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Elhara had never imagined her life with a demon, but when an incubus starts a courtship how can she resist?
Elhara Warder has spent her life surrounded by the warmth of friends and family. Meeting a demon by chance at her local bar surprises her, but when he takes her on the most romantic dates of her life she feels herself falling for his considerable charms.
Solar has lived his considerable life span waiting for a woman whose sexual fantasies would not cause his body to shift into her ideal man. When he meets Elhara Warder, his glamour is stripped and she sees him as he is. To his shock, she does not run from his demonic features but rather speaks to him as if he was one of her own kind.
He wants to get to know her better and when she agrees to start meeting him during the daylight they start a relationship that surpasses any he has ever known.
The moment that they commit, a succubus takes action to destroy their happiness, but can Solar recapture what was lost when Elhara loses all memory of him, or will starting over do the trick?
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The Warder’s Demon
Copyright © 2012 Viola Grace
ISBN: 978-1-77111-098-3
Cover art by Martine Jardin
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
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The Warder’s Demon
By
Viola Grace
Chapter One
The bar was packed. Women and men in flashy clothing jostled for both attention and space. Elhara Warder was with friends, enjoying the party as well as the tightly wedged dance floor.
Her friend and cousin Beatrix was nearby, smiling and enjoying the party, though her wedding ring deterred all but the most persistent and drunk suitors. Bea had no trouble fending off the attention. Like most Warders, she was at home in a crowd. Unless she willed it, no one could touch her.
Bea jerked her head and shout-whispered over the music. “That guy is checking you out.”
Elhara turned and assessed the man in question. He was tall, had a muscular build and deeply tanned skin that had escaped turning orange. Bea was right, he was staring right at her and as he caught her looking, he raised his glass.
A furious blush broke over her and she turned back to face her laughing cousin. “Wow. That is way too much car for me.”
Bea leaned close. “You never know, you might have a talent for stick handling.”
Elhara’s eyes widened in shock at her cousin’s words. “Easy for you to say, you are already married.”
Bea blushed as well. “Fair enough. Well, if you won’t let him buy you a drink, I think I need a trip to the ladies’ room and then I am going to call it a night. Did you want to come along or will you call me tomorrow with tales of what happened while I was in the can?”
Elhara laughed. “Let’s find out. I have missed more events by looking the wrong way at the right time than I can count. You go on, have a good night. I will call you tomorrow.”
Bea grabbed her purse and waved as she trotted off to the ladies’ room before leaving.
Elhara returned to their table, ordered a new soda and watched the humans around her twist and mill together.
She had lived in the human world her entire life with only short forays to Realm for family functions.
Her father and uncle worked for her grandfather designing and crafting custom jewellery. Both her father and uncle had engaged in humanizing alterations to make them look less like the goblins that they were, but her grandfather’s dwarf nature was socially acceptable in the human world. He just couldn’t run around lifting over five hundred pounds and everything was fine.
The last time she had been to Realm, her grandmother had started muttering about finding a husband for her and it had only been when her cousin, Asha, reminded their single-minded grandmother that as Warders, they had to mix with a new race every generation and she quieted.
As Elhara sipped her drink and was lost in thoughts of family, a shadow approached her from her right side.
“Good evening, miss. What is a lovely and charming creature like you doing alone?”
She turned to face her admirer from earlier. He was smiling, showing white, even teeth.
“I am sitting here and thinking.”
He raised a brow. “You can think in all this?”
The noise pounded, people jostled tables and the occasional shouting fight broke out. Her personal wards kept it all out. She could hear it but only as background noise. “Of course. Can’t you?”
Her lips quirked in a smile and he reached out to touch her hand.
The moment he made contact, two things happened. The first was that he shifted from tanned to red with burning black eyes. The second was that her wards thickened into a physical presence instead of a static field.
He immediately released her, looking at his tanned hand in shock as he resumed his previous appearance.
Elhara grabbed her purse. “Please excuse me. I have to go.” She got to her feet and made a beeline for the door without looking back.
A demon. She had run into a demon in her local bar. What were the odds that another paranormal would be hunting in this area?
She walked quickly to her car and fumbled with the keys. In the window of her vehicle, she saw the male from the bar closing in on her. He was red with black eyes and hair in the reflection, but when she whirled to confront him, he was the human aspect.
“Why are you following me?”
He looked her up and down. “What are you?”
She glared at him. “I believe that that is my question and I asked a question first.”
The moonlight lit on his dark hair, coating it in silver. He cocked his head. “My name is Solar.”
She gathered from his waiting posture that he wanted an answer to his question. “Elhara Warder.”
Her name was explanation enough. Every paranormal creature in Realm knew what a Warder was and several considered them the lowest form of talent. With only one trick in their arsenal, it was up to the Warder to create barriers between or around anything. The form depended on their personal proclivities, but the result was the same. No one was getting to a Warder with her guard up.
He inclined his head in acknowledgement. “Thank you, Madam Warder. It explains much about your effect on me.”
“What are you, sir?”
He smiled, “A mere demon. Your humble servant.”
“You are not a normal demon. Most of them don’t go hunting in the human world.” She sorted her keys and got her car key ready again.
“And most Warders are with family or friends at all times. Where did your companion go?” He leaned on her car and grinned becomingly.
She crossed her arms and strengthened her personal ward to several inches thick. She ignored his question and lifted her jaw.
“So, that line of questions
is off the table. What are you doing tomorrow for lunch?”
She swallowed. “Are you asking me for a date?”
His grin was answer enough, but he filled in the blanks. “Yes. Yes, I am asking you on a date, Elhara. I thought lunch would be better than something at night.”
She stared at him, trying to determine if he was serious.
“I am very serious, Elhara. I would like to get to know you. Will you let me?” His eyes were earnest.
She debated it, her mind cycling rapidly. “Down the street, the bistro on the corner at noon. If you arrive early, get us a table.”
He gave her a jaunty salute. “I will meet you there. Now, please get into your car so that I can make sure you are safely on your way.”
She opened her car door and tucked herself inside, buckling up out of long habit. He waited until she drove off and disappeared. She could see him evaporate in the rear-view mirror.
Shaking her head at the bizarre turn of events, she drove back to her house with only one thought in her head. She had a date.
Chapter Two
He was waiting with a dozen roses and every woman in the bistro was giving him the eye. Elhara was a minute late, but she had refused to get out of her car on the off chance that he didn’t show and this was some colossal joke.
Solar wasn’t joking. He greeted her with a smile and held his glamour as he kissed her with a quick press of the lips. The roses were comprised of every colour she could imagine, each carrying no less than three colours in their petals. It was made more impressive by the fact that they were all magic free. He had purchased them instead of crafting them with magic. That alone spoke volumes.
“Thank you, Solar.”
“Thank you for coming, Elhara. You look better in daylight than you did in the evening.”
It was high praise from a demon. They generally preferred things in shadows.
She blushed and took the seat he held out for her. Women all over the bistro were watching them wistfully, but as she inhaled deeply of the roses, she didn’t care. “Thank you again for the flowers. They are amazing.”
“I have a friend with a hybrid greenhouse. I explained the situation and she was happy to help me find just the thing for such a unique lady.”
Her blush was in danger of becoming permanent.
Their server came over and asked Solar what he would like and he ordered coffee and a glass of water. The waitress was so dazed that she turned to leave when she realized that Elhara was sitting there. “And for you, ma’am?”
“The same.” She tried not to grit her teeth, but the ma’am reference had been the slight dig that all young women who were flirting with someone else’s date chose to deliver.
Idly, she watched the woman pour the last of a pot into one cup and then wait for a new pot for the second cup. Elhara was amused when she was served the older cup of coffee with the distinct whiff of scorching while Solar was given the freshly brewed.
He thanked the woman and switched their cups while the waitress watched. She stopped him before he had lifted the coffee to his lips. “Let me get you a fresh cup.”
He smiled. “If you would serve it to her, it is good enough for me.”
The woman flushed and flitted off, obviously picking up on the hint that snubbing his date was not going to be tolerated.
“Thank you, Solar. You must be used to women tripping all over you by now.” She sipped at the coffee and smiled. It was quite nice.
“It is a burden I must bear. I am used to it.” He grinned and lifted his coffee to his lips without making a face.
“What clan are you from?” She tried to be subtle while she perused the menu, but his dark eyes were focussed on her.
“It gets complicated. Technically, no clan as there are not enough of my folk to go around. I am related to the succubae clan.” He shrugged and smiled, showing pointed white teeth.
Shock broke over her in waves. He was an incubus. There was no doubt about it and it explained why his glamour was so effective against the humans.
“I see.” She sipped so studiously at her coffee that it was gone before she knew it.
“Does that make you uncomfortable?”
“Fairly, yes.” She met his gaze and smiled.
“Honesty is a good policy when dealing with people, but dealing with demons, it can cause you a problem. Are you always like this?” He quirked his eyebrows.
“My family gives me lectures on being too open hearted. They have told me it will be my downfall, but I think of it as a strength.” She quickly opened her menu and picked a simple sandwich and fries.
He kept his menu folded and gracefully raised his fingers when she had put hers down. The waitress was over in seconds with a fresh pot of coffee and a fresh cup for Solar.
He gestured for the waitress to take Elhara’s order first and when she had made sure that the server had gotten the order correct, Solar ordered a house salad and dismissed her with a smile. Their waitress took the menus and left with a dazed look on her face.
Elhara fidgeted. “A salad? That’s it? Can you call her back so I can shrink my order?”
He sighed. “No. If you aren’t aware of it, my kind does not get our nourishment from food. Your enjoyment of your meal will feed me and thus, we both get what we want.”
“Oh.” She was suddenly a little uncomfortable. “An empathic feeder?”
“Yes, focussing on enjoyment and pleasure. My only true means of nutrition.”
She felt the blush heat her cheeks as he stared at her with intensity. “That must be…awkward.”
His chuckle warmed her. “It can be, but with a willing partner, the feeding goes both ways.”
She was sure that she looked foolish opening and closing her mouth, but she tried to grab composure by pouring herself a cup of coffee. The waitress had left the pot.
She sipped at the hot coffee and sighed in relief as the plate with her sandwich was slid in front of her. She grabbed the ketchup and liberally dotted her fries with it before looking over at her lunch companion. Solar was watching every move that she made.
“Please don’t stare.”
He leaned back in his chair. “How could I not? You are lovely. Every move is grace and intensity, each emotion you feel is written on your face. You hide nothing and that kind of openness is very rare. A true treasure.”
She lowered her gaze to her plate and concentrated on eating so that she could leave with her dignity intact.
“I have met Warders before. Usually at an event in Realm. You are usually fairly good dancers, though your cousin Anryn really lets herself go when she is not in her husband’s sight.”
That startled a laugh out of her. Anryn’s enthusiasm when she heard music was unmistakable but hardly decorous. She danced with her whole self.
“She is rather enthusiastic. I have never been able to reach that kind of abandon when I dance.” She smiled and munched at her fries, images of her family in her mind.
“They make you happy.”
“They really do. Every mad one of them. We are a funny bunch, but with the politics of Realm what they are, we cling to each other out of necessity and love each other because there is no choice.” Half her sandwich was gone and the flavours were settling in her system, keeping the smile on her face.
Her sense of well-being increased dramatically as he fed off her love for her family. It was a little unsettling until she saw the softening of his features as if he was remembering something beloved.
She took a bite of her fries and watched his reaction. He swallowed when she did and a quirk of satisfaction ran over his lips. It came to her in a rush that she was in charge here and he only reacted when she did. It was a peculiar feeling for her, but she definitely enjoyed it. The tiny thrill of power and enjoyment was reflected back at her and while it had a hungry twinge, it was a genuine emotion.
He kept her talking and eating while they discussed her day job as a clerk for her family’s jewellery company.
&n
bsp; “You don’t wear a lot of gold for a woman in the jewellery industry.” His observation made her aware that he was concentrating on her appearance.
She rubbed at her wrists and neckline. “I don’t react well to metal that isn’t coated in magic. It disrupts my warding field. Makes it a little wonky.”
“Doesn’t that make it harder to wed?”
She snickered. “With an open mind, it is nearly impossible to get any men near me. They don’t enjoy the hovering of my relatives, literally in some cases.”
“So, what is this?”
She blushed. “This is a date no one knows about. How about your people? Do they appreciate your seeking companionship with someone as low as a Warder?”
He grinned. “I haven’t told anyone about you either. It isn’t acceptable for one of my kind to consider someone outside the clans for a mate.”
Elhara stared at him in shock. “Mate?”
“You, my dearest, are no one-night stand. I intend to convince you that I am the male for you, no matter how long it takes.” He picked up his cold coffee and drank it down in one gulp, not even wincing at the taste.
“You don’t have taste buds, do you?” It was more of a confirmation than a question.
He cleared his throat. “They don’t taste food. They are reserved for more intimate moments.”
She raised her brows so high she was sure that they disappeared into her hairline. Her blush made her skin match his true colour. “Oh.”
He refilled her water glass and gestured for her to drink.
She gulped the icy liquid down and pressed the glass to her cheek. “This is too much information for me.”
He laughed. “Oh, but there is so much more to tell.”
Despite her trepidation, she leaned forward and listened to everything he had to tell. By the end of the conversation, she had consumed two litres of water and they had made a second date.
