Daemon Uprising

by Mariah Ankenman

  Reaching down, he scooped up Tabitha behind her knees and held her in his arms. She needed the comfort of her own home. With Hyde following close behind, Kiernan made his way up the stone steps and out of the storage room. They quickly left the club, exiting through the back door.

  Hyde gave Kiernan one more nod and took to the sky. Thankfully, the day remained cloudy, obscuring the vision of anyone who happened to look upward. Kiernan shot up after Hyde, but instead of heading toward headquarters, he turned and flew to Tabitha’s apartment building.

  Chapter 23

  The flight to her apartment was quick. By the time they arrived, Tabitha had stopped crying and buried her face into his chest. He landed softly on the roof of her building. After breaking the lock on the roof door, he swiftly took the stairs down to Tabitha’s floor. Not bothering to put her down, Kiernan asked for her key, which she produced from her pocket and handed over without a word. Not until they were inside with the door securely locked did he place her on her own feet again. He pulled away to inspect the damage Shanna had done.

  He feared her wounds were worse than they looked. The black pants and shirt she wore were great for sneaking around. They hid blood well, and judging from the numerous slash marks in the clothing, he knew a lot of blood hid in her tattered clothing. Every mark made his blood boil. He wished he could kill Shanna a thousand times for touching Tabitha.

  Tamping down his anger, he glanced over her wounds. Shallow cuts along both cheeks, a cut running across her forehead intersecting her left brow, and a deep slice along her collar bone going down to her right breast. His heart stopped all over again seeing the angry wounds still bleeding, marring her soft, perfect flesh.

  “We have to clean these wounds, Tabitha.”

  Big brown eyes looked up at him, red and watery. Tabitha’s breath shuddered out on a sigh, the way one does after an intense crying session. “I have some Salve in the bathroom.”

  Salve was an invention of Celia’s, a mixture of herbs, oils, and Daemon saliva to help quicken the healing process for most wounds. Any Enforcer not a Daemon or some other form of being with super healing abilities was kept in stock of the product.

  He nodded and started toward the bathroom. “I’ll get it.”

  A gentle hand on his forearm stopped him. “It would be a lot faster if you just…”

  “If I what?”

  A blush rose on Tabitha’s face. Good sign. She had not lost too much blood.

  “Can’t you just…”

  He felt a smile curve up the ends of his lips. “Just what, Tabby Cat?”

  Her eyes narrowed, all signs of the emotional outburst gone, annoyance once more back in place. There was his fighting girl. It soothed something deep in his soul to know this attack hadn’t stolen her from him forever.

  “You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”

  Damn right. He told her she would have to admit this thing between them sooner or later. After waiting almost a decade, he pushed for sooner any way he could.

  Tabitha sighed again, a resigned sigh this time. “Kiernan, will you heal me, please?”

  “Why, Tabby Cat, I thought you’d never ask.” He chuckled as he moved in closer.

  He tilted her head back, looking at the angry slash on her forehead. Some of the playfulness went out of him as he gazed at the wound. He was so angry. Angry at Shanna for hurting the woman he cared about. Angry at Tabitha for putting herself in danger. Angry at himself for failing to protect her. He shoved the anger away for the moment. Tabitha didn’t need anger right now. She needed healing.

  Lips hovering millimeters from her skin, he let out a warm breath across the slice. Instantaneously, it began to heal, the skin knitting itself back together. He kissed the disappearing wound before moving on to the ones on her cheeks. Each one received a kiss once healed.

  Tabitha’s eyes had closed, her head tilted back. He placed a strong arm behind her as he bent his head down to her collarbone. Her shirt had ripped from the slash. Actually, many rips from many slashes. He focused on her wound, not the torn garment. His lips and breath ran across her soft skin, making it smooth once more. When he reached the end of the cut at the top swell of her right breast, he let his tongue snake out and slide along the creamy mound.

  A deep moan escaped her perfect lips. It encouraged him. He continued his caresses down her breast. Pulling the tattered shirt off her shoulder, he peeled back her bra and ran his tongue across her already budding nipple. Tabitha gasped, grabbing onto his arm. He was always semi-aroused around this woman, but at the moment he could pound nails with his erection.

  Tabitha’s head came up, her eyes opened and unfocused, her mouth slightly parted. She looked so damn sexy all he wanted to do was strip her naked and take her right there. But she had been hurt, was still hurt, and he had waited too long for this moment. He was going make it last if it killed him, which it just might.

  “If you want me to stop, say so now.” By all the powers of the universe, please don’t let her say so. “I’ll heal you and let you sleep. Just say the word.”

  Tabitha’s gaze focused slightly. Her dark chocolate-brown eyes searched his. She stepped out of his arms and, for a moment, he cursed the week-long cold showers he would have to take to get rid of his hard-on, but then she tugged her shirt over her head. Dropping it to the floor, she unbuttoned her pants next and shimmed out of them. The wounds on her body were bad, not as bad as he feared, but bad. Her stomach took the brunt of the slashes, but marks marred her legs and arms as well.

  “I want you to heal me,” Tabitha said with a steady voice. “And then I want you to make love to me.”

  Thank the gods.

  No way could he resist the temptation of a mostly naked Tabitha Culver. She held out her hand, backing toward the bed. Kiernan placed his large hand in her small one and let her lead him to the corner of her studio apartment that served as her bedroom. She pushed the sheer curtains out of the way and stood by the bed.

  “Lie down,” he instructed.

  Tabitha obeyed, stretching out on her queen size bed. In her white bra and panties, she looked like a sacrificial virgin of old. He knew she wasn’t a virgin; neither was he. Being centuries old, one tended to find a bedmate or two. He also knew neither one of them took this moment lightly. This was important, to both of them. The thought made him nervous and excited at the same time, but first things first. He had to heal her wounds.

  Removing his gaze from the seductively tantalizing image she made lying there, he assessed the wounds on her body. Toeing off his shoes, he joined her on the bed, placing his knees on either side of her hips, an erotic position that made his cock press harder against the zipper of his jeans. If he didn’t control himself, he might burst right through the damn thing.

  Blowing out a breath, he concentrated on the task at hand. Two cuts on her right arm just below the shoulder and a long slash running down her left from elbow to wrist. Placing his hands on either side of her head, he leaned down and worked first one arm and then the other. Breathing to heal and then kissing to comfort. He repeated the action with the four cuts on her stomach and two on her left thigh. When he got to the deep gash on her right thigh, he breathed, laved, and kissed the wound until it completely vanished. Not even a discoloration marked her flesh now. All traces of the brutality wiped from her body.

  With his head still down, his lips resting on her outer thigh, Kiernan kissed a path to the inside of her leg. Tabitha’s breath hitched as he moved closer to her center. He glanced up to see her, head thrown back, eyes shut, face flushed. Satisfied she was no longer in any pain, he placed a gentle kiss to the part of her he craved the most.

  Now this was heaven.

  ****

  Tabitha’s body shivered with pleasure. Kiernan had healed her wounds with such care and gentleness. Every kiss he placed after healing a cut had been so tender, so sweet, so erotic. The pain was gone the second his lips touched her body. Now, she lay as a quivering mass of sensation. />
  She wished she had put on some sexy lacy underwear this morning instead of her boring white ones. At least they matched, unlike most days. The way Kiernan looked at her when she stripped made her feel like she could have worn granny panties and a girdle and still have been the sexiest thing ever. She didn’t know what was hotter at the moment, her body or the looks he gave her.

  His lips trailed up her legs, hips, stomach, chest, stopping occasionally to kiss or suck on a certain spot. He took extreme care with her breasts and nipples, running his teeth lightly across the sensitive skin, biting gently and sucking. She felt her breasts engorge, her nipples tighten and peak. Moisture pooled between her legs.

  Good gods, the man was killing her, but what a way to go.

  She rubbed her thighs together in an effort to alleviate some of the pressure. He seemed to sense her dilemma. Shifting off, he lay beside her on the bed, his hand resting first on her hip, then sliding down between her thighs, pushing them apart. His strong fingers caressed gently. His lips continued their path up her body. A gentle bite on the neck—holy cow, who knew biting could feel so good—caused her to gasp in pleasure.

  Kiernan chuckled softly as his lips left her body. She made a noise of protest but quickly silenced as they came back down again, this time on her own lips. She opened to him eagerly, their tongues stroking, lips devouring. All the while his fingers rubbed gentle circles around her sensitive bud.

  Tabitha moved her hips in tandem with Kiernan’s fingers. It felt so good, but it wasn’t enough. Once again proving adept at knowing what she needed, Kiernan slipped first one, then two of his long fingers into the waistband of her panties. The first stroke of skin against skin made her cry out in pleasure. The cry was swallowed by a kiss as he plunged a finger inside her. The first finger was followed by another. He moved them in and out in a rhythm which matched his tongue in her mouth. The heel of his palm pressed against her, circling with just the right amount of pressure. In a matter of moments, her body started to tingle, the pressure built, and white spots lit the darkness inside her closed eyelids. A hard thrust from Kiernan’s hand, and she was lost.

  Her climax unlike any she had ever experienced. She hadn’t had many lovers. Mostly, she took care of herself, but she had never felt anything like this before. Her entire being rejoiced in orgasmic pleasure. Even her eyelashes felt good. Kiernan didn’t stop after she climaxed. He continued to rub, gentler, softer, coaxing her back to a state of arousal. She heard of women able to have multiple orgasms, but she had never experienced it herself.

  “I have to taste you,” Kiernan growled in her ear as his lips left her and trailed once more down her body.

  Somewhere between healing her and the mind-blowing orgasm she just had, she had lost her bra. Now, he peeled her panties down her legs. She wanted to protest. She was naked and he fully clothed, but Kiernan pulled her thighs apart and stared down at her with such a heated look she couldn’t move, let alone speak.

  “Beautiful,” he murmured before he bent his head between her legs.

  The first swipe of his tongue sent the fire racing back through her body. He licked, kissed, and tasted like a man feasting after being starved for weeks. Tabitha moaned loudly, not caring if any of her neighbors heard. It just felt so damn good. She arched her hips as he sucked on her, taking the small bundle of nerves into his mouth and tonguing it gently.

  “Kiernan!” She panted as she felt another orgasm building inside her.

  He replaced his mouth with a thumb, rubbing with gentle pressure. His tongue speared inside her, in and out, simulating what she hoped came next. Just when she thought she would hyperventilate, he pressed firmly on her, pinching slightly between his fingers. Stars exploded once again. She cried out, this time letting it out instead of being swallowed by a kiss.

  Once again, Kiernan gently stroked her back down from a monumental orgasm, easing the pressure and building the fire again. Her eyes opened, and she looked up. Kiernan’s hair fell around his face, dark and sexy. A sheen of sweat beaded his brow and if the bulge in his pants was any indication, he was in a fair amount of pain. Coming up on her elbows, she pulled at the hem of his black shirt.

  “This has to go. The pants, too.”

  “Whatever you say, Tabby Cat.” He grinned, pulling the shirt over his head and standing to remove his jeans and boxers.

  He stood there for a moment allowing her to take in the sight of his naked body. And what an amazing sight, indeed. Strong broad shoulders led to a well-defined chest and abs a family of ten could wash their laundry on. His legs toned as were his arms, muscle built from fighting, not by any gym. Her eyes finally rested on the part of him she really wanted, widening in anticipation. Her mouth watered, and she wanted a taste. So she did.

  Rising onto her knees, she moved to the edge of the bed and grasped Kiernan in her hands. He let out a soft curse as her fingers curled around him. Hungry for a taste, Tabitha leaned forward and swiped him with her tongue. She felt his body shudder. Encouraged—and not yet satisfied with her taste—she leaned forward again, this time placing her lips around him.

  Kiernan groaned as she licked and sucked him. He tasted like heaven. She didn’t want to stop, but she soon had to as he pulled away with a curse.

  “Keep that up, Tabby Cat, and this will be over before it gets started.”

  She glanced up at him with a mischievous grin on her face. “But I’ve already been started. Twice. It’s your turn.”

  She reached for him again, but he sidestepped her grasp. Spoilsport.

  “Next time. For this first time, I want to be inside you. I want us to be together for the first time.”

  Such a sweet sentiment. Her eyes welled up. Dammit, when did she become such a crybaby?

  “Then hurry, because I need you, Kiernan.”

  She reached for his hand and pulled him back into the bed. He let her.

  “I need you too, Tabitha.”

  They didn’t speak another word as he came down on top of her. She spread her legs to welcome him in as he rested between them. Kiernan settled between her thighs. She felt his hardness rubbing against her, the slickness from her two orgasms ratcheting their sensations much higher. Their gazes locked as he slid inside her. He was big and she was tight, but they fit together perfectly, as if made just for each other. They groaned in unison as he buried himself to the hilt. Kiernan hesitated a moment.

  “Tabitha…”

  “Move, please, Kiernan!”

  All the encouragement he needed. His hips moved as he pumped in and out. Sweat clung to their bodies, their breath labored as they moved together, racing toward the peak. Their already highly sensitized bodies sparked with every movement, sensation running along every nerve. Tabitha felt it coming. Her inner muscles clenched around Kiernan as fireworks exploded in her body. A final thrust and she felt him join her in bliss. Their breath heavy, their bodies spent, they lay entwined together and fell into sweet dreamless slumber.

  Chapter 24

  The sun had just started to set as Tabitha opened her eyes, feeling strange having another presence beside her. It had been so long since she’d been with anyone. Even when she was with a man, she never let them stay the night. Tabitha valued her space and privacy.

  A strong arm tightened against her stomach. Soft lips caressed the back of her neck. She smiled into her pillow. She could get used to having Kiernan stay over. It felt nice to wake up surrounded by his warmth. He pressed himself against her backside. His warmth and his…hardness, she amended. As nice as this was…

  “We have to see Racine.”

  Kiernan groaned in her ear. “Guess you’re back to being the sensible one now, huh?”

  She chuckled, snuggling closer to him. “I’m gonna get my ass handed to me, and I’d rather do it sooner than put it off and have to worry about it.”

  “He should hand you your ass,” Kiernan growled. “That was a stupid move, Tabitha.”

  She stiffened in his arms. So much for the morning—
or evening as it was—after glow.

  “I know, but I just couldn’t stand knowing they were out there killing innocent people while I knew the location of Stryden’s hideout and did nothing.”

  “We weren’t sitting on our asses,” he said softly, rubbing his hand down her side in a soothing gesture. “We were coming up with a plan. Your usual MO, Tabby Cat.”

  She groaned at the nickname he refused to give up. “I know. I just got impatient. I think hanging out with you has been a bad influence on me.”

  He chuckled, nuzzling his lips against her neck.

  Tabitha sighed and rolled out of bed, reluctantly. It would have been nice to spend the entire night in her warm cozy bed, wrapped in Kiernan’s arms. Strange, only days ago the thought terrified her. Now, quite quickly, she was getting used to it.

  As wonderful as spending the rest of the night in bed sounded, they did have to report to Racine. She needed to talk to her boss and mentor. Needed to explain and grovel. Plus, three Kakos were still out there taking human souls. They had to stop them. She grimaced, realizing she just made their job harder. No way Stryden would hang around The Basement anymore. They would move to a new place soon. Hopefully, they wouldn’t leave town. It would make tracking them much harder.

  She shuffled off to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. After taking care of her bodily needs, she ran a brush through her hair and rinsed her face. Grabbing the hand towel she kept by the sink, she patted the water from her face and gazed at her reflection in the mirror. The towel slipped from her fingers as a gasp escaped her throat. Moving in closer, she stared at her eyes. More specifically at the thin silver band that now ran around her brown irises. It meant only one thing.