He cupped her chin, forcing her gaze to remain on his face. I want to talk to you about something, he said.
In the back of his mind, Defeat ceased moaning with pleasure. Perhaps he sensed Striders unease and feared a fight with the Harpy.
I know what you want to discuss. Kaia licked her lips, and the sight of that pink tongue caused his cock to twitch. Paris, right? Well, you have to
He shook his head. Were done with that subject. Hes wiped from your memory now.
For sure! But what happens when I bump into him? If I hang with you, I will. Youll see us talking and remember that you can never forgive me for
Another shake of his head silenced her. Theres nothing to forgive, baby doll. You and I werent dating then. We werent even flirting.
Luminous eyes pierced his soul. Butbutthats why you resisted me. Thats why you said we couldnt be together. Not that I think were together right now, she rushed to add.
Were together, he growled, and his hard tone left no room for doubt. Just try and leave. See what happens.
Her mouth fell open, revealing those lovely white teeth, minus the fangs. We are?
We are.
All the way?
All the way. Im your consort and youre my woman. Just mine. Do I need to wear a ring or something? Do you? He recalled the medallions her mother and a few other Harpies had been wearing. Recalled, too, that hed wanted to talk to her about them. Or maybe a medallion?
No, she croaked. No rings, no medallions. Those are for warriors and mine was taken from me afteryou know.
No wonder shed been so upset at the sight of Juliette wearing one. Well, Kaia would get her own and hers would be the best. Like her consort. Ego check. So were officially going steady?
Disappointment clouded her delicate features and damn if tears didnt pool in her eyes. Yes. Until the end of the games, I know.
Whether his admission would distract her or not, he had to tell her. He couldnt let her wallow like this. After the games, too. And if anyone needs forgiveness, its me, for pushing you away as long and as harshly as I did. As he spoke, those eyes got bigger and bigger, wetter and wetter. Im sorry for that, I am. He traced her mouth with his thumb. Believe me, I will regret that forever. Becausedamn it, Kaia, I love you.
Defeat seemed to freeze inside his head, not daring to move as he listened to the conversation. If Kaia didnt say those words back, the demon wouldwhat?
Dont care. You dont have to say anything, Strider went on. Ill win her heart. And he wanted to do it without the demons influence. Otherwise, Kaia would never believe the feelings were his own and not born from his need for victory. In fact, I dont want you to say anything right now. Well huddle up about this after the games.
She blinked, but gave no other indication that shed heard what hed said. Huddle up? As if were playing a few rounds of football?
See? She would never let him get away with anything. Youre allowed to show a little joy about what I said, you know, he grumbled.
Her lips pursed before quickly smoothing, as if she didnt want to reveal a single hint of what she felt. I cant.
You cant?
Defeat growled, liking her response even less than Strider did.
Finally emotion peeked through Kaias expressionless mask and he saw a mix of fear and hope. I love you, too, I think. I mean, Ive never let myself consider feeling something deeper then lust, but Ive never burned for anyone the way I burn for you. But what if I fail you? I wont deserve you and Ill have to let you go. Youll want me to let you go. What if
He kissed her, long and hard, filling her mouth with his tongue and his taste, and demanding a response. She gave it to him, gripping his head and stealing his breath. Hearing the words I love you, even with her uncertainty accompanying themdamn. He was more revved now then hed been seconds before getting inside her.
She. Loved. Him. No question. She might not have worked it out in her mind yet, but she loved him and the knowledge slayed him. Slayed. Him. He hadnt realized how much hed longed for her love until that moment.
He was king of the freaking world, man.
Defeat got his moan on.
Strider forced himself to end the kiss and rolled to his side. Kaia tried to crawl up his body, tried to finish what theyd started, but a tight grip on her waist locked her at his side. Sex, yeah, theyd go again, but apparently they had to get a few things straight first.
You are not Kaia the Disappointment. Do you hear me? Thats what I was trying to tell you earlier. You are Kaia the Mighty. How many Harpies out there do you think could have brought down the most badass Lord of the Underworld? The same Lord who also happens to be the strongest, sexiest and smartest. And by the way, in case theres any doubt, Im describing me.
I know. Tears leaked from her eyes and onto his chest, so hot they left little welts on his skin. Only me?
Thats right. Only you. Now, challenge me to stay with you.
She arched like a bow against him, taut fury making her stiff. No!
Kaia
No. I wont do it. I dont care what you say. You have to stay of your own free will. Not because you dont want to be struck with that god-awful pain from your demon.
He didnt want her afraid hed leave her at any moment, though. Do it and Ill give you another orgasm.
Slowly she relaxed. Well
Her cell phone beeped, startling them both. Then his cell phone beeped. One they could have ignored. But both? Something had happened. They jolted up in unison.
I bet the competition is over. My gods, my sisters. How could I have forgotten about them? She scrambled to her discarded clothing and rifled through her shorts pockets.
He found his cell and they popped the screens at the same time. She gasped. He grunted. Then they peered over at each other, silent.
Tell me your news first, he said.
They won. She sounded dazed and unsure. They won first place this round. Theyre injured, but alive and healing. They also managed to disqualify the Skyhawks. Meaning were now on equal footing with my mother.
Thats great. He frowned when he saw the new flood of tears tracking down her cheeks. Right?
Right. A firm nod. My family is alive and they brought home the victory we needed. Im so happy I could burst.
But?
Her shoulders sagged. But they did it without me, she whispered, clearly agonized. I didnt help. They dont need me. Im a hindrance. They lose when I help, but win when I dont.
His chest constricted. Baby doll, just because they won without you doesnt mean youre a hindrance. That just means they were better prepared this go-round.
Silent, she dressed. He sighed and joined her, tugging on his own clothing.
Sabin and the angels found Rhea, he said, even though she hadnt asked. Or rather, they found where the goddess was supposed to be. She left in a hurry, they think, and she left days, maybe even weeks ago. Her clothes were thrown all over the place, there were white feathers on the floor and dust on everything.
Feathers. Galen?
He nodded. Sabin said there are no tracks, so itll be impossible to hunt either one of them from here. They must have flashed somewhere.
Butwhy host one of the competitions here if she couldnt watch?
Maybe her absence was unexpected. Maybe shed planned to be here, but something stopped her.
And the Hunters?
Maybe she issued orders to kill you before she took off, or maybe someone else was leading them.
Kaia straightened, peered at him, head tilting to the side as she pondered. Theres only one person I know who hates me enough to She frowned. Shed taken two steps toward him but now stopped abruptly and looked down at her feet. Im stuck. Strider, Im stuck!
He tried to move toward herbut couldnt. Just like hers, his feet were glued in place. He, too, looked down and frowned. The cave floor wasthinning? Yes, thats exactly what it was doing. Thinning, losing its rigidity, turning tomist.
In a desperate bid to hold on to his woman, he reached out. Just before contact, they fell in unison, whooshing downdown
Down.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
KANE AWOKE SLOWLY, THOUGH he gave no indication the synapses in his brain were kinda, maybe firing again. Hed gone to sleep in pain, drugged, and sadly, that had happened many times before in the past fewdays? Weeks? Hed trained himself to come out of a stupor and take stock before moving a muscle or uttering a word.
He ached like a boxer whod just lost the big match after going eighteen rounds. Though many of his injuries had already begun to heal, the deepest of them still etched his name in the May Not Recover book of regrets. And wouldnt you know? His demon loved it, every bit of it, giggling inside his head, soaking up the effects of the catastrophethen and now.
Kane had a beefy guard on each arm, holding him up, dragging him down a long, winding cave that smelled of sulfur and decay, human feces and acrid fear. He tried not to gag. He knew the scents well, his demon having cohabited with them for centuries.
There was also a guard in front of him and five behind him. None of them gave any sign they knew hed awoken.
As he planned an escapepicturing angels swooping in (not gonna happen), his friends busting through caves walls (again, a no-go) and him turning green and hulking (only in his dreams)fury flash flooded him. He wouldnt have to do anything. In the end, his demon would destroy these humans. Disaster lived for moments such as this. And if Kane died in the process, so what?
He remembered the explosion, remembered William being wheeled away from him and tossed into a different vehicle. William. Was the immortal alive? Being tortured? Probably. The fury intensified. These men would pay. No matter what.
You hear me, Disaster? They need to pay.
The giggling became a gleeful laugh that razed the entire circumference of his skull.
Wait for my signal. None of the guards had any idea about the devastation they were soon to face. And they wouldnt. Until it was too late.
When his leader, Sabin, took off to battle Hunters, Kane was often left behind. Too many little disasters ruined their efforts, even sabotaged them. But sometimessometimes Kane was sent in alone. When that happened, no one walked away.
too heavy, one of the guards was panting. Lets just leave him here.
Cant. Doctors orders. We transport him to the gate, or we dont come back.
Im sweating like a pig.
You are a pig. BBQ much, you fat bastard? The walk is doing your tub of lard body some good.
Eat shit and die, asshole. I have a glandular condition.
Im with Duane. He sweats any more, someone else said, and hes liable to burst a vessel or something. He wont make it back, gate or not.
The temperature was a bit uncomfortable, the humidity so thick you practically needed a knife to cut through it. They were clearly hauling him deeper into the earth, closing in on the gate tohell? But how would Hunters know how to do that? Why would they do that? That wasnt their usual M.O.
Capture, torture and now kill to steal the demon from inside him, that was what they lived for. This made no sense. Made him uneasy, as if he might not be dealing with who he thought he was dealing with.
He wasnt going to take time to question them. Theyd proven their intentions when theyd pulled their little look at my pretty bomb routine. He just had to figure out the best place for his demon to work. Their final destination, most likelyin more ways than one. The gate. The deeper they were, the less likely innocents were to be in the way.
In the distance, he heard the click of a hammer being cocked. No one around him seemed to notice. The guards continued chattering. Was someone about to shoot Kane? Or the guards? His demon prowled through his skull, ready to act, to destroy something, someone.
Not yet. Not yet.
The laughter grew in volume. Pretty soon, Disaster would strike, no matter what Kane did or said.
If the gunshot was meant for him, hed survive. But he didnt want to act just in case his friends were here to rescue him. Hope blasted him. When the crack reverberated, his guard grunted. Kanes left side was released, sagging toward the ground. The guard on his right cursed. The chatter ceased. What the
Who was
Another crack.
Kanes right side was released as well and he smacked into the dirt-laden floor. He lay still, even when a heavy weight slammed into him, pushing the air from his lungs in one mighty heave. One of his guards, he thought, was now unconscious, probably dead.
Yep. Warm liquid pooled on his back, dripping down his sides.
Crack, crack, crack. There was no time for the men around him to prepare or hide. They fell, lifeblood gushing from the bullet holes in their chests, ending them. The entire gunfight lasted less than a minute, over and done without any resistance.
A rescue, yes, but still he didnt move or speak. He simply waited. Cautious
Footsteps pounded. He recognized the heavy thud of boots.
You see him? someone called. A male, unfamiliar.
Shit! Hope withered, died. Not his friends. So who the hell did that leave?
I got him! Hes here.
The guard was rolled off him.
He alive?
A rustle of clothing, then hard fingers were digging into his neck. Yep, sure is. Maybe not for long. His pulse is thready, so well have to act fast.
That doctor is one lucky bitch. If hed died before we got here Rage and hate layered the mans voice. I might knock her around, anyway, for disobeying her orders.
No, you wont. Shes not one of us, and besides, her hubby would have your head. Lets just take the guy to Stefano and let him decide what to do.
Stefano. Galens right-hand man, a Hunter top dog, and an all around pain in the ass. Too bad the bastard wasnt here. But just like that, Kane began to understand. Hunters had blown up the house. Hunters had taken him to that female doctor, who was not a Hunter but married to one, ensuring he survived. Hunters had not had him carried down here. The female had, against her husbands orders.