"I never believed the Ancients would take you in," Luc said finally.
"What?"
"Khan is as feared as myself, though he likes to think he's doing the right thing," Luc said with a disgusted flick of one hand. "But he's killed more than myself in his mission to do good works."
Cara rotated with Luc. The light bulb flickered and then blazed to life once more, hissing ominously.
"I tried to save you that night on the cliffs," Luc said.
Cara couldn't hold back a derisive snort. "Keeping me alive while you torture me to death isn't saving me."
"Always so willing to die when you could have the world bow down to you. I miscalculated Dawn's influence on you. I should have killed her once she gave birth to you."
She knew he was trying to rile her. She kept a lid on her fear. She reminded herself that Luc couldn't touch them. They were in the castle and no one could penetrate the fortress.
"Ancients aren't known for their mercy. Aodhan knew what to do to make you feel something for him. Save your sister and you'd lay your life down for him, give him anything he wished." Luc curled his lip at her. "Trust you to feel love for a beast and set him free. One of Morgana's most ingenious spells, ruined."
So, it was true. Luc had known all along what would free Aodhan. She couldn't stop the faint quirk of her lips. Even Luc knew she was capable of loving Aodhan because she'd always seen beneath the surface. That's why Luc tried to take her out of the caves. Luc didn't want them to spend time together, especially after she extracted the demon out of Aodhan.
"You think this is funny?" Luc asked and came to a stop.
His utter stillness made the faint smile fade from her lips.
"No," she said.
"I've made a decision."
She didn't ask what that was.
"I should have killed you in Egypt," Luc said.
She didn't protest, beg or flinch. She just waited.
"At first, I thought your rebellion was amusing, cute even." He took a step towards her. "And now I have to pay for my leniency."
Cara backed up and her fingers twitched at her sides. There was no weapon and no escape. Red eyes tracked her every move.
"I've thought about the options the Ancients have with you and I keep coming back to one that is unacceptable," Luc said and lunged.
He moved quickly, wrapping his hand around her throat and pinning her against the wall. He held her up so they were face-to-face and leaned in so his lips brushed against hers as he spoke.
"The Immortal Bond," Luc hissed.
She couldn't stop the widening of her eyes and his face darkened with incandescent rage. He drew her away from the wall and slammed her into it again. This time bits of plaster fell around her as the wall gave way.
"You. Are. Mine."
"No," she croaked.
His hand around her throat spasmed and her legs kicked helplessly before he loosened his hold.
"I created you for myself, not for an Ancient to fuck and cuddle for eternity. Did you think I'd allow that to happen?" Luc shouted.
"You can't stop it," Cara whispered and used his wrist for leverage so she could breathe.
Luc cocked his head to the side. "You believe you can escape me, Cara?"
She couldn't answer since she was too busy gasping for air. Luc leaned forward, buried his face in her hair and groaned.
"You remember that year we had together, Cara? You were the best puppet I've ever had, the youngest too. Did you tell Aodhan how many men have sampled you? Does he know the rivers of blood you've created?"
Tears dripped down her face and Luc kissed them away tenderly.
"Aodhan can't have you. I won't allow it." He ran a hand down her cheek and whispered, "Daddy doesn't approve."
She raised her fist, but without looking Luc grabbed it and crushed the bones in her hand. She screamed and he chuckled and nibbled on her ear.
"You never cease to amaze me, Cara."
"Get this over with," she said through clenched teeth.
"I will, but let's have some fun first, shall we?"
Cara opened her eyes. She stood on the ledge of the bedroom window. Moonlight glinted off the lake and mountains and she knew this wasn't a dream. A slight breeze drifted over her and something brushed against her chest. She looked down and saw Sky cradled in her arms over the edge of the castle. She tried to step back into the room, but her legs wouldn't obey.
Needles of terror jabbed into her skin and she felt Luc unfurl within her. She tightened her hold on the sleeping Sky who murmured in her sleep and cuddled against her. Cara's arms began to tremble and she shook her head.
Please, please don't do this, Cara begged.
Luc didn't respond. His resolve was ice cold. His power consumed her absolutely and no matter how hard she fought, he smothered her as easily as he had when she was eight years old. She realized in a blind flash of clarity that in the caves Luc allowed her to fight for possession of the knife. Luc intended to stab her all along. Luc knew where Aodhan was most vulnerable and had known he would lift his scales to heal her. Luc hadn't exerted all of his power over her until now and she realized how foolish she'd been.
Luc forced her to move Sky away from her body and she did it while internally screaming and for the first time, begging. Despite her inner hysteria, Cara's arms were rock steady. Her eyes were clear and focused on Sky's angelic sleeping face.
Release her, Luc ordered.
Cara's arms obediently tipped Sky into nothingness. Her little body hurtled down into the depths of the night. Cara waited to hear her scream, but there was only silence. Cara tried to leap out of the window after Sky, but Luc wasn't finished. He forced her to turn, walk back into the bedroom and out into the hallway. Cara was numb with horror as Luc marched her through passageways and down the staircase. She didn't realize what was happening until she stood over her mother's bed, looking down at her face in the faint moonlight.
I'll do anything, Cara pleaded.
She watched her hands reach out and clamp around her mother's throat. Dawn's eyes flew open and bulged as she stared up at Cara. Luc exerted pressure while Cara tried to savage him, all to no avail. She was no match for him. Cara could hear wheezing and desperate sounds coming from her mother's throat as she thrashed beneath her.
A flash of silver caught her and Luc's attention a moment before pain rippled up their side. Luc didn't release his hold around Dawn's throat and Cara silently begged Dawn to do whatever it took. Dawn understood this. She lurched up and slid the blade into Cara's chest. Cara's hands loosened as pain took over. She staggered back and fell to her knees. Dawn reached into the nightstand and pulled out a gun. She slid out of bed and stood over Cara, coughing.
"Cara, is he still there?" Dawn bit out in a strained voice.
Cara tried to nod, but Luc wouldn't let her. She just stared up at her mother, knowing Luc was crouching deep inside her, waiting to lunge. Blood gushed from her chest and she prayed for death.
"Cara."
Power filled the room and Luc cursed. He forced Cara to her feet and she moved sideways so she could face Aodhan and her mother. He backed her towards the open window and she went willingly. As long as she wasn't hurting anyone else...
"Cara, come to me," Aodhan said.
Luc snarled inside of her and said, "She's mine."
Aodhan couldn't exorcise Luc without killing her. She felt her foot rise as she stepped up on the window ledge. Dawn dropped the gun and rushed forward. Cara tried to tell her about Sky, but Luc wouldn't let her speak. He was suffocating her, replaying the image of Sky falling over and over in her mind and her screams of anguish echoed back at her.
"Cara, I won't let him have you," Aodhan said quietly.
She was too deep in nightmares to process what he was saying. Something flew in from the open window behind her. Arms grabbed her from behind. She let out a bloodcurdling scream as she was engulfed in agony like she'd never felt before. There was the horrible smell of burning flesh
and then everything went electric blue.
Chapter Eighteen
The first thing Cara saw when she opened her eyes was Aodhan's face. She stared at him for a long moment before she remembered why her soul felt so heavy.
"Sky," she whispered and the tears came.
"She's alive."
She sat up and Aodhan wrapped his arm around her.
"Vanity saw you standing in the window. She caught Sky before she hit the ground. Sky's fine and doesn't remember anything. She slept right through it," Aodhan said.
She stared at him. "You wouldn't lie to me, right?"
"No. Dawn's fine. Once Vanity had Sky, she warned me. I got there in time."
Cara shoved away from Aodhan and got to her feet, trembling. Her family was alive.
"Do the Immortal Bond," she ordered.
He eyed her. "You want to be bonded to me for eternity?"
She gave an abrupt nod. "I love you and I want to live. You," she sucked in deep breath and put a hand over her aching heart, "you love me too. You shouldn't, but you do. You won't let me die and I wouldn't let you die. We're stuck with each other."
"You realize it's more than a band aid on your soul. It's beyond intimate."
"I feel like you're a part of me already," she said and felt her heart clench as if someone was using it for a stress ball. She braced her hands on knees to catch her breath. "I've never had anything close to normal in my life aside from Dawn and Sky and their love for me puts them at risk. I can't do it anymore. Whatever it takes to keep them safe and for me to keep you, I'll do it."
She didn't look up and therefore didn't see the broad smile on his face.
"If you can accept me for being half demon, I guess somewhere along the road, I'll learn to accept myself. I did horrible things in the past and I've tried to make up for them."
Cara brushed a hand over her side and chest where Dawn stabbed her. Damn, she was proud of her mom. She couldn't wait to hug her and Sky, but she had to get this out first. Luc showed her that she had no shields from him and she wouldn't see another soul until she was rid of him.
"You know, the night the curse broke and we stood on the cliffs, all I could think was I wanted to go back to the caves." She looked up and met his eyes, which were wary and puzzled. "I felt like an idiot because I wanted things to be simple. Up here, for me, not simple. I thought our bargain was up and I knew Luc wouldn't allow me to walk free."
She took him in. Brilliant turquoise eyes, the warrior stance and the power that filled the air would send any sane woman running in the opposite direction, but not her. She hadn't run from him as a dragon and she wouldn't run from him as a man. Her hands tingled with the need to touch him, but she had this overwhelming need to blurt out everything before he bonded himself to her.
"I never thought I'd live past my teens, but time passed and Luc allowed me to walk free. I took advantage of it and every day my only thought was to rid the world of one demon and then another. I never allowed myself to think of anything else because I knew one day, Luc would come for me."
She rubbed sweaty palms against the pajama pants she wore. Aodhan didn't move or say a thing. He was listening to every word and he hadn't moved towards the door, which was a good sign.
"You're talking about eternity when I can barely think of next week, but I don't care anymore. If I don't do this, Luc will keep using me as a plaything and I can't. I won't allow him to possess me again. Ever. Either I die or we do the Immortal Bond. I love my family, you and Linnea and maybe even Khan and if this bond works and I can have it, I want it. I want you."
Aodhan said nothing and she swallowed hard.
"I-If you'll have me," she finished awkwardly.
"Khan isn't lovable," Aodhan informed her.
"Yeah, he's an ass but he walks the straight and narrow and I admire that."
"That doesn't mean you love him."
She put her hands on her hips. "Why are we talking about Khan?"
"Because you said you love him."
"I meant..." She waved her hands wildly, "you know!"
Aodhan started forward and she braced herself. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up into a deep kiss that unraveled her. Tears burned her eyes. She could feel his love rushing through her. It burned away the terror that had dogged her since she was eight years old. Aodhan's hands moved over her and she felt his hands hook into the waistband of her pants and drag them and her panties away. She kicked them off and wrapped her legs around him a moment before he pinned her beneath him on the bed.
"Aodhan," she gasped a moment before he slid two fingers inside of her. "We have to do the bond!"
Aodhan let out a hiss when he found her wet and ready for him. His hand went to his pants and he stroked her juices over his cock and moved over her. He kissed her with excruciating focus and she felt her heartbeat escalate. Emotions welled up in her: joy, possessiveness, and lust.
Aodhan slid into her and all thoughts of talking disappeared. After she had her man, then they'd do the bond. She was suddenly ravenous. She craved him with a hunger so sharp, she felt as if she might die if they didn't brand one another. Her hands slid into his hair and gripped hard. Aodhan groaned and cupped her bottom to tilt her up to take all of him. Her thighs rubbed against the rough material of his jeans.
"You with me?" he growled.
"Yes," she gasped as he slid out and with one thrust, sheathed himself to the hilt.
"You love me?"
"Yes!"
"You'll be mine for eternity, Cara, I'll accept nothing less."
He raised himself to look down the length of their bodies so he could watch himself claim her. When his eyes came back to hers, they seared through her soul. She was desperate for him. Her hands moved restlessly over him, stroking and then clawing through his shirt, which he hadn't removed.
"Need you," she panted.
A feral grin curved his mouth before he braced his fists on either side of her and sped up his thrusts. Her body burst with sensation and her heart overflowed with love, need and ecstasy. When she climaxed, her nails raked him so hard that she tore his shirt. Aodhan loved it. That spurred him to his own climax and he spilled inside of her with a roar she was sure echoed to the dungeon.
He wrapped her up against him and turned onto his back with her splayed over him. He nuzzled her neck and drew in the scent of her hair as she panted. Although her body still quivered with aftershocks and she was deeply sated, her mind refocused.
"Need to do Immortal Bond," she mumbled.
"It's done."
It took her a few seconds to register what he said. She braced her hands on his chest and looked down at him.
"What's done?"
Aodhan's hands clamped over her sides and stroked. "Khan grabbed you from behind and shocked you with electricity. Luc wouldn't leave you so Khan carved him out while you were unconscious." When she just stared at him he added, "I'm glad you woke wanting the Immortal Bond. I was planning on chaining you in the dungeon until you agreed."
She tried to slide off of him, but he clamped his hands on her thighs, keeping her in place.
"I don't feel any different. Are you sure?" she demanded.
"You don't feel it?"
"Feel what?"
His face was relaxed and content as he looked her over. "Our hearts are beating in sync. When I woke, I could feel every emotion you were feeling. We needed to seal the bond with our bodies, but I felt how terrified you were. You didn't know Sky was alive, so I let you talk it out. Hearing you say you want the bond, want me, was a relief. I could feel you meant it." When she just stared at him, he continued, "I'm sure if you focus on me, you can feel what I'm feeling."
She was too rattled to see if this was true. "I thought I'd feel way different."
"How do you feel?"
She considered and then shrugged. "Good."
"Me too."
He sat up and slid her down his thighs until he was inside of her again. She fisted her hands in his
ruined shirt.
"I wanted to possess you from the moment you walked into my cave." He tightened his hold on her ass and shifted her effortlessly. "I wanted to take you the moment I woke as a man. Now, I have you."
He lifted her so only the tip of him was encased in her folds and then slowly slid her down again to take all of him.
"I can sense you're confused, happy and you want to fuck me into oblivion," Aodhan said with a wicked smile. "And I think you should."
"Is he really gone?" she whispered.
He cupped one side of her face and kissed her long and hard. "I'm the only one inside of you, Cara. From now on, it'll only be me."
Chapter Nineteen
Cara sat on an ancient rocking chair on the porch of Linnea and Granddad's tiny cottage. They lived on the opposite side of the mountain in a small cottage surrounded by fields of flowers. Cara could hear Dawn and Sky talking to Granddad, an old man who was missing two of his front teeth, had scraggly white hair and a heart made of gold. He cried when they arrived. He bowed to Khan and Aodhan who were uncomfortable with the gesture and the hero worship in his eyes. Granddad turned to Cara, took her hands in his and kissed them both reverently.
"Linnea told me you're bonded to one of the Ancients and you hunt demons," Granddad said.
Out of the corner of her eye, Cara saw Khan glare at Linnea who ignored him.
"That's true," Cara said.
"The world owes you a debt that no one can repay," Granddad said and his eyes filled with tears. "My mother was ripped apart by demons. The coven came, but it was too late."
Cara squeezed his withered, swollen hands. "I'm sorry."
"Life goes on, doesn't it?" Granddad said philosophically and turned his attention to Sky who held up a purple cookie covered in frosting and sprinkles. "That for me, lass?"
"It's a magic, happy cookie!" Sky declared.
Granddad released Cara and bit into the cookie with what teeth he had left. Seeing his face transform from excitement to contented joy was a wonderful thing to witness. Granddad leaned down to look into Sky's eyes.
Clutch of the Demon (Cursed Ancients Series Book 1) Page 20