by Aubrey Ross
“I’ll tell Arioch to find the pack. We’ll go after Verrine.”
“Find the pack” meant kill them all. Lilith heartily agreed.
Following the trail of blood to the edge of the forest, she hesitated. Before them spread a vast grassy valley. Tree stumps littered the undulating hillsides as far as the eye could see.
“Why would someone cut down all these trees?”
Jetrel spoke the question echoing her thoughts. “I don’t know. But we’re about to find out. Her trail leads into the valley.”
She glanced at the sky. A bright full moon silvered the land, leaving them vulnerable to discovery. Exploring the Light had been so much easier before humans overran the land. They were everywhere these days, wicked and wild, some more depraved than any demon.
Cat Clan business kept Lilith fully occupied. Her trips into the Light to torment mankind had become rare indeed. She occasionally dispatched one of her clansmen to discover what was happening above, but mostly she was content with her life and family.
“Come on. We must find her before some human does.” She shuddered at the thought. Verrine was weak and wounded, terrified and alone. Lilith lengthened her stride, ignoring her own uncertainty. They had to find her.
Nothing else mattered.
Chapter Fourteen
Balam hissed, venom dripping from his fangs. “If they have harmed her in any way, I will feast upon their flesh before I kill them.”
Arioch slapped him on the back. “I’m damn glad you’re on my side when you get like this.”
“Don’t be so sure of that!” Balam knocked his arm away. “If it were not for you, Verrine would be safe in the Realm of Darkness.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean? I’m not the one who fucked her like a ravening beast.”
Balam stopped abruptly and faced his brother. “How would you know how I fucked her?” He watched guilt and amusement play across Arioch’s features and drove his nails into his palms to keep from lashing out. “You watched us? You invaded my bedchamber and watched me claim my mate?”
Arioch stood his ground, blue eyes blazing. “She is not yet your mate and she is precious to me. I cannot pretend otherwise. If you had hurt her, I would have—” Balam’s vicious backhand ended his sentence. Arioch licked the blood from his lip and smiled. “Do we fight? Or do we find the dogs?”
Fury consumed Balam as he tromped through the woods. This had happened before, but never to such a devastating degree. They were frequently attracted to the same female. It had become a game over the years. Arioch would woo them, bring them tenderly to the point where they would willingly accept anything. Then Balam would partake of the final surrender.
But this was different.
Or was it?
He had no patience for wooing, while Arioch reveled in the teasing, seductive play to which females responded so well. Balam enjoyed watching his brother tantalize a female until she was senseless with lust. The combination had served them well in the past. When Arioch was present it became a competition. Who could arouse the female most? Balam thrived on competition. It gave him the incentive he needed to keep his lust under control. But this was Verrine.
He would not share his mate!
Forcing aside the disconcerting concept, Balam focused on the dogs. Night creatures moved through the trees, chattering restlessly. The wind whispered its secrets, telling him all he needed to know.
The pack huddled around their leader, who crouched over his fallen son.
“Moloch.” Balam didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t need to. The stench of fear exploded in the air around him.
The lesser dogs whined and fell prostrate before him. Moloch trembled, but remained beside his son.
“He is dying, Sire. You are too late.”
Balam narrowed his eyes and raised his hand, extending it toward Marut. “Not so fast.” The young male writhed and howled in agony, blood oozing from his numerous wounds.
“Stop it! Let him die. Please, Sire.”
“I am your king now? Why the sudden respect, Moloch? You refused to bow before.”
“I refused to bow to a female. I have never been disloyal to you.”
“Really?” Balam caused another surge in the young male’s agony, enjoying Moloch’s pathetic whining as much as Marut’s screams. “What do you call abducting my mate?”
After only a few minutes Balam grew bored. He released his hold on Marut and watched his breathing shudder, then cease. Moloch howled in grief, gathering his son to his chest. The others joined the chorus until Balam silenced them with a thought. The lesser dogs crumpled into lifeless heaps, leaving only their leader, clutching his son’s corpse.
“We did not touch her, Sire. I swear!”
Arioch stepped forward, his blue gaze illuminating Moloch’s blood-streaked face. The dog quickly closed his eyes. “Look at me. If you are as innocent as you claim, you have nothing to fear.”
“I didn’t touch her.”
“Did you want to?” Balam asked. “Did you defile her over and over in your mind before she escaped you?” Moloch trembled, stubbornly keeping his eyes tightly sealed. “Look at Arioch—now!”
Unable to resist the mental compulsion, Moloch raised his amber gaze. Arioch’s eyes intensified until the dog’s entire body glowed. “Feel the humiliation and degradation you intended for Verrine. Know the pain of her violation. Be defiled!”
Moloch screamed, his son forgotten with the onslaught of his agony. His flesh blistered and peeled. He rolled across the ground, moaning and flailing.
With remorseless expressions, the brothers watched his suffering.
* * *
“What in hell’s name is that thing?” Lilith squinted through the darkness. Even her feline sight could not make sense of the hulking structure.
Jetrel seemed less interested in the anomaly. His gaze fixed with single-minded intensity on the scene surrounding the fire. Three human males in their prime and a grizzled old man huddled over their daughter.
When they had come to the crest of the hill and spotted Verrine below, Lilith charged forward blindly. Jetrel had grabbed her arm and shook his head. “They aren’t hurting her.” He sounded utterly amazed. “Look. They’re tending her wounds.”
“Why would humans attempt to heal her?”
“I have no idea. But look more closely. They’re cleaning and bandaging the tears in her flesh.” Jetrel shuddered, fury contorting his features. “Which one of those dogs did this to her?”
“Were Balam and Arioch able to find them?”
“I haven’t asked. I figure Arioch will contact me when the fight is over.”
“Balam and Arioch against a pack of stray dogs.” She snorted. “Shouldn’t be much of a fight.”
“What shall we do about Verrine? Steal her away while they sleep?”
“Why? She’s our daughter. Let’s go get her back.”
Lilith carefully arranged her hair to cover the rippling blue edges of her ears and watched Jetrel do the same. “Your eyes,” she cautioned him. “They’re glowing.” He immediately decreased the intensity of his stare.
They walked down the hill hand in hand.
The older man separated himself from the younger three, moving across the camp to intercept them, his stout staff at the ready.
“Who goes there?” His voice was firm and strong despite his advanced years. He squinted into the darkness surrounding them.
“How did our daughter come to be in your camp?” Jetrel asked.
“This is your daughter?”
“Yes. Where did you find her?”
Lilith kept her silence, watching not only the old man, but the younger three.
“Shem found her out in the valley. It looks as though she’s been mauled by an animal. I am Noah. If you come in peace, you are welcome in my camp.”
“We have come for our daughter,” Jetrel said emphatically.
“She cannot be moved. If her wounds start bleeding again, she will di
e.”
Lilith glanced at Jetrel. They both knew that was unlikely, but they couldn’t tell the human they were immortal.
She couldn’t resist her curiosity another moment. “What is…that?” She motioned to the structure behind them.
The three young men snickered and looked embarrassed. Noah squared his shoulders and raised his chin. “It’s called an ark. God has told me that he is going to send a Great Flood to purge the land of its wickedness. I and my family will be spared by retreating into the ark.”
“Only you and your family are to be spared?” Lilith asked fascinated. He seemed so sincere.
“Anyone who enters the ark will be spared,” he told her. “But no one believes me.”
“You must admit it’s a wild tale.”
“I know what my God told me and I am doing my best to obey.”
“I’m sure your devotion will be rewarded in a mighty way,” she said, not bothering to keep the mockery from her tone.
Noah sadly shook his head. “May I at least have your daughter moved into the ark where she can recover in safety?”
Lilith was tempted to let him do it. What a surprise they’d have when Verrine recovered. “The rest of our party is hunting the animal that wounded her. We must find them.”
“You are welcome to leave the girl here until you have located them. We will continue to tend her.”
Why was he being so kind? He was a human for hell’s sake. “We take care of our own.”
Jetrel moved to where Verrine lay curled up on her side.
“I strongly advise against this,” Noah said.
“You see to your children,” Lilith told him. “I’ll see to mine.”
Jetrel carefully scooped Verrine into his arms.
“When is this flood due, by the way? I want to make sure we take shelter in time.”
Noah heaved a frustrated sigh. “The animals have gathered already. Tomorrow is the seventh day; the day the rains will come. There will be no shelter but the ark. God intends to flood the entire world. You will perish with all the rest unless you heed my warning.”
She smiled. He was adorable. Delusional, but adorable. “Thank you for your kindness.” She paused. “I’ve never said that to a human before.” She laughed at his startled expression and followed Jetrel into the night.
* * *
“Do you believe him? Do you think God intends to flood the world?” Jetrel shifted Verrine higher against his chest and she moaned.
Lilith touched Verrine’s brow and frowned. “She’s feverish.”
“We need to seek shelter. It’s nearly dawn.”
“Why would God destroy his own creation?” Lilith responded to his earlier question.
Jetrel laughed. “You’re asking me to explain God?”
“No. I was just thinking out loud.”
“I would think you would revel in this…if it is true. This is even more spectacular than having them kicked out of Eden.”
“I did not have them kicked out of Eden.”
“Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the serpent, the serpent blamed you. It’s all rather amusing if you ask me.”
“You didn’t think so at that time.”
“I’d just seen you fucking Adam. Nothing was amusing at the time.”
“Can you contact Arioch? Find out what’s taking them so long?”
There’s a cave in the canyon wall. We’ll meet you there, Arioch’s voice responded in her mind.
“Did he send that to you too?”
“Yes.” Jetrel nodded toward the steep canyon wall. “Let me get her settled and I’ll come back for you.”
“No need.” Lilith transformed into her animal self and bounded on ahead.
Having Shadow shifted with Verrine, Jetrel was waiting in the cave when Lilith arrived. Arioch shifted into the cavern with Balam a few moments later. Both males hurried forward to assure themselves that Verrine was alive.
Lilith watched their response with trepidation. Their mutual desire for Verrine was obvious in every move they made. This did not bode well for her daughter.
“She’s very weak, but already her wounds have sealed. She’ll recover,” Lilith told them.
“I let him die too quickly.” Balam ground out the words between clenched teeth.
Arioch only nodded.
“The entire pack is dead?” Lilith asked.
“I should purge my realm of all the dogs.”
“If their new clan leader does not see the wisdom of the alliance, Shadow Clan will assist you,” Arioch assured him.
Thunder shook the cave. Lilith steadied herself against the wall.
Arioch walked to the cave’s narrow entrance and peered out into the pre-dawn gloom. “It’s starting to rain. Can she travel?”
Lilith joined him for a moment, watching in awe as clouds rapidly filled the sky.
“I’ve never seen a storm gather so quickly,” Arioch said.
“If Noah is to be believed, this is no ordinary storm.”
“Who is Noah?” Arioch glanced at her, clearly unnerved by the storm.
“The human who found Verrine. He tended her wounds and kept her safe until we found his camp.”
Distracted by the storm, Arioch motioned her away from the opening. “We should Shadow shift back. This looks bad.”
They crossed the cave together.
Jetrel gazed between his mate and his daughter in helpless frustration. “I can only take one or the other.”
“I will take Verrine,” Arioch volunteered.
“Only if you take me too,” Balam snapped.
“That was my intention.”
Lilith wanted to laugh, but her stranglehold on all emotion was the only thing keeping her from tears. This had been too close. Much too close.
* * *
Searing pain lanced through Verrine’s leg, exploding across her hip. She cried out, clinging to the warm body in front of her, but heat enveloped her back as well. Dragging her eyelids open, she sagged against Arioch’s chest. Someone moved her hair away from her nape and warm lips brushed her skin.
“Where am I?” Wrapping her arms around Arioch’s neck, she snuggled against his body. Hands swept down her sides, causing her skin to tingle.
“A very good question, brother. Where are we?”
Balam’s deep voice drew her further from the comfortable void. The pain intensified. “My leg.”
Those unseen hands pulled her away from the comfort of Arioch’s embrace and lifted her. She blinked and groaned as pain shot from her hip to her thigh. Balam carried her to a stone ledge at the far side of a small cavern and sat, cradling her in his arms.
“What is this place?” The walls glowed. Verrine touched the smooth stone, not surprised to find it warm.
“A Shadow cave. You have to be able to shift to get here. We use them as hideouts and for planning sessions away from curious ears.”
“The real question is, why am I in a Shadow cave rather than the comfort of my bedchamber?” Balam asked.
“I don’t know. Shadow shifting with others is always tiring, but I’ve never stalled out in the middle before.”
Verrine leaned against Balam, resting her head on his shoulder. “I feel wretched.”
“You’re lucky to be alive. No one else would have survived such an attack.”
She looked up into his glistening dark eyes, amazed at the warmth she found there. “I always wondered if I was immortal.”
“Well, there had to have been a better way of finding out.”
His fierce expression made her smile. He was being fierce about her not to her and she liked it. “I’m open to suggestions.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
Arioch cleared his throat, reminding them of his presence. “The sea is churning beyond the cave. Can you feel the vibration?”
Placing his palm flat on the rock ledge, Balam nodded. “Something is definitely wrong. Can you contact Jetrel? Did they make it back safely?”
After a moment Arioc
h nodded. “They’re fine. I guess you’re more of a burden than I realized.”
“That’s a horrible thing to say about Verrine.” Balam grinned. The resemblance between the two had never been more striking. Verrine shivered as an unexpected tingle danced down her spine. “Are you cold? The stone is warm, but it’s hard.”
Arioch pulled his tunic off over his head and draped it over her like a blanket. His scent and body heat still clung to the garment. She shivered again. “Thank you.”
“You’re trembling. Are you in pain?”
The sensations zinging through her body had little to do with pain. She had the complete attention of the two most powerful demons in all of hell. “Just when I move my leg.”
Balam eased her to the ledge and knelt on the floor beside her. Arioch had been kneeling on the floor beside a stone ledge when Balam walked in on them. The similarity sent more shivers through her body. She glanced beyond Balam, her gaze colliding with Arioch’s. His lazy smile assured her he knew exactly what she was thinking.
“Roll up onto your side. Let me look at it.”
“Why? Can you heal with your eyes?”
“No, but I can infuse your body with energy so it heals itself more quickly.”
She looked at Arioch again. “Can he really or is he just trying to touch my ass?”
“He can help you heal, but I’d be more than happy just to touch your ass.”
“Don’t even think about it,” Balam snapped.
“You can’t control my thoughts, brother dear.”
Throwing a threatening glare over his shoulder, Balam said, “I can make it so you no longer have thoughts.”
Arioch just laughed and leaned his shoulder against the cavern wall.
Balam helped Verrine roll up onto her side and lifted the coarse dress to her waist. An alien tightness gripped his chest and his hands trembled. What the fuck was wrong with him? She was just a female. Swallowing past the ridiculous lump in his throat, he asked, “Where did this garment come from? It’s horrendous.”
