Much like with humans, the alcohol had undermined his self-control and lowered his inhibitions enough that he spoke his mind—and he hadn’t been very nice about it. Olivia’s footsteps pounded the stairs, and he called after her to stop. Of course, she didn’t.
Yanking his jeans up past his hips, he took off after her—barefoot and shirtless. “Olivia!” The front door slammed as he entered the hall. “Fuck!” he snarled, racing for the stairs. His thigh clipped the corner of the end table, knocking it over. Pictures fell and a glass vase shattered as it all crashed into the hardwood floor. Holy hell… Who put that there?
His balance was askew, his senses dulled. It felt like he was moving in slow motion even though he knew he wasn’t. Liam stormed down the stairs and just as he reached the landing, Haden burst from the spare bedroom. He was still wearing that damn pink robe and the thing did not fit well. As Haden limped to the door, his hand splinted his side, a look of cold fury darkening his battle-scared face.
“Don’t even fucking think about it,” Liam growled. “You are not going after her.”
Haden swung the door open and growled, “You think she wants you to go after her? I’m not the one she’s running from, asshole. And good luck finding her, took you long enough to haul your drunken ass down here.”
“I’m not too drunk to kick your ass.”
“Considering a few hours ago I had a rib puncturing my lung, I’d say that’s no bragging feat.” Haden glanced at the dog standing in the doorway of the spare bedroom, glaring red daggers at Liam. “Kyro, go find Olivia.” The hell-hound chuffed his response and bolted for the still-agape door.
Liam sent a mental command to the door and it slammed shut before the beast could charge through it. “I don’t need you or your mutt to find her,” Liam growled. “I may not be able to feel her emotions, but it’s my blood that flows through that child’s veins. I can sense it as easily as I can sense you, or any other angel. I don’t need you, Haden. Right now, you’re nothing more than the court’s pawn and a bane in my side.”
“Well then, it’s a good thing I’m not here for you then, isn’t it? In case you’re wondering what Olivia is feeling, I’d be more than happy to enlighten you. She’s pissed off and confused and heartbroken. You’ve hurt her feelings by keeping the truth from her, and you’ve offended her by questioning her devotion to you. Fuck, I’m not going to lie, I undermine you every chance I can get. I’d love nothing more than to take her from you, but she refuses to see you for what you really are—a self-righteous prick. And deep down, you’re just like me, Liam. Only you’re too damn arrogant to admit it.”
“I should have killed you when I had a chance,” Liam snarled, moving toward the door, refusing to waste another moment trading venomous words with that hateful bastard while Olivia was out there somewhere in the night—unprotected. He needed to find her.
“My sentiments exactly…”
Someone was following her. The awareness of being watched hit Olivia the moment she rounded the block. She cast a quick glance over her shoulder and found herself alone. Streetlights lit the block ahead and behind her, casting circular patches of light in the pervading darkness. She quickened her pace as her mind raced, trying to decide if she should turn back or keep moving. It was equal distance either way, and considering the needling sensation was coming from behind her, it hardly made sense to turn back and move toward the threat.
Cursing her impulsive stupidity, Olivia broke into a jog. She could no longer naïvely pretend there was a chance the Dark Court might not know she was pregnant. Hadn’t Haden just warned her that the threat to her child was real? And here she was, running recklessly out into the night, and for what? She couldn’t escape herself. If she was really honest, she was truly the one she was angry at here—not Haden, and certainly not Liam.
Oh Lord, she couldn’t believe she’d struck him… She’d lashed out at him in a knee-jerk reaction to a claim he clearly believed to be true or he never would have said it. It didn’t matter that it was a lie—she wasn’t in love with Haden. But instead of trying to convince Liam of the truth, she’d slapped him for voicing his fears. What the hell was that? What was she thinking?
Out of breath, she stumbled to a stop beneath a light post and buried her face in her hands, choking out a shuddering sob. Oh God, could she have looked any guiltier? She’d spent the night wallowing in remorse over letting Haden kiss her, for not stopping him sooner, and hating herself for enjoying it. She might not love him, but he held some sort of power over her—over her body. As much as she loved and adored Liam, as utterly attracted and devoted as she was to him, there was something about Haden that unlocked this secret place inside her she’d never known existed and wished to God she’d never discovered.
Attraction was not love. Caring about someone’s salvation was not love. She did not love Haden. But after tonight, after how she’d reacted, Olivia feared she’d never convince Liam of that. Sure, she was mad as Liam for not telling her about the guardianship. Yet, had he wholly believed in her love for him, he probably wouldn’t have kept the truth from her. It was her fault he doubted her. For crissake, she’d sent him into a burning building to save Haden’s life. How in the hell couldn’t he be suspicious?
And now look where it had gotten her—standing here under a streetlight—alone in the dark and sobbing pathetically as she ran from an unseen enemy she could feel as real as if his very breath were breathing down her neck. A shiver of terror raced up her spine, leaving the little hairs on the back of her neck prickling with fight-or-flight awareness.
Her heart rioted inside her chest as she glanced down the empty street, her heart aching at the realization she was truly alone. Liam wasn’t coming for her—he’d let her go…and why shouldn’t he after the way she’d behaved? Now, she would have no choice but to face her demons alone. The crunch of broken twigs under the fall of heavy footsteps was way too close. A startled gasp caught in her throat as she turned toward the sound and saw a shadow emerging from between two houses, moving among its kin until she could just make out the shape of a tall, broad-shouldered male stepping out of the darkness.
“I have to admit, I thought it was going to be harder than this—finding you and getting you alone. There’s quite a price on your head,” the demon’s gravelly voice rasped as he moved out of the shadows and stepped forward into the streetlight’s ambient glow. “But luck was on my side. Your guardian showed up at The Wrath tonight, asking questions ‘bout Gahn. Surprised the hell outta me when he made himself right at home and got piss-ass drunk with his buddy. Didn’t appreciate him wrecking my place to shit, though.”
They still thought Liam was her guardian? Guess the news traveled slowly in Hell. It touched her heart to discover that even though Liam had been upset with her, he’d still been searching for information about Gahn, fighting to keep her safe.
The demon took another step, not quite entering the beam of light, and she countered with one step back. She couldn’t quite make out his face, but could tell he wasn’t small—not by any means. Her mind raced with options—she could run, or she could…run. Question was which direction? She knew the chances of escape were zero. She’d never escape this monster, but she at least had to try. Though, at the moment, he seemed surprisingly communicative, and if she could stall his inevitable assault just a little longer, then perhaps there was a small chance Liam would come for her. She prayed he wouldn’t let her outburst lie, figuring he should give her time alone to cool off. Then again, he wasn’t bonded to her anymore so how in the hell would he even know which direction she’d gone? What if he had come for her, and had gone the wrong way? “How did you find me?” she asked, taking another step that instinctively had her backing toward home. Guess she’d run that way…
She tensed to bolt when liquid heat began stirring in the pit of her stomach. The foreign sensation was calming, growing in intensity until the flesh blooming in her womb began to flood her body. Olivia’s hand dropped protectively to he
r stomach. Something had caused her baby to stir, emitting a supernatural energy that was now humming through her veins. Was it in response to her mounting terror, or something else? It reminded her of an echo of the bond she’d once shared with Liam, the bond she missed more than words could ever say.
“I followed your guardian. No doubt he would’ve noticed if he hadn’t consumed half a bottle of Jack. Lucky for you, Gahn said he wants you alive, but he didn’t say in what condition, so...”
A blast of energy slammed into Olivia with staggering force, suddenly filling her with frustration and rage. The command “run” echoed through her mind like the blast of a starter gun. She didn’t stop to consider where it came from, or that the voice sounded familiar. She just turned and bolted.
An inhuman snarl sounded behind her, and a startled yelp tore from Olivia’s lips. She barely made it a quarter of a block when something caught her hair and she was jerked to a stop. A pained cry sounded in her throat and was viciously cut off when the demon’s hand wrapped around her neck, cutting off her air.
“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” he snarled, rage making his human glamour waver, revealing the true beast within.
Olivia squeezed her eyes closed as the demon’s foul breath blasted into her face. She couldn’t scream; she couldn’t breathe. The hand squeezed tighter. The demon’s claws bit into the side of her neck. Moisture trickled down her throat as she struggled to break free. Full blown panic seized her, her pounding heart quickly consuming precious oxygen, leaving her struggling and gasping for breath that couldn’t come past the demon’s death-grip.
Her head grew light, her vision beginning to spot as the pressure behind her eyes exploded into throbbing pain. Oh God, she was going to die! The demon may not intend to kill her, but dead was still dead, and she was heading there in a hurry. Weakness claimed her limbs, and her knees buckled as the demon dragged her into the shadows. There was nothing she could do to stop him. Her limp, air-starved body had no fight left in it.
Just when the blackness of unconsciousness reached up to claim her, an inhuman roar fractured the night and the hand on her neck suddenly broke free. Olivia collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath, each necessary gulp of air searing her throat, burning a fiery path into her lungs.
Planting her palms into the cool grass, Olivia forced herself to her hands and knees, and lifted her head. She froze in terror at the sight of the battle raging in the street. The demon had completely dropped his glamour, revealing knife-like claws and feet and a wolf-man face like which she’d only seen once before—the demon in Landaketa…
Olivia’s blood turned to ice in her veins. Correan… Gahn had sent Correans to hunt her, and Liam now faced off with the deadly beast clothed in only a pair of jeans. He had no weapons, nothing in which to defend himself. Unfortunately, she knew from experience how deadly and hard to kill these monsters were, and how poisonous their blood was. Now that Olivia knew her assailant’s breed, terror gripped her heart like a crushing vise.
But there was no fear in Liam. Only menacing power and feral rage radiated off this magnificent warrior, his preternatural beauty rivaling no other. If he’d been altered from a night of imbibing with Balen, one would never know it now. He moved with lithe, fluid grace, blocking strikes and countering with blows that had the demon howling in rage and staggering to remain on its feet.
That was until Liam swept the demon’s leg with a well-placed side-kick that fractured its knee. The sickening crunch of bone made Olivia’s stomach clench. The Correan howled as its leg buckled and he dropped to the ground. Liam was on the beast before it could get up, driving his fist into its face with rapid-fire succession.
The demon swung for Liam, and he leaned back to dodge the blow, but the beast’s claws caught him across the chest, leaving four deep gashes in his muscled flesh. Olivia’s hands flew up to cover her mouth, muffling her scream. The force behind the swipe knocked Liam back and he hit the ground just as Kyro charged out from between two houses. The hell-hound’s crimson eyes glowed in the dark, fangs bared in a ferocious snarl as he barreled into the street and leapt on the Correan.
The animal dove right for the throat and the demon’s strangled cry was swift, instantly silenced. The tacky, sticky sound of ripping flesh tossed Olivia’s stomach. Thankfully, there was nothing in it to get rid of as she heaved into the grass. Her nerves had been in such knots tonight, she’d skipped supper. Shocked at the hell-hound’s lethal efficiency, Olivia could only stare in stunned horror at the gruesome sight playing out before her.
Frozen in shock, she knelt there, staring, until Liam stepped into her line of sight, blocking the macabre. He knelt before her and cupped her face, tipping it to meet his fading amethyst gaze. “Are you all right?”
She nodded because words failed her.
“Thank God!” He pulled her into his arms and crushed her against his chest. Then gripping her shoulders, he pushed her back to meet his stern gaze. “Don’t you ever run from me again. You understand?” His dark violet eyes began searching her for injuries. As they lit on her neck, he snarled a nasty curse and gently grasped her chin, angling it into the light.
She tried not to shy from his touch, but even the slightest pressure hurt. Her heartbeat throbbed in her throat, and each time she tried to swallow, it felt as if she was eating sand. It was too painful to talk, so she didn’t try. There was a lot she wanted to say to him, so much she wanted to apologize for. In the mounting triad of fear, regret, and relief, all Olivia could do was throw her arms around Liam’s neck and sob.
He returned her embrace with equal ardor, crushing her against his chest as a solid hand cupped the back of her head, holding her against the crook of his neck as he crooned to her in his soothing angelic tongue. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t understand what he said. The beautiful cadence of his words and the deep soothing tone of his voice never ceased to instill a sense of calming peace within her.
“I’m so sorry…”
“Shh…” he murmured. “It’s all right. We’re going to be fine.”
“I was so scared you wouldn’t come for me after what I did.”
Liam took her face in his hands and tipped it up to meet his. “Listen to me, Olivia. I will never leave you. You are my life, my very breath. How can you think I’d ever turn away from you?”
“Because I don’t deserve you,” she answered honestly. “And I’m afraid one day you’ll realize that I’m more trouble than I’m worth. You’ll look back at everything you’ve sacrificed for me, all you’ve lost, all you’ve given up, and you’ll resent me for it.”
“Never,” he vowed. “That you could even think that proves you don’t truly realize how much I love you.”
“I love you, too.” A tear spilled over her lid and Liam brushed it away with his thumb. “How did you find me?”
“I sensed you—.”
“Liam, that’s amazing! Do you realize what this means? If you’re bonded to me again, then we don’t need Haden to be my guardian anymore!” Hope soared anew at the thought of how many problems that would solve. If only they could go back to the way things were… If Haden’s surprise return proved anything, it was that she’d been correct in sending him away the first time. This trio was simply not going to work.
Liam’s countenance hardened with frustration. “You don’t know how much I wish that were true. I’m not bound to you, Olivia. I can’t feel your emotions. It’s the child that I sense. The Dark Court knows you’re pregnant. Haden said they were getting ready to move against us, and the attack tonight proves how close they are. As much as I’ve tried to deny it, and as much as it kills me to admit it, we need him, Olivia. You’re safer with Haden on your side. He knows how they think, how they strategize.”
“You should have told me he’d been assigned my guardianship.” It was a moot point, but one she still felt the need to reaffirm. “I don’t want there to be secrets between us.”
Liam exhaled a pent-up sigh and bent h
is forehead to rest against hers. “Nor do I. I know I should have told you, but I needed some time to come to grips with it myself, first.”
“So how’s that working for you?” Sarcasm laced her teasing voice in a poor attempt to lighten the somber mood.
He choked back a cough of surprised laughter. “Not very well. Can you tell?”
She let out an unladylike snort. “Not at all. I think you’re doing a fabulous job.”
“Smartass,” he growled in mock offense and then kissed her forehead before rising to his feet and scooping her into his arms. The approaching click of nails on asphalt announced Kyro’s approach. “Come on, let’s get you and your mutt home and cleaned up. Your neck is still bleeding.”
“So is your chest.”
“Yeah, but my wounds will be healed by tomorrow.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
His wounds weren’t healing. Three days had passed since the Correan’s claws had ripped into Liam’s chest, and the gashes looked no better than the first night she’d cleaned and dressed them. Something was wrong. Olivia stood in the corner of the bathroom, watching Liam from the mirror’s reflection. An irritated scowl darkened his face as he leaned toward the mirror and poked at the open flesh.
She didn’t let the obvious stop her from stating, “You’re not healing.”
“I can see that.”
“Why not?” she demanded, concern sharpening her voice.
His brows drew tight and he stubbornly gave her no response. Hell, at this rate she was healing faster than he was, not that she could take the credit for that. The supernatural strength of her young was accelerating her healing. Olivia was nearing the end of her first trimester and could feel the child’s strength growing inside her every day, even if her waistline still showed no evidence of the little life she now carried. Not only that, but Haden was completely healed, and he’d been near death when he’d shown up on their doorstep, though that observation she wisely kept to herself.
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