Guardian

by Unknown

  Of course he’s okay. Really? You’re freaking out over nothing.

  Still, that feeling persisted. In fact, it was growing stronger by the heartbeat until it became a full panic that he was under attack and needed her.

  You’re so stupid. Just go check on him so that you can see what an idiot you are.

  And she was, too. She had no doubt. Why else would she be worried over someone who could take care of himself?

  Fine. Whatever. “I’ve had enough.” What would the harm be? At least he wouldn’t laugh at her.

  He didn’t know how to do that.

  Furious at herself, she left her room and knocked on his door.

  He didn’t answer.

  And still that thumping droned on.

  Glaring at the wood that separated them, she used her powers to unlock and open it. But the minute she entered the room, she stopped dead as she saw him lying on his bed.

  Asleep, he was in the middle of a nightmare and it appeared as if he was trying to fight someone off him. The thumping came from him hitting the wall with his arm while he flailed against whatever was in his dream.

  She went to him and tried to wake him. “Seth?”

  He didn’t respond at all.

  Her bad feeling intensified. Had something grabbed him in the unconscious realm? “Seth!” She shook him even harder.

  Still, he slept on.

  Lydia ducked as he almost hit her. She had to do something to wake him. Fast.

  Fine, if she couldn’t get him this way, she had another. Lying down beside him, she closed her eyes and used her powers to walk into his dreams.

  It took a few minutes to get past her fear for him so that she could make the connection she needed. Eventually, the haze cleared and she found herself in Azmodea again.

  She cringed. Why would he come here? But unfortunately, that was what people did. They either visited things that were familiar or things they wanted to see. Seth had so little experience with anything outside of the hellhole that it actually made total sense for him to be here. Where else would he go?

  And he better be hurt after bringing her back here, or else he would be once she found him.

  Then, they would have a nice long chat on acceptable dream locations for future unconscious traveling.

  With white gossamer wings, she flew over the dark landscape, trying to locate him. At first she didn’t see anything in the darkness.

  “Where is she?” The angry voice came from her right.

  Lowering herself into the shadows, Lydia followed it to a small sinister meadow.

  A mocking, masculine laugh rang out. “You hit like an arthritic three-year-old girl.” That was Seth’s voice.

  Her heart clenched. Oh no …

  He was in trouble.

  “You really think you can hurt me?” he challenged whoever he was talking to. “Think again, bitch.”

  Tucking her wings in, Lydia crept through the shadows until she found him. Her stomach lurched as her gaze focused what was happening. Not again …

  He was speared against a tree. Literally. Three long-handled spears were planted in his stomach and chest, holding him there while he was surrounded by four women.

  The one she’d heard earlier grabbed his hair and wrenched it hard. “Call for her. Now!”

  “No.”

  She slammed his head back against the tree. “Have we not done enough damage to you already?”

  “Is that what this is?” Seth asked derisively. “I thought it was foreplay.”

  Lydia couldn’t believe what she was seeing or hearing. Those were Dream-Hunters torturing him. They must have been waiting for him to sleep so that they could grab him and drag him back into this hell.

  Damn it. She hadn’t even thought to warn him about a danger she’d known from birth. Stupidly, she’d assumed everyone knew to be wary of Dream-Hunter powers.

  But Seth wasn’t Greek.

  The Dream-Huntress sank her hand deep into his hair again so that she could yank his head down to hers. “Shame we didn’t know how pretty you were the other night when we had you. Even the Phonoi would have been impressed.”

  “Fuck you.”

  She smiled at him, then jerked his lips to hers.

  Seth growled as she pulled back and left his lips pouring blood. He spat the blood at her, but she dodged it and laughed before she backhanded him.

  Lydia felt sick as she realized why he hadn’t kissed her earlier.

  How could I forgotten? After all she’d seen?

  But then she’d been so wrapped up in her own damaged past, she’d lost sight of the fact that Seth didn’t know kisses could come without blood and pain.

  Even I bit him when he kissed me.

  No wonder he’d pulled away. He hadn’t meant to hurt her. He’d only been trying to protect himself from more harm.

  Somehow she’d forgotten about biting him. But she’d lay money that Seth hadn’t. How could he? He’d only been trying to give her a voice and she’d hurt him for it.

  Strange how you always remembered the pain someone gave you, but seldom the hurt you caused them first.

  “Here, Maia.” One of the Dream-Hunters passed his tormentor a knife. “What say we castrate him? You think it would carry from his dreams into his real life if we did?” She looked up and tsked at Seth. “What? No smart retort for that?”

  Seth didn’t say anything as he tried again to pull one of the spears out of his chest.

  The damn thing wouldn’t budge.

  He glared at the four women who’d dragged him to this realm against his wishes. “Do whatever you want. You’re just wasting your time anyway. Lydia won’t come for me.”

  He wasn’t the one she loved. And even if by some miracle he was, she was still furious with him. Hell, he was lucky she hadn’t pinned him to the tree.

  When he’d tried to apologize again at Maahes’s house, she’d slammed her door in his face.

  Devastated, he’d gone to his room. And with nothing else to do and no one to talk to, he’d made the mistake of trying to sleep.

  He should have known better. Why would he have ever thought himself safe? Slumber had never once in his life given him peace. It’d only left him weak and open to attacks.

  The Dream-Huntress lifted the knife to his neck. “Where would you rather I stab you this time? Hmm?” She hovered the blade over the hollow of his throat. “This is always a painful place to be stabbed.”

  She trailed it down to his chest, raising a bloody stripe under the blade. “Then there’s always the heart, or…” She moved it to his cock. “So what’s it to be? If we harm you badly enough in a dream, you’ll carry those wounds with you back to your waking state. So if I were you, I’d call her while you’re still able.”

  He shook his head in steadfast denial. “I won’t do it.” He would never put Lydia in harm’s way.

  “It sucks to be you tonight.” She pulled her arm back to stab his cock.

  Seth tensed and held his breath in expectation of the pain he could already feel.

  For once, it didn’t come.

  Before she could stab him, a blur came running from the shadows and tackled her to the ground.

  At first, he thought he was imagining things. But there was no mistaking the flash of topaz eyes glowing in the dark.

  Lydia was on the woman, beating her down with a ferocity he hadn’t known she was capable of. The other three launched themselves at her.

  “Lydia, behind you!”

  She came to her feet and manifested a staff that she twirled around her back to the front. She caught one of the women with the hard end of it against her face, then knocked a second in the head. The third, she punched in the middle.

  He had to give her credit. She knew how to handle herself with a skill he wouldn’t have thought possible. It was a good thing he’d taken her powers when he captured her. With her abilities, she might or might not have defeated him, but she would have definitely put a hurt on his body.

  In
a matter of minutes, she had the bitches on the run. As they fled, she shouted after them. “Send the word out, you whores. If you want to fight me in this realm, you better practice more and bring serious backup.”

  Her breathing labored, she turned to face him.

  Never in all of his life had he seen anything more beautiful than her tousled hair falling into those eyes that touched a part of him he thought was gone forever.

  His heart.

  Brushing her hair back, she threw her staff to the ground and ran to him. “You still with me?”

  He looked down at the spears in his torso. “Sadly, I can honestly say, that compared to other sessions I’ve had this one wasn’t so bad.”

  She sighed wearily. “You find your humor at the strangest times.” Her brow furrowed, she reached for the bottom spear. “This is going to hurt. I’m so sorry.”

  He stopped her before she could yank it out. “Why are you here?”

  Lydia paused at the odd catch in his voice. He really had no comprehension. “Don’t you know?”

  He shook his head. “You were so mad at me. I didn’t think you’d ever speak to me again.”

  She took his hand into hers and held it tight. “Baby, I would always come for you.”

  “But I didn’t call you.”

  “You didn’t have to. I knew you needed me. Now hold on.” She jerked the spear out as fast as she could, hoping to spare him as much pain as possible.

  Seth bit his lip as she freed him of the other two. Instead of letting him hit the ground, she caught him against her and held him close.

  “Hold on,” she whispered in his ear as she draped his arm around her shoulders. “I’ll take you home.”

  * * *

  Seth came awake slowly. For a full minute, he was afraid to open his eyes lest he find himself back in his room or, worse, in Noir’s torture chamber.

  But as he caught the scent of his precious lily, he knew he was safe.

  When he blinked his eyes open, it was to see the most beautiful woman in existence.

  Before he could move, she started tearing at his shirt, pulling it up to expose his stomach and chest.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “Making sure those bitches didn’t hurt you so much that you brought your wounds back with you. I swear if they did, I will stalk them down and kick their teeth in until they beg me to stop and even then I’ll…”

  Lydia froze as she heard the most incredible thing of all.

  Seth’s laughter.

  Stunned, she sat back on her legs to scowl at him and marvel at the way his smile lit up his entire face and made him all the better looking.

  He truly had an adorable smile that could melt the iciest heart.

  But she was completely bemused by his mood. “You find that funny?”

  “No,” he breathed. “I find it a miracle.” He reached up and cupped her face in his hand. “You really came for me.”

  Closing her eyes, she rubbed her cheek against his palm, savoring the feel of his skin on hers. “I told you I would.”

  But he’d never believed it. Not for a single heartbeat. Words were cheap.

  Actions cost.

  Even so, she had fought off his attackers and brought him home. Just like she said she would.

  She released his hand and went back to searching his body for injuries. Something he wouldn’t have minded so much if it wasn’t turning him on so badly that he couldn’t stand it.

  And when she leaned over him, spilling her soft hair across his chest that she’d bared, he almost came just from the scent of her alone.

  Lydia hesitated as she saw the fire in those blue eyes that followed her every movement. More than that, she felt his desire for her swelling against her thigh.

  Neither of them moved as they stared at each other, both afraid to move. Afraid of how the other would react if they did.

  They knew one wrong word or action would shatter this moment, and it was something neither of them wanted to accidentally spoil.

  But Lydia had never been timid in anything. She dissolved his shirt completely so that she could run her hand over his bare chest and feel the wall of cut muscles there. He had the lightest dusting of red hair over his pectorals. Hair that vanished over his eight-pack abdomen only to pick up again below his navel, where it was thickest of all, as it led her gaze down to the part of him that was swollen for her.

  However, it was his tattoo that stood out so brightly on his skin. That was what beckoned her first. The one thing he’d manifested in an attempt to give himself comfort.

  The first haven Noir had stolen from him.

  Now she wanted to be the one who gave him comfort and took away his pain. To show him that he didn’t need a bird’s wings to escape what was happening around him. That there was pleasure to be had in his own body.

  Let me love you, Seth …

  But would her stubborn demon lord ever accept that from anyone? Even her. Or was he so badly damaged that nothing would ever make him whole again?

  Seth ground his teeth as Lydia leaned forward to run her tongue over his swallow mark. It was the first time since it’d appeared that he didn’t hate it and what it signified.

  Closing his eyes, he surrendered himself to her mouth and warm touches that reached far below his skin and soothed him on levels he’d never imagined he possessed. His senses on fire, he was actually dizzy from the pleasure of finally having her in his arms.

  He ran his hands under her shirt and over her back, delighting in how warm and soft her skin was. How good it smelled. Everything around them faded as he surrendered himself completely to her caresses. Caresses that were far sweeter than anything he’d imagined them to be.

  And how could he? No one had ever touched him like this.

  Like he mattered.

  There was no pain in her gentle touch. No fingernails shredding his skin.

  But her top was beginning to frustrate him as he tried to feel more of her. “No fair,” he whispered in her ear. “You still have a shirt on.”

  It vanished instantly.

  Seth sucked his breath in at the sight of her perfectly formed breasts. Her skin tone was so pale compared to his. Something that didn’t make any sense since she was from the world of bright sunlight and he’d lived in darkness for so long that he could barely tolerate the sun at all.

  His mouth watering, he cupped her breasts that overfilled his hands and smiled at the bounty of them. He lifted her up so that he could run his tongue over the tight nipple of her right breast and finally taste her.

  Mmm … she was even more succulent than his best fantasy, and he wanted to taste every inch of her body until he was drunk from it.

  Lydia shivered at the way Seth’s tongue played against her breast as he rolled her over onto her back without withdrawing from her.

  Then he moved from breast to breast, tickling her nipples with his tongue and then his whiskers in turn. Something that made her entire body convulse with unbelievable bliss. Who knew a man could do that? Her demon lord was extremely talented. So much so that she actually came a few minutes later just from that alone.

  Throwing her head back, she laughed in ecstasy as her world exploded.

  Seth smiled as he felt her shuddering against him. The sound of his name on her lips …

  It was the sweetest of songs and he was so grateful he’d given her that voice.

  He’d never taken delight in pleasing his partners before. In the past, he’d developed that particular skill as a way to get them off him quicker so that he could find his own release and be done with them.

  But with Lydia, he wanted it to last and he wanted her to be pleasured like she’d never been pleasured before. He was desperate to make sure that when she left this bed, she didn’t regret a single minute of being with him.

  Lydia licked her lips as her body settled back down and Seth continued to run his hands over her breasts while he gently nipped her skin with his teeth. She lifted herself up to ki
ss him.

  He pulled back again.

  “Seth—”

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered. Staring at her, he swallowed hard, then lowered his lips toward hers. His entire body was tense and rigid. He all but cringed in expectation of her kiss.

  Lydia ran her finger over his mouth while he watched her. “A kiss isn’t supposed to hurt, Seth.”

  He frowned as if he thought she was insane.

  “Trust me.”

  Seth nodded, even though he didn’t believe her for an instant. Kisses didn’t hurt women. But they always hurt him. No matter who gave them, the result was ever the same.

  He braced himself for the coming pain as she pressed her lips to his. She buried her hands in his hair while she lightly tongued his lips, sending chills all over him. And when she slipped her tongue into his mouth to stroke his tongue and tease his teeth, he swore he saw stars from it.

  Lydia smiled as she felt him relaxing against her, and getting more into the kiss, until he finally took control of it.

  Now it was her turn to be amazed. While she’d had her share of boyfriends and dates over the centuries, none of them had ever kissed her like this.

  Like she was the air he breathed. She sank her hands into his soft curls and let them wrap around her fingers in the sweetest of caresses. She didn’t know why, but those curls always made her smile. Probably because hair like his was rare. Not just the unusual color of it, but also the silkiness of his curls. The way they spiraled in a mad chaos that was unruly and yet controlled and formed. Ever a contradiction.

  Just like him.

  And in that one moment, as their breaths mingled and he groaned against her, she made the most startling discovery of all.

  She loved him.

  Truly. Deeply.

  And with the whole of her heart.

  Yes, he made her crazy. He had a way of infuriating her to the highest level of madness and motivating her into wanting to murder him.

  And at the same time, he broke her heart and made her crave his touch even while she was trying to figure out where to hide his body.

  But most of all, whenever he looked at her, she felt like a goddess. Pure and simple. And when he held her like this, she could almost believe she was beautiful.