by Laurie Roma
Until the light came…
Raven’s entire body jerked as the lightning struck, engulfing her in white flames so bright it seemed to burn her alive. She heard the crackling of pure energy surround her as she flew backward, slamming to the ground with tremendous force.
For one insane moment she wanted to laugh at the pain of the blow. Seriously? She’d always assumed she’d bite it with a bullet or some other injury on the job…not by getting struck by lightning in a damn storm.
This was a pretty fucking embarrassing way to die.
She squeezed her eyes shut in defense against the bright glow surrounding her and waited for the pain to pass.
As the light faded, she was surprised she was still alive.
Surely the pain would have faded if she’d died, right?
Raven lay sprawled on the ground, unmoving until she realized that the rain no longer fell on her as it had only moments ago. Without opening her eyes she took stock of several things at once. Warmth surrounded her and the tantalizing scent of food teased her senses, reminding her of how damn hungry she was. She heard the subtle shift of movement close by and forced herself not to stiffen in alarm.
She knew instantly, wherever she was, she wasn’t alone.
Gathering her courage, she braced herself and slowly opened her eyes then immediately squeezed them back shut.
Impossible.
She must have suffered some sort of head trauma in the fall because there was no way she could have just seen what she thought she did. She opened her eyes back up and silently cursed.
Son of a bitch…
She was either dead or crazy, and neither option appealed to her.
What a great fucking way to end her day…
“Son of a bitch,” Raven said again, this time out loud, not believing what she was seeing as she slowly sat up and took a good look around.
Clearly the lightning must have killed her because she sure as shit didn’t have the imagination to come up with the craziness she was seeing. Raven had always thought that she had lived her life with purpose, had done good work throughout her time on the force, but none of that seemed to matter.
No. She had been judged…and it had landed her in hell.
Taking in her surroundings at a glance, she saw she was in a large stone room, only the stone was a weird, shimmering bronze color. Drapes of silver gossamer fabric hung from the ceiling that reminded her of a medieval hall she’d once seen in a movie. Bright blue fire blazed out of large silver cauldrons set up strategically around the room. The air felt thicker here as if her lungs had to work harder to breath. Her body moved, but it was as if it were in slow motion, like she could bend the very air to her will. Everything she saw was brighter, more vivid, and sharper as if her eyes were being introduced to a new spectrum of colors.
Dozens of tables were set up around the large room. She had obviously landed smack-dab in the heart of some sort of celebration and the room was filled with…
Holy shit!
She was so seriously screwed…
Fear was a living, breathing entity within her as she finally focused on the inhabitants of the hall. The room was filled with what could only be described as seven foot tall, glowy-eyed demons, all with dark hair and bronzed skin. She saw several beautiful female demons dressed in transparent, jeweled-tone dresses scattered around the hall, but the females were completely outnumbered by the male demons that dominated the room.
Sweet Jesus, they were all big bastards.
The males all wore varying shades of dark leather pants and brightly colored shirts made of a shimmering material she had never seen before. Several of them wore belts with actual swords hanging down the sides of their legs. They surrounded her from all sides, all staring at her, frozen in what seemed like shock at her sudden appearance.
Or she should say, had been shocked.
She had seen lust in the eyes of men far too often not to notice the change that occurred in several of the male demons closest to her. They shifted their large, muscular frames as if preparing to pounce on her to rip her to pieces or for other purposes she’d rather not think about.
Yep, she was seriously screwed.
Raven slowly shifted to a crouched position where she’d have better access to the weapon she was eternally grateful she still felt strapped to her hip. The whisper of movement behind her in the silent room had her bracing then a low growl had her turning her head and freezing in fear. She was situated at the base of a few wide steps leading up to a raised platform and when she looked up…
Fuck.
She really was dead and hell had two rulers, not one.
The sight of the two male demons on their feet behind the head table had her eyes going wide with terror. Obviously brothers, both of the demons in charge were frighteningly beautiful with strong, chiseled jaws, high cheekbones, and tempting full lips made for kissing. They were almost identical, with long brown hair that flowed loose around their shoulders with two braids at the sides of their temples. They both wore black leather pants with silver tunics that were an interesting contrast to their glowing golden eyes. Their powerfully built frames were tight with tension and their eyes were locked onto hers like laser beams, making it impossible to look away from them.
They were warriors, strong and lethal.
Raven felt her heart thud in her chest as she fell deeper into the intimate connection she had with the two of them. It was strange. She’d never reacted to a man this way, let alone two men at once. No, they weren’t men, they were demons. How in the world could she be attracted to demons? She was still scared shitless, but she was also…aroused? That was until one of them opened his mouth and growled at her.
Oh, Christ…
The demons had fangs!
Like a slap to the face, that got her moving quick.
Breaking their strange connection, she bolted for the nearest exit. Harsh growls filled the air as she evaded large grasping hands. She used her own momentum to toss a large male demon over her shoulder as she sped past him. A few of the female demons screamed as Raven launched herself onto one of the tables, using it as a springboard to flip over the heads of a few of the males. Her only thought was to escape as she flew toward the open doors at the end of the hall.
Propelling herself into a slide through another demon’s spread legs, she quickly gained her feet only to find the doors being slammed shut, with three large guards standing in front of them blocking her exit. Raven raced toward an open window to the side and came to a hard stop.
What the fuck?!
She stared out at the dark-red sky and two purple moons in absolute disbelief. Okay, so hell didn’t have a sky, did it? But if she wasn’t in hell…where in the world was she? Or was that the point? She was no longer in her own world, but in another?
Panic had Raven jerking around at a sound behind her to see the two leaders had followed her on her flight. Confusion filled her as they seemed to be guarding her from the others hoping for a chance to grab at her. They growled harshly at the others, holding them back. Another male stepped forward, growling back at them as if in conversation. Several others joined in and whatever the newcomers said didn’t sit well with the two leaders. Their snarls were downright terrifying, but they nodded arrogantly as the other demons quickly stepped back.
Maybe they wanted the pleasure of killing her for themselves.
On that cheerful thought she backed up slowly, alarm ratcheting to new heights as the brothers turned, following her step for step. They really were spectacular looking, but her fear overpowered any sense of attraction she’d felt earlier. No, they didn’t want to kill her. At least not yet. She could see pure lust burning in both of their glowing eyes and that terrified her even more.
“Stop!”
She silently cursed to herself. They didn’t listen any better than the little shit thief had. They took another step toward her, towering over her smaller frame. Desperate now, Raven drew her weapon, pointing it at the closer of the
The demon stopped, cocking his head to the side as he studied the gun in her hand. Their eyes met and held, glowing gold to brilliant emerald. He softly growled something at her, making her brows furrow in exasperation.
“If you’re speaking to me I have no idea what you’re saying!” Damn it, even she could hear the frantic panic in her voice as she struggled to keep the gun steady in her hand.
The demon paused then slowly nodded to her, showing her that he understood what she’d said. Those golden eyes burning into hers, he lifted his hand slowly to his mouth. He bit down on his wrist with his fangs and held out his arm to her. Her gaze flickered down to the bleeding wound then back up to his eyes again, not understanding what the hell he wanted from her.
Was he fucking kidding?
“What the hell are you doing? I’m not touching that.”
She shook her head at him, getting a low growl in response. The demon leader turned to his brother and said something to him. The other one shook his own head and growled back. Raven was so caught up in the extreme weirdness of the situation that she had no warning. The first brother moved so quickly, she barely had time to blink. He jerked the gun from her hand, tossing it to his brother, and wrapped her in a firm yet gentle embrace.
Raven cried out in alarm and struggled to break free from his grasp, but it was no use. He was immensely powerful and there was no way to break his hold on her. His massive body was intimidating and he towered over her five-seven frame by a good foot and a half. Her body shook in his hold and black spots blurred her vision as her panic tried to swallow her whole.
She closed her eyes waiting for the pain, but it never came.
They stood together for long seconds and Raven came back to herself to find that the giant holding her was stroking a hand over her braided hair in a soothing gesture. The other brother at her back stood close, a sentinel that blocked her from view of the others in the room, sheltering her between them. She was grateful that they had kept the others from seeing her panic, but it still didn’t make this situation any better.
The demon leader holding her pulled back slightly and raised his wrist to his mouth once again. She watched with wide eyes as he bit back down to the already healed flesh and held it out to her again.
“What the hell are you, a fucking vampire? You want me to drink your blood? I’ll pass.”
Ignoring her refusal he lifted his wrist up against her lips. She tried to pull away but ended up turning her head away to avoid it instead. She felt like a petulant child, trying to avoid being force-fed something she didn’t want and sealed her lips shut tight as she strained away from him. She heard his low growl of frustration and saw him lick the wound on his wrist closed himself.
Alarm raced through her as his eyes narrowed. She watched as he used his sharp fangs to bite down on his bottom lip so that blood swelled from the wound.
“What—”
She got no further as his mouth came down hard on hers in a scorching kiss. She couldn’t quite hold back her moan as his tongue delved deep, forcing the taste of his blood into her mouth. The sweet metallic tang of his blood make her shiver as it hit her tongue. It should have disgusted her. Instead, she wanted more of him. To taste more, to feel him deep inside her. She jerked as his fangs nicked her tongue, mixing their blood together as he took her mouth with a passion that left her breathless.
What the hell was she thinking? This was not normal. She didn’t kiss random men and she sure as hell didn’t make out with fanged demons that wanted to drink her blood. She wrenched her mouth away, still tasting the sweet flavor of him and did what any sane woman would do.
She pulled back her arm and let her fist fly.
Chapter Two
“Fuck me!” Kadan snarled as his head snapped back from the blow.
Kadan Akira could hear his brother Tristan chuckling from where he was positioned behind the little fire-breathing female. Sure, he could laugh, he wasn’t the one hurting now. Because she was so much smaller than him, her fist had clipped his jaw when she had hit him. It wouldn’t normally hurt much, but he had been unprepared and when her tiny fist connected with his jaw he had bit his own damn tongue.
He was a King of the Iron City for good goddess’s sake!
How dare a female strike him!
Growling out, he took her lips again in a brutal kiss, his tongue invading deep to share the taste of his blood with her to ensure the blood bond between them was indeed in place. He pulled back and Kadan’s fury vanished like vapor as he looked down at the tiny female he held in his arms.
She was scared.
No, not just scared…absolutely terrified.
Her enchanting green eyes were wide with horror and the scent of her fear hit his nose like the most acrid of smells. The female in his arms should never know this kind of fear. Especially of him, the male who had just claimed her as his mate.
A short while ago Kadan had been bored out of his mind as he watched the citizens of the Citadel enjoying themselves at the annual spring festival held at the palace. As the Kings of the Iron City, it was his and his brother’s duty to host the festival, regardless of their apathy to the revelry.
Since their parents had died over fifty years ago, Kadan and his two brothers, Tristan and Savitar, had ruled the Iron City, or the Citadel as it was more commonly named, and they had little time for frivolities. Like any major city in Arcadia where there was a mass of inhabitants, there was also a lot of crime. Arcadia was a world where males vastly outnumbered females and because of that, females were in jeopardy of being taken by male rogues and forced into mating with them. Arcadian females were gentle creatures that did not like violence and were supposed to be taken care of and loved by their chosen mates, living without fear.
The Iron Palace had an elite fighting force that worked diligently to track down these rogues. As leaders of their people and warriors to the core, Kadan and his two brothers led the fighting forces and it was their duty to ensure the safety of all females within their region and put down the rogues that brought disgrace to their people.
Finding a mate was the wish of every male on Arcadia. Males were always born in sets of three, and all had golden skin with dark hair and features. Females of their species were born with the same dark hair but kept their skin pale by staying out of the sun. It was very rare for a male to be born with lighter-brown hair, and those who were became highly sought after as breeding partners.
Kadan and his brothers were of the few males in the Citadel born with lighter-brown hair, but they had yet to feel the mating pull. They received numerous offers to mate with females, but as the Kings of the Iron Palace they would not chose a mate until they felt the time was right. Sure, they had their share of bed-partners but all three brothers had been careful never to spill their seed inside a female. When they had younglings it would only be with the mate of their choosing as their offspring would one day rule the Iron Palace in their stead.
The Kings had often spoken of the female that would complete them. They had wanted a sweet, gentle female like the mother they had loved so dearly. It had been a collective dream of theirs to have a mating like their parents, one filled with love and laughter. Since their passing in the great battle against the rogue uproar, there had been little laughter in the halls of the Iron Palace and Kadan waited for the day that their mate would bring that light back into their lives.
But all thoughts of having a sweet, docile mate went out the window as soon as the green-eyed goddess appeared in their hall.
Kadan’s heart had stopped when the tiny female had looked up at him and his brother Tristan. Suddenly, everything seemed to click into place.
She was the one he had been waiting for.
The tiny female had black hair, the color of most Arcadians, but even though most of it had been pulled back, several locks framed her perfect face in spiraling curls he had never seen the likes of. Though what was most astounding was the color of her eyes. The bright, shocking green had hit him with the force of a sword blow and when their eyes had met he instantly knew she would be the one to complete his soul.
“She is the one,” Tristan had whispered in his head through their bond.
Kadan couldn’t have agreed more.
At her sudden appearance Kadan knew exactly where she had come from. A few months ago, their allies and friends to the east had claimed a mate from another land, brought to them by the Gods themselves. Kadan and his brothers had yet to meet their friends’ new mate, but they had sent their congratulations and also heard the rumors of her amazing power. Never had he thought that he and his brothers would be similarly gifted with a mate chosen for them by the Gods, but here she was.
“We claim her as our mate!” Kadan had shouted before any of the males in the room could approach the tiny goddess.
Suddenly, the tiny female was up and running. Kadan watched in amazement as she worked her way past several obstacles with a shocking display of agility and skill as she headed straight for the front entrance of the hall. Tristan bellowed out an order for warriors to block the exit, ensuring she would not escape them as he and his brother quickly followed her. He had not expected some of his warriors would try to challenge them for the right to claim her. Both he and Tristan had snarled in rage at the thought of some other male touching her soft skin.
She was theirs!
When he caught her to him, Kadan’s heart had pounded as he looked down at the treasure he held in his arms. She was the most beautiful female he had ever seen before. Spiral curls of black hair framed her perfect face and her enchanting green eyes shone with an inner light instead of glowing out like his. Feeling her in his arms, he knew in his heart she already belonged to him and his brothers.
Riding high on possessive fury Kadan’s only thought was to bind her to them by creating the blood bond right then and there. Kadan had never expected for their new mate to fight him. He wanted to chastise her, but he could not stand seeing the terror on her face.
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