by Patti O’Shea
Demon Kissed
Patti O’Shea
Demon slayer Bree Molina has always felt an attraction for fellow hunter Andras. She knew he was handsome and brave…but she’s shocked to discover that Andras is a demon, too! That’s just the first revelation Andras has in store for Bree. The demon world has put a price on her head—and the only way Andras can save Bree is by making her his mate….
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER ONE
Even this late at night, even in this neighborhood, there were people on the streets of Los Angeles. Bree couldn’t worry about them or what they thought of her. Not now.
Not when she had a pair of demons on her ass.
Her breathing was harsh and ragged, her heart pounded, but she ran on, her hand curled to catch the blood streaming down her arm. If it spattered to the sidewalk, she’d be leaving a trail anyone could follow, and demons already had too many advantages.
She glanced over her shoulder and saw nothing except a few people staring after her. Clear. That wouldn’t last. She’d only hurt her attackers enough to slow them momentarily. And piss them off. If they caught up to her— No, make that when they caught up to her, the demonic duo would make her pay.
Reaching a corner, she turned abruptly. The change of direction probably wouldn’t lose her pursuers, not when they had such heightened senses, but it was worth a shot.
Wouldn’t her mentor be proud if he could see her now? His top demon slayer running from the enemy.
Bree tried to smile, to show fate that the irony wasn’t lost on her, but sometimes a strategic retreat was smarter than battling it out. Smarter than dying. A live slayer could fight another day. A dead one was a waste of training.
Another turn put her in an area that was deserted. A single streetlight glowed and moonlight spotlighted the graffiti tagging the buildings. The gang symbols spun, and Bree swallowed a curse. She had to stop the bleeding before she ended up more than light-headed.
Ahead, she saw a warehouse, the first without a chain-link fence around it, and changed course. She couldn’t stay long, but she needed a minute. Or two.
Jimmying the lock took longer than she liked and Bree was nervous by the time she pushed open the door. Immediately, she closed it behind her.
High windows allowed the glow of the moon to illuminate the space, and the walls here were covered with graffiti, too. Dirt and dust had accumulated deeply enough to cover the toes of her boots and each step kicked up more. There were footprints in every direction showing that others had used it for shelter, but no one was here now. She could feel the emptiness.
Everywhere she looked, there were scattered piles of debris, mostly made up of rotting wood and chunks of cement. Bigger castoffs were strewn about as well—broken pallets, damaged crates—and they added a feeling of eeriness to the abandoned building.
Shaking it off, Bree headed for a patch of moonlight. She pushed her jacket off her left shoulder and studied her wound. The puncture was ugly and throbbed like mad, but blood wasn’t flowing any longer and his talon had missed bone.
It could have been worse. Hell, she’d believed it was worse than this from the way the blood had been running down her arm. Not that this wasn’t bad enough—she’d never been hurt this severely in battle before—but it wouldn’t need stitches and she’d only be off the streets for a few days.
A sound jerked her attention from her injury. Damn, the bastards had found her.
Bree had the ability to hide her energy, but she’d been too weakened to use it while she’d been running. Now, she delved deep, dredging up what remained of her strength. No matter what, she had to come up with enough to conceal her presence. She managed to cloak herself as she moved away from the light.
Scanning for a good place to hide, she chose a cluster of large, dilapidated crates. They tipped precariously near the wall, but they deepened the shadows, and odds were they wouldn’t fall on her. Probably.
The wait seemed interminable. Her nerves pulled taut and blood roared in her ears, but despite that, Bree was able to hear the demons. They were drawing closer.
Her hand dropped to the dagger strapped to her thigh and she eased it from its sheath.
The enemy wasn’t in any hurry. They moved slowly, and she assumed it was because they wanted to be thorough, to make sure they didn’t miss her. Only training prevented her gasp when they came into view. There were three—not two—and none of them were the males she’d fought earlier.
How many demons were after her?
As she watched, they checked behind every pile, every pallet, anywhere she could hide. They’d find her.
Running wouldn’t work. If she moved, they’d hear. At the very least, they’d see her. There was too much open space between her and the exit, and the dark couldn’t hide her from a demon’s eyes.
Bree held her breath as they neared.
“She’s ours.”
Her head snapped toward the voice. Her original attackers had arrived. The three who’d been searching turned and walked to meet the duo in the middle of the floor. “The prize belongs to whoever can capture it. That’s not you.”
“You’ll not swoop in and profit from our work. We fought her. We weakened her. We have claim,” one of the duo said.
Her heart stuttered. Could she get lucky enough that the two groups would fight? If they inflicted enough damage on each other, she might make it out of this alive yet.
The demons argued. Their voices grew louder, angrier, and their postures became more belligerent. It shouldn’t be much—
One of the pair flung himself across the gap and went after the leader of the trio. For a moment, she watched, but they were focused only on each other. Now was the time to get out of here.
Before she could do more than shift her weight, she felt arms wrap around her, imprisoning her against a muscular male form. His hand covered her mouth. For an instant, her body betrayed her and Bree nearly leaned into the man. Nearly surrendered.
Never!
She began to struggle, but he tightened his hold, forcing her to be still. His lips were against her ear, and voice barely a whisper, her captor said, “Hush, I’m here to help you.”
Andras. As relief overwhelmed her, Bree sagged against his chest, but only for an instant. They weren’t safe, and if she acted like some helpless idiot, she might get him killed right along with her. She firmed her knees and regained her poise.
His embrace eased and Bree turned in his arms, her breasts pressed against his chest. She couldn’t stop the shudder of awareness that coursed through her, and despite the danger, she allowed herself a few seconds to drink in the sight of him.
His dark brown hair waved gently and it appeared as if he’d impatiently pushed it off his face. His chin was square, firm; he had high cheekbones and full lips that she wished she could kiss. Like her, he was wearing jeans and a black leather jacket, but his white T-shirt glowed like neon in the moonlight.
Bree almost reached for the zipper of his coat, wanting to make sure the shirt didn’t give his position away, wanting him to remain safe and hidden.
Hidden. Andras might be a demon slayer like she was, but it was unlikely that he had the ability to conceal his energy. Few did. That meant they had to get out of here before the demons read his presence. But how had he found her?
A demon went sailing, landing on the ground about ten yards away from where they stood. If he looked to his left… But he didn’t. The dust hadn’t even settled before he leaped to his feet and charged back into the fray.
“We need to leave while they’re
busy,” she whispered. “Come on.”
But when she tried to move, Andras locked his arms around her again, stopping her.
“Wha—“
“Not now.”
“But those demons—“
“Aren’t the problem. Be quiet.”
She scowled. Did he think that his Y chromosome gave him insight into the situation that she didn’t have? She was the one who’d battled two of these males and she probably had as much experience at demon slaying as he did. Bree started to push away from him, but her shoulder twinged and she bit back a groan.
Before she could make a second attempt to get free, motion caught her eye. Another demon strolled toward the fray. She hadn’t realized he was there.
He paused to watch the fight for a moment before resuming his progress toward the combatants. Something about him, about his lack of concern over the others, made her tense.
In a glance, she pegged him at a couple of inches over six feet—tall, but not quite as tall as Andras. His blond hair gleamed in the moonlight and the ends brushed the shoulders of his black turtleneck. His chest was broad, his movements graceful. With his elegant demeanor, he should have been a vampire. Hell, Bree would have preferred a vampire.
One of the fighters caught sight of the newcomer and froze. As his motionlessness registered, the other males stopped and followed his stare. And went as still as the first.
This was so not good.
Her gaze turned to Andras. The grimness of his expression made a lump lodge in her throat. Months ago, she’d watched him take down a demon powerful enough that she would have thought twice before engaging, and if he was concerned now, there was good cause. Her hand clenched around her dagger.
“Gentlemen,” the demon drawled. He had a slight accent that she thought might be Russian. “You can leave now, thank you.”
Nobody moved.
The blond male smiled and it was so cold, Bree’s heart began racing. “Not a wise decision. You’ve no hope of overcoming me.”
“Five against one,” the leader of the trio said. The other four shifted positions, aligning themselves on either side of him to show unity.
“So be it.” With a flick of a hand, the newcomer sent out ropes of fire from his fingertips. They hit the leader square in the chest, but the male didn’t go down.
All five demons simultaneously fired at their adversary.
“Move. Quietly,” Andras whispered, and grabbing her hand, led her through the shadows near the wall.
Bree squelched the urge to look over her shoulder to see what was happening. With the debris on the floor, she needed to watch her step or risk tripping over something, and any noise would bring six demons down on their heads.
A high-pitched scream made her swallow hard—some instinct told her it was a member of the gang. How powerful was the blond demon? A second cry echoed through the warehouse and Andras picked up the pace.
They were about halfway to the exit when they startled a rat. In its panic, it grazed a rubble heap and dislodged a piece of wood. A small board clattered as it hit concrete. Loudly.
Andras moved just short of a run now, but the demons would have heard the sound even in the middle of a fight.
He stopped abruptly and Bree plowed into his back. Stomach sinking, she went up on her toes to peer over his shoulder. Everything inside her froze. The blond male blocked their path.
Bree tried to stand next to Andras—she’d fight with him—but he shifted, keeping her squarely behind his body.
“Step aside,” the demon ordered. “She’s my kill.”
CHAPTER TWO
The command for Andras to move shocked Bree. Demons didn’t waste time talking to humans, not even slayers, so why had this one bothered? Deciding it didn’t matter, she started forward, only to freeze midstep.
“You’ll have to go through me to touch her,” Andras said and she could hear the promise in his voice. The man was willing to die for her. That was the last thing she wanted. If anything happened to him…
Bree moved again, determined to fight beside Andras, but before she got there, a scuffing sound made her whirl.
Two demons were coming up on their rear, the same pair she’d barely escaped earlier. Both appeared battered, but they’d heal fast. She’d have to protect Andras’s back and let him take care of the blond male without her.
Gathering up her remaining power, she used it to create an energy shield around herself. It wouldn’t block a physical attack, but it would stop the fireballs that demons threw. She only hoped it lasted through the fight.
Without giving them time to position themselves, she charged toward the two, dagger raised. Their surprise didn’t last long enough.
The demon she targeted deflected her strike, and her blade sliced air. Damn.
Using her momentum, she spun out of range of the shorter demon’s talons. She risked a quick glance at Andras. He and the blond male were brawling. That wasn’t a shock. What stunned her was the demon wasn’t shooting fire and he hadn’t extended his claws, and Andras wasn’t using a blade.
Her stomach knotted up. Demons were stronger than humans; Andras couldn’t hope to win with his fists. Sometimes even a knife—
Bree pulled her attention back in time to avoid another swipe from the shorter demon. Kicking out, she caught him below the kneecap before going for her other foe. He evaded her strike and made a grab for her leg.
He was quick, but she was quicker, and she jerked away from his hand. Her landing, though, left her off balance. Bree felt the tip of a claw slice across the back of her jacket, but the leather protected her.
Locating the nearest demon, she slashed down with her dagger. He darted out of range, but he fell over a pile of refuse.
Before Bree could put him down for the count, the shorter demon shot a couple of fireballs and charged forward, face contorted. She tried to dodge out of the way, but she wasn’t fast enough. The fire connected with her shield. It wobbled and she held her breath until it stabilized. If that went down, she wouldn’t last long.
Neither of the pair seemed to realize how weak her protection was and she had to keep it that way. Drawing in a shuddery breath, she worked to regain her equilibrium. She needed to end this before they discovered how vulnerable she was.
The demon on the ground tried to get to his feet and she shifted, ready to put him back in the dust. She didn’t get the opportunity. The shorter demon came at her, ready to defend his partner. As he reached her, she grabbed him and used his momentum to send him sailing over his friend.
Her rush forward stopped abruptly when she heard a crash behind her. Andras! Bree spun, her gaze frantically searching for him. He had to be okay, he had to be.
She couldn’t see either male. “Andras!”
No answer. Knees shaking, she took a step toward where she’d last seen him. She wouldn’t let anything to happen to him.
The blond demon appeared from behind a large crate and Andras followed. They were circling, each completely focused on the other.
A hand jerked her head back by her ponytail and Bree sucked in a sharp breath. Instead of pulling forward, she dropped to her knees, counting on surprise to free herself. It worked.
By the time she was back on her feet, they’d separated, making themselves two distinct targets. That swung the odds further in their favor.
Bree moved, but they moved with her, countering her measure. Damn. She wasn’t used to being double-teamed. In the past, she’d always made sure the demon she was after was alone before fighting him. If she could get rid of half the threat, her situation improved. Some.
They let loose with bursts of fire and she twisted, trying to avoid their shots. Which one did she go after?
She made a quick decision—she’d focus on the shorter one. He had an arrogance that might make him overestimate himself. Bree took a deep breath and ran straight at her chosen target. His shots faltered for a split second, but it gave her enough time to reach him.
As a pl
oy, she raised the arm holding the blade. When she saw the demon’s attention follow, she delivered a snap kick to his knees. He hit the ground and she followed him, blade raised.
The other demon grabbed her by the collar of her jacket and flung her off his comrade. With a curse, she staggered to keep her balance. But the bastard came after her and struck her between the shoulder blades.
Bree went sprawling, the dagger clattering from her grasp. A boot landed in the middle of her back, pressing down with enough strength to force her flat on the floor.
She strained, stretching her arm out as far as she could to get her knife. Her fingers brushed the hilt, but she couldn’t reach it. Bree tried to shimmy forward. If he fired at this range—
The warehouse lit up. It started on the side where Andras’s battle was taking place and traveled to where she was.
A heartbeat later, the weight was off her back and she scrambled to her feet, snatching up her blade as she moved. It took a second before she realized the blond demon that Andras was fighting must have shot fire at the one who’d pinned her down. He’d saved her life.
Why? What the hell was going on here?
Nothing made sense. Bree danced out of the way of another fireball. A second shot from the other demon connected.
Her shield fell.
For an instant, she froze. In the next second, she sent all the energy she had left to reinforce her protection. There was a hesitation and then it sputtered back to life.
Crouching to avoid a blast, she scurried behind two large crates stacked atop each other. She needed a minute to come up with a plan of attack. There had to be a way. There always was.
Bree squared her shoulders. She was a slayer, damn it, and a good one. If she was going down, she was taking at least one of the enemy with her.
As she leaned forward to check where they were, she rested a hand on the crates. They swayed alarmingly.
Her eyes widened. The crates!
