Infernal Hunt Complete Set

by Holly Evans

  He nibbled down my earlobe while I locked the door to the flat, his hands roaming over my stomach and tentatively rising upwards. I turned to face him, surprised to see tension around his eyes, small lines around his mouth.

  "Talk to me,” I whispered.

  He nuzzled my neck and pressed me back against the wall. "This is what you want, Evelyn, I want to please you."

  I dragged my fingers through his hair as he softly bit down my neck; damn he was good.

  "What do you want? You're tense." Words didn't come easily.

  He paused, his eyes locked with mine.

  "My place is to please you,” he said softly.

  I bit his bottom lip gently. “And it would please me if you were into this, if you were ready."

  He brow furrowed. "I've never been given the choice to say no before."

  He looked away, the emotional pain wound its way into the back of my mind. My poor dear hound.

  "I will not use you,” I said as I took his hand and led him to the bedroom.

  "Strip,” I said.

  He raised an eyebrow.

  "What happened to not using me?" he said with a crooked grin.

  "Leave your boxers on,” I replied with a grin of my own.

  The idea of soothing and helping someone was strange; I didn't quite know what I was supposed to do, but I was determined to try.

  "Lie on your stomach."

  His mouth tightened, but he did as he was told. I climbed onto the bed next to him, kneeling and taking a deep breath. I hoped I was doing the right thing. He tensed when I touched him; I left my hand in place on his shoulder blade and allowed him to relax once more. Slowly I traced each scar and mark on his broad, strong back. The white lines intersected, some paler than others. Gradually, his muscles melted beneath my touch. I felt a little proud of myself. Once I'd reached the base of his back I leaned over him and wrapped my hands around his shoulders. He only tensed for a second before he relaxed once more, a quiet purring growl formed in his throat. I began to massage him, rubbing the stress and tension from his firm muscles. My desire to explore and enjoy far more of him grew with each passing minute, but the decision had to be his. I was not his old master.

  Once I'd released the tight muscles in his back and thighs, the purring growl had become almost constant. The warmth of his happiness filled me, bringing a broad smile to my face. He rolled over, exposing his toned abdomen and the rest of the thin white scars from his past. I watched his face as I trailed my fingers over the scars. His gentle smile turned into a predatory smirk when I reached the top of his boxers.

  "My turn,” he growled.

  I was more than ready for his eager touches as he made light work of my clothes, leaving nothing but our underwear between us. He refused to rush, much to my increasingly vocal protestations as he teased and tormented me. His teeth grazed my skin, leaving a trail of fire down my stomach while his hands slowly worked their way up my inner thigh. I tried to push him over and pin him to the bed; I wanted my prize; my patience had vanished with the feather-light touches he teased my nipples. He held me firm beneath him.

  "Patience, Evelyn,” he growled as he kissed along the top of my panties while his fingers skirted around the edge of them.

  My bra had been discarded some time ago, his boxers had been tossed aside, leaving only the thin fabric of my panties between us. He climbed on top of me, his tight body pressed against me, his fingers continuing to tease and torment me through the fabric while he kissed me hard. I dug my fingers into his back and dragged my fingernails downwards, drawing a deep guttural moan from him. A banging on the front door cut through the intense pleasure of the moment.

  "That had better not be fucking Kadrix and his cursed notebook,” I growled.

  He took my bottom lip between his teeth and did away with my panties. "He can watch if he pleases, I'm quite open to an audience."

  I gasped as his fingers finally fulfilled their promise. The door crashed open. Heavy footsteps filled the living room. I cursed every god I had a name or sensation for.

  Lysander leapt off the bed, and I was just behind him. I pulled on the closest things I could lay my hands on, one of his T-shirts and a pair of panties. Without thinking, I grabbed the two blades tucked up in the corner by the door and stormed out into the living room. I'd behead the fucking elf if he'd dared break down my door just to watch me finally enjoy my hound. Lysander was right behind me. He snarled; the heat emanated from him. It didn't take a genius to see why.

  Witches stood in my living room, clothed in black and grey, complete with hoods, no less. I spun my blades while I weighed up the situation. They had the only exit covered, and they outnumbered us three to one. Their stances were imperfect and unbalanced; I had to hope that they leant on their magic rather than any actual combat ability. A ball of blue flew from the witch closest to the window, on course for my head. I ducked and ran at her. Lysander tore across the room and pounced on the witch closest to the door. A scream cut through the air. I wasn't sure if it was mine or the witch's when pain seared my shoulder. I slashed at the witch wildly. I needed to put an end to their magic. Quickly. She stumbled backwards, blood blossoming on the black. More magic scorched the back of my neck and rippled over my naked thigh. I was growing to hate witches.

  I hacked at the throat of the witch in front of me. Her hood fell back to reveal a girl younger than me, barely out of her teens. Any guilt I may have felt was overwhelmed by fresh icy pain crawling up my ribs. I turned to face the two witches that were muttering and waving their hands. I saw Lysander halfway between his human and hound forms, tearing the innards out of an older witch. Blood coated his hands and face. I spun my blades and held eye-contact with the witch as well as I could with her face sheltered by the hood. Her muttering faltered; the spinning blades were drawing her attention. I shot forward and cut off her hands. She wouldn’t be casting any more magic. She yowled and dropped to her knees, clutching the bleeding stumps to her chest. The table behind me collided with my back, sending me sprawling at the other witch's feet. The crashing sound of more furniture buckling and shattering surrounded me. My home. The bitches were destroying my home.

  Flamed licked at my spine and surrounded my hands. I pushed myself up to a crouch and glared at the witch who threw another curse at me. She visibly trembled and stepped back. The curse bounced off the edge of the flames that grew around me.

  "What are you?" she screamed.

  I grinned at her, the cold predatory feeling descending over me. I didn't try and fight it. They had destroyed my home. They would pay. I stalked towards her; she tripped over her own feet and landed awkwardly against the kitchen counter. Lysander yelped and drew my attention. He scrambled back to his feet, and I returned my focus to the witch. She was trying to scramble away, but it was too late. Her feet slipped on a pool of her sister's blood. I slowly dragged the tip of my blade down her throat as she whimpered before I drove it into her chest.

  I looked around the remains of my home. Lysander was coated in blood, but none of it seemed to be his. I was numb. Bodies were crumpled on the floor, blood splattered the walls and pooled on the floor. My furniture was all torn and shattered. Lumps of splintered wood rested against the body of an older witch. The pain seeped in around the edges of the numbness as I sank down to my knees. It had been my sanctuary. The one place in the city where I could relax and feel safe. They'd stolen that from me. The scent of blood filled my nostrils and my vision cleared; my eyes re-focused on the scene around me. Lysander held me against his warm chest, his rough stubble grazed my cheek.

  "You're injured, Evelyn,” he whispered softly.

  My mind snapped to. The numbness gave way to rage. My dear hound stroked my hair and nuzzled my neck as I calmed myself.

  "They took away my home,” I snarled.

  He slowly bit down my neck.

  "I know,” he whispered.

  His fingers slid down over my injuries; the pain was excruciating. I couldn't hold back the scre
am of pain. He kissed me tenderly.

  "I'm sorry, I only meant to assess the damage."

  Tears mingled with blood as the emotions took hold.

  "Where is your phone, Evelyn?"

  I waved in the direction of the bedroom. "Jeans."

  With a frown, I realised it was ringing. Taking a deep breath, I pulled myself together. I'd killed demons, I wasn't going to allow something as stupid as that to break me. Lysander left me standing in the middle of the wreckage; he spoke to someone. I assumed it was on my phone. I needed a clean-up crew, to speak to Quin, and to find somewhere to stay. That was manageable.

  "Quin and Kadrix were attacked by witches too, they captured two of them for interrogation."

  "They're ok?"

  He gave me a small smile. "They are. We're meeting them at Elise's church as soon as possible. Pack some clothing."

  I took a deep breath and focused on what I needed to do. We threw some clothes in backpacks and pulled on suitable clothing for the time of year. I called in a clean-up crew and packed up anything I couldn't risk losing, including our throwing knives and anything alchemical. I swallowed back the tears as I left the flat, possibly for the last time. It wasn't perfect, but it had been ours.

  Lysander held me close to him and helped me walk when the pain became too much to bear. I would end the witches. I didn't know how I was going to do it, or even when, but I would end them.

  Elise pulled me into a hug before she led me through to the back room where Quin and Kadrix were. They were both splattered with blood, Kadrix was topless and coated in some green powder. Quin had a split lip, but seemed ok otherwise. I sank down onto the sofa and tried to clear my mind.

  Kadrix stood in front of me. “You have deepest condolences, Evelyn, a home is a precious thing.”

  I nodded and smiled before I took a deep breath. “Where are the witches?”

  Elise and Kadrix exchanged a look.

  “Quin and I will be interrogating them. You have too much emotion, Evelyn,” Kadrix said.

  I sighed and saw no reason to argue with him; rage boiled just beneath the surface. Elise sat next to me and Lysander was at my feet.

  “Let me heal you, Evie, then you need to centre yourself and speak to my lady. You can’t stay as you are.”

  Once again I nodded and accepted the words. Quin and Kadrix left the room before Elise helped me out of my clothes and went through the agonising process of patching up my wounds. The curses had been savage, but my connection to Lysander had dulled them at least a little. It seemed being bound to an infernal beast had some advantages. He held my hand and kissed my knuckles and my inner wrist while I tried to keep my breathing even through the pain. Once Elise was done and I was dressed once more, she ushered me into the main room where I was directed to her altar.

  “Kneel, centre yourself. My lady will put you right.”

  I was aware of Lysander lingering nearby, but I closed my eyes and did as I was told.

  I'd never dealt with the gods before; I'd felt the sensation of the moon goddess on the periphery before, but not had a solid conversation with her. I didn't even know if conversation was the right word. I focused on my breathing, slow and deep, trying to allow the excess emotion to drift away. A soothing voice formed in the back of my mind, reminding me that I was a protector and a guardian, not a cold-hearted killer. The emotion began to dissipate and my mind cleared. The pain faded and everything gradually felt bearable again. It was unfortunate to lose the flat, but it was also an opportunity to settle somewhere new. Lysander was a part of my life, and a new flat would allow him to put his mark on our home. I took one last long breath and smiled; the witches would pay, when the time was right.

  I opened my eyes to find Lysander curled up next to me asleep. A glance around told me it was dark outside. I didn't know how long had passed. I stroked my hound's hair and allowed my fingers to linger on his collar before I traced the patterns on my own bracelet. I wouldn't have chosen him, but I wouldn't be without him. He stirred and looked up at me with a small smile.

  "Evelyn, I'm glad to have you back."

  I brushed my thumb over his cheek. "You never lost me, dear hound."

  His smile spread and he sat up pulling me into his lap. "I was worried about you."

  His breath was hot on my neck. Memories of our earlier activities unfurled in my mind.

  Elise cleared her throat and said, "I'm glad you're back to yourself, Evie, we were a bit worried for a while. I've made up a room for you both, it's small, and simple, but it'll do while you find a new flat."

  I stood, stretching out my sore muscles. I must have knelt for a good while.

  "The witches haven't broken yet; Quin and Kadrix left to get some sleep. There's some food for you in the kitchen. I'm going to bed, try not to make too much noise."

  She gave me a big grin. I blushed and thanked her before heading to the kitchen; I hadn't realised just how hungry I was. The food was lukewarm, but I didn't care; I'd have been happy to eat just about anything at that point. Lysander watched me with some amusement and handed me a large glass of cold water when I was finished.

  Without warning, he scooped me into his arms and said, "I believe we have unfinished business."

  "Oh?" I said as innocently as I could muster.

  He gave me that sexy growling laugh that sent shivers down my spine.

  The room was as Elise had described, small and simple, but I remained eternally grateful. Lysander pushed the door to with his foot before he crossed the space to our bed in two strides and gently lay me down on the bed. He lay next to me, his fingers entwined in my hair as he brushed his lips against mine, asking. The day had been too long, any semblance of restraint I may have had had turned to dust. I pulled him to me and kissed him fiercely. I explored his mouth with my tongue while I tugged his shirt upwards, eager to feel his skin tight against mine. He moaned into my mouth as I slipped my hand down over his jeans. He was clearly as focused on continuing where we'd left off as I was. I undid his jeans, pulling them down over his hips and continued to stroke down over his boxers; we pulled back to remove our shirts.

  I whispered in his ear as I ran my hand over his increasing hardness, "I am a lucky woman."

  He growl-purred and scratched up my inner thigh, bringing me to arch my back and give him easier access. Suddenly he stopped, his entire body went rigid and his head shot up. His eyes went wide before he trembled. I stroked his face, the stubble rough beneath my palm.

  "A demon walks this plane,” he said.

  I gently pulled him close to me and stroked down his back while I kissed from his temple down to his jawline. "I'll keep you safe, dear hound."

  He stopped trembling and whispered, "I felt it, Evelyn, that was no runt."

  Elise knocked on the door before she pushed it opened and walked in. She smirked at our state of undress, and I was glad we hadn't gotten as far as we'd hoped. I was quite fond of my dignity, after all.

  "You felt it too, didn't you?" She looked at Lysander with a frown.

  He nodded and settled against me.

  She sighed. "I will not allow them free rein in this city. We will destroy the demon and everything will return to as it should be."

  She muttered something about celestials; I caught a few choice curses, but nothing coherent. "Do not fear, Lysander, you will be safe. We won't allow harm to come to you."

  Her pale blue eyes maintained a grey hue. The calm I'd come to know her for was slowly shattering.

  She gave a small nod and said, "I will speak to my lady, good night both."

  With that, she left, closing the door softly behind her.

  I wriggled under the covers and pulled Lysander close to me. We didn't say a word as we lay in the dark; his breathing slowly eased and settled as I stroked down his back. Sleep didn't come easily that night.

  Breakfast was quiet and tense. Elise's make-up was pristine, but it failed to hide the shadows under her eyes or the tension around her mouth. Lysander didn't s
ay a word and remained locked in his own thoughts. Quin and Kadrix only stayed for a moment to make sure we knew they were around before they went down to the witches. Once Elise had finished with her small breakfast, she retired to her altar, leaving me with Lysander.

  "I know you will do your best Evelyn, but my master was not someone to take lightly."

  I squeezed his hand. "We fought off those that came through the hellmouth, didn't we?"

  He nodded but didn't look at me.

  Quin stormed into the room, his expression dark. He put some water on to boil and muttered under his breath. Kadrix wasn't too far behind him, he sidled up to Quin and wrapped his arms around Quin's waist and leant his head against his. I looked at them, waiting.

  Quin ground his teeth together before Kadrix said, "The witches committed suicide. We got nothing from them."

  "Our home was lost for nothing!" Quin spat.

  Kadrix held him close and kissed his cheek. Quin relaxed under his touch and gave him a soft smile. He poured the water into a French press to make more coffee and sighed heavily.

  He narrowed his eyes at Lysander and me. “What happened?"

  "A demon came through to this plane,” Lysander growled.

  Quin's hands tightened. Colour flushed his face before he calmed himself.

  "I miss the good old days where we killed redcaps and told lycans to behave themselves like good dogs."

  Lysander's lips pulled back, but Quin's charming smile disarmed him.

  "So, what's our plan of action?" Quin asked.

  "Find a new home. Kill the demon. Shove something large and pointy up the celestial's asses so they don't bother us again,” I said.

  Kadrix's face lit up at the last item on the list; I leant back in my chair, trying to subtly put a little more space between us. Elise walked in and poured the coffee for herself.

  She kissed Quin's cheek and said, "Thanks, you're a star."