Beast In The Darkness (An Elighan Dragen Novelette) (Darkness Series)

by Stacey Marie Brown

  Getting women to notice me was never my problem. If anything it sometimes became a nuisance. But I liked to fuck, and they liked to fuck me. This one watched me with the same female interest, but there was also something more in her attentive eyes. There was a defensiveness and irritation, but what got me was the curiosity. It was like she knew I was somehow different but didn’t understand why. Could she not know about Fae? Could she be that ignorant?

  “Look up,” I heard her mumble to herself. No one else would have ever heard her, but I wasn’t like everyone else.

  I wanted to be disgusted by her voice, by her demand. It only made me want to do what she asked.

  Hell fuckin’ no. My head automatically shook slightly in response. I could feel the heat of modification flood her body, flushing her cheeks. Then it swiftly changed to anger and gradually hurt.

  Her emotions were blatant and open, like a human. She couldn’t possibly have grown up in the Fae world. Hiding what you felt was something you learned from birth. You gave nothing away. Emotions were a weakness, and we would use them against you. One thing Fae knew how to do was hide secrets and feelings.

  This girl was a walking diary.

  Officer Paul strode into the room and headed for me. Relief showered down on me. I needed to get away from this girl before I did anything I’d regret.

  “Okay, you’re free to go, Mr. Dragen. You know the drill. Sign the forms and you can leave.” Paul unlatched the cuff around my wrist.

  I saw the girl’s eyes widen as she watched me get un-cuffed. Her fear spiked, the sound of her pulse thumped in my ears. She had no idea of true terror: the fact my teeth wanted to tear into her flesh to take revenge for what her kind did.

  I stood, keeping my head deep underneath my hood. I was enjoying her fear and playing with her. The girl’s gaze moved up my body, and her hands balled tightly in her lap. I almost stumbled as her fear shifted into another emotion. Endorphins filled the room and pulsated with desire and need. My beast part responded, but not in the way I thought. It wanted her back. I usually didn’t care when a woman noticed my arousal. She was different. She was a Dae. She should only disgust me. I would never let this abomination know she got me so hard it hurt to walk or even breathe.

  Never.

  As I walked by her, I tilted my head just enough so she could see my mouth. This Dae would know fear.

  I smiled.

  I knew that with a certain smile, I could have a woman begging me to fuck her; with another kind of smile I could make most people back off and stay clear of me. But with this smile I could make the most hard-ass prick pee themselves in fear. Without knowing truly why, they could sense their life was about to end.

  This is what I wanted this girl to know. If I ever saw her again outside of these four walls, she was dead.

  By the way she froze when I walked by, my message had been conveyed.

  Good.

  Just the way I like it.

  FIRE IN THE DARKNESS BONUS SCENE

  Chapter 2 from Eli Dragen’s POV

  By Stacey Marie Brown

  Fuck.

  That was my only thought when I saw the Dark Fae follow her into the shipyard. My legs had never moved so fast. My body wanted to change—the Dark Dweller in me screaming to get out and protect what was mine. No, not yet.

  Cole and Cooper were going up through the rafters. Literally to get a drop on them. I was the distraction. Phookas were not dumb, but they were greedy and quick to act. I would have to use that to my advantage.

  I slipped up to the cargo door, peering in. Even in human form, both men resembled a mountain goat. Phookas could change into several shapes: a dog, rabbit, and sometimes a small horse. But they usually had a dominant form. It wasn’t hard to figure out which one was theirs.

  “Move it.” The taller, bigger one behind Ember pressed a gun firmly against her head. Her face was strong and definite. This girl was one of the most stubborn pains in the ass I’d ever met. My lip tugged up in a grin. Even defeated Brycin would not go down willingly.

  The metal of the gun reflected the little light being let in from the top windows as he jabbed it again into the back of her head. A growl started to vibrate in my chest. I squeezed my eyes shut. Damn that fuckin' woman. She was gonna make me do something really stupid just because I couldn’t keep my shit together. With a deep breath I stepped into the doorway. It took everything I had to not lose it right there and tear those two Fae into pieces. I had not spent this long keeping her alive for her to be snatched away now.

  Seeing her again, this close up, was my own personal hell. Fuck was still the only word I thought, but it held a much different meaning. I had watched her for over four weeks, keeping most of the Fae that hunted her away, but I never got too close. If I did she would take off. Through our blood bond she could feel when I got near.

  The second, smaller Phooka asshole pulled out iron cuffs from his pocket and was about to put them around her wrists.

  “I don’t think you want to do that.” I leaned casually on the door jamb. I could take these two down in a matter of seconds. The only thing that stopped me was the gun. The bullets were Fae made, coated in iron. She would die. Suppressing another growl, I crossed my arms over my chest.

  “And my night only continues to get better and better,” I heard her say as she sighed with annoyance. Here I was trying to save her ass so you’d think she’d be a little more grateful. But no, not Brycin.

  I scoffed. “Is this how you treat your savior? Your liberator, your rescuer, the redeemer?”

  “Oh, hell. Are you and your ego done preening?” she sassed back. I loved provoking her. She gets all puffed up. But I was a sick motherfucker—I liked getting her all riled up. Actually, I enjoyed it even more when she riled me. Those were the times I wanted to put my cock deep into her and never let it see the light of day again.

  “Knight-in-shining armor then?” I offered up.

  “Please. Goat-boy here is more likely going to be my knight-in-shining armor than you.” She pointed to the guy holding the handcuffs. She was dirty, her hair ratty and limp. She had cuts and bruises everywhere visible and dried blood around the edges of the holes in her clothes. She looked like hell. And all I wanted to do was lay her on that concrete and screw her till we were both scraped up, bruised, and bleeding.

  I shut away the images. Those were only gonna get me to act rashly. I had to concentrate.

  “Ouch,” I responded. I kept my focus on her, but I could see Cole and Cooper moving above the two Phookas’ heads. “Now you're just trying to be mean.”

  “You haven’t seen me even get close to being nasty.” She crossed her arms. This was foreplay for me.

  “Threat or promise?”

  “That is a pro—.”

  “What the shit is going on?” The man behind her finally spoke. Ember jumped, looking like she almost forgot he was there. The ugly asshole with the gun was getting angry and edgy. “Who the hell are you?”

  “Someone your mommy told you not to mess with.” I was looking forward to this. Most Dark Fae have gotten used to us being gone from the Otherworld. They were getting lazy, sloppy, and arrogant. But our name still caused so much fear it got me giddy. I wanted him to fully see me. Know who he was dealing with. I stepped out from the shadows. A small gasp came from Ember. She gulped. I could hear her heartbeat from where I stood. The blood in her veins rushed frantically around. Good to know I could still affect her.

  “This is our take. Get lost.” The Phooka was trying to play the tough guy. I could smell fear start to rise from his pores. This was too much fun.

  “I don’t think so. You have something belonging to me, and I’d like it back now.”

  Ember stiffened at my words, her face going hard. Anger flared through her. It was all directed at me. I knew Lorcan had gotten to her—had told her that I was actually using her so I could turn around and trade her to the Unseelie King. There wasn’t anything about that statement that wasn’t true. I had been
. My family came first . . . that’s what I was telling myself anyway.

  Somewhere along the way Brycin got under my skin. To be honest, it was way before I gave her my blood. What a stupid fuckin’ move that was on my part. Yeah, she affected me, but I could have walked away. Now I was finding that difficult. My blood flowed through her, calling to me. I had my fair share of seducing and being seduced by Sirens, Succubi, Demons, Tree and Water Fairies, and even a few humans. All were very memorable times. But nothing compared to the pull I felt with this one. It was like she wrapped my dick in a spell and, with no problem, could lead me anywhere. I craved her. I felt listless and off when she was gone. This only pissed me off. Made me resent her.

  I didn’t need anyone.

  “Sorry, we found her first. She’s worth a big reward, and we're gonna be the ones to cash in.” The Fae behind her pointed the gun at me. Iron didn’t affect me, but Fae-made bullets did. Not that I would let him know that.

  “You really think that’s going to stop me?” I nodded toward the gun. Even if they shot me, nothing would stop me from getting to her.

  “It would hurt like hell and slow you down enough.”

  “No more than a pinprick.” I smirked.

  Okay, we’re in position, Cole said through our link.

  I kept my eyes zeroed in on the two Dark Fae. If either even adjusted a hair, I would know about it. I saw Ember’s gaze go briefly up to the rafters then quickly drop back down acting like she didn’t see a thing. Good girl.

  I then let my body shift. My clothes ripped from my body. I enjoyed this, watching the true fear grow in people’s faces when they realized what I really was. I had a few piss their pants. Always enjoyable.

  “Holy shit! You're a Dark Dweller,” the main Phooka exclaimed, wiggling the gun in my direction. “The Queen led us to believe you were all dead.”

  “Sorry to disappoint,” It was getting harder for me to talk as my body continued to change. My spine arched up, the daggers popping out of my skin. The spikes were poison-tipped. One touch and you’d be praying for death.

  The Phookas were getting panicky. Not a good thing with them. I knew my eyes must have flashed red because the Phooka with the gun started to shake. The gun went off, the bullet hit several inches from my feet. Now they’re just pissin’ me off.

  Cole and Cooper jumped, changing form mid-drop. Right as they landed on the men, Ember dropped to her knees getting out of the line of fire and out of the Dark Fae’s grip. She crawled away from the fighting men. She looked up at the door and took off for it. She was going to try and get away from them . . . and from me.

  I wasn’t the only one who noticed her escape. The Phooka with the gun pointed it at her retreating frame; his finger squeezed the trigger. Rage burned through me. I growled and tore across the room. I hit him just before he shot, the bullet going into the wall beside her. I wanted this asshole dead. Bones crunched as I knocked into him. The Phookas dropped their human form. Growing their own lethal spiky horns. Their goat forms were large and tough. We were larger, tougher, faster, and much more deadly.

  Go get her. We got this, Cole said in my head. They didn’t need me. They barely needed both of them. This was child’s play for us. Still I craved to kill them. It was painful to turn away, but I had to get Brycin before she got too far.

  I transformed back into my human form. In either form I could feel her. I knew exactly where she was.

  At a full run I dove through the window. The shards of glass tore into my bare ass—stinging like hell. Glass rained down on us. I used my body as a shield as I landed firmly on her. She immediately started thrashing and grinding against me trying to get free. My dick was suddenly awake and wanting.

  Ciach ort!

  “Stop fighting me.” She needed to stop right now, before I ripped those tattered jeans off her and made her really thrash.

  She stopped. Her stunning, two different colored eyes fastened on mine. I didn’t care that she could feel me stiff against her. It made her heart flutter faster. It only made me want to fuck her more.

  She started wrestling against me again. “Let me go.”

  “Try again.”

  “Get off of me.”

  “Nope, not that one either,” No. I was perfectly happy here.

  “Do you have her, Eli?” Cooper yelled from inside the building.

  Damn. Guess fun time was over now. “Yeah.”

  Cooper came out. I ignored the smirk and shake of his head. “Yep, I’d say you definitely do.”

  He had accused me many times since she had come into my life that she unhinged me. Half of our clan left with that same notion, following Lorcan. I couldn’t deny she both irritated and excited me. I wanted her, but I could not have her. I could never have her. I was the succeeding Alpha in our Clan. I would do my duty in the end. I always knew it would wind up like that. She was a Dae. Everything I despised. Because of what she was and my past, I should have killed her the moment I met her.

  “Get. Off. Of. Me. Now!” she snarled at me, a flicker of desire under her words.

  This only made things harder. Literally. I stood, pulling her up with me. Her gaze drifted down to my cock and widened and then quickly glanced to the side. I smirked.

  “You’re naked.”

  “And you’re observant.” I needed to stop. I was Second in Command. I would not let this little Dae get the best of me. I had a job to do. I grabbed her arm and pulled her around the corner where our black Cadillac Escalade Hybrid sat. “Now get in.”

  “Are you kidding me?” She jerked against my grip. “You think I’m going to get into the car? I’m not going anywhere with you.”

  “It is not a choice.” I didn’t have an option either. I had to trade her. She would become the Unseelie King’s problem and no longer mine.

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