by Nadine Mutas
“Um, guys.” Anticipation beat against her skin. Her eyes were riveted on Rhun, who had gone hunting quiet, studying her with predatory focus. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
She didn’t hear their goodbyes, was only half-aware of Maeve leaving with them, all her attention monopolized by the dark seduction of so much imposing maleness in front of her. The candlelight played over Rhun’s face as he closed the distance between them, his power stroking over hers. The air between them flickered with sparks of magic.
Raising his wrist to his mouth, he bit down hard, opened his vein, and then held it up to her lips. “Drink.” A rough command.
Her gaze steady on his eyes, she only hesitated for a second, then closed her mouth over the wound, licked. A jolt of power down her spine as his blood met her tongue. Rhun’s aura shook. He curved his other hand around the back of her neck, squeezed.
“Drink.”
Merle sucked, and the warmth of his lifeblood flowed down her throat. She’d expected the taste to be bitter, as metallic as blood smelled, instead the flavor was…all Rhun. It was his essence, the darkness of his scent, the vibrancy of his power, and it meshed with hers, a clash of forces.
Without warning, Rhun angled her head to the side with his other hand tangled in her hair, exposed her neck—and then he bit her.
Merle cried out, not from pain but from surprise at his sudden move. Pleasure exploded inside, and she saw, knew, felt it inside his mind, that he was deliberately careful not to take pain now as he sucked her blood, so as not to absorb her powers again.
“Keep drinking,” he ordered her, his mental voice deep with the same desire tingeing his mind.
And she did, latching on to his wrist once more. The moment she pulled his blood from his vein at the same time as he drank from her, a rolling, consuming tsunami of pleasure razed her body and mind.
Her world unraveled.
Her nerves burst with too much sensation, Rhun in every part of her, down to the depths of her soul. Shaking, shaking, she couldn’t stop jerking with the jolts of pleasure shooting through her, zinging back and forth between the pooling heat in her center and every last cell of her body. If he hadn’t held her, she’d have collapsed onto the grass, her muscles turned to jelly by the damnedest best fucking orgasm she’d ever had, including when he’d taken blood, pain and pleasure from her.
When he stopped drinking—and thus halted those incredible, torturously intense surges of release inside her—and licked the puncture wounds closed, all she could do was peer up at him through eyes half-lidded with deep, devastating satisfaction.
“What the actual fuck was that?” Damn, she sounded like a woman well-used.
He effortlessly lifted her up, one arm around her back, the other underneath her knees. “That,” he said in a voice that made her soul purr, “was what I’ve wanted to do with you ever since I marked you outside that demon bar.”
She managed to raise one hand to stroke her fingers over his cheek, his lips, understanding blooming inside her as she noticed the new, amazing, wonderful bond of power pulsing between them.
“We’re now mated by demon law,” Rhun said and nipped her fingers, eyes gleaming with delight at her gasp. “Linked in the deepest way possible. Which also means your human life span will be extended to match mine. I won’t ever have to lose you again.” Such fierce tenderness glowed in his aura—no, not just his aura.
Merle felt it in this connection between them too, a bond that ran directly from his soul to hers, an intimacy that went even further than the merging of their minds when they’d dropped their shields.
This, it was a merging of hearts.
And Merle let him know, through the bond glowing invisible between her and him, how much it meant to her.
“Mine,” she thought, pulling his head down for a kiss while he carried her home. “You’re mine, Rhun.”
His answer, it made her soul blaze with incandescent love.
“Always, little witch.”
Epilogue
Merle shut the door behind her, put her purse on the dresser, shrugged out of her coat and hung it up on the rack—which had yet again been straightened while she’d been out. Bouncing with mischief, she deliberately rearranged the jackets, coats and scarves into a new mess, and then strolled over into the kitchen.
There she stopped dead in her tracks, blinking in disbelief at the sight.
“Are you cooking?” she asked, shell-shocked.
Rhun flinched as if caught, and stopped cutting the meat into small pieces. He surreptitiously shoved something with his foot around the corner of the kitchen island. “Well…”
“What are you hiding there?” She narrowed her eyes and stepped farther into the kitchen.
He pointed the knife at her, pursing his lips. “You know, I don’t appreciate that assumption. Can’t I just be cooking my mate a nice meal? But no, of course I have to be hiding—”
A loud meow made him freeze in mid-sentence.
Grinning, she sauntered closer. “Busted. Now drop the act and show me the cat.”
Scowling, he put down the knife and bent to retrieve a black ball of fur from the floor.
She uttered a high-pitched squeal and rushed over. “It’s a kitty!” Her sounds of delight turned into ones of compassion when she took a closer look at the tiny black cat. “Oh gods, he’s got only one eye! Poor little fella…”
He scratched the kitten under his chin. “Yeah, he seems to have lost it in a fight. But it’s healed already and he manages pretty well for being half-blind. He only ran into the door twice.” He grimaced, probably remembering his own intimate contact with a door not too long ago. “I found him scrounging for scraps in the streets, and he looked so starved I thought I’d feed him…”
She held her finger out for the kitten to sniff. “Did you name him already?”
Rhun threw a sheepish look at her. “So… we’ll keep him?”
That earned him a hearty swat on the shoulder. “What kind of question is that? Of course we’ll keep him. So what’s his name?”
“Sauron.”
“Seriously?”
Holding up the kitten, he pointed at its one good eye. “The Eye? The Evil Eye? The Great Eye? Rimmed with fire, yellow like a cat’s, slit pupils? Come on, the name’s perfect.”
She shook her head, a smile blooming in her heart. “Only you, Rhun, only you. Now let me hold him.”
He took the kitten’s paws and menacingly flailed them in her direction. “One does not simply hold the Dark Lord of Mordor. Lord of the Earth, King of Men, Base Master of Treachery… He will smite you, fool that you are, with his unfathomable power of—purring?” His face fell as the kitten rubbed against her outstretched hand and purred up a storm. “Traitor,” he muttered under his breath.
Merle laughed and petted the adorable fur ball. “Come on. I’m a witch, he’s a black cat—what did you expect?”
Smirking, Rhun handed her the kitten. His expression shadowed over. “How’s Maeve?”
“Better.” She rubbed Sauron’s ears. “I saw her smile at something Basil said.” The first time since her rescue, in fact, that her little sister had shown genuine amusement.
It was a day-by-day progress, and even though Maeve’s voice still echoed the horror she’d been through, her behavior had become less that of an animal scared into a corner, and more that of a…person. There were moments when she’d retreat deep into herself, when her aura would freeze over as if a switch had been turned, and according to Lily, Maeve would wake screaming at night. Merle had been working with her, had tried to heal her emotional wounds with soothing, strengthening magic, and even though Maeve refused to speak of the details of her torture, the last two weeks had seen some improvement.
“I could still move out,” Rhun now said, leaning against the kitchen island, his eyes solemn on hers. “This is her home. She should be here.”
It had been difficult for Maeve to be around Rhun—rationally she knew he’d helped save her
, that he didn’t mean her harm even though he was a bluotezzer demon same as the one who’d broken her. Rationality, however, had a way of puffing into thin air in the face of lingering trauma, and after Maeve’s second panic attack because Rhun had entered the room she’d been in, he’d decided to go crash at his friend Bahram’s until he got his own place.
When Maeve had heard them talking about it, she’d offered to move out instead so Merle and Rhun could have the Victorian to themselves for the time being. Since she hadn’t wanted to go back to her apartment—where she’d be alone, confronted with the memories of how the demon had abducted her from there—she’d asked Lily and Basil if she could stay with them for a while.
Hazel had immediately welcomed her into her home and had designated one of the guest rooms for Maeve’s permanent use.
Now, as Rhun looked at Merle with silent concern in his eyes, she shook her head, setting the kitten down on the floor. “No, really, don’t worry. It was her choice, and I think it’s actually good for her to be around Lily and Basil—those two can make anyone smile if they put their minds to it. Baz and Maeve have always been close, and he takes good care of her right now. And besides, she wouldn’t let me kick you out of the house—she insists on you staying here. She can be just as stubborn as me sometimes.” Her chest ached with affection. “You know what she said? She told me—and I quote here—to have some decent honeymoon quality time with you.”
Rhun’s eyebrows shot up. “Maeve said that?”
Grinning, she nodded.
He stroked his knuckles over her cheek, the bond between them pulsing with warmth, with love entwining their souls. “I’m glad she’s coming back to herself.” He stole a kiss that left her humming with contentment—as well as hunger for more.
“So,” her darling demon then said, feeding the meat to Sauron on the floor, “now that we have a kitty, don’t you think it’s time we added some kids to the mix? How many do you want? Two? Three? Half a dozen? Of course, we have to get a new kitten for each one, so they won’t argue over who gets to torture the furball. I have a list of names—”
“Whoa!” She held up her hands as he turned to her, slapped them against his chest. “Kids? We’re talking kids now? And how come you already have a list of names for our unborn, un-ever-talked-about children?”
Rhun gave her a duh-kind-of look. “The names are for the kittens.”
“I will not,” Merle said, holding up finger into his face, “—ever—name a cat Gollum, just to make this clear right now.”
He caught her finger in one hand, nibbled at the tip with his teeth. “Not even if we give him a collar studded with shiny, precioussssss stones?”
A giggle escaped her, her insides melting. “You are such a goofball.” Cupping his face with her other hand, she quietly added, “You know we’ll only have girls, right? The witch-gene and all…”
He sighed dramatically. “I’ll live.” One side of his mouth tipped up in a sly smile. “Unless they all turn out to be like you. Now that would kill me.”
Her eyes narrowed, she drew her hand back to give him a good smack on his shoulder—and the very next second she found herself flat on her back on the kitchen island, Rhun’s body hot and heavy as he pinned her down, his hips between her legs. His mouth covered hers in a demanding, hungry kiss, his tongue stroking, licking, tangling with hers with maddening intent until she wiggled her hips against him, strung tight with desire. Mounting passion zinged back and forth on the mating bond, mirroring, heightening, until their feelings seemed to merge as one and she couldn’t tell anymore where her emotions ended and his began. The need to feel skin on skin was paramount, trumping all else.
“Now, Merle mine,” he muttered against her kiss-swollen lips as she gasped for breath, her hands tangled in his hair, “let’s go make some little witch volcanoes.”
The thought of starting a family with her demon a sparkling wave of bliss inside, she could only wheeze in agreement as he hoisted her up on his shoulder and carried her upstairs.
If you enjoyed Merle and Rhun’s story, be sure to check out the next in the series!
He’ll show her that the dark side has more to offer than just cookies…
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Get To Win a Demon’s Love (Love and Magic, #2) now!
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If you never want to miss a new release, sign up for my newsletter here!
Books in the Love and Magic series by Nadine Mutas:
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Novels:
To Seduce a Witch’s Heart (Love and Magic, #1)
To Win a Demon’s Love (Love and Magic, #2)
To Stir a Fae’s Passion (Love and Magic, #3)
To Enthrall the Demon Lord (Love and Magic, #4)
To Tempt a Witch to Sin (Love and Magic, #5), coming in 2018
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Novellas:
To Caress a Demon’s Soul (Love and Magic, #1.5)
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, my never-ending thanks go out to my husband Sergej, who has been there for me through it all, and without whom none of this would be possible. You cannot grasp how much your support means to me. Thank you for making my dream of being an author come true.
I’d like to give more heartfelt thanks to my mom, who has been my very first fan, and who always believed in me. You never let me doubt that I had talent and could follow this crazy idea of being a writer.
More thanks to Jessica Hofmann, for cheering me on so enthusiastically when I ventured back into writing after my hiatus, and for making me want to share my stories with the world. Thanks for being my #1 fan.
To my mom-in-law, who generously supported me in the last few weeks of preparing to publish with countless hours of babysitting. I couldn’t have done this without your help.
To Wendy Beck, for being an awesome beta reader, a source of inspiration, and for listening to me whinesplain about all things writing and publishing. I am so glad life threw us together in the final round of that contest.
To Debbie Disch, who has been an amazing writing buddy, critique partner, and, above all, friend. Thanks for always having a sympathetic ear.
To Kerensa Brougham and Rebekah R. Ganiere, who read and critiqued To Seduce a Witch’s Heart and helped me whip the story into shape.
To the ladies and gents from RCRW, for the wonderfully inspiring atmosphere of encouragement and creativity, and for proving that it can be done.
To my Insomnia girls, Dawn, Christy, Janet, and Jenna. You ladies keep me sane and going steady.
To my gals from MRW and NJRW. Thank you so much for making me feel so incredibly welcome at the conference, for taking me in, rooting for me and supporting me.
To all the contest judges who helped me with their critiques and advice.
And last, but certainly not least, to all my family and friends whom I must neglect to mention by name because the list would exhaust the space available here. Thank you for being with me on this journey and for your continuous support.
About the Author
Nadine Mutas is the award-winning author of paranormal romances featuring demons and witches and lots of forbidden love. Her debut novel, To Seduce a Witch’s Heart, won the Golden Quill 2016 for Best Paranormal Romance as well as the Published Maggie Award 2016 for Paranormal/Fantasy, and the latest installment in her Love and Magic series, To Enthrall the Demon Lord, is a finalist in the prestigious RWA® RITA® Award 2018 for Paranormal Romance.
After obtaining a university degree in the subjects job counselors like to warn you about (“There’s no money in humanities!”), Nadine is now writing full-time and introvertedly thriving from her home office. You can usually lure her out of her socially awkward shell by striking up a conversation about languages (keywords: Indo-European family; relation of Sanskrit to Ancient Greek) and watch her geek out for the next hour.
She currently lives in California with her college sweetheart, beloved little demon spawn, and two black cats hellbent on cuddling her to death (Clari
fication: Both her husband and kid prefer her alive. The cats, she’s not so sure about.)
Nadine Mutas is a proud member of the Romance Writers of America (RWA) and the Silicon Valley Romance Writers of America (SVRWA), the Rose City Romance Writers (RCRW), as well as the Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal chapter of the RWA (FF&PRW).
Connect with Nadine:
www.nadinemutas.com
[email protected]
First published as Blood, Pain, and Pleasure
Copyright © 2015 Nadine Mutas
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. For permission requests, contact Nadine Mutas at one of the addresses below.
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Nadine Mutas
PO Box 94
New Almaden, CA 95042
[email protected]
www.nadinemutas.com
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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Cover Design by Najla Qamber Designs
www.najlaqamberdesigns.com
Created with Vellum
