Bound To The Demon

by C. J. Brookes

  “You do that.” And if they lied to the girl, then Kindara would jump all over that demon’s ass. He should have protected this child better than this.

  30

  Rathan waited until the females were out of his sight before turning to the wolf. The male was in a powder keg of anger right now.

  “Rand?”

  “I still want them dead. No matter what…my sisters would have been terrified. They wouldn’t have understood a damned thing that was happening to them.”

  Rathan agreed. Particularly Mallory who feared even the most unthreatening of males. To have a Dardaptoan warrior, big brutes that they were, yanking her from her home would have terrified her.

  Then again, Rand was as big as a Dardaptoan, too. Dardaptoans were only slightly smaller than demons, after all. And Kindara’s daughter was just as weak as the Taniss females. Just as vulnerable.

  “Probably as terrified as Kindara’s daughter was, is. Or as Kindara was when she realized who you were.” He wouldn’t forget that expression in her big gold eyes anytime soon.

  “I’m not giving Jierra back. She’s staying here. She and the pups. No matter who I have to fight.” Rand growled unconsciously. Rathan knew better than to rile him now over that female. Rand would kill anyone who got between them now—no matter who that anyone was.

  “For how long? You want her angry and terrified of you for centuries? That’s how long she’ll live, how long you’ll live. You want to keep her prisoner that long? Or fight your own family now? If they have been converted—you have two brothers-in-law now. To harm them…would harm your sisters. Could potentially kill them.”

  They could not stick with their original plan. Not now. He couldn’t rip those Dardaptoan bastards to shreds now.

  He was overjoyed the Taniss females lived. He wanted them home where they belonged. But Rathan knew that would definitely not be happening. “If they are Dardaptoan now, we cannot part them from their males. To do so…would harm them forever. I cannot do that to them.”

  Rand’s eyes blazed. “We don’t even know if it’s true.”

  “Do we not?”

  “And I can only say I hope the Dardaptoans treated Mickey and Joselyn and the others better than we’ve treated our captives.”

  “So you are saying we should just give them back? And what—let Mickey and the others stay there? Give up their entire lives to be with these bastards?”

  Wasn’t that exactly what the wolf now expected from Kindara’s daughter?

  “I say we simply let them have a choice. If we follow our original plan and kill the Dardaptoans, who do you think that will hurt the most? Your sisters and cousins. The bonds between Dardaptoan Rajnis are incredible; they are just as strong as Lupoiux bonds. As gamata. To break one would be horribly painful. Almost excruciating. The females wouldn’t survive. We both know that. Do you want to do that to your sisters?”

  “Do what to his sisters?” A feminine voice had them both jerking to face the stairs. Jade, looking as regal as a little princess, stood there staring at them. She’d heard every word. That girl had the gift of hiding herself whenever she wanted. That had always stumped him. He would admit it: he had yet to figure out just what this little female actually was. What gifts she possessed. “Where are his sisters? Where’s mine? And what’s a Dardaptoan, and why were you planning to kill some? I want answers, and I’m not going away until I get them.”

  Rathan looked between Rand and his cousin. This was Rand’s show. Hells, maybe that was what was needed.

  Honesty.

  There had been enough secrets lately.

  “It’s nothing, Jadie. Just go on up to bed.” Rand settled on the leather couch and tried to look casual. Dismissive. Rathan winced. He’d warned Rand before—Jade was young, but she was of age now. Fully adult. And she wouldn’t be satisfied with a pat on a head and being sent to bed. Not any longer.

  It was no wonder Jade snipped and snarled at Rand. The wolf often deserved it.

  “No, I don’t think I will. Something is going on, something besides our sisters being kidnapped. Who are those women, and why did you bring them here?” Jade had the stubborn look that Rathan recognized. Most of the Taniss females knew exactly how to work that particular look.

  Especially this one.

  Never had he encountered a more obstinate group of females in his eleven-thousand-five-hundred plus years on the planet.

  When Rand remained silent, Jade stalked to him and stood arms crossed over him. “Look, I know you’re a werewolf, and so is my dad. I figured that out back when I was like ten, so that doesn’t surprise me. Nor am I exactly stupid. Rathan is obviously not human, although I can’t figure out what he is. Is he a Dardaptoan? I was thinking he was a demon or something.”

  “You’ll have to tell her. If not, she’ll just try to find the answers on her own.” And if a member of the Kind found out about her curiosity, they would eliminate her to protect their secrets.

  Rathan considered it. If Rand was incapable of protecting her, Rathan could send one of his many brothers to protect her. Then again, of course, his brother would end up fascinated by her and she’d be leading the ancient warrior around on a leash. Which could end up with her in a gamata bond with a demon. That would bring its own host of problems, considering she was a mere human. Maybe. “And that will be dangerous.”

  “What is a Dardaptoan?” the persistent little creature asked.

  “First, you need to understand that what I tell you can’t be repeated,” Rand said.

  “Big surprise.” Jade rolled her eyes before settling on the couch across from her cousin. “I won’t tell anyone. Who would believe me anyway?”

  “I am a werewolf, a Lupoiux. We’ve existed since before humans,” Rand said.

  “How did you end up being a werewolf? Is Mallory one, too?”

  Rand shook his head. “Your dad took me camping when I was eight. We were attacked and bitten. A month later, your dad turned into a wolf. I first turned when I was sixteen.”

  “So the werewolf legends are true.”

  “Yes.” Rand told her more, explaining about Dardaptoans and the other Kinds before answering all the girl’s other questions. Jade appeared to have years’ worth of questions.

  “So who are those females? And where are Joselyn and the others? I want my sister back. Mickey and the rest, too. Cass—Cass is totally freaking, and Becca has wandered off to think by herself somewhere. We deserve to know what’s happening.”

  “Those females are Dardaptoan, yes.” Rathan figured it would be better for him to explain the events leading up to Kindara and her daughter’s presence than Rand. Rand’s anger was still palpable when he mentioned Dardaptoans. “Your sister and cousins were taken by the Dardaptoans.”

  “Why? What’s really going on? Please don’t lie to me, Rath.” Green eyes stared into his.

  He’d always been a pushover where she was concerned.

  “Your grandfather has been hunting Dardaptoans for decades and has...hurt...many of them. Joselyn and the others were taken to...lure...him out. Bait. But it didn’t turn out as the Dardaptoans apparently expected,” Rathan said. “Your sister is now a Dardaptoan, we believe.”

  He wasn’t about to tell her that the Dardaptoans had intended something far worse than mating for the four missing females. Jade didn’t need to know that. Not yet.

  “They’ve not hurt them, have they?”

  “Not that we think. Dardaptoans have something a little different than a human courtship. They find the one they are destined for and keep them. They can also convert humans, just like Lupoiux can. I don’t know how, though, so no questions about that. But Kindara said—she’s the blond female upstairs—that your sister and cousins were all converted. And all were mated.”

  “Wow. So they’re ok? Why did you bring those two women here? When is Joselyn coming home?”

  “We...took...them...” They’d taken them and terrified them. Maybe abductions were common in the political sphe
re, but that didn’t mean what they’d done had been admirable. Or that this girl would understand that.

  “So you did the same thing the Dardaptoans did.” Jade frowned at them, censure on her beautiful face. She told them exactly what she thought about that. It took Rathan twenty minutes to calm her down. “So now what, are more Dardaptoans going to come and take me, or Becca, or Cass? And then you go take more of them? Vampires everywhere!”

  “We’re not exactly sure what’s going to happen now. Rand and I need to discuss some things. We didn’t know Emily was mated to the Dardaptoan king, or—”

  “You guys so have to fix this. Fast. Things…things are about to get complicated. For all of us.” She stood, then looked at Rathan, instead of her cousin. “You need to do something, Rath. Because things are going to get scary around here. Very, very soon. I just know it.”

  31

  Kindara sat by Jierra’s bedside, watching her sleep as she’d done when Jierra was sick as a child. Her daughter was young now, but a child no longer. She’d cried herself to sleep, and nothing Kindara could do settled her.

  Damn that wolf. If he wasn’t her daughter’s Rajni, Kindara wouldn’t rest until he was dead.

  He was, and she’d never do that to her daughter.

  Her daughter already loved him; it was the nature of the Rajni bond. Jierra already loved the babes growing within her, too. She’d just need time to adjust to the changes the wolf had forced upon her.

  Kindara stood, brushed a hand over her daughter’s hair, then crawled into the second bed. She was just as exhausted, felt horribly weak, and even though she was in the home of the enemy, all she wanted was to sleep. She’d deal with everything else in the morning.

  Rathan stared down at his female as she lay curled on the guest bed. Exhaustion was clear in the dark circles beneath her eyes, but now she was clean and dressed in flannel pajamas. She looked so deceptively young and sweet. Delectable.

  He swept her into his arms as carefully as he could. He wanted her in his bed, though he doubted he’d wake her long enough to feed from her.

  She slept so deeply, he didn’t have the heart to disturb her.

  She hummed a soft sound, then snuggled against him.

  His suite of rooms was on the top floor, and he carried her there, depositing her in the center of his bed. Kindara looked perfect there, surrounded by his colors.

  He stripped off his clothing, then slid in beside her. She snuggled into him, resting her head on his chest as if they’d slept together a thousand times before. He closed his eyes and gently slipped into her dreams instinctively. He was Incubi; it was as natural as breathing.

  It felt right. He wanted to hold her every night. For eternity.

  Kindara stared up at the red-and-black canopy over her head. It hadn’t been there when she’d slipped into sleep.

  She was absolutely certain of it.

  The demon hadn’t been wrapped around her either. But now he was. He lay quietly, staring at her, dressed only in a pair of the finest silk boxers she had ever seen.

  Apparently, demons wore boxers instead of briefs.

  “This wasn’t part of our deal.” She waved a hand at the room surrounding her, shooting him a pointed look.

  “Our deal was you’d feed me until you went home. You couldn’t do that two floors down.”

  “No, it was that I’d feed you until you took me to my daughter. You’ve done that. And I’ve held up my end of the bargain. You should have enough food to keep you for a lifetime now, demon.” Kindara pushed the blankets aside and sat up. “I want to contact my brother and have him come get us. Jierra needs to be home, and I need to consult with my top healers about Dardaptoan/Lupoiux mating and pregnancies.”

  “Your brother has already been contacted. He and your king.”

  “And?” Kindara evaded the hands sneaking around her waist. He was very clever with those fingers of his. “Stop that.”

  “The king was made an offer. He can bring two of Rand’s relatives here by noon today, and we’ll discuss a truce. Or a trade. Them, for you, perhaps. Maybe…” His eyes flashed once before he sprung at her. He knocked her flat against her pillow. His lips covered hers, and his fingers sank into her hair. His other hand dropped to the front of her shirt, and began flicking open buttons. He pulled back to stare at her. The look in his black eyes was pure wickedness. “However…I’ve decided not to trade you back.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me. I’ve decided to keep you.” He grinned, his eyes telling her exactly what he wanted from her.

  She knew exactly what the jerk wanted.

  “What about your vow? Won’t you die if you break it?” She’d admit it; she’d snuck in some quiet time with a few of Alaun Woald’s demon/Dardaptoan romance novels. The books had stated very clearly that when a demon made an oath, they had to keep it. Or face dire consequences.

  “Absolutely not. Just be a bit painful for a few years. But you...I’ve decided you’re worth the pain.” He pushed the pajama top off her shoulders. His hand dropped to cover her breast. She arched against him. Yes. He knew what to do with his fingers. “Now feed me. I’m starved for you. I’ve been waiting for you to wake for what seems like centuries. I think you want me, too.”

  His tongue flicked against her skin, and she released an involuntary shiver. “Let me up, demon.”

  “Not yet.” He nipped at her neck. That was all it took.

  She wrapped her arms around his shoulders to bring him closer. Every thought of resisting him slipped out of her head. She wanted him to hold her; to make everything feel normal again, somehow. “Demon!”

  “Yes, you do like that, don’t you?”

  His teeth brushed her pulse again, and Kindara gasped. He laughed as he started to push her pajama bottoms down her hips. “What would you do if I bit you here?”

  He did just that, and white-hot pleasure shot through her. He didn’t take her blood, but his teeth and tongue on her skin had her skating close to the edge quicker than she’d ever thought possible. She whimpered and parted her knees, letting him settle against her. He made her feel less alone, every time he touched her. “Please...”

  “Please, what? Do it again? You have to do something for me, pet...”

  “What?”

  “I want you to do the same to me.”

  She nodded, anything for him to continue. He kissed her, hard, then dropped his head back down to her neck. He ran his tongue over her skin, once, twice. Then he guided her mouth to his neck and tilted his head back to allow her access. Kindara knew what he wanted.

  His blood called out to her, his pulse steady against her lips. Goddesses, she was hungry, starved for what he could offer. His hand slipped between her thighs, touching damp feminine skin, slid deep to tease her.

  Kindara bit down, hard, and the rush of a blood unlike any other she’d ever tasted filled her mouth.

  She vaguely heard his triumphant laugh as he spread her legs wide enough to make room for himself. He filled her, taking from her while she drank from him.

  She wept as he filled her, as she felt almost whole once again. Not alone.

  Kindara had never expected to feel this way with a male ever again.

  32

  Rathan had never felt anything like it, though he had fed bloodsucker females in the past. There were several demon Kinds who were blood drinkers, after all. Her lips pulled at his flesh for what she needed.

  Her eyes were closed, a look of intense pleasure on her pretty face.

  He stroked her until both his body and hers had calmed. She still didn’t release his neck, though he sensed she wasn’t feeding as voraciously now. Not that it mattered, an Incubi male of his age had an unlimited blood supply and could give her whatever she wanted.

  Now, she suckled him like a child would a piece of candy. Like it comforted her.

  Finally, she pulled back, seemed to become aware of where she was and what had just happened. Her eyes clouded, and she shot a fist
toward his face. “Damn it, demon. You have to stop seducing me.”

  Rathan laughed. They both knew no seducing had been necessary. He grabbed it and placed a kiss upon her knuckles. “Did you get enough?”

  “We can’t keep doing this.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t feed from live hosts any longer. I do bagged blood. And that is it.”

  “Then how do you survive, pet?” That would explain why she was so thin. Almost malnourished. She should have drunk at least weekly at her age, he thought.

  No longer. Even if he had to force her compliance, she would drink for herself and the spawn. His blood; it was the strongest of the demon Kinds. It was only the best for her and his spawn now.

  “I’ve studied my people, demon. Bagged blood is more than adequate.”

  “But not ideal.”

  “It suffices. And it’s really none of your business what I drink, anyway.”

  “Let’s not argue. While you are with me, you’ll drink from me whenever you need it. I am not providing bagged blood.”

  “Fortunately for you then, my brother will be here at noon. I’ll never see you again.”

  That wasn’t about to happen.

  “You may visit with him, but I’m keeping you.” It was time he told her what the future held for the two of them.

  He wasn’t ever letting her go. Even if he had to take drastic measures to keep her.

  “No, you’re not.” She pushed away from him and slid from his bed. He tossed the blankets back and followed her, stalking her around the room as she pulled her pajamas back over her body. “Despite what you think, I’m not your pet, demon. You can’t just decide to keep me. I’m taking my daughter and going home. I have a well-established life there, duties and responsibilities. I’m not about to give that up just to have sex with a demon.”