by Sam Cheever
Luc turned and gave her a soft smile. “Don’t worry, Esther Egg. I won’t let them crack you.”
“Ha, ha.” Despite her fear, his little joke did make her feel better. If he was joking things couldn’t be all that bad… right?
The first hound stepped into the wavering light thrown by the fire, and Esther nearly peed herself. “Oh, shit.” She’d been wrong. Things were definitely that bad.
Chapter Six
“Stay close,” Luc instructed.
Esther was shaking so hard she had to grit her teeth to keep them from clanking together. “No problem. Can I climb on your back?”
Standing on four legs, the Hellhound was nearly as tall as Esther. Its shoulders looked to be four feet across, and its feet were as wide as her head. The thing actually had a pretty face; smooth, black fur covered a wide nose and broad head. But its ears stood upright on either side of its head like a Doberman’s and were outlined in fire.
The hound’s eyes blazed red and orange, swirling with the color of flame. It had a body like a panther, though much thicker, and its slender tail had a ball on the end like a lion. The ball was encompassed in flame, too. Its gaze was fixed on her, never wavering as Luc stepped forward.
Three more of the things stepped into the light around the circle, surrounding them.
Cold dread twisted in her belly. Esther’s fingers tightened around the knife in her hand, her palms sweating so badly she was afraid the salt in the other hand would dissolve. “Luc, I don’t think we can fight these things.”
He reached for her hand. “You’re right. There are too many. I’ll have to risk a shift…”
The first hound sprang, hitting Luc on the chest and taking him down to the ground. Esther screamed, flinging her salt at the thing in desperation. It bellowed, howling in obvious pain, and Luc shoved it away. “The knife!”
Horrified, Esther was backing away when the second hound hit Luc. A low growl sounded behind her. She spun around and panicked, flinging the knife at the monster. It hit him wrong and bounced off, skidding across the ground.
Luc bellowed in pain, and she whipped her gaze in his direction. Three of the things were on top of him, jaws snapping and spit flying. His fists, bloodied and torn, flailed at the heads of the monsters but didn’t seem to be having much effect.
Something snapped inside Esther. She threw back her head and screamed and then dove for the knife on the ground. The Hellhound leapt in the same direction, obviously intending to get there before she did. She realized in that moment that the hounds weren’t attacking her; they seemed only intent on keeping her contained. She’d use that to her advantage. She changed course and, before she had time to think about it, leapt onto the hound’s long back, wrapping her arms around its neck.
Searing, sizzling heat enveloped her, burning her skin where she touched the monster and sending the bitter smell of burnt flesh into the air. Esther screamed and rolled off, kicking the hound hard in the ribs as she fell away.
Caught by surprise, the hound stepped sideways with a yelp, and Esther grabbed for the knife. The hound dove toward her, teeth bared and claws outstretched.
Apparently fun time was over.
Esther grasped the knife in two hands, holding it in front of her and closing her eyes. A wall of flesh hit her hands, embedding the knife deep, and about five hundred pounds of Hell monster fell on top of her, driving her into the dirt.
Then the thing just disappeared, taking her knife with it.
Esther opened her eyes to find Luc still buried and no longer fighting. Adrenaline surged, and she leapt to her feet. Her gaze swept the clearing, finding the box of salt. She ran to it, grabbed it up, and ripped the top free so it would pour more quickly.
She swung her arm, dousing the slavering hounds with the contents of the box. They yelped and spun away from Luc. Esther threw herself on top of his torn, bloodied body. “Now, Luc! Get us out of here!”
His eyes fluttered but didn’t open. Esther feared he was too far gone to shift them. She screamed his name as the hounds started toward them again, gore-covered fangs dripping with anticipation.
Panicking, Esther swung the box again, spraying salt in a clumsy arc.
Suddenly the world blurred and then reformed in a dark, blissfully quiet place surrounded by log walls. She laughed wildly, so relieved to be away from the hounds.
Luc groaned and her happiness fled. Esther rolled off and looked him over. “Luc? Can you hear me?”
He jerked and grunted, his hand going to a spot on his side where blood gushed alarmingly. His flannel shirt was wet with blood, already stiffening in spots but soggy under his hand. “Oh, God!” Esther started to unbutton the flannel shirt, intending to see how much damage had been done, but her fingers, numb with shock and slick with his blood, kept sliding off the buttons. So she grabbed the front of his shirt and ripped it open.
Buttons flew, pinging off the furniture and skidding across the floor.
Esther gasped. There wasn’t an inch of his beautiful chest that wasn’t torn or bloodied. And the spot where his hand hovered…
She felt faint. Stars burst before her eyes and Esther swayed. White bone showed beneath the wound. She could actually see the ends of two of his ribs. Blood spurted from the wound in time to his heartbeats, which were quickly slowing. She was no nurse, but it was clear to her that the Hounds had severed something important inside Luc.
She didn’t know if he’d bleed out. He was a demon, a perdition delivery professional. Surely they were immune to mortal injury? She looked at his face and gasped. He looked dead. His face was paper white, and his lips were blue.
Esther sobbed out his name and dropped her head onto his chest, feeling more helpless than she’d ever felt. Beneath her ear a dull, slow beat told her he still lived. There was time.
She pulled herself together. She wasn’t the type to snivel and whine when faced with a challenge. She would do what she could to help Luc, and he would pull through. He had to.
Esther tugged his shirt the rest of the way off and flung it away. Examining the wounds carefully, she realized the smaller ones were already starting to heal.
Jumping to her feet, she ran across the small cabin to the kitchen area. Finding a bowl and some towels, Esther filled the bowl with hot water. She hurried into the bathroom and rummaged through the medicine cabinet looking for an antiseptic of some kind. All she found was some toothpaste, a couple of brushes, and a small bottle of mouthwash. She started to turn away and then had a thought. Grabbing up the mouthwash, she read the ingredients. “This will have to do.”
Taking the bottle with her, Esther dumped most of the mouthwash into the hot water in her bowl and carried it and the clean towels over to Luc. She knelt down beside him and started bathing his wounds. Praying he was too out of it to feel what she needed to do next, Esther gritted her teeth and poured straight mouthwash into the largest wound. Luc screamed, his shoulders coming off the floor as he writhed in agony, but still his eyes remained closed. At least she noted the fresh color in his cheeks. Tears flowed down her cheeks, but she didn’t know if Hellhound spit was poisonous and if it was, the alcohol in the mouthwash would hopefully fight it.
When she had Luc’s torso as clean as she could make it, Esther folded a clean towel and placed it over the largest wound, looking around for something she could use to strap it on and apply pressure. She finally settled for tearing long strips from the sheet on the cabin’s only bed, binding the makeshift bandage hard enough to make Luc grunt in his sleep. When she was finished, Esther sat back and wiped the back of her hand over her brow.
She was panting with exhaustion and still a bit shaky. That was when she noticed the blood covering one thigh of his jeans. “Well, shit.” Seeing no alternative, she set to work removing his pants.
Chapter Seven
Luke opened his eyes and frowned. His eyes watered against the light streaming through a nearby window, and he had to close them again, allowing his vision to gradually adj
ust. Though his head rested on something soft, his back was killing him from lying on a hard surface. He started to sit up and pain screamed through his ribs. Giving up the effort, Luc lowered himself back down and looked around.
He was in the cabin, lying on the floor. Someone had shoved a pillow under his head and covered him with a blanket. His hand found the source of pain, and he frowned. The wound was covered by something rough and stiff. Throwing the blanket back, he looked down. A bloody towel covered his ribs on one side, tied there by strips of what looked like cotton sheeting. Another, smaller, makeshift bandage was tied to one thigh.
At least the blood was dry. It appeared whatever the bandages were covering had stopped bleeding. He carefully pushed himself into a sitting position and stood. It didn’t take him long to find the small form curled on top of the fur throw on the bed.
Esther looked disheveled and exhausted. He walked over and stood looking down at her. Her sexy cap of curly hair was tangled and stuck up endearingly on one side. Her creamy cheeks were streaked with blood and dirt. She’d stripped down to her T-shirt and underwear, leaving her slim, brown limbs bare for his inspection.
His cock stirred at the sight. Luc realized they’d somehow escaped the hounds and she’d tended him. He couldn’t remember anything past the point of being torn to ribbons by three of the nasty creatures.
His Esther Egg was amazing.
She made a tiny noise and rolled over to her back, stretching like a cat. Her eyes opened and she gave a surprised jerk. “Oh!” Then she smiled. “You’re all better.”
Luc grinned. “I am. Thanks for taking care of me.”
Esther didn’t respond; her sexy, golden-brown gaze was skimming downward, to the hefty hard-on pointing her way. “Oh, my. Much better.”
Luc stepped closer and leaned down to capture her soft lips in a kiss. It started out as a tender exploration but quickly turned to something else as lust flared between them. Esther’s hands slipped through his hair, holding him into the kiss as her sweet tongue danced against his.
Her warm scent rose up to tease him, and his cock jerked in response. All he wanted in that moment was to slip between her warm thighs and fuck her until she screamed his name. Luc wrapped his arms around her and lifted her to her knees, deepening the kiss.
Kneeling on the bed, Esther wrapped herself around him and caressed his buttocks with her exquisitely soft hands. As his relentlessly hard dick pressed against her belly, he thought he might come on the spot. He broke the kiss to look into her eyes. “We shouldn’t do this.”
Her velvet caress skimmed up his back, leaving behind a tingling awareness that was almost his undoing. “Why not? I want you, Luc. I have almost from the first moment I laid eyes on you.” She gave him a naughty grin and rubbed against him like a cat. “I think it’s pretty obvious you want me. What’s stopping us?”
He groaned, his balls tightening to a near-painful state. “It’s against the rules.”
She licked his lips, nibbling the bottom one almost thoughtfully. “So what… you get a slap on the wrist? Wouldn’t it be worth it?”
He snorted. “More like skewered on a pitchfork and roasted over the fiery pits for a month.”
Her smile fled, and Luc immediately regretted his flippant words. “Please say you’re teasing me.”
Looking at her pretty face, filled with doubt and fear where a heartbeat earlier she’d been smiling and playful, Luc didn’t have the stomach to tell her the truth. He’d already decided he didn’t give a shit about the assembly and their damn punishment. He was going to make love to Esther even if it meant roasting in the pits for the rest of his life. She was everything he’d ever wanted in a woman -- everything he’d ever dreamed of -- and he wasn’t going to let her go just because of a bunch of nasty red dudes with horns and tails.
Watching Luc carefully, Esther saw the play of emotions across his handsome face. For a moment she thought he was serious about the roasting thing, and her stomach twisted. She had never wanted anyone as much as she wanted the man standing before her. She thought her feelings for him might even run deeper than sheer, unadulterated lust. Although the lust was so thick she was having trouble seeing beyond it at the moment. But she’d walk away from him in a heartbeat if being with him would cause him that kind of agony.
But then he smiled, and the sun came out in her world again. His sexy, green eyes danced with devilment. “You’re so easy.”
Esther laughed, immensely relieved. “I’m easy, huh? Well, let’s see how easy you are, devil.”
She lowered her head and sucked one of his taut, brown nipples into her mouth. The small triangle of light brown curls between his pecs tickled her nose as she licked her way across to the other perky nipple.
Luc’s hands on her arms tightened almost to the point of pain as he savored her sexual teasing. His broad chest rumbled in a delighted groan. “Just so you know, I’m planning on playing very hard to get,” he told her.
She lifted her gaze to his and her smile widened. “Obviously you’ve got the hard part down already.”
He chuckled and then gasped as her lips trailed over his ribs to his belly. Nipping him playfully, Esther followed the trail of soft curls from his belly button to the impressive evidence of his need. As her hand cupped his taut sac, Luc sucked in a breath. She licked the tip of his cock. “Still playing hard?”
He licked his lips, his gaze following her every move. “Never been harder.”
She held his gaze as her tongue came out and glided over the tip of his cock again. Luc groaned. Liking his response, Esther opened her lips and slid the thick head of his shaft between her lips. She stopped there, unmoving, and let the heat and warmth of her mouth bathe the sensitive tip.
Luc’s eyes slid shut and his big hands cupped her head, his fingers clenching against her scalp. “You’re killing me, Esther Egg.”
Her tongue teased the sensitive spot beneath the tip, and Luc’s body tightened. She firmed her lips around his cock to keep him from driving it deep.
He was so taut with expectation he was nearly vibrating. Luc tucked his hips and Esther relented, letting his cock glide deep. He moaned her name, his fingers sliding through her short cap of hair, caressing while gently urging her on. “That’s it, honey. Yes. I can’t believe how good that feels.”
Esther let him thrust gently and slowly into her mouth a few times and then clamped down on the tip with her teeth. Luc’s hips stopped abruptly and he sucked air. His thighs and buttocks beneath her hands were like iron. He vibrated with the desire to plunge deep and hard into her mouth. Esther held him with a gentle but firm grip, enjoying the power of possessing such a powerful man. She loosened her grip and let him slide ever so slowly into her mouth, her teeth scraping gently along his length. His cock jerked and he cried out. His head was back and his mouth was open. Esther could tell that, despite the tension of holding himself back, he was enjoying both the promise and the potential for pain she was offering him.
Esther opened her throat and took him to the balls, her fingers gently tapping the underside of the taut sac.
Luc groaned, long and low. He pulled free and thrust again, shuddering with pleasure as his cock sank deep. Suddenly he reached for her, dragging her T-shirt over her head. Luc lowered his head and covered a turgid nipple with his hungry mouth. The soft bristles of his neat beard tickled her breast. Esther grasped his head and pulled him close as he sucked her nipples hard, even biting them to mirror what she’d done on his cock.
Luc ripped her panties away and slid a thick finger through her folds. “You’re so wet, honey. So fucking ready for me.” Luc took her other nipple in his mouth and thrust a long, thick finger into her throbbing channel, embedding it so deeply his hand pressed against her clit. He held the finger deep and waited, nudging her clit with a knuckle.
Esther writhed and twisted, trying to urge him into motion. Luc chuckled darkly. “You don’t like your own tactics being turned around do you, Esther Egg?”
&nb
sp; She moaned, writhing more desperately.
Luc withdrew the finger and Esther cried out. He reinserted two fingers, stretching her to delicious fullness. Esther tried to move on his fingers but he stopped her with a hand on her hips. “Uh, uh, uh.”
She expelled a frustrated breath. “Damn you.”
His grin was wicked. “Too late for that.”
Esther grabbed the back of his head and pulled him in for a kiss that sent waves of awareness flowing through her. She widened her thighs and reached down to grab his big cock. When she began stroking him in her fist, Luc finally followed suit inside her body. His big fingers felt wonderful thrusting against her tender flesh. Esther’s belly tightened as pleasure speared through her, tensing her muscles and sending burning heat to flush her face.
Release beckoned. Just beyond her reach. Their kiss turned ravenous, punishing with lust. Her cheeks stung from Luc’s beard abrading them. Her lips felt bruised, the pain a delicious counterpoint to the pleasure spreading through her limbs.
Delectable sparks of awareness carried her higher and higher until she trembled on the edge of release. She was nearly there. So close.
Luc withdrew his fingers, and Esther nearly screamed with frustration. But he nudged her backward and climbed between her thighs, looking into her eyes. “I’ve waited a long time for this, Esther Egg. I plan to savor every minute of it.”
Before she could respond, Luc drove himself deeply into her body, pulling the air from her lungs. His first stroke carried her to the edge of orgasm, his second had her wobbling there, and by the time his thick cock stroked into her body the third time she was falling, falling, falling into bliss. Screaming his name as her pussy squeezed his cock in a sensual grip, Esther thrashed under the power of her orgasm, the delicious sensations sending prickles of joy through her limbs and spinning light and color through her mind.
He lifted her knees and drove himself deeper, increasing the speed and depth of his thrusts until the bed scooted across the floor with every stroke. The power of his thrusts carried her to the brink again and sent her crashing into delicious oblivion. She screamed his name as she tumbled, her legs twitching under the force of her fall. Pleasure washed outward from her sexual core.
