“I guess I didn’t hit you hard enough.” Her voice conveyed just how annoyed she was. If the fact she might actually be able to kill with her gaze didn’t give him a clue, she was feisty—he liked feisty.
“Thank you for that, by the way. Though I am pretty sure I didn’t deserve it. You were on my land after all.” Deus reminded himself not to be a smartass but it was difficult. When her eyes flashed in outrage he just had to pull the tiger’s tail some more.
“Your land? I beg to differ. The Albris own that half of the mountain—”
“I bought it, earlier this week.” Well that shut her up. Though Deus could think of all sorts of ways to shut up that sassy mouth of hers.
“Not a chance. They have lived in this town for generations. They would never sell—”
“Seems the eldest son was tired of country life, inherited the house in the will, or so the realtor told me. I have been looking for somewhere to settle down, and this seemed perfect. Other than random attacks by trespassers who try and kill me.” He tilted his head to the side as she blushed and had the good sense to look at her feet. That wondrous event lasted all of ten seconds.
“Well you shouldn’t have snuck up on me in the dark. Who does that? Seriously?” She actually stood with her hands on her hips and tried to reprimand him for sneaking up on her. She was some kind of woman. Deus had not felt this alive in a long time.
“My land.” That was all he said as he kept his eyes locked to hers. Stubborn wench just started right back at him until she tried to put weight on her leg and it gave way under her.
“God damn it.” He took a step toward her and she put up her hand. “Unless you want me aiming lower than your head I wouldn’t take another step, buddy.”
She didn’t even look at him as she spoke, and it was probably a good thing. She’d just hit him if she saw the smile on his lips at her threat. Deus could not remember the last time a woman had intrigued him as much as this one. Though she looked as gentle as a doe on a spring morning, she had a backbone of pure steel and lightening in those storm blue eyes.
“If I may borrow one of your terms, ‘seriously’? Of the two of us here, you are the one who committed grievous bodily harm. So if anyone should be worried it is me. Now, as I stated, we’re not far from my house. I will even give you a stick to hit me with if it makes you feel better. But I would like to tend that wound before it gets infected. Unless, of course, getting gangrene is on your bucket list, in which case, have-at-it!” He gave her a bright smile which made her lip curl. His blood rushed, his heartbeat skipped, even his skin felt hot. Alive. He felt alive. How long had it been since he’d teased, really teased someone with words, just to rile them up?
When she did not answer right away he shrugged and turned to walk back to his new house, hoping she was not as stubborn as she seemed. Each step seemed like a lifetime, until finally he heard her let out a huge sigh that filled the silence.
“Wait!” The stubborn edge to her voice was like music to his ears. He was having fun, real fun for once. If not for the fact she might freeze to death, he could just continue this word play all night.
A smile curled his lips in the darkness and he stopped, looking back over his shoulder. Good. Being lost in the forest, in winter, with an open wound, and clearly no flashlight was hardly the most intelligent move for anyone. Even someone as stubborn as her.
“Yes?” Okay, so he might have sounded just a little bit too happy.
“I can’t walk without help,” she said through gritted teeth. Deus almost died on the spot. From the short meeting thus far he knew she was as stubborn as his brother Wrath, if not worse, and she didn’t seem to accept help easily. Yep, female version of Wrath.
“Of course.” Turning, he walked toward her and lifting her pack easily onto his shoulder. In one swift movement, he cradled her in his arms, one arm under her knees, the other behind her back. He relished the spluttering outrage as she struggled in his grip, but he refused to let go as he started toward the house.
“Look, woman, it is easier to carry you than limp along with you. Now stop struggling or my hand is going to slip somewhere less than appropriate, and I would rather you didn’t try and fracture my skull again.”
His warning appeared to do the trick. She went stock still and refused to speak or move even an inch, as if terrified he might move his hand on purpose. She did, however, keep throwing him evil glares whenever he tried to adjust her so he could step over a log or move around an obstacle.
Ten minutes of silence and mumbled swear words from her finally stopped. Deus felt her body relaxing. One minute she was tense, and then suddenly her head hit his shoulder. He paused, taking a tentative look down at her face. The tigress had passed out cold in his arms, and was snoring softly against his shoulder. Right then he didn’t know which Lexi he preferred—the fired up, sarcastic feline that threatened him bodily harm, or the soft, fragile-looking woman that now slept cradled in his arms as if she trusted him.
However, he knew that to be an illusion. She was just exhausted, and she would no doubt be back to her normal hissy, spitting self as soon as she woke up. That was good, because a soft, pliant Lexi was far too tempting a morsel for Lust to resist. Sweet and gentle equaled submissive, and to Lust, submissive females were his candy, and he had one hell of a sweet tooth.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“Well, it’s about time.” The exasperated voice of a woman woke Layla from her dead sleep, and she bolted awake, her eyes shooting wide open. It took a few moments for her heart to slow its rhythmic pounding before her gaze fell on the short female looking down at her, hands on her small hips, foot tapping impatiently on the grass.
Don’t panic, don’t panic. Her mind repeated the mantra over and over. Layla backed away quickly and got to her feet, putting distance between her and the pixie-like female. She just stood there watching Layla, glaring and huffing in annoyance. It took a few moments for Layla to realize this was a woman, and not a child, before her.
“Layla, we really don’t have time for this, my dear. Seconds are precious. I am sorry to be short with you, but we have much to discuss. Come, please.”
Layla opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. She had no idea what the hell was going on. Looking around quickly she took in the scene—the sky seemed to be too blue, with perfect white puffy clouds, and bright overly green grass below. Then there was her—the petite woman with pin-straight black hair, and the most amazing golden eyes that were right now pinning her to the spot. This was either the most vivid dream she had ever experienced, or someone had slipped her one hell of a sleeping pill.
“Layla, I know this is odd. I had much more time to speak with your sisters.” She began to pace back and forth, wringing her hands before her. The long white dress she wore brushed over the grass, her bare toes peeking out as she walked.
“Sisters?”
“Yes, the other Seers. There are seven of you—Isabelle, Seer of Empathy; Sera, Seer of Hindsight; you, of course, the Seer of Nature; and your twin, Lexi, the Seer of Healing. The others I do not know yet, they come to me in dreams.”
Layla licked her dry lips and took a step toward this woman.
“How do you know all this?” What worried her more was she referred to her as the Seer of Nature, not the Seer of Beasts. Very few beings knew of her “true” nature and only Lexi knew about the “episodes.”
“I guess you could call me the matriarch of our race. I am Ilianna, the first Seer. I have been trying to help you all through these trials, but I can only reach out a few times. For some reason, it has been difficult getting through to you and Lexi. But I have no problem with your daughter, Annabelle.”
“You speak to my daughter?” Well didn’t that just chill her blood and change the direction of the conversation. Protective mother coming through, clear the way.
“Be calm, Layla. She is a true wonder. She decided not to tell you about speaking with me, against my wishes I might add. That little woman is
going to run your demon ragged when she grows up.” Layla watched her carefully. She did not appear to be lying at all. She gave off an aura of kindness mixed with nervous impatience, but she genuinely wanted to help.
“I’m sure she will. I don’t believe Tan knows what he agreed to when he decided to join our family.” A smile pulled at her lips as she thought about him holding her as she fell asleep last night. Despite all that happened when Richard had shown up, despite all the sparking energy she felt in him, he had remained with her—breathing through his own need to rage. She had felt it in his blood, driving him to hunt. But something else kept him with them—the drive to keep her and Annabelle safe.
“Tanus—you have been good for him, Layla. You saved him from Michael, pulled him back from the web of madness he was held under.”
“Tanus? His name is Tanus?” How was it that the one name she had picked for him was so close to his own? Fate? Chance? Or somewhere deep inside her soul, had she known him already?
“I know his memory is still fragmented. I want to help. That is why I called you…” Layla waited for her to continue as the little woman paused and looked at the sky. Moving forward, she reached out and quickly took her hands. The heat this little female gave off was amazing.
“Listen to me, our time is over for now. Take him into the mountain…”
Layla winced, feeling heat spreading in her head. Before her, a scene unfolded, a cave hidden from view inside a large hot spring. The cave seemed to glow from within, steam rising in the air, heating the cave. Then the vision was gone.
“Take him. There are magicks in your world, places where the ancient ones once worshipped old gods. These places hold the power to cleanse and heal the soul. I can’t promise it will heal all his mental wounds, but it will help. You need to take Annabelle with you. That man, her human father, is coming for her. You can’t be in that house tomorrow. Promise me you will leave for the cave tonight, Layla?”
“Tonight? But it is minus fifteen degrees out there. Annabelle can’t go out in that.” She couldn’t walk halfway up the damn mountain in the dark with her five-year-old daughter in the middle of winter.
“Layla, do not forget who you are. Do not fear it. Between you and the demon she will be protected. Now quickly, you must wake.” The woman let go of Layla and stepped back, folding her hands before her as if in prayer.
Layla felt herself becoming lighter, the dream fading around the edges, the world becoming dimmer. She was still trying to figure out how she was supposed to get her child up the damn mountain without putting her in danger when her mind locked on a thought. This woman would know about Lexi.
“Wait! Ilianna, please! Where is Lexi? Tell me she is okay! Please.” The woman looked up, and only then did Layla realize she was floating above the land.
“Your sister is safe, for now. But her future is hidden from me. Believe in your bond, Layla, not in her words!”
The words barely made it to her ears before the wind rushed around her. She grabbed onto them as if they were physical, making sure not to forget them as the clouds of waking covered her mind. “Believe in your bond, not in her words.” Cryptic—why couldn’t prophets and messengers just give straight answers?
Layla jerked awake and gasped, pushing herself up from the couch. She looked around the room, almost frantic for a second, her eyes wide. The fire threw flickering light over the dark room, illuminating the form of a sleeping demon with a small sleeping girl curled up against his chest. She took in a slow breath and lay back down, her mind catching up with her. Annabelle was safe, Richard had not taken her, they were in the house.
Then that damn dream came rushing back. Ilianna and her words. “Her human father is coming for her. You can’t be in that house tomorrow.” Could it have been real? Was her mind playing tricks on her?
“It was real, Mommy.” Layla turned her eyes to her child. She was almost shocked by the sudden age she saw in those crystalline depths. She had the sudden urge to grab her child and shake her until that wise look was gone from her vision and she was just a normal child again, wanting pancakes with smiley faces and hotdogs with pineapples.
“Why didn’t you tell me, baby? About seeing Ilianna?” She kept her voice low. Turning her eyes to Tan—no—Tanus. That’s right; Ilianna had told her his real name. The demon had done so much for her, he deserved the sleep.
“I didn’t want to upset you. I know how much this scares you sometimes.” Oh God, had she done this to her own child? Made her grow up so fast she felt she had to protect her own mother from the truth.
Sitting up, she swung her feet around and ran her fingers through her hair. How had it come to this? She covered her face and held back the urge to cry. Small arms suddenly wrapped around her neck and she lifted her head and looked at her daughter.
“This should be me comforting you, Belle.”
“Nope, my turn. I love you, Mommy, we help each other. And now I have a daddy, and he can help, too. So when do we leave?” Her bright little eyes and wide smile were catching. Layla grabbed Annabelle and pulled her into her lap. The giggling girl wriggled as her mother tickled her.
“When do we leave for what?” The very tired male voice came from the floor. Both stopped and turned their eyes to him. It took all of one second before Annabelle launched herself from her mother’s lap and she was in the air flying toward the demon.
The demon caught her easily with a smile on his lips. Her little giggles lifted the melancholy from the room. Layla watched with the awe of a mother who could see the moment the bond between father and daughter began to bloom.
“I had a dream, Tan. I was taken to a place where a woman called Ilianna spoke to me. She explained some things, she told me your name. Tanus, your name is Tanus.” She watched him carefully as he sat Annabelle in his lap and locked his eyes on hers. He looked thoughtful for a moment. She could tell he was searching inside trying to associate the name with a memory.
“I don’t recognize it, but if my full name was Satanus, it would make sense. But I prefer Tan, it’s your name for me.” Those few words and she fell in love with the big brute all over again.
“So do I. This Ilianna, she said Richard was coming back tomorrow. That we need to leave.” Layla watched as his whole demeanor changed, his arm tightened around Annabelle, and the flaming blue of his eyes darkened considerably. Gone was the smiling male that had made Annabelle laugh only moments before the one that replaced him was all demon.
Annabelle turned, taking in his eyes, and then leaned back against him, totally content in his arms. Layla let out a small breath. Her daughter did not seem bothered at all by his sudden change in energy, but rather relaxed by the protective nature to it.
“The human will be in for a surprise if he tries to harm you or Bella.” His tone was all business as he stood, easily keeping Annabelle in his arms the whole time. She moved with him, turning in his embrace so she could lay her head on his shoulder. She had gone very quiet all of a sudden.
Layla stood and walked to his side. His eyes were locked on the window and the darkness outside. He was on alert already, even though morning was hours away. Turning, he looked at the silent child and then at her mother.
“Where does this Ilianna woman suggest we go? We’re in the middle of nowhere in Montana. I doubt we can leave town without Dickless finding us. I will not leave the warmth of this cabin with Bella to go wandering around in the night; it is too much of a risk for her.”
“That’s what I told her. She said I…” Layla should have said something about his language use, but she was too concerned about telling him about her “episodes.” Hell, could she even get the words out?
“She said what?” His urging voice brought her eyes to his, and Layla took a breath before letting it out.
“I think you can keep her safe, that’s what Ilianna said. You and me together. In your hellhound form you run hot. You give off massive amounts of heat. You can carry her. I will follow behind and hide the footprints.�
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Tan raised his eyebrows at her statement but didn’t comment as to how she was going to manage such a feat. She was right. He could keep the child warm. The fact she glossed over her first attempted statement was not lost on him. Why she would try and hide something from him he would find out later. Right now, there were more important things to worry about, like why Richard would be coming back so soon, and why this Ilianna woman seemed to have such an effect on Layla that she would believe her words this strongly.
“And where would we be going? For how long?” Something inside drove him to lay this all out. He didn’t like to go into this without a well-laid plan of how long would they be gone, how much food and water they would need. Was there protection at their destination? Shelter? Warmth? Did they have a radio?
His mind listed off a hundred things he needed to check before he would move on this insane plan of leaving the cabin with his daughter. He blinked, his mind going blank suddenly. Yes, it felt right, Annabelle was his daughter. He wasn’t sure when that fact had become carved into his soul, but it had, and he would give his life for her and the woman he loved.
He watched Layla biting on her bottom lip. With a soft growl, he reached out and sank his fingers into her hair. Tilting her head back he covered her lips with his own, claiming her mouth, flicking his tongue against her lips until she parted for him and melted against him. He let out a purely male sound of satisfaction as she looked up at him with a soft dazed glow to her eyes. A gentle giggle from Annabelle had her mother blushing bright red before hiding her face against his chest. He gently pulled her head back so he could see her eyes before leaning in to press his lips to her hairline.
Wrath's Patience (Seven Deadly Sins Book 3) Page 20