by Celia Aaron
As two wolves broke off to attack me, I readied my shot. I gave one more look to Roth, knowing it would be my last. His eyes burned into mine, not letting me go for an instant despite the teeth and claws that sank into him and marked his doom. Mine. The word ricocheted through my mind like an errant bullet.
The wolves reached me and poised to pounce. I was ready to send a final volley of arrows into them. But then I heard Farrow’s voice, uncharacteristically strong with authority, say something in a language I didn’t recognize. Almost instantly, the pack backed away from both Roth and me. Farrow was standing behind them, continuing on in the strange language. The wolves’ ears were cocked at attention. When Farrow’s speech was done, the pack retreated to the shadows, the wounded limping along with the rest. They were gone as suddenly as they came, only ghosts in the night.
I couldn’t believe it. Of all the twists of fate—Farrow had ruined my life a century ago, yet had turned around and given it back to me now.
Farrow had already healed from Roth’s onslaught, his fair features still a mix of handsome man and mischievous boy. His eyes were sober now, evincing that clear blue that had so enthralled me those years ago in the Forgotten Forest.
With a shrug and what I realized was the most genuine feeling I’d ever heard in his voice, he said, “Lilah, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. But if anyone could have, it would’ve been you.”
I stood speechless as he took off toward the Champs-Élysées, never looking back as he disappeared into the dark.
“I’ll help ye load him in yer car.” The warlock’s thick Irish accent went perfectly with his bright red hair. He and the rest of the gawkers had opened the doors once the wolf pack disappeared. They stared in disbelief at the blood and bits of fur and flesh that littered the street in front of Red-Handed.
I ignored them and helped Roth to his feet. Immediately, I felt his warm blood seeping through my shirt; he was still bleeding, not healing quickly enough for my tastes. A twinge of worry ate at me, but I tried to focus on just getting him back home. I took the warlock’s offer, and together we lowered Roth into the passenger side of his sports car.
“I can drive.” Roth struggled to get out of the bucket seat but didn’t quite make it. The worry became more than a twinge. Blood flowed from the deep wounds in his neck, soaking through his shirt.
“Sit down.” I slid behind the wheel and pressed the ignition button. The engine roared to life, and I eyed the gearshift with apprehension. It had been a long time since I’d driven a stick, but I would make it work.
Shifting tentatively into first gear, I managed to get going, the engine only sputtering a little as I let off the clutch. “We’ll be home in no time.” I made my best effort to keep the concern from my voice.
I gunned it through the alleyways and backstreets of Montmartre, Roth groaning every time I accidentally ground the gears.
“I’m in pain.” His dark eyes barely made an appearance beneath his lowered lids.
“I know. I’m going as fast as I can.” His power was fading, and I was trying not to panic.
“That’s the problem. Your driving…is what’s hurting me.”
“On the verge of death and making jokes.” I put some extra elbow grease into the next gear shift, wincing at the metal-on-metal sound that drowned out Roth’s agonized moan.
When I pulled up to the courtyard, I honked the horn continuously until Bart ran out. Upon seeing Roth, he rushed to the car.
“Oh, master, what happened?” The hand-wringing began immediately.
“Are the girls in?” I jumped out and ran around to Roth’s side of the car.
“No, they went out for the evening.”
Damnit. I would have welcomed Anne and Corinne’s help. But my doctoring skills would have to do.
“Help me get him upstairs. We need to get him cleaned up to get a better look at his injuries.” The gashes that marred his handsome face were obvious, but blood had soaked through his ripped shirt and trousers, making it impossible to know where he was hurt and how badly.
The trip up the stairs was slow going. Roth was so tall and muscular that even with Bart under one arm and me under the other, we struggled beneath his weight. Roth tried to help, but I locked my arm around his waist. “Just relax. We’ve got you.”
I directed him toward the bathroom, eventually sitting him precariously on the edge of his tub. “Do you want to hold or strip?”
“I beg your pardon, madam?” Bart looked as if I’d just slapped him with dainty lady gloves.
“This is no time to be shy. I need these clothes off him, now.”
“Ah, the magic words.” Roth’s words slurred and the wounds on his face still hadn’t closed.
“I ah, well…” Bart stammered.
“Are you going to help me or not?” I barked as Roth’s head lolled onto my shoulder.
“Yes, yes of course.” Bart knelt and pulled off Roth’s shoes while I held him steady against me. After a few moments of Bart wrangling with Roth’s clothes, he was stripped bare. The wounds were deep, some bites showing sinew and bone through the flesh.
“Let’s get him into the bath. It’ll be the fastest way to clean all the wounds.” I reached over and started the water, then directed Bart to help me slide Roth down into the tub, leaving a bloody streak wherever his battered body touched the marble. A pink bloom spread into the clear water, beautiful yet horrific. Roth’s eyes were open, but glassy — alarmingly so.
Once Roth was situated, I ordered Bart to go to the nearest white witch and get whatever herbs or potions she could offer.
Before leaving, Bart hesitated at the door and cleared his throat.
“What is it?”
“If I may say, madam.” His cheeks were practically scarlet. “I-I-I wanted to say that there is one way he could regain his strength.” He stared out the bathroom door toward Roth’s bed, not looking at me but clearly giving away what he meant. “I couldn’t bear it, you see, if he-he…” Tears began to pool in Bart’s eyes as he trained his earnest gaze on me. “He’s, as you know, an incubus. So, if one were to-to-to…”
“I follow. Now, go.” I waved him away. I didn’t want to admit it, but I’d thought of it while we were in the car. I gave Roth a look, curious if he’d been listening. “I could, you know.”
“That won’t be necessary.” His eyes remained closed, his voice weak.
A slow trickle of blood made its way from a cut at his temple, dripping into the water and sounding like a gunshot in the quiet room. He was losing too much blood, and his healing powers were flagging.
“Why aren’t you healing?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“It does matter! What’s wrong with you?” I leaned over the tub, staring at his pale face.
His breathing became labored as he struggled to answer. I softened my tone and held his wounded face in my hands. “Tell me.”
“That night when I brought you here. You thought I’d, I’d been with Corinne. I wasn’t. I couldn’t, not with you here. Not with you—”
A cold slice of knowledge slid into my heart like an ice shard. “When? When was the last time?”
“I haven’t allowed the incubus to feed since…” He trailed off.
“Since when?”
Roth was silent, his head lolling to the side. He hasn’t been with anyone else since we met. I couldn’t believe it—after all the pain the incubus had caused him the last time he’d tried to deny it. And now he was doing it again—for me. He wasn’t what I’d expected or what I’d ever thought I wanted. But here he was, and he needed me. If I didn’t help him, he could die.
I panicked, surprised and afraid at how powerfully the thought of Roth dying affected me. So many emotions came rushing over me, the fear that I’d been pushing away now eating me up, forcing me to act. Before I even knew what I’d done, I stripped myself and jumped into the water, not caring about the blood. I only cared about saving him. I would do anything I had to do to keep him
with me. Anything.
41
Roth
Warmth raced through my veins, the strength returning at an alarming pace. My heart began to beat steadily once more, no longer the halting beat of just a few moments ago. But the best thing was the heat that enveloped me. Something that made me feel as if I were human again and had a real future, not one where the incubus ruled my life.
I opened my eyes to find Lilah on top of me in the tub, her lips plump and warm on my mouth, and her legs straddling me. Even though the water was warm, her core was warmer, teasing my cock as it jumped to attention between her thighs.
She must have felt it, because she pulled back and began searching my face with her hands, looking for the cuts and bites that were slowly healing right before her eyes. Her kiss, her heat—it was like a nuclear reactor of sexual energy. I had never felt something as powerful as her. Want her! the incubus demanded, rattling its cage and demanding a feast of flesh.
The concern drained from her lovely face, relief taking its place as she inspected the smooth skin weaving together over the bloodied mess I’d been.
“Thank the gods.” She threw her arms around me, giving me another kiss on the mouth. I took it and wrapped one hand in her hair, deepening the kiss until I felt more alive than I ever had, the wounds of a few minutes ago only a distant memory. Lilah put a hand to my chest and pushed back, examining me once more. She was breathless from the kiss, her lips an even deeper pink. I wanted to taste them again and again, never getting enough.
“So a kiss can do all that?”
“No. This is new. It’s you. Something about you.” I spread my palm against her back, goosebumps rising beneath my fingertips.
She threw a self-conscious arm across her pert breasts. But I knew she was aroused, could feel her slick heat through the water. And gods, how I wanted her. I could barely control the desire to thrust into her. I ran my hands down her hourglass curves and rested them on her hips, imagining pushing her luscious ass down onto my shaft. The very thought almost sent me over the edge. Lilah sighed, seemingly despite herself, and moved against me ever so gently. Her blue eyes seared into mine, ice meeting fire, as if she could see my very soul.
Now!
No. I wasn’t going to take her in a bloody bathtub. I lifted her effortlessly and set her on the rug. She began to reach for a towel, but I was out and next to her in a split second. I ran my hands down her arms, feeling her smooth skin and wanting to feel more.
“I-I should go.” She made no move to leave. Instead, she devoured my body with her gaze, lingering on my manhood in such a way that set my entire being on fire. When her lips parted slightly, that was all the invitation I needed. I kissed her hard, her taut nipples crushing into my chest, and the scent of her arousal heavy on the air. She reached up and wrapped her hands around my neck, pulling them close. She needs me too.
I lifted her into the shower, quickly turning the knobs so I could get my hands back where they belonged—on her. Pushing her up against the wall, I covered her with my body, wanting every inch of contact. She twined her fingers through my hair, her movements causing a delicious friction between our slick bodies as she pulled me down to her lips. Every muscle in my body hummed with need, tense with desire.
Her tongue was surprisingly nimble, pleasuring and teasing me until I was steadily rocking against her, my shaft so hard it almost hurt. I lowered a hand toward her beckoning breasts, brushing a stiff peak with my thumb. She arched into me and let out a sultry moan. I had never heard a more beautiful sound. Her eyes closed. With the water rushing over her fair skin and dark hair, she could have been one of Poseidon’s wet dreams. Instead, she was mine.
42
Lilah
My mercy mission had turned into a scorching-hot moment. I was powerless against the rising tide within me. Roth’s mouth was addictive, and I couldn’t see myself giving it up. I knew what I wanted and refused to stop until I had it. His thumb on my nipple was certain to drive me mad, and his kiss made my thighs go up in flames. Pressing me up against the cool marble, Roth possessed me, claimed me with his wicked tongue and hard chest.
Before long, he trailed a hand down to my sex. I gasped when he began stroking me. When his finger entered me, my knees went weak. But he didn’t stop, only used the heel of his palm to rub my clit as his finger worked me into a frenzy. When I felt as if I could take no more, he slipped another finger in, sending me to a new level of arousal I didn’t even know existed.
“I could do this all day, all night.” His voice was guttural, the embers warring with the midnight in his eyes. He wrapped a strong arm around me and lifted, carrying me from the shower and into the bed, not caring we were both soaking wet.
By the time his body was on top of mine, I was shivering, my need for him blotting out anything else in my mind.
“I’ve wanted you from the moment I saw you.” He kissed my chest. “Needed you. All of you.” When he sucked my nipple, I couldn’t stifle a cry of pleasure. Roth answered with a rumbling groan against my flesh. He traveled lower, his wet locks tickling my skin as he dotted kisses down my stomach.
He spread my legs wide and licked me. I cried out each time his wicked tongue licked my throbbing clit. But when he latched his mouth on to it and slid two fingers inside me, the tension within me built and I knew it wasn’t going to stop.
Roth knew what I needed, continuing to lave my sensitive flesh with his tongue as I squirmed wildly. But then I stopped, my hips locking, everything in me going still except the explosion deep inside me. Roth groaned against me as I came, the wave cresting over my body as I drowned in pure bliss such that I’d never known before.
“That’s it, carissima.” Roth gave me another appreciative lick before moving up my body.
My mind still spun, shattered from the ecstasy that had washed over me. He lingered on my breasts, kneading them with his strong hands and giving me no time to recover before my body was again begging for release. In one deft movement, Roth pinned my arms above my head, holding them there with one hand while the other explored the rest of me. His power fueled my need for him, and I let my legs fall open, feeling his thick shaft caressing me. He growled low in his throat and rubbed his crown at my opening, mixing his wetness with mine. When he took my mouth again, I saw those enticing dark eyes, only slightly lit with the burning embers. His demon was there, but it wasn’t in control. Roth was the one who gave me pleasure. It was Roth who promised me more.
I freed one hand to explore, tracing his strong back and his round backside. I ran my fingernails around his side, down his hip, and grasped his length. I was curious and wanting at the same time. Smoothing my hand up and down his shaft, I imagined what it would be like inside me. Roth tensed and buried his head in the pillow next to me, his damp locks falling gently around him. The powerful muscles in his back rippled as he rocked against my hand.
He raised his head, the embers warring with the lovely dark of his eyes. “We must stop.” He kept thrusting to the rhythm of my strokes. He closed his eyes and lifted his head to the ceiling, giving me the opportunity to fasten my lips to his gorgeous neck, sucking and biting as I continued stroking his hard length. He shuddered at my touches, sharing my pleasure. “I can’t risk letting it take control.”
With a hard push, I launched myself upward, pushing Roth onto his back and straddling him. “It’s not the one you should be worried about.”
43
Roth
LILAH WAS BEAUTIFUL. Her fair skin flushed pink in the moonlight, and the silky mass of her black mane flowed down her back. Her blue eyes flashed with need as she rocked against my swollen shaft, sliding her sex over every inch of me. She bent and traced kisses down my chest, flicking her tongue across my nipples, teasing me until I began thrusting against her, powerless to stop myself.
She sat back up, admiring my abs and chest before running her nails down them.
The fire lit in my eyes, a swirl of color in the darkness. “Female.” My voice was h
alf demon, half man, and thick with desire. “I’ll lose control.” My thrusts continued, rubbing her soft, wet flesh.
“Will you?” She wickedly wet her lips. Reaching down, she took hold and tentatively positioned my tip at her opening.
“Gods.” My voice was a hoarse rasp as I gripped her hips. I thought I’d come just from her guiding touch, gentle yet firm.
“I’ll need you to help me.” Her innocence painted a blush across her cheeks. “I haven’t done this in a very long time, and it was only once.”
I wanted to gut Farrow, but had much more pressing matters at hand. I would mark her as my own, and no male would ever so much as think to look her way. I was perilously close to losing control, but her temptation was too much for any male to bear, much less one inhabited by an incubus. But the demon hadn’t taken control. It was as if the two of us were working together, enjoying instead of warring. Want her. But it was my need for her that had grown to blot out all other concern. I wasn’t afraid of losing control of the incubus. I was afraid the woman in my bed had stolen my heart.
She swiveled her hips to get a better angle and eased herself down slightly. I tensed with the feel of her wet heat against my crown and gripped her hips to guide her. Her gaze never left mine as she slowly rocked back and forth over me, giving herself time to adjust. As she moved, her breasts bounced maddeningly, but I couldn’t spare a hand for them. Instead, I leaned up and captured one of the rosy tips in my mouth, sucking her as she worked my shaft deeper and deeper. She threw her head back, and her tiny nails dug into my shoulder. In one final movement, she settled on top of me, her tight sheath squeezing me until I was dizzy with pleasure.