“Where are they?”
Lire shook his head. “You’re the only one who knows.”
“Me? How am I supposed to know?” Jonathan asked, almost desperate for answers now.
“That’s not the right question, Jonathan.”
With a growl, Jonathan gave up. He needed to finish his task before another of the men came looking to guard him. After dropping to his haunches, Jonathan changed the symbol on the floor. With that half of the trap transformed, he grabbed the chair and climbed on. He quickly swiped an extra line on the ceiling, breaking the trap and completely protecting Lire from evil. The instant Lire was free, his arms encircled Jonathan’s waist. He lifted Jonathan from the chair and set Jonathan on his feet, making sure their bodies brushed from hip to sternum in the process. Jonathan tried not to let it affect his breathing.
Lire’s palm touched Jonathan’s jaw. He held Jonathan in place. Their gazes never wavered. “I can’t decide if you’re the biggest fool to ever walk the planet or if I should kiss you and make you mine.”
“You could kiss me, but I’ll never be yours.”
Lire brushed his fingertips along Jonathan’s bottom lip. “Ah, yes. Your prince and warrior.”
“No,” Jonathan said with a smile, feeling dazed, and not at all immune to Lire’s spell. “Your Dougal.”
A smile exploded across Lire’s face. “Dougal. So that’s Blondy’s name.” He said Dougal’s name with such lust, Jonathan almost didn’t regret giving him the vamp’s name. Almost.
“At least I now know how I’ll die. Dougal’s going to kill me.”
Lire shook his head. “It’ll be our secret.”
Jonathan couldn’t help but wonder if he was trusting Lire with too many secrets. At what point would this demon own his soul?
Niall waited in the shadows, biding his time. All he knew was hunger. He’d gotten a taste of his mate. Now he needed more. It was an obsession, eating at the back of his mind. Jonathan came through the door. His forehead furrowed as he mulled over something deep. The man was damn sexy. Niall stayed still, holding out until Jonathan closed the bedroom door behind him before attacking. His form shimmered as he slipped quietly from one point to the space at Jonathan’s back. His arms automatically sought Jonathan’s waist. He pulled his gorgeous mate back against his chest. Jonathan melted. His body molded with Niall’s.
“Niall.” Jonathan’s whisper sounded like a benediction.
“Need you,” Niall growled against Jonathan’s nape. His hands traveled south. His mouth opened over the cords of Jonathan’s neck.
“Niall,” Jonathan repeated. “I love you.”
Niall froze at the admission. It hit him in the chest. He turned Jonathan in his arms. Jonathan’s expression had Niall sucking in an audible breath. The man’s heart was in his eyes. Niall leaned in, moving slowly. He wanted to savor the moment. Their lips met. For half a second, Jonathan held Niall’s bottom lip between his teeth before their kiss exploded. It was everything a mate’s kiss should be—hot and beyond compare. This was the reason he could never turn elsewhere. Jonathan’s kiss kept Niall so enthralled he didn’t realize Jonathan had him half undressed until Jonathan palmed his erection. Niall grabbed two handfuls of ass and lifted Jonathan off the ground while still eating at the man’s mouth. When he finally thought he might be able to stand giving up Jonathan’s kiss, he tossed the man onto the bed.
Jonathan’s chest rose and fell as he struggled for air. Niall held the man’s gaze as he stripped. Once nude, he peeled off Jonathan’s clothes as well. He stole as many caresses as he could. When not a stitch of clothing stood between them, Niall covered Jonathan’s body with his.
“I love you, Jonathan. I love you,” he repeated as he claimed the man’s mouth. He changed angles. “I’m so in love with you.”
Jonathan’s hold tightened. “Then take away this ache. You’re the missing piece.”
At Jonathan’s plea, Niall pushed from the bed and searched the room. He found a bottle of lube and moved back to stand over Jonathan. “You’re mine.”
“I am,” Jonathan said, sounding breathless in his agreement.
“There’s no going back from here,” Niall warned. “You’ll crave me all the time.”
“That’s already true.”
Jonathan’s claim sucker-punched Niall in the gut. His mate’s expression—like desire and madness — had Niall rushing through lubing up. Jonathan watched him through hooded eyes. Niall savored the slick pressure of stroking his oiled cock while tormenting his mate.
Jonathan wasn’t one to wait for any man. In one smooth motion, he sat, towed Niall into bed, and straddled Niall’s hips. Gorgeous green eyes stared down at him as Jonathan took Niall inside. Niall held his breath as Jonathan’s greedy ass pulled him deep. It had finally happened. He’d claimed his mate, or Jonathan had claimed him. It didn’t matter. They were one. There was no better sensation than Jonathan’s ass squeezing him. They’d just gotten started and Niall felt like they’d been edging for hours. His skin burned. He was desperate for orgasm but more so for Jonathan’s. Niall wanted to watch and feel as Jonathan came unglued.
Jonathan’s teeth sank into Niall’s chest. His tongue had Niall’s skin tingling. “Damn, Niall,” Jonathan gasped as he sat back and rocked himself on Niall’s dick. With his head thrown back and stroking his cock while riding Niall’s, Jonathan was the picture of sexiness. Niall couldn’t as much as blink. He didn’t want to miss a thing. Jonathan’s chin dropped to his chest. His eyes opened. Niall sucked in a gasp at the lust staring at him. He came. The orgasm slammed into him without warning. His muscles seized. Jonathan’s name ripped from his throat. Jonathan fell forward and captured Niall’s mouth, as if he needed to taste his name on Niall’s tongue. Hot cum filled the space between them. Jonathan’s ass squeezed Niall’s dick with the same rhythm of the jets of semen hitting Niall’s chest.
Jonathan’s ragged breaths brushed Niall’s ear as Jonathan trailed kisses from the corner of Niall’s mouth to his ear. The man’s tongue tickled the shell.
“Our souls met,” Jonathan said as he nipped at Niall’s lobe. It was true. Niall was too blown away to respond. Jonathan sucked on his ear for a second before saying anything else. The next time he spoke, Niall wondered if he’d ever go soft again. “I wanted it sweet our first time. Next time, it’ll be twisted. Scratches on your back. Handprints on my ass. Blood on the sheets. My name on your lips.”
Niall held Jonathan tight against his chest. It was the only response he had in the face of the fire burning in his gut. Niall knew, even if it was possible for him to get bored with his mate, Jonathan would never let it happen.
10
There was nothing worse than being wet while wearing clothes. Cin’s feet squished inside his boots. If he was a human, he’d have been dead from pneumonia already. Jonathan had a lead on a certain port. Or a hunch. Whatever. He trusted Jonathan’s gut feeling above all else. After Faolan had spent the day staking out the place, he’d agreed with Jonathan’s assessment. Although he hadn’t seen anything to back up Jonathan’s gut feeling, the location was a solid place. They could load just about anything onto a boat without anyone seeing them. It was secluded, but close enough to a few popular nightclubs for the demons to lure unsuspecting women to their deaths. Just like in Tortola.
Cin and Faolan spent most of the night hiding in the trees, hoping to spot something of use. When the rain started falling, they’d buckled down, but when the lightning and thunder rolled in, they’d packed it in for the night. Now Cin was soaked to the bone, his mood was shit, and all he wanted was to crawl into bed with his men. He almost made it to the bedroom before an arm snaked out, towing him inside Niall’s room. His chest hit a solid wall named Niall. Damn, he’d forgotten. He’d forgotten what it was like to have a warrior prince unleashing lust upon him.
“You’re wet.”
Cin held Niall’s gaze and nodded. Anything he said would sound idiotic since Niall already pointed out the obviou
s.
Niall’s gaze dropped to Cin’s mouth. “We missed you today.”
Cin’s tongue shot out, wetting his bottom lip. “Is that so?” Cin heard the lust dripping from his question.
“Yes. We should find Jonathan and coax him to bed. Get you warmed up.”
Cin’s heart sped. All hint of cold slipped away. His skin was on fire. This was what he’d been craving, having Niall take away the control. When Cin responded, his voice came out sounding like he’d been chomping on gravel. “Agreed.” He took a step back, intent on doing just that.
Niall held tight, refusing to let him go. “In a second. We have business first.” Cin was on the verge of panting from listening to Niall talk.
Cin nodded. His voice gone. Niall dipped his chin. Cin held his breath. When their lips met, a whimper escaped Cin. Niall’s tongue swept Cin’s bottom lip, seeking entrance. Cin’s lips parted on a gasp. Niall took advantage, shoving his way inside. Without thought, Cin’s fingers grasped at Niall’s shirt, seeking purchase. His head fell back as Niall came at him with everything he had. It was a full-on assault. He was mindless, moving against Niall, seeking relief.
A noise like the tiniest shifting of weight had them jumping apart and spinning toward the door. Dougal stood with a spoon raised halfway to his mouth, a bowl in his other hand, and a look of shock etching his features. He cleared his throat and dropped the spoon into his bowl.
“Um, so, not judging here or anything, but is this the reason Jonathan is standing outside in the storm and looking scary? I tried reading him, even though I know he doesn’t like that, but it was… odd. There was nothing. Like a blank spot where he stood. It was fooking eerie.”
Niall’s face screwed up in confusion. He met Cin’s gaze. “I can’t hear him. He’s hiding.”
Cin gave him a shove toward the door. “You should be the one to go after him. If he’s shielding his thoughts, I’ll never break through.”
Niall eyed him for a moment. “We should go together.”
He was right. They should. Cin flashed his prince a smile. They were getting there—learning how to be a team. As a unit, they went in search of Jonathan. Dougal was right. Whatever was going on with Jonathan was eerie as hell. With his eyes closed, Jonathan stood out in the storm. His forehead furrowed as if lost in thought or concentrating with everything he possessed.
Cin brushed his fingertips down Jonathan’s spine. “Hey, baby. Is everything okay?”
Jonathan didn’t budge. He didn’t startle at their appearance. If Cin wasn’t mistaken, not a single muscle shifted. “Something’s wrong.”
Niall pulled a knife from its holster at his back at Jonathan’s warning. Cin felt it then. Evil tainted the air. The storm dampened the scent of rot.
“Get inside, Jonathan,” Niall ordered, attempting to shove Jonathan toward the house.
Jonathan didn’t waver, even with the giant vamp trying to maneuver him. “I can’t move.”
Too late, Cin realized Jonathan wasn’t deep in thought. He was fighting the hold of some invisible evil that was keeping his body locked in place. Thankfully, Cin was still packing from his stakeout. Even as he pulled a gun and a knife from their holsters, his fangs grew, anticipating a fight. His senses strained, attempting to pinpoint from which direction they’d be attacked first.
Two demons dropped from the trees and rushed them from the left. Jonathan threw back his head, releasing a roar that startled Cin to the point he almost let one of their intruders get the drop on him. Not only did Jonathan’s rage break through the invisible bonds holding him, his yell had Dougal and Faolan running full speed into battle as more demons poured in from every direction. Cin’s attention was split between killing as many demons as possible and keeping Jonathan safe. This was why he’d wanted Jonathan to stay as far away from what they did as possible. He needed to know his man was safe.
Cin need not have worried. The one demon who managed to break through the barrier of warriors surrounding Jonathan paid for his efforts. Everyone froze as Jonathan’s fingers wrapped around the demon’s throat. He lifted the beast off its feet. The show of strength had nothing to do with the scattering demons, disappearing into the same trees they emerged from. The unlucky beast who suffered Jonathan’s wrath shook with such a force the human he possessed slipped to the ground, leaving the demon behind in Jonathan’s hold. Cin couldn’t look away from the phenomenon. Outside of exorcism, Cin had never seen a demon ripped from human form by sheer power.
“There’s nothing here for you,” Jonathan growled, sounding like five deep-voiced men spoke from his mouth. A hint of fear snaked its way into Cin’s heart. Jonathan was more than they believed, but what… he had no idea. With a squeeze of his fingers, Jonathan crushed the life from the demon before tossing him aside. Cin could only stare in disbelief. Jonathan hadn’t sent the beast back to hell until he could find a new human to possess. He’d ended its existence.
The air turned to ice. Chills skirted over Cin. It had been centuries since Cin had felt such concentrated evil. He knew before turning his head what he would see. The grass died beneath the man’s feet as he moved in their direction. His iridescent eyes were fixed upon Jonathan. The man’s pale skin and perfect suit looked like a thousand other businessmen’s. It was wrapping, masking one of the oldest evils of time — one of the original seven. Mammon. The only Prince of Hell incapable of sharing earth.
Cin moved to position himself between Mammon and Jonathan. Mammon’s form turned to static. One second, he was feet away. The next, his fist slammed into Jonathan’s chest. Blood splattered across Cin’s face. His heart stopped. He could not do this twice in one lifetime. Losing Jonathan wasn’t an option. A roar rent the air. Cin thought the sound came from his heart until he realized it was a mixture of the clan. Every single one released a battle cry as they launched themselves in Mammon’s direction. Jonathan came to his own rescue. It was obvious Mammon intended to rip out Jonathan’s heart, ensuring they couldn’t save him. Jonathan shoved, sending Mammon sprawling. If the demon was surprised to find himself on the ground and under attack from a new turn, Cin didn’t get a chance to enjoy the sight. The static zapping happened again, flashing the man away. Jonathan fell forward, landing in the mud. Faolan and Dougal took off after Mammon, leaving Cin and Niall scrambling to inspect Jonathan’s injuries. Considering the fury with which Jonathan had fought for his life, Cin couldn’t believe the massive hole in Jonathan’s chest. It was healing, but not fast enough. Jonathan was losing blood faster than a gaping hole could close.
“Stay with me, baby,” Niall begged, stealing the words from Cin’s mouth.
“Lire,” Jonathan whispered.
Niall cast a desperate glance at Cin. He bent closer, obviously trying to make sense of Jonathan’s request. “I don’t understand, baby. Just be still.”
“Get Lire,” Jonathan repeated.
The instant the request left Jonathan’s lips, Niall disappeared in a flash of white light and smoke, as if he’d been zapped away. Cin found his back against a nearby tree. His feet hung feet off the ground. Nothing held him in place, except everything did. The world pressed against his chest, making it almost impossible for him to draw in enough air to breathe. Cin couldn’t move. His voice wouldn’t work. Niall had disappeared as if he never existed. Cin was rendered useless.
The demon they’d kept locked away appeared in the spot where Niall had been stooped at Jonathan’s side, as if he could’ve overtaken them anytime he wanted. “I’m here,” he said. The demon didn’t hesitate digging his knees in the mud as he dropped to Jonathan’s side and inspected the man’s wounds.
“Get away from him.” Cin mouthed the words in a silent scream. Panic owned him. Jonathan was hurt and helpless against the creature currently kneeling over his body.
The demon never spared a glance for Cin. “Don’t worry over your dark prince,” he said, as if attempting to soothe Jonathan. “He’s safe.”
“I know,” Jonathan gasped. He clung to
the demon’s hand, showing a trust in evil that infuriated Cin almost as much as his impotency did. “I can feel him.”
“You should’ve run when I told you to, Jonathan,” the demon said, seeming oblivious to the carnage surrounding him. “Your dark prince should’ve protected you. You’re too important.”
This dark creature knew Jonathan’s name. Spoke as if they were friends. Cin was trapped. His mate’s life was fading. Niall was gone, and Cin didn’t for a second trust a demon’s words that his prince was safe. He’d never felt more powerless.
We’ve lost track of the evil one.
Dougal’s mental update had Cin calling out for help in the only way left to him.
The demon has Jonathan.
Dougal and Faolan instantly appeared at his mental call. Unfortunately, they were as helpless as Cin the moment they showed themselves.
“What the fook?” Dougal yelled. Cin released a silent growl over Dougal having a voice. “Where’s Niall?”
The demon flashed him away. I don’t know where.
“I can heal you, Jonathan, but using dark magic this strong requires a trade.”
“You son-of-a-bitch,” Dougal yelled.
The demon continued to ignore him. “It has to be a life for a life. You’re too close to death’s edge. You can’t cheat a reaper from gathering his allotted souls.”
Jonathan shook his head. His teeth chattered as he spoke, as if the chill of death was upon him. “It’s okay. I’m not scared.”
“I cannot let you die, Jonathan.”
“Yes you can,” Jonathan gasped out, still clinging to the demon.
“Take me,” Dougal cried out, sounding as if he was as desperate as Cin. “Save my prince. A life for a life. Take mine.”
The demon finally tore his gaze away from Jonathan. His stare glowed red as it locked on Dougal. “I’d always intended on it, my love.” The creature’s hands glowed with unnatural light. He pushed the light into Jonathan’s wound, tearing a scream from Jonathan that ripped at Cin’s throat. Helpless tears of frustration rolled down Cin’s cheeks. The demon spoke quietly to Jonathan. Cin couldn’t hear a word over his mate’s screams. Jonathan’s body went still—lifeless.
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