CHAPTER 12
Frankie
W hat the hell is he talking about? Why does he think I’m so gullible? First, he tries to convince me that I hallucinated things, then he tells me demons exist. “Yeah right! How dumb do you think I am?”
He runs a hand through his hair while resting his hip against the kitchen counter. “I know it’s hard to believe but think about it. You started putting the pieces together yourself.”
Is it possible he’s telling the truth? He looks so sincere, and it would explain the creature in the woods yesterday. But demons? That’s crazy. “There’s no way they exist.” I look at Jess for backup. “Right?”
Jess sets the pizza box on the garbage can as she contemplates the possibility of demons existing. “I don’t know. Maybe he’s telling the truth. The last time I checked, humans don’t burst into flames when they die.”
I know she’s right, but if that’s true then…Oh my God! Did Zarreth really kill a demon with his bare hands yesterday? I take a few steps back as everything sinks in. “Zarreth, what are you?” My voice trembles.
“Frankie, I would never hurt you,” he says, taking a step closer to me.
I want to believe him, but he’s already proven himself to be a little unhinged by stalking me. Holy shit, my stalker is a demon. Is he a demon? Don’t demons have horns or something?
Spotting the broom next to the fridge, I slowly back toward it. “Answer me! What the hell are you?”
He takes another step closer to me. I grab the broom, raising it over my head like a baseball bat. “No you don’t. You stay right the fuck there.”
Holding back a grin, he raises his hands in surrender. “I think you know what I am.”
I don’t know what comes over me, but I lose it and swing the broom at his head. He catches it before I can smack the smirk off his face, easily pulling it from my grip.
“Shit.” I wasn’t expecting him to disarm me so quickly.
“Are you trying to turn me on right now?” Zarreth’s eyes darken. “Would you like me to bend you over and spank you with this broom?”
I scream in frustration. “What is wrong with you? You just said you would never hurt me!”
“Um, Frankie,” Jess chimes in. “I don’t think he means that kind of hurt.”
“What?” I turn my attention to Jess. “How are you not losing your mind over this?”
She shrugs her shoulders. “He’s had a million opportunities to kill us but hasn’t. Plus, I can tell you like him, and you never like anyone. It doesn’t surprise me it takes a demon to get your attention. Poor humans never stood a chance with you.”
“Jess! This is serious,” I squeak. Is everyone riding the crazy train?
“What?” She says. “Think about it. If demons have Nate, wouldn’t it be nice to have this guy on our side?”
I take a couple deep breaths, trying to clear my head. Jess is right. If I want to find my brother, Zarreth may be my best bet.
I turn to the demon standing in my kitchen, who’s leaning against the kitchen counter with the broom still in his hand. I almost laugh at how domesticated he looks before I remember he’s a freaking demon. “Will you help me find my brother?”
He nods his head. “I wasn’t lying when I said I would do anything for you.”
“Then come with me to meet the Horde of the Dead or whatever the hell they call themselves.”
He leans the broom against the wall before rubbing his temples. “I know their overlord. Let me go alone, and I’ll find out everything they know.”
Just when I thought my sanity had returned, he goes and tests my patience. I pick up a coffee cup and throw it at him. “I swear, Zarreth. If you try talking me out of going one more time I’m going to lose it.”
He catches the cup. Setting it gently in the sink, he turns to Jess. “Is she always this violent?”
“No,” she says. “I think you bring the crazy out in her.”
I growl, stomping to the living room, and plop down on the couch.
Jess and Zarreth follow me. Jess sits on one end of the couch as Zarreth sits on the brown recliner farthest away from me.
I close my eyes and take two deep breaths before speaking. “Jess, please set up the meeting with the stupid demon horde. Zarreth, please come with me, and stop treating me like a child.”
“Let me set up the meeting,” Zarreth says. I open my mouth to argue, but he cuts me off. “I won’t stop you from going, but we will have better luck if I set up the meeting. Most demons don’t waste their time on humans.”
“You obviously do,” I huff.
“Only on you.” His voice drops an octave before adding, “And you will never be a waste of my time.”
Jess hops up from the couch. “Whelp, that’s my cue to leave. I need to get groceries for dinner tonight.”
“What? You’re going to leave me alone with a deranged demon?”
“No, I’m going to leave you alone with a gorgeous man who is madly obsessed with you, and who might show you a thing or two about being spanked, because clearly you’ve never experienced that.” She pats me on the arm before walking out the door, MJ following close behind. I almost forgot MJ was here. She’s been quietly avoiding us since Zarreth arrived.
“Jess!” I jump up and follow her outside. “Do you think he’s safe?”
“I think you’re safer with him than that psycho who’s been following you around.”
She has a point, even though they’re the exact same person. I have no problem throwing myself at a stalker, but I panic when he offers to help find my brother.
“Thank you. I’m sorry for acting a little crazy.” Something about Zarreth drives me absolutely insane, and it has nothing to do with him being a demon.
“Are you kidding? I would pay money to watch you throw something at Zarreth’s head again.”
“Shit. I should probably apologize, huh?”
Jess scoffs. “Hell no. Never apologize to a dude, Frankie.”
I roll my eyes, giving her a hug and patting MJ on the head before they hop in her car and drive away.
My bra and underwear are still a little damp from jumping in the lake, and it’s making my skin itchy, so I change into a pair of comfy shorts and a t-shirt before returning to the living room.
Zarreth is sitting on the couch now, playing with Ms. Kitty. He looks at me, patiently waiting for me to say something.
He must have thought I was going to throw something at him again, because he physically relaxes when I sit on the other end of the couch and grab a pillow.
“Why don’t you have horns or wings or something?”
Zarreth briefly looks away, releasing an audible exhale. “They were cut off.”
I gasp, bringing my hands to my mouth. “Oh my God. Did it hurt?” Of course it hurt, Captain Obvious.
He looks at me hesitantly before speaking. “Ask me something else.”
I feel bad for prying and my guard drops a little. I move Ms. Kitty to the other side of me so I can scoot closer to him. “Where do demons come from?”
Grabbing my wrist, he brings it to his lips and kisses it softly before interlacing his fingers with mine. “I know this is a lot to take in, but the Human Realm isn’t the only one in existence.”
I should be shocked, but at this point, nothing can surprise me.
“There are five realms that we know of. I come from the Realm of Darkened Depths, which is where most demons live. The Horde of Shadows is the only demon horde allowed to live in the Human Realm.”
I tuck my legs underneath me and turn so I’m completely sideways on the couch, facing him. “Do demons have any special abilities?”
“Aside from skipping rocks?” He gives me a boyish grin and my heart skips a beat. “All demons have heightened senses. We’re much faster and stronger than humans. We heal quickly and are basically immortal. We don’t need food, water, or sleep. Although sleep helps us regenerate faster if we’re injured.”
“Holy shit,” I mutter.
Squeezing my hand, he continues. “Older demons have magical abilities, and some can trace, which is basically like teleporting.”
“Do you have any magical abilities?”
He nods his head as a ball of fire appears before us. Its flames dance in the shape of a heart then disappear into thin air. “I’m a fire demon, so I can summon and manipulate fire. I can also trace when I’m at full strength.”
My jaw drops. I bring my hands to my mouth as I squeal. “Holy shit!”
He smiles at me, playing with the end of my braid. The magnetic pull between us forces me closer to him.
I know he feels it too because he turns us sideways, extending his legs underneath me on the couch. I straddle his waist, hoping to feel the bulge I felt earlier at the lake.
“You should probably stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?” I respond, knowing I’m giving him my best flirty look.
“Like you’re imagining me naked.”
What I wouldn’t give to see him naked. To feel his hands all over my body; his tongue sliding in and out of my mouth.
Zarreth’s eyes darken as he places his hands on my hips and squeezes. “You smell delicious,” he growls.
“Um, thank you?” I swallow nervously. “Soo… How does sex work? Can demons and humans, you know, hook up or get married?”
A slow smile spreads across his face. “Are you asking me to marry you, Frankie?” he teases. “Because I would.”
I ignore the warmth rushing through my chest. “No.” I roll my eyes. “I was just asking in general.”
He chuckles. “Yes, humans and demons can have sex, but it takes a lot of self-control on the demon’s part because humans are so fragile.” His fingers trace the waistband of my shorts. “Don’t worry about me, little one. I have great self-control.”
“Good for you,” I say trying to play it cool, but I know my red face gives away how embarrassed I am thinking about how much I would love to test his statement.
His thumb rubs back and forth over my hip bone as he continues. “Demons don’t believe in something as temporary as marriage, and only a few are lucky enough to find their mate.”
“How do you know when you find your mate?”
“The only way to know for sure is through sex. The male has an uncontrollable urge to bite the female while he comes inside her. His saliva does something to her blood, forming a magical bond that can only be broken through death. Afterwards, both the male and female develop matching marks on their chests. When one of them dies, the mark fades, and soon the other will die from a broken heart.”
It sounds so tragically romantic. “Can a demon mate with a human?”
Zarreth licks his lips as he gazes intently at mine. “I don’t know. I hope so.”
I lean forward, tentatively parting my lips, feeling the heat radiating from his body. I’m so nervous, but before I can change my mind, he meets me halfway, our lips finally touching.
A shock charges through my entire body as he deepens the kiss, making me feel alive. A small whimper escapes my lips as he grips the back of my neck, holding me in place while his warm tongue swirls around mine. I can almost taste the fire that burns within him.
He growls before pulling me to his chest, turning us over, so he’s now on top, looming over me. Grabbing both sides of my face, he tilts my head and kisses me deeply, taking my breath away.
He pulls my t-shirt over my head, exposing my bare breasts. His eyes darken as they linger on my chest. Running a hand over his mouth, he shakes his head as if he’s trying to focus before speaking.
“So fucking beautiful,” he growls.
I grab the edge of Zarreth’s shirt and pull it over his head. He leans forward, taking my nipple in his mouth.
My hands run down his back, pausing when I feel deep, uneven ridges on his shoulder blades. “I want to see.”
Zarreth pulls back, looking at me with hesitant but open eyes, as if he would hand me the world if I asked. Warily, he turns his back toward me. I gasp. It’s much worse than I imagined.
My eyes fill with tears as they roam over his mutilated shoulders. Some scars are the shiny pink color of a freshly healed cut. Others are faded like they’ve been there for years. My heart aches for him. Feeling the urge to undo all the harm he has endured in his life, I push myself up, taking my time as I plant kisses over each scar.
He turns to face me. He cups my face again, using his thumb to wipe away a tear. “Don’t cry for me, little one. I will gladly go through worse if it means being here with you.”
He softly brushes his lips against my forehead, my eyes, the corners of my mouth. His tenderness is fleeting, quickly replaced by a sense of urgency. His kisses turn into bites; not hard enough to break skin, but hard enough to make me pull back when he sinks his teeth into my jaw.
Zarreth pushes me back, so I’m laying down again and licks his way down my neck. He pinches my nipple, hard. Yelping, I try pushing his hand away.
“Do you want me to stop?” He flattens his tongue and swipes it across my nipple, replacing the pain with pleasure.
“N-no,” I stammer. I can handle a little pain, right? Especially when it’s mixed with pleasure.
“Good,” he growls before turning to my other nipple, clamping his teeth down.
“Ungh,” I cry out as I resist the urge to push his head away.
He moves between my breasts, licking and biting each one before leisurely making his way down my stomach. I always thought it was a myth that women could come from breast play, but now I’m beginning to believe it.
Holding me down, he bites my left hip, leaving red marks in his wake as he makes his way to my other one. He pulls my shorts down, along with my underwear, and inhales deeply.
“I’ve been wanting to do this since the day I chased you through the woods.” Running his tongue up and down my wet slit, his amber eyes never leave my green ones as I arch my back, moaning for him to keep going.
“Fuck,” he growls. “You taste better than I imagined.”
He plunges his tongue inside me while pressing the heal of his palm over my clit, rocking it, building pressure until it’s swollen, eager for more.
Spreading my thighs further apart, he devours me. His tongue flicking back and forth in a steady rhythm before biting down, sending a ripple of pain and pleasure through my body. He slowly slides two fingers into me, curling them, massaging the perfect spot.
My hips rise to meet each thrust, riding his hand. Embarrassed, I try stopping, but I can’t. Instead, I reach down and fist his hair, pressing his mouth tighter against me, smothering him between my thighs.
“Fuck yeah, baby! I want it all,” he growls.
I’m so wet I can hear the slippery sound of his fingers thrusting into me. My legs shake as waves of pleasure crash over my body, making my back arch. He continues lapping at me with his warm tongue until I scream his name, finally going limp.
Oh, my fucking God.
He chuckles, making his way to my mouth, kissing me, letting me know how I taste. “I told you; you taste like honey.”
“Holy shit,” I breathe, enjoying the tingling sensation lingering in my body.
Zarreth laughs before lying down, tucking me under his arm. I haven’t felt this relaxed in, well, ever.