by Nora Ash
“…over the girl, and I won’t rip your throat out.”
Selma just caught the tail end of the biggest of the demons’ sentence, but it was enough to make her shudder with recognition. That rough voice laced with cruelty could only belong to Naharan.
“She doesn’t belong to you—she belongs to my brother, as you well know. Remember how you tried to steal her from him, and in the process betrayed everything that is sacred to our kind?” Kesh nonchalantly tipped the rocket launcher so it rested against his hip, but despite his seemingly relaxed pose he was obviously ensuring that he kept his own body between her and the danger.
The Prince snarled at the mention of Kain and spat on the floor. “The presumptuous filth is not worthy of her. She belongs with me—with royalty. Besides, where is he now? Not here, guarding the Breeder. He let his imbecile of a baby brother to that. Seems to me he doesn’t deserve the honor of a mate. This is your last chance—give me the girl, or die.”
Kesh’s response was to fire the weapon.
Everything exploded into movement and noise. The demons managed to throw themselves out of the way in time, causing the rocket to connect with the far wall with a fiery boom instead.
The concrete shattered into pieces. Selma threw herself to the floor behind Kesh as the demons attacked, shrouded in a black cloud of sizzling magic, protecting her head with her arms from the rain of dark fire.
Shouts and growls tore through the air, and through the mayhem she heard Kain’s booming voice. Their trap had snapped shut. Now all that was left to do was hope they were stronger than the Prince and his followers.
“Let’s get you out of the way, hmm?” A dark voice grunted above her, followed by a set of strong arms lifting her up from her the floor.
Selma shrieked at the unexpected touch, but she caught a glimpse of the demon who pulled her from the center of the battle’s face and relaxed some. Kirigan.
He took her to the edge of the warehouse, his fingers skimming over the cuts on her face in a brief check, and then put her down behind a couple of crates.
“Stay here. You cannot get hurt.”
She stared up at the older demon who looked so much like his oldest son, apart from the dark hair and soulless eyes. He had been the first to side with her when she suggested that they use her as bait, seemingly not too concerned with any risk to her. Yet as he stared down at her for the briefest of moments, she could have sworn that there was genuine worry somewhere beyond the pained despair in his deadened gaze.
Then he was gone, back to join the fight, and Selma was left to cower alone behind her shelter.
It wasn’t the intention that she should join in. Kain had been very, very firm on that point, reminding her how completely her attack on the Queen had drained her. Yet as she saw the man she loved fight against the creature who had tried to force them apart, saw his broken family rail around him to protect the two of them from being torn apart again, she knew she couldn’t just hide in the corner like some damsel in distress. Not when she had finally been given the power she needed to defend herself, after years of being a victim.
The two groups—Naharan and the nine females on one side, and Kain, Kesh and their father on the other—seemed fairly evenly matched. After the attack on the roadside in Colorado, they hadn’t expected that Naharan would bring along many—if any—supporters, opting instead for speed and stealth. They had obviously miscalculated, and Selma didn’t like the sudden chance that they might not win. That Kain ….
The real risk that he might die suddenly became clear when the Prince leapt across the room, twisted his body out of the way of Kain’s dark magic and landed a blow to her mate’s head. The claws on his other hand ripped a long, red gash across Kain’s back, making him roar loudly. He swung around just in time to shove Naharan off his back, narrowly avoiding decapitation.
Selma’s heart stopped dead in her chest as the man she loved staggered dangerously. It only took him a few seconds to regain his momentum and turn on Naharan with a fierce snarl, but it was enough for her to realize exactly what she could lose this night.
Everything.
The white light burst out of her before she’d even made a conscious effort to summon it.
* * *
He had only seen her light twice before, but he instantly recognized the bright shine of power out of the corner of his eye when he faced off against the Prince.
Selma.
Worry made him look towards her to see if she was in some sort of trouble, despite his need to focus on his attacker. The absolutely murderous intent in her eyes that were locked on Naharan had him diving for the floor just as a wave of white energy crashed through the room. Glass and wood shattered where it connected, catching two of the Prince’s accomplishes in its wake, though Naharan himself managed to duck at the last moment.
That girl was going to be the death of him. Possibly literally, if she didn’t get a better aim.
Pushing aside his urge to rush to her and ensure she didn’t use anymore of her life essence, he dove for the gobsmacked Prince. At least his little mate had bought him a moment’s advantage. And a moment was all he needed.
Roaring with triumph he clasped both hands around Naharan’s throat. When he saw his enemy’s eyes widen with terror, and then felt his spine finally snap, he pulled his lips back in a loud snarl. Deep satisfaction throbbed through his veins and pounded in his temples as he tore the prince’s throat from his body. Blood sprayed from the ghastly wound, and he opened his mouth to taste its metallic pulse, letting all his senses fill with the sweet rush of victory.
No one would ever try to take his beloved from him again.
Around him, Kesh and Kirigan had gotten the upper hand on the remaining demons, and the dusty air filled with the scent of blood and guts as their enemies were systematically slaughtered.
Kain stared down at his fallen opponent—the male who’d thought he could claim his mate—and felt nothing but grim satisfaction at the horrific display of his torn out neck and glazed over eyes. There was no turning back now. He had killed the Prince of Demons, and from his demise he would grasp the political power needed to keep his family safe.
Selma. The need to hold her in his arms overwhelmed him now that the threat had been eliminated. He rose to his feet and looked for her.
She was still standing by the crates where she’d been when she let her power wash over the room, but instead of the deadly determination from before, her expression was now wary and a little frightened as she looked out over the destruction.
His little mate. He was so fiercely proud of how she rose to the occasion when she needed to be strong, but at her core she was still a gentle soul.
She startled a bit when he rushed to her side, but her hesitant look seemed to be reserved for the blood spatter covering his face and body rather than his demonic form.
“You shouldn’t have done that.” He placed a hand around her cheek and frowned at the tired lines around her eyes. He had mated her a few hours before they separated, but drawing on the white energy seemed to drain her fast. “You promised me you wouldn’t try to interfere.”
“Excuse me for saving the day,” she bristled, those full lips of hers drawing into a pout. Their softness drew his attention, and he swallowed a groan as his instincts demanded he mount his prize after defeating the challenger to her warm little cunt. “He almost killed you—did you really expect me to just do nothing?” she continued, her tone more than a little indignant.
Kain found it hard to focus on her words, his eyes roaming her soft form hungrily. His battle rage had been momentarily displaced by his concern for her well-being, but now that he had ensured she was safe, the testosterone in his blood was roaring for a different kind of outlet.
With a low growl he pulled her body in against his and lifted her up, reveling in the way her curves molded against his hard muscle. Everything about his little Breeder was inviting softness, and he loved the way her flesh dipped under his strong fingers.
“Ouf! Kain!” Selma protested as he crushed her against his body. He quelled her objections by pressing his lips over hers, demanding access to her mouth.
For a brief moment she relented, turning pliable in his hands as he kissed her deeply, and he had already decided to have her then and there, with no thought to his father and brother or the mangled bodies. But she stiffened in his grasp. Before he had even tasted her she pulled her head away and whacked his chest with her palm.
“Ew!” Her outburst was followed by wild spitting at the floor, and she squirmed violently in his arms in a clear effort to be put down. He didn’t oblige.
“You taste like blood! That is so fucking gross! Don’t even think about doing that again before you’re clean!” The last bit she snapped at him when he leaned in to silence her protests once more.
Kain hesitated, the need in him to mount and claim her making him consider touching her mark to make her more agreeable for just the briefest of moments, but the angry glare from the small woman in his arms brought him back from the edge of his hormonal madness. With a sigh he let her slide to the floor, though he kept both arms around her waist. Forcing his mate to couple in the middle of torn off limbs and pools of blood was unlikely to earn him any favors, though he personally found the thought quite appealing.
Selma rubbed at her mouth with the back of her hand and gave him another dirty look, but at least she didn’t try to break away from his hold. “And that one? What do we do with her?”
He looked in the direction she nodded, and saw Kesh hold the last surviving member of Naharan’s group by the neck with casual ease.
Kain’s lip pulled up with renewed anger—his instincts were snarling to kill every last one of the bastards who had thought they could take his mate from him, but he knew he couldn’t give into the urge to rip out her guts. Not yet, at least.
“We need a witness who can attest to our claims when we take over control of the continent. We need as many of the Lords on our side as possible, and the more proof the better. And you will tell everyone exactly what happened, won’t you?” Kain raised his voice slightly towards the end, giving their captive a pointed stare.
Whatever conviction had made the female join forces with the Prince, it had withered after seeing her comrades slaughtered like animals. She made a raspy sound until Kesh eased his hold on her neck ever so slightly.
“Y-yes, my Lord,” she croaked. “Whatever you want, my Lord.”
“‘Your Majesty’.” Kirigan strolled over to the captive and put a finger under her chin, forcing her to look up. “My son is your King now, wretch. Get used to addressing him as such.”
The smaller demon looked stunned for a moment, but when Kesh’s claws dug into the skin of her neck, she came around quickly enough.
“O-of course, Your Majesty. I’m sorry, Your Majesty! Whatever you say, Your Majesty!”
Kain smothered a sigh. He didn’t give two flying shits about his title, but his family’s insistence on drilling it into their surviving witness was undoubtedly a wise decision.
All that mattered was keeping Selma and his unborn son safe, and for that to happen he needed every Lord on the continent to bend their knee to him.
Somewhat reluctantly he let go of his mate and stepped over to the fallen Prince. He grabbed him by the horns and, with a small twist, tore his blindly staring head clean off his body before turning to his father and brother. When he had left his father’s house, on the same day he matured into an adult, he had turned his back on them, never once wishing to lay eyes upon them again. Yet in his most desperate hour of need, they had both rallied behind him. For the sake of her—the woman who had brought him love.
Perhaps in time, there would be more than the loyalty of blood between them.
“Let’s go. We have a continent to conquer.”
* * *
“I do not appreciate being strong armed into hosting a meeting for the continent’s Lords without first being given a reason. I hope you understand that if this turns out to be a waste of my—and everyone else who traveled here at a moment’s notice without anything but airy words’s—time, there will be consequences.”
Selma fidgeted nervously by Kain’s side at the less-than-amused look the large demon across the desk gave her mate. Being back at the Governor’s mansion did not bring back entirely pleasant memories, even if she couldn’t recognize her auctioneer in his current form.
“Naturally, Your Excellency.” Kain gave her shoulder a small squeeze and then stepped forward, leaving her flanked by Kesh and Kirigan, the latter of whom had the female demon they’d captured on a chain.
Behind them stood five silent demons from Kain’s personal forces. One of them had greeted her with a familiar smile, but she hadn’t recognized Thomren before Kain called him by name. They were all here for her protection, she knew, in case things went bad.
“So? What is it?” The Governor looked irritably to her mate, drumming a clawed hand against the desk's mahogany surface. “I am not letting you into the conference room before I know exactly what’s going to happen.”
With a shrug of his massive shoulders Kain turned the bag he was carrying in his right hand upside down and shook it. Naharan’s decapitated head landed on the thick carpet of the luxurious office with a thunk.
The Governor stared at the dismembered head for a long time, as if fascinated by the fluids slowly seeping into his rug. When he finally lifted his fiery eyes to Kain again, there was apprehension behind his coolly calculating gaze.
“So … you’re planning a coup?”
“Yes.”
“May I ask why?”
Kain glanced down at the head by his feet. “He ambushed me and gave me to the Queen to breed, all so he could steal my mate. I saw no other option.”
The Governor’s eyebrows rose incrementally. “That sounds … unlikely. Your mate is lovely, to be sure,” He nodded at Selma, as if paying her a compliment when the tension in the room could be cut with a knife was at all appropriate, before continuing, “but no sane man would commit the highest form of treason, even for a Pure Breeder. Do you have any proof to support these allegations?”
“Selma.”
Her name on Kain’s lips sounded less like a lover’s caress than she was accustomed to, and more like the command of someone who was used to being obeyed. She stepped forward nonetheless, quickly glancing up to her mate before looking at the Governor.
“Would you please show His Excellency the object you won when you defeated the Queen?” Kain said.
He was stretching the truth a bit here—she hadn’t taken anything after more or less accidentally killing the Queen. She had promptly passed out, leaving Kain and his family to get them out of there, but she had been told that claiming ownership of the Stone of Power would more firmly secure her position. Even if she had no idea how to use it, or even exactly what its significance was.
Fumbling a little she pulled the smooth rock out of her pocket and held it out. It fit perfectly in her palm and shone with a dark light that felt like a warm pulse against her skin.
The Governor gasped and jumped to his feet, his chair clattering to the floor behind him. “How …? How did you get that?” His voice was hoarse and his eyes glued to the stone.
“The Queen was using it to control my mate and his family. She said it was a gift from the Prince, in trade for helping him capture Kain and myself. I killed her, and was told it now rightfully belongs to me.” She closed her hand around it and pushed it back into her pocket.
The Governor licked his lips, as if they had suddenly gone dry. “You killed the Queen?”
Kain’s large hand came up to rest on her shoulder, his protective aura wrapping more firmly around her at the other male’s shift in tone.
“Before she shows you, I must insist that you acknowledge the lack of deceit in her scent when she told you of Naharan’s betrayal.”
The other demon’s eyes didn’t stray from her face, but he nodded stiffl
y. “I acknowledge your words as truth, Breeder.”
“Good. Selma?” Kain gave her shoulder another comforting squeeze and took a step away from her, undoubtedly ensuring she didn’t accidentally singe him with her less-than-reliable powers.
Selma bit her lip and concentrated, drawing her focus inward to that place the white light seemed to come from. As cautiously as she could, she pulled it out of her core and pressed it into her right hand. When she felt her arm hum with the vibrations of the unstable energy she opened her palm, letting the power gather in a fizzing ball of light.
“By the stars!”
At the Governor’s outburst Selma closed her hand again, letting the energy evaporate harmlessly into the air. Exhaustion swept over her, replacing the thrilling tingle of the energy, and she sagged gratefully against Kain when he reached out and wrapped an arm around her. These powers would be a whole lot more convenient if they didn’t completely drain her.
“I told you, Maell. I told you there was something dangerous inside of them.” Kirigan’s voice resonated through the room from behind them, the same note of zealotry in it as when he had first seen her light. “The ancient texts more than hint at this.”
The Governor looked like he would have been pale as a sheet, had she been able to see his human disguise. Without a word he slumped back down in his chair, his eyes still lingering on Selma, though he seemed to be looking straight through her.
“And the prisoner?” he finally asked, after several minutes of silence.
“Our witness. She helped the Prince, along with several other females. She will testify to our claim when we speak to the Lords. Will you speak on our behalf as well, Governor?” Kain said.
Maell nodded slowly, his eyes finally leaving her to settle on Kain. “I will attest to the truth of the Breeder’s story. And I will support your claim to the throne based on the treason and defeat of the Prince. Your Majesty.”