by Janie Marie
David hated that she thought it was her fault. He kissed the side of her head.
“I’m sorry.” She apologized again, sadness filling her soft voice.
“Oh, sweetheart. You did nothing wrong.” He leaned back so he could see her face, but she looked away. David brought his hands up and held her face. “Look at me, Jane.”
She hesitated but finally obeyed him.
“It wasn’t you. It was my fault,” he said. “It was . . . I was . . .” He sighed, trying to figure out what to tell her. “I was imagining things I should not have been, and I was angry with myself. You did great, though.”
Jane didn’t seem convinced, so he spoke when she opened her mouth to likely question him.
“I’m not lying—you did great.”
She sat there for a moment but finally gave him that smile he loved. He grinned back and pulled her face close to kiss her forehead before guiding her head to rest on his shoulder. He had no idea what had just happened, but he was glad he could stop himself from doing something that would ruin their relationship and Jane’s heart. It was intense, though, and he was still trying to slow his heart rate.
“Who would’ve thought David was capable of having naughty thoughts?” Her teasing tone made him relax.
“I didn’t mean to,” he said.
“Mhm.”
“I didn’t,” he repeated. He honestly felt sick because he hadn’t been the slightest bit loving toward her in his daydream.
“I believe you,” she said, laughing.
David pinched her side softly. She let out a little squeak and tried to jump off his lap, but he held her close and laughed.
After a couple of seconds passed, he spoke more seriously. “I am sorry, Jane.”
She stopped her giggling. “I know. I’m not angry with you.”
“Thank you, sweetheart. Did you get enough?” He searched her face, making sure she was satisfied.
“Yes, I feel great.”
“Good,” he said before lifting her off his lap.
Her shirt had ridden up, and although he wanted to see it go higher, he fixed it and then led her out of the room.
Lucifer crossed his arms over his chest and watched them leave. “Well, Death was right about David . . . He is too good.”
He glanced around the empty room, his gaze briefly pausing on the letter David had written for Jane before he closed his eyes, vanishing in a faint glow of white light.
The echo of Jane’s footsteps filled the silence as she and David walked down the marble hall. Well, he was walking. She, on the other hand, was practically jogging to keep up with his long strides. He suddenly slowed. Thank God. The little relief his slower pace gave must have shown on her face because she heard him snicker. Great.
“Am I walking too fast for my little vampire?” he asked, chuckling again.
She scowled and tried to pull her hand from his, but he laughed and gripped her hand tighter.
“I am only joking with you. Do not be angry with me.”
She huffed but quit trying to remove her hand. It was useless anyway. “It’s not my fault you’re an eight-foot-tall, five-hundred-pound bodybuilder . . . I’m short, okay?”
“I’m six-five,” he corrected, then added, “and I only weigh two hundred and thirty pounds.”
Jane gave him a whatever look.
He chuckled. “I have never done weight lifting either.”
“I don’t believe that,” she said.
“I am not lying. The only time I’m at our gym is to spar.”
She scoffed, still not believing him. “Well, I don’t see how you look like you do, then.”
“How exactly do I look to you?”
“Perfect,” she said without thinking. Her eyes widened, shocked, as her cheeks burned. She could almost feel his smile, but she tried to pretend she hadn’t said that and continued walking.
His hand tightened around hers. “Jane?”
“What?” She knew she sounded grumpy now, but she was embarrassed.
He suddenly halted in his step. She did too, but she avoided looking at him.
David pulled her to him, placing both of his hands on her hips.
Oh, dear Lord! Jane crossed her arms over her chest to build some space between her and the sexy vampire. Being angry was her best weapon against him, and with his closeness, she really needed some backup.
“Don’t be embarrassed,” he murmured, pulling her a little closer. “I love hearing you have such flattering thoughts about me. You already know that I think you are the most beautiful woman in the world. You’re perfect, Jane.”
She nearly swooned and just let his sweet words relieve some of her humiliation. She peeked up to see him slouching so he could look her in the eye. It only caused her to let out a huff that he had to literally stoop to her level. “Thank you,” she mumbled. “I’m still short, though, and I don’t like how you tease me over it. All the guys are giants, and just seeing the Amazon women yesterday only proves I’m the odd one. It makes me feel like a child. I mean, they look like supermodels, and I’ve got these short legs. I’m like a kid next to you.”
“I don’t think of you as a child.” His deep voice caressed her skin in ways she’d never felt before. “I love your size and shape—like an hourglass.” His fingers flexed as though he wanted to slide them up her sides, and at that moment, she would have let him. “You’re beautiful.” He paused, and she couldn’t stop the smile from forming on her lips. It was still hard to ignore being called beautiful by him. “We fit each other perfectly somehow, and if you were tall, I wouldn’t have an excuse to pick you up so much.”
“I thought that was to show me how strong you are.”
He chuckled. “Well, that too.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Technically, I can still overpower you with my abilities.”
David smirked. “I like it when you overpower me.”
Jane chuckled at him. “You’re impossible.”
He grinned and tugged her a tiny bit closer. “Seriously, Jane, there is nothing wrong with your height or shape. I love every part of you. I should not say that, but I think you should know how beautiful you are to me. And I’m not the only one who would think so.”
An erotic moan cut him short from explaining anything further, and they looked toward the door the noise was likely coming from.
David tensed, baring his fangs.
“What’s going on in there?” she asked quietly. It obviously sounded like someone was having sex, but it looked like a closet door. She didn’t think people really did that kind of thing.
David cut his irritated glare away from the door to her. She was stunned by the angry look in his eye, but he quickly morphed it into his usual, loving expression for her. “Something that should not be taking place in this hall.”
He looked back at the door when the moans grew louder and let her go before walking up to the door, hitting it with the side of his hand.
She flinched but stood silent when the moaning immediately cut off and was followed by a muttered curse.
“Open up,” David yelled, seeming angrier after hearing the man’s voice.
His eyes stayed hard on the door when it suddenly yanked open to reveal a young male. As soon as the man saw it was David interrupting him, his expression changed into a more submissive one.
“Oh, hello, David.” The man cringed as he cut his gaze away from David.
“Apollo,” David said, growling. “You know better than to bring your meals here.”
Jane’s eyes widened. Was she really looking at the god Apollo? She looked back at his handsome face. He certainly resembled a Greek god with his chiseled features and chestnut hair. She almost blushed seeing his bronze-skinned, muscled body through his open shirt, and quickly lowered her eyes, not wanting to get caught staring at him. She found him handsome, for sure, but no one compared to David. Except Death. Whoops.
“I apologize, David,” Apollo said. “I was going to make it qui—” he
cut himself off, catching sight of her. “Who is this lovely creature?”
Jane was startled when his inky black eyes zeroed in on her as he gave her a dazzling, fanged smile. She grew even more surprised when he took a sudden step in her direction.
David placed himself between them, and Apollo stopped when David let out a deadly snarl.
Apollo smirked at him. “David, when did you start using donors?”
“She’s not a filthy donor!” David said sharply.
Jane reached out, rubbing his back when his muscles flexed as though he were going to attack. He relaxed under her touch but didn’t take his eyes off Apollo.
Apollo raised his hands in surrender, but David was still glaring at him.
She slid her hands down his sides. “David, it’s okay.”
He let out an angry breath as he reached back for her hand. She quickly grabbed it and let him pull her around him.
Apollo raised an eyebrow. “Well, it looks as though you have finally found your girl. Congratulations.”
David glared at him for a few more seconds before finally relaxing. He tucked Jane under his arm and then placed a kiss on top of her head. “I did. Thank you.” He smiled at her. “Jane, this is Apollo. Apollo, this is my Jane.”
“Well, this is exciting.” Apollo held out a hand to her. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Jane.”
She glanced up at David.
“Go ahead, sweetheart. He’s harmless,” he said as Apollo grunted. David smirked at him before urging her on. “It’s fine, Jane.”
She turned to Apollo, the sun god, as she’d always believed him to be, and put her hand in his. “Pleasure meeting you as well.”
Apollo kissed her hand. When he didn’t release it, she tensed, and David wrapped his arm around her.
Apollo chuckled, letting go. “Just checking.”
A feminine voice called from the dark doorway. “Apollo?”
A pretty blonde stood there, waiting. She smiled at Apollo but upon seeing David, she turned her attention to him instead.
The lustful look on the woman’s face shot fire through Jane’s veins.
The woman seemed to have forgotten all about Apollo and showed no sign that she even noticed Jane. Her smile was all for David. “Hello, Sir David. I heard you were back.” She took a step toward him. “He didn’t take much from me,” she said, nodding in Apollo’s direction. “Would you like me to come back to your room with you?”
Jane couldn’t believe what she was hearing. When she didn’t hear David dismiss the woman, she glared at him.
He opened his mouth, but he never spoke.
The woman lifted her hand as if she were going to touch David’s chest.
OH, HELL NO! Jane let out a feral hiss, stepping in front of David. “Back off!”
The woman pulled her hand back but gave Jane a once-over and laughed. “And who are you?”
“I’m his!” Jane answered without thinking.
David wrapped his arms around her from behind and whispered into her ear. “Shh . . . Calm down, baby. She’s not going to take me from you. I’m yours.”
It didn’t matter what he said. All Jane knew was she was prepared to fight for David, and she was tired of women trying to take him. Maybe not every woman was out to get him, but it sure as hell felt that way.
She fought to get free, and David secured his arms around her better.
Apollo put a hand on the girl’s shoulder, but he didn’t appear to be too concerned for her safety. Actually, he looked entertained by what was happening. “You should apologize and get your ass out of here.”
David kissed Jane’s cheek as he whispered for her to calm down. It distracted and soothed her, but she wanted to fight.
“Aren’t you going to protect me?” The woman took a step toward Apollo.
The sun god bared his fangs as he grabbed her roughly by the arm. “Apologize to his mate. Now!”
“I-I’m sorry,” she stuttered, looking back at Jane and David.
“You better be,” Jane said, clawing at David’s hand when the girl still had the balls to look at him.
Apollo pushed the female around David. “Go.”
“But . . .” The girl stumbled back but held her hand out for Apollo.
“But what?” Apollo laughed. “You are food, nothing more. And you are an ignorant fool if you honestly think I would want anything to do with you after you just tried to offer yourself to him.” He shook his head at her. “Stupid human. You are lucky that David is good. I would have let her rip you apart and bathe in your sour blood. Now go!”
She scurried away down the hall and out of sight. Apollo sighed, walking back to them with an apologetic look on his face.
David turned her around and hugged her as he yelled, “Dammit, Apollo. You’ve been warned before.”
“I apologize for ignoring the rules. I will make sure that I feed where Arthur has designated from now on,” Apollo said. “I did not know you had brought anyone with you. I wouldn’t have done this, especially if I knew there was a freshly made in the castle.”
“Well, there are mortals here, too. We brought her family with us, so keep your activities out of sight.”
Apollo regarded him, confused. “Her family?”
David sighed. “Yes, her two children and husband.”
“Husband?” Apollo’s mouth gaped in shock. “She’s married—but—”
David sighed. “It’s complicated.”
“I see.” Apollo studied her face. “She is different from us. Powerful.”
“She is,” David said. “We have not been debriefed yet, but I am sure that you’ll be called in. We had to assist your sister, and I met your uncle.”
“You saw Artemis and Hades?” he asked with surprise.
“I didn’t know he truly existed,” David said, running his fingers through Jane’s hair. “You should have let us know.”
Apollo was shaking his head. “I didn’t know he was still around. Poseidon has been dead for ages; I thought Hades was too. There were rumors Hades had made a deal with Death himself, but I believed he was simply dead.” Apollo grinned. “I knew Artemis was behaving strangely over the last fifty years—he must be her secret. He did always favor my sister . . . Wait, did my sister see her?” His eyes fell back on Jane.
Jane was much calmer now, and she’d become acutely aware of how David tensed at the question. Since David wasn’t answering, she found him glaring at Apollo.
“No, she and Hades left rather quickly,” David said.
Apollo nodded. “Well, that’s probably for the best.”
Jane narrowed her eyes at Apollo. “Why would that be for the best?”
“Well . . . It’s just—” Apollo looked at David, cringing.
Jane turned her attention to her silent vampire. “David?”
He sighed. “Apollo, I will see you later. Don’t let me find you doing this shit again. Feed where you have been told to.”
“I will. I shall see you both later,” Apollo said before his gaze fell back on her. He winced as he lifted his eyes back to David. “Sorry, David.” He then sped away before either of them could say anything else.
Jane returned her focus to David.
David pushed some of her hair behind her ear. “Artemis is Apollo’s sister—I have known them for a long time. There are many immortal women who desire males in high rank. Most men with higher power already have females they are committed to or they’ve been cursed. This makes it difficult for some women to find a suitable partner.”
Jane sighed. “Get to the point, David. Why shouldn’t I have met her? You said nothing before.” She knew where this was going, but she really didn’t want to hear anything bad. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to push back the possessive urges and had to know what he was hiding.
David let out a frustrated breath. “I have always waited for the day you would come along. You have always been the one I wanted, but there were times when I doubted if you were ever going to come to
me. I entertained the idea that maybe you were not real, or that I missed my chance at finding you . . . So, once, I considered taking another.”
Jane’s eyes got teary, but she didn’t react.
“I dismissed those thoughts before I could take any action,” he said quickly. “It’s just that Artemis was the woman I considered. She was always very interested, and compared to the others, she would have been a decent choice. Word spread about it somehow, and I have been forced to dismiss the notions I would name her as my Other for years. I’m sorry, Jane. I should have never even let myself doubt that I would eventually find you. It was a moment of weakness. I promise nothing happened between us—I haven’t been romantic with anyone since my change.” His pleading gaze darted between her hurt eyes.
“You were never with her?”
David shook his head and kissed her forehead. “No, baby. I only considered her because, after so many years of nothing, I simply had those days where I doubted I’d find you. I had no feelings for her. The only reason I said anything was because I was frustrated with my brothers and other immortals’ questions. Out of most females who openly desire me to name them as my Other, Artemis was the most respectable, and she was the only one I had ever truly conversed with. That’s all. Her name slipped out, and someone told. Once I realized a rumor had spread that I was naming her my Other, I denied it to her and anyone else who gossiped about it.”
Jane pressed her lips together as a mixture of emotions ran rampant inside her. “If everyone knew you were waiting for someone specific, why would they force another on you?”
“No one knows about what happened when I was turned. Nor do they know what I was told about you. Arthur and I thought it best considering that may make you a target to either hurt me, or to use a prophesied immortal who would be the most powerful . . . Baby, please don’t be upset about this. Nothing happened.”
Jane looked away from his concerned gaze as she mumbled, “Did you do what he was doing? With that girl, I mean. Did you feed from donors like that?” She tried to keep her voice as steady as possible, but it still shook.