Demon's Mark: The Complete Series

by Nora Ash

  His mate responded sluggishly, winding her arms loosely around his neck again while she hummed appreciatively as he ravage her mouth.

  “More, then?” she breathed, quirking a small smile at him through her decidedly dazed expression.

  “Yes.” It was dark growl, and he felt her pussy clench involuntarily at the sound.

  Kain pulled out of her, and she groaned in protest when his ridges breached her entrance again, undoubtedly tormenting her swollen flesh. She was unable to do anything else before he had her flipped over to her stomach into the position his instincts would always crave to see her in—submissive and ready to be mounted.

  “Oh!” The small noise of surprise was followed by a grunt when he once more aligned his thick cock to her swollen pussy and pressed in. “Fuck!”

  He loved her sounds, even the low cussing when he immediately began pounding her without the gentle warm-up from before, and when she finally gave up on keeping it together and screamed for him, he felt his balls tighten with pleasure.

  Yes, this was it. Making love to her was blissful, but this—this was life itself. Protecting her from harm was a powerful instinct in itself, but the raw, unrelenting rhythm of mating his fertile Breeder until she could no longer bear it and her body surrendered to his seed was every bit as strong.

  * * *

  When he finally came, roaring from primal need to voice his claim yet again, she’d long since lost the ability to scream, and the final climax he pushed from her shuddering pussy was only accompanied by her hoarse cry and weakly convulsing body.

  Kain collapsed on top of her, only barely remembering to catch most of his weight on his arms before he crushed his small female.

  Everything was bliss. Bliss, and calm.

  The mating after the auction had been immediately followed by the urge to shield her from his kin, but this time …. This time, there was nothing to stop the rush of hormones flooding his system with peace and bone deep happiness. He belonged here, inside of her, protecting her body and bathing in the light of her soul for as long as he remained on this Earth.

  “That was beyond amazing.”

  The sleepy voice pulled him from his thoughts, and he nuzzled at his mate’s hair to let her know he was listening.

  “I told you you were worrying over nothing.”

  Worrying? Kain frowned. Why would he be worrying? He’d never been this unworried in his entire life.

  It wasn’t until Selma moved a little, trying to get into a more comfortable position, and gasped in pain when his ridges caught inside of her, that he remembered.

  The monster within, the one that’d reveled in pounding her ruthlessly as she screamed underneath him, had fought its way to the surface, despite his promise to himself never to force her like he had at the auction.

  “Forgive me.” He spoke the words before he could stop himself, biting down hard on his lip after they escaped him. He did not deserve forgiveness—not when he couldn’t even feel truly sorry while his body was still light from having claimed his mate so thoroughly.

  “What?” She sounded astounded. “Forgive you for what, exactly? The mind blowing sex?”

  “I was rough with you,” he growled as the self hatred nestled heavily in his stomach. He was exactly like his father, and he’d ruin this woman like his father had ruined his mother by his mere presence in her life—because clearly, he was too weak to stay away from her. As gently as he could he lifted off her, pulling his softening member from her swollen channel.

  She winced at the slow process, fidgeting until he finally popped out of her and his semen dripped out to soothe her red opening.

  When he rolled to his back and hid his face in his hands in an attempt at stemming the onslaught of guilt, he heard Selma scoff—and then her soft body wrapped itself around his, her head resting over his heart.

  “Some demon you are,” she murmured. “Apologizing for being a bit rough. You didn’t hurt me—you know that, right? I’m not some fragile little flower.”

  She clearly had no concept of how goddamn breakable she seemed, compared to his kind.

  “You wanted it gentle and sweet, and I ruined it. Like I always will. I’ll never be able to hold back with you,” he mumbled, too ashamed to even look at her.

  To his utter surprise, she chuckled softly, the breath from her lips brushing against his chest in a teasing caress.

  “But you did give me ‘gentle and sweet’, you big oaf. You made love to me, until I asked for more. And then you fucked me just the way I needed you to. Do you not remember how you let me take charge? I know you have scars that will take time to heal, but this guilt you carry is misplaced. Everything you’ve ever done to me I’ve loved, even after the brand’s spell has withered. We’ll be in Colorado tomorrow, and I ….” She paused, her voice losing steam. “I want the memory of tonight to be about how, even through all the horrors and everything I’ve lost, there was you—the one good thing in this world of darkness I’ve been sucked into.”

  Kain lay still, breathing in her calming scent as her words settled in his mind and body. That sore thing in his chest hummed softly, as if trying to alert him to something, but he was too busy replaying what she’d said to pay it any mind.

  He’d never been called good before, and he’d most certainly never been the one positive thing anyone held on to in the darkness.

  The ironic thing about that was that she was like a ray of light to him—he could almost see the bright shimmer around her when he looked at her.

  And tomorrow, he would lose her forever.

  She was right—there was no point in wasting this limited time on regrets. He could do that on his way back from Colorado, and—he suspected—every day for the rest of his existence.

  Pulling her in closer to where his chest ached, he bent his head to kiss the crown of hers. For tonight, he would forget everything apart from how perfectly the woman he could call his for one more day fit in his embrace.

  * * *

  The closer they drew to the place circled on their map over Colorado, the gloomier Selma’s mood became.

  Waking up that morning wrapped up in the embrace of Kain’s warm body, as if she was something precious he was protecting against the rest of the world, had been bittersweet, because she knew it was for the last time. He’d given her the one night she’d asked for—a night without worries or regret—and now it was time to face reality again.

  A reality in which she had been given the gift of freedom.

  Selma pressed her forehead against the car’s passenger side window. Even acknowledging the small murmur of reluctance at accepting her freedom was an insult to the male who’d claimed her. She knew every instinct in his body would be screaming at him to keep her by his side so he could breed her the way his kind always had with women like her, and yet here he was, bringing her to to the Sanctuary himself.

  If he could fight against his instincts for her, then so could she.

  The slowing of the car made her turn around to look at the demon. “Why are we stopping?”

  “It’s here. I can feel it.” His nostrils flared, and he clenched his big hands around the steering wheel in obvious agitation. “There’s a pretty strong repellent along the border—it’s making me itch to turn around and leave.”

  Selma frowned. “Are you sure? I can’t feel anything, and we’re in the middle of nowhere.”

  “Oh, I’m sure.” He gave her a short glance before unbuckling his seat belt and opening the driver side door. “It’s got demon-specific wards mixed in with it. I’m guessing regular humans will also avoid the place without ever thinking about why, but there’s a little extra in there to ensure we stay out.”

  She followed him out of the car, looking in the direction he was staring at with narrowed eyes. “So … somewhere in there is a Sanctuary for women like me? It just looks like normal road and woodland.”

  “Yes, in there, you can be safe, little one.” His voice turned soft, despite the discomfort making him
fidget irritably. He raised a hand, letting dark tendrils of magic flow from his palm. “Watch.”

  She did, and gasped in surprise when the dark mist hit an invisible wall. Sparks flew from the contact, and the tendrils shifted, outlining the border as it sought a way through the barrier.

  “I’ve never asked how your magic works,” she said, suddenly realizing how little she actually knew about him and his race, despite what she’d learned since arriving at Ravenswood House. It felt … wrong, somehow. Like she was leaving behind an unfinished puzzle she should have completed. Everything in her life had always revolved around the monsters she saw, and now she was leaving it all behind without ever fully understanding the purpose of it all.

  “It doesn’t matter.” He turned around, cupping her face between both hands. “You are free from it all now.”

  Her heart clenched uncomfortably in her chest as she let her eyes find his black gaze. “Kain, I ….”

  “Go.” Stopping her words before she even knew what she wanted to say, he bent down and kissed her lips so softly she only felt his heat as a gentle brush before he pulled back, releasing her face. “Go, my mate, and be free.”

  * * *

  “Goodbye.”

  It was the last thing she said to him, before she turned around and—with a determined intake of breath—walked towards the barrier he could not penetrate.

  When she stepped through, every cell in his body felt the loss of his claimed mate, like a sickening emptiness spreading from where the ache in his chest pulsed painfully.

  He would never, ever be whole again without her, just like his father had never truly recovered after the loss of his mate, but it didn’t matter.

  This burden he would gladly carry, if it meant that the light within the woman who’d claimed his soul without ever realizing it would never be dimmed by the darkness inside of him.

  But the sight of her walking farther and farther away from him would haunt him for an eternity.

  As if she felt his pain, her steps faltered maybe ten yards in, and then she turned around to look at him, her brows drawn in.

  Something was wrong.

  “Selma?”

  The urge to protect her was stronger than the repellent from the barrier, and he stepped closer to the invisible wall in a futile attempt at reaching her.

  Her mouth moved, but he couldn’t hear what she said—apparently, the damned thing separating them was also soundproof.

  And then she tensed, her entire body seizing up as if in cramp, before she keeled over, one hand pressing against her abdomen.

  “Selma!”

  Without conscious thought, his dark magic welled up from his core. He slung it at the wall with as much force as he could muster, wild with fear. She needed his help, and she needed it now!

  “Selma!” Kain roared her name again, not caring that she couldn’t hear him. She was curled up on the ground, her body no longer writhing in pain. Instead, she lay so still on the road he couldn’t even tell if she was still breathing.

  His powers poured through his body and out of his hands, hammering against the barrier again and again. It was made from old, strong magic, but even if he had to drain every drop of his essence to bring it down, he would do so to get to her—the light he would do anything to protect.

  Yet as he stared at her crumbled form, he knew he wouldn’t be able to break through in time.

  * * *

  Cherished

  Cherished

  “Selma!”

  Kain threw yet another violent wave of energy at the wall separating him from his collapsed mate. He knew she couldn’t hear his call, but the sound of her name helped him focus his efforts.

  He should never have let her go—should have kept her by his side where she would be safe forevermore. But he had felt guilt, and because of his lack of a spine, she was in serious trouble.

  Never again.

  “Selma!”

  With the next surge of power he felt as well as heard the faintest hint of a crack in the barrier. It wasn’t enough to break through, but it was something. He would get to her, even if he had to drain his own life essence to do so.

  Just as he was about to let another discharge free, movement further down the road, behind the wall, caught his attention. There were people coming down it—three women on foot.

  Kain snarled. Though he knew they couldn’t hear him, they could most definitely see his rage, judging from their terrified faces.

  Slowly, deliberately, he gathered his dark power in a mist around his body, before pointing to Selma’s unmoving figure.

  The gesture was clear—either they help her, or he would pull the fucking barrier down around their ears—and it seemed to register with the women. Two of them noticed Selma and rushed to her side, while the third kept a wary eye on him.

  They were talking to each other, but he couldn’t read their lips. Couldn’t see what they said about his little mate’s condition.

  The anxious wait made him pace as the women took her pulse and pressed at her body. After a moment, the female not at Selma’s side disappeared back down the road.

  It felt like an eternity until finally, the two remaining women lifted her up between them. However, instead of carrying her straight to him, they paused on the other side of the wall, sending him nervous glances.

  As if he gave two shits about them!

  Angrily, he gestured at them to bring her out, but they still hesitated. Then one of them pointed down the road, behind him.

  They wanted him to back away.

  It was physically painful to put more distance between himself and the passed out woman he was bound to, but he understood that it was the only way they would dare leave the safety of the barrier. So he did.

  Only when he was about fifty yards away did they finally move forward, breaching the wall as if it was nothing but air. They carried her limp body out with them, and despite his near-painful concern over her unconscious state something dark and hollow deep within eased now that she was no longer behind the his enemies’ magic protection.

  “What’s wrong with her?” he called the second they were through, worry making his voice hitch.

  They looked up, startled, but didn’t reply. As soon as they’d lowered Selma to the ground, they retreated back to the safety of their Sanctuary.

  Cowards. But it didn’t matter—they had brought her out to him, and that was all he cared about.

  Kain was by her side in seconds. He knelt down on the ground so he could examine her himself.

  She was still breathing, and when he checked her pulse it seemed to be getting steadier with each beat.

  “What happened, little one?” he mumbled, gently stroking her hair away from her face. Now that he could touch her and see that she wasn’t in overt danger any more, the fear bubbling in his stomach was settling down. Still, until she opened her eyes and spoke to him, he would not let his relief distract him from his need to keep her safe.

  As gently as he could, he lifted his human mate so she was resting against him. Underneath the worry, there was relief—but it was at having her with him again, rather than her current state of health. Every part of his being had felt the loss of her when she crossed through the barrier, and now every part of him felt her return. It was intoxicating.

  The low hum he made, just for her, rumbled from his chest before he even realized what he was doing, but he made no attempt at quelling it once he did. It was the sound a demon male made to soothe his mate, and at this moment, it didn’t matter that she’d told him goodbye. She was still his to protect.

  “Selma, wake up for me, beautiful.”

  The soft cooing he couldn’t hold back, however, and the sound of it made him cringe. He’d overheard Thomren do that for Meredith on the few occasions he’d been allowed into their home after Thomren had claimed her, and the ridiculousness of speaking to a grown woman like that had made him roll his eyes at his second in command.

  As it turned out, it wasn’t all
that easy to control.

  “I take it she’s your mate?”

  The clear, feminine voice rang across the silent road and made Kain’s head snap up. Every muscle in his body tensed, and his lip curled up in an involuntary snarl. Without taking his eyes off the faintly shimmering blond woman who’d just stepped through the barrier, he got to his feet in front of Selma, hunched over and ready to repel an attack.

  She wasn’t the first goddess he’d seen, but she was the first one who’d snuck up on him when he had been too preoccupied to notice.

  “Why are you here?” she demanded. Though she didn’t take a defensive stance, she was obviously watching him closely. “Did you follow the girl?”

  “I brought her here for protection, but your barrier harmed her. I swear by the stars themselves, if you have injured my mate I will rip your heart out through your throat!”

  The goddess’ eyebrows crept up a millimeter. “You brought her here?”

  Kain felt his nostrils flare with anger at her disbelieving tone. “That is none of your concern. You will tell me what’s wrong with her, and then you will fix it. Now.”

  Golden eyes leveled a haughty stare at him, but then they shifted behind him, fixating on Selma.

  “Move aside, demon. I will tend to her.”

  “I am going nowhere,” he told her flatly. She may be a goddess and therefore possess healing abilities that he did not, but he didn’t trust any of her kind, and most especially not with his unconscious mate.

  The goddess huffed, but moved past him with only a short glance in his direction. Apparently, his desperation for Selma’s safety was obvious enough that the blonde wasn’t too concerned he might lash out and risk putting his mate in danger.

  She knelt by Selma’s side and let her hands slide over her face and down her torso. Kain had to dig his nails into his palms to stop himself from tackling the goddess to get her away from his mate. Everything in him screamed ‘danger’ at her presence, and allowing her to touch Selma ….