Exquisite Breath of Darkness

by Candice Stauffer

  The pain caused her knees to buckle and legs to turn into jelly, but rather than allow her to freefall, he grabbed her arm and knelt down, slowing lowering her to the floor.

  Taking a breath, Mia looked into his eyes. “The only lesson I’ve learned from you is that you’re a pathetic bully. What’s happened to you, Demetri? Were all the other li’l boys on the playground mean to you? Did they push you around and call you mean, hurtful names?” He wasn’t going to stop. He was going to kill her. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she struggled to stand up as she reached for the mental link she shared with Joseph.

  Demetri shook his head. “Sorry, love. You waited a little too long. You should’ve called him to you the second you saw me. He would’ve heard you. He would’ve come to you. He would’ve saved you for the moment by affording you the opportunity to flee as I killed him. Now I’m in full control and he can’t hear you. He will not come.”

  Mia knew Demetri was lying. Joseph had once told her that nothing could ever prevent her from reaching him, and she believed Joseph. She knew Joseph well enough to know he was strong enough to take Demetri on. She realized that gaining control of her body was an impossible battle. The pain in her head was too excruciating to push aside. She stopped trying to get to her feet and shifted her entire focus and strength to her mind as she continued to reach for Joseph. She hoped, as he’d done so many times in the past, Joseph would simply bring her to him.

  “He wouldn’t do it even if he could hear you. If he tried to bring you to him, you would be ripped to pieces in the spells surrounding us. Think of it as a giant hedge of razor-sharp thorns. Now, stop trying to fight me. There’s no reason for you to increase the pain you’re experiencing.” He reached out to lift her chin. “I don’t plan to kill you … yet.”

  Mia couldn’t detect the slightest hint of Joseph’s presence or hear his voice in her mind, but she believed he could hear her and feel her reaching out to him. She figured her best option was to distract Demetri until Joseph arrived. She knew he wouldn’t let her down; he would be there in time. “I’m curious—why have you turned your back on your own people for Mary Tate?” Talking through the pain took a lot of energy. It left her feeling breathless and lightheaded. “She is evil.”

  He laughed softly. “You know I’m a demon, right?”

  “I know you’re a demon who has lost his mind.”

  “You think I’m insane?”

  The pressure was building. Oh, damn. Her head was going to burst. She was going to die. “Why else would you kill an innocent woman who would’ve loved and cherished you with every breath she took and instead choose to be with a filthy, nasty, murderous whore?”

  Demetri stared down at her for a few seconds. His cold, dark, lifeless gaze seemed to penetrate her soul as he studied her face. “I’ve no doubt you would’ve sacrificed your pitiful life to protect her from me though you didn’t know her. It amuses me to know that your need to fight against all that you perceive to be evil will eventually get you killed. You knew from the first second I walked inside I wasn’t here for you. This wasn’t your fight. You shouldn’t be involved in any fight at all. Some might accuse me of being old-fashioned, but I believe women were not created for war.” He stood up, and she had to kink her neck back to look up at him. “Women were created to be loved and protected regardless of the cost.” Pain. And deep sadness. She clearly heard it in his voice, and she saw it in his eyes a second before it was gone.

  “Get away from her!” The instant Mia heard Joseph’s voice the throbbing in her head vanished. Standing up, she looked up at him.

  Just sight of him caused flames to spread through her body. Clearly, he’d just been through hell to get to her. His shirt was ripped and splattered with blood. His hair was a mess, and he was covered in sweat. And? She blinked to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. Yep. His clothing was smoldering. Perhaps it was wrong to think it at the moment, but, in a nutshell, he looked sexy beyond her wildest imagination.

  She’d known all along he’d heard her and would come for her, but seeing him caused her heart to swell with pride. He’d heard her. He’d come for her. Unable to look away from him, she smiled when he glanced at her. But, shocking her, he returned her smile with a frown. His open display of disapproval left her feeling cold and alone. And just plain uncomfortable.

  Why? Well, she wasn’t exactly sure when or how it had happened, but he’d taken possession her heart and soul in a way that made her want to please him. Ridiculous? Yes. For her, wanting to please a man was insanity at its best. Considering the situation, she’d expected him to be angry. What shocked her, what bothered her, was that his anger seemed centered on her.

  “Are you a little out of shape, Joseph? It took much longer than I thought it would. I hadn’t even hoped to spend quality time with your go-getting little pooch. Years ago you could’ve taken out twice as many vampires in half the time it took you today. I’ve always said that inactivity causes one’s skills to diminish over time.”

  A dog? Mia glared at Demetri. Why the hell was he calling her a dog? Clearly, he’d never taken an honest look in the mirror. He was a nasty bully with terrible taste in women.

  Demetri shifted his gaze to hers. “In my opinion, if he were smart he would put a muzzle on you before you sink your teeth into some poor, unsuspecting idiot’s ass.” Then, obviously wanting to further insult her, he laughed out loud.

  Mia opened her mouth to respond, but she stopped when Joseph shot her just about the dirtiest look she’d ever received from anyone. “Do not,” he growled between clenched teeth.

  “I admit I was wrong. It appears you have started the training process with her. Do not give up on it too soon, Joseph. I see that she is quite obstinate, but I do believe with proper attention and discipline you’ll have a well-trained pet to play with.” Demetri lifted his lip in cruel smile. “When I first heard the rumor of you bringing her along while hunting vampires, I laughed at the thought. I didn’t believe it. Where were you when we decided women shouldn’t be involved in manly things? Besides making sure she is obedient, keeping her weak and dependant on you would make your life much easier.”

  As Demetri talked, Joseph positioned himself slightly in front of her and to the side. “You don’t belong here, Demetri.” Normally, Mia would’ve raised hell over him using his body as a shield rather than welcoming her to stand side by side with him to fight, but she knew better than to do anything to distract Joseph at that moment.

  “I used to know a couple with similar qualities many years ago. It’s rare. But you’ve also known one, Joseph, haven’t you? You will make the perfect fighting team just as your father and mother. One heart. One mind. One spirit. But history will repeat itself. You will end your existence rather than live with the memory of cradling her cold, bloodied, lifeless body in your arms because, just like your father, you don’t have what it takes to charge of your woman.” The room darkened, and Demetri’s image shimmered for a few seconds. Strange black flames surrounded and seemed to swallow him up, and then he vanished.

  “Oh, shit, he’s going after Brianna.”

  Glaring at her, Joseph shook his head. “She’s fine. Nikolas is watching over her.” Mia realized he was trembling. He glanced down at the cans of paint on the floor. “I’m sorry, but I can’t help you paint tonight.” Without looking at her again he turned around and headed for the door.

  “Hold on, Joseph.” Mia grabbed his arm and turned him around. “You’re a mess.” Very lightly, with the tips of her fingers, she touched a bruise on his face. “Are you okay? It looks painful.”

  “I’m fine,” he growled. For a moment, glaring down at her, his eyes turned solid black with tiny red flames burning brightly. He swiped her hand away from his face. “It’s nothing.”

  She glanced down in shock at the hand he’d swiped away from his face. The act of rejection had hurt enough to cause tears to attempt to well up in her eyes, but she wouldn’t allow him to see them. She bit back the tears. �
�Okay. I’ll see you later.” She tried to keep the pain from her voice, but it didn’t work at all.

  A look of disgust on his face, he took her hand in his even though it was clear he didn’t want to touch her. She knew he was trying to make her feel better, but he was doing a horrible job of it. He wasn’t making any attempt to mask his anger by softening his expression as he kept his gaze locked on to hers.

  She pulled her hand out of his. “Don’t get all freaky on me, Joseph,” she teased while taking a cautious step back. “I know you’re mad.” He took a bigger step toward her. “I don’t blame you.” He looked as frightening as he looked sexy. It was insane, but her pulse quickened with a mixture of fear and excitement. “I really didn’t like him either.” Attempting to put a little distance between them, she turned away from him and walked over to the spilt paint. She bent over to pick it up. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Why the fuck did you provoke Demetri?” His voice sounded like a deep, animalistic growl. Worse, the atmosphere felt heavy with his anger. “He could’ve killed you.”

  She didn’t dare turn around to face him, so she kept her back to him. “I’m a big girl. I know how to take care of myself.”

  “We both know you didn’t have a hope in hell of doing anything to protect yourself if he’d decided to kill you.”

  He was right, but she didn’t like him pointing it out. When she turned, her gaze collided with his. “I didn’t go out of my way to hunt him down. He walked in here. And I was doing my best to get rid of him.”

  “You know damn well that is not true.” He shook his head. “You were doing your best to keep Demetri’s focus on you so Brianna and Julie could escape without harm.”

  He was really starting to piss her off. He had no right to be angry at her. She had never handed him rulership over her actions, her life. She was an independent woman and very proud of it. She did as she pleased. “What’s your point?”

  “He wasn’t here for you. He was here for Brianna.”

  “Okay. Come on, Joseph. You know better than anyone else that I could never run away to protect myself and allow him to hurt her. I understand that it was dangerous, but like I said before, he came in here. I didn’t go out and look for him.”

  “If he had truly intended to harm her today, you wouldn’t have been able to stop him.”

  “But I knew you could stop him.”

  “You didn’t even know I would show up. You couldn’t feel me. You couldn’t hear me. You just hoped I could hear you. You hoped I would know you were in danger. Damn it, Mia. You hoped I would get to you before he killed you. You didn’t know a damn thing.”

  “That’s not true. You’ve told me hundreds of times that nothing could ever stop you from hearing me.” She paused to turn the meaning of his words over in her mind. “You’re mad at me because I believed in you?”

  “Do I matter to you at all?” Joseph closed the distance between them in a blur.

  “What are you talking about?” She tried to take a backward step, but she ended up with her backside pressed against the wall. “Of course you matter to me.”

  “What if he’d killed you?” He looked thoroughly pissed off, but she heard more pain in his voice than anger.

  She smiled up at him. “You would’ve killed him right back.” She’d hoped like hell humor would lighten his mood. It usually worked with him. Clearly, it wasn’t working at that moment. He looked even madder. He’d always been careful to avoid appearing upset. He always appeared calm. She couldn’t believe he was angry at her and wasn’t even attempting to hide it.

  “You are all that matters to me, Mia.” She felt his pain, and it caused her body to tremble. “From the moment we met, everything I’ve done has been because I love you. I need you to care enough to value your life. I refuse to even imagine a single day without you.” He paused. “Oh, damn it, Mia. I didn’t know if I could get to you before he killed you.”

  “But he didn’t. And you did.” She tried to step to the side, but he prevented it by resting his hands on the wall on either side of her head. She felt like a caged animal. “And I do value what’s left of my life. I knew you would get here in time to help me. But we both know that regardless of how much I care about you, it’s only a matter of time before I leave you. I don’t want to leave you. But I’m tired.” She paused. “I’m dying, Joseph.”

  “No.”

  “It’s true.”

  “Do not give up, Mia.” All at once, he gripped her wrists, lifted her arms above her head, and pinned her body against the wall with his. “You will not give up.” It wasn’t plea or a statement. It was a command.

  “You cannot use your power to force my body to do what it is simply unable to do.”

  “I can and I will.”

  “I don’t want to hurt anymore.” She closed her eyes; she couldn’t bear to look at the pain she saw in his. “You need to leave, Joseph.”

  “Fight for us.” He bent his head so that she felt the warmth of his breath of her lips. “Give your weakness and your pain to me. Don’t hold any of it back. Take all you need from me. My strength. My power. My love for you. Take it all. Allow it to sustain you.”

  “I can’t.” Guilt seemed to crush down on her from all sides. “I won’t do it anymore.”

  “Look at me.” When she opened her eyes, he asked, “Why?”

  She didn’t want to tell him, but she felt him moving in her mind, searching for the answer. And she knew, now that she’d opened her mouth, he would find it. “You lied to me, Joseph. You told me it wasn’t hurting you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I should’ve figured it out a long time ago. But the other day, you winced. Don’t even try to deny it. I’m not stupid. I know what I saw. I finally figured out what you were doing. Every time you were taking the pain away from me, you were bringing it into your own body.”

  * * *

  “Damn it, Mia.” Joseph released her wrists and gathered her up in his arms. “Why do you always have to be so damn stubborn?” He shouldn’t have allowed her to figure it out. Worse, she’d figured it out and he hadn’t realized it. “Taking your pain, knowing I am giving you relief, gives me pleasure.”

  “That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.”

  “Is it?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “And yet you were turned on when I walked in here looking like steaming pile of shit after getting my ass kicked to save you?”

  “Huh? I thought it was smoke, not steam.” She laughed out loud. “And you didn’t look like shit at all. You looked quite sexy in a buff, godlike warrior, man toy sort of way.” She looked up at him, and he saw the love she had for him in her eyes. He felt the love wash over him. “And you know it’s different.”

  “It’s not any different.” She was a clever woman, but he knew her better than she thought. She was using humor to take his attention away from the issue of her health. “If I was living with pain every minute of every day and you could offer me relief by carrying that pain, you would not hesitate to do so.” Easily lifting her by her waist, he turned her around and seated her on a nearby counter so they were eye to eye. “I’ve no intention of living without you.”

  “What do you mean?” Mia asked.

  He needed to figure out how her cancer was able to resist to his healing power. It didn’t make sense. Something was wrong, so very, terribly wrong. If he could just unravel the mystery, she would live. But as of yet, despite his nearly limitless power and thousands of years of knowledge, he couldn’t figure it out. “We aren’t only fighting this cancer to save your life. If you’re too weak to fight and you won’t allow me to fight for you, we both die. I will follow you wherever you go.”

  “Shut up. It’s not going to work. I won’t let you use some twisted guilt trip to get what you want from me.” Eyes wide and filled with sadness, she frowned at him. “I can’t believe you would do something this mean to get your way. How could you be cruel to me?”

 
“I’m a demon.”

  “That has the heart and soul of an angel.” She framed his face between her hands. “But nothing lasts for forever, Joseph. All that matters is that we make the best of the time we have together.” Scooting to the edge of the counter, she reached around his neck and pulled him closer. “It’s past time we start making better use our time together.” She wrapped her legs around him as she pressed her lips against his and kissed him passionately.

  Just like earlier in the day, she was holding nothing back. The taste of her kiss, of her love and lust combined, was the most delicious, addictive blend of sweet nectar he’d ever savored. Her nails scraping the back of his neck as she kissed him seemed to drug him. Her kiss was slow, tender, but very erotic, and his hunger for her rose quickly. Her lips were hot and incredibly soft moving against his.

  When she scooted even closer to the edge of the counter, he felt the heat of her core pressed against his swollen cock. She was seriously trying to kill him. He’d still been in pain from their earlier encounter. At once he was hard and painfully swollen with need for release. A fierce rush of sensual hunger overtook his every thought. He couldn’t resist the sweet offering of her love, her body, and her soul.