Chapter 12 #2
Her scream ripped through me when one demon got too close, jaws snapping inches from her legs before I raked my claws across his neck, pieces of his flesh falling to the asphalt.
“Look at me,” I ordered her, my voice a guttural rasp even as I raced towards the SUV. “Not them. Me. Only me.”
Her eyes lifted, glassy and terrified, but they found mine, and the bond pulsed, steadying her, steadying me. Her trust in me keeping her safe is evident in her eyes.
I pushed forward, step by brutal step, until the air was thick with smoke, iron, and the reek of demon blood, until Draugr’s blade finally carved the last of them down.
Silence fell, broken only by the ragged sound of Sorcha’s breath against my chest and the hammering of my own heart. I didn’t set her down. I couldn’t, I nearly lost her, it was too close. My arms wouldn’t let her go.
“You are safe now,” I whispered, my voice hoarse, my mouth pressed to her temple. “You’re mine. And no one touches what’s mine.”
The street was carnage. Demon carcasses smoking on the asphalt, the SUV half-crumpled against the guardrail, the tang of iron and sulphur still clinging to the night. Draugr kicked one of the twisted corpses aside, his blade dripping with ichor.
I didn’t put Sorcha down. My arms refused to listen, even as Draugr came closer, his gaze dropping to the deep gouges across my back. His jaw clenched.
“You need that cleaned,” he said, voice flat but edged with warning. “And you need to feed. Now Lucien. Demon claws carry venom you know what it does, if you don’t clean your back soon and feed you…”
I gritted my teeth, but the truth was in the burn crawling under my skin, the heat threading through my veins like acid. “I’ll deal with it.” I didn’t want him frightening Sorcha more than she already was.
“No,” Draugr snapped, sharper this time. “You’ll deal with it immediately or you’ll be worse than useless soon.”
Sorcha stirred against me, lifting her head. Her eyes darted from me to Draugr, then back. “Venom?” Her voice was small but sharp, full of fear.
“Don’t worry,” I said quickly, brushing my lips against her temple, trying to smother the panic I saw blooming in her. “I’m fine.”
“Fine?” She twisted in my hold, her hands skimming over my chest, searching for injuries. “He just said…”
“I heal,” I cut her off. “You don’t need to worry about me.” But she was already worrying, her pulse hammering through the bond, wild and frantic.
Draugr didn’t soften. “He’ll heal faster if he feeds. And he needs the venom purged before it takes hold.”
Her eyes went wide, her grip tightening around my shirt. “Takes hold? What does that mean?”
I cursed under my breath, finally setting her down, though my hands didn’t leave her shoulders. I crouched in front of her, forcing her gaze to mine.
“It means demons don’t fight clean,” I said, steady, controlled. “Their venom eats at you. Weakens you. Makes you something less than you are if it isn’t burned out fast enough. But I’ve handled worse, Sorcha. You don’t need to be afraid.”
But she was. I could feel it through the bond, feel it knotting in her chest. I ran my hands over her arms, her sides, lower, checking every inch of her with brutal care. “Did they touch you?” My voice was harsh now, demanding. “Did they scratch you? Bite you?”
She shook her head, her lip trembling. “No. I don’t think so. I…I don’t feel…”
“Not good enough.” My hands kept moving, sweeping over her legs, her wrists, her throat, searching for even the faintest mark.
If they’d so much as grazed her skin she would need blood immediately, and then I would need to try and suck the venom out of her system, but there was nothing. She was clean, untouched.
Only then did I let out the breath I’d been holding, crushing her back into my chest, my arms locking around her like a manacle. “Good girl,” I rasped, my mouth against her hair. “You’re clean. They didn’t touch you.”
Her arms slid around me, tentative but tight. “But you’re not,” she whispered. “Lucien, what if…”
“Nothing,” I growled, pulling back just enough to make her see my eyes. “Nothing will happen to me. Not while you need me. I’ll purge it, I’ll heal, and I’ll still be here tomorrow, and every fucking day after. You understand me?” Tears pooled in her eyes, but she nodded, shaky.
Draugr stepped closer, his voice cutting through the haze. “Get her out of here. I’ll have the site cleaned. And Lucien, don’t wait too long.”
I ignored him, kissing Sorcha’s temple again, whispering only for her, “You are all that matters. Let’s go baby, we will be home soon.”
Jericho already had the SUV door open, his jaw tight, eyes flicking between me and the carnage still smoking on the road.
I carried her in, settling her in the backseat before climbing in beside her.
Jericho slid into the driver’s seat without a word.
Behind us, Troy stayed, blade in hand, already moving to back Draugr as headlights cut through the dark, but it was more of our men arriving to clean and secure.
The vehicle rumbled to life, the night flashing past in a blur of shadow as Jericho pushed the engine hard. My body burned, every pulse a reminder of the venom crawling under my skin, but I held Sorcha tighter, burying my face in her hair, grounding myself in her scent.
When we finally reached the mansion, she didn’t wait for me to argue. The second Jericho opened the door, she was tugging at me, her small hands braced against my chest as if sheer will alone could move me.
“Inside,” she ordered, her voice trembling but firm.
I let her drag me in, not because I couldn’t walk but because it soothed the panic in her eyes to think she was leading me. We made it to our bedroom, the doors slamming shut behind us.
“Sit,” she snapped, pointing at the edge of the bed.
I raised a brow. “You’re giving orders now?”
Her chin lifted, that stubborn fire sparking in her gaze. “You’re hurt; the Demons have poisoned you. So yes, please sit so I can clean your wounds.”
Damn, she was fire. Reluctantly, I lowered myself onto the mattress, stripping my shirt away to bare the ragged gouges across my back. Her sharp intake of breath was like a blade to my chest.
“Tell me what to do,” she whispered, moving to fetch the kit from the adjoining bath.
“Clean it,” I said. My voice came out rougher than I intended. “Wet a cloth with hot water. Then clean it with alcohol. It’ll sting, but it won’t kill me.”
Her hands shook as she worked, but she didn’t stop, didn’t flinch even when the blood smeared across her fingers. She cleaned carefully, biting her lip as if trying not to cry, and I let her. Let her take control of this moment, because she needed it as much as I did.
When she finally finished, her hands pressed flat against my shoulders, holding me in place. “Now please feed.”
I turned, catching her face in my hands. “Sorcha…”
“Don’t argue with me.” Her eyes flashed. “You said the venom has to be purged. Then take what you need. Feed.”
The bond thrummed between us, electric, undeniable. My restraint cracked. I pulled her into my lap, tilting her head back with one hand. My fangs slid down, and I sank into the sweet pulse of her throat.
Her gasp filled the room, her nails digging into my skin as I drank. Not too much, never too much, but enough. Enough to burn out the poison, to restore the strength already coiled in my veins. Her blood was fire, wild and untamed, and it seared away the venom until only her taste remained.
When I finally pulled back, I sealed the mark with my tongue, kissing the wound reverently. She swayed in my arms, exhausted but alive, her eyes hazy and soft.
“Better?” she whispered.
“Perfect,” I murmured, pressing my forehead to hers. “Because of you.”
We slid down onto the bed, tangled together, her head on my chest as sleep pulled at her. I held her until her breathing evened out, my hand tracing idle circles along her spine.
The demons would come again. The war was far from over. But for tonight, I had her safe in my arms, her blood burning through me, and that was enough.
I closed my eyes, the last thought anchoring me as I drifted into sleep. My woman, my mate was safe and, in my arms, where she belonged.