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by TIFFANY

  She marched in, taking in the simple surroundings. A bed, drawers, and a bathroom. That was it. Not a picture on the wall, a computer, or even a book.

  “If you’re trying to keep yourself in the dark, you’re doing a good job, Tyrian.”

  Silence greeted her until she finally spun around. She wanted to cry. She chalked the highly emotional response to the new moon and the fact that her hormones were not quite normal. He stayed in the doorway, blocking out what little light had been lighting the room from the hall.

  “You’re angry because of Lucinda, my frimar. ”

  She whipped her arms open and let her jaw drop as if to say DUH. “Uh, yeah!” He came into the room a step.

  “Many warriors have one. It’s very common among us.” The icy control he had over his words practically formed frost around his lips. He’s not really my man. I know, logic agreed. But this is something he really should have told me. Preferably before he had sex with her—twice.

  Anger had her stalking to him, coming chest to chest with him. “Some vampires also fuck their frimars while taking blood from them. Is that something you do, Tyrian?”

  He stiffened, muscles coiling hard. “That is none of your business.” She saw red. Her hand pulled into a fist and she clocked him in the mouth. His head didn’t even move an inch but she hopped back, wincing and cradling her throbbing knuckles. Hot, stinging pain pulsated like a heartbeat from her hand.

  “God dammit.” She had to get out of here. She was on the verge of cracking, and no one should be around when that happened. She tried to leave but he blocked the doorway. “Let me go.”

  He grabbed her wrist and she let him only because she didn’t want to yank it away and hurt herself worse. He inspected her hand with seemingly little interest.

  “You shouldn’t have done that.”

  Chloe pulled her hand back and cradled it over her heart, hurt to hurt. She was close to tears, close to embarrassing the hell out of herself. In front of the most dangerous man in the world. He wasn’t the leader of the free world; he was the leader of the protectors of humanity.

  Talk about embarrassment on the highest scale.

  Chloe gasped in surprise when suddenly he was pressed against her. A strong arm banded around her waist, a hand cupped her face, pulling her chin up so he could sweep down and kiss her. She was so stunned by the action that she just stood there.

  He kissed her hungrily, lips meshing, tongue tasting her lips, inside her mouth. But then hunger fed into the anger and she kissed him back, thrusting her tongue in his mouth. The kiss turned hard and fierce.

  He licked her lips, sweeping against her with delicious, hungry licks. Her hands found his shoulders and dug into the hard muscles. His big hand cupped the back of her head and held her as he tasted her. And that’s what he was doing. Learning her mouth, tongue, lips just as she learned his.

  He pulled back all too soon, his breathing uneven and deeply satisfying to her hurt ego. “I do not have sex with Lucinda. She has been my frimar and nothing else.” The words eased some of the pain but not all of it. Though she was shocked to her core that he’d confessed that much.

  “I don’t want you taking her blood.”

  He pulled back sharply, muscles tightening again, and then he swept past her and stalked to the window to look out it. She was starting to see a pattern here, and it pissed her off.

  “Impossible. She is my frimar. Who else can I take from? Do not say yourself, Chloe.”

  His voice was frosty cold with control.

  “You’ll take from me. Consider it compensation for my situation with the new moon. I do not want you using her while I’m here.” While you’re using me, she added silently. Lucinda appeared nice and all but the thought of him doing something so...intimate with her made her want to stab someone—a lot.

  “No. You will go back to your room and never come to this part of the castle again. Do you understand me?”

  Chloe flared with anger. Good thing he didn’t have books or he’d be ducking flying ones about now.

  “You can take your orders and shove them out that window you seem so fond of. You

  know what, Tyrian? Here’s my concession. Either you stop taking from her while you’re with me or I’m leaving.”

  He cut her a hard look that was completely unreadable. “I am your Protector. You won’t go anywhere unless I order it. I give the orders around here, not you.” Hurt bloomed and exploded inside her chest. She took a wobbly step backward. You don’t love him. So why does this hurt so much? Is this what good sex did to a person? She needed her sisters. She needed advice.

  She raised her chin one last time. “Then I’ll be finding someone else to help me through the new moon.”

  “Good.”

  If she was expecting him to fly in rage and protest the idea then she was very, very wrong. Nodding, her vision blurring, she turned and ran.

  * * *

  Chloe didn’t run to her room. She flew blindly through the castle to a back door in the kitchen. The morning sun was just rising, painting the snowy landscape in orange and pink.

  Chloe hadn’t realized just how big Castle Death was until now. A massive stone wall ran around the perimeter of the castle and was at least twenty feet tall. It was also a good quarter of a mile away and would take her several minutes to run there. And she was so ready to get out of here.

  She took off running. Anywhere that was away from the castle and away from the man

  that confused the hell out of her. She heard voices and looked up at the castle parapets.

  “Damn,” she muttered under her breath.

  Atal Warriors lined the parapet above, some watching her with clear eyes. Bows were strapped to their backs and swords hung at their hips.

  She didn’t have much time before they tattled. She glared at them before turning around and sprinting to that wall.

  She realized her one fatal flaw as she neared the wall. It was at least twenty feet tall.

  Mother fuck. She had no magic powers to help her climb that wall. Glancing left and right, she spotted the main gate, a massive metal structure of coiling metal and spikes. Also, it was surrounded by warriors wearing heavy axes and swords across their back.

  She looked back at the castle with growing disdain. She’d rather face them then go back there. The guards saw her coming long before her short legs got her there.

  “Hi guys,” she said brightly. She tossed them her sweetest coy smile that she hoped melted hearts. One of the warriors stepped forward, his brow furrowing.

  “What are you doing out here? You’re not supposed to be here. It’s dangerous.”

  “Pfft, what’s so dangerous out here? A little snow and cold. I live for the cold, really.”

  Honestly though she was happy she chose to wear the turtleneck this morning. That’s not to say she couldn’t use some earmuffs, gloves, and a heavy winter coat right about now. Her breaths were coming out like puffs of cotton ball clouds.

  “Why don’t I escort you back to the castle, Ms. Bellum.” It wasn’t a question. Chloe slapped his hand as he tried to grab her arm.

  “Don’t you touch me. Do you know that your commander is my Protector? I am his now.

  No man touches me but him.”

  The guard paused, unease flitting over his face. Good, Chloe thought. Suffer. Another guard came up to them. This one had short blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

  “She’s right. I can smell his scent on her. Don’t touch her. Ms. Bellum, please allow me to escort you back to the castle. It is too cold and dangerous to be out here.” He bowed his head to her.

  She lifted her chin and said, “Your commander has given me permission to leave at my will. I promise to be back. I just need a break from this place. I’m sure you understand.” She smiled again and the guards looked back and forth at each other. When they leaned close and started whispering in some language she didn’t recognize, she crossed her arms and glared.

  One guard nodded and in her m
ind she started chanting vic-tor-y. The blonde guard stepped forward and looked apologetically at her.

  “Ms. Bellum, I’ll have to send word to Commander Tyrian to verify this before I can allow it.” Chloe glared at him and crossed her arms in disgust. The gate wasn’t that tall, maybe she could climb it. Though those metal spikes on the outside of it looked incredibly sharp and big. What were they for anyways? Impaling giants or T-rexes?

  “I’ll just radio this in.” Yeah, whatever.

  Chloe walked to the gate and gripped the cold metal in her hands. Never in her life had she felt so enclosed in such an open space. She ignored the voices calling on their radio to her enemy, Tyrian. He was so not her fake boyfriend anymore. But why’d he kiss her? He always seemed so afraid to kiss her but then he did back there, and it’d stolen her breath away.

  Damn and she still didn’t know about his wife or child. It shouldn’t bother her, but it did...too much. As she gazed out at the vast scenery of glaringly bright snow-drenched mountains, Chloe, for the first time since being kidnapped, truly missed her family. And her job, which she was certain, was gone now. Not that Carl wouldn’t give her the bartending job back with a few sweet smiles sent his way. Was she manipulative in that way? Just a little. Really, Carl was such a softie.

  This whole thing had been like one short joy ride for her. She was learning new things about herself, her body, and about a man that captivated her. Now she was ready to cut the ride short and go home from the carnival.

  A strange sound caught her ears, interrupting her thoughts. Chloe squinted out into the empty, snowy wasteland of hills and mountains. Not a town or city in sight. They were clearly in the middle of snowy nowhere. The glare of the sun off the snow threatened to burn her retinas.

  “Do you guys get trains out here?”

  The guards stopped talking and instantly were at her side. Though neither of them

  answered her question, they peered out the gate with intent, alert eyes. Then they both sprung into action at the same time.

  The blonde warrior slammed his fist into a brick at the side of the gate. But instead of breaking, the brick slid perfectly into the wall like some sort of button. In a matter of seconds, guards swarmed onto the parapet walls back at the castle, and dozens more came pouring out from all sides of the castle...heading straight for her.

  The earth started moving. At first, she thought it was from the warriors running towards them, but then she saw snow flying into the air outside the gate in clouds and she realized it was coming from the ground. The sickening, warning feeling started in her stomach. A little too late stomach, she thought angrily.

  Warriors grabbed her, pushing her further and further away from the gate.

  “Wait, I want to see. What’s going on?” No one answered her.

  A wet, heavy sound like a body being dropped into mud brought her eyes swinging over the heads of the warriors blocking the gate. The sound didn’t stop. Repeatedly it came like some kind of eerie warning. Chloe fought against the warriors trying to pull her away and jumped up and down to get a look. Her stomach bottomed out at what she saw. Holes forming in the ground, arms coming out.

  One hole was particularly big, leaving a black cavern of a hole around it. Chloe’s eyes went huge. She recognized that hole. The earth shuddered as if gods shouldered those snowy mountains in the background and were pushing them with brute force. If not for the warrior holding her arms, she would have fallen to the ground.

  “KLLOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEEEE!”

  Chloe jumped at the long, rumble of her name that was so loud she wouldn’t be surprised if those mountains just had avalanches. The guards started shoving her hard, back towards the castle and she went, straight into the arms of Tyrian.

  He set her aside coldly, pushing her into the arms of Rayn. “Take her into the castle. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  There was no hesitance. Suddenly her body was tingling from her forehead to her toes, the snow and warriors around her flickered, then disappeared as if by magic. Suddenly, she was standing in Tyrian’s study surrounded by the warmth of the fireplace. Rayn only gave her a brief nod, before he disappeared in that same strange way.

  “What the hell was that?” Vampires couldn’t teleport around. They didn’t have that kind of ability. That was a power demons had. Her hands flew to her mouth, stifling a gasp.

  The sounds of shouts and screams sent her running to the window. She braced her hands on the cold stone and leaned out. Her jaw fell to the ground at what she saw.

  It was her demon, and he wasn’t alone. There were dozens of them, maybe forty, or fifty, attacking the gates and walls with swords and claws. Yet her demon was different, big and half-dead, and towering over them all.

  Those around him were skinny as a skeleton with greenish skin and hideous, contorted faces. Their jaws were long and pointed out from faces that were covered with white lines of war paint.

  These weren’t just any demons. These were idummu, the worst of them all. Bottom feeders that would listen and fight for anyone for a chance to cross the rift and be free. What kind of demon had she summoned? How did it amass so many followers so quickly?

  Her hands curled into the cold stone and her gaze unerringly fell to Tyrian. Even amassed in a crowd of warriors wearing the same fierce expressions, he stood out so clearly to her. He gave orders, never shouting but speaking clearly.

  Warriors opened the gate and exploded at the skeletal warriors, swords and axes twirling and flying. Arrows flew from the parapets, whizzing through the air like bullets.

  Her demon stood at the back, its black, fathomless eyes staring at the Atal Warriors. It tossed its gray head back and howled a bone-chilling sound that she swore shook the walls of the castle with its intensity. When the demon finally stopped, the roar echoed deep into the cold mountains. The demon raised its black fathomless gaze and landed straight on her.

  Chloe’s mouth fell open and watched, stunned, as it raised its long arm and pointed straight to her. Its giant mouth, filled with those sharp black teeth, moved, spilling out sounds and syllables she couldn’t decipher into any kind of recognizable language.

  The demons screeched, their red and yellow eyes fixing right on her.

  “Oh, shit.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  A sudden popping sound filled the space behind her and like a frightened heroine in a horror movie, Chloe slowly turned to face it. A snarling demon, crouched at its knees, slowly stood. Its big yellow eyes webbed with red spider web veins around the pupils eyed her like she would be its next meal.

  Chloe took a quick step back but found her butt hitting the giant window. Oh, shit. The demon’s thin lips pulled into a smile, a thick line of drool falling out of its mouth to glob onto the floor.

  Her stomach rolled with the urge to vomit. Then the idummi demon sprang at her. Sharp claws dug into her arm, its bony legs wrapped around her as if it was trying to hug her. The demon was incredibly strong and muscular for something barely five feet tall and bone skinny.

  Its knobby bones dug hard into her hips and legs.

  It spun her around, crashing them both onto the hard floor. Screaming, Chloe struggled to free her arms from its grasp—to gain some kind of purchase—but it snarled at her, spit spraying onto her face. She was momentarily stunned as the putrid, decaying smell of its spit reached her nostrils. It squeezed her arms in a viciously hard grip and she felt sharp pinching as her skin tore under his grip.

  Chloe lurched forward and screamed into the demon’s face, it pulled back in surprised, and she used that moment to throw the demon off her. Its head slammed into the corner of the hearth and Chloe quickly ran for the door.

  She reached for the doorknob, her heart thundering in her ears, adrenaline driving her to be faster, stronger, and then she was tackled from behind by a heavy weight. She went tumbling forward, her cheek and mouth slapping against the hard wood door at an awkward angle. Pain exploded in her head. She tasted coppery blood in her mouth and win
ced as flaring, pulsing pain instantly beat around her busted lip.

  Then there were heavy footsteps behind her and the bony weight at her back was gone.

  Chloe quickly rolled over and saw Tyrian and Rayn there. Tyrian snapped the demon’s neck with a nasty twist and threw the bony body into the burning fireplace. He came to her, raw anger on his face. The ice completely melted. He bent down and picked her up, cradling her against his chest.

  Chloe fought it. “Put me down. I’m fine.” He didn’t and she fought harder, pushing

  against his chest, which he ignored and walked her over to Rayn. “Come on, I was doing great there. I could have taken him. Okay, in all honesty, I appreciate you helping me out there but I hate you. So put me down.” He still ignored her, so she did something completely crazy, and that logic would later argue was driven by adrenaline—and kissed him.

  She felt the shock in his body, the stiffening. But then his grip changed, moved, became soft and encouraging as his tongue slid easily into her mouth. God, did this vampire know how to kiss . He pulled back and her lips went searching after his. The pain from her fight—didn’t feel it.

  The liquid arousal flooding her sex—totally felt.

  He turned his cheek and spoke quickly to Rayn. She didn’t bother to listen, was too captivated by the strong muscle flexing at his neck. She followed it, tasting it with the flat of her tongue.

  “Mmm,” she moaned. “You taste good, Tyrian.” His arms tightened around her and she

  loved it. Suddenly another pair of arms was around her and she lifted her head to glare at Rayn.

  “Hey, no sharing here. He’s mine.”

  Okay, maybe she was delirious, or maybe it was the adrenaline, or the fact that her vampire boyfriend was holding her. Had even kissed her hard and sweet. Was she really so fickle to go back to calling him her boyfriend after a single kiss? Yes.