Authors: Suzanne Rock
Tara froze with fear, her mind blanking. Was the man mad?
One bite from a
deahman
would kill a normal human. It would kill an
Iatros
as well. Then again, Soren was neither
Iatros
nor human. He was one of
them.
He was a good fighter, as well. It wasn’t long before he
decapitated one. The cut was clean and the head rolled off the body and onto
the pavement. The body crumpled, falling into a bloody heap on the ground.
Only two left to go. Soren turned to face one of the
deahmans
,
turning his back on the second. The second
deahman
pulled a long blade
from his hip and raised it into the air.
“Look out!” Tara grabbed a throwing star out of her jacket
and threw it at the
deahman
at Soren’s back. It lodged in the beast’s
neck, severing a vein. The
deahman
shrieked and fell back. Soren turned
and finished the job, lopping off his head as if someone would cut a slice of
bread.
Soren then turned and did the same to his stunned opponent.
Both
deahmans
fell, their heads rolling a short distance away from their
bodies.
Tara stared at the fallen
deahmans
in awe. Soren
single-handedly killed three deahmans. It was quite impressive. And sexy. The
bodies started to shimmer, then turned into ash, just like every other
deahman
her people had slain. Nothing but their clothes remained. A gentle breeze rose
up and scattered the remains. Good riddance.
Soren walked over and picked up one of the shirts, then used
it to clean his blade. When the last of the
deahman
blood was removed,
he strode over to Tara. “Thanks.”
Tara crossed her arms. “Maybe having a woman around isn’t so
bad after all, eh?”
He twisted his lips into a wry smile. “Maybe.” He glanced up
at the window. “Master’s coming.”
Tara looked up to see Donar inching his way across the
ledge. “That’s your twin, not your master.”
Soren looked away from the window and studied her face. “You’re
not joking.”
“No.”
“I don’t remember having a brother.” He turned back to
Donar, who had made it to the fire escape and began the long climb down. “He
does seem vaguely familiar, though. The darkness inside of me recognizes him.”
“It was the blast, I think. It messed with your memory.
Temporary amnesia.”
Donar hopped down onto the pavement and jogged his way over
to them.
Tara looked up at the window. Smoke billowed out and swirled
up toward the sky. “Where’s Samir?”
Donar reached them and leaned on his knees as he tired to
catch his breath. “That’s one tough chick.”
“Anisa?” Soren asked.
Donar nodded.
“Is Samir okay?” Tara asked.
Donar looked at her for a moment. “He was fine when I left
him. He said to take you far away from this place. He’d keep her busy as long
as possible.”
Tara swore. “Leave it to him to play the martyr.” She
glanced to the front of the alley. “Well, you heard him, let’s go.”
“You’re going to leave him?” Soren asked.
“Yeah.”
“But you were insistent about staying to help him.”
“I have a responsibility to deliver you safe and sound to
Darien Lange.”
They both gave her blank stares.
“You know Darien. The leader of your paranormal
investigation unit within the FBI? The one who shattered the
deahman
stone and joined spirits with my queen?”
“Darien?” Donar asked. “That name sounds familiar.” He
frowned.
Tara shook her head. It was going to be difficult to get any
information out of them if they couldn’t even remember who they were. That wasn’t
her problem, however.
“Besides, you heard Samir. He can take care of himself,”
Donar said.
Well, she
hoped
that he could take care of himself.
Once she got these two to Darien safe and sound, she was going to search for
Samir. She didn’t like leaving her friend, but it didn’t make much sense to put
Donar and Soren’s lives in danger. They were too important to the mission. She
had failed at so many things in her life. She was
not
going to fail at
this too.
She turned her back to the men and started walking toward
the beginning of the alley. “Come on, let’s go.”
“Where are we going?” Donar asked.
“Somewhere quiet so I can think. I need to figure out what
the
deahmans
are up to.” And make sure that Donar and Soren were safely
away. She’d also have to check in with Sparrow and give him an update.
How did the
deahmans
find out where they were? Did
they sense Soren and Donar or was it something else? Maybe they had just gotten
lucky.
They walked out to the main street. The area in front of the
hotel was in total chaos. Emergency vehicles lined the streets and curious bystanders
lingered just outside a taped-off area around the building. Tara glanced up and
saw flames leaping out of the fifth story window. She hoped to God that Samir
made it out safely.
Sorry for leaving you, buddy.
She didn’t have a choice. Soren and Donar were essential to
the survival of the
Iatros
. She had to make sure that they stayed alive
long enough to give Darien information. At least the crowd would make it easy
to slip away unnoticed.
Tara took the men down one block, turned, then took them down
two more. Finally she slipped into a second alley where they could take a short
break and she could figure out what to do next.
She stood at the alley entrance and watched the oncoming
traffic. She needed a plan. She could run around in circles around the city.
They’d be caught in no time.
She couldn’t take them to FBI headquarters yet, either. If
deahmans
made it through the portal, that would be the first place they’d go. Either
there or her home, Celestial Wood. No, both places were off limits for now.
“I have to call a cab,” she called over her shoulder at the
men. A cab could take them far away from the city and give her time to think.
“No.”
That voice…
It rumbled as though it was thunder. The
command caused her skin to heat and desire to spark in her lower abdomen.
Tara turned around. “What do you mean?” The alley was still
the hazy gray of early morning and both men’s faces were cast in shadow of the
awning.
“We need to be fed first,” Donar said from the shadows.
“Feed? What are you talking about?”
“What we had in the hotel room was only a taste,” Soren
said.
“We crave and need to be fulfilled,” Donar added. Their
voices sounded as if sandpaper had rubbed over their vocal chords. She knew the
signs. The
deahmans
were in control once more. It was probably from all
of the fighting.
Deahmans
loved violence almost as much as they loved
lust. They needed a healthy dose of both to remain alive. While sex often made
them relaxed and amiable, violence made them more alert, stronger.
Tara took a hesitant step forward. “Are you two okay?”
Silence. Where did they go? Tara took another step forward,
then another. Soon she was in the middle of the alley. It was early dawn, and the
light from the streetlamp didn’t reach here. She could see most of the alley
quite well, but there were many places for people to hide. They could be behind
the dumpster, next to the crates or under the large awning on the side of the
abandoned restaurant. There were so many shadows.
Why were the men hiding? She wished that she could see them
and determine for herself that they were all right.
Then the air shifted and Tara felt a chill against her skin.
The men came out of nowhere and surrounded her. She could smell their scents,
feel the heat from their bodies. They stared at her with those crimson eyes,
their faces etched with creases. It was almost as if they were concentrating
hard on something.
“What are you doing?”
They circled her as if they were predators stalking prey. “Our
deahmans
have not been appeased in a long time and they crave something
sweet,” Donar said.
“Something delectable,” Soren said.
“We want to finish what we started, Tara.” Donar’s gaze
flicked down to her mouth.
“Yes,” Soren inched closer, forcing her to step farther back
in to the alley.
“What the—” Tara backed into the wall of the abandoned
restaurant. A quick glance confirmed that anyone passing by on the street
wouldn’t be able to see her. The awning above her hung too low and the stack of
crates blocked her body from view.
“What are you doing?”
“Preparing to feed,” Soren said.
“Are you crazy? This restaurant is abandoned. There’s no
food here.”
“We don’t need food.” Soren dragged his gaze over her body.
He moistened his lips.
“But you said—”
“Food will not satisfy our hunger,” Donar said.
“Only you,” Soren added.
Tara pressed her back against the wall of the restaurant.
She was scared, but also a little aroused. The men’s faces weren’t angry, nor
did they seem intent on causing her harm.
“We can’t stay here,” she said.
“We killed three
deahmans
,” Soren said.
“But who knows how many more are after us?”
Donar leaned forward until his lips hovered above her own. “Don’t
worry Tara. We won’t let another
deahman
touch you.”
Soren eased in closer from the other side. “We want to have
you all to ourselves.”
Heat slid around her body as Tara looked from one man to the
other. These two weren’t Donar and Soren, these were their
deahmans
. As
deahmans
,
they were unpredictable. Tara thrived on spontaneity and adventure, and what
these two offered her was tempting. She had her mission, however. She had to
bring these two safely to Darien so that they could extract information.
Safe. It would be tough to keep them safe if their
deahmans
were in control. Maybe it was best to allow them some time to regain control of
their darkness before they moved on. Besides, everyone was busy at the hotel.
Surely a minute or two wouldn’t matter…
“Who are you?” she asked. If she could learn more about the
twins’
deahmans
, then perhaps she could figure out a way for them to
gain permanent control over them.
Donar leaned back and smiled, drawing her attention to his
blood-red lips. “We are your greatest pleasure.”
“And your worst nightmare.” Soren’s eyes brightened as he
bent over her neck.
Chapter Six
Worst nightmare? Hardly. Tara had already saved both their
asses. She could handle anything the men dished out and more.
Heat slid over her skin as both men bent over her body. She
felt Soren’s hand slip around her waist, and Donar’s fingers along her cheek.
She melted as their hot breath brushed over her skin, and their lips caressed
her body.
“So soft,” Soren whispered.
“So hungry.” Donar crouched low until his head was in line
with her abdomen. He brushed aside her jacket, tugged her shirt out of her
pants and undid the belt.
“We can’t do that here.” Tara made a move to stop him, but
he brushed her hands away and continued on his mission.
Soren grabbed her chin and waited for her to meet his gaze. “Yes,
we can.” He stiffened his jaw and rolled his eyes rolled upward underneath his
lids. His fingers trembled, causing him to lose his grip.
“No,” he whispered. “I won’t hurt you.”
Tara could feel his tension, his frustration. She had
learned from Arianne that the more the humans fought the inner darkness, the
stronger hold the darkness had on them. The
deahmans
thrived on
resistance and frustration. It strengthened them just as much as violence. So
did lust and greed. The best way to give the human the advantage was to let the
deahman
have control. Once the need for sex and pain subsided, then the
darkness would recede, and the human could gain control once more.
The best thing she could do for these men, and for her
people, would be to accept the moment and let them do what they will. Sex would
appease the
deahman
, make it more passive and amiable.
Surprisingly, the idea of having sex with these men while
they were in their current state didn’t frighten her. Tara knew that these were
good men, they wouldn’t have tried to save her and Samir if they weren’t. They
just needed to… What did they call it? Oh yes, feed. Well, if feeding off her
would give them the clarity that they needed to get somewhere safe and regain
their memories, then it was her obligation to oblige them.
Tara concentrated on their touch, how their warm lips
caressed her skin. Need rose up and gripped her body, creating a dull ache
between her thighs. It was in that moment that she realized that this was more
than just some obligation. She wanted to help them. She wanted to ease their
pain and help them regain their memories. More importantly, she wanted to feel
their hands on her skin, and their cocks inside her body.
She reached out and ran her hand down the side of Soren’s
cheek. “It’s okay, Soren. Don’t fight it. Just let it come.”
“Must…not…hurt.” Soren ground his teeth against the rising darkness
in his soul. Tara’s soft fingers made his inner
deahman
jump and howl
with frustration.
Take her.
No.
Mine.
Soren closed his eyes and shook his head. He had to get a
grip. If he gave himself over to the
deahman
inside of him, he wouldn’t
be responsible for his actions. If he hurt Tara, he’d never be able to forgive
himself.
“Soren…” Tara’s soft voice broke through his pain and
darkness and touched something deep inside his soul.
Control, he had to maintain control.
“Donar.”
The other man ignored him and instead kissed Tara’s soft
belly. Soren’s
deahman
growled.
Take her.
“No.” He eased away from Tara and grabbed his temples,
fighting the darkness with everything that he had.
“Soren, listen to me.” Tara stroked the side of his cheek.
Her fingers felt smooth and soothing against his stubbled jaw.
He forced himself to meet her gaze. Soren had a strong urge
to please this woman, the one who had been so kind to him. He suspected that
letting her see his inner monster would only frighten her.
“It’s okay.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t.” Tara closed her eyes and moaned as Donar kissed
a long, sensual line down her abdomen. Soren’s own cock thickened as he watched
Donar flick his hot tongue over her skin. With each stroke, each lick, it
seemed like Tara came more and more undone.
“Soren,” Tara said.
Take her.
“Must not…” Pain stabbed through his skull, making him
wince.
Mine.
“Let it go, Soren. It’s okay.” Tara touched his face and the
monster inside of him purred with pleasure.
“Okay?” he asked. This situation was everything
but
okay. There was a presence inside of his head, something that was eating away
at his soul. With each passing moment, Soren felt less and less like himself,
and more and more like a creature of the night.
Tara’s features softened and her smile was radiant. “Yes.”
She lowered her hand. “It’s okay. Let it go. Let me help you.”
Let it go. Could he give up control? Could he let his inner
monster take charge of his body?
“What if I can’t take back my body?”
She kissed her fingers and placed them on his lips. “Trust
me. This was how Darien was able to master his
deahman
. It will be the
same for you.”
Darien? The name should have had some meaning for him, but
Soren couldn’t quite place it. No matter. It was getting harder and harder to control
the emotions inside of him. Soren knew that it was only a matter of time before
the darkness won. He trusted Tara. She had saved his life. She wouldn’t have
done it if she didn’t want him alive.
Soren leaned his head back and looked up at the early
morning sky. Clouds had begun to gather, casting away the dawning sun’s rays.
He relaxed his muscles and closed his eyes.
Okay, you win.
Mine!
The darkness engulfed his mind. Soren let out a loud cry as
every inch of his body burned. He began to shake. Sweat beaded at his temples.
What was going on?
Don’t deny me.
Soren felt weak. In fighting the darkness, he had made it
stronger. Never before had he felt so worn out, so overloaded with pain. He
locked his jaw and curled up into a ball, not wanting Tara to see him suffer.
He had to embrace the pain. That was the only way to make
the darkness go away. Isn’t that what Tara told him?
Soren forced himself to relax and let the darkness take
control. It filled his mind and surged through his body as if it was an army
conquering territory after a long war. He flexed his fingers as he felt his
desire grow stronger. He managed to form one last coherent though before the
deahman
took over his body completely.
Don’t hurt her.
Then it was over. Soren lowered his head and opened his
eyes. It was a strange feeling, being inside of your body and yet not
controlling it. Almost as if it was an out-of-body experience, but not quite.
He could still feel his fingers and toes, but he couldn’t move them.
Donar looked up from Tara, his eyes glowing bright crimson. “Finally.”
He nodded his approval. “You may kiss her, but nothing more.”
Soren grunted as his
deahman
purred inside his head.
His monster liked being ordered around, Soren realized. It craved being
submissive. He shifted his gaze to Tara as a deep, primal hunger rose up, and
thickened his cock. He wanted nothing more than to plunge himself deep inside
her pussy, to lose himself in all of that wet heat.
Tara met his gaze. She relaxed against the wall and held her
hands out to her sides. “I’m here, Soren. Do with me what you will.”
He twisted his lips into a seductive smile. “Oh I will,
sweetheart. Don’t you worry about that.”
Soren closed the distance between them and covered her lips
with his own. The kiss was hard and possessive. He shifted his stance and
braced his hands on the wall on either side of her body.
Mine.
He tilted
his head and swept his tongue through her mouth, filling her with his taste.
She was perfect, just what he needed to ease the ache in his cock. He groaned
with satisfaction as she melted under his touch.
Soren heard Tara gasp. He peeled away from her mouth and saw
Tara’s unzipped pants bunched around her knees. Donar was kissing a long trail
up her thigh, running his tongue over every crease, every curve. Tara wiggled
against him, as if eager for more.
Soren’s desire soared, but his
deahman
wouldn’t allow
him to go any further until commanded. It was frustrating. Soren fought his
inner darkness and soon realized that his
deahman
could not be forced to
feed. It needed permission. There was something in its genetic makeup that made
it difficult, almost painful, to act without a command.
After a few minutes, Soren gave up fighting his inner
monster and did the only thing he was allowed. He hooked his finger under her
chin and dragged her gaze to his. Then he covered her mouth once more.
Heaven.
She tasted sweeter than the richest dessert. Soren pulled
away from her mouth and began to dot kisses along her jaw. The kiss was good,
but he needed more, much more. He needed skin and sex and pain. He wanted it
all, and he wanted it with her.
Tara was more than willing to give him what he desired. He
felt it in the heat of her skin and the eagerness of her mouth.
“Open your legs.” Donar’s voice rumbled in the air around
them.
Tara looked down at him. “I can’t, my pants—”
Soren glanced down. Her pants were wrapped around her
ankles. It was obvious that she wasn’t able to open her legs without some
painful contortions.
Donar growled. “Open.”
“I can’t.”
Soren almost felt sorry for her. Almost. He knew what was
happening. Donar needed to command as much as Soren needed to obey. Donar was
looking for an excuse to punish Tara. Then he’d have an opportunity to
demonstrate his control and release some of the tension between him and his
deahman
.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t making much sense, and Soren was too busy fighting his
own darkness to explain.
“Soren, hold her up. She needs to be punished,” Donar said.
“What?” Tara asked.
Finally, a command. The pressure in Soren’s head eased, and
his inner
deahman
howled with glee. Excitement tingled up and down
Soren’s spine. He grabbed her torso, his large hands spanning her waist. Then
he lifted her into the air and pinned her against the wall. Her feet dangled in
the air and he felt a sliver of fear rippled through her.
“Wh-what are you going to do?”Tara asked.
“Make you open your legs.” Donar ran his fingers down her
thighs, then caressed her calves. All the while Soren held her immobile against
the wall. Soren wanted to explain things to her, to tell her how things needed
to be so that their
deahmans
could feed, but the need inside of him had
blurred his mind and he had lost the ability to speak.
All of a sudden, Soren felt her relax. He stopped battling
his inner darkness and focused on her face. Something had erased her fear. What
was it? It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that she was no longer afraid. This
was good. Soren didn’t know if he could live with himself if his
deahman
took a woman by force.
Donar seemed oblivious to everything but Tara’s legs. He
grabbed her pants and thong and tore them down her legs. They stuck on the heel
of her boot, and he growled at them as if they were some sort of threat. With a
mighty yank he ripped them off her body, the tear of fabric echoing in the air.
“Prepare her,” he muttered.
“How am I supposed to go back out onto the street without
any pants?” she asked.
“Don’t need them,” Soren muttered as he placed her down on
the ground and turned her until she faced the wall. He eased her back a step
and then pressed his large hand between her shoulder blades, urging her to bend
toward the bricks in front of her.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
Soren wanted to answer, but his
deahman
did not. He
growled and pushed a little harder until she finally complied. Then he stood
behind her and ran his hands over her ass, feeling the tight globes with his
palms. He made his way upward, trailing his fingers over her spine and curling
himself around her body. He pressed his hips up against her ass and placed his
lips close to her ear.
“Give me your hands,” he whispered.
She shivered as he placed her fingers on the wall in front
of her.
“I won’t hurt you,” he said.
“I know.”
“Don’t move.” He ducked down beneath her and began to undo
her blouse. He remembered how wonderful her breasts tasted, how they responded
to his touch. He wanted to taste and touch them again. He helped her remove her
blouse and bra, then repositioned her hands on the wall.
“Good job, Soren,” Donar said. “Now Tara, you will receive
your punishment.”