Mated By The Demon Collections: Paranormal Romance

by Riley Moreno

  A sudden and unexpected thought entered his mind; Susan. It often happened, actually; try as he might, he couldn't get her off of his mind. After all, she had been the only girl he could say that he had loved – or at least it had been something like love. He wasn't sure that a creature such as himself was capable of really feeling true love.

  Still, she had affected him in a way other girls had not, and he had had hundreds of them. Susan had been different; she had been the only one who he had really considered spending his life with. It wasn't just her voracious hunger for vigorous love-making that had ensnared him; it had been her unconventional beauty, her intelligence and wit, and her ambition to continually better herself and succeed. She was strong-willed and independent – and while many men did not like these characteristics in a woman, to him they had been most attractive.

  Still, it had turned out that their lifestyles had been incompatible. She had wanted him to settle down, to work and actually make something of himself. To stop drinking and carousing every night. To have some ambition in life beyond shopping for clothes and drinking whiskey.

  And of course, to give up his dallying with all sorts of different girls.

  And that was something that he had not been able to do. As beautiful as Susan was, and as passionate and intense a lover as she had been, for Seamas variety was indeed the spice of life. He was greedy and selfish, and he loved exploring new bodies. Especially young teenage bodies.

  He yawned and swigged on his whiskey again, trying to put the thoughts of Susan out of his head. It would do no good to think of her; that ship had sailed long ago.

  Thus it was with great surprise that, when he heard a knock on his door and went over to open it, he saw her standing there.

  “Susan?!” he gasped.

  “I heard you were staying here,” she said. “May I come in?”

  He set his jaw and folded his arms across his chest.

  “If this is about payment for that dress again, you know what I've said about that, and I'm sorry, but I'm not changing my mind about it.”

  Susan looked down at the ground, seemingly unable to meet his defiant gaze.

  “It's not about that. I've forgotten about that; it really doesn't matter to me anymore.”

  “Really?”

  Seamas looked suddenly surprised.

  “Well then why have you come here to seek me out?” he continued. “I thought you wanted nothing more to do with me ever again.”

  She looked up into his eyes, and he saw that her eyes were full of longing and sadness.

  “I... I came here because I've missed you,” she said.

  And now that Susan was here, with him... she found that, as loathsome a character as he was, part of her did still miss him. It was hard not to be drawn in by his perfectly-muscled, incredibly chiseled physique, and his strikingly attractive good looks. What she was saying was not entirely a lie.

  “You do?”

  “Yes,” she continued.

  “Well... I... I've missed you too, to be honest. In fact, I was just thinking about you when you knocked on the door. Isn't that strange?”

  “It is...”

  “Maybe it's God's way of saying that...” said Seamas slowly and suggestively.

  “That?”

  “That perhaps we should be together again.”

  “Why don't we drink some whiskey and talk about it?” suggested Susan.

  Seamas grinned.

  “Of course. Come in, I've got plenty of whiskey in here.”

  Susan stepped inside, and Seamas, still grinning, shut the door behind her. With a swirling tempest of emotions warring churning within her, she bit her lower lip and walked nervously over to the bed to sit down, wondering what she had just gotten herself into.

  CHAPTER 8

  Robert paced up and down in the small room, peeking through the curtains across the street every chance he could get. He had rented this inn room for the day just because of where it was – just across a small lane from the room Seamas was staying in. From here he could keep an eye on the proceedings as Susan did her best to use her feminine wiles and history to elicit a confession from Seamas.

  Robert knew it was going to be intensely painful to watch her attempt to seduce her ex-lover, for even if it was an act – and she had assured him that it was, and that she no longer felt anything for the man – Robert didn't know how he could possibly be sure about that.

  After all, Susan had once been engaged to this man. She had once wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. How could it be that she no longer had any feelings at all for him? And when playing this mock seduction game, how much of those feelings and physical responses would truly be faked? How far would she have to go with Seamas – while Robert watched, albeit secretly – before she got that confession? And, worst of all, what if there wasn't a confession? What if she went through with it as far as it would go – which meant sleeping with this lying, thieving criminal – only to have him say nothing?

  A cold sweat broke out across Robert's broad back, and chills ran down his spine. This alternated with hot flushes of heat, and he could almost feel himself beginning to hyperventilate. There was still time to call this whole thing off, wasn't there? Couldn't he just run down the stairs, across the lane and up into the inn across the road, and pull Susan out of there, and demand honor and justice at sword point from Seamas?

  He cursed with silent frustration. Of course he couldn't do that. There was no evidence of Seamas being involved in the crime – not yet, anyway – and with two rich and powerful noblemen in his corner, there was no way he would end up being punished for anything. In fact, if anything, the tables would be turned and Robert would be thrown into a dungeon, on trumped-up charges of harassment or false accusation – and of course a hefty bribe paid to the local judge by either MacNally or Seamas's father.

  No – this was the only way. He had to watch, wait and hope – as horrible as that was.

  Robert drew in a quick breath; he saw Susan entering the room. His heart immediately began hammering in his chest, and perspiration started dripping from all of his pores, despite the chill in the room.

  Susan and Seamas started talking. Robert couldn't hear, because of the noise of the bustling lane between the buildings, but he could see clearly enough what was going on.

  They sat down together on the bed, talking and laughing. If Susan was acting, she was doing a damn good job of it, because it looked as if she really was trying to seduce Seamas. Robert saw his rival pouring two deep pitchers of whiskey for himself and Susan. And then, to his horror, he saw her slipping her slender arm around Seamas's waist, and edging closer to him on the bed. Soon enough Seamas's arm was draped over Susan's shoulder.

  Robert began panting, and the ends of his nerves in all of his extremities started to tingle.

  This was terrible. He couldn't watch it. Why was it taking so long? How far was she going to go with this man?

  Then it happened. Seamas slyly shifted his hand up behind Susan's head, running his fingers through her mane of auburn hair, and pulled her face closer to his. She tilted her head to the side, as did he as he moved in for the kiss.

  Then their lips met.

  Robert wanted to vomit.

  Then their tongues were inside each other's mouths. Robert couldn't do this anymore – watching this was killing him, it was torture, sheer and utter torture. He'd rather be on a stretching rack or locked inside an iron maiden that have to watch another second of this.

  But watch he did, unable to take his eyes off the horrific spectacle that was unfolding before him.

  Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity, they parted, both panting from the duration and intensity of the kiss. Seamas leaned in for another kiss, and tried to slip a hand inside Susan's blouse, but thankfully she resisted. They talked a while, and again they kissed. Seeing it again was even more painful than the first time; it really felt as if hundreds of blunt, rusty blades were piercing Robert's flesh, tearing throu
gh his meat and bones and destroying his internal organs.

  After yet another long and intense kiss they parted, and spoke some more. But after this time, Susan stood up, said goodbye to Seamas, and left the room as quickly as possible.

  Robert staggered back from the window, feeling as if he had been trampled by a bull. Watching the woman he loved being intimate with another man had been one of the most trying ordeals of his life – and now all that he could do was pray that it had been a successful, that all that pain and agony had not been in vain.

  It took three minutes for Susan to get from Seamas's room to Robert's, but those three minutes truly felt like an eternity. And inside her head a tornado of clashing and conflicting emotions was raging. She could not deny that part of her had enjoyed what had just happened; she was ashamed to think that during the kisses with Seamas, the opening between her thighs had quickly become wet, hot and ready, and a deep desire had begged for him – that, hard, throbbing part of him – to be inside her again, as it had once been.

  But at the same time, a far bigger part of her mind had felt nothing but disgust for the man. Not only had he cheated on her, but now she knew that he had robbed and cheated many people out of their life savings and lands, and that knowledge, even more than what he had done to her when they had been together, that knowledge made him seem like nothing more than a pure, evil monster from the depths of hell itself. And she could truly say to herself, despite the little part of her that had enjoyed this experience, that she never, ever wanted to have anything to do with that man again.

  She knocked on the door, and when Robert opened it she could see that he was an emotional wreck from witnessing what had just happened between her and Seamas. She felt tears burning instantly at the corners of her eyes, and she ran over to him and hugged him tightly.

  “Please,” he whispered hoarsely in her ear, “please never, ever put me through something like that again.”

  “I'm so sorry,” she replied, choking on a sob. “But it was the only way... And... I got a confession from him.”

  Robert stepped back from their embrace and stared deeply into her eyes.

  “My God... You did?!”

  She nodded, now proud of what she had achieved, despite what she had had to do to achieve it.

  “I told him that my father and I were in severe financial trouble. I said that my father had come up with an idea to become a loan shark, but not just any loan shark – a loan shark who steals back the money he loans people, and then forces them to repay with whatever they had signed as surety against the loan. I asked what he thought of the idea, and of course, he said, 'well, that's a brilliant plan, but I already do that with my friend Lord MacNally,'. So I asked if he could help me by explaining just how he had gone about doing it, so that my father and I were sure to succeed with our plan. I asked him to describe a few cases, a few robberies that he had pulled off. He actually listed a number of them – and yours was among the cases he said that he had done. He described how, late at night on the same night you had taken the bag of gold from Lord MacNally, he followed you home, waited for you to fall asleep, and then climbed up to the top floor of your house, crept in through an open window and stole the gold from your kitchen. It has to be true, because that's exactly how you thought it got stolen.”

  Robert muttered a silent prayer, thanking God for His help in this matter.

  “Now we have it,” he said, “we have the confession that I need to get both the gold and my land back, all thanks to your amazing plan. You've saved my life, and my future, my love!”

  He was about to lean in and kiss her, but she stopped him, holding up a cautionary finger.

  “Wait a minute, though,” she said. “We do have a confession, yes, but we're still going to have to take it to court. The battle isn't won yet, unfortunately. No Robert my love, it is not. In fact, it has only just begun...”

  CHAPTER 9

  Robert and Susan stared up at the courthouse. Its tall stone columns soared upwards, creating a very intimidating effect, and the huge oaken doors opened up into a vast, marble-lined entrance hall. Armed guards stood sentry outside, armed with muskets and pikes, and they stared coldly out at anyone approaching via the huge row of concrete steps.

  Still, there was nothing to do but go in; they had to get this battle started, and this was the place to do that.

  “Come on,” said Robert, taking Susan by the arm. “Let's see what they say.”

  They walked up the steps, past the guards, one of whom looked Robert up and down with a disapproving glare, staring at his highlander's outfit with distaste. Robert met the guard's gaze with a defiant stare – but then the guard noticed Robert's sword and pistols on his belt.

  “You, highlander! Stop right there.”

  Robert stopped in his tracks.

  “What?”

  “This is a courthouse. Only officers of the law are permitted to have weapons in there. You'll have to leave the sword and pistols with us.”

  Robert grumbled, but he took off his belt and handed the weapons to the guards.

  “May I enter now?”

  The guard gave him a curt nod, and he and Susan walked inside. Once they had entered the vast entrance hall, a man in a white curly wig walked up to them.

  “Welcome to the Courthouse of Edinburgh,” he said with a crooked-toothed smile. “What can I do for you?”

  “We want to lay a charge of theft and swindling.”

  “Ah. Very well. But firstly, before I ask who you're laying this charge against, I must ask, do you have evidence of the crime? This is most important to prevent false accusations.”

  “We do. We have a confession of the crime.”

  The man nodded.

  “Good. Well then, who are you laying the charge against?”

  “Sir Seamas McSwiggan and Lord Edward MacNally.”

  The man raised his eyebrow in surprise.

  “Forgive me, but you two are commoners, are you not?”

  “Aye, we are,” replied Robert gruffly. “And what of it?”

  “We cannot handle the charge here. If you are going to charge nobility with such crimes, you must have a noble to back you. And furthermore, Lord MacNally's lands are out of the jurisdiction of this court.”

  Both Susan and Robert felt as if the wind had just been taken completely out of their sails.

  “Wh-, wh-, what on earth can we do about this then?!” spluttered Robert. “I thought this was a land where free men had just as many rights as noblemen! Clearly this is not the case!”

  The man held his hands up and shook his head.

  “I'm sorry. This is the law of the land. It may seem unfair to you, but-”

  “It is unfair. Dreadfully unfair, in fact.”

  All of them spun around to see this new voice that had interrupted them. It was a deep, rough and husky voice, and it belonged to an old man dressed in the extravagant velvet suit of a nobleman. He wore a white curly wig, as was the fashion amongst powerful men of the time, and walked with a limp with the aid of a golden cane.

  “I am Lord Farnham,” he said, smiling at Robert and Susan. As he grinned the lines on his worn face deepened, like ravines and valleys on his pale skin. “And I have just heard your tale about Lord MacNally. And for this case to not even get off the ground, merely because of the fact that you are not noble-born – well sir, that is a true crime.”

  “I thank you for your sympathy, sir,” began Robert, “but-”

  The old nobleman held up a finger to silence him.

  “Hold on lad, I wasn't quite done yet. I am here to report to the court a case of minor theft – a former servant of mine had pilfered a few items from my manor, and subsequently fled here, to Edinburgh to escape justice. But it is a small matter, and it can wait. I'm now far more interested in your case, because I have been watching Lord MacNally for some time now, and the manner in which he is so rapidly acquiring new lands has made me very, very suspicious. Now, with your word, I have proof that his deali
ngs have been underhanded.”

  Robert's eyes brightened with hope.

  “So you can help us then?!”

  Lord Farnham nodded and clasped his hands together.

  “I most certainly can. Come, let's take a walk outside and we will discuss this.”

  CHAPTER 10

  A few minutes later Robert, Susan and Lord Farnham were strolling through a nearby park, which was filled with huge oak trees and thick, leafy shrubs.

  “The world is changing, Robert, but not fast enough for my liking,” began Lord Farnham. “Yes, I come from the privileged class, the nobility... But I am not like my peers. I spent my youth sailing all over the world, learning about different languages and cultures. I have visited all of the far corners of the earth, and I can speak eleven languages.”

  “That's amazing!” exclaimed Susan, staring with genuine wonder at the old man.

  He smiled at her.

  “Yes, and I would have kept doing it, but old age and poor health forced me to come back here, to the lands my family has owned for hundreds of years. And, as luck would have it – for me anyway – those lands are some of the richest and most fertile in the area. And they are lands that Lord MacNally has been scheming to get for years now. While I was away, his father moved against me – but luckily I had a very capable head servant, skilled at political maneuvering, who managed to keep the elder MacNally's hands off of my land. But now that scoundrel's son – the Lord MacNally you know – he is doing his utmost to take my lands from me. In my opinion, the lands should not be held at all by men like myself and MacNally. What did we do to deserve them except have the luck to be born with the names we were born with? It is not fair to the thousands of others in Scotland, who could make good use of those lands, who could better their lives by having access to them, who could make our nation greater and stronger than ever before – if only they were allowed to use these lands, rather than be chased off them by archaic medieval laws!”