by Brenda Trim
He looked up and met her bright brown eyes. There were storm clouds hidden in their depths. This complex, beautiful angel was everything he’d ever wished for. She grabbed her breasts, tweaking her own nipples. Goddess, she made him want impossible things. He inserted a second finger and she detonated.
Dante was up and shoving his pants down to his knees before his next breath. There was no patience to take the extra second to remove them from his body entirely. Chloe was an exquisite female. He lowered himself and settled his body between her legs. Without hesitation, she wrapped them around his waist, trying to pull him inside.
“Mmmm. You feel good.” Her words were growled as she tried to get him in the right position.
A chuckle left him as he pulled back and positioned the head of his cock at her entrance. “You’re so wet and ready for me.”
Chloe’s eyes widened as he began to push in. Normally he’d take his time, but his need was too high at the moment. His hips thrust forward, impaling her. Her muscles tightened around him at the same time she cried out. Dante pulled out then pushed in deeper and deeper in her tight channel.
“You sure you’re not a full-blooded incubus?”
Dante paused as horror washed through him. He would never be anything like his father. “I’m far better than one of those pieces of shit. I care about your pleasure, little evergreen.”
Chloe’s hands ran up his chest. “You’ve given me more than I’ve had in centuries and I want more.”
Dante thrust into her with enough force to push the top of the table. Slow down or you’ll end this before you get to the good part. If he drove her to the floor he’d never get the orgasm he’d been needing for months.
Dante was no stranger to carnal activities. His entire existence depended on it. And yet, he’d never felt anything like his cock sliding in and out of Chloe’s slick core. He grabbed one of her legs and hooked it over one of his elbows for deeper penetration. He considered opening her up completely by putting it over his shoulder, but she was as close to a virgin as it got. She hadn’t been with anyone in hundreds of years. His inner stripling rejoiced at the knowledge that she broke her fast with him.
The connection of their bodies was pure bliss. All Dante knew at that moment was Chloe and her perfect body. His tongue slid into her mouth and tangled with hers while his shaft plunged in and out of her. For the first time in his life, Dante found himself connecting to the bitter little angel.
An evergreen was a symbol for the immortality of the soul. The moment he laid eyes on Chloe he understood she carried scars he may never truly understand, and yet she persevered and continued while refusing to give into the pressure to take Lucifer’s side. There was no other being like her for a reason. It was not easy to ignore the pressure she had to have experienced more than once in her life to side with Lucifer and help find a way to free him. If Dante wasn’t careful, he could fall in love with her.
Chloe broke away from his mouth to trail kisses down his chest. She paused over his nipple then her tongue snuck out and licked the area. His hips moved faster as he lost himself to how good she made him feel.
Energy flowed from her to him, making him dizzy with strength. He poured everything she gave him into his movements. Before long, her inner muscles squeezed his cock. She was close and he knew exactly how to push her over the edge. He pushed his hand between their bodies and stroked her clit as he pounded into her.
She gazed up at him and her eyes blazed with dark light. His balls drew up tight and his spine tingled. He was so fucking close. It was difficult to hold it off, but he refused to climax before her. He placed kisses at the corner of her mouth and continued rubbing her clit. A second later she exploded around him.
Dante’s head lifted and he met her wide gaze. “Grab your breasts, love. Show me how you like them played with.” Her head was thrashing from side to side and he didn’t think she heard him until she seized one breast and teased her nipple.
Her free hand went to his chest and her fingernails dug into his skin, holding him to her. The display of her desire to have him close made him lose it. Dante thrust in and out of her body enjoying the free fall of ecstasy.
The pleasure was short lived. His hoarse shout of completion shifted to one of agony when something seared his right shoulder blade. Withdrawing from her body, he fell off the table clutching his bicep. Turning his head, he tried to see what was happening.
“What is it?” Chloe’s voice was as frantic as he felt. “Oh my God. What happened?”
Dante stopped moving and tried to breathe through the discomfort while his mind struggled to catch up. “What do you see?”
She threw her legs off the side of the platform and lifted her hand. Giving her his back, he sighed in relief when her hand touched his upper back. “You have a burn, no it’s a brand on your shoulder.”
Dante swallowed while his heart raced and his sweat cooled. “What does it look like?”
“It’s a dagger, but the hilt is a pair of jagged wings. What is this?” Chloe ran a ringer over his flesh, soothing the worst of the pain.
Dante lowered his head. “It’s a Fated Mate marking.”
“I don’t understand. If you have a mate why did you just fuck me? Or are all the stories about being true to the one chosen for you a lie?” Chloe’s anger was hotter than his skin at that moment.
Turning around, he took her hand and twined their fingers together. “You are my Fated Mate, Chloe. You carry part of my soul.”
Chloe snatched her hand back and jumped to her feet. “Liar. Why would you say that?”
Bending over, Dante pulled his pants up. “I’m not lying. The brand appears when we have sex with the one made for us. It appeared when I climaxed with you just now. I know this is a lot to take in, but I’m telling you the truth. You. Are. Mine.”
Her terrified eyes met his, and they shared a moment of utter disbelief. Something fluttered in his chest and expanded like a butterfly. What the hell? Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and tried to center himself.
That butterfly brushed against the inside of his skin in a languid caress, reaching for Chloe. He couldn’t recall what Rhys had said, but he swore he carried a piece of Chloe’s soul, as well. This female created just for him and he was created for her. This changed everything. Only, Dante wasn’t sure if it meant a happily ever after for him.
One thing he did remember was an angel has to choose their mate. They aren’t bound by the same laws as one of the Goddess Morrigan’s creatures. He would never be able to have sex with another female in his life. If she rejected him, his inner demon would take over and rape and pillage uncontrollably.
Looked like he’d better have a conversation with Zander about safety measures. No way was he going to become his father. He’d rather die first.
Chapter 10
“What exactly does that mean? Just because we had sex doesn’t mean I’m going to tie myself to you for eternity.” Chloe bent down and snatched the shirt from the floor while Dante’s semen dripped down her legs. It was a sticky reminder of what they’d just done.
Using the cloth, she cleaned her thighs then seized the bag that was lying in the corner. She hadn’t seen it before and seeing now how he’d made sure to get the things she’d asked him for made her want to cry. It was fucking ridiculous.
Dante ran a hand through his hair while keeping his gaze on hers. “Have you ever heard about Fated Mates.”
She couldn’t take the intensity in his eyes and had to look away. “Not much. Just that you guys believe your Goddess blessed you with a mate.”
Dante made a sound that sounded like a growl mixed with a grunt. “It’s more than a simple belief. It’s a fact. The Goddess has selected the perfect partner for each of her, uh, children, so to speak. They are literally our other half. That perfect partner is the keeper of the other half of their mate’s soul. There is also an undeniable compulsion to be with one another. Most often that comes out as sex, to ensure we procreate and c
ontinue the various species.”
Chloe shook her head and unzipped the duffle and latched onto clothes without even looking. “But what makes you think I’m yours?” Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt.
Dante approached and cupped her cheek. “The way we know we’ve found our Fated Mate is because a mating brand appears when we climax during sexual intercourse the first time.” He crooked his arm in the air and pointed down his back. “This would not have shown up when I climaxed for anyone except you.”
“That’s not how it works for my kind. I don’t carry shit of yours and I don’t owe you anything.” A thousand pins pricked inside her chest made her breath catch. Was that his soul? Shaking her head, she dismissed the notion and put her bra on then pulled her shirt over her head.
“You are right. You can walk away without consequence where I am bound to you for eternity. There will never be anyone else for me. Ever. You are the only being I will ever have sexual intercourse with again.”
She lifted one eyebrow at his declaration. He winced and lowered his head. For a split second she wanted to take it back and reassure him. “Or not. My point is I cannot physically have sex with someone else even if I wanted to. Which, for the record, I don’t.”
She ignored the fleeting impulse. This was not what she was looking for, and Dante was a big hybrid with powerful friends. “This is too fucking much. I was kidnapped and tortured thirty hours ago and now I’ve got this cambion declaring I carry half of his soul.” Chloe wanted to go back to bed and pull the covers over her head.
Dante’s body slumped and his head moved up and down. “I understand. You owe me nothing. It’s been a long day and a half. Let’s get some rest and we can talk later.”
Chloe stepped into her favorite pair of skinny jeans and grabbed some socks and her ankle boots. “I’m going to meet my friend Tris. I need to process with a drink or ten.”
Dante sucked in a breath and held it for several seconds. She wondered what he stopped himself from saying and was about to shake him when he finally exhaled and broke his silence. “Please be careful. It’s daytime now, so you’re less likely to be hunted and attacked, but that doesn’t mean you’re safe. If I thought I could keep you here I would.”
She appreciated that he didn’t start trying to dictate her every move. “Are you saying that as my, uh, mate? Or because you agreed to protect me?”
Dante growled full out that time and narrowed his eyes. “You’re lucky I’m not chaining you to my bed right now. There’s a demon hunting you. Regardless of your choice, I will always protect you.”
Chloe suppressed her shiver and the grin that played at the edges of her mouth. She liked when Dante took over and his dominant side came out to play. “I don’t know chains could be fun. Do you have a cell I can borrow? I need to call Tris.”
Dante shook his head and reached into his back pocket. His pecs flexed when he twisted and had her panting all over again. Since when did she become a drooling mess over a guy? “Thanks. I’ll be back.” She tossed over her shoulder after she accepted his phone.
Dante followed her to the door. “Do you need to call a car? How about money? I couldn’t find your wallet at your apartment.”
Chloe stopped with her hand on the knob. Here he was looking out for her again. No one had ever cared so much. After so long being on your own, you forget what it’s like to have anyone there for you. Even Tris wasn’t that kind of friend.
She was a Valkyrie, so understood Chloe’s mentality. She was a great drinking buddy and sounding board. Tris tended to look at life through the sights of a gun and offered solid advice aimed at self-preservation.
“I hadn’t thought of that. I doubt the liquor store will let me give them an IOU. Do you mind?”
Dante crowded into her personal space and looked at her with hooded eyes. The desire in them made her nipples tingle and her core clench. “I take paybacks in kisses. You have a problem with that?”
Chloe’s head moved from side to side before she could think. “I’ll repay you when I get back.”
Dante slid cash into her hand. Where the heck had that come from? She hadn’t seen him move a muscle. Of course, she couldn’t look away from his mouth. “Call an Uber from the app on my phone. I don’t want you walking or taking the subway. It’s not safe right now. Especially, below ground.”
Chloe nodded and stuffed the cash into her pocket then hurried through the door. Dante leaned on the frame shirtless and watched her. The cool breeze helped alleviate the heat from his gaze enough that she was able to log into her account and order a car.
Her thumb went to her mouth and she bit on the nail as she paced the sidewalk. All she had to do was wait five minutes, but with him standing there looking irresistible she wasn’t sure she’d make it five seconds.
Right as she was turning around to head back to Dante, the Uber pulled up and Chloe jumped into the vehicle. She felt his gaze on the back of her neck until the car turned the corner.
Why the hell can’t I be left the fuck alone? Ever since she decided not to return to Heaven all those centuries ago, she’d been pulled into the supernatural world in one way or another. She was used to fading into the background and going largely unnoticed.
There was no way she would be able to disappear when Dante’s existence was on the line. She was his freakin Fated Mate! She knew all too well what happened to Cambions that denied themselves sex. It wasn’t pretty for anyone. But she had no desire to tie her life to his. She was happy on her own.
Before she knew it, the car arrived at her destination and pulled over to the curb. Chloe thanked the driver then climbed out. It was just before lunch, but thankfully the liquor store was open. Ducking in, she grabbed a bottle of vodka and sour apple liqueur.
The hair on the back of her neck stood on end when she exited the store. Was the demon near? Surreptitiously, she scanned the street and hurried the three blocks to Tris’s brownstone and hurried up the stairs then through the lobby door.
Tris was standing in her open doorway with her arms crossed over her chest. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Chloe smiled and her shoulders relaxed as she saw her friend. Tris was one of the few beings that she consider in her inner circle. “I had a crappy evening that turned…hellish. I brought vodka.” She waves the brown paper bag in the air in front of her.
“You should have led with that. Every night is shitty with your job.”
Chloe followed Tris into the first-floor apartment. Setting the bag on the small bar, she took a seat at the table and watched Tris gather glasses, a shaker and ice. “You’re right about that, but this time it had nothing to do with Seven Lively Sinz. What do you know about cambions and the Dark Warriors?”
Tris swiveled with her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide enough Chloe could see the whites all around her gray irises. “Dark Warriors? Did they attack you? I’ll kick their asses if they touched a hair on your head. They can’t punish you just because your fallen.”
Chloe held up her hands to stall more threats. As a Valkyrie, Tris was driven by aggression. Her kind were notoriously bloodthirsty and the best assassins. Each are forced to serve a century doing the dirty work of the Guild. It was less than five years ago that Tris completed her time, but she was still the most lethal being Chloe knew. All she had to do was say the word and Dante would be dead before he knew Tris was in the room.
“It’s not like that at all. They actually saved me from a Daeva demon that had other ideas. The fucker kidnapped me for God only knows what purpose.”
Tris set the shaker and glasses down and grabbed the bag of alcohol. “We’re going to need a drink for this one. Before you leave, I want to know which Daeva and where so I can take the bastard out. No one hurts one of my friends.”
Chloe’s heart lightened with Tris’s words and was reminded she wasn’t completely alone. She was right to come here. “You’ll have to fight Dante for the right to kill the demon. He’s probably out there right now hunti
ng the asshole down.”
Tris paused in pouring vodka over the ice in the shaker and pinned Chloe with a hard stare. “Why in the world would the Cambion Lord hunt a demon that attacked a fallen angel?”
Heat filled Chloe’s cheeks and she lowered her gaze. “Probably because I’m his Fated Mate, or so he claims.”
“What? When the fuck did this happen? How?!” Tris’s shrill voice was loud as she leaned forward. Chloe swore if the Valkyrie could pull the information from her, she would.
“After he rescued me from a subway tunnel and took me back to the warrior’s mansion, we kinda had sex and he told me after that I was his mate. He’s probably lying. Although I have no idea why he would. It’s not like he can get anything from me by making that up.”
“It’ll be pretty easy to tell if he’s telling the truth or not. A mating brand would have appeared when he climaxed. You can’t mistake the…oh my God, it’s true. Holy shit.” Tris was shaking her head as she finished adding the apple liqueur then shook the container. She poured Chloe a drink and handed it to her.
Chloe took a sip and enjoyed the tart taste and burn as the alcohol went down. “Yeah. This tribal dagger with wings appeared on his right shoulder blade. It was red and blistered like he’d been burned. I had no idea what to think, so I took off and came here.”
Tris swallowed then licked her lips. “I’m sure he didn’t like that very much. I’ve heard they become possessive when they find their mate. I can’t believe this. What’s he like?”
“You say that like this is a good thing. I don’t want a mate.” And she didn’t. Although she did reject the idea of completely walking away. She had to find a way to help Dante, so he didn’t suffer.
“Well, you don’t have to accept him, but for Dante you’re it. This is a blessing, Chloe. Imagine not having to go through life alone anymore. I can’t wait until I find mine. According to Tori, who found her other half a few years ago, Dante will love you and protect you with his life.”