Burning Dawn

CHAPTER NINETEEN

ELIN DOWNED ANOTHER shot of “Legspreader.” That was what Bellorie had called the drink, anyway. It was sweet at first, but had a bitter aftershock, and oh, wow, it packed a powerful punch. Like a boulder, she thought with a grin.

After checking her out and declaring her sternum and ribs hadn’t shattered into a million little pieces, the girls had taken her to Inferno, a nightclub—Thane’s biggest competition—to celebrate their massive victory.

“Because of me,” she shouted with a laugh.

Beside her, Bellorie rolled her eyes.

Music thumped through the air. Lights were dimmed, creating a shadowy atmosphere. Smoke wafted, and bodies crowded...danced. Elin would have joined them, but she was currently too chummy with dizziness, and the black-and-white tiled floor wasn’t helping.

Bellorie patted her on the shoulder, and despite feeling numbed out, Elin grimaced. Her sternum and ribs weren’t broken, but there was a size-jumbotron bruise on her chest.

Jumbotron. Like Thane’s penis.

She snickered.

Maybe she needed to admit to him that she’d seen Thane Jr. at the Phoenix camp, and that, like a few of the romance-novel heroines she loved to read about, she didn’t think it would fit inside her. Then he would be determined to prove that it would, and she could at last have her wicked way with him.

Brilliant!

Because, here it was, flat out. They had chemistry. The kind that caused explosions. She had no idea why one element reacted to another, and she didn’t care. They just did. She was done fighting a losing battle. She wanted him. He wanted her. Why not try out a resextionship?

As he’d said, Bay would tell her to move on and be happy.

Somehow, Thane’s touch made her happy.

“So proud of you, Bonka Donk,” Bellorie said.

“Me, too,” she replied with a nod. “It’s got to be the best plan ever to be planned.”

“Plan?”

“Yep. Maybe even as soon as tonight I’ll be riding the jumbotron.”

“You are so weird.”

“Thank you.”

“Welcome,” Bellorie said with a nod that made her dizzier.

Thane would be supereasy to seduce. He wasn’t even mad at her! He must have understood what she’d hoped to accomplish by leaving him turned on—meeting every single one of his needs, even the darker ones, without actually harming him, or herself. Whether he denied having those needs or not.

“Last season, we lost to the Deep Fryers, a group of Phoenix,” Savy said. The girls stood around a small, circular table. “The ladies have since dropped out of the league due to fear of staking, and that really sucks, because a rematch would have been so cool. With Elin as bait, we could have stolen victory—and their boyfriends.”

“Woo-hoo!”

“Well, next up we play four Sent Ones,” Chanel said, flipping her hair over one shoulder. “The Knock Knocks. They’re part of Thane’s army. And don’t ever strike up a conversation with them. They’ll say, we’re the Knock Knocks, and you’ll think you’re being hilarious by saying, who’s there, and they’ll say, the girls that are gonna eff you up. Well, we are gonna eff them up.”

“I’m gonna be playing with jailhouse rules, ya’ll,” Octavia said, raising her glass.

Uh-oh. “Won’t Thane have a problem with us beating the faces off his fellow soldiers?”

The girls whooped with glee, and she frowned. She’d asked a serious question. Hadn’t she?

“Hells yeah, we’re gonna beat their faces off,” Savy shouted, and downed another shot. “They are gonna hurt so bad!”

This was the perfect conversation opener with Thane, Elin thought. Exactly what she needed to kick off a discussion about his penis. She closed her eyes, concentrating, and mentally reached out to him.

Are you gonna stake the Scorgasms when we cream the Knock Knocks? she asked.

Silence.

Had she failed?

Hello, kulta. His voice was pure eroticism as it whispered through her, touching every cell. She yelped. Have you been drinking to celebrate your victory?

Yes.

And how many have you had?

Only six—teen. No bigs. In college, I could out-drink anyone. So...where are you, and what are you doing? Better question: What are you wearing?

I was fighting demons. Now I’m in the air, flying. And I’m wearing a robe.

Robes are for girls.

I agree. You should wear one from now on. I like the easy access they provide to all my favorite parts.

Liquid heat pooled between her legs. Can I ask you a question?

You just did, he replied.

Har-har.

Ask.

She...forgot what she’d planned to say. So, she went with the one she’d wondered about for weeks: Why can’t Adrian touch a female?

Why do you care? This time, there was a bit of bite to his tone.

Curiosity only.

Then I will assuage it. He killed his last two lovers.

Oh. Talk about a bummer.

Quite.

So...why did he kill? How?

He’s too strong. An accidental mauling.

Both times?

“Elin,” Bellorie said, her tone odd. “You must listen to me.”

“Not yet,” she muttered. Things were about to get interesting.

“Now.”

Hold on, she said to Thane, finally remembering what she’d wanted to talk to him about. But don’t go away because I have a very important revelation about your penis.

At first, he offered no response. Then he rasped, I’m still aching, kulta. Are you going to do something about it?

Yes! But all she said was Time will tell.

Tease.

I’m not sure how it happened, but, yes.

Another pause before he said, I like it.

Denying the urge to twirl Sound-of-Music-style, Elin blinked open her eyes and faced her friend.

Bellorie’s expression registered, and she frowned. The girl looked...off. Relaxed, yes, but also emotionless as she waved to the male standing beside her. He was tall and wide, stacked with muscle, and, okay, he was quite handsome. But thousands of tiny snakes slithered from his scalp, like living strands of hair, and that was a...mild deterrent.

“You must dance with him,” Bellorie finished.

Elin, Thane said, exasperated, and she jolted.

She extended her index finger to Bellorie and the male. “One sec.”

Question, she said to Thane. What kind of creature has snakes for hair?

A gorgon.

Oh, that’s right. Momma told me. But aren’t all gorgons female?

Mostly. But every century, a new male is born. He becomes king. Why?

Well, I believe I’m looking at this year’s contender for the crown.

You will walk away from him, Thane said, his voice now flat. Immediately.

Why? Her mother had told her...what? That male gorgons wielded some sort of special power? Yes! That was it. But what power? Something about...hypnosis?

“Elin,” Bellorie said again. “You must dance with him.”

Yup, definitely hypnosis. Her friend was in a daze, and as Elin met the gorgon’s gaze, intending to tell him to take a hike, her mind shut down.

“Female. Dance. Now,” he said, his voice low, quiet. Formidable in a way that left her defenseless.

Defenseless? No. Not me. Not anymore. But she couldn’t look away from him, couldn’t think of anything but him...and his arms wrapped around her. His eyes were golden, with striations of emerald. They were beautiful eyes. Freaky eyes. His pupils were nothing more than a thin black line that stretched from the top of his irises to the bottom.

And the snakes... They were currently focused on her, peering through her skin and muscle and into her soul.

She—

Would dance. Yes, she thought, as every muscle in her body went lax. That was an amazing idea.

The male led her out to the dance floor. Stalwart arms wrapped around her, just as she’d imagined, holding her close, guiding her into a sensual sway. The scent of sandalwood wafted to her nostrils. It was nice, but...wrong.

All of this was wrong.

“Kiss me,” the gorgon commanded.

“No, I—”

“You will kiss me.” He and his snakes stared at her.

No, she said again. Or tried to. She couldn’t work the denial past her lips.

His mouth pressed into hers, and she stiffened. He lifted his head to peer at her again. “You will like it.”

When he came down for another peck, she somehow found the strength to turn away. She wasn’t attracted to this man. Was she?

The music stopped abruptly. Laughter and chatter died. Silence reigned. As the crowd quickly parted, the gorgon straightened, widening the distance between them. He and his creepy snakes at last looked away, and Elin jolted into awareness, her mind suddenly whirling with a single question.

What. The. Crap?

Thane strode through the center of the crowd, and her knees almost buckled with relief—and instant, undeniable arousal. The male was a fantasy made flesh, and every desire she’d ever experienced for him came rushing back. Kiss. Taste. Touch.

Devour.

But he zeroed in on the gorgon, a murderous rage pulsing from him. When the two males were mere inches apart, Thane didn’t bother with words. He tugged Elin behind him and punched Gorgodude in the grille.

She gasped at the sheer display of violence, but she wasn’t horrified. She was, well, kind of turned on.

The creature fell to the floor, and Thane jumped on him, straddling his shoulders and pinning him down.

Then Thane went jackhammer, whaling, throwing one savage punch after another.

The gorgon never managed to engage a counterattack. Or a defense. Thane beat at him until he passed out.

“Thane,” Elin said, surprised at the huskiness of her voice. A voice that somehow penetrated his rage. “Forget him. Concentrate on me. I need you.”

He stopped abruptly, stood, and rounded on her.

Sweet mercy. His expression was pure aggression. He crossed his arms over his chest, an aggressive move. He braced his legs apart, an aggressive stance. But at least the blood on his skin and robe disappeared.

“You need me?” His tone was more than aggressive. It was hedonistic. Practically an invitation. One she accepted.

Elin launched into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist.

“You’re a barbarian. Let’s make out,” she said. And maybe her new nickname should be Octopussy, because her hands were everywhere, all over his wings, stroking the feathers, sifting through the ultrasoft down. “You just stand there and look pretty, and I’ll do the bulk of the work.”

“Uh, Elin,” Bellorie said, coming up beside her. “You might want to zip your lips. Your mouth is making promises your body won’t want you to keep.”

“What did she drink?” Thane asked, his lips quirked at the corners.

“Legspreader,” she and Bellorie answered in unison.

His gaze had never left her and now gobbled her up. “You’re never drinking that again, unless you’re with me.”

“Because it makes me handsy?” she asked, leaning closer to nibble on his earlobe.

“And bossy. But I like this side of you. I like all sides of you.”

My man is sweet. “Even the Phoenix side?”

He tensed.

Answer: no. Won’t let myself be hurt over that. Baby steps.

He kissed the shell of her ear and whispered, “I believe there’s something you wanted to tell me about my penis.”

Lost in a world where only Thane existed, she admitted, “Well, I’ve thought about it a lot today.” She toyed with the ends of his hair. “I saw it while we were at camp together, and I felt it while we were in the tub, and it’s so big, and it’s pierced, and I want to flick my tongue over the piercing, and you practically promised me I could and you never lie and, oh, I’m boning this up again, aren’t I?”

“You’re certainly boning me up,” he muttered. “Let’s go home.”

He darted into the air, and the bottom dropped out of her stomach. He soared through the building—through it!—then the sky, with her clutched tightly to his chest. Stars glowed brightly, winking from the sea of black velvet. And the moon... The perfect strobe light for a worldwide party.

“Gorgeous,” she said.

“Yes. But I want you to look at me,” he commanded, and she was helpless to obey. “A human could die after sixteen Legspreaders. Do not drink so much ever again.”

As strands of her hair slapped at her, she rubbed her nose against his. “Guess my other half came in handy today, huh?”

He glared at her.

“Fine, whatever. I won’t drink so much ever again.”

He nuzzled her neck, drawing a groan from deep in her throat. “Good girl.”

Her eyes closed as she savored the sensations. “Mmm, that feels amazing.”

“My lips, or will anyone’s do tonight?”

“Yours. Only yours. How many times do I have to tell you?”

“As many as it takes.” He sucked on the wild thump of her pulse, and a lance of nearly unbearable pleasure shot through her. “Gorgons can hypnotize with a glance. Never again look one in the eye.”

Took her a moment to look past her desire and concentrate on his words. “But you did. You looked him in the eye.”

“My mind isn’t...right.”

“What do you mean?”

He sighed. “You said it yourself. It’s full of weeds. Not as many as before, but some are still there. After Kendra...”

“Oh...oh, Thane.”

“I’m more guarded than ever, which means it will be difficult for anyone to hypnotize me. But somehow,” he added softly, “you have managed it.”

She cupped his jaw and forced him to meet her gaze. “Another romantic proclamation. What am I going to do with you, baby cakes?”

“I know what I would like you to do,” he muttered.

“Does it involve rolling around naked?”

“Several times. But, Elin? In the spirit of honesty, I have to warn you. I’m not romantic.”

“Are you kidding? Multiple times you’ve sent me books and flowers and chocolates. And your note! Do you remember your note? I almost died from romantic-overload when I read it.”

He looked boyish and shy as he asked, “So romantic-overload is a good thing?”

Her heart clenched. “Very. It’s like a Valentine’s Day parade in my heart.”

He straightened out, keeping her snuggled against him. “We’re here.” A second later, he came to rest on the roof of the Downfall so gently there was barely a jolt.

“To your room!” she commanded.

He moved forward at a swift pace, bypassing the vampires and double doors. The hallway seemed to stretch for miles, but he finally entered the suite...and the barren room he’d taken her to last time.

She pouted. “Why do you keep bringing me here? Why aren’t I good enough for the fancy hobag room?”

“Good enough?” He tenderly placed her on the mattress. “Elin, that room isn’t good enough for you. This one is mine, and I have never shared it with another.”

“Oh.” He’d just given her the best. Response. Ever. “I’m special, then?”

“Beyond.” He settled beside her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You arouse me, amuse me, anger me, frustrate me, challenge me, and did I mention you arouse me?”

She almost melted. Almost. “But can I satisfy you?” she asked, putting the rest of her fears out there. “What do you do to them, your lovers? Besides chain them up and, I’m guessing, spank.”

A blank mask covered his features. “Be specific with your questions.”

“Do you hit?”

“Did I. Yes. Sometimes.”

“And that arouses you?”

“Aroused. Past tense. I think it eased something in me, and that aroused me.”

“But you could have hit other men instead. Like you did with the gorgon.”

“Yes. I’m a skilled fighter, and I enjoy that, too, but it comes with a different kind of satisfaction. A muted version, like tasting a cake—that someone other than you baked—instead of eating the entire thing. More than that, it can get me into trouble. My opponents tend to...die.”

Oh. “Yes. That’s best to avoid. So...will you get into trouble for the gorgon?”

“No. He’ll survive. Barely.”

Good. But back to what she really wanted to know. “Did you maim them?”

Strain pulled his body taut, making her think of a rubber band ready to snap. “Nothing permanent,” he admitted quietly.

So, yes. He had. But because they were immortals, they’d healed. “Forgive my curiosity. I’m just having a hard time understanding the pleasure in pain.” When Elin had been looking for a bang-and-bail candidate, and she’d considered letting Thane hurt her, she hadn’t actually expected to feel pleasure. “Especially when it springs from an angry pain.”

“I wasn’t angry when I did it.”

“I disagree. I think you did it because you were seething with anger over something.”

He frowned.

“But we don’t have to discuss that now,” she rushed to say. “I’m more interested in whether or not your desires have changed again. Do you now want to hurt me?”

His relief was palpable, his determination so strong it vibrated from him. “No.”

“Do you want to chain me?”

“No.”

“But not too long ago, you wanted to do those things to the siren.”

Guilt replaced the relief in his eyes. “I brought this on myself. I really did. The past is colliding with the present, trying to make a mess of my future.” He breathed in, out. “She was a last-ditch effort to forget you, and I’m so sorry I took things so far. But I swear to you, I didn’t want her, and nothing like that will ever happen again. You are the only woman I desire.”

If he doesn’t stop, I’m going to do more than fall under his enchantment. Feeling suddenly bashful, she fiddled with the collar of his robe. “Then what do you want to do with me?”

“Tomorrow, I’ll show you,” he said, husky promise in his voice.

She tried to pull him down for a kiss. “Show me now, too.”

He resisted, gently breaking her hold. “No, kulta. Not now.”

But...why not? To leave her hungry, the way she’d left him? “We only have a limited time together, and I want us to make the most of every second of it.”

He went still, not even seeming to breathe. “Limited time?”

“Yeah. You’re getting me an ID, remember, and I’m going to go back to the human world, where I’ll have a semi-human life. I’ve even got new goals! I’ve abandoned my bakery plan, because let’s be serious, that was never going to work, and now plan to help others, halflings just like me. No one will ever be unwanted again.” It was going to be legend—wait for it—dary.

So, why is a sense of depression settling over my shoulders?

It wasn’t. That was an alcohol-soaked imagination only.

“You won’t consider staying with me?” he asked quietly.

“No, but I’ll consider stripping you,” she replied, trying again to pull him on top of her.

Though his electric blues glowed with an odd mix of anger and yearning, he once again resisted. “You need to rest, kulta.”

The sense of depression took root and grew. If he desired her even half as much as she desired him, he would be inside her right now. “Thane.”

“I won’t take you like this. Sleep, Elin,” he commanded—and walked away, leaving her alone.