanted, she had merely gazed at with utter longing before shaking her head and turning away. She hadnt even showered in the portable stall hed had Lucien fetch her.
She didnt trust them, didnt want to risk poisoning or the vulnerability of unconsciousness or nakedness, and that was understandable. But damn it, he was seething with the need to force her to do those things. For her own good. Without the shit that had been pumped into her cell, she had to be feeling every bit of her starvation. She had to be exhausted and dirty as she wasfrom the past two days, as well as her confinement, which was strange because the other women had been cleanshe couldnt possibly be comfortable. Forcing her, however, was not an option. He liked his trachea where it was.
Only thing shed taken from him was clothing. His clothing. A camouflage tee and military fatigues. They bagged on her, even though shed rolled the arms, waist and legs, but there wasnt a female whod ever looked better. With that wild fall of strawberry curlsthose take-me-to-bed lipsshe was utter perfection. And knowing the material she wore had once touched his body
I need to end my self-imposed celibacy. Soon.
The moment he returned to Buda, thats what hed do. Find a willing woman who wanted only a good time and, well, show her a good time. No one would get hurt because he wouldnt be sticking around. But maybe then his head would clear and hed figure out how to deal with Gwen.
Something else that bothered him was the way Gwen had planted herself in the corner and watched him no matter who entered his tent. Him. As if he were the biggest threat to her now. Hed snapped at her that day in the cavern, yeah, telling her not to touch him, but hed also ensured that she remained on her feet on the trek through the desert to set up camp. Hed stayed with her, guarded her while the other warriors went back to the pyramid to search for anything they might have missed the first go-round. Did he really deserve the death glares?
Maybe
Shut up, Doubt! I dont need your opinions.
Dont know why you care what she thinks. Youve never been good for women, now have you? Funny that I now need to remind you about Darla.
Crouched on the sandy floor, Sabin closed the lid of his weapon case with a forceful snap, locked it and turned to the bag of food hed had Paris bring him.
Darla, Darla, Darla, the demon sang.
Like I said, you can shut the hell up, you dirty piece of shit. Ive had all of you I can take.
Gwen, still in the far corner, jerked as though hed screamed. But I didnt say anything.
Hed lived among mortals for a long time and had trained himself to converse with Doubt inside his head. That hed forgotten his training now, in the presence of this skittish yet deadly womanmortifying.
I wasnt speaking to you, he muttered.
Paler than usual, she drew her arms around her middle. Then to whom were you speaking? Were alone.
He didnt answer. Couldnt. Not without lying. Since Doubts inability to lie had long ago spread to Sabin, he had to stick to the truth, evade, or hed be sleeping for the next few days.
Thankfully, Gwen didnt press the issue. I want to go home, she said softly.
I know.
Yesterday, Paris had questioned all the freed women about their confinement. Theyd indeed been kidnapped, raped, impregnated and told their babies would be taken from them and trained to be defenders against evil. Afterward, Lucien had flashed all but Gwenwho had told Paris nothingto their families, who would hopefully hide them from Hunters in the peace and comfort that had been denied them during their captivity.
Gwen had asked to be taken to a deserted stretch of ice in Alaska, of all places. Lucien had reached out to take her hand, despite her failure to cooperate, and Sabin had stepped between them.
Like I said in the cavern, she stays with me, hed said.
Gwen had gasped. No! I want to go.
Sorry. Not gonna happen. Hed refused to face her, afraid hed cave and release her despite the fact that her strength, speed and savagery could win him this war, thereby saving his friends.
By gods, hed dreamed of an end, a victorious end, for too many years to count; he couldnt put Gwens needs and wants before that victory.
Too badly did he want Galen, the person he hated most in this world, defeated and imprisoned.
Galen, the once forgotten Lord, was the very man who had convinced the warriors to help steal and open Pandoras box. He was also the man who had secretly planned to kill them all, then capture the demons theyd freed, becoming a hero in the eyes of the gods. But things hadnt worked out as the bastard hoped, and hed been cursed to house a demonHoperight alongside the other warriors.
If only that had been the end of things. But as further punishment, theyd all been kicked out of the heavens. Galen, still determined to destroy the men whod called him friend, had quickly assembled an army of outraged mortals, the Hunters, and this endless blood feud had erupted. A feud that only intensified with every year that passed. If Gwen could aid Sabin in even the smallest way, she was too valuable to release. She, however, thought differently.
Please, she had begged. Please.
Ill take you home one day, but not now, hed told her. You could be useful to us, to our cause.
I dont want to help with any cause. I just want to go home.