Bound by Torment (The Alliance, Book 5)

by Brenda K. Davies

  When the bathroom door opened, he turned as Willow emerged. A cloud of steam followed her out the door. Still damp, the water had turned her hair a darker blonde as it fell to just beneath her shoulders.

  A pair of black socks covered the space between her boots and where the jeans ended above her ankles. The form-fitting, black shirt cleaving to her lean figure emphasized the swell of her breasts and round hips.

  Declan chomped on the lollipop and almost spit it all over the floor when the hideous flavor seared his tongue. However, that taste did nothing to dim his visceral reaction to her as the demon inside him burst to the forefront. It clawed and roared as it tried to break free to get at her, to claim her.

  Willow stopped dead when she spotted Declan standing in the middle of the hall with his gaze riveted on her like she was the snake charmer and he was the snake. Red glimmered in his eyes as the lollipop crunched. Removing the stick from his mouth, he crushed it in his hand before sliding it into his pocket.

  Feeling trapped by his ravenous gaze, Willow tried to decide if she should bolt or go to him. The sane part of her told her to stay clear, he wasn’t in complete control, but she’d stopped listening to the rational part of her when she joined the Alliance.

  When he came toward her, she briefly debated running, but there was nowhere for her to go. She couldn’t hide in the bathroom. And then he was standing in front of her.

  Her head tilted back, and sorrow filled her when she saw the anguish etched onto his face. She had no idea what it was about her that tormented him so, but she would do anything to ease it.

  “Declan—”

  Before she could say anything more, he pulled her close, and his lips smothered her words. He tasted like something she’d never experienced before, human candy; it was sweet and different, and she liked it. When his tongue touched her lips, she opened her mouth to his invasion.

  And the world ceased to exist.

  She stopped caring about broken phone lines, too-small jeans, Savages, or anything beyond this man. The taste of him, the feel of him, everything about him etched itself onto every molecule of her being. She barely recalled the details of the other men she’d been with, but she’d never forget anything about him.

  At first, his tongue was demanding, but it eased into something more tender as his arms encircled her and his palms flattened against her back. The lollipop flavor faded away. It left her with the taste of him, which was wild and earthy like the man.

  She didn’t realize he was edging her backward until the distant click of a door closing pierced through the foggy desire coating her brain. The sink pressed against her spine as his hands settled on her hips and his fingers slid beneath the shirt to caress her skin.

  Fire burned through her, but this fire hurt in the most delicious way possible. She’d never known she could feel so alive. Her head spun with the sensations he evoked in her.

  She couldn’t think, could barely breathe, and she wanted more. She didn’t realize her fangs had extended until she nipped his lip, and by then, she was too far gone in him to care enough to regain control of herself.

  The last thin thread of restraint Declan retained over himself broke when Willow’s fangs scratched his lip. He’d worked for centuries to lock away the most malicious part of himself, but all that work unraveled in less than a second, and the pitiless beast broke free. The scent of her, the feel of her, and his overwhelming need to be inside her ruled him.

  She was his, and he was going to mark her as such.

  With deft hands, he undid the button of her jeans and pulled the zipper down. He didn’t care they were in the bathroom of a home in perfect suburbia Vermont as he pulled the jeans over her hips and down her thighs. Her emotions mingled with his until he couldn’t separate her desire from his.

  Willow was suddenly thrilled she wasn’t wearing any underwear. Beyond saving, she’d buried hers in the bathroom trash can with the rest of her clothes and her belt, which was nearly torn through at some point.

  She was aware that what was happening between them was out of her control and a horrible idea. But no matter how much the annoying voice in the back of her head told her that getting mixed up with someone in the Alliance was a terrible decision, her body ached for him so bad that she didn’t care.

  When his hand slid between her legs, Willow nipped his lip again, and this time, she drew blood. Not even with her past lovers had she drawn blood. The idea of feeding on humans who didn’t know it was happening always seemed wrong to her. She mainly survived on blood bags, and occasionally she would hunt animals too. However, she was so far gone that she didn’t care.

  The single drop of blood that hit her tongue did something she’d never experienced before. It woke something ancient, primal, and so voracious she almost broke the kiss to sink her fangs into his throat. But his hand was in her hair, holding her close as he kissed her like he was never going to let her go.

  And she hoped he never did as his blood suffused her with strength while his finger brushed her clit in a teasing caress that almost caused her to jump out of her skin. His hand moving between her legs was so slow she wanted to scream at him to end her torment.

  A throaty, pleading moan sounded in the back of her throat. Maybe, when she came to her senses, she’d be embarrassed about the desperation in that sound, but right now, she was impatient to have him put her out of her misery.

  And then his finger was inside her as his hand tightened on her hair, and he pulled her head back to give him better access to her mouth. He moved his finger within her in such a way that he was rubbing against her clit, and with every thrust, he demanded more from her; she gave it to him.

  When her bite closed, she almost bit him again, but he did something with his hand that made her forget all about his blood. She’d never been touched with such confidence before, never known her body could be this aroused and aching for release.

  And then, she came so hard that bursts of white flared behind her closed eyes, and his kiss muffled her cry.

  The scent of her release, the feel of her sheath clenching around his finger, and the ecstasy she emitted all made him crave more. He needed inside her, and she must feel the same way as her hands were almost frantic when they fell on the front of his jeans.

  She undid his button, slid his zipper down, and pulled his dick free. When her hand encircled his shaft and stroked him, he almost drove his fist into the wall to keep from coming.

  A loud bang barely penetrated the all-consuming urgency gripping him. He had to be inside her, claiming her, and marking her as his. He couldn’t wait any longer.

  Releasing her hair and pulling his hand out from between her legs, he grasped the edge of his jeans and went to push them him down when someone shouted downstairs. Willow tore her mouth away from his and gasped for breath.

  When another shout sounded, Declan snarled and nearly tore the sink from the wall. Willow stiffened, and ever so slowly, her head turned back to his. Whatever she saw on his face caused her eyebrows to shoot up, and her mouth parted.

  His breath rattled in and out as he struggled to regain control, but now that there was a crack in his armor, the demon wouldn’t be so easily caged. He pictured it crawling up from inside him and tearing at the walls he’d constructed with eviscerating claws.

  Every part of him demanded he finish what they’d started even as another shout sounded from downstairs. That shout slammed the walls back in place around the demon more than anything he did. No matter how badly he wanted Willow, her safety came first.

  Tugging his jeans up, he forced his cock back inside them as he willed his erection to subside; the continued shouts and the idea that Willow was in danger helped with this. He buttoned his jeans and spun toward the door. He welcomed the opportunity to unleash the violence boiling inside him.

  Willow wasn’t as fast to recover as Declan. She sat, gaping after him as he opened the door and stalked into the hall. He was lethal, but he was also usually calm and patient with his
reactions to others. The fiery rage in his eyes before he left the room was neither of those things.

  She’d been shaken many times in her life. What he made her experience was one of those times, but that look in his eyes rattled her so much she couldn’t move.

  And then, another shout sounded; except this time, she understood the words and realized she had to stop Declan.

  CHAPTER 26

  Willow pulled up her jeans as she ran out the door behind him. In her rush and with her awkward tugging on her button, she almost staggered into the wall, but she caught up to Declan as he reached the stairs. Grasping his arm, she jerked him back before he descended.

  She almost cringed when his head turned and those vivid red eyes landed on her. She’d never expected to see him like this, and what he might do frightened her. He’d saved her from Savages, he’d been nothing but kind and gentle with her, but she saw nothing of that man in the vampire standing before her.

  Still, she couldn’t back down. These people had helped them, they’d opened their home to them, and she would protect them, even if it was from Declan.

  “They’re not a threat,” she whispered.

  His arm vibrated beneath her hand as his lips skimmed back to reveal his fangs. Instead of letting go, her hand squeezed his arm. She sensed he needed her, and she wouldn’t shy away from that.

  From below, a high-pitched, young female voice shouted, “You can’t tell me what to do!”

  “As long as you live in this house—”

  “Then I won’t live in this house anymore!” the young woman interrupted Gus. “You would love that, wouldn’t you? It would make the two of you so happy to see me gone!”

  “That’s not true, and you know it,” Cheryl said.

  Willow winced at the reasonable tone guaranteed to set off any emotional teen girl.

  “You hate me!” the girl shouted. “I’m not your perfect little girl anymore! I’m nothing but a disappointment to you, and you make that clear every single day.”

  Willow glanced at Declan as he relaxed. He’d realized they were trapped in the middle of this family drama.

  “We have to get out here,” she whispered to him. “Are you in control enough to go downstairs and outside?”

  Declan pondered this question before releasing his pent-up breath. “Yes.”

  Reaching into his pocket, he dug around for a lollipop. A twinge of alarm tugged at him when he realized there were only two left after this one. He opened the candy and inspected the purple coloring before putting it in his mouth.

  Willow grasped the railing and tiptoed down the steps as the argument continued in the kitchen. He refused to let his eyes fall on the enticing sway of her hips as she walked.

  At the bottom of the stairs, she edged the door open and slipped outside. Declan followed her and closed the door before he stopped to inhale the fresh-cut grass scent on the crisp spring air. Breathe in. Breathe out.

  He lifted his face and closed his eyes as the sun’s rays warmed him. The last of his impulse to kill melted away as he continued to ground himself in the moment.

  “Are you okay around them?” Willow asked.

  Shame washed through him; she should never have to question his stability. She never should have seen him like that. He’d intended to make sure she never saw the twisted monstrosity he’d locked away years ago.

  But there was no keeping the worst parts of him hidden from her. Because, with her, there was no control. With her, the demon was closer to the surface than ever before. And that was saying a lot considering he’d lost complete control once.

  He was one hundred and ten at the time. It was only seventy short years after his father became a monster, and Declan vowed never to follow in his footsteps. But he almost had, and if Ronan hadn’t been there to stop him, he would have slaughtered countless innocents.

  He spent the next five years locked away while he worked to suppress the demon inside him. When he reemerged, he knew that while he’d learned to tame the demon part of him, it would never be fully caged. And in all the centuries since, his restraint was never as tested as it was today.

  “I’ll be fine,” he said.

  He turned away from the doubt in her eyes and descended the steps to the front yard. The grass crunched under his feet as he strolled over to the sidewalk. He stopped and turned the lollipop between his teeth as he studied the quaint homes and closed front doors. The setting sun painted the sky with an arrangement of pastels.

  Willow remained on the porch as Declan stopped on the sidewalk and shoved his hands in his pockets. She didn’t know if she should go to him or if it would only make it worse if she did.

  She’d spent her entire life around vampires, but she’d never encountered one like Declan. Not only did he fascinate her, but she also felt fiercely protective of him.

  He needs me. She had no idea where the certainty of that came from, but it was true. Then she recalled the anguished look on his face when he stared at her sometimes. He may need her, but when he looked at her like that, she felt like she was only making whatever tormented him worse.

  She’d been about to descend the stairs to go after him, but her feet froze in place. She felt nearly as tormented as he’d looked while she warred with her instinct to follow him and her apprehension that she might cause him more suffering.

  Declan ran a hand through his hair as he continued to piece together the walls that had kept so many safe for years. Every time he believed he had them sealed again, a small crack emerged, and he was struck with the overwhelming urge to kill until he sated his bloodlust.

  But it would never be sated. He’d acknowledged that simple truth years ago. He would spend the rest of his life battling himself.

  He clamped his teeth down as the walls started crumbling again. This time, he might lose the battle again or go insane from his destructive instincts battling his conscience. Deep breaths in; deep breaths out. Deep breaths in; deep breaths out.

  He’d spent years learning the technique of meditation and countless hours practicing yoga to help keep him centered. Since going through a sun salutation in the front yard would only bring more unwelcome attention, he remained focused on his breathing. It usually calmed him, but it was only making him angrier.

  Still, he continued to use the technique that had worked for him before as he tried to focus on his breathing. However, his senses were in hyperactive mode, and he found himself listening to the hearts beating behind the closed doors surrounding him.

  It would be so easy to walk up to one of these doors, knock on it, and ask to use their phone. They were friendly people, it was a quiet town, and they weren’t used to monsters lurking amongst them. They would let him in, and when they did, he would tear into them like a lion on a gazelle.

  Or he could turn around and return to the house where he already had an invite to enter…

  Then a hand slid into his, and whereas breathing and the lollipop failed to calm him, Willow’s touch was like cold water on the fire burning inside him. Her delicate brow furrowed, and concern filled her eyes.

  He despised that he’d been the one who caused her unease as he drew her a step closer. Unable to stop himself, he brushed back a strand of her still damp hair. Her skin was like silk beneath his fingers as they skimmed her cheek before tucking the hair behind her ear.

  “You’re beautiful,” he whispered.

  Willow smiled at him. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

  “I’m a monster,” he replied honestly.

  Willow’s breath sucked in. She would never consider him a monster, but he believed it. What happened in his past to make him think such a thing? She was as determined to learn the answer as she was scared.

  “I’m sorry for what happened upstairs,” he said.

  “I’m not.”

  She’d had time to come back to her senses and recall why screwing a man she worked with was a horrible idea, but she didn’t regret what happened. He’d made her feel things she’d never f
elt before. She could still smell and taste him on her, which only made her yearn to finish what they started.

  Declan sensed the truth of her words as well as her rising passion. He almost yanked his hand away when her desire enflamed his again, but her touch was the only thing keeping him somewhat rational. When this was over, he would lock himself away until he learned to control himself once more, but he didn’t have that luxury right now.

  “You don’t want to get involved with me,” he said. “I’m no good for you.”

  Despite the warning in his words, the gravelly tone of his voice made her recall the heat of his lips, the brush of his hands, and the way he expertly brought her body to climax. She pulled at the collar of her shirt to cool herself, but that was never going to happen when she was this close to him.

  What was it about this vampire that affected her so? Could he be her mate?

  Willow’s mouth went dry as a small bolt of panic ran through her. She knew how amazing things could be between mates. She’d grown up with two parents who loved each other dearly; most of her siblings and her uncles had found their mates, but she wasn’t ready.

  She was still supposed to have a few years before finding her mate, maybe centuries. Plus, she barely knew Declan, and as eager as she was to learn more about him, he seemed as determined to keep her away. And it pissed her off.

  “I decide what is and isn’t good for me,” she said. “If you don’t want to finish what we started, then have the balls to say it, but don’t hide behind this ‘I’m no good for you’ bullshit. I’ve lived in the vampire world my entire life; I know what I can and can’t handle.”

  Declan studied the resolute expression on her face and the determination filling her eyes; her face kept her anger concealed, but the emotion vibrated against his skin. She was a stubborn woman, and he liked it.