Chapter 14
Chapter fourteen
Bastian managed to slip out behind Nikhiv. The door closed, leaving just the two of them. Mira remained unmoving in the living room, her gaze on the floor.
The silk-wrapped blades Nikhiv had considered words were likely still repeating in her head, and endlessly cutting her.
“You could use some food.” Dominic gestured to the bandage on her upper arm. “Then, I’ll take a look at—”
“How come you still won’t touch me?”
Mira’s question hung in the air like an accusation. She lifted her eyes to his.
When he didn’t respond, she continued, “I can see in your eyes that you want to. It’s no longer a secret that you’re a smoke demon. Even I know a casual touch won’t hurt me if you’re not turned on. But you still won’t. Not even now.”
Not even now .
He puzzled over her words before realization dawned. Mira didn’t think she was still a temptation for him, standing in his living room with wild bed hair and puffy eyes shadowed with grief.
She didn’t understand there was nothing she could do to ever stop being the most maddening, fascinating, and tempting woman he’d ever seen.
Dominic closed the distance between them. He let his gaze travel down her body, and back to her face. “It will never be safe for me to touch you, Mira.”
He traced a finger along her collarbone, and she swallowed. “Not for more than a few seconds at a time.”
“Or else, what?”
Dominic dropped his hand. “Or else, you’ll absorb enough of my essence to go into heat. Leaving you restless. Hot,” he said softly, leaning close enough to brush against her. Mira bit her lip, visibly struggling to remain still.
“A strange itch you can’t seem to scratch, just under your skin.” He lifted his knee, and she gasped when he slipped it between her legs. “Though you’ll still be tempted to try.”
Her scent was getting stronger once more. That delicious mixture of them both, and her arousal.
It’s been a long time since I’ve smelled that.
Dominic stilled, swallowing his rage at the memory.
“And then?” Mira’s whisper drew him back.
“If I keep touching you, you’ll fall into thrall. The mating thrall,” he murmured. “Overwhelmed with need, and craving my nectar.”
“What’s nectar?”
Dominic couldn’t help his slow smile. He grabbed her waist and pulled her close, until she could feel the outline of his erection in his pants. Her eyes widened.
“You never asked Phoebe about her own mating?”
Mira shrugged. “Why should I? There doesn’t seem to be much to it. Just some horny demon sex.”
Dominic’s eyes flared. “It’s far more than sex,” he growled. “It’ll last hours. All night, as you beg to drink my nectar.”
Mira gasped, clutching his shoulder while he angrily whispered filth into her ear. His cock pressed painfully into his jeans, and a drop of his nectar escaped.
“I’ll feed every drop to you. After which, I’ll fuck my claiming seed deep into your womb. And keep fucking it deep, until we both pass out,” he rasped.
“And… and then we’ll be mated, right?”
Something in her breathless words drew his attention. He searched her face.
Her eyes burned with not just arousal, but angry bloodlust. And grief.
“You’ll be invincible to Cooper’s control?” she prompted. “Stronger than him?”
He stared at her as cold disbelief washed over him. Not only disbelief. A sharp pain pierced his chest, knifing through him like a hot blade through butter.
A blade he’d still willingly skewer himself on, to claim her.
Dominic slipped his hand into her hair, and fisted it. “Be careful what you offer up to me for your revenge. I’m greedy enough to take it.”
His hand tightened. Mira’s mouth fell open, and her eyes lost a little of their focus. He studied her, fascinated at her potent reaction.
“You’ll be trading a life for a life. That asshole’s life, for yours. Demon matings are very different, Mira. No returns. No divorce. Our life forces will be inexorably linked together, for better or worse. Or, as long as we both shall live, as they say. That’ll be far longer than you can imagine. Because mated demons live a long fucking time.”
Her eyes widened in confusion and shock.
Dominic released her abruptly, and turned away. “Perhaps you didn’t quite understand what you were offering. Unless you were thinking of tossing another lamb to the slaughter.” He glanced at her. “Aubrey, perhaps? With your DFC unit gone, her schedule just cleared. She might be up for the challenge.”
Mira stiffened. Scowling, she spun on her heel and stalked down the hall. His bedroom door slammed shut.
Dominic dropped heavily into his recliner, and glowered at the floor.
The sound of his phone jarred him awake. Dominic pried his eyes open, grimacing at the uncomfortable sensation of having slept in contacts once more.
Down the hall, his bedroom door was still closed.
He dug out his phone. It was a call, not his alarm. He didn’t know the number, but the prefix belonged to the Council.
Dominic shoved upright in his recliner and finally answered it. “This is Dominic.”
“There’s a departmental meeting today,” Cooper told him in an upbeat voice. “All hands on deck. You’re not going to miss it, are you?”