With the force of a crashing wave, Haden claimed her mouth in a searing kiss—hot, insistent and demanding. His lips melded to hers, moving with a foreign finesse and hunger that shocked her to her core, leaving her senseless—breathless. Consuming need tore through her like wildfire. It wasn’t hers...she never lost control like this. The frustration, the passion, the craving was a physical pain deep in the forbidden places of her soul. No, these were not her emotions, but nonetheless, they burned right through her, battering her senses and leaving her gasping for air—air Haden stole as his tongue swept into her mouth—air he returned on an exhaled groan of raw male hunger. Air, her oxygen-starved lungs, greedily took back.
Her hand shot up to his bare chest, fingers splayed to push him back, but then his mouth shifted over hers, tongue diving deeper, tangling with hers, and her fingers curled, nails digging into his hard muscled flesh instead of shoving him away. His growl of pained approval echoed through her like shock waves.
She couldn’t think. Her mind refused to process what was happening. Perhaps it was a self-preservation tactic, but whatever the reason, her mind stalled, as did her appropriate response to his kiss, which would have been to stop this madness. But he tasted so good—so dark and forbidden… His rich, licorice-flavored kisses sent her senses reeling.
Something wasn’t right… It was as if she could feel Haden’s pleasure echoing through her veins. His hunger was a fierce, mighty force, and some distant part of her ached to ease his pain…
But she wouldn’t—this wasn’t right. Uncurling her fingers, she pressed against his chest—an immovable wall of hard male flesh. He countered her by straining closer, taking total possession of her mouth. Oh, how easy it would be to succumb…
No! She wouldn’t…she couldn’t…
When Olivia pushed harder against his chest, Haden reached up and captured her wrist. His kiss grew more ardent, tongue dueling with hers as they both grappled for control of the situation. Slowly, he dragged her hand across his pecs and down over the muscled ridges of his stomach.
Her guided hand was heading one direction, and she knew the moment her fingers connected with that thick length of male flesh, all bets would be off and there’d be no stopping him. Alarms abruptly sounded in her head and she tore her mouth from his on a gasp. “Haden, stop!” But his lips quickly found the sensitive column of her throat. She struggled to pull her arm back, but she was no match against the strength of his grip.
“Haden, stop! Don’t do this!” she pleaded. “I just can’t! This isn’t right!” Panic exploded inside her chest, drowning out all haze of forbidden pleasure. A feral growl rumbled from the foot of the bed, low and menacing.
She wasn’t sure if it was her fear slamming into him or Kyro’s threat to intervene, that halted Haden’s guiding hand, but he stopped just as her fingertips breached the sheet pooled at his waist. His mouth stalled against her throat, his panting breaths skating down her collarbone, as he grappled for restraint. She didn’t dare move, afraid any sudden movement would unleash the predator raging inside him. She didn’t trust he wouldn’t leap upon her and take what he wanted—willing or not.
Very slowly, as if he, too, was hesitant to move too quickly, perhaps so as not to incite the hell-hound’s wrath, Haden lifted his head and pinned her with a look so feral, so hungry, so anguished, Olivia swore her heart would surely stop—if not from fear, than from the soul-deep regret for the pain she knew she caused him.
“What is it about you that commands the hearts of angels and demons?” he growled. “In just a few short hours, you’ve managed to capture the fealty of a beast, so vicious, some would claim him untamable, and yet he willingly turns on his master at your plea. You want to know what I think, Olivia?”
She wasn’t so sure that she did. Haden had yet to release her wrist, his grip tightening to painful. “I think deep down, you want me. And until I take the choice away from you and shoulder your regret over betraying Liam, you’ll never admit the truth. I think there’s a wild, untamed side of you that no one sees but me. And the only reason I get to see it is because you know you don’t have to pretend with me. Deep down, as bad as you are, you know you’ll never be as bad as me, and that gives you comfort. It must be an awful lot of pressure, aspiring to live up to the expectations of an angel.”
She was speechless—utterly and horrifyingly speechless. Not that there was anything to say, nor did Haden appear to expect a response. Abruptly, he released her wrist, and she tumbled back, falling off the bed. Though he easily could have, he made no attempt to catch her. The moment she hit the floor, Olivia scrambled to her feet and dashed from the room with Kyro hot on her heels.
Chapter Twenty
“Does Olivia know?”
Liam shook his head. “I haven’t told her yet.”
“What? Why the hell not? Don’t you think that’s something she should hear from you and not that manipulative bastard?”
Probably. “What the hell should I have said to her? Haden’s your new guardian and you may or may not be bonded to him. Oh, by the way, have you been feeling any strange impulses to kill people lately?”
“Perhaps not exactly like that. But I can promise you this, Liam, if she finds out that Haden is her guardian—bonded to him or not—and that you knew about it and didn’t tell her, she is going to be pissed off.”
He had news for Balen, she was already pissed off. He hadn’t handled Haden’s arrival well, and walking out on her in the middle of a fight probably wasn’t the smartest thing he’d ever done. Anger bred impulsivity, and he knew from experience, Olivia behaved rashly when she was mad.
“I don’t mean to be the bearer of bad news and all, but if you don’t get your ass to Landaketa soon, there’s going to be a shitload of trouble coming down on you from the High Court. Niall and I called in a lot of favors to get you transferred to his command instead of being declared fallen. I know the timing sucks and all, but you need to keep up your end of the deal.” Balen paused to tip back his glass, draining his fourth whiskey. “I understand you couldn’t leave her because Haden was gone, but he’s back now, and you’re going to have to trust him sometime. So let him do his damn job so you can do yours.”
If only it were that easy. Balen didn’t know that Olivia was pregnant or the sense of urgency driving him to get her to safety, somewhere the Dark Court couldn’t reach her. The obvious answer was to take her to Landaketa, but it wasn’t that simple. He had no idea how she’d feel about living in a bubble until the rise of the Millennial Kingdom. How could he ask her to give up her family and friends, to turn her back on everything and everyone she loved—for him? He just couldn’t do that to her. It was too much to ask.
And fuck, if he didn’t get home and do some serious damage control, it all might be a moot point, at that. “I gotta go, Balen. Don’t worry about me. Tell Sephat I’ll be there.” When he stood, his chair skidded back and knocked into the one behind him. His world tilted just enough to confirm he probably shouldn’t have had that last seventh or eighth glass of JD. Then again, what the fuck did it matter? He rather appreciated the pervading dullness that made his problems feel like someone else’s—if only for a little while.
“Hey, asshole,” a voice behind him snarled. “Watch where the fuck you’re going.”
Liam swung his head around and locked glares with the demon behind him. When the stupid bastard got a good look at who he’d just called “asshole,” that cocky, arrogant scowl fell so fast, Liam chuckled. The stark terror etched on the prick’s face told him he wished like hell he’d kept his damn mouth shut. Too little, too late. Liam had come here looking for a brawl, guess he was gonna get one, after all. Home could wait just a little bit longer...
Olivia tensed as the floorboards creaked outside the hall. The bang and crash of breaking glass sent her heart leaping into her throat. But when a muttered curse echoed outside her door, ire replaced her fear. She hardly recognized that roughened, slightly-slurred voice, but the accent was unmi
stakable.
Kyro lifted his head from the empty spot he’d commandeered on the bed and growled. The dog’s eyes glowed brightly in the darkness, lighting a path from the bed to the door.
“It’s all right, boy,” she whispered, reaching out to pat his boxy head. “It’s just Liam.”
The snarling stopped though the vindictive, hurt part of her had a mind to let the animal defend his territory. Liam could sleep on the couch for all she cared. It was nearly midnight, for crissake. Where the hell had he been for the past six hours?
She rolled over with a huff, intending to feign sleep, vowing she’d be damned if she let him think she’d been lying here awake all night, waiting for him to come home—which of course, was exactly what she’d done. It was late. She was tired—and hormonal. God help that angel if he walked through this door right now.
If he knew what was good for him, he’d pass right on by and camp out in the spare bedroom tonight. She’d have preferred he stay in the one downstairs, but it was currently occupied by her new guardian.
The hinges on the door creaked as it opened, and Kyro greeted him with a menacing snarl.
“Out. Now.” Came the growled command, more menacing than any beast. There was zero fear in his voice, ripe with authority and barely-tempered restraint.
Even Olivia shivered at the demand. Kyro’s snarl broke off with an abrupt whimper. He may be a vicious beast, but even the hell-hound seemed to have an inherent reverential fear of this angel—smart dog. The bed bounced as he leapt down, the chain around his neck jingling as he trotted across the room and out the door.
It closed with a wall-rattling bang. She flinched, startled by the noise and surprised at Liam’s lack of regard for the late hour. If Haden had been asleep, he sure as hell wasn’t anymore. The last thing she needed was for him to bear witness to Round Two. Squeezing her eyes shut, she kept her back to the door, refusing to acknowledge him, even though every fiber of her being hummed in awareness of the surly angel approaching.
Judging by his wake-the-dead routine, she obviously wasn’t the only one still pissed off. Clearly, the last six hours had done nothing to improve his disposition. If anything, it was worse. They needed to talk…
The rustle of fabric hitting the floor as he crossed the room made her pulse quicken. Okay, maybe she didn’t want him to spend the night in another room. Even as mad as she was right now, and hurt over discovering he’d been keeping the truth from her, all she wanted to do was snuggle into the shelter of his embrace and pretend the rest of the world didn’t exist. More than anything, she needed to hear him promise that the forces working to tear them apart would not prevail.
The mattress caved and she bounced as he unceremoniously fell into the bed behind her. “In the future, I’d appreciate it if you kept that mutt out of our bed.”
Really…? No “I’m sorry I walked out on you in the middle of an argument”—and yes, it had been an argument, who the hell was she trying to kid? No “I shouldn’t have been gone all night, leaving you here to worry.” Or how about “I’m sorry I’ve been keeping the truth from you. Oh, hey, by the way, Haden’s your guardian.” Nothing. Nada. What did she get? “Keep that mutt out of our bed.” That’s it? That’s all he had to say?
Olivia reached over to the nightstand and clicked on the lamp, then flopped over to face him. Her nose wrinkled as the biting scent of sulfur and smoke hit her. “Well, that dog smells better than you do at the moment. Where have you been?”
“With Balen,” he replied, eyes closed.
Balen…? What the hell were they doing? She leaned closer to where he lay sprawled on the bed, gloriously naked and spread-eagle. She may be furious, but that didn’t stop her eyes from appreciating the magnificent view. He remained unmoved and appeared to have every intention of ignoring her. Suspicion needled her veins and Olivia leaned closer, sniffing his exhaled breath. The vaporous tang of alcohol-soaked spicy leather stung her nose. “You’re drunk!”
He winced at the shrill accusation, as if the sound of her voice pained him. Oh, she’d pain him all right! Olivia glared daggers at his grimaced face, and that was when she noticed the dark purple bruise marring his cheek. Her gaze darted to his hands and she saw his knuckles were swollen and bloodied. “And you’ve been fighting!” She grabbed his jaw and angled his face toward the light. “What in the hell is wrong with you?”
“Olivia, I’m in no mood to have this conversation with you right now. I’m warning you, do not push me.”
Warning her! “Go take a shower, Liam. You reek of smoke and whiskey. Perhaps it’ll sober you up. Oh, and don’t forget to scrub off the asshole when you’re in there.”
Perhaps she should have heeded his warning and just let it go, because when he cracked open an eye, that amethyst sheen was staring back at her. Then, with the speed of a striking viper, he turned on her. Before she could utter a startled yelp, she was on her back and pinned beneath his hard body. There was nothing altered about his reflexes, except maybe the careless way he used them.
“You think I stink, Olivia? Well, I have news for you, sweetheart. I’m not the only one. I’ll let you in on a little secret,” he growled. “I have a preternaturally acute sense of smell. Perhaps you’d care to explain to me why Haden’s scent is all over you.”
Her heart thundered inside her chest. There was no way in hell she was going to tell him that Haden kissed her. She knew if she did, Haden was good as dead. She’d already determined it would never happen again, so nothing good would come of her confession—especially now. In all the years she’d known him, Olivia had never seen Liam so feral—so possessive—so on the brink of losing control.
“I helped him to the bathroom when you were getting the medical supplies.” Truth. “He couldn’t stand on his own, you know that.” Truth.
Instead of letting it go, or apologizing for doubting her, he growled, “Just so we’re clear, Olivia, if I ever smell his scent on you again, I will kill him.”
Truth. He couldn’t say it if it weren’t.
Liam’s inebriated state made him reckless. The malevolent power coursing through him right now charged the air around them with electricity. The little light shining on the nightstand surged brighter, and Olivia knew a moment of true fear—not for herself, she knew Liam would never hurt her, but for Haden, because as much as he’d claimed it in the past, she was sure he’d never wanted that Nephilim dead more than he did at this very moment.
Protectiveness over Haden rose up inside her. She didn’t know where it came from. Perhaps it was guilt over hurting him, regret that she’d gotten him into this mess in the first place. If she’d just given him that damn stone the first time he’d tried to take it from her in Vegas, Gahn would be dead right now and Haden would never have entered her life. It was for her he’d gone to the High Court in the first place. So essentially, it was her fault he’d been stripped of his freedom and assigned her guardianship. Now that she thought about it, this was all her fault, really. He was just the poor chump that got stuck paying the price for her sins.
Rage boiled up inside her—at herself for being so stupid, and at Liam for not trusting her love for him and for keeping the truth from her all this time. She was suddenly filled with such indignant fury, she wanted to scream. Instead, she snarled, “I’m pretty sure the High Court would have something to say about you killing my guardian.”
Something akin to “oh shit” flickered across his face, and she slammed her palms into his chest and shoved, but moving him was like trying to budge a boulder. “Get off me!” she hissed. Maybe she startled him this time, because he shifted his weight and lifted his arm, letting her go. He rose, kneeling on the mattress.
“When were you planning on telling me?” she demanded, scrambling to her knees and facing him. “You’ve known for weeks! Did the thought never occur to you to tell me that Haden was my new guardian?”
“Oh, it occurred, believe me! It’s all I can fucking think about!”
“You should have
told me!”
“You should have told me you’re in love with him!”
An earsplitting crack rent the air as her hand connected with Liam’s cheek. Instantly, she gasped, horrified by her outburst. Olivia raised her burning palm to cover her gaping mouth. Her eyes stung with shame and regret, her vision blurring with unshed tears. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry…” She stumbled back off the bed and crashed into the dresser.
Her arm shot out to steady herself before she fell, and Liam flinched, looking as if he wanted to reach out and help her, but she was too far away. Unable to keep the tears at bay, her voice broke as she cried, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it!”
Olivia ran from the room and charged down the steps. The moment her feet hit the landing, they kept right on going and she raced out the door and into the night. She had no idea where she was going. It really didn’t matter, she just needed to keep moving. Unfortunately, she couldn’t outrun herself or her multitude of mistakes...
Chapter Twenty-One
Snarling a curse, Liam dove off the bed and grabbed for his pants. He missed on his first attempt to shove his leg inside and barreled into the wall with his shoulder. Son of a bitch, he was never drinking again. Not only did half a bottle of whiskey sour his disposition, but it royally fucked up his equilibrium.
How in the hell had things blown so out of control? He’d intended to come home and do the appropriate amount of groveling for bailing on her earlier, and then spend the next several hours making it up to her between the sheets. But the minute he stepped through the door, he’d sensed Haden’s presence. And then he’d entered his bedroom to find that damn dog in his fucking bed. All that, he probably could have dealt with, but the kicker had been climbing into bed and smelling that black licorice scent on Olivia. Instantly, every primal, preternatural instinct he possessed railed with rage.
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