Darkyn's Mate (#3, Rhyn Eternal)

by Lizzy Ford

  Chapter Five

  Deidre. The summons came.

  She stood, terrified of what she’d find when she went to the living room. Granted, she hadn’t heard anything, but she knew Darkyn well enough to know he didn’t plan on leaving anyone alive.

  Deidre hugged herself and padded down the hallway, her heart flipping in her chest. She was expecting to see some gruesome scene like that in the second bedroom caused by Darkyn’s demons a week ago or what he’d done to his own demons who tried to drink her blood in Hell.

  What she saw was worse.

  “Gabriel,” she breathed.

  Death was a dark, towering, muscular figure in the living area of her apartment, clothed in black and wearing an expression that mirrored what she felt. He was armed but hadn’t yet replaced the trench coat she cost him soon after they met. His dark eyes swept over her, lingering at her neck, where her wound had healed with Darkyn’s power.

  “Deidre?” he faced her fully. “You’re alive.”

  She nodded, unable to speak. Her heart was breaking again or maybe, her hope crumbling. She wasn’t certain what to feel: angry at Darkyn for setting her up or sorrow at facing the mate she’d never have.

  Gabriel was speechless for a long moment.

  “What the fuck is going on?” he demanded.

  She jumped at the harsh words. She glanced at Darkyn, who was still. Silent. Watching. She fought the urge to cross to him. This felt like another of his tests or maybe, his way of closing another door.

  Gabriel’s eyes were on her.

  “I, um, made a deal with Darkyn. I went to Hell and …” she drifted off. She crossed her arms, close to panicking. First the death dealers attacking her, now Gabriel.

  “…had the tumor removed which happened to be Past-Death’s soul. Darkyn brought Past-Death back, fulfilling their mystery-deal, and you were at the mercy of Darkyn,” Gabriel finished for her.

  She nodded. “As his mate.”

  “His mate.” His disbelief was clear.

  He started towards her. Deidre skirted away, placing the recliner between them. Darkyn had tensed at Gabriel’s’ movement. Though the demon lord didn’t move from his spot, she was afraid of causing any sort of confrontation between them.

  “I just want to see the mating marks. That’s it,” Gabriel said.

  She hesitated and glanced at Darkyn. He didn’t move.

  She nodded at Gabriel.

  “You okay?” Gabriel asked in a hushed voice.

  Another nod.

  Gabriel stretched towards her slowly. Deidre braced herself, hoping not to feel the warm energy of his magic. She didn’t feel ready for it yet. It was hard enough for her to stand before him, knowing they could’ve been together.

  He took her arm with one of the hands that had explored every part of her body not two weeks before. He tugged her out from behind the chair then turned her gently. He pushed her hair over one shoulder, and his hands dropped. No warm magic drifted through her. Was she glad or upset?

  “Gods, Darkyn,” he muttered, astonished.

  Deidre looked at the demon lord. Darkyn’s eyes were on Gabriel.

  “I win this round,” Darkyn said, a faint smile on his face.

  She recalled how much he loved to conquer. Right now, he was savoring a victory.

  “Double bond. You weren’t about to take a chance that you lose her,” Gabriel said, sounding baffled.

  Gabriel turned her to face him again. Deidre looked up at him, trembling. She couldn’t decipher what he had to be feeling. He seemed mainly angry.

  His attention fell again to the blood on her neck, caused when one of his death dealers attacked her.

  “Tell me Darkyn did that to you, and I’ll fucking destroy him,” he said.

  Deidre shook her head, a smile slipping free. He cared. As much as he tried not to show her, he really did. She wished she’d realized that a few days earlier, before it was too late to matter.

  She’d tried to hide her fangs from him, but smiling brought his attention to them. She pressed her lips together for a moment.

  “One of your death dealers attacked me,” she told him.

  “What?”

  “I came here to … visit,” she said with a quick glance at Darkyn. “They found me.”

  “Followed her,” Darkyn corrected. “Your doing, Gabriel?”

  “Of course not,” Gabriel snapped.

  “Harmony was with them,” Deidre added.

  “The bitch betrayed me to you, Darkyn. Which means this could be your doing,” Gabriel pointed out.

  “The funny thing about traitors,” Darkyn replied. “You can’t ever really trust them. Harmony was granted access to use Hell to go to your underworld. I can assure you if she’s found going through my portals again, she’ll be sent straight to me.”

  Deidre’s eyes drifted to Darkyn in a sense of longing. As much as she hated herself for feeling it, she needed his touch to calm her.

  “How many were here?” Gabriel asked her.

  “Two,” she replied. “And Harmony.”

  “They hurt you,” he said, lifting her chin to see the blood.

  “Yes,” she said. “Darkyn rescued me from them. He has the two I think.”

  Gabriel faced the demon lord. Darkyn stepped out of the corner where he stood and Deidre grew edgy, fear fluttering through her. The two were tense enough to worry her that they meant to fight.

  “There were two who attacked my mate,” the demon lord said. “I’m taking the dealer who hurt her.” He paused. “My … spies report that you can’t keep dealers and have no idea what’s going on in the underworld. The other dealer you can have.”

  “This sounds like a favor,” Gabriel said, frowning.

  “It is.”

  “What do you want in return?”

  “Harmony. When you find her.”

  Deidre glanced at Darkyn in puzzlement. Why would he want the dealer behind those who hurt her? A strange sense went through her, one she might think was jealousy. How insane was she to be worried about Darkyn drinking the blood of another woman?

  “By letting them attack you, Harmony made a personal affront to the Dark One,” Gabriel explained. “I can’t imagine that will go well for her.”

  “What does that mean?” Deidre asked uncertainly.

  “I imagine an eternity of punishment as only the Dark One can devise. Same for the dealer who hurt you today.”

  “But I’m okay. He didn’t hurt me,” she said, looking at Darkyn with renewed fear. “An eternity? For one mistake?” She couldn’t fathom the idea. The reminder of what her mate was left her trembling harder.

  “Even I won’t go to bat for him,” Gabriel said. “Either of them. Mates are sacred.”

  “But it’s my fault,” she said. “Darkyn, I never should’ve come here. I don’t want him paying for something I did.”

  “He will pay for drawing your blood,” the demon lord growled in a tone that made her jump. “Anyone who raises a hand to my mate also raises a hand to me and will be dealt with accordingly.”

  “For once, I agree with Darkyn,” Gabriel said.

  Deidre was quiet, troubled. The two deities were bristling. She sensed it was because of her. Were they talking in their heads to one another? She couldn’t tell, except that the tension in the room was increasing.

  “Has he hurt you?” Gabriel asked, looking at her once more.

  “No,” she replied. Her distress was rising with their tension. Darkyn motioned to her.

  Deidre crossed to him quickly, almost relieved. She leaned into his body. Sensing her anxiety, Darkyn rested a hand on her hip. His cool energy worked through her, calming her. She sighed and breathed in the scent of his warm skin and the lingering, faint smell of blood.

  “Agreed,” Gabriel said. “Harmony for the dealer you have.”

  “I’ll have him brought to the shadow world and summon you,” Darkyn said. His low growl vibrated against her.

&nbs
p; Deidre twisted her head to see Gabriel. Tense and rigid, he was watching her with no small amount of emotion in his features.

  “You don’t deserve to spend your life in Hell,” he said, pacing. “Gods, if I could send her home with that demon in your place, I -”

  “Gabriel!” she exclaimed, startled by his bitter emotion.

  “Would you consider a trade, Darkyn?” Gabriel asked.

  “She did what she did because she loves you, Gabriel,” Deidre said. She moved away from Darkyn to stand in front of Gabriel, searching his gaze. She wasn’t certain how he could say such a thing about the woman who gave up everything for him. Deidre had a reason to despise Past-Death but Gabriel … he was too good for such an emotion.

  “After all she did to you, how can you say this?” he demanded, glaring down at her. “She’ll be lucky if I let her survive the day.”

  “I was angry at her,” Deidre admitted. “Maybe I still am. But you can’t kill her! She deserves a chance.”

  “To what? Turn on me again? To make my life hell?” Gabriel shook his head.

  “To have a second chance with you,” Deidre answered softly.

  “I knew something was wrong. Her story just didn’t make sense.” He looked away, towards the window, hands on his hips.

  “When you thought I was dying, you weren’t willing to take a chance,” Deidre added sadly.

  “Deidre, I –“

  “No, wait. You weren’t, Gabriel. You did exactly what she did. You hurt me to protect yourself,” Deidre pushed forward with what she needed to say. “I had to make a choice without knowing what would happen or even if you would be there for me in the morning.”

  He was quiet.

  “I don’t want you to apologize, Gabriel,” she said with a sigh. “I want you to see what I do. You both made selfish choices. You both have a chance to make it right.”

  “And leave you in Hell with him?”

  “I made a choice, too. I chose to live, no matter what the consequences. That path lies in a direction I never would’ve expected. But I accept that, Gabriel. There’s a greater purpose than myself. You and she never understood that, when it came to caring for someone else. You have that chance now.”

  He studied her.

  “I guess what I’m trying to say is…” she drifted off.

  “You’re breaking up with me,” he said, smiling faintly.

  “Oh, god,” she mumbled with a look at Darkyn. She sensed he demon’s imperceptible tension rise. “Deidre gave up everything to be with you. You weren’t willing to do that for me. Maybe you can set aside your pride for her.”

  “You’re too nice to be involved with any of us.”

  “The only innocent soul in Hell, I’ve heard,” she said and rolled her eyes.

  “If Darkyn ever, ever hurts you, you have a place to go.”

  “Thank you, Gabriel.” She wasn’t entirely convinced yet she wouldn’t need the open invitation. Gabriel was disturbed. She wanted to cry again. Gabriel made her heart flutter; Darkyn made it fly.

  The demon lord was gazing at her intently. Deidre held his gaze, wishing she knew the right answer to anything. A double-bond couldn’t be broken, but did she want it to be? Yesterday, she saw the power she could have to help people from Hell.

  Today, she had left, because the idea of eternity in the red desert with a creature incapable of caring for her was too much for her to bear. Standing between the men who could claim her as a mate at some point in the past week, she was caught in the need to taste Darkyn and the desire to have the love of an Immortal whose heart was never hers to start out with.

  “We’re done here,” the Dark One said to Gabriel. “Send my regards to your mate.”

  Gabriel was still for a moment. A portal appeared behind him, and he left without another word.

  Deidre watched the portal close.

  “Come,” Darkyn said.

  He scared her. He probably always would, but she went to him. Deidre stopped only when they were toe-to-toe and leaned into him, needing the heat and solidness of his body to quiet her distress. She was ten seconds from fleeing. She nuzzled his neck, the scent of his blood intoxicating enough that her body relaxed in response. Darkyn nudged her in return, assuring her he wasn’t angry. She was shaking from the experiences in her apartment.

  “Why did you choose to come here?” he asked in a measured tone.

  Deidre moved away from him. “I don’t know.”

  “You do.”

  “I … I guess I keep hoping when I walk out of my apartment next time, things will be normal.”

  Darkyn trailed her. She leaned back against a counter. He planted a hand on either side of her, dark eyes piercing. She swallowed hard. His rugged features were unreadable.

  “You know that’s not the case.” His tone was neither harsh nor teasing. Factual. The same way he wore down her resistance before.

  “I know,” she whispered. “Are you angry?”

  “What reason do you think I have to be angry?” He tilted his head in a sign of genuine curiosity.

  “That I left. That I came here. That I want to … to reset things. That I still have …” she stopped.

  “… feelings for Gabriel.”

  She nodded.

  “You want him. You need me. It’s not a competition,” he said simply. “As for the rest, you are working through the human stages of grief. But you’ve started to accept your fate.” Darkyn nudged her head aside. “I’m hungry, not angry.”

  Deidre’s body grew warm from the inside out as he nuzzled her neck, preparing to bite her. This time, she felt his fangs pierce her neck and jerked. He wasn’t trying to numb the pain. The brief pain turned quickly into pleasure intense enough that she began panting, her hands roaming his body. He caught her wrists and pinned them behind her, more interested in feeding. When he lifted his head, her body was roaring with need. She strained against him.

  “You see why demons love pain?” he whispered. Chuckling, he pushed her head away as she tried to reach his neck. “Now, show me you need me.”

  Darkyn kissed her, hot, hard and demanding. She struggled to reach him, even if only to touch his skin or for her little fangs to graze his neck. He overpowered her easily and maneuvered her down the hallway to her bedroom, stripping her and tossing her onto the bed in one move. He followed, and Deidre reached for him. The feel of the hot skin of his chest against hers made her groan.

  “Play, love,” Darkyn growled, nipping her hard.

  Uncertain what possessed her – beyond pure emotion – she complied. Deidre fought him for a taste, a kiss, soon breathing hard from effort as he grappled with her, teased her with nips and kisses, and dribbled single drops of blood over her lips. He didn’t numb the pain this time, and it drove her mad with need.

  A short time later, when she was too exhausted to move, she lay still and silent on her side. Darkyn drank more from her than before, leaving her lightheaded. With her belly full of his blood and her body worn out by the rough sex, she couldn’t remember being more content.

  He leaned away from her neck but nipped her collarbone down to her shoulder. She shivered.

  “There is nothing I will do to you that you cannot handle now that you’re a demon.” He wrapped an arm around her, securing her body against his. “You will not come back here, Deidre.”

  Deidre opened her eyes and shifted her head back to see his face.

  “What do you mean?” she whispered. “To the apartment or my world?”

  “Apartment.”

  “I understand,” she murmured. It wasn’t her home anymore. Still, she felt a sense of loss. The man in whose arms she lay was not only her husband by Immortal and demon laws but the Dark One who turned her into a demon.

  “You’re still fighting it.” This time, he was amused. She knew why; it was a futile fight.

  “You terrify me,” she replied. “I didn’t ask for any of this. What should I feel?” Her eyes brimmed with tears, and she ducke
d her head to hide them from Darkyn. “Why did you make me face Gabriel today?”

  “Curiosity.”

  “You were tormenting me.”

  “Your fate lies with me. I wanted to see what you would do when confronted with the man you thought you were going to return to,” he replied.

  “Cruel.”

  “Closure.”

  “Closure,” she repeated. “Another door closed.” Deidre pushed herself up to see his face.

  “A battle is only truly won when the opponent believes he’s been beaten,” he said. “You were forced to admit it. You were forced to let go.”

  Deidre sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees, pink hair falling down around her. She didn’t move from Darkyn’s body.

  “There are so many moments where I don’t think I can do this,” she said. “You can’t understand that or how I feel. You never will.”

  “I am a survivor,” he corrected her in a growl. “I do not feel like a human, but I know what it is to survive.”

  “How do you survive a life and a world that’s so … foreign?” she rested her temple against her knee.

  “Simple,” he said. He sat, his warmth surrounding her once more. With his hair mussed and his youthful features, he didn’t look like the devil she knew him to be. “It’s the same key that got you into Hell.”

  “My tumor?”

  “To bring people to Hell, I uncover their weakness and I exploit it. What did I exploit to get you to Hell?”

  She was quiet for a moment.

  “Hope,” she murmured.

  “Hope,” he agreed. “I gave you what you were looking for. A silver lining.”

  Her eyes flew up to him at the words Fate had spoken to her.

  “You read my mind a lot,” she said.

  “I rarely stop.”

  “That’s really not …” she sighed, sensing he’d provoke her, if she let him. “Did you have a silver lining to survive?”

  “My ambition is far different than yours.”

  “You wanted to rule Hell.”

  “And the mortal world.”

  She shivered again. Fate’s words returned to her. With their faces inches a part, they assessed each other.

  “I won’t let you hurt my world,” she said.

  “You can’t stop me.”

  “But I’m the only one who has a chance to try.”

  A slow smile spread across Darkyn’s face. It scared her, and she saw his fangs grow.

  “You can beg me,” he said and kissed her hard enough to rob her of breath. “And fight me.” Another kiss, this one harder. “And bleed for me. If you satisfy me, I might consider whatever you ask of me, but I will never willingly spare your world.”

  Deidre stopped his next kiss by placing her hand on his heart. Darkyn didn’t back down, and the light of lust flared in his gaze.

  “You are the only one I’d ever try to kill,” she whispered.

  “I’m the only one you never could kill, even if you used all my power against me,” he replied. “You are my mate. It’s not possible.”

  “You’re bluffing,” she said, searching his face.

  “Am I?”

  She couldn’t tell, but she doubted it. Anger stirred within her at the satisfaction on his face. He was serious about destroying the mortal world. If he was half as creative at torturing people and planning his battles as he was in bed, he was more than capable of doing it.

  “We are nothing alike,” she said.

  “I am what I am. You are what you are. Your purity and my depravity. It will make eternity intriguing.” He leaned forward to kiss her once more, his fangs fully extended.

  Deidre pushed him away. The demon side of her was always turned on by him, the human side of her determined not to let him do anything to her world. Before he could start another round of rough sex on his terms, she leaned into him, using her body to press him to the bed. Darkyn didn’t resist. His hands roamed her body, his long nails leaving trails of blood down her skin. They healed fast and brought exquisite little pricks of pleasure.

  She bit his neck harder than she had before, and he chuckled.

  “Now you’re ready to play,” he assessed. “Drink deep, love. What I plan on doing to you would kill a demon ten times over.”

  Anger burned in her blood. Deidre did as he said and fed long, prepared to put up an honest fight this time. Her fear was tamed by fury. No part of her would let Darkyn hurt her world. Ever. No matter what the cost to her. She’d show him she wasn’t afraid to back down in bed or anywhere else.

  Day Five

  Chapter Six