"I've decided to change our agreement."
His hands were so soothing that it took several seconds for her to register what he said. She tried to push away, but he kept her trapped against him.
"Can't do that," Cara mumbled.
"You granted me your life, Cara. A life for a life."
She shoved against him hard and would have tumbled into the lake if he hadn't grabbed her arm. Her eyes spat fire at him.
"You're free now. What do you want from me?" she demanded.
"Luc is still out there. He'll know soon enough that you managed to break the curse. He'll come after you."
She shrugged. What's new? "I can handle him."
"He possessed you and made you stab yourself. You're not strong enough to stand up to him. Until I deal with him, you should stay close to me."
"I can handle him on my own, thanks."
"You expect me to let you leave, knowing you're walking to your death?"
She would die here, too, if he found out what she was. "It's okay, Aodhan."
"No, it's not. I'm indebted to you."
Her head lifted so fast, she cracked her neck. "No, you're not. You saved Sky and somehow the curse is broken. We're even."
"You're afraid of me. Why?"
"No, I'm not," she said and hoped she sounded convincing.
"You're lying to me."
He drew her towards him again and she was too frightened to struggle. She was a breath away from death. She could taste it. Aodhan was capable of anything. She knew what motivated Luc. With Aodhan, she was completely at sea. She didn't know whether he would break her in half or give her a neck massage. Her mind was filled with conflicting thoughts because she knew Aodhan, but then again, she didn't at all. She knew him as a feral, lonely dragon, not a man who was her fantasy come true. She kept her distance from everyone and having this male, a male of power and strength focused on her, made her speechless.
"I don't like the way you're looking at me," he said.
"You're a stranger."
He scowled. "We saved each other's lives and we've been living together."
"Living together?" she echoed indignantly.
He shrugged. "Fine. I imprisoned you. I don't understand how you trust the dragon and not the man."
"That was different," she said, even though he had a point.
His turquoise eyes roved over her face. "Don't be afraid of me."
"I can't help it," she whispered.
"You didn't leave when I died."
She opened and closed her mouth, but said nothing.
"You feel for me."
Cara shook her head and his lips twitched.
"You do."
When she tried to shake her head again, he cupped her face, stopping her.
"You're stubborn."
"You have a bad temper," she countered.
"I guess that makes us even," he said and leaned down and kissed her.
Chapter Twelve
Cara didn't react as Aodhan's lips settled on hers. Her eyes were open and she didn't move a muscle as his mouth explored hers. He wasn't in a hurry and he didn't care that she was rigid against him. He pressed light, almost teasing kisses over her lips. She wondered what game he was playing a moment before he went in deep. Cara gasped and her eyes closed as his tongue moved into her mouth. His taste was exactly as it had been in her dreams. She moaned and gripped his face.
She was lifted into the air, but she didn't care as long as he kept kissing her. She'd been craving him and now his taste was in her mouth and she was surrounded by his power. Aodhan ravished her and she gloried in it. When their lips parted, logic was slow to return. She stared into the brutal lines of his face and saw desire blazing in his eyes. Aodhan had her in a hold she was familiar with from her dreams. He balanced her with one arm beneath her butt while his hand gripped the back of her neck possessively.
"You feel something for me, Cara," Aodhan said.
She shook her head, but Aodhan tightened his hold and she stopped.
"You taste good." Aodhan leaned his forehead against hers and took a deep breath. "I lost hope I would ever be set free and then you came to me. I won't allow you to leave and chance you being harmed by Luc."
"I'll be fine," she whispered.
"Luc's rallying his armies and he'll strike soon. He wants to catch you on your own. I'm not giving him the chance."
"I can't always be around you. If Luc wants me, there's nothing you can do." It was a fact she knew deep in her bones.
"Luc will have to go through me first," Aodhan declared.
She kicked her feet and went beet red when she realized her legs were wrapped around him. She cleared her throat and shoved hard enough that he reluctantly set her down. She paced towards the castle and righted her clothes before she turned back to Aodhan. The sun outlined him and if he hadn't been wearing modern clothes, she would have believed they were in the seventeenth century, as they'd been in her dreams. Aodhan was too much of a warrior to be handsome, but the power shimmering over him was an aphrodisiac she needed to stay the hell away from. She remembered the hordes of women he'd had and it cooled her ardor. Centuries ago he'd been insatiable and now he must be beyond ravenous. She crossed her arms across her chest and tapped one booted foot.
"We made a deal, Aodhan, and we both held up our ends of the bargain. We're done."
Aodhan didn't move or say a thing, but she tensed anyway. She could feel the air heating around her, making her uncomfortably warm.
"It's not over. You hunt demons. I need you with me."
Her heart jumped into her throat. Any demon they ran across would blurt out what she was and Aodhan would kill her. She wasn't aware that she'd backed away until she came up against the castle. Aodhan stalked her like the predator he was and his face was cut into hard, forbidding lines.
"What are you hiding?" he asked.
"Nothing." She tried to sound indignant, but knew she fell flat. "Everything's happening so fast and now you're human and-"
"And what?"
"And if you take care of Luc, everything will be fine! I can do whatever I want and you can go on and do what you're meant to do- protect the human race from evil!"
"And what will you do, Cara?" Aodhan asked.
"I'll do what I've always done."
"Hunt demons?"
"Yes," she said warily.
"Why can't we fight together? We're hunting the same monster. In the past, I killed possessed humans. You can exorcise them and give the humans a chance if they're not too far gone." When she didn't respond, he added, "I can protect you."
"I almost killed you," she whispered and the memory haunted her.
"I'm here. You nearly died trying to protect me. I know you didn't stab yourself on purpose. Luc did it to silence you, didn't he?" Aodhan sifted strands of her hair through his fingers. "How did Luc possess you? I didn't sense his presence."
She kept her head bowed so he wouldn't see her face. "He's a powerful dream walker. It's how he usually works on his puppets until they're ready for him. He entered my mind that way. I didn't know I was possessed until it was too late."
Aodhan nodded. "I need to contact the other Ancients."
She was intrigued despite herself. "You think there's some that weren't cursed by Morgana?"
"We're going to find out."
"How?"
"The internet. You're going to help me."
He put his arm around her shoulders and led her back to the castle. She dug her heels into the mud. He sighed, plucked her off the ground and clamped her to his side. Her legs kicked a foot off the ground. She thumped his chest and glared up at him.
"I paid my dues!" she snapped.
He ignored her, walked into the castle and closed a large metal door behind them. The castle was authentic, all right, from the stone walls and floors to the furniture and paintings. Aodhan's boots clicked smartly as he strode into a surprisingly well-equipped office. He set her in a chair behind a monstrous desk. She
stared at the blank screen of a massive iMac. Her brows nearly hit her hairline.
"How is all of this here?" Cara demanded. "You've been gone for centuries, but this castle is clean and there's staff. They've been waiting for you all this time?"
"There are those that serve the Ancients. They ensure that the castle is cared for and staffed until our return."
"If they believed you'd return, why didn't they look for you?" Cara asked angrily.
Aodhan gave her a long look. "None of them thought to bargain with a demon for my location."
She snapped her mouth shut and turned to the computer. "You've lived in a cave for centuries, yet you can use an iMac?"
"I've observed humans using computers, but I don't understand all of it yet. You can help me."
She sighed loudly and turned on the computer. Aodhan jolted when the computer began to talk to them and when she laughed, he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and squeezed threateningly.
"What's your Wi-Fi password?" Cara asked.
"Linnea!" Aodhan roared so loudly that Cara clapped her hands over her ears.
There was the sound of running footsteps and then Linnea appeared, out of breath and scared out of her wits. Cara slapped Aodhan's hand away and smiled reassuringly at her.
"Linnea, do you know what the Wi-Fi password is?" Cara asked calmly.
Linnea nodded vigorously and opened her mouth to say it, but her eyes slid to Aodhan and she faltered.
"What is it?" Aodhan boomed impatiently.
Cara pinched his thigh and his hand returned to the back of her neck and caressed. She jerked away and glared at him. Linnea managed to say the password once Aodhan's gaze moved off of her. She hovered uncertainly as Cara typed it in and whisked through the rest of the start up screens.
"I'm hungry," Aodhan said and Cara looked up in surprise.
"What would you like to eat?" Linnea asked eagerly.
"Everything."
Cara elbowed him and interjected, "Whatever you're cooking is fine."
Linnea inclined her head and took off at a run. Cara scowled up at Aodhan.
"Why are you yelling at her? She's nice. What did she do to you?"
"It's a large castle."
"Why don't you give her a cell phone or something, then? Geez. You're not in the caves anymore."
Aodhan's hand twisted in her hair and jerked her head back. She stared up at him as he lowered his face to hers. She noticed that his eyes still had that vertical slit down the middle that clearly stated that he wasn't human.
"I have always been master of this castle. Don't think to change the way I deal with my staff," Aodhan said.
"You haven't had staff in centuries," Cara countered, "and I like Linnea so don't yell at her. She's nice."
"You Americans are very strange," Aodhan said thoughtfully. "She talks to herself a lot. I knew her whole life story within an hour of her arrival. She is very distracting." His eyes narrowed on Cara's upturned face. "You, on the other hand, don't like to talk much at all."
"Nothing to tell." Cara strived to sound light and flippant.
"You eyes tell a different story."
He saw too deeply and it was freaking her out. She closed her eyes in an attempt to cut the connection between them. That was a mistake because she could feel his warm breath on her face and a moment later, his finger brushed down her throat.
"Your heart trusts me, but your mind rebels. What will it take for you to yield to me, Cara?" he asked.
Yield. A word he used in the dream. She tried to remember Aodhan with all those women, but all her mind conjured were her own interludes with him in and around this castle. She felt drowsy with need and pulled away for some much needed breathing room. Aodhan was naturally lusty and would revert back to his old ways now that he was free, she reminded herself. Naturally, he was focused on her because of their time together.
"Let's get back to business," she said and tried to focus on the computer screen.
Aodhan was an intimidating presence by her side and she was grateful when Linnea appeared. She had a tray laden with bowls and plates and set it none too gently on the coffee table. With her eyes lowered, she recited a menu that made Cara stare.
"You made all of that this morning?" Cara asked in disbelief.
Linnea's eyes flicked towards Aodhan and then away. "I was told to have at least five different meals ready at any given moment for the master when he arrived. Before the food goes bad, I take it into the village and give it to the families in need."
Cara nodded and glared at Aodhan when he grunted. He walked over to the tray to investigate the spread. Linnea lifted covers and began to go into great details over the ingredients, but Aodhan waved a dismissive hand. Linnea did a strange curtsy/bob and ran to the door.
"Thanks, Linnea," Cara called after her and wondered what Aodhan would do if she tossed a paperweight at his head.
Cara tried to ignore Aodhan as he began to eat, but the grunts and hums of delight were distracting. He sampled everything with the obvious pleasure of a man who hadn't eaten in ages. He devoured everything in no time at all and Cara's hands fumbled over the keyboard. While he was distracted, she checked her bank account, which had been closed since there was nothing left in it. How was she going to get back to Montana without asking Aodhan for money?
"I need to locate Khan," Aodhan said, breaking into her thoughts.
Cara's hands froze over the computer keys. "Khan?"
"He and his twin were the oldest Ancients. If there is an Ancient on earth besides myself, it would be him."
She knew Khan. Hearing his name caused her body to tremble with fear. She tried to pull herself together. "How do we find him?"
Aodhan lounged on the couch, ankle resting on his knee, arms spread out on either side of him. He was a big man and his furniture was obviously custom-built since they were all freakishly large and strong enough to hold up under his weight.
"Research any corporation with the name Ancient and his name."
She stared at him for a long moment before she got to work. Aodhan shifted from a prehistoric beast that only cared about screwing to a modern man talking about Internet searches and corporations. Which man was the real him? There was so much about him she didn't know and the truth was she couldn't afford to know him better than she did already. Her hands flew over the keys. It didn't take her long to get a hit.
"There's a corporation called The Ancients. The homepage of their website leads to an email address and that's it."
"That's him," Aodhan said immediately. "Send an email."
"What do I say? What if it's not him?"
"It is. Tell him I'm back."
"Can you be anymore cryptic? You've been gone for ages and that's all you say?"
"Pleasantries can wait," Aodhan said.
He walked around the office, pausing every now and then to pick up an object, inspect it with razor sharp focus before he nodded and set it back in its place. Although he was dressed casually, she could just as easily picture him as she had in her dreams, wearing breeches and fine linen shirts. Aodhan was a timeless being. He could exist in any century. In each, he would rule and go to war. He moved with the same lethal grace she remembered from the visions.
Aodhan turned and saw her watching him. She shifted restlessly in the leather seat as the silence stretched. He held out a hand to her.
"Come."
She rose and took his hand. His fingers curled around hers firmly before he led her out of the office.
"Where are we going?"
Aodhan didn't answer. He walked along empty halls with no decorations and down a series of staircases that spiraled into the depths of the castle. She shivered as the temperature dropped. Aodhan opened a metal door and when she got a glimpse of what lay beyond, she tugged on her hand. Aodhan shot her an unreadable look before he pulled her into the dungeon. She expected the dungeon to smell like one, but like the rest of the castle, the dungeon was pristine and lit with automatic lig
hts that flared as they approached. Cara peered into the cells and eyed the chains on the walls.
"Is this where you used to entertain back in the day?" she asked testily.
Aodhan didn't answer. He walked to the end of the dungeon and stared at an impenetrable wall of stone. He pressed one hand against the wall and it disappeared. Cara sucked in a breath as they stepped forward and she looked down at an abyss of winking gold. They stood on the ledge and looked out over a sea of gold coins and jewels she couldn't name. She knew many who would offer their souls in return for such riches. She didn't move or say a thing. As if proximity would tempt her, Aodhan shuffled her in front of him and gripped her shoulders.
"I can give you this," Aodhan murmured in her ear.
She looked out over the fields of gold and wondered distantly how deep the coins were. Fathoms deep? "I don't want your money."
Aodhan turned her to face him. "What do you want, Cara?"
"I want to see my family," she said quietly.
"This isn't the right time."
"Why?" she asked, even though she knew he was right.
"My arrival has changed the balance of power. Luc will stop at nothing to kill you after setting me free. He expects you to go to your family."
She just wanted to see her family one last time. She didn't bother telling Aodhan that Luc didn't intend to kill her and wouldn't unless it was a last resort.
"What do you want?" he repeated.
Her hands fisted at her side. "I want you to take Luc down."
"I will."
There was absolute resolve in his statement and she believed him. He leaned down and his raptor eyes settled on her lips for a moment before he looked into her eyes.
"I want you with me."
"I have stuff to do," she said and shifted her eyes to a point to the left of his fierce gaze.
"You're going to hunt. So am I. That's what I was created to do, Cara, same as you. I hunt demons along with other creatures."
She nodded. "I know there's more evil out there, but I have my own brand to deal with."
Clutch of the Demon (Cursed Ancients Series Book 1) Page 12