She jumped back. “Hush! Don’t say that.” Looking around to make sure no one heard, she asked, “And how the hell do you know?”
“I sense the child, and I most definitely know my son’s DNA.” He closed his eyes. “The fates have blessed you both.”
He seemed a little off his rocker, but who knew what Zolar had done to him. She closed the distance between them. “Zolar thinks this child is his creation,” she whispered. “I don’t know why, but the doctor is helping me hide the truth.” She glanced around again. “How long before Fang gets here? Do you really think he can rescue us?” She dared not hope.
The man smiled. “He will stop at nothing to save you and his son.”
She shifted her weight. “Yeah, about that. See, he doesn’t know. Hell, I only just found out.”
“Then I must tell him.”
For some reason, she suddenly became fearful again. How would Fang react to being a father? “The problem is, we had only one night together.” One really wild night. “So, it’s not like we’re dating or anything.” But wasn’t that what she wanted? Was she crazy to desire a relationship with a demon? Probably.
Fang’s father tipped his head back in croaked laughter. “You have no idea. I suppose you were taken by Zolar before Fang got the chance to tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
“You’re his mate.”
She gasped. “I... Oh wow.” She really didn’t know how to respond or what that even meant, but it caused excitement to flutter in her heart. Did it mean they might be together? However, as fast as the elation came, it was replaced by panic.
“But I’m not a demon. I don’t even carry the gene.”
He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. Fate chose you. Come closer.” He reached his hand through the bars.
Bethany hesitated. Not that she was afraid of him, but she was as skittish as a deer in wolf territory. “Why?”
“Because I want to see my grandson.” The demon stretched further, wiggling his fingers. “I'm not going to hurt you. I need to see how strong he is.”
Still confused but curious, she did as he asked. He reached lower and placed his palm on her stomach then closed his eyes.
“Yes, he's already strong.”
“But... But he's not even a month old.” Then she remembered demons grew faster than humans. Damn.
Fang’s father opened his eyes then removed his hand. “Doesn't matter. You are carrying a Daldara demon child in your womb. Our species is chosen to guard the royal family for a reason.” He squinted. “Many have no clue of our real power.”
She chewed her lip, worried about what his statement meant. “Do I need to be concerned? I mean, I was told he would be born in five months.” She shuffled her feet. “That is, if I can carry him to term.”
“You will carry the child to term. However, you must get back to Oshivana. I cannot stress enough the importance that this child be born in his own world.”
“What’s your name?”
He gave a weak smile. “Bliezal, but you can call me Bli. One day soon, you will call me father.”
Okay, that was too much. Bethany turned to leave then remembered. “Those people out there I saw working, are they Greydon’s people?”
He gave a nod. “Many of them. They are Zolar’s slave labor. Now go, before you are seen talking to me.”
She didn’t hesitate but hurried down the corridor. Fang is coming to get us! She rubbed her belly. Excitement and fear ran through her. Zolar had taken so many of Greydon’s people as prisoners. Would Fang be able to pull off a rescue? The thought of him getting hurt caused the knot in her stomach to grow. He simply had to be successful. Whatever came after that, both of them would work through. Right now, their child was the most important thing.
Chapter 5
“Fine. I can see arguing with you is going to be pointless,” Greydon responded.
A huge smile covered Aimee's beautiful face. “You mean I can go with?”
“Only if you swear here and now you will obey every word I say.” Greydon closed in on her. “Because if you dare defy me, I will not hesitate to lock you up.”
Her mouth fell open before she snapped it shut. “You wouldn't dare.”
The king straightened. “Try me.”
“Yada yada, whatever. Are we fucking ready to go yet?” Fang snarled. His patience had reached its limit minutes ago. He wasn’t even going to argue with the king again about going along. The longer he waited, the more awful things Zolar could be inflicting on Bethany.
Greydon looked at him. “Can you get us there? I mean, do we even know where the hell we’re going?”
“Just leave it to me. I will get us there, but we need a plan first. Bethany is my top priority, so I will locate her as soon as we arrive.”
“We need to find where they're holding the others,” Zander said.
“I will try to reach my father once we arrive, he should be able to tell us where he is. The others, if there are any, will hopefully be close by,” Fang replied.
Greydon grabbed his dagger off the table and shoved it in his boot. He reached for a second blade and handed it to Aimee. “Carry this with you and don't be afraid to use it.”
She nodded and stuck it in a holster on her thigh.
“Are you all ready? We need to go now.” Fang headed for the door and stepped outside. He sensed the others followed and were now waiting for him to lead the way. Somehow, he knew deep inside, he possessed the power to open any realm. Strange things had been happening to him since he’d been with Bethany. He didn’t want to believe the legends, but every day he grew more powerful. Instinct kicked in.
He closed his eyes and dropped to his haunches. “Prepare yourselves. As soon as the portal opens, we go in.” He placed his hands on the earth. The words rose from deep within him and the ground shook. His focus never wavered from the woman who belonged to him. His fated one. No realm or dimension would stop him from finding her.
A crack several feet in length and a good two feet wide opened. A funnel of white light sped upward from the open earth until it towered over them. Fang didn’t hesitate or instruct the others on what to do. He shifted and jumped into the vortex. On the other side, everyone landed together. Thankfully, they were several yards away from Zolar’s army. The black-armored demons stood outside the palace, and it didn’t appear they knew intruders were close by. Fang ducked behind a wall of stone and the others followed.
“What the hell?” Aimee’s face contorted in disgust.
“Not what I was expecting, but all the more reason to take care,” Fang responded as he stared at a pile of skulls whose hollow, black orbs gazed back. Were these Zolar’s enemies? Pretty good bet.
“Can you reach your father?” Greydon asked.
“Let me try.” He opened his mind. Father?
Fang! I sense you are close.
Yes. Fang nodded at Greydon to indicate he’d made contact. Do you know your location? I have others with me, and they will come for you.
No! They must stay out of sight. Find your mate quickly. She carries your son, Fang.
Fang felt his jaw unhinge and a combination of terror, anger, and sheer joy mingled, kicking his power into high gear. Any who had dared harm his mate would pay a high price. Fuck it. They’d all pay.
“Stay here. I’m about to piss off one of Zolar’s men,” he growled at the others, who gave him a questioning look. Not waiting for a reply, he stepped into the open and strode straight toward the nearest armored demon. When he was close enough, he whistled.
“Hey, dick head.”
The demon spun, his burning eyes meeting Fang’s. This was going to give him a Tsunami of a headache for a week, but he didn’t care. He would peel his skin from his body if it would save his mate.
“Yeah, you. Prepare to make room for two in that metal suit of yours.” While demons were proficient at taking possession of a human host, Daldara took it one step further. They could possess other demons. A neat trick they
liked to keep under wraps.
Fang slammed his palms on the demon’s shoulders and muttered an ancient command. Seconds whizzed by before Fang’s body became ethereal, and he stepped into the demon, melding them together. The beast fought the possession, but Fang shoved into the recesses of his mind and quickly searched its memories for any indication it knew where Bethany was.
Bingo.
Fang, wearing his new digs, headed across the open expanse of Zolar’s realm. Expletives were heard coming from the gang he left behind, and the muttering of the demon whose body he borrowed tried to cloud his mind. Nothing, however, would stop him from finding Bethany.
I cannot stress enough the importance that this child is born in his home. Those words replayed in Bethany’s mind as she hurried away from the cell where Fang’s father was being held. She left with a promise to search for any others as she made her way back. Certain she would be successful as long as Zolar allowed her freedom.
Bethany stopped when the tunnel she followed veered to the right and another path went left. She looked in either direction. “Damn it. Which way?” Her gut said left, so she turned in that direction and followed the moss-covered stone walls. She swore shadows scurried both in front of her and on either side. She tried to ignore them, not wanting to know what kind of creatures spied on her. She only hoped they didn’t bite.
The tunnel system went on for what seemed like forever, and she worried about getting lost. Her stomach rumbled with hunger and her feet hurt.
“Maybe this was a stupid idea.” She hadn’t come across anything except stone walls. Finally, light flickered ahead and she nearly ran to reach it. The end opened up and brought her back to the courtyard where she’d originally started. Relieved, she headed for the door where her room was and flung it open. When she went to slam it shut, she was met with resistance. Turning to see what the issue was, she nearly bumped into a large body.
An armored demon blocked the opening. His hand was on the door and a large foot pushed into the jamb to keep her from closing it.
“What are you doing?” She fought to keep the fear from her voice. Was she about to get into trouble for her little trek?
“Inside.” The demon jerked his head.
Her mouth went dry. What did he plan to do to her? She wanted to argue, but her feet carried her backward against her will. When the demon cleared the door, he pushed it closed leaving them alone.
He stared at her and she swallowed. Zolar had mentioned mating her to one of his men. Was that why the demon was here?
“You should know I carry a child for Zolar.” Would he care? Maybe he had a score to settle with the god and didn’t care for his own life.
“That piece of shit god had nothing to do with the conception of this child.”
Oh shit. Yep, a demon with a grudge. Did he somehow know who the father was or was he bluffing? Maybe she was paranoid.
She backed up as he stalked her. “Y-you don’t want to piss him off.”
The demon curled his fingers. “I want to kill the fucker. Unfortunately, that job falls to someone else.”
Bethany found herself backed against the dresser when her door flew open, and Zolar stormed into the room like a bolt of lightning.
“What are you doing in here? Is there a problem?” He arched one of his dark brows and looked at Bethany. It only took a moment for her to realize this was her opportunity to get this demon out of commission before he filled the god’s head full of tales.
“I’m not sure. He forced his way in here and started acting weird.” She tilted her head and widened her eyes for effect. “I thought you sent him.”
Zolar’s face reddened. Bethany saw his transformation beneath the surface, threatening to take away his human features and distort them back into the evil god he was.
She scooted to the side.
He raised his arm and flicked his wrist, shouting in a language she didn't understand, and in a literal puff of smoke, the demon was gone. The room still reverberated from the power that bounced through it.
“Did you kill him?” Was she feeling guilty for the possible destruction of another living creature?
“No. I sent him away.” When he turned back to face her, his features had smoothed back to the handsome man he tried to portray. “There’s no need to concern yourself with him.” Smiling. “I came to escort you to dinner.” He held out his arm as if he’d suddenly developed manners.
“Thank you.” She placed her hand on his forearm and decided she was thankful he hadn’t killed the demon. Bethany never wanted to be responsible for the death of any creature. Even if it was the spawn of Hell itself.
“Son of a... Fuck!” Fang was forced––most painfully––from the demon he’d taken possession of. He landed on his back into a pile of thick goo. Pushing himself to a sitting position, he struggled to catch his breath then realized his ass was planted in the most vile-smelling stuff ever. “For the love of Uuna, what is this shit?”
An ear-piercing screech ripped through the gray sky. Fang looked to see where his demon had landed and spotted him face-down in a similar pile. “Poor bastard.” He shoved to his knees and noticed his pile was steaming. A tendril of smoke filtered into his nose and he nearly retched. Quickly popping to his feet, he stumbled away and wished himself clean.
“Damn. I’m digging this new burst of power.” He brushed a speck off his shoulder when the screech came again and nearly split his eardrums. “That was too close for comfort.”
He turned 360 degrees and scanned the terrain.
Nothing.
The demon stirred and slowly sat up. Fang was willing to bet the creature had one hell of a headache. He sure did. Taking possession of another always left him a bit off afterward, and his victim was rewarded with feeling as if they’d been run over by a tank.
When the eerie sound again ruptured the atmosphere, the demon jumped to his feet and took off on a dead run. “Chicken shit,” Fang shouted as the sky darkened. A heavy shadow cast over his head and he looked up.
“Shit.” He stumbled backward and still couldn’t get out of the beast’s shadow. Apparently, the other demon had more common sense than Fang had given him credit for. Hovering over top of him was one big-ass, ugly son of a bitch with a face only a mother could love. The creature craned its neck and brought a massive head down to reveal a narrow mouth full of razor-sharp teeth and crimson eyes, which peered at him as if he were lunch.
“I don’t think so, ugly. I rather like my head and plan to keep it.” He weighed his options. He had no idea where Zolar had sent him. His entire plan had backfired. Before he had a chance to tell Bethany it was really him in the demon suit, she’d made a commotion and the god banished him. Thankfully, Zolar had not fried him on the spot. Fang could handle most demons in a fight, but a god? Not so much.
He took a step back and held up his hands. “Look, I’m not your enemy.” He really didn’t have a desire to kill the creature. Seemed it didn’t matter, though. The beast pursued by landing in front of him and letting out another ear piercing screech. It had that ‘I’m hungry’ look on its face. Fang summoned power just as the beast lunged for him. Luckily, he was fast enough to twist out of the way, as he probed into the demon’s mind.
Time for you to take a little nap. With a mental push, the creature went to the ground with a loud thud. Sinister eyes closed, and the deep, heavy breaths of sleep caused its chest to rise and fall. Fang wiped his brow. “Damn, that was close.”
Again, he scanned the landscape. Black, lifeless ground stretched as far as he could see. Not even so much as a pebble could be found. Only a few of the same offensive piles. He wrinkled his nose.
“That’s some nasty shit.” He glanced at the sleeping beauty. “What the fuck you been eating?”
Something told him this beast wasn’t extinct, and therefore more would be showing up soon. He muttered ancient words under his breath. Black dirt swirled, creating a mini dust storm before it opened a portal. He latched onto the D
NA of his king and stepped inside. Stupid, fucking god. I am Daldara and refuse to be bested. I will have back what belongs to me.
The portal snapped shut behind him.
Chapter 6
Fang appeared behind the others. “I've had enough of this shit. It's time to take this place by storm,” he ground out. The others whirled around to stare at him.
“What the hell happened?” Greydon flexed his fingers. His king was ready to do battle.
“I'll tell you what happened. That son of a bitch sent me to the outer regions where I ended up in demon shit.” He narrowed his gaze. “And it was nasty, I might add.”
Zander stared at him. “And just how do you intend to take this place ‘by storm’ as you so put it, with three males and a female as your army?”
Fang offered them a sly smile then summoned his demonic form. His leathery wings pressed against the skin on his back and pushed their way out. The horns that broke through on his head caused a momentary pain that made his brain feel like it was going to explode.
“You, my Prince, have never seen what a Daldara demon is capable of when kept away from his mate.” He pointed his finger at Aimee. “My Queen, I cannot allow you to stay here.”
In her typical style, she slapped her hands on her hips and cocked her head. “And just what do you intend to do about it?”
“There is one rule you must learn, my Queen, this is a time of war, and I am the royal protector. You have no choice but to obey my command.” With a flick of his wrist, Aimee disappeared. “Do not worry my King, I have sent her to safety.”
Relief softened Greydon’s features. “Thank you, but you know she's going to be madder than hell.”
Fang lifted a shoulder. “She will be mad at me and not you, but most of all, she will be safe.”
Zander cleared his throat. “Excuse me, but three men against that” — he jerked his head toward the demons that filled the open expanse just on the other side of the wall—“is fucking suicide.”
Fang leveled his gaze on the demons who guarded Zolar’s palace. “You underestimate me. Be prepared to rescue my father and search for any others. I'm about to create chaos like the demon god has never seen before. I can't promise how long the distraction will last, so make good use of your time.” He looked back at his king and his prince. “And for the love of Uuna, make sure you're not caught.”
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