by Brenda Trim
Landing on something soft, he was relieved to hear the grunt from a fellow pack member. He was injured badly, but Orlando didn’t have time to stop and help. Bouncing to his feet while trying to avoid the injured shifter beneath was impossible so Orlando gave up and focused on killing the skirm that had attacked from behind.
“You assed out motherfucker,” Orlando snarled one of Bhric’s favorite taunts as he slashed the skirm’s chest.
The mindless minion let out an ear-piercing wail before Orlando ended the matter quickly. Waving the ash away, he quickly scanned the area for Ember. She was nowhere to be seen. The archdemon was still perched on her the same branch smiling maniacally. He expected an evil cackle to leave her lips any second.
“You and your partner won’t win,” Orlando called up to her as ashed another skirm charging towards him.
“Ha, guess you’re not as dumb as you look. No matter, you’ll still lose. Lucifer will be free soon,” the demoness informed Orlando before tossing a spell from her hand.
Orlando was prepared when the Dark magic came his way. He waited, making the demon think he was as stupid as she insinuated. At the last second he swiveled to the side. A nearby skirm screamed and threw its head back when the magic hit its chest.
That evil laugh echoed above him, pissing Orlando off. What the fuck was so funny? An uneasy feeling settled in his gut, but he didn’t have time to ask any further questions.
Surrounded by three skirm, Orlando surprised them by taking the offensive and charging two of them. He pushed them to the outer rim of the circle of bodies where he could move freely. Stabbing out, he ashed one and then another in rapid succession. He heard Ember’s curse and his heart settled at the sound.
Unfortunately, her expletive was followed by a cry of pain. Rushing to the sound of her voice, Orlando stumbled as he saw the skirm that had been hit with the Dark magic transform into a grotesque cross between a pus demon and a human. He caught sight of a skirm lifting Ember off the ground by her throat before burying its fangs in her shoulder. A river of red flowed from the wound as Ember thrashed against his hold.
Palming another weapon from the sheath at his lower back, Orlando pushed off a nearby tree and launched himself at the skirm. He hit and the three of them went sailing toward the ground. There was no way for Orlando to block Ember from a hard landing so he focused on killing the creature. His blade sank into flesh that oozed green pus.
At first, nothing happened and Orlando thought he’d have to hack its head off. Pushing the weapon deeper, he felt when it popped through the outer wall surrounding the heart and the demon fell on top of Ember as a rotten stench filled the air and overpowered the purity of new-fallen snow.
“Are you okay?” he asked as he lifted off the delectable female.
No answer came as he stared at her closed eyes. His leopard howled in his head. He couldn’t lose another female. Forcing himself to take a deep breath and calm down, he took stock of the situation. Reaching over, he felt a faint pulse at her neck and was relieved to know she was breathing. Gently picking her up to carry her to Jesaray house, he noted the fight around him was winding down.
The pack healer didn’t have Jace’s natural ability to heal wounds and illness, but he could save her. He had the anti-venom injection and needed to get it into her pronto. The flesh around her shoulder was already turning necrotic and rotting and she was losing so much blood. The only explanation he could come up with was it had to be the Dark magic in the air around them. Skirm bites didn’t cause this much destruction.
He had to remind himself Ember was a shifter and tough to kill. If Ember were human she’d be dead. Surely, Fate wasn’t so cruel that she would take another female just because Orlando was attracted to her. He was beginning to feel cursed. Grimly, his mind whispered he might have an enchantment on him. The idea wasn’t so ridiculous as he recalled the centuries Jace lived under the evil spell of Angelica without knowing it.
He silently prayed to the Goddess to spare Ember’s life. If she did he would walk away and leave her to find happiness with another. He owed her that.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Goddess,” Ember groaned beneath her breath.
The attempt at blinking her eyes open sent them wide as her whole body went taught on instinct. A scream trapped in her throat as razors sliced her insides. She’d never felt such pain. Everything hurt, even her hair, but the worst was her shoulder. Her vision was blurry but she knew it had more to do with the fact she wasn’t wearing her glasses.
It took a minute to recall why she hurt so badly and when she did she immediately panicked. Surely the issue resolved in their favor. She doubted demons would stitch up a wound and put her in a comfortable bed much less allow her Omega to add his healing powers.
The comforter beneath her fingers was soft and inviting. Slowly moving her eyes, she noticed it was dark blue and the furniture in the room was large and sturdy mahogany. She was in Jesaray house. Her heart raced when she realized how close she’d come to dying.
For Hayden to have added his healing energy, her injury must be severe. She’d never forget the feeling of acid burning her flesh as teeth imbedded in her left shoulder. It had raced toward her heart so rapidly that she wondered if it would kill her, or worse, change her into something else.
She’d heard the stories about how all kinds of females, both supernatural and human, were transformed into a demon crossbreed after being bitten. If memory served, one of the Dark Warriors was mated to a vampire that had been changed by the previous archdemon.
She felt like herself, she thought, as she did a mental inventory. Her cougar was resting in the back of her mind, soaking up Hayden’s energy as she healed. Aside from the pervasive pain, she was hale and whole, albeit battered and bruised.
Low murmurs brought her out of the dreamlike state. Hayden and Zeke were close to whatever room she was in. She acknowledged she’d never been in any rooms except the large family room and kitchen at Jesaray house.
Listening closely, she caught Hayden’s annoyed voice. “I have agreed with the edict of remaining hidden from the humans until this point,” the Omega snapped.
Ember imagined him standing with his arms crossed and the muscle along his jaw jumping as he clenched his teeth.
“And, we have the most to lose if the humans learn of us,” Zeke objected. His masculine timber was familiar and comforting, but no longer affected her like it used to. “The humans will throw us in their labs and test whatever random bullshit they see fit on us. We would be a boon to their scientists.”
“You don’t need to remind me,” Hayden barked. “I know with our human qualities we would be the perfect combination for them, but we are stronger than them. We can overpower them. These new demons have changed the game. Ember is brilliant for discovering that were two archdemons and probably saved many lives tonight because of it.” Ember preened at hearing the praise from her Omega.
“They have not hesitated to bring the humans into this war, and, I for one, think we should use them and their weapons of mass destruction to eliminate the enemy. Think about it. They would call in their military and aide us in keeping the rest of the humans safe. This is too much for us to do on our own. The Dark Warriors are taxed and we can’t help them this time. It would leave the pack too vulnerable,” Hayden mused.
Ember’s mind was reeling from what she heard. She had to do something. The only one that came to mind was Orlando. She quickly sat up on the side of the bed and hung her head until the world stopped spinning. The t-shirt someone had put on her was huge and smelled like Hayden. Surely, he didn’t change her out of her bloodied clothes. She glanced to the side table to see if her glasses were there but didn’t see them. Lifting a hand, she ran a hand through her hair only to discover it was a knotted mess.
Needles shot through her feet when she stood then turned to hot coals after she took a few steps. A quick glance out the window told her she was on the first floor of the house. Searching the room, s
he found her boots at the end of the bed. Her feet objected to the mere idea of being shoved into the steel-toed monstrosities. However, the sticks, stones, and pinecones that littered the forest floor would be even worse.
Unhappy with her options, she elected to sneak out and shift then run home and change into comfy shoes before heading out to find Orlando. He’d most likely be out patrolling, but she’d stop by Zeum first. Nate seemed to like her. Maybe she could schmooze him into sharing Orlando’s patrol schedule. It was either that or drive around the city sniffing out the window for his scent. She’d rather search for the proverbial needle in a haystack than try the latter.
The sash lifted soundlessly and she pushed the screen from the frame before she slid out and landed on the rough dirt.
“Shitmotherfuckerdammittohell,” she rambled in agony as pain wracked her body.
The cold night air stole the breath from her lungs. Taking a moment to gather her strength, she listened to see if the males had heard her curses. Thankfully, Zeke and Hayden continued discussing the merits of coming out to the humans.
Ember agreed with Hayden. Not that she minded protecting humans, but supernaturals were engineered in ways they were not. Hayden was right. Humans had weapons that could help in this battle. A small part of Ember’s conscious nagged at her that the humans would just as easily turn the weapons against them. Shoving that thought away, Ember resolved to seek the help Hayden needed to come out to the humans. Supernaturals were dying alongside the humans because of the demons. Surely, Orlando would see the wisdom in Hayden’s idea.
White light enveloped Ember as she called her cougar. Welcoming the Goddess’s magic into every cell greatly lessened the agony. The shift always healed injuries and this time was no different. Taking off into a quick lope, Ember skirted the heavier populated areas, not wanting to stop and discuss what had happened with anyone she might run into.
A familiar masculine musk reached her nostrils and she stopped in her tracks several feet from her small cottage. Cocking her head, she called the change back to her human form. What the hell was Orlando doing in her house?
Intent on finding the answer to that question, she rushed inside then shut the door behind her. No lights were on but she could see flames dancing in the fireplace next to the sofa. She walked further inside the living room and saw him sprawled across the adjacent sofa, sleeping peacefully. He must be exhausted if he didn’t hear her enter the house.
Glancing down, she remembered she was naked and scurried to her bedroom to grab her robe. She winced a little as the garment slid over her shoulder, causing it to throb from the contact. Tying the silk sash, she grabbed her spare pair of glasses then walked back to the living room and sat on the floor next to where Orlando was sleeping.
He was gorgeous. She inhaled deeply, appreciating his masculine smell. His scent called to her primal nature and her mouth watered at the sight of his flawless features. Perfectly bronzed skin that she wanted to caress. And a muscular body that had her core weeping with need. She hated to admit it but she had never been so attracted to a male before. She reached over and ran a hand through his silky white hair.
“What the fuck?” Orlando shouted as he jumped and sat up, ready to attack.
“It’s just me,” she muttered as she rolled her shoulder and rubbed at the dull ache.
Surprisingly, it was feeling much better. His demeanor softened when he realized it was her.
“We gave you the anti-venom. It will take some time but you will heal,” he explained.
She glanced up at him and her mind stuttered as the heat in his green eyes burned through her. As if answering a call, her body leaned closer towards him.
Shaking her head, she fisted her hands in her lap to keep from running them up the hard planes of his chest. “I heard the scientists finally mastered the antidote. That’s got to be a huge relief for the warriors.”
His pupils dilated and his eyes began glowing. “It’s a major step in the right direction. Feels like it’s the only progress we’ve made in the centuries fighting this war. Makes skirm bites almost as pleasant as the last vampire I dated.”
He laid back down on the sofa and leaned on a bent arm, which put him at eye level with her. He reached over and removed her glasses and she felt naked and vulnerable. His gaze penetrated deep inside as his body heat scalded her.
Or it could’ve been the sudden flash of anger from the implication a vampire had sunk her fangs into him. Ember was territorial by nature and didn’t like the thought of any other female laying a hand on the delectable male in front of her.
It didn’t matter if he belonged to her or not. She wanted him and could tell he wanted her, too.
“You guys have to deal with that all the time,” she mused aloud, changing the direction of her thoughts. “How do you continue going into battle knowing you could be bitten again? Speaking of, will I turn into another creature now?”
Orlando reached over and ran the back of his hand over her cheek, causing blood to flush her skin.
“No, you should be fine after the shot you received. We took a vow to serve the Goddess. We are all that stands between humanity and the demons, not to mention, the realm,” he declared.
“About that,” she began, seeing an opening. “Don’t you think its time to involve the humans in this battle? They aren’t entirely helpless, you know.”
“No they aren’t, but we are just as likely to become their targets. Humans lose all sense when they become afraid and they lash out and attack before stopping to gather the information. History tells us exactly how dangerous their reactions can be. I know you were around for the burnings at the stake, the lynchings and Inquisition, among other atrocities. Most of those were committed against other humans, but supernaturals were involved, as well. Humans just didn’t know it. What do you think they will do to a bunch of beings that are superior to them in every way?” he asked pointedly.
“I don’t deny that history is not in our favor, but Hayden believes its time to come out of the dark and I happen to agree with him. Won’t you even talk to Zander about it? The Vampire King, above all, should be more open to humans given that his mate used to be one,” she acknowledged.
His hand trailed down her neck and when his finger traced the small tattoo a shiver ran down the length of her body.
“I don’t know that I agree with Hayden on this one. If I look at the bigger picture I see it backfiring, but I will mention it to Zander,” he offered as he continued rubbing her skin, distracting her thoughts.
“Thank you,” she murmured. “Now, why are you in my house?”
A corner of his mouth lifted and a solemn look crossed his face. “When I saw how severe your injury was and how much blood you were losing, I thought I was going to…anyway…I couldn’t leave until I knew you were okay. I started out patrolling the area in case the demon doubled back and ended up here,” he said, his words fading away as he shrugged.
Tilting her head back, she watched his eyes become a bright shade of green, reminding her of springtime at the Grove. His lips parted slightly and he leaned close enough to where their mouths were scant inches apart. When she felt his hot breath against her face, all intentions of rejecting him or stopping his lips from touching hers flew out the window.
He had pushed her away but the memory of the explosive kiss they shared had her wanting more. And, she’d be damned if she allowed pride to get in the way of experiencing another moment with Orlando.
She moaned into his mouth when their lips touched. He tasted of beer and spicy food and her stomach rumbled with hunger, but when his tongue licked her lower lip, everything evaporated except her appetite for him.
She automatically opened her mouth and slid her tongue along his. They tangled wetly and he wrapped his hands around her waist, pulling her onto the sofa so she lay on top of him. One hand slid up the back of her leg and clutched her bare ass underneath the robe while the other tangled in her matted tresses. She didn’t care that her ha
ir was a mess. Her body had been on a slow burn since catching his scent and now it was a blazing inferno.
Clawing at his shirt, she broke the kiss, panting, “Take this off.”
She moved just enough to where he had room to pull the lightweight sweater over his head then she sat up and straddled his hips. She untied the sash of her robe and slid the garment off her shoulders, enjoying the way his eyes drank in the sight of her nude body.
“You are so fucking sexy,” he murmured as he pulled her flush against the hard line of his body.
Placing open-mouthed kisses along her cheek to her jaw, he squeezed her backside. She whimpered when she felt his fingers inch closer to her drenched core from behind and she lifted her ass, wanting him to touch her where she needed it most.
“Patience, Wildcat. All in good time,” he murmured.
She was coming to love the sound of him calling her that. She would love nothing more than to introduce him to her animal.
“You aren’t going to stop in the middle of this, are you?” she panted as she recalled how he’d pulled away and denied her.
It still stung that he’d rejected her, but her body’s demand was in overdrive and she couldn’t slow down.
“An attacking horde of demons couldn’t stop me from fucking you. I could’ve lost you tonight,” he growled against her throat then licked the sensitive area below her ear.
He may deny his feelings for her, but there was no denying he wanted her and that was good enough for now.
Her head fell back as he kissed between her breasts and her hands slid across the hard planes of his chest. His breath wafted over one of her nipples, heating the pert tip until her flesh burned from need. She was ready to shove the hard tip between his lips when he chuckled and sucked it into his mouth.
Her fingernails dug into the solid flesh of his pectorals earning a groan from him. Ember’s breath caught as pleasure shot from her nipple to her clenching womb. She arched, pressing more flesh into his mouth. He squeezed her other breast as his tongue and teeth tortured her nipple. Her core rippled when his fingers went further and found her pool of wetness. A gasp left her throat as she lost her mind from the pleasure of him touching her sex.