Except when he’d seen the spirits creeping toward her frozen body, he hadn’t fought to protect a tool. Rage had flooded him, so powerful it shook even him. He never backed down from a good fight, but this had been something else. He’d killed the spirits not because they were messing with his plans but because he wanted them to feel pain. He’d wanted retribution for their audacity to hurt something that was his.
Jaral pushed out of the chair and moved to the end of the bed. Darcy still slept, the poison slowly working out of her system. She’d feel like hell when she woke but at least she was alive.
“Mine?” he murmured, tasting the word. He liked it. The idea of anyone else touching her made his claws curl in anger.
On silent feet he walked around the bed. Reaching out, he ran a finger down her smooth cheek. Why was one small human woman claiming more of his thoughts than any other female had in centuries?
The loud shrill of the doorbell broke through his musings. With a last glance at the woman he shouldn’t want, Jaral left the room. When he opened the door of his suite he was less than surprised by the man who greeted him.
“Bringing a hunter into the Rex?” Liam stalked across the threshold.
“Please, come in,” Jaral said to the empty corridor.
“You know better than to bring her here. Hell, Jaral, you’re going to drive all my business away.”
“I’ll take her away as soon as I can.” He eyed his friend as the other demon headed toward the bedroom.
Jaral bit back the order to stay away from Darcy. Liam would only find it amusing and ignore the command. Instead, he strode after him only to find Liam standing in the doorway staring at the unconscious hunter.
“Spirits?” Liam asked.
“Do you have any antidote?”
Liam shook his head. “Not on hand. She’ll have to fight through it on her own.” He tunneled his fingers into his hair. “She can’t stay here. Her people will look for her.”
“They have no idea where she is.”
“Yet. I told you that hunter friend of hers has psychic powers. She’s been keeping tabs on your girl all day.”
Jaral glanced at him sharply. “And you know this how?”
“I know everything that happens in this city,” Liam said. “Especially when it pertains to one of the few demons in this world I call friend. I wasn’t about to let your mate run around without keeping an eye on her.”
“She’s not my mate,” Jaral growled.
“Then why is she in my hotel? Were she any other hunter you would have cut your losses and moved on. Not only did you save her, you brought her somewhere you knew you could protect her.”
“There is no record of a demon claiming a non-demon mate in centuries,” Jaral said.
“Just because there’s no record doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Mere months ago you wouldn’t have believed your uncle could wed a human. Things change.”
“Not this. We lost the mating magic hundreds of years ago.” There hadn’t been a registered mated pair in well over two centuries. His father called it evolution, said they were stronger without bonding with another. Jaral wondered if it wasn’t an indication of their crumbling kingdom.
Liam laughed harshly. “Looks like it’s coming back. Congratulations.”
“How would you know?” Jaral asked. “You’ve spent centuries hiding out here in the human world. The fate of our people is not something you’ve ever shown an interest in.”
Something dark passed behind Liam’s eyes. An emotion Jaral couldn’t name. “I know people,” Liam said. “I can see how the puzzle pieces fit together. Tell me, Jaral, why you didn’t destroy this woman when you first met. You are on a mission from the king, one which can’t afford the meddling of a hunter. Besides that, you are a demon who never gave mortals a second glance, never mind lusting after them. What is it about Darcy Snow that makes you break hundreds of years’ worth of self-control?”
Times like this Jaral wished he didn’t like Liam quite as much as he did. “I won’t take a human as my mate. I don’t give a damn what my uncle did or what kind of magic is returning to our people. Taking her as my mate would be a death sentence for her.”
A slight smile curved Liam’s lips. “The protest you offer has nothing to do with your position or your father. Instead you speak of her safety. Think on that, my friend, when you try to deny your bond.” He turned away from the sleeping woman. “I’ll try and keep that nosy hunter off your trail but I doubt I can give you more than a few hours. Half a day at most. You need a plan before then.”
“That will be enough. My thanks.”
Liam snorted. “Thank me if I’m successful. If my hotel gets overrun with hunters I’ll be sending you my reimbursement bill.” He turned to go. “Do yourself a favor, Jaral, and try not to alienate your mate when she wakes. You already have enough stacked against you.”
Jaral heard the door close behind Liam but didn’t take his eyes off Darcy. Liam had to be wrong. He couldn’t fall for a hunter. Not like his uncle.
“Not possible,” he said, spinning away from his sleeping woman. She would never be someone he needed. Not permanently. When demons mated it wasn’t for a smattering of years as many of the human unions he’d seen. Demons mated for life and they lived a hell of a long time. Magic guided mates together and bound them with ties far deeper than allegiances to kingdoms or promises to kin.
If Darcy was his then he had one hell of a problem.
Jaral collapsed on the sofa and tipped his head back. King or mate. If the fates were kind it would be a choice he’d never have to make.
Chapter Six
Muscles burned as she pushed herself from the bed. Her mouth tasted like sawdust and pain radiated from the various scrapes and wounds on her body.
Darcy gripped the edge of the bed to steady herself. At least she could move, though her limbs were sluggish. Taking a deep breath for strength, she pushed herself to her feet. Her legs protested the move and pain shot through her again. It took far too many wobbling, burning steps to reach the en suite bathroom.
She searched the bathroom wall for the light switch. When light finally flared Darcy shielded her eyes with a hiss of pain. How long had she been out?
Shuffling to the sink, she made quick use of the hotel’s complimentary toothbrush and toiletries kit. Once she felt a little more alive she glanced in the mirror and winced. Her hair was dirty and matted. She didn’t even want to think about the pain of digging through those tangles. A greenish bruise marred one temple though she couldn’t even remember getting hit there. Continuing her inspection, she noted the claw marks on her calf were bruised and inflamed. The bite marks on her arm looked infected too. How would she explain those wounds to a doctor?
But at least she was alive.
Her fingers gripped the marble sink top. Jared really had saved the day.
She stepped back into the bedroom and noticed for the first time the soft carpet under her feet. He’d removed her shoes. A quick pat down revealed he’d stripped her of her knives, as well. Her coat hung in the corner but with the blood splattered over it she wouldn’t be able to wear it in public without a good cleaning first.
The urge to hide in the bedroom was strong but Darcy knew he’d be waiting. Gathering what courage she could, she opened the door.
She stumbled down a small hallway before emerging in the large room she dimly remembered seeing on her arrival. The open-concept living room blended into a kitchenette in the back. A flat screen bigger than any she’d seen lined one wall, a fireplace the other. Furniture that looked decorative if not comfortable was arranged artfully throughout the space. Bright pieces of art hung on every available wall, offsetting the beige and white tones of the room. It was a beautiful, stately chamber.
A dark shape at the side table drew her gaze. Jared stood with his back to her, pouring something red into a wineglass.
He swirled the liquid before raising the glass to his lips. Revulsion swept through her. Demons d
idn’t need blood every day but their bodies functioned better with a steady diet of it. It was one of the reasons the race was so hard to coexist with. Demons didn’t give a damn where their fix came from as long as their bodies were fed.
“Shall I pour you a glass?” His voice startled her. “Or would you prefer something else?” He turned to face her, the wineglass in his hand.
“No thanks,” she bit out.
He tilted his head to the side. “Tell me, hunter, what is it you think I am drinking?”
He was baiting her. Darcy lifted her chin and refused to let herself get drawn in.
His smile was cool as he crossed the room to her. As he neared, her instincts kicked into high gear, urging her to get away from any creature looking as lethal as he did.
Instead she held her ground, battered and bruised though she was. Her decision pleased him, it seemed, for his gaze warmed.
Stopping before her, he held out the glass. Darcy didn’t even glance at it.
Arching a brow, he raised it to his lips again. “Wine,” he murmured in her ear as he glided past her. “Nothing more sinister than that.”
Jared grabbed something off the table behind her before tossing it in her direction. She caught it automatically and her muscles protested the exertion.
“I’d offer you a glass,” Jared continued, walking to the large white sofa. “But I don’t think alcohol is what your body needs right now.”
Darcy looked down at the prescription package in her hand. Codeine. Her aching body begged her to slip one of the small white pills into her mouth.
“Thanks.” That the demon had thought of her comfort at all amazed her. “But I can’t.” She tossed the package back to him before she could yield to temptation.
Jared’s hand was a blur as he snatched the bag from the air.
“Why?” No anger colored his question.
Darcy sighed as she dropped into a sand-colored chair with a straight, uncomfortable back. It was as far from Jared as she could get. “I don’t use drugs.”
“Ever?”
She pressed her lips together. No way she was telling a demon her sob story.
“Had a problem, did you?”
“No.”
Though she might not know Jared well, she did recognize the look on his face. He wasn’t going to let this go. Well, tough luck. She didn’t feel like sharing.
“How long have I been out?”
“You slept approximately eight hours. Another three would have been prudent but we’ve wasted enough time as it is.”
“You put me to sleep.”
He inclined his head. “Would you have preferred staying conscious yet trapped in your own body with your mind spinning increasingly horrific possibilities for you to ponder? I did you a favor.”
“Maybe,” she acknowledged. “I’m more concerned with how you did it. Fire, air, magic—you have too many gifts to be a simple demon minion.”
He swirled the wine in his glass. “Was it a friend who had the drug problem? It had to be someone close to affect you this way.”
“You’re more than a soldier,” she countered. “Feel like telling me how much more?”
Jaral leaned forward, elbows on knees. “A sister,” he guessed. “You found her cold and blue with needle tracks in her arm.”
“I’m an only child, but what about your past? With powers like yours you must come from a strong bloodline.”
He grinned. “Careful, Snow. Some information is best left unlearned.”
“Then stop baiting me.”
He stood and, setting the glass down on the table, headed for her. Darcy waited for him, her fingers curling around the arms of the chair.
“You are in pain,” he declared when he stopped before her.
“I’ll survive.”
Gracefully he dropped to one knee. “Survive, yes, but I need you in top condition to be useful to me.”
“I’m not taking the painkillers.”
“Then allow me to help you another way.”
She stilled, her battered body begging her to agree to anything he offered. “What did you have in mind?”
“I’ve never attempted this with a human. Sharing a trace of my energy with you, however, should help your body heal with the quickness of a demon.”
“No.” She couldn’t stop the disgust lacing her tone at the thought of taking any part of a demon into herself.
“Hush,” he chastised. “The effects would be temporary and you would heal of all your injuries in minutes instead of days.”
She considered the offer despite herself. No matter the price, she didn’t like being helpless around this man. A shortcut healing might be worth the risk.
“Why didn’t you do this when I was out? I would never have known the difference.”
He looked up at her with fathomless eyes. “We might find ourselves truly fighting on different sides one day,” he told her. “Until then, I will never take away your choices. I doubt you’d forgive me that.”
She swallowed, fighting back the curious warmth filling her at his words. “And my forgiveness would matter to you?”
His gaze dropped to her lips but he didn’t reply.
Darcy hesitated. Agreeing to his healing would be a risk but she took him at his word. Jared wanted her and she doubted he’d do anything to injure her while that remained the case. As long as he never had her, she’d hold the power.
“Okay,” she whispered. “Help me.”
His palms slid over her knees as he pushed them apart. “We need to be closer,” he said in explanation.
Darcy’s breath hitched. Jared on his knees before her was not such a bad sight.
“Kiss me, hunter,” he dared, “and take the energy you need.”
She licked her lips at the thought. “You didn’t tell me that.”
“Demons never do anything for free,” he said. “Remember that for the future.”
She’d kissed him before. Doing it again wasn’t such a big deal. Staring at his mouth, however, heat gripped her that had nothing to do with healing energy.
You can’t lust after your enemy, she chided herself.
Why the hell not? the forbidden recesses of her mind replied.
“One kiss,” she murmured, cupping his face between her hands. His skin was hot to touch but not unpleasantly so. Slowly Darcy leaned in.
Her lips brushed his tentatively. What did she need to do to take the energy? she wondered as her mouth caressed his. Was she doing something wrong?
Jared came to her rescue. After her last light touch his hand wrapped around the back of her neck. He dragged her closer, their mouths clashing against each other. Darcy gasped a protest and his tongue swept into her mouth.
The moment his tongue brushed along hers, heat rushed into her. It was like breathing in fire, except the burn didn’t hurt. It spiraled through her, infecting every cell.
Her hand slammed against his shoulder. She was unsure whether she should push him away or pull him closer. The sensation was unlike anything she’d ever felt. Demon magic in a human body. She was on dangerous ground.
Dangerous, addictive ground.
Her hand curled around his T-shirt as she tugged him to her. Teeth knocked against each other as they kissed with renewed desperation. With every breath more fire filled her. Her aches disappeared. The stabbing pain in her temples receded. Whatever he was doing, it was working.
A tug at her hair pulled her head back sharply. She moaned as his hot lips trailed down her throat. Heat inflamed every inch of skin he touched.
His other hand settled on her waist, toying with the edges of her top. When a lone finger caressed the skin along the waistline of her pants she cried out. The heat of the touch pooled low in her abdomen.
More. She had to have more.
Darcy hit his shoulders, sending him sprawling backward. But she didn’t let him go alone. Straddling his hips she leaned down to capture his mouth once more. As her hands roamed his hard chest, she wished she cou
ld rip off the material separating her skin from his. Never before had she ever felt this hot for a man. Literally or figuratively. Jared was in a class of his own.
The demon grabbed her hips and arched, rubbing the hardness of his erection against her. He caught her cry with his mouth as she shivered with need. Again, she wanted to command him but doing so would necessitate giving up his mouth and that was a sacrifice she was unwilling to make. Instead she rubbed her own body against his. Every inch of him was hard muscle. Nothing about the man beneath her was soft.
An attractive thought. Darcy had always been a fan of powerful lovers.
She slid her hands under the edge of his T-shirt. Palms flattened against his abdomen as she writhed on top of him.
When her fingers started their exploration, he released a guttural groan. Higher they climbed, pushing the material up with them. She traced every contour, wanting to repeat the process with her mouth.
When the shirt was high enough she tugged it over his head. The garment vanished over her shoulder and she looked down at what she’d uncovered. The sight robbed her of breath.
Jared was beautiful. He looked more like a Greek statue than a flesh-and-blood man. And for a little while he was hers. The proprietary instinct surprised her. After all, she’d never been the jealous type. But the thought of sharing Jared made her want to rend flesh.
The violent urge stilled her. Something was wrong.
“Jared,” she breathed. She was making out with a demon, which wasn’t new, at least not with this demon. But this went beyond what she’d felt the last time she was in his arms. Now she wasn’t fighting against the urge to do what was right. Instead, she was fighting to claim the man as her own. The thoughts in her head couldn’t be hers.
“What?” His voice was rough with lust. When he reached out for her she swatted his hands away.
“Something’s wrong.”
He stiffened under her, his expression going from carnal to serious. “Look at me,” he commanded, cupping her face.
She met his gaze and whatever he saw in his face had him swearing.
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