Prologue
Donatus Manlian bit back a smile as he held the door for the elderly woman. “Mrs. Rosière, I’ve told you every day for a month and a half that I’m more than willing to pick up the things you need at the store on my way home. I can even hire someone to do it for you.” It wasn’t the first time he’d offer to do that and he was sure it wouldn’t be the last either. The elderly woman was stubborn. Almost more so than he.
Mrs. Rosière smiled up at him, her eyes twinkling with merriment. “You’re a good boy, Donatus. A good boy. Don’t let anyone tell you different.”
If you only knew.
He kept a smile plastered on his face as she entered her home. Shifting the bag of groceries he’d taken from her when he’d found her walking home alone—again—he followed her in. The smell of freshly baked cookies filled the air and Donatus wondered how that was since she hadn’t even been home. He also wondered would it would have been like to grow up in home such as this, with a caring woman to look after him and provide a steady supply of love and baked goods. You’d not be the jaded fool you are now if you’d been pampered.
As he strolled past the endless rows of holy artifacts she had, he thanked his lucky stars that the days of bursting into flames the moment a crucifix came into play were long gone.
It had been over three hundred years since he’d had that problem. Of course, Mrs. Rosière was none the wiser. To her, Donatus was in his early thirties and an upstanding citizen. Hell, to everyone but his brethren, he was just that. It was laughable to a certain degree.
In reality, he’d spent all that time atoning for the evil he’d help reap upon the world and caging the demon that would always remain within him. Being a good boy didn’t come naturally to him. He had to work at it. Harder than most.
“Would you be a dear and put the bag on the counter for me?” she asked, going straight to the cupboard and grabbing two glasses.
They had done roughly the same thing for over a month. He would find her walking with bags that were way too heavy for her and he’d help her home, and she would give him a glass of lemonade. The additional pep talks about how much the Lord loved him were always optional. It wasn’t a topic he wanted to dwell on and she seemed to respect that, most of the time. On a few occasions she’d gone out of her way to quote scripture to him, citing various forms in which forgiveness was granted.
Some acts are unforgivable. Just like some men.
Not wanting to agonize over that which could not be changed, he went to work on unloading the bag. Mrs. Rosière shooed him away. “That will be enough of that. Sit down, relax. There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”
Reluctantly, Donatus did as she requested. When she sat down across from him, his chest tightened. In the short time he’d known her, he’d allowed Mrs. Rosière to fill a position he’d never actually had anyone fill before—mother figure. Grandmother, even. “Mrs. Rosière, is everything okay with you? Are you sick?”
She snorted, waving a hand dismissively in the air. “Oh, I’ve been dying since the day I was born. We all have. Or most of us anyways.” The glance she cast him made him wonder if she knew more about him than she was letting. “I want to talk to you about your family, Donatus.”
“I have no family. I have friends I consider brothers but that’s it.”
She pushed his glass of lemonade in front of him. “No, you have a family out there. You just haven’t taken the initiative to go find it. More to the point, you haven’t made an attempt to find her.”
“Her?” he asked, sipping his drink. He watched her carefully, doing his best to figure out where the conversation was going.
“Yes, her. Your wife. The woman you’re destined to spend the rest of your life with, Donatus.” She smiled, snow-white wisps of hair dancing around her pale face. The wrinkles nearest her eyes crinkled. “Tell me why you haven’t looked for her.”
He chuckled. “I wasn’t aware I had someone earmarked for me, Mrs. Rosière.” That wasn’t entirely true. In theory, all supernaturals had a special someone. At least that’s what people told him. He didn’t really believe it. The idea of forces greater than one could conceive granting someone like him a wife were highly suspect.
“Well, you do and you’ve wasted too many years sitting back and doing nothing. A man your age should be out living life to its fullest, trying to find that perfect someone, that match.”
Men my age are dust at best.
He held back from speaking his mind. It wasn’t like he could really tell her he’d been alive for centuries. Even if she believed him, she couldn’t have the knowledge. No one could. It would put too many lives at risk. Smiling, he tipped his head. “I’ll start looking for her right away. Want me to bring any candidates past for your approval?”
A slow, knowing smile moved over her face. “That won’t be necessary. When you find her, you won’t need anyone else to tell you it’s right. Your heart, your entire being will know.”
“As romantic as that sounds,” Donatus sighed, “I don’t think happily-ever-after is for everyone.”
Especially not men like me. Men who did unspeakable acts centuries ago and have to live with the harsh reminder daily.
“Donatus.”
“Yes?”
“Have a little faith. It’s not what a man is. It’s what a man does.”
Chapter One
Donatus inserted the tip of his swollen cock into the young beauty below him, fearing it would most likely be too big for her to take fully without pain. After all, she was only a human and their bodies weren’t made to accept something the size of his member in shifted form.
Pushing in farther, Donatus felt the woman’s nether lips spread until taut as a soft cry tore from her throat. The additional stimulation to his dick was so overwhelming that he worried he’d release in her before he truly got started.
She bucked beneath him, staring up at him with wide deep blue eyes. Her long, shiny black hair fanned out around her head, creating a halo effect that only made him—and the demon that had surfaced from within him—want to fuck her until she surrendered.
Sexy. Submissive. Mine.
Dragging an angel down to his level was the ultimate rush, one demons everywhere fantasized about. It had been a longstanding dream of his, especially in the height of his demonic days—to experience a piece of heaven, all the while knowing he was bringing a hefty dose of hell into the mix. The idea of filling her with his seed excited him almost as much as the thrill of knowing he would taste her flesh soon.
Donatus pressed his hard shaft into her, letting only one of the eleven inches his demon form had rest inside her. She gasped. Her eyes widened more as she bit down hard on her lip. For a split second he was unsure why he was bothering to take his time with this mortal. In his prime, he’d taken what he wanted without thought, without remorse. Yet here he was, spread out on her king-sized bed with its white cotton sheets, holding a female’s legs open wide and the tip of his dick on the edge of ecstasy, worried that he would hurt her. That had never mattered to him before.
Why now? Why did he suddenly want to know that the beautiful creature below him was not only safe but accepting of him?
“Please,” she whispered, lust filling her eyes, “more.”
Sliding a long, clawed, dark red hand down her smooth leg, Donatus caressed her inner thigh and took in the scent of her arousal, careful not to cause her any harm. The mouth of her pussy squeezed his cock as he flicked a finger over her clit. Savoring the sound of her soft whimpers, Donatus rubbed the engorged pink bud carefully. He slid his tongue over his extended fangs and smiled wickedly as moisture glistened around his shaft.
“Your body wants me. Can you feel how eager your cunt is? Feel how wet it is, how much it desires me? It’s tightening for me. It wants every bit of me crammed in it. Doesn’t it?”
“Mmm-hmm. More.” She bucked under him again, causing her pussy to take even more of him. Donatus tweaked her clit, this time kee
ping steady pressure on it as he swirled his thumb. Moaning, the woman bit her lip and looked away from him.
Donatus knew exactly what the human was feeling. Long ago he’d used his gift to ride the wave of absolute terror that radiated from all the females he bedded. Now he found himself using it to pick up on her shame. She didn’t want to enjoy this. But she did. She more than enjoyed it. This was a fantasy she’d kept to herself for so long that even she’d lost count of the years. She’d longed for a demon lover. An otherworldly creature of the night to come into her life and make her feel again.
To make her body burn.
From the sweet smell of her cream and the continuing spasms in her heated core, he knew she wanted to be fucked as badly as he wanted to fuck her. That was why she’d summoned him. The spell she’d chanted softly had filled his ears, calling to him, making him shift into demon form—a form he’d not taken in over three hundred years. Her chant forced him to follow it, satisfy it, claim its owner.
“Yes,” she said again, biting her lower lip and moaning softly.
He pulled out slightly, letting her think he’d stop. The longing in her face and the need for release kept him from withdrawing from her completely. “Yes, what? Do you want me to take you?”
She whimpered and squeezed his cock tightly with the mouth of her vagina. “Yes. Please take me. I want this. I want you.”
Using his full strength, Donatus slammed himself down on her, ramming his cock to the hilt. She screamed beneath him and held tightly to him as she panted. While slightly put off by the fact he’d caused her pain, he couldn’t pull out and comfort her. Her tight pussy had a hold of him now and the demon had no intentions of leaving. She’d get used to the intrusion or at the very least become numb to the pain as he brought her to peak again and again. Perhaps she’d even pass out. Many had done that over the centuries.
No. I won’t allow you to harm her, the man within the demon said. His need to give her pleasure was great.
Pulling back slightly, Donatus gasped as the walls of her pussy took hold of him, yanking on him, trying desperately to hold him to her. Something clicked inside his chest and he couldn’t help but lean down and take one of her nipples into his mouth. His fang nicked the ripe berry as he drew it in slowly, causing blood to ooze to the surface. The woman suddenly gave off vibes of satisfaction, want, desire. He sucked on her nipple more, taking it in and savoring her sweet coppery taste as he continued to move his shaft in and out of her.
“Mine,” he growled, rolling her nipple with his tongue as he fucked her. “Mine.”
“Yes, yours. I’m all yours.”
His entire body shook as the sound of her tiny animalistic grunts and whimpers flooded his ears, giving justification to why he was there. She’d wanted pleasure and he was doing his part to fuck her into oblivion. To give her all that she’d sought and so much more than she’d expected.
“Uhh, too much, too much,” she murmured suddenly between clenched teeth.
“No. Not nearly enough. Wrap your legs around my waist and take all of me. I want to feel as though my cock is going up through your entire body. I want you moving beneath me, crying out as I fill you full of my seed. You will carry my child, woman. This I can assure you. And you will spend eternity letting me sink my cock into your tight little body anytime I want. Do you understand me?”
What the hell? Why am I saying this to her?
Something close to excitement passed through her blue eyes and the demon that rode him howled out at the erotic sight. “You like the sound of that, don’t you?”
“Yes,” she murmured, holding on to him tightly. “I want you to fill me with your seed. I want to take all of you.”
“I want to hear you scream for me. Beg me to give it to you.” The man, as much as the demon, needed to hear her acknowledge that she truly wanted him to mate with her.
She nodded her head. “I want you. Please.”
“That’s not good enough.” He stilled, refusing to continue joining with her until she gave in to his demands.
She pulled at his hips, doing her best to try to make him fuck her again. He held his position. The moment her lower lip popped out into a pouty state, Donatus found himself leaning down to kiss it.
“Fuck me,” she said, this time with more conviction, a fraction of a second before their lips touched. “Please, fuck me. I want you! I want all of you!”
Dropping his head down, he flicked his tongue over her other nipple. “Yes, scream for me.” He bit down, causing a bit of blood to flow from it as well.
Donatus fought hard to yank away the demon. He succeeded in harnessing it enough to force his magik over the beautiful woman who was making his head spin with thoughts of eternity and children when he didn’t even know her name. He let his power caress her nipples and clit. She gasped and ran her hands down the backs of his arms slowly, tenderly.
Once he was sure she was indeed enjoying the experience, he eased back a bit, letting the demon take charge so he, the man within, could continue to concentrate on keeping her pleasure going.
Seizing one of her legs, Donatus lifted it high and crammed every last bit of his cock into her. She raked her hand out fast, catching the backs of his arms, clawing scratches into his skin. It only served to excite him more. The evil he carried took joy in her feistiness. Smiling, he fucked her harder, making the bed squeak and crack. “Take it, woman. Take it.”
“Ahh, yes. Give it all to me,” she cried out. Moving her hand out again, this time she took hold of his lower back and moved slowly down to his ass while she rotated her hips beneath him. “Harder.”
Harder? Was she mad? Did she want his demon to lose itself in need and break her?
Donatus felt them then. The telltale signs that he was about to lose control fully. The demon within crashed through the thin barrier that held him back. His body twisted, contorting slightly. Instantly, his dark red lower half was covered in thick black fur. It was the same fur that covered him when he chose to assume his wolf form. Horns erupted from the sides of his head and his chin lengthened, taking on yet another facet of his many demon faces. Now his demon was truly free.
The woman’s eyes widened as she stared up at him. He knew he looked like the devil himself and for a brief moment, both he and his demon were proud. Running his tongue over her neck, tasting her salty tear, he took a deep breath in savoring the sweet smell of her sex. She shivered beneath him. Her excitement that bordered on fear consumed him. A sexy smile covered her flushed face. Oh, it was easy to see that the little minx more than enjoyed herself. She bit her lower lip and nodded, her breathing erratic. “Mmm, horns.” She moaned beneath him, caressing the back of his arms, looking frightened but not radiating fear in the least. The woman seemed to push her anticipation, her arousal, over him, helping Donatus a tiny bit in his fight to take control of himself again. It was pointless and he knew it but even if he could grasp hold of the tiniest strand of control and maintain it, he could assure her safety.
He stiffened as her inner thighs shook and her pussy tightened in a spasm around his cock. She was coming, hard and fast. Afraid of missing the perfect opportunity to plant his seed, Donatus encouraged the demon to begin pumping her so hard and so fast that the bed rocked hard before giving out and crashing to the floor. He didn’t stop. He fucked her harder than he’d ever fucked anyone. It was a given that she’d be bruised—they both would—when he was done but he needed this. He needed her. And from what he could gather, she needed him as well.
I more than need her. I want her for all eternity.
The demon and the man both had a moment of shock at his proclamation. Donatus seized the opportunity to take hold of the reins. While not strong enough to fight the half demon, half beast down, he at least had enough control to know that it was he who would offer her his seed. It was the man, his true form, that would produce their child. Not the demon.
A small smile crept over the beautiful creature’s face as she ran her hands over his sh
oulders. “Mmm, that was perfect.”
Donatus grabbed hold of her wrist and stared down into her eyes. “You like knowing that part of me is an animal right now. That you’re taking all of me and that I can’t seem to get enough of you.”
“Yes. But you can’t get enough of me either and you know it,” she said, her voice low, sexy, sultry. “Admit that you need me as much as I need you. That you like the feel of my pussy around your cock.”
She was right. There was no way in hell he’d ever get his fill of her. Something about her made his chest ache at the thought of leaving her. Making him feel at all while in shifted form was a miracle. “You’re right, little one. I will never have enough of you.”
The second his balls drew up and his body stiffened, he dropped his head down. Knowing exactly where to strike, he sank his fangs into her tender shoulder and pressed his cock deep within her, holding it steady as he came in waves.
“It’s cold,” she whispered.
Donatus already knew how cold his semen would be when it left his body. The colder it was, the less human was left in him. The very fact that she hadn’t screamed as though he were inserting ice into her told him that the demon only had a small hand in this. The demon wasn’t in charge and that warmed Donatus’ frozen heart.
Have a little faith. The words played in his head and he struggled to maintain his fragile hold on reality.
Spurt after spurt of come jetted into her tight little pussy, filling her to the point that it seeped slowly from her while his cock was still buried deep. Licking her blood from his lips, Donatus stared down at her. “I claim thee. You are and will forever be mine. You will stand by my side, bear my children, honor my wishes and forever submit to me. I will protect you with all that I am and hold you above all others. For you are my mate, my wife, my soul.”
Sizzling Hot Alpha Male Paranormal Romance Box Set Page 11
