Deadly Attraction

by Calista Fox

  “You still haven’t apologized for not telling me you were training with Tanner.”

  “I’m allowed,” she said, her breath scarce. “I don’t demand you tell me everything you do.”

  He made a soft tsking sound. “Still haven’t learned your lesson.”

  Standing behind her, he thrust two fingers into her wet pussy and stroked her quickly, making her gasp and moan. His other hand slid around to the front of her and he vigorously massaged her clit while his fingers pumped in and out of her.

  Jade bit into the pillow her cheek had pressed against. A dark, carnal lust seized her very soul and she loved how powerful it was. How all-consuming it felt. She’d never experienced such sizzling sensations until she’d met the Demon King. And everything he did to her left her blazing from head to toe…and wanting more.

  She halfheartedly struggled against her constraints, wanting to be free of them yet finding the sensual torture exhilarating. When Darien worked a third finger into her tight cunt, she lost her breath. His touch was determined and skilled, and seconds later, she screamed in sheer ecstasy as her orgasm exploded deep within her.

  Her body vibrated and her pulse raged. He withdrew from her and she heard him divest himself of his clothes as her eyes remained shut and she concentrated on finding a normal breathing pattern. Yet her ragged gulps of air didn’t slow as she anticipated him entering her from behind and driving deep.

  Moments later, he did just that, thrusting hard and filling her completely.

  “Oh yes,” she whispered as pleasure flowed through her. “I really have missed you.”

  He clasped her waist and his hips bucked as he hammered into her. Having her hands tied at the small of her back added to the eroticism in a way she had not expected. A secret part of her thrilled over being at his mercy…being a vessel for his own pleasure, though she reaped the benefit as well.

  Clearly in need of releasing his pent-up sexual frustration—as well as the agitation she’d sparked—he thrust forcefully into her, pushing her right to the edge again. His body tensed when hers did, and then he called out her name as he came, igniting her orgasm. The sensations slammed into her, hot and vibrant. The eruption deep in her pussy made her cry out once more.

  He remained buried inside her as his heavy breaths matched hers. When their excitement calmed a bit, he withdrew from her. He unfastened the sash at her wrists and sprawled on the bed beside her. They lay face-to-face and she couldn’t contain the smile that played on her lips.

  In a tone that sounded provocative to her own ears, she said, “Anytime you want to teach me a new lesson, I’m game.”

  “Hmph.” He sneered. “I should have made the sandwich and read the book. But I can’t walk away from you when you’re naked and ready for me.”

  She gave him a kiss and said against his lips, “Now I know how to keep you captive in my cottage.”

  He stared deep into her eyes. “I’d stay here forever, Jade. In your bed. With you.”

  She frowned as her heart twisted. “But, of course, that’s not possible.”

  He remained silent as he stared at her, then asked, “Would you want to spend an eternity with me?”

  Swallowing down a lump of emotion, she said, “I can’t afford to ruminate over things like that. Nor can I wrap my mind around it. An eternity… I don’t think I was meant to live longer than it takes to help the people I care about find their own sort of peace.”

  “But what if you had the chance for immortality? Would you take it?”

  With a shake of her head, she said, “Humans don’t weather grief and sorrow as well as demons do, I’m afraid. An eternity of suffering would be a bit much for me.”

  He drew in a deep breath, let it out slowly. Then he asked, “What if you actually had the capability to power through?”

  “But I don’t. Remember…human. Mortal. We’re not built like demons.”

  Suddenly, he slipped from the bed and disappeared out the door. Jade stared at the empty spot next to her, startled. A few seconds later, however, he returned. He dragged on his briefs and lay beside her again.

  He said, “You’ve questioned your place in the new world, but have you ever questioned your heritage?”

  She let out a sharp laugh. “What heritage? My cultural differences don’t vary from most of the war survivors in this area. Yes, my father had incredible leadership skills and he likely could have become a slayer. But he chose political responsibilities more so than military ones.”

  “No,” Darien said. “He was involved in military strategy. Morgan worked very closely with him and they did maintain a balance that helped my alliance to accept the terms I laid down when it came to leaving the humans be. In fact, my vampires stuck to the castle to avoid temptation. They respected my laws.”

  He gave this further thought, then added, “From Sheena, I’ve learned the craving to drink from a human source has mostly diminished for her species. They’re content with animal blood. Apparently, it feeds their more primal basic instincts in a way humans never did.”

  Jade nodded. “She has proven herself capable of being around me when I’m bleeding without looking the least bit enticed by me.”

  “Yes. She’s proud of that. They all are. Though,” he added in a softer voice, “she’s deeply hurt you chose to become a slayer.”

  Jade stared at him a moment until the implication hit her. “Oh no.” She rolled her eyes at her own insensitivity. “I never even considered… Damn it. She thinks I don’t trust her?”

  He nodded.

  “And what about Morgan?”

  “He doesn’t know yet.”

  Jade’s stomach plummeted. “And was that the first thing you thought? That I didn’t trust you either?”

  “I know you trust me.” He gave her a confident look. “But I think you still have a lot to learn about my kind. And you have a lot to learn about yourself.”

  He unraveled the piece of paper he’d apparently retrieved from his coat pocket when he’d left the room.

  She pulled the duvet around her and sat up, curious about this change in direction.

  Handing over the small sheet that appeared to have been torn from a book, he asked, “Do you recognize this mark?”

  Jade laughed again. “It’s not a mark. It’s a formation of freckles. I have the exact same—”

  The paper fell from her hand and she covered the spots on her neck with her palm.

  Darien said, “Your father had this precise pattern. In the same location on his neck as yours.”

  Tension skittered through her as an ominous look filled his amber gaze.

  “So?” she tentatively asked.

  Picking up the documentation, he told her, “You share a common trait with him.”

  “Sure.” Her voice was still full of hesitancy as she tried to ascertain the direction in which this conversation was going. “I already told you—and you’ve witnessed—that I have psychokinetic powers and can rapidly self-heal. So could he.”

  Sitting up, Darien said, “Have you ever read Greek mythology?”

  His question confused her—what did it have to do with genetic traits?

  Regardless, she said, “A little, yes.”

  “Some of the most renowned characters in Greek mythology were demi-gods. For example, Hercules and Achilles. The immortal ruler, Zeus, was their father, but their mothers were mortal. So they ended up with extraordinary strength and skills, but they could still die.”

  His brows drew together. “Well, in some recollections, Hera actually granted Hercules immortality at the end, but he did suffer a mortal death. It’s rather complicated… Point being, these demi-gods possessed abilities gifted to them by their father, but they didn’t have immortality on their side.”

  She eyed him curiously. “Are you about to tell me I’m a demi-god from Mt. Olympus?”

  “No.” He chuckled. “But haven’t you ever wondered how your father ended up with the gifts you inherited?”

  “Of co
urse. But he didn’t talk about it, especially because it seemed to be a sore subject with my mother.”

  “That was because she wasn’t like the two of you.”

  “No, she wasn’t. Not at all. She was actually very delicate. It worried my father incessantly.”

  “Yet he didn’t obsess much over you? He knew how strong you were from the beginning?”

  She considered her younger years and said, “I always thought he’d taught me to fight and to take care of myself because he secretly wanted a tough boy but ended up with a girl instead. Later on, I realized there was more to it than that. Looking back now, I can see he had a plan in mind for me.” Thinking of her parents was painful, so she asked, “Why are we having this conversation?”

  “Because,” he said, his voice suddenly brooding, “I recently discovered something about your father that he didn’t share with you.”

  This piqued her interest. “And what would that be?”

  “It involves the marking on your neck,” he told her as his fingers grazed the skin below her ear. “I believe one of the reasons your father opted not to take the slayer’s oath, when he was clearly in the position to do so and possessed the expertise needed, was because he might have struggled with the moral dilemma of killing his kind.”

  Her jaw dropped. She stared at him, her mind instantly assaulted by a barrage of thoughts and questions, the first one popping into her head being, “What the hell are you talking about?”

  His apprehension was evident, though he forged ahead.

  “I know this will be difficult to comprehend, but the marking you share with your father is that of a cross-breed. Somewhere in his—and consequently your—lineage, a demon impregnated one of Liam’s female, human ancestors. I don’t know when it occurred or to whom or whether the act was forced or by consent. My guess is it was many generations ago. But this explains your ability to heal yourself quickly, despite the fact that you are, indeed, mortal.”

  Her eyes had to be the size of snowballs. They felt huge in the sockets. She gaped again, at a complete loss for words.

  Darien took advantage of her silence and continued. “I know this comes as a shock, but it really does shed some light on your physical strength, your fighting skills and your territorial tendencies.”

  She finally spoke. “‘Territorial tendencies’?”

  Regardless of the obvious strain his revelation caused, he grinned at her. “You took me on without a second thought when Jinx died. You stand up for your rights and the rights of others.”

  “Yes,” she said as her stomach tightened. “I want what’s fair for the people in the village. But…” She still couldn’t grasp what he’d told her about her gene pool. And yet, their discussion earlier about her being an effective liaison between races came back to her.

  She mentally debated things she knew to be absolute truths—that humans had been, and still were to an extent, terrorized by demons and living in a repressed state because of it. Conversely, the king of those demons allowed her to open his eyes to life as a human and the fact that having compassion in his heart hadn’t equated to empathy in reality, until recently.

  Being a cross between the two races did, as he’d pointed out, clarify a lot of convoluted notions she’d had since her childhood. Perhaps it also fed into her isolation. For someone who’d been viewed as a potential leader all along, she’d kept a wall around her.

  Mentally exhausted and perplexed, she flopped down onto the mattress and stared up at the cracked ceiling. “Why is it that every time I’m with you, something completely insane happens?”

  Darien’s tone was a consoling one. “I don’t mean to make life more difficult for you, Jade. But you have to admit, there really is so much more to you than an orphaned girl trying to survive from day to day.”

  She sighed. “I just can’t fathom how something like this could come about.”

  “It’s elementary,” he said. “Were you and I to have children, they would be demi-demons. Although, because of my lineage, our children would have my dominant traits. Your demon blood is obviously not as strong as mine, since you’re mortal.”

  “Are you saying our kids would be immortal?”

  “Yes.”

  Her head rolled on the pillow and she gazed at him. She recalled the incident in her bathroom following the chicken slaying and said, “You didn’t seem the slightest bit upset or reticent when you asked if I was pregnant. But you had to be bothered by the notion, right?”

  He settled beside her and his hand cupped her face. His thumb swept over her cheek. “Why would that bother me? I told you I love you and that I want to marry you. I didn’t make the proposal lightly, nor did I fail to take into consideration all it would entail. True, your comment about where a bird and a fish would live together took me off guard, though I suppose it shouldn’t have.” He gave her an earnest look. “I know you don’t feel safe in the castle, surrounded by demons.”

  She searched his eyes as she asked, “Is that one of the reasons you told me about my skewed genetics? Do you think being a partial demon will make me more comfortable in the presence of other demons?”

  “Would you consider how easily you and Sheena bonded? How strong the friendship was between Morgan and Liam—and that Morgan has concern for your welfare because of that relationship? How even Jocelyn sensed there was more to you than human flesh and blood?” He gave her a moment to process this, then added, “I knew you were different, but I couldn’t get past your suffering to pinpoint what set you apart from other humans I’ve met.”

  Jade’s mind reeled, but more absolute truths infiltrated her jumbled thoughts. “Now that you mention it,” she said, “I once told Lisette the demons I’d crossed paths with from time to time all seemed to watch me curiously. Not warily. But it seemed as though something about me perplexed them.”

  Darien nodded. “Your heritage isn’t common. There are very few like you, which leads me to believe the demon seduction way back when with your ancestor was by mutual consent.”

  With a snort, she said, “Thank God they didn’t pass down horns from generation to generation.”

  He kissed her on the forehead. “You have a timely sense of humor.”

  Despite the levity she tried to infuse into the discussion and the reality she faced, her brain still churned with the “how did this happen and what does it really mean?” concepts. Yet it was all too much to process at the moment, so she didn’t give in to the dark side of the situation Darien had brought to light.

  “What else I am I going to do,” she remarked, “if not crack a joke? I’m part demon. It’s not every day a girl receives that sort of news.”

  “I can bring you the book I tore that page from, if you’d like. There’s a chapter on your kind. It might be enlightening.”

  She eyed him closely. “You haven’t read it?”

  “No, not all of it. Just enough to grasp the meaning of your mark. I didn’t want to discover something I might be able to hold over your head to get you to marry me.”

  A laugh fell from her lips, unexpectedly. “Still riding that train, I see.”

  He gave her an honest and raw look that set her nerve endings on fire and also made her pulse pick up a few extra beats.

  “I know what I want,” he said, his voice confident and strong. “And when I make up my mind, it doesn’t change.”

  As much as his unwavering commitment to her warmed her heart, she had to say, “Telling me I’m not one hundred percent human doesn’t pave the way for a formal union between us, Darien. And I do need to be careful when we’re together, because having a child when we’re not married would only create more tension in the village. And between us.”

  In her mind, it went without saying where each of them would want their child to reside and be raised—Darien would demand it be the castle and she would insist it be the cottage. What an explosive situation that would become!

  Resisting the urge to groan, she said, “Perhaps we should change the
subject. You’ve already blown me out of the water with your little discovery and I’m not sure I can take any more hits.”

  “Fine,” he conceded as he pulled her to him and she rested her head on his chest. “But I do think we should address the village tomorrow regarding your new post. It might be something they find comforting.”

  She agreed, yet asked, “What about the impending threat of a rogue demon army heading this way?”

  “I don’t believe it’s necessary to alarm anyone just yet. I want to know more of their mission and whereabouts before I raise any hackles. Can you understand that?”

  Jade grinned. “Don’t you mean, ‘can I abide by that’?”

  “Yes,” he said as his fingertips drew abstract circles on her bare arm. “Precisely what I mean.”

  “Fine. I’ll leave the military matters to your discretion. I’m now promoting goodwill amongst the species.”

  The quest had a very nice appeal to it. And for once, Jade embraced an optimistic outlook. Though in the back of her head, she didn’t forget their world was a dangerous one no matter what good intentions were verbally expressed…

  Chapter Fourteen

  The meeting hall was packed when Jade arrived with Tanner and, not surprisingly, Darien. She’d known all along he wouldn’t allow her to speak to the villagers without him when it came to her new post. He’d want to express his own point of view of the position rather than let her pontificate on something that had grown so exponentially in her mind overnight, it led her to believe she was on par with reestablishing a peace sanction akin to the United Nations.

  She was brimming with excitement as they entered the hall and walked in unison to the front of the room. Tanner placed an additional chair at the head table and he sat to the right of Darien, while she sat to the left.

  It wasn’t an everyday occurrence to be appointed an ambassador of peace by a king, so she felt the butterflies in her stomach were justified. The fact she still needed to reconcile her newly discovered demi-demon status aside, a heady sensation of purpose and direction consumed her.