“Yell my name when I’m forgiven.”
The minute his lips touched the inside of my thigh, I wanted to scream his name, but I didn’t dare stop what they were promising. I wanted… no, needed… release from the almost unbearable tension at my core. When he touched my sex with his tongue… dear God, I had to bite down on my lip to keep it back, it felt so good.
I couldn’t hold back the moaning though. It came from deep in my throat, a place I had no control of and seemingly connected to the thorough loving of his mouth. The moans grew louder as I felt myself on the brink of complete ecstasy. Pulling his hair as my body writhed against his mouth was all I could do to hold on, until his own groan against my sex, made a low vibratory sound that pierced through the pressure point, causing an explosion of bliss. The ecstasy reached every single inch of my body.
I yelled his name… over and over again with every wave of orgasmic pleasure that swept through me.
When the euphoria started subsiding, I gazed down at Hunter, who looked at me from between my legs, a satisfied smile on his face. Not one that boasted accomplishment over me. Instead, it said how much he loved seeing me in such a state as if he lived for it. The act wasn’t about sex and pleasure to get out of a bitch session, but it was about love conquering all. As cheesy as the adage was, it fit us. At that moment, with that look, I knew it didn’t matter about the hell we’d gone through, were going through. Together, we could get through anything as long as we held on to the love we had.
“God, I love you,” I said in a breathy whisper.
He stood and pushed a hair from my face, his gaze locked on mine. His eyes were passion-filled as he leaned in and brushed my lips with his. “And you always will. I’ll make sure of that.”
“We still need to talk, Hunter. I feel—”
His finger pressed against my lips, silencing me. “You’re still upset. I understand. In fact, I’m glad you’re not giving up that easy.” Without another word, he lifted me up from the dresser and carried me to the bed, where he laid me down and settled over the top of me.
“Hunt—” I started to protest.
“Shhhh. We’ll talk as much as you want after, I promise. Right now I want your mouth for something else, and I can’t wait.”
My breath hitched and he used the opportunity to close in on my mouth. His need was desperate as his tongue frantically sought mine. No matter that I’d been fully satiated, my body responded in an instant to him, arching against touch, grinding against his erection. I was still writhing when his body left mine. He stood and looked down at me as he removed his shirt, revealing a muscled chest and perfect abs. A sheen of sweat glistened in the light and made my mouth water with the urge to lick it off. I was practically panting when he pulled down his jeans and his sex was released in all of its thick, veined glory.
Any arguments vanished. At the moment, there was only Hunter. Hunter as he lay back on me. Hunter as he entered me, filling me completely. Hunter as he made love to me over and over again throughout the night until my senses were numbed, leaving an erogenous tingling of my body. He’d become a drug in my veins, pulling me deeper into the depths of a calm, blissful serenity.
I spooned against him, and he pulled me in closer, wrapping his body around me like a warm blanket. Sighing, I closed my eyes.
“Dream of this tonight, baby. Only this.” Hunter’s whisper was accompanied by a kiss on my temple.
A smile covered my face as I drifted off, praying my subconscious followed his orders.
***
The smell of burnt flesh invaded my nostrils and my eyes snapped open. A bright glare blinded me, and it took me a moment to realize I was standing near a large hearth, flames snapping out at my skin like striking snakes. I jumped back, instinctively rubbing my arms where the fire had reached, but my back hit something large and solid that caused a gasping breath from the impact.
Slowly I turned, careful not to step near the fire. Strangely, the heat at my back wasn’t as unbearable as it should be, but I didn’t have time to ponder that oddity, because, in front of me, Hunter was strung up, spread-eagle and naked, manacled to floor-to-ceiling columns. I was the only thing standing between him and the smoldering fire, but the burns on his skin were evidence the flames had no problem bridging the distance in my absence.
I studied Hunter’s situation in confusion. His head hung limp against his chest, his hair soaked and dripping beads of sweat on the floor at his feet. Blood and charred flesh covered his entire body, marring its statuesque perfection. I should have been horrified by the sight of my love so tortured, but that wasn’t the emotion drumming through me. I felt… relief. Relief and excitement.
When I started to grasp my reality in the strange situation, I smiled, an arrogant smile that reached all the way to the corners of my eyes, which was the expression Hunter saw when he lifted his head. If he was surprised by it, it didn’t show. His eyes were dead, showing no sign of the light they usually held when he looked at me. They were pale, cloudy blue, an indication he might be losing his sight altogether.
While gazing into those eyes, the last piece of the puzzle locked into place, and I knew exactly why I was there, why I couldn’t feel the heat of the very same flames now torturing my lover. I was the fire and controlled the flames that singed his skin. I’d made them dance for me against his body until he no longer had the strength to cry out. Not that he’d show its effects on him anyway. His pride and resolve were too strong to show such a weak state. Too bad for him. Pride and resolve didn’t stand a chance against my power.
“Do I make you hot, baby?” I taunted, swiping at the sweat on his chest, arms, and back with a finger as I circled him.
“You can still fight, Cassandra,” he said, his voice gravelly and low. “You can escape it.”
I laughed. “I think you’re confused.” I stood directly in front of him once again. His eyes met mine, and he searched their depths for something I knew was not there. With a sardonic grin, I added, “You’re the one who should be looking for escape.” I reached up and shook the chains that bound him. “But don’t bother because there is none.”
“Don’t fool yourself, Cassandra. You’re more prisoner than me. Hell has drawn you in with its promise of power and darkened your heart, but your soul can still fight it. You already have more strength than anything Hell can give you. Fight, Cassandra. Fight for us.”
Something inside of me, deep in my chest, thumped. Not a big movement, more of a small jolt, but it was enough to make me lose myself for a moment, similar to when you forget what you were doing or why you were in a place at a given time.
I stood there, facing Hunter, staring without really seeing, waiting for my mind to catch up to the reason I was in this place. Then I saw it. My purpose throbbed with illumination against the wall, just behind Hunter. I zoned in on it, feeling the power once again pulsing through my veins, my hands itching to wrap my fingers around it.
Fixing my gaze back on Hunter, our eyes locked, hope evident in his, until I smiled. Then his chest rose from a deep breath before slowly closing his eyes, hanging his head.
“You’re really pathetic, you know,” I told him as I walked over and picked up the Sword. “To think, you were supposed to be king of the Underworld. Look at you now… so weak. You’re not worthy to wipe the king’s ass.” I stood behind him and ran the flat side of the blade across his back. “You disgust me.”
“You think Caleb has what it takes to be king of the Underworld?” He let out a short laugh. “He’s too stupid to rule over anything. Those he believes he controls… will overtake him the minute he turns his back.”
I leaned in close to his ear and whispered, “I already have.”
With the Sword pressed against his back, I placed a kiss on his neck and slid my free hand around his waist until I reached his shaft. He was hard. I knew he would be. Wrapping my fingers around it, I said, “It’s too bad you’re the only one left in my way. I’m going to miss you… well, parts of you.�
�� I stroked him and smiled to myself when I heard the hiss of his breath. His jaw clenched. Even standing behind him, I could see the muscles drumming against his jaw. The smell of his arousal mixed with sweat filled the air. I really was going to miss the power I had over him.
“Fight for me, Cassandra,” he said through clenched teeth.
Another thump in my chest caught me off guard. My hand dropped from his sex, and I stepped back from him.
“You love me,” he continued. “I love you. We can beat this. Together.”
A white light radiated from the Sword and it warmed in my hands. I let out the breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding and looked upon its glow, a beacon showing me the way. The Sword always brought me back where I was supposed to be. I loved it for that. Nothing would come between us. I knew what I had to do.
“I do love you, Hunter,” I said, still behind him. I raised the Sword and aimed it at his back. “Just not enough.”
“Then why don’t you face me when you kill me?”
His question caught me off guard, and I even contemplated it for a minute, confused why it might affect me. But then the answer came to me. “Because you deserve to be stabbed in the back like the coward you are.”
His torso arched, and he strained forward against the chains as the blade slid easily through his flesh.
CHAPTER SEVEN
I woke with a start, lying on my side, clutching a pillow against my sweat-soaked body. The last remnants of my dream dissipated, like fog lifting at sunrise. Reality slowly came into focus. I uncurled my cramped fingers from the pillow and noticed I’d shredded a portion of the cloth confining the down within. Throwing it aside, I sat up.
Hunter was gone from the bed, and I realized it was his pillow I’d shredded. Listening for any sign he was still in our chambers, revealed nothing. I was disappointed he was gone but relieved he hadn’t witnessed my reaction to the nightmare. Would he have been the victim of that violence if he’d been there? I was afraid if I didn’t get control of my nightmares, it was exactly what might happen.
Forcing myself to get up and make my way around the bed, heading for the bathroom, I spotted a piece of paper lying on the floor near Hunter’s side of the bed. I recognized Hunter’s scrawl.
Cassandra,
As much as I hate leaving you lying naked in our bed, my help is needed by the Army early this morning. I didn’t want to wake you. You looked like you were getting some much-needed rest, not to mention, it afforded me a voyeuristic view of all your delicious parts. Now that I’ve tortured myself, I’ll try to make this as quick as possible in order to come back and have a taste. Stay naked for me.
Yours,
Hunter
His words lightened the last bits of darkness that lingered from my dream, and I smiled on my way to the bathroom. As much as I complained about being the little woman lying in wait for her man to come back and please him, right then, I wanted nothing more than that. First, I needed to wash off the sweat that had nothing to do with our previous night’s lovemaking.
As I stepped out of the shower, I heard a knock on the door. Covering up with a robe, I approached where I could hear the voice on the other side.
“Cassie? You there?” Nora asked.
“I know you wanted to start early, but it’s only ten, Nora,” I said as I opened the door.
She stood there, eyes wide, mouth agape.
“What?” I asked.
“I can’t believe you’re so calm right now. I would have thought you’d be bouncing off the walls. Hell, I half expected you not to be here.” She rushed into the room, leaving me standing at the open door.
“What are you talking about?”
“Hunter didn’t tell you?”
“He was already gone when I woke up. What’s going on?”
“Oh. Uh…” Her thoughtful cringe caused me to immediately take offense. I was about to tell her that when she stalked back to the door, checked the hallway, and then shut it.
“They brought a demon here,” she whispered.
“In the Sanctuary?”
“Yes.”
“Who did? Hadraniel?”
“No, no. A team of seekers. They have him locked down in a room underground.”
The Sanctuary had a level kept exclusively for enemies of the angels. It was a prison of sorts, but without barred cells. Several small rooms lined a long hallway, not much different than a hotel floor, only the rooms held the bare essentials and nothing more.
“Eric and Hunter are with him now,” she continued. “Supposedly the demon was sent by Caleb to steal the Sword. They caught him outside the gates.”
“Outside the gates?”
My blood was pumping. I wanted to be excited that we might be one step closer to ending this nightmare, but I was confused. After months of silence from Caleb, I couldn’t believe he would send an incompetent demon to get caught at the gates of the Sanctuary. It had to be some kind of trap. Now my blood was really boiling. Hunter would have known it was a trap, but instead of waking me up to let me in on this major turn of events, he left me unconscious and wrote a cutesy love letter. I was far beyond pissed.
“I’m getting dressed and going down there,” I said, already making my way toward the bedroom.
Nora grabbed my arm. “Cassie, wait. I don’t think we should… I mean… they might not want you there.” Before the words left her mouth, my anger had sparked to a level off the charts. “For your own safety, I’m sure,” she quickly threw in.
I narrowed my eyes. “We’re really going to do this again, Nora?”
She cast her gaze to the floor. “I’m sorry. I know. It’s just…”
“I get it, okay? You don’t want anything to happen to me. But I’m just going to check it out. They won’t let me go out to help, so this is my only chance to feel like I’m doing something constructive. Maybe I can even turn him. If I do that, the demon might be more willing to help us. Don’t you think that’s worth letting them pout over me being there?”
Nora mulled it over, chewing her bottom lip as she did. I gave her a second to think she had some say in the decision. Whatever conclusion she came to didn’t really matter. I was going. I actually thought she was starting to see things my way until she pursed her lips together and shook her head.
“Yeah, but—”
“Look, I’m going. Whether you like it or not. I don’t need you to go with me.”
With that, I spun and left her in the room, heading to the bedroom to change. I had no idea if she would stay. I didn’t really know where her loyalty was anymore. Come to think of it, I never really knew. All those years I thought we were friends simply by fate, she’d been watching over me for Hadraniel all along. Now our friendship was up against her love for Eric, whose loyalty was with Hunter. If she went with me, they’d know she told me. I couldn’t imagine she’d take that chance.
That’s why I was surprised when I came out and she was leaning against the door, waiting for me. Unless…
“You’re not going to stop me, Nora. I’m doing this.”
“I know I can’t stop you. I just want to make sure you think about this before you go barreling down there. Hunter will probably be pissed if you—”
“I don’t care if—”
“Hear me out, Cassie. What I was going to say is that this could end up far worse than pissing off Hunter. I highly doubt Caleb would send someone stupid enough to get caught so easily stealing the Sword. More than likely it’s some kind of decoy. Caleb is as devious as they come. We both know this. You could be falling right into whatever trap he may have set, and I don’t know if I’d ever forgive myself if something happened to you because of me.”
“Nora…” I didn’t really know what to say. I knew her words were true. Hunter probably thought the same way she did. They didn’t want me exposed, but I was already trapped in the Sanctuary, and I’d be damned if I would also be a prisoner in my own chambers too. I could handle myself, but I had to prove that, if for noth
ing other than my own self-preservation. “I have to do this.”
“I know,” she said as she opened the door. “But I’m going with you.”
“You don’t have to. I know Eric will be—”
“Eric will just have to get over it. Now let’s go while I’m feeling all rebellious and shit.”
***
Both Nora’s rebellious intentions and mine were nothing more than skid mark dreams when Eric met us at the door leading down to the underground level. As we approached the hallway, the seeker originally standing guard ducked out like a coward. By the time we reached the door, Eric was hulking before us.
He gave Nora a look before he turned his attention to me and said, “Not going to happen, Cassie.”
“Eric, get out of my way. I have just as much right to be down there as you do. And don’t blame Nora, she had no idea Hunter wouldn’t tell me. Most people who claim to be in love share life-changing events. Like you and Nora, for example.”
I watched them exchange a look, one Hunter and I had shared so many times, but what seemed ages ago now that so much smoke had clouded up between us.
“Just let me through, Eric. Don’t make this any messier than it is. I’ll deal with Hunter.”
“Messy is the only way you’re getting through this door,” he said turning back to me, poised and ready for me to get physical. I narrowed my eyes at him and automatically tightened up. “Hunter isn’t the only who doesn’t want you down there. It’s too dangerous.”
“Give me a fucking break,” I shouted, fisting my hands at my sides to keep me from doing what I wanted to with them. “It’s just a demon, for chrissakes. I’ve taken on bigger and badder than that, and you know it.” When he looked as if he wouldn’t be swayed, I scrambled for a different approach. “Did you ever think this was exactly what Caleb was counting on? That Hunter would put all his efforts into getting what he could from the demon while I was kept locked somewhere far away from it? Alone? Unguarded?”
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