Soldier (Emerald Isle Tigers Book 2)

by Cass Reynolds

  But that wasn’t important now. Chase crept towards the bed on soundless paws, watching carefully for any movement.

  Someone stirred, and he heard the faint clank of a chain. As he craned his head to see, a pair of ice blue eyes met his emerald ones. Mercy shook her head furiously, jerking her chin towards the door. The message was clear. She wanted him to leave. Man, what kind of woman is this determined not to be saved?

  He ignored her manic head shaking, of course.

  Now that he could clearly see his mate, it was easy to surmise that the other dark lump on the bed was the object of his desire. His desire to kill. One swipe of his paw and that fool’s head would come clean off. It would be glorious. His only concern was that it would somehow go wrong, resulting in an actual fight. A fight was not ideal with a prisoner chained to the bed.

  Chase snuck around to Mercy’s side and stuck his head under the covers. Normally he would not be so forward, but these were special circumstances. Sniffing around her ankles, he ignored the delicate foot kicking him in the face, and tried to suss out the chain situation. Only one ankle was shackled, that was good. And the metal was nothing impressive – if Zelloth was serious about keeping his prisoners around, he really ought to invest in spelled chains.

  Carefully, giving Mercy’s foot several inches of clearance, Chase bit down on the chain. One crunch and it was destroyed, snapping like brittle bone. Very cheap metal. Unfortunately, the noise was substantial.

  There were thrashing noises from the other side of the bed – the incubus appeared to be tangled up in his sheets. Chase tensed, waiting for him to stand. All he had to do was look at him, show his throat, and he would be a dead fucking demon.

  Finally the idiot freed himself from his sheets, only accomplished after a string of cussing. Chase could see his silhouette, standing in the dark room, but he was facing the wrong way. The tiger let out a low growl, warning him, taunting him.

  Slowly, Zelloth turned. The instant those red eyes flared in the dark, Chase launched himself forward, aiming his fangs for about six inches south of the glowing orbs.

  He had never before felt as much as satisfaction as when his jaws closed around the demon’s neck. Bone crunched and hot blood poured into his mouth. He closed down and shook, fully intending to leave the body in two pieces.

  But for whatever reason, he could not sever the bastard’s head. He wouldn’t let go, growling, flinging the limp carcass around like a rag doll, but was unable to accomplish his goal. He felt that red tide of rage flowing through him once more. He needed this. After being forced to leave his mate to this monster, while he did god knows what to her, he couldn’t take this final insult.

  He finally let go of the body, but only so he could get a better grip. As it hit the floor with a thud, those red eyes still burned. Not possible. His throat was basically just a tattered mess of raw meat – there was no way he could survive.

  Chase paused too long. Before he could resume his decapitation attempts, he was blinded by a flash of light. An instant later, he whirled around to find himself in an entirely different room. The damn angel had teleported him again. Well, at least he would still have the chance to behead someone tonight.

  Turning slowly, he watched for signs of movement. He had learned his lesson – Vesper was not to be underestimated. From what he had seen so far, the coward would probably just run if attacked. But he couldn’t know that for sure.

  There was no one to attack. Vesper was gone, probably dropped him and popped back out. He was not a stupid man; that much was certain. He probably knew that Chase would be spitting mad about getting yanked out of there before he could finish the job. So he just left Mercy to deal with him. Pussy.

  Actually though, Mercy looked really angry. Maybe Vesper decided to let them murder each other?

  Chapter Nine

  This stupid-ass tiger shifter was probably the most annoying thing to happen to her in her life. He actually came into an Incubus’ lair and tried to kill him? He apparently didn’t even know how to kill them, and just gnawed on the guy’s neck like a complete animal. Which… he was at the time… But there was supposed to be a human brain inside that thick skull! Mercy was getting the feeling that it was all hot air.

  “What the fuck is your problem? What on earth possessed you to pull that stunt? And HOW did you convince Vesper to help you? I can generally count on him to be semi-intelligent.” Yes, she was shouting at a tiger, and she did not care.

  Thankfully, the tiger vanished, leaving a bloody, angry and naked man in its place. Gods he was hot. And she was still all keyed up from that magic Incubus smoke. She could just take him right here and now. She doubted he’d mind.

  Mercy licked her lips, mesmerized by the blood dripping down his body. She wanted to lick it all off him. Wow, she was some kind of freak. Couldn’t help it – violence turned her on, and to be honest, any woman would want to lick anything off of Chase’s rock hard body.

  There was a crappy hotel bed nearby. She could just lunge at him, shove him onto it and ride him like a cowboy. She was already wet, had been for two days now. He would know. No shifter could miss the smell of lust and need emanating from her body.

  Chase was looking at her with uncertainty, the rage fading from his eyes. It looked like all that heated blood was being redirected elsewhere, as his cock slowly came to attention. “Mercy…?”

  She had to do it now, before he started talking. With a running leap, she tackled him, knocking him backwards onto the bed.

  Chase let out a grunt, but let himself fall back, instinctively clutching Mercy in his arms, accidentally getting a handful of her ass. She was not about to complain. Reveling in the feeling of his solid body pressed against hers, she wiggled with anticipation. Since she had been in bed, there was only that baggy t-shirt and her tiny panties between them. Chase’s thick cock was brushing against her leg, just begging to be claimed.

  He laid back against the sheet, smiling up at her, waiting for her lead. She needed to get the damn shirt off.

  Grasping the hem with both hands, she yanked it upwards impatiently, baring her boobs to Chase’s approving gaze. His smile disappeared, replaced by something hungrier. Without a word, he flipped her onto her back. She was more than content to let him take control, and ground her hips against him in encouragement.

  He licked his lips hungrily, a sheen of gold rolling over his eyes. She didn’t dwell on it, though, once his mouth descended and gave her nipples the attention they had been begging for. He was rougher than any other partner she’d had – he bit as much as he licked. Shifters. After only a few minutes, she couldn’t even recognize the noises coming from her throat. She was unable to control her base reactions - gasping and grinding her pelvis towards him. He swirled and suckled, feeding her hunger rather than abating it.

  As he lapped at one nipple, he fingered the other, rolling and pinching it with practiced fingers. She felt his mouth pull back and cried out in protest, but his only response was to chuckle. The air hit the moisture left by his tongue and his fingers came up again to the peak his mouth had abandoned, tongue and hands trading places. This time the sensations were so much stronger, her tender nipple extra sensitive from his attentions.

  Mercy laid back against the sheets, content to let him lead, and tried to not come apart completely. She was no innocent virgin, but had never been brought this close to the edge by solely nipple play before.

  After what seemed like hours spent worshipping her breasts, she lay gasping, her pussy painful with need. Thankfully Chase seemed to pick up on this, as he began to kiss his way down her body. He reached her legs and urged them apart. She felt that sinful tongue dip into her cleft, immediately zoning in on her clit. The sensation was incredible, so much better than she could do with her fingers, and she let out a faint scream and came halfway off the bed. He chuckled, the sound muffled by her pussy, and kept up his assault.

  As he circled and lapped at her, her plan to hold back went to hell, and she felt th
e pressure burst inside of her. As spasms racked her body, he swiftly moved up over her and positioned his manhood. Before she had even come down from the high, he impaled her in one thrust. There was so much pressure – Chase was by far the largest man that she had ever taken. The discomfort passed quickly as he moved slowly in and out. Her vagina suddenly seemed to accept him and opened up, allowing her pleasure to begin to build one more. She managed to open her eyes long enough to glance at his face. A sheen of sweat graced his brow and his lips were pursed. He was struggling to go slow, to maintain control. She could fix that.

  Mercy swung her legs up, pressing them against his chest and hooking her heels behind his neck. His only response was a guttural moan, as he pumped even deeper within her. She felt the sparks shooting through her spine once more and tensed, preparing for the waves of pleasure that approached. They overcame her, and her screams shook the glass in the windows, as she chanted Chase’s name.

  His whole body tensed and hot jets of liquid coated her canal. They clung to each other, both gasping for breath as they came down from the high. After a few moments he withdrew and Mercy felt his seed spilling out of her. So much for safe sex.

  Chapter Ten

  Chase leaned back against the crappy bed, trying to catch his breath. He wasn’t really sure what had compelled Mercy to jump his bones, but he was not complaining. The only problem was… “So, how much do you actually know about shifter magic?”

  Mercy looked back at him, one eyebrow raised. “Not a lot. How to kill you mostly.”

  “Oh really. How do you kill me?”

  He thought they were joking around, but her face got very serious as she considered the question. “Well, it varies by animal. But as a general rule, decapitation seems to do the trick. It’s also one of your weaknesses in battle – you tend to go for the throat, or try to sever the head if weapons are involved. I mean, sure, it’s a good general plan, but you focus on it too much. You don’t want to be predictable.”

  Chase gave her a nonplussed look. What had he gotten into bed with? Mercy began to squirm under his scrutiny. “What? It’s what I do – killer for hire. You shouldn’t be surprised.”

  “Yeah, but knowing it and hearing it laid out are two different beasts.” Chase tried to keep his voice lighthearted, but truth be told, he was a little freaked out. It wasn’t as though he was afraid of her. More afraid that she was a killer to the core, incapable of love and tenderness. He knew her backstory, as long as Vesper hadn’t been lying his head off, but he wondered what she would be willing to tell him herself. “Can you tell me why?”

  Mercy avoided his gaze, a flush highlighting her pale cheeks. “Why what?”

  “You know. Why you’re an assassin. Weird job for a human in today’s world. Especially a human who hunts humans.”

  She shrugged. “Humans make the best killers of other humans. I don’t set off any of their magic detector things. I can get closer than a supernatural hitman would.”

  Chase wasn’t going to let her off that easy. “Way to avoid the real question there.”

  “It wasn’t by choice okay. My parents died right after the Blink. I went to live with some relatives, and they very quickly handed me over to some nutjobs who wanted to stamp out all the magic. They trained me for a couple years, then I met Vesper and split. Decided hunting humans was more in line with my politics, and here we are. Plus, humans are generally easier to kill. I know my limitations.”

  Well, it seemed like she’d actually hit most of the high points. None of the details which actually explained why she was the way she was, but it was a start. And while they were on the subject of Vesper…

  “So do you have a thing with the angel?” Chase couldn’t help himself. He was almost certain they were just platonic friends, but a small part of him screamed that there was more to it.

  “No. Just friends. Why, did he say we have a thing?” Mercy seemed mildly amused by the thought, a small smile playing on her lips. Or maybe she was smiling at the thought of Vesper. Chase cursed the inner voice that made him doubt her.

  “He told me, quite emphatically, that there are no romantic feelings between the two of you. But I mean… you have a tattoo that summons him.”

  “Oh yeah, that’s just because he’s really overprotective. I don’t know why. It’s been that way since we met, and I was already a pretty skilled killer at that point. But he wanted me to quit killing, and I refused, so he basically begged me to get the tat. So he could come save my ass if necessary. It comes in handy.”

  Chase filed that little tidbit away; he didn’t think that Vesper had mentioned trying to convince her to stop killing. Interesting. But there was something important he needed to tell her… “Oh yeah. I forgot. I asked you about the shifter magic for a reason. I was specifically talking about the mating curse. I assume you don’t know anything about it?”

  Mercy was staring to look slightly ill. “No.”

  “Okay, well… so basically we’re predestined to be together. I’ll feel the pull more strongly than you, but you should still have it. If not now, it will strengthen over time. It’s not a very complicated magic – we basically just have to seal the bond to make it official.” Chase was doing his best to make it sound straightforward and meaningless. “The thing is… well, to seal the bond the couple has sex. So when you jumped me, you essentially sealed your fate.”

  The look on her face was just shooting off alarm bells in his head. She did not seem even remotely happy about this announcement. “So what does that mean? Because I had sex with you, I’m now ‘bound’ to you? I have no choice in the matter? I basically traded one form of slavery for another?”

  Chase reared back like he’d been slapped. “No, of course not! It just means that… well it’s a variety of things. Other shifters will recognize you as my mate. You’ll be able to feel it if I’m in pain, and vice versa. It really depends on the couple. But no, if you don’t want me, then I’ll deal with that. The bond would just make it a little more complicated.”

  Oh gods, now she was going to cry. Her eyes were brimming with tears, and there was a weird desperate look on her face. “So does this mean that you want me? As fucked up as I am?”

  “Of course I want you! You think I would have gone through all of this if I didn’t want you? If you’ll have me, you’re my little psycho forever. We might just have to work on some things a bit more than normal.”

  She didn’t reply, merely wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his chest. He leaned back, hugging her close. She was his. Hopefully. For now they would sleep – they could deal with everything else tomorrow.

  Chapter Eleven

  There was a very loud, deliberate knocking at the door. It was polite, but implied urgency. The only person who knew they were here was Vesper, and he didn’t have the manners to knock.

  Mercy looked at Chase with wide eyes, not sure if she should call out or not. “You think it’s Vesper?”

  He hit her with that lazy, unconcerned grin that she knew so well. “I suppose it must be. Or else we’re about to have problems. You could just jab that tattoo, piss him off enough that he stops knocking.”

  She rolled her eyes at her new mate. He just wanted her to hurt Vesper and she knew it. If their pointless feud continued for very long, it was going to get old. But she would have to deal – there was no way she was going to choose between her only friend and her mate.

  Well, if there was an enemy at the door, they seemed fully aware that the room was occupied. May as well answer them.

  “Hello?” Mercy was proud of the fact that her voice did not waver at all. It seemed like she’d been a ball of stress and fear over the last two days, and it was not an emotional state that suited her. And yet somehow, she doubted she’d be able to return to the emotionless killer that she’d been before.

  When Vesper’s voice came from the other side of the door, she let out a sigh of relief. Not only would they not have to fight someone, but she had been wondering whe
re he’d disappeared to. “Yea, it’s me, you decent?”

  Was she decent? Not in the slightest, but that had never mattered before. “Sure, whatever. Come on in!”

  Chase made a sound of protest from beside her.

  “What? He’s seen me naked countless times before.”

  Her mate sighed and covered his face with one hand. “Look, I know you have a long history and are just friends and yadda yadda, but can you try to not be naked around him? Or do anything else with romantic or sexual connotations? You’re mated to a shifter now – we’re a possessive lot.”

  Mercy sighed dramatically, but had to admit that he was probably right. She just really hoped that this new situation wouldn’t end up alienating her best friend. “Fine, I’ll try not to be naked around other men. Happy?”

  He threw a shirt at her head. “You are still currently naked.”

  Impatiently, she yanked the shirt over her head and grabbed the sheet, dragging it with her. Chase mumbled something about him now being naked, but she ignored him. Served him right for being such a prude. Shuffling to the door while trying to keep the sheet wrapped around her waist, she flung open the door. Vesper stood there, of course, looking as dour as always.

  “Hey man, what’s up?”

  “Lover boy totally failed to kill the Incubus. And now he’s understandably pissed off. Every bounty hunter and assassin in a fifty mile radius is being called in to hunt us down. They even got a picture of me somehow, although they don’t appear to have any clue who I am or what I have to do with anything. Regardless, I suggest we haul ass.”

  Mercy nodded along. She wasn’t surprised – there were very few ways to kill Incubi and Succubi, and gnawing on their neck for a while was not on the list. Still though, it should have taken Zelloth a little time to recover. He must be really angry.