Mated By The Demon Collections: Paranormal Romance

by Riley Moreno

  Angela couldn't help blushing as she said this, but Benjamin chuckled mischievously and tousled her hair playfully.

  “Well, would you like to do it again then? I certainly had a good time 'sinning' with you, and I feel like you may have enjoyed the 'sin' just as much as I did...”

  Angela grinned and kissed him quickly. His scent, his powerful presence, his hard-muscled body – and the memories of their earlier lovemaking – all served to start to heat up her blood once more, and moisten the gap between her thighs. She started to run her fingers suggestively over his chest, but at that moment there was a sharp rapping on the door, and Will's deep voice came booming through the oak.

  “Benjamin! Angela! My wife's made some porridge for you two. Please hurry down and eat it before it gets cold. Benjamin, you'd best get yourself ready for a long day at the forge, my lad, because we have a ton of orders to deal with.”

  “Coming master,” stammered Benjamin as he scrambled to pull his pants up and button up his shirt, while Angela, suppressing giggles, did the same.

  Downstairs Angela saw Will, his short, plump wife Joanna and Father Argyle from Lester Abbey sitting around Will's plain, simple kitchen table. Her heart sank when she saw Father Argyle – even though she loved him like a grandfather, and he was a very kind and patient man, his presence meant that the abbey had been informed about what had happened with Daniel – and that would mean she would be forced to go back, and that possibly most, if not all of her freedom would be curtailed. For her own 'protection', of course.

  “Good morning Angela,” said Father Argyle when he saw her coming down the stairs. “I'm very relieved to see that you're alright. The nuns and myself were worried sick when we got the message from Will last night about what happened in town. Thank the Lord above that Will and his boy, what's your name son?”

  “I'm Benjamin, Father,” replied Benjamin, looking sheepish.

  “Ah yes, Benjamin, well anyways, thank the Lord that you and old Will here were decent enough to help our poor Angela out!”

  “It's all thanks to that English agent, Jason,” said Benjamin quickly. “He helped us track down that murderer. It's only a pity that he got away.”

  Father Argyle nodded.

  “Ah, well, a decent Englishman – that's a rarity, isn't it!”

  Everyone had a chuckle at this, and the mood in the room lightened somewhat.

  “Well, let's all have breakfast then. I've already said grace, so you and Benjamin can tuck in. The porridge is lovely, Joanna, thank you.”

  Angela and Benjamin sat down and began eating, and everyone finished the meal in relative silence.

  After they were done, Father Argyle stood up and clasped his hands together.

  “Thank you so much for your kindness,” he said to Will and Joanna. “We will forever be in your debt.”

  “And thank you Benjamin,” said Angela, blushing, as she turned to Benjamin.

  “When can I see you again?” he asked suddenly, causing everyone to turn their heads and raise their eyebrows.

  “Oh, not too soon, I'd imagine,” said Father Argyle gravely. “After this incident, I don't think it would be wise to let Angela leave the abbey again. No, definitely not. Not for a long time...”

  CHAPTER 8

  Angela tried to concentrate on the painting, but for what seemed like the fiftieth time today, she put down her paintbrush and held her head in her hands. The whole day had been like this; stopping, starting, stopping, starting – and being completely unable to concentrate. It had been three days now since she had last seen Benjamin. She was stuck in here now, after all of the nuns and monks had found out what had happened to her with Daniel, and she had been banned from leaving the abbey indefinitely.

  Benjamin had twice ridden out from town to come and see her, and while Father Argyle had felt that it was fine, Mother Morag, the Prioress, had said an unequivocal 'no'. As far as she was concerned, she felt that any single man, especially one as attractive as Benjamin, was trouble, and therefore off-limits. While kind Father Argyle was willing to let Angela be whatever she wanted to be, and do whatever she wanted to do, Mother Morag was much stricter and more controlling. She was a big fan of the money Angela's art brought in to the abbey, and wanted to do whatever it took to keep Angela there for life, so that the gold would keep coming in. If that meant forcing her to take a nun's vows and join the convent, well, that's what she was prepared to do.

  Father Argyle was working on softening Mother Morag up, to at least allow Benjamin to visit, even if Angela leaving the abbey was out of the question. It seemed, however, that Morag was unwilling to give even an inch, and she remained stubborn and steadfast in her decision to make Angela stay.

  Angela stood up from her desk and strolled wearily over to the tall, narrow window. She looked out over the deep green Scottish countryside as the sun sank behind the distant horizon, ushering in the night, hoping and wishing to see the tall, broad-shouldered figure of Benjamin come galloping over the hills like a knight to rescue her from the drudgery of this imprisonment. Before, the knowledge that she could come and go as she pleased had always given a lightness to her step. Now, however, she felt as if she were a prisoner here, and it was draining all of the former inspiration she had once had for her art. Now painting seemed like a chore, whereas before it had always been a joy. She was working through jobs just to get through them, putting none of her former passion into it.

  And the worst thing was that the nightmares had continued – except now she woke up alone, shivering and sweating in her empty room. There was no strong, comforting Benjamin to soothe her worries and fears.

  And there had still been no word of what had happened to Daniel. Father Argyle told Angela that the Englishman, Jason, had been around earlier that day, telling the monks and nuns to be extra vigilant, because he had heard reports of a man matching Daniel's description roaming the countryside nearby.

  That particular thought sent terrible shivers down Angela's spine. The monks and nuns were mostly elderly in this abbey, and many of them could neither see nor hear very well. Furthermore, all weapons were banned from the abbey, so it would prove difficult to defend herself if Daniel did come around. Nobody here knew anything about fighting. Father Arglye had asked the mayor of the nearby town if a few guards could be spared, to patrol the area around the abbey at night. However, the mayor had said that word of Daniel and his horrific crimes had spread around the town, and all of the townsfolk were frightened. The city guilds had had a meeting, and said that no guards could be spared, as they were needed around the city to make sure that Daniel couldn't come back.

  So, Angela and the monks and nuns were left out here, virtually defenseless.

  There was not much to be done though, except hope and pray that he didn't come in. After all, why would he, thought Angela suddenly. It was common knowledge that most of the people who lived at the abbey were old – and from what she knew, Daniel's targets were all beautiful young women. He would have no reason to come here, if he was looking for another victim. If he was still planning on hunting her down, he would most likely go back to the town, where he no doubt thought she lived. After all, she hadn't said anything about the abbey-

  Her blood ran cold, and as the shock hit her knees became weak and almost crumpled beneath her.

  She had told him everything about the abbey! She just remembered their conversation – she had said the exact location: Lester Abbey. He knew precisely where she was.

  She sat down on the chair, trembling and feeling icy chills of panic racing through her body. What was she going to do? She couldn't stay here. She was completely vulnerable here, and he would surely be coming for her. He had marked her out as a victim, and from what she had since learned about this monster, he didn't stop until his chosen victim was dead.

  Dead.

  She stood up, then sat down again. Her heart was hammering at a maniacal pace. It felt as if she were going to pass out any second; she felt her throat closing up,
and she was finding it hard to even breathe.

  Okay, okay, think Angela, think! There has to be a way out of this situation! You need to get back to Benjamin and Will somehow. You have to! They will protect you. You'll be safe there. He wouldn't dare come near that house, with those two powerful men around. And Benjamin... I think I've fallen in love with him. I can't bear to be without him any longer. Well, that's it then. I have to get away from here, even if it means sneaking out and running away. Trapped in this place I'm a sitting duck, just waiting for that evil devil to come and finish off the job he started. No. I'm not going to let that happen. I have to get back to Benjamin. I have to!

  She stood up and a new sense of determination was flooding through her veins. She scrambled over to the small, roughly-made dresser where she kept her belongings, and started hastily packing things into her leather satchel.

  She was so absorbed in the rush of packing that she did not hear the slight rustle of the curtains, and nor did hear the quiet footsteps creeping up behind her.

  She did, however, feel the powerful hand clamping itself over her mouth, while another strong and merciless hand twisted her right arm up behind her back. And she did hear that terrible, rasping voice in her ear, whispering to her with pure menace.

  “Well hello again Angela! Have you missed me? Our last date was so rudely interrupted by those idiot blacksmiths and that damned Jason – but none of them are here to protect you now! So, I've got you all to myself. All to myself, just how I wanted you. We're going to have a lot of fun, you and I, before the end. Well, I might have a lot more fun than you. Actually, you probably won't have any fun at all. Sorry! But that's just the way it is.”

  Angela tried to struggle and scream, but she felt something heavy thump against the back of her skull with a brutal force, and everything quickly went black.

  CHAPTER 9

  Benjamin dismounted from the horse he had borrowed, and tied the mare up carefully. Even though she was an old and worn-out animal, horses were very expensive, and to have this one wander off while he was busy inside the abbey would land him in serious debt.

  He had been turned away from seeing Angela a few times now, but today he was determined; if they tried to tell him to leave, well, he would simply push through them and get to her. She had been on his mind constantly since that exquisite morning of ecstasy, and his desire for her had been growing stronger and stronger since then, to the point where he could no longer control it. He had to see her, for he felt like he would go completely mad if he couldn't see her.

  He walked up to the front doors of the monastery – two big, oaken doors – and knocked hard on it. A slot opened in the door, and two suspicious, beady eyes peered out.

  “You again,” said a muffled voice from inside the door. “Look, we've already told you-”

  “I'm not here to see Angela,” replied Benjamin dryly, telling a smooth lie. “Old Will sent me, he said that Father Argyle had wanted new door hinges made. Said that a couple of them were really rusted badly and were sticking.”

  “What?” asked the monk. “That's the first I've heard of this.”

  Benjamin reached into his leather satchel and pulled out a new hinge that he had made just for this occasion.

  “Look, see! This is the size that Father Argyle ordered us to make, and now Will's sent me over to make sure it fits on the doors before we make any more. So listen, just let me in and I'll go and measure this up against the door, and then I'll be on my way. Alright?”

  “Er...”

  “Come on! I understand now that I'm not allowed to see Angela, and I've accepted that. I'm here to get my job done, that's all.”

  “Okay then, but you'd best stay away from the nun's living area. I'm warning you, young man, old Will will hear all about it if you try anything!”

  Benjamin heard the door being unbolted from inside, and he suppressed the urge to beam out a triumphant smile. The monk opened the door and shuffled aside to let Benjamin enter.

  “Now where's the door you're going to measure that hinge on?” asked the monk.

  “Oh, I know exactly where it is,” lied Benjamin. “I'll go straight there. You don't need to come with me.”

  “I'm afraid I have to, young man. We can't have you wandering around here unsupervised, not with the, er, the situation with you and, um, with you-”

  “I'll be fine,” said Benjamin. He started walking off quickly, while the old monk fumbled and tried to get the doors shut and bolted behind him.

  “Hey!” shouted the monk. “Wait a second! You can't go that way!”

  It was too late – Benjamin took off at a run, heading straight for the nuns' quarters. He heard the old monk running behind him, but the man was way too slow to catch up with him. He ducked inside the nuns' quarters, and then quickly shut the door behind him and bolted it from the inside. A young nun walked out from a room and looked at Benjamin with surprise.

  “What's this? What are you doing in here?”

  “Angela's room,” he said, panting from the exertion of his sprint. “Where is it?”

  “It's that one down there at the end of the corridor, but you shouldn't be in-”

  “Thanks!” he said, ignoring the rest of her conversation and taking off quickly down the corridor, making a beeline for Angela's room.

  “You can't go there!” she shouted after him. “Hey, did you hear me? You can't go in there! You shouldn't be in here!”

  He reached the door in a few seconds, breathing hard from the speed and effort.

  “Angela!” he shouted as he banged with his fist on the door. “Angela it's me, Benjamin! Quickly, open the door before they throw me out!”

  He pounded heavily on the door, shaking it with the force, and the booming noise of his thumps on the door echoed throughout the whole of the nuns' quarters. Nuns began to come out of their rooms to see what the commotion was about, and the old monk who had been pursuing Benjamin finally reached the front door of the nuns' quarters, and started banging on the door.

  “Let me in, sisters!” he shouted. “There's an intruder here!”

  Two of the nuns rushed out in a panic – one to fetch Mother Morag, and the other to fetch Father Argyle. Some others hurried over to Benjamin to try to calm him down.

  “Something's wrong!” he shouted. “Why won't she respond?!”

  After a few minutes, Mother Morag and Father Argyle came striding down the corridor. Mother Morag looked furious, while Father Argyle looked worried.

  “What on earth is going on here?!” shouted Mother Morag. “What is the meaning of this?! I'll have you know, young man, that both old Will and the City Watch are going to be informed of this! You'll be put in stocks and flogged!”

  “I don't care!” shouted Benjamin defiantly. “It'll be worth it, just to see her face for a second!”

  Mother Morag pushed past him and rapped curtly on the door.

  “Angela,” she said, “It's Mother Morag. Please open the door, and come out and tell this awful man yourself to never, ever come here again!”

  Nothing but silence emerged from the room.

  “Angela!” shouted Mother Morag. “Open this door right now!”

  Silence.

  “That's it,” she said. “I'm opening it up myself.”

  She had a big ring of keys in her left hand, and she quickly found the one for Angela's room and opened the door. She, Father Argyle and Benjamin stepped inside the room – and then they all gasped in shock at what they saw.

  On the floor, leading to the window of the empty room, was a trail of fresh, crimson blood. And on a loose nail sticking out of the window frame was a scrap of bright turquoise material – a material that Benjamin recognized immediately.

  “Oh my God,” he said, staring in horror at the scrap of material as his face went pale with shock. “I know that color. I know that material. Daniel has Angela... And he's going to kill her.”

  CHAPTER 10

  Angela awoke to a pounding headache and blurred visi
on. For a few seconds her mind was awash with sheer, terrifying confusion, as she tried to piece together what had happened and where she was.

  “Ahh,” she heard an eerily familiar voice say, “it seems that someone is waking up. Good.”

  She looked up as things started to come into focus in her vision, and saw that she was inside an old, ruined stone room, tied fast with coils of rough rope to a chair. The walls were cracked and vines and weeds were coming up through the floor, while tree branches were poking through the window. The roof of the cottage had mostly caved in, and some sunlight was coming through the holes in the roof. And there, standing in a patch of sunlight, which cast dark, stark shadows across his evilly-grinning face, was Daniel.

  “You and I are going to have some fun,” he said. “Oh yes.”

  Angela's heart began to pound with fear, and ice-chilled blood pumped though her veins.

  “Let me go!” she sobbed as tears started to burn at the corners of her eyes. “Let me go!”

  Daniel laughed coldly.

  “I'm sorry dear, but you're not going anywhere. Well, not yet.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?! Let me go now!”

  “Oh, you'll be free to go, when I've finished playing my games... And I have so, so many games that I love to play with beautiful young women.”

  “I don't want to play your games! I just want to go!”

  “Well, there's a problem with that, dear Angela.”

  “What's the problem?! Why can't you just let me go?!”

  “It doesn't work like that I'm afraid.”

  “Well how does it work?!”

  “For me to let you go, you have to be... dead. You see, I don't like losing my games. I like winning. And the way I win is... you die. Do you understand, Angela? Do you?”