The Fallen King: The Bellum Sisters 4 (paranormal erotic romance)

by Grey, T. A.

  He didn’t say anything for a long time. Or, at least, it felt like a long time. For minutes he watched her, watched Alrik, and the whole time she saw him weighing the consequences of whichever decision he’d make. The man was smart and she respected that.

  “I’ll help him but only for you.”

  His words stunned her. She looked away unable to hold his gaze. The small amount of time she’d been around him had influenced him that much? It was too much for her. Nobody should feel so greatly, do so much for someone after being around him or her for only a matter of hours.

  Then, it hit her. Of course! She wanted to smack herself upside the forehead. The man, er, vampire, hadn’t been around a woman in ages. He’d said so himself. Surely if their roles were reversed, she’d lie, beg, steal, and do anything to get a piece of a man. He didn’t actually care about her. This was all an act because he really wanted in her pants, badly.

  Aidan shouted a gruff order at his men. Three demons came over, one carrying a brown satchel slung over his back. They pulled Alrik’s shirt up and his pants down. No underwear for the fallen king of demons.

  Don’t look at his butt, she told herself.

  As soon as the thought ‘butt’ entered her mind, her eyes betrayed her. Heat suffused her cheeks. He had a great ass. Firm, tight, and sculpted. She knew first hand just how firm. She swallowed hard, and then felt that feeling of being watched.

  She looked up and nearly cursed. The three demons were grinning at her—busted. No way could she feign a lie about why she was checking out his ass.

  With a casual shrug she didn’t feel, she walked away to watch them work.

  They worked over Alrik like a trained medic team. One pulled out a bundle of herbs wrapped with a thin length of rope, the next grabbed a flask made from what looked like deer hide sewn into a pouch shape, and the last pressed against the sores along Alrik’s back with his fingers.

  Alrik might be sleeping but he let out a pained groan as the demon pushed on him. She took a step forward, ready to draw blood but then he relaxed his grip. Abby pressed a hand over her heart. The pumping organ felt as though it’d jump through her chest.

  “Don’t hurt him.” The words slipped out. She hadn’t even known she was going to say it.

  The demons looked at her, unsmiling, then muttered to each other about ridiculous ‘witches’ and ‘kings’ and a ‘waste of a good woman’.

  She watched every move they made as they worked. If they decided to try anything crazy or weird, she’d be ready to attack in a second, but they never did.

  An herb mixture was combined with water into a pulp-like concoction that they pressed over Alrik’s wounds. She swore she heard a fizzling sound when it touched the infected flesh. After the pesto-looking mixture covered each of the bubbled wounds, the demons stood and started to walk away.

  “Wait, what happens next?”

  The tallest of the three, a man with beautiful dark skin like mahogany and long, wild braided hair spoke up. “We watch him. The herbs will heal him but it takes time.”

  “Okay, thank you.”

  The man shook his head, a frown on his mouth. “Don’t thank us, thank Aidan. We wouldn’t have helped this man if it meant saving our own lives.”

  Abby snorted in disbelief. “You hate him that much?”

  The man stared at Alrik’s prone, unmoving form. Hate and rage swirled in his eyes, barely leashed. “Yes, that much.”

  She didn’t get it. What could he have done that’d make these people hate him so much? He’d kidnapped her but things hadn’t been that bad. He never hurt her physically or emotionally since she’d known him. She’d rate him a pretty fair kidnapper overall.

  “Why?” she asked. She had to know.

  The man shook his head. “That’s for him to tell you, not me.”

  With that, he turned and walked away.

  Abby watched over Alrik as night grew heavy and the demon’s fires burned brighter. A strange, dark colored tattoo covered his side. It must have been painted before he was cursed because the colors and design could barely be made out. Damn she hated this. She couldn’t stop thinking about what the demon said. What could he have done that was so terrible that these demons shunned themselves to leave their kingdom?

  She wanted to defend him and stand up for him, but she didn’t know what she’d say because she still didn’t really know much about him. That actually hurt, probably much more than it should.

  She didn’t talk to anyone for the rest of the night, not even when Aidan tried to draw her into conversation. Too much was on her mind. The woman’s name Alrik spoke last night, the hate these demon’s had for him, and the jaheera demon attacking them. It was all too much to take. A part of her wanted to forget all of this. She wished it’d never happened, but a part of her rebelled at the thought. Then that’d mean she’d never have met Alrik. She forced herself to stop thinking about him, about everything. It was exhausting work.

  When her eyelids grew tired she didn’t sleep by Alrik’s side but by herself.

  Chapter Seventeen

  A big hand covered her mouth, stifling her air supply.

  Abbigail jerked awake on a startled scream. Only her eyes focused on a dark, handsome face above hers. Her heart leaped at seeing him awake for the first time since the jaheera attack. Slowly, he pulled his hand away and pressed his cheek to hers, his lips to her ear. One arm curled around her waist, pulling her into his heat. Instantly, her body relaxed against his and soaked up his warm touch.

  “Speak quietly, they are still sleeping,” he whispered.

  Blinking the sleep away, she realized it was still dark out. She could hear the crackling of the fire, the wind blowing tree leaves, and a few deep snores coming from the demons.

  “What’s going on?” she whispered back.

  He looked over his shoulder then pressed his lips to her ear. God, she didn’t want to like it, but seeing him alive and well, feeling his strength and heat wrapped around her sent a raw shiver down her body. Nothing could have stopped her from reaching around his back and holding him.

  His muscles stiffened under her touch. She stilled too. For some reason, things felt different now. He didn’t know about everything that had happened since he’d been passed out. He had no idea she heard him say that name that haunted her dreams before he woke her.

  Touching him almost felt like touching a stranger. That was until his head turned and his lips dipped to press a kiss to her neck. Her breath caught at the soft touch, her body becoming aware of him in a way that was impossible to ignore. Before she knew what he was about to do, he tilted her head and his lips caught hers in a devastating kiss. All doubts fled. This was real, not some petty, jealous idea she’d conjured up to fill her mind. This man in her arms, kissing her with hunger and passion, was real.

  He kissed her slowly, leisurely as if he was sampling from her. Firm lips captured hers. Wet and smooth his tongue slid inside, curling against hers. It felt like so much more. Kisses never felt like this like the world stopped turning just because of it, like the pleasure shared between them was the only thing that mattered in her life.

  Then he broke the kiss, shattering the foggy haze he’d pulled over her brain. His lips were wet, and his breathing louder; she couldn’t stop staring up at him. He looked like some kind of fertility god people used to worship—sexy, strong, and vibrating with health.

  His lips pressed against her ear again to whisper. His voice was deep, soft, and low. “We have to get out of here right now.”

  “Do you—”

  “Quiet,” he whispered in her ear, once again checking behind his shoulder. “I want you to get up and follow me.”

  “Wait!”

  Alrik cast her a lethal glare. “Whatever you need to say will wait until we are far away from Aidan and his men.”

  They were beginning to sound like two students trying desperately hard to have a conversation during class and not get caught by the teacher. In her world, she’d always
been caught.

  Her hands kneaded the strong warm muscles in his back. They did need to talk, like right now because she was so done playing around with him. She wanted answers about everything and she wasn’t going to practice magic again until he told her. She wasn’t stupid. She’d wait, but not for much longer. Something much bigger was on the line for her now. Something, that if he broke, she knew would never fit back together right.

  “Fine, but we need to talk.”

  The infamous four words, ‘we need to talk’, were apparently not unknown to Alrik because he jerked his gaze to hers and his eyes rounded wearily.

  “Fine, just stay quiet and watch your step.”

  He stood without a sound, no knees cracking, no squishing the grass beneath his feet. Just a smooth, graceful move like a cat prowling. Abby wasn’t so athletic. She took his outstretched hand and stood but having just woken up she wobbled on her feet. Her left ankle wasn’t quite awake yet. It felt heavy and hot as blood rushed to it.

  “My foot’s asleep,” she whispered.

  Alrik’s jaw clenched so hard, she could see the bone working as he ground it. With a shake of his head, he bent to the waist and lifted her into his arms. She almost squealed, but managed to clamp her lips shut just in time to meet his warning gaze. Strange, but some kind of feminine glee filled her. He was carrying her like Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind, though decidedly less romantic since they were escaping from some demons and not going to a sexy bedroom to make passionate love. Yeah, she liked the other scenario better.

  He managed to keep his steps surprisingly light and quiet. Abby clung to his broad shoulders keeping her chin tucked against his muscular shoulder and her gaze locked on the campground. She blinked then scanned the makeshift beds on the grass again.

  She was counting them but came up three short. No, make that four, she amended. Aidan’s pallet was bare as well.

  “Um, Alrik—”

  “Not now.”

  He started running with long barreling steps. The man was tall and strong, and boy could he move fast. Not once did his grip on her waver. She jerked her gaze forward just in time to see them nearing the massive black fissure the demon created before it died.

  A cry started from the back of her throat before she could stop it.

  Alrik jumped and they flew through the air in a mighty arch. Her stomach bottomed out as if she was flying downhill on a hurtling rollercoaster.

  Icy fog covered her. At first she thought it was the temperature of the air just being cold that high up, but he couldn’t jump that high. They hit the ground way too softly with his knees giving in a bit to take the hit.

  “You used magic.” That explained the icy feeling. How fitting that hers warmed and his chilled.

  Alrik had just taken a step forward when a metallic sound filled the air like someone playing with a knife or...

  As soon as the thought struck a blade slid in front of them to block them. The sharp point rested eerily close to their throats. Aidan appeared from behind her. Amazing, she’d never seen or heard him move. He had to be quiet even by demon’s standards.

  “Did you really think we’d just let you leave so easily?”

  Alrik took a step back and Aidan let his blade fall. Maybe it was her ego talking but she figured he did it for her. He wouldn’t hurt her. She just knew it deep down in her gut just like she knew Alrik would never either.

  “Aidan, what do you want from me really? Do you seriously think you can keep me here if I don’t want to be kept? We’re not at your castle now. We’re in the open, and I’m not trapped. It won’t be easy to hold me now.”

  Anger flashed over Aidan’s face. Abby flinched at the violent look and struggled until Alrik set her down. He pushed her behind him and she went happily since for the first time she felt real fear of the vampire.

  “What do I want? What do we want? How about justice? You took me from my home. I don’t even know who I am!” Aidan screamed. His fangs flashed, gaze turned violent, and cheeks flushed.

  Abby’s jaw dropped. Even as she tried to step away from them both, Alrik tagged her hand and held tight. He wouldn’t let her go. What on earth were they talking about? How did he not know who he was, but knew he was taken from his home? Actually, better yet, why would Alrik do this?

  Her mind spun with unanswered questions.

  Aidan caught Abby’s expression and nodded. “See, this is what he is,” he said. “A monster. How did a vampire come to be here in the rift? Ask. Him.”

  Alrik didn’t say anything seemingly content to keep his mouth shut. Well, Abby couldn’t deal with it. She had to know. She needed to know not for Aidan but for herself because, though it pained her to admit it, she cared for him.

  But did she care for a monster? Panic and pain threatened to erupt inside her, debilitating her. She stomped it all down because what she didn’t need to do right now was freak out. She needed answers.

  “Believe it or not, but I don’t know all matters of your life except that you ended up a prisoner in front of the court where I meted out fair justice,” Alrik said coolly.

  Aidan visibly shook with rage, the silver of his blade distorting the reflection of the fire from camp into oblong, menacing shapes. “Fair justice? You call being stolen from my family fair justice?”

  “I know nothing of that.”

  She could hear the edge of frustration creeping into Alrik’s voice. A part of her was relieved to know that at least he hadn’t done something that awful.

  “I know nothing of who I am, and when everyone shunned me, when nobody helped me to explain why I was different or why I needed blood, you and yours left me to fend for myself. And when I did, you sent me to the dungeons to become a work slave.

  You are nothing. You are a worthless pile of shit that doesn’t belong on the bottom of this slave’s boot. You were never a king, and never worthy to wear a crown. It was a farce and we all know it. Telal should have been king. He had a good heart. He was meant to rule.”

  Apprehension made her twitchy. She didn’t like where this was going.

  A steady tremble came from her hand. With a start, she looked down only to realize it wasn’t her trembling, it was Alrik. His entire body was starting to tremble from some untamable emotion he was trying to keep hidden. Yet, he didn’t open his mouth, didn’t defend any of his actions. She wanted to shake him, yell at him, get in his face and make him defend his actions.

  Slowly, as if it took all of his control to keep his words clear, Alrik spoke. “Telal made his decision. He betrayed us to Tobius en Kulev. If not for Telal, my father would still be here. I had nothing to do with how you came to be here, vampire.”

  Aidan smiled. The look sent a foul shudder down the back of her neck. “I was a young one when I was ripped from my home and taken to your kingdom. Yes, I remember you then. It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”

  Alrik’s head jerked as if dodging some painful thought.

  “Do you even remember yourself then? Your skin was still golden much as your brothers, your mothers...your fathers. Such a lie it was. At least one good thing has come about over these long, merciless years. You’re ugliness has finally grown to show the world your true nature.”

  Alrik froze. He didn’t flinch or jerk. He didn’t curse or make a move in violence. No, he only froze in a way that scared her more than if he’d done all of those things.

  Abby couldn’t stand it. Her patience fled and her temper popped like a balloon filled with too much air.

  Abby charged forward, as far as Alrik’s grip let her, and got in Aidan’s pale face. “You don’t even know what the hell you’re talking about. His mother cursed him. It filled him with some kind of rage that turned him into this. She’s been controlling him this entire time.”

  Something flickered in Aidan’s eyes—disbelief.

  “Yeah, that’s right. Why do you think he’s here and not in his kingdom? Why do you think I’m here—a human witch?” She clenched her jaw and glared, re
ady to do it all night until she drove her point home.

  “Tell me what happened.” He directed his words to Abby but kept his eyes on Alrik. The anger slowly drained from his face.

  Abby looked up at Alrik to find a strange, uncertain look in his eyes. He looked as if he didn’t know what to do or say, almost childlike. She squeezed his hand and stepped into him.

  “All I know is that he stole me from my home,” she said.

  Immediately, Aidan tensed. Before he could do something crazy like attack Alrik or offer to be her hero, she held up her hand.

  “He brought me here and told me that a seer said the only way to defeat the queen is by me. A witch.”

  “What has happened with the queen?” Aidan tensed, and she could see the dark glint in his eyes. He hated the queen maybe even more than Alrik did. She had to look away. Seeing so much anger and hate was unsettling.

  She jabbed Alrik’s side. When he didn’t answer, she prodded him again, much harder. Finally, he shook his head. “I banished her after I discovered her black magic. Not only was she casting on me, one can only guess how often, but she fed me potions. I was completely in her grasp without realizing it.” His eyes got a faraway look in them. “I should have. I was stupid and trusting. I should have known what was happening to me under my own roof.”

  “If you banished her then why are you still,” Aidan looked Alrik up and down, “different. Why don’t you look how you used to?”

  “That is why I sought out the oldest of all seers. Since I banished her, I got worse. I couldn’t sleep, didn’t want to eat. The seer says she made the curse two-ways. A backup curse she placed on me, essentially, in case I ever did learn of it and try to kill her. It grips me now more than ever.”

  Aidan nodded towards Abby. “What does this have to do with her? Why a human? Why a witch?”

  “The seer told me that I cannot kill her because the curse will not let me hurt her. He said the only one powerful enough to kill her is a human. A specific human. Abbigail Krenshaw.” He squeezed her hand and she sent him a small reassuring smile.