Passion Unleashed

Chapter 15

Serena woke with a killer headache, knifelike stabs of pain shooting through her skull. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Josh, sitting in the dark, in a chair near her bed, face buried in his hands.

“Josh?”

His head snapped up and then he was at her bedside, kneeling next to her. “Serena. How do you feel?”

“What… what happened? Where am I?”

“The hotel room. I dimmed the lights so you could rest.” He carefully touched the backs of his fingers to her face. “You okay? Does your head hurt?”

“Like someone took a sledgehammer to it. I haven’t felt this way since…” She let her voice trail off, not wanting to tell him about her childhood misery. But this was weird. What was going on with her charm?

Groaning, she sat up, but Josh pushed her back and fluffed the pillow before letting her head rest on it. “You need to take it easy. You took a blow that would have brained a rhinobeast.”

“That’s not possible,” she said, though it was a stupid thing to say, because clearly, something had happened.

“Why not?”

“I just don’t remember, I guess.” It wasn’t a lie; she truly had no idea how she’d been injured.

“You don’t remember anything?” he asked, and she thought he sounded relieved.

Closing her eyes, she let herself drift to the last thing that stuck in her mind. “We were at Philae. There were noises.” An ache started between her eyes as a screeching sound rattled through her memories. “Demons attacked us.” Her heart pounded as though she were still there. Josh grasped her hand.

“I’m here. You’re safe now.”

But when she opened her eyes and saw the glint of fury in his gaze, she knew that she wasn’t safe at all. The memories flooded back, of Josh plowing through the creatures like a machete through tall grass, and how, of all of the dangerous things on the island, Josh had been the most deadly. She shivered and drew her hand away from his.

“Obviously, I’m not,” she snapped, unsure if she was talking about Josh or the fact that she’d been hurt twice now, and could be hurt again. Maybe even killed.

Crushing memories of her mother’s broken body on a cold slab in a hospital morgue squeezed away her breath. She’d snuck away from Val to see her mother one last time, her nine-year-old brain unable to process what death truly meant.

Until she’d seen her mother’s corpse.

Josh scrubbed a hand over his face, the hand that had just been holding her, caring for her. Abruptly, she felt bad for snapping at him when he was only trying to protect her.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I’m not used to being injured. Guess I’m not a very good patient.”

“Ditto.” His hand continued to make long, tired passes over his eyes.

“Are you okay? You seem a little off.”

“Got some bad news from my brothers earlier. Nothing you should worry about.” He rose from the chair and started prowling around the room. “So, what do you remember after you got hurt?”

She sat up, wincing at the stabs of pain in her brain. “Not much. Everything went black.” She frowned. “Did you take me to a hospital?”

Josh wheeled around to stare at her. His eyes seemed to glow in the dark with an eerie luminescence. “No. Why?”

“I don’t know… I had these weird dreams. I was at some sort of scary hospital. It was dark, and there was this strange writing on the walls.” She shuddered. “And chains hanging from the ceiling.”

“That conk on the head messed with you,” he said. “But I brought you straight here. No hospitals.”

She shuddered again. Too much time spent in hospitals as a child had given her an intense hatred of them.

The smells, the sounds… everything about hospitals made her skin crawl. Little wonder that her dream had turned a hospital into a place of torture and horror. “It wasn’t all bad though. Right after that, I dreamed I was on a beach. Which is weird, because I’ve never really been a beach person.”

“I’ll have to remember that,” Josh muttered.

“Okay, so how did I get hurt?”

That dangerous light sparked in his eyes again, gold flints flashing in the dark. “Byzamoth.”

A knot twisted her stomach. She’d known he was a threat, but she’d ignored it, had put Josh in danger of being seriously injured or killed, and all because of her arrogance.

“I’m so sorry, Josh.”

“Hey.” He sank down on the bed and drew her into his arms. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“You tried to warn me. You tried to get me out of there, but I didn’t listen, even though I knew he was after me.” She swallowed hard and pushed away from him. “Even though you’ve been right from the beginning.”

“Let that be a lesson,” he intoned, but his eyes glinted with mischief. “I’m always right.”

God, he was perfect. He was a little moody, but with a past like his, who could blame him? He was also kind and smart and deadly.

He deserved better than what she’d given him, which was a whole bucketful of lies.

He’d been a Guardian, for heaven’s sake. He could handle the truth. He fought for the side of good… and since he was protecting her, he should know.

“Josh… I need to tell you something. It’s going to sound crazy—”

He put his finger to her lips. “Trust me, I know crazy, and whatever you say won’t fit into that category. I — promise.”

“Yeah, well—”

“I’m always right, remember?”

“You’re also pretty full of yourself,” she muttered, but she was teasing, and he knew it, and rewarded her with a smile that could stop the Earth from rotating.

“Lay it on me,” he said, sitting back on the bed and watching her expectantly.

“Remember our talk in Alexandria? About the humans charmed by angels?” She took a deep breath. “Well… I’m one of them.”

“Seriously?” His expression didn’t change, even when she nodded. He merely looked curious. “So, shouldn’t you be immortal and immune to injury?”

“Well, I can be hurt… but only if I want it or feel like I deserve it.” At his raised eyebrows, she said, “Like, once I lied to a nun, and I felt bad about it, so I let her rap my knuckles with a ruler. That hurt. A lot.”

“I could think of more fun ways to get hurt,” he said with a wink. And then he sobered. “But how do you explain Byzamoth?”

“That’s the million-dollar question. I was hoping to do some research… guess it’ll have to wait. Maybe you could feel around some of your Aegis contacts until I can get to a secure Internet connection?” When he nodded, it was her turn to narrow her eyes at him. “You’re accepting this pretty easily. Why?”

“I work in a hospital that uses magical cures.” He shrugged. “And there’s the Aegis thing.”

The tension poured out of her. It was such a relief to be able to confide in someone other than Val. Someone who cared about her on a different level than the man who hovered over her like she was a toddler learning to walk.

Josh’s brow creased. “I know about Marked Sentinels because of The Aegis, but the details are sketchy. Researching Byzamoth might be easier if you tell me the purpose of the charm. I mean, angels don’t run around charming people for shits and grins.”

“No, they don’t. Anyone who is charmed is in possession of something that needs to be kept out of the hands of evil.”

“Like the coin you found in Alexandria. That was what the charmed guy carried.” At her nod, he continued. “So what are you protecting?”

Her hand automatically went to her necklace. “This.”

“What is it?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure. It’s called Heofon, Old English for Heaven. But that’s all I know. The guardian of the coin we found was the last Sentinel to have a full understanding of what it was he was holding. According to Val, Sentinels were no longer allowed to know exactly what their object’s purpose was, for fear that they’d reveal it to the wrong person, or that they would use it improperly, as the coin’s guardian did.”

“But didn’t he think he was helping souls cross over or something?”

“Yes, but by killing himself and leaving the coin unprotected, he risked allowing evil forces to retrieve the coin.” She now had to keep the coin with her until it could be given over to The Aegis. According to Val, once such an object was safely in the hands of Guardians, a new Sentinel would be chosen to guard it.

“So the Byzamoth guy… he’s been after you, hasn’t he? Not the tablet.”

“I think he definitely wanted the tablet to keep The Aegis from closing the Harrowgates, and I’ve no doubt he’d take the coin as a bonus, but yes, I think he’s after me. I’m sure he wants the necklace and my charm.”

“How could he get them?” Josh’s voice had gone deep and dangerous, and she shivered with both dread and feminine appreciation.

“Sex. That’s why I’m celibate. That’s also why Val is so protective.” She looked down at her lap and then back up again. “That’s not all. If Byzamoth takes the charm from me, I’ll die.”

She couldn’t read his expression. At all. With a curse, he got up and paced again, his hands in fists at his sides.

“Josh, look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner—”

“It’s not that,” he snapped. His fury was a storm in the room, an electric surge that stood her hair on end. “Dammit. Goddammit! I hate this!”

She hugged herself, rubbed the goose bumps that pebbled her arms. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore, okay? We just need to get out of here.”

“Agreed,” he growled. “I already booked us on the next train.”

“When is that?”

He looked at his watch. “Tomorrow. Five p.m. Actually, today. It’s after midnight.”

She’d been out of it for longer than she thought. Which would explain why her stomach was growling. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed. “Where’s my knapsack?”

“Uh-uh.” Josh held her in place with a palm splayed between her breasts. “You need to rest. I’ll get your bag. What do you need?”

“I need to not be babied,” she said, but she was only half serious. It felt good to be cared for like this. “And I need a granola bar. I always keep a couple in my bag.”

“I figured you’d wake up hungry, so I had the kitchen prepare some grub for you.”

He went to the dresser, lifted the lid off a large plate sitting on a bed of ice. When he brought it to her, she practically drooled at the delicious sight of the meats, cheeses, and fruits. No matter what the circumstances, she’d always been able to eat.

And then, like a big baby, she began to tear up. “That was so thoughtful.” She covered his hand with hers. “You really don’t need to take care of me like this, but I can’t thank you enough. You’ve done so much. You’re a good man, Josh.”

“There are so many reasons you’re wrong,” he said quietly.

“I doubt that.”

“Yeah, well… you don’t know me.”

She tightened her grip on his hand when he would have pulled away. “I know you saved my life.”

“I did what any guy would do.”

“No, any guy wouldn’t have done that. They would have run screaming from those demons. You fought them, and you saved me from Byzamoth. I can never repay you or thank you enough.”

He slid her a troubled glance she didn’t understand. “I should let you eat and get some rest. I’ll be out in the front room.”

“Please,” she said. “Stay. I don’t want to be alone.”

Her fear was stupid and childish, a kid afraid of the dark, but after everything that had happened, she felt safe with him. And not so utterly alone, especially now that he knew the truth.

“Yeah. Okay. I’m just going to do a sweep of the hotel floor—” His entire body convulsed, and he stumbled backward before catching the back of the chair with one hand and the wall with the other.

“Josh?” She tossed the tray of food to the bed and leaped up, ignoring the spinning in her head. “What’s the matter?”

“Stood… too… fast.” He breathed deeply and braced his forehead against the wall.

“You got hurt in the fight, didn’t you?” She ran her hands over his body, looking for injury, but he hissed—honest-to-God hissed—and spun away from her.

“Stop,” he croaked. “I’m fine.”

She reached for him again, catching him by the wrist. His tattoos felt like they were on fire, and the one on his face stood out starkly against skin that had gone ashen. “You are not fine.”

“I’ll live.” His voice was gruff, but his touch gentle as he peeled her fingers off his arm. “I just need to do a check for demons who might want to rape you, and then shower.”

Whoa. He was worked up. “Be careful. Please. I don’t want you to get hurt because of me.”

Letting out a long breath, he closed his eyes and bowed his head. “Damn you,” he breathed. “Can you stop worrying about me? Stop caring?”

“Can you stop being an ass?”

His head snapped up. “What?”

“It’s rude to ask someone to stop feeling something they have no control over. So get over yourself already. I care, and I’m not going to stop. Accept that, or leave. Your choice.”

He stared at her for so long her stomach began to churn. What if he truly decided to leave? She needed him, and for the first time, she realized that she needed him for more than protection.

Oh, God. She was falling for him, wasn’t she?

Finally, he nodded. His expression was fierce, but his voice was quiet as he said, “You’re going to be the death of me, Serena. I really think you are.”

Wraith was practically hyperventilating by the time he got to the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and collapsed against it as though doing so could hold back the demons chasing him

The demons that had been with him all his life. In his head. His soul.

You’re a good man, Josh.

If he wasn’t having so much trouble breathing, he’d laugh. He wasn’t good. He wasn’t even a man.

No, he was a sex demon whose libido had been killed by a powerful toxin.

Except, his libido wasn’t completely dead. Not around Serena.

When she had touched him just now, his body had erupted like a newly awakened volcano. That, combined with the sudden bout of poison sickness, had sent his nervous system into stimulation overload, and he’d had to get out of there. His body had felt pulled in several different directions, and he hadn’t been sure how he’d react. He could easily have pounced on her for sex. Pounced on her for blood. Or thrown up in the middle of the room.

Fantastic choices, all of them. Kill her with sex, kill her by bleeding her out, or just really gross her out.

Shaking violently, he sank to the floor and took deep, calming breaths. When the room stopped spinning, he dug through his duffel and tossed a half-dozen items on the tile before grabbing a unit of O-negative from the cold pack. Gods, he hated cold blood, but he didn’t trust himself to hunt right now. His bouts of illness were coming more often, and the last thing he needed would be to catch a meal and get sick while feeding, leaving himself vulnerable.

He supposed he could go to UG, where he could find a willing female to satisfy his nutritional and sexual needs, but at this point he didn’t think he could get it up for anyone but Serena, and how humiliating to not be able to perform. He had a reputation to uphold, after all.

Besides, he couldn’t handle seeing his brothers. The bomb they’d dropped on him had torn him open and apart. He’d been willing to give his own life to save Serena, had been okay with sacrificing UG. But how could he turn his back on his brothers after all they’d done for him?

He couldn’t.

He shot up with the anti-libido medication, and immediately, the pump of arousal in his groin mellowed out, and his skin, which had felt too tight for his body, loosened. He tossed the syringe into the garbage. Puncturing the bag of blood with his teeth, he took a long, slow pull to swallow the pills.

He gave himself fifteen minutes to finish his meal, brush his teeth, and shower, and then he dressed in sweatshorts and a T-shirt, and carefully re-packed his bag so his blood packs and meds were buried beneath his clothes. A muffled beeping noise drew his attention to the phone in his pocket. Eidolon’s callback number flashed on the screen, but Wraith wasn’t in the mood.

Between his brothers’ announcement and Serena’s true confessions, he was hanging from his last thread of sanity.

He couldn’t believe she’d confided in him like that. He should be thrilled that she trusted him enough, but guilt was starting to eat at him for the deception he was carrying out, and the more she trusted him, the more she cared about him… the more he hated himself.

And fuck if he was going to let Byzamoth near her again.

Anger flushed through his veins at the very thought. He’d suspected that the demon had been after her charm, but to hear confirmation from her had set him alight. If she was going to lose her charm, it would be to someone who gave her the most intense pleasure of her life.

It would be Wraith.

Except… even with his brothers’ lives at stake, could he really do it now? The idea that she would die because of him hadn’t thrilled him from the beginning, but now he’d gotten to know her. Care about her.

Man, he was a really sucky demon and a terrible excuse for an incubus.

Maybe… maybe he could save her. E might be wrong about his ability to cure her. If Wraith could take her virginity and make sure she survived, everyone would win. Hell, he’d done the impossible last year when he’d found the cure for Shade’s curse. Okay, so he didn’t find the cure, exactly, but he found the means to activate the cure. And the same demoness who had helped Wraith go through his s’genesis early could surely cure Serena.

Feeling better than he had since this whole thing began, he headed back to Serena’s bedroom.

When he reached her closed door, he took a bracing breath and knocked, cursing the wild pounding of his heart. She opened the door, hair wet and wearing a Family Guy nightshirt that somehow covered too much and not nearly enough.

“I showered,” she blurted, her face taking on an adorable blush as she tugged down the nightshirt.

As if doing so would make him stop admiring her legs.

And… adorable? Had he really thought that? Gods, he was going soft.

He needed to kill something.

“Are you feeling better?” she asked, and he nodded as he strode inside.

“Chronic headaches. Took some aspirin.” He glanced at the tray of food that was still too full. “You need to eat more.”

“I will. I was just waiting for you to get back. You didn’t find any demons lurking in the hotel, did you?”

Just one. “Nope. We’re demon free.” When she didn’t answer, he cupped her freshly clean cheek with one hand. “Hey, are you okay? Do you want me to go?” He really needed her to say yes.

She closed her eyes and nuzzled his hand in a gesture so affectionate, so tender, he felt something inside break a little. “I want you to stay,” she said softly. “I’m just not used to spending the night, you know, with a man.”

“Yeah, me either,” he teased, and she laughed, lightening the mood. “So, Family Guy, huh?”

Her smile socked him right in the heart. “It’s a guilty pleasure. Stewie is so wicked. I love him.”

“He’s the best.” He grinned. “I figure if I ever had a kid, that’s what he’d end up like.”

“I doubt that.” Serena climbed into the bed and pulled the covers up to her chin.

She was wrong, so wrong, but he couldn’t tell her why, so it was pointless to argue. Instead, he eased onto his back next to her, careful to stay as close to the edge as he could, not wanting to spook or touch her. Well, he wanted to touch her, but the way she lay there, stiff and eyeing the door like she wanted to bolt, told him now wasn’t the time.

“How’s your head?” he asked, and she rolled to face him.

“Better. Thank you.”

He stared at the ceiling. “You really shouldn’t thank me for anything.”

“Remember that conversation about you being an ass?” Her fingers came down lightly, hesitantly, on his right arm, which lay across his abs. “Just let me be grateful.”

He’d be grateful if she stopped touching him. Stopped using the pads of her fingers to trace his dermoire, the most sensitive part of his body. Well, the second most sensitive.

She used the backs of her nails to stroke one of the symbols on his wrist. “What’s the significance of your tattoos? They’re extraordinary. Sometimes they seem to actually move.”

That was because they did. Usually during sex or while using his gift. They would glow or pulse, sometimes appearing to writhe. “Trick of the light,” he said smoothly. “They’re sort of a history of my family. My dad’s side.”

“Really? How? The designs are familiar.”

“Ancient Amorite,” he lied. They were actually Sheoulic, symbols and words in the demon language. “My father’s family is big on tradition.”

“I know you never knew him…”

“So why get the tats?” He couldn’t very well tell her he was born with them, but lying to her was becoming harder to do. “It’s a family thing. I’m tight with my brothers, and we all wanted to do something together, so we got the tattoos. Corny, I know.”

“No, it’s not. It’s cool. It would be great to have family like that.”

“What about you? I know your parents aren’t around, but brothers? Sisters?”

“Neither. My mom was pregnant when she died.”

Giving comfort wasn’t something he was used to or good at, so he said simply, “I’m sorry.”

“Thank you.” She wriggled closer, so her head was on his shoulder. “Do you mind?”

“No,” he croaked. “Feels good.” Right down to his dark soul, it felt good. “So, what happened to you after she died?”

“Her will specified that I be raised in a convent. So I grew up with nuns who were really disappointed that I didn’t become one myself.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet.” The idea that she’d grown up with nuns, well, it gave him the jeebies. The things she would have learned, about sin, about sex… a weight settled deep in his gut. Even if he got the sex, they wouldn’t be friends or have a relationship… and good Gods, what the hell was he thinking? Friendship? Relationship?

Motherfucking poison. Eidolon had said it would turn his organs to mush, but he hadn’t said anything about his brain.

She propped herself up on one elbow and watched him like he was some sort of mystery and she was fucking Sherlock Holmes. “You don’t like being touched, do you?”

He liked it when she touched him. Liked it too much, which was the problem.

“I’m not used to it.”

“Me either.”

“I’ll bet, seeing how you’ll die if you have sex. That would suck.”

She laughed. “It doesn’t mean I can’t do other things.” Her voice was husky and low, touched him in places her fingers couldn’t reach, and he couldn’t stop himself from turning to her. “Like the other night.”

“What are you saying?” He knew, but he wanted to hear her say it.

“I’m saying I want to be with you. In whatever way we can.”

Serena welcomed the firm pressure of Josh’s soft lips against hers. He took his time, first brushing his lips across hers and then flicking his tongue over her bottom lip before catching it in his teeth. The little pinpoints of his sharp canines made her gasp at the pinch of both pleasure and pain.

He licked where he’d bitten, a warm sweep of his tongue over her sensitive inner lip. Her mouth opened for him, and so did her legs as he settled his hips between them. She cocked her knees to allow for greater contact, and nearly groaned at how well they fit together, his erection cradled by her sex, with only the thin barriers of her underwear and his shorts between them.

“Don’t worry,” he murmured against her mouth, “I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do.”

“I know.”

He was so big, dominating, and possessive, yet his sensitive, gentle streak surrounded her like a satin ribbon, making her feel feminine, sexy, and wanted. And when he slid his tongue inside her mouth and began a penetrating, thrusting motion that mimicked something much more intimate, she was the one who wanted. Wanted so much more than she could ever have.

For now, though, she’d take what she could get.

He rocked against her as he made love to her mouth. She felt herself go wet, and as if he knew, he growled deep in his chest and dropped one hand between their bodies. His fingers found her core, and she nearly came from the light, sweeping contact.

“Oh, damn,” he rasped against her lips. “I can smell your arousal, and it’s killing me. I need to taste it. If you don’t want it, you’d better tell me now.”

Her breath left her in a rush as his raw words sank in and the images, the fantasy, began to fill her thoughts.

“No objections, then,” he rumbled, sliding down her body to pull off her underwear. Slowly, like a great cat, he prowled from her feet back up her legs, his muscles bunching and shifting fluidly under his skin. Her breath came in labored spurts as he spread her thighs.

She wanted this so badly, but he was looking at her and she was nervous and afraid she’d made a terrible mistake, when he whispered, “Gods, you’re beautiful.” Gods? Gads, maybe. Didn’t matter what strange word he’d used, because she went light-headed and at the same time, heavy with a deep-down ache.

Closing his eyes, he inhaled, and when he opened them again, she swore they glowed gold, but he dropped his gaze so quickly she couldn’t be sure. “Your scent is so sweet. I could spend all night between your legs.”

His hands slid up from her thighs to part her slick lips, and she held her breath as he lowered his head slowly, so slowly she wanted to scream. And then she did scream when his tongue made a tentative sweep from her core to her clit.

“Josh. Oh… oh, wow,” she breathed.

A purring sound vibrated through her body, and his hot breath bathed her in sensation. “If I hurt you or you don’t like this, tell me.”

Not like it? Was he crazy? “I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

“Don’t want to get carried away… you taste so good, and I’ve never done this before.…”

Her jaw dropped, but she didn’t have a chance to say anything before his mouth was on her again, kissing and sucking, bringing her hips off the bed. Nothing in her dreams or fantasies could have prepared her for this. Exquisite sensations broke across her body with every stroke of his tongue, which swirled and stabbed until she was grinding herself against it, pumping her hips wantonly. And when he caught her clit between his lips and suckled, she finally flew apart. Into a million pieces that shattered her mind.

Josh’s voice floated somewhere above her, and dazed, she opened her eyes. “That was… oh, damn,” she sighed.

He watched her with awe and not a little cockiness in his expression. “You’re so sexy when you come. Let’s do that again.”

Though she scarcely had the energy to breathe, she managed a laugh. “As much as I’d like to—”

“Why not? Is it your head?” Now he was watching her with concern, his blue eyes bright. “Serena? Are you okay?”

“Oh. Yes. I–I’m fine.” Which was a lie, because she wasn’t fine at all. She was falling for this man, and that was definitely not fine. But she was light-headed, and she could use a nap.

“Shit. We shouldn’t have done this. You’re injured and you need to rest—”

“Shh.” She touched his face, shutting him up instantly. “You sound like a doctor.”

“A side effect of working in a hospital and having one brother who is a paramedic and another who is a doctor.”

She smiled weakly, because she was still recovering from the mind-blowing climax. “Must be nice to have medical people in the family.”

“Yeah, well, you haven’t met my brothers.” He eased onto his side and stretched out against her. “Go to sleep. We’ll discuss why brothers are major pains in the asses tomorrow.”

She snuggled against him and didn’t bother hiding her yawn. “Tomorrow, then.”

“Tomorrow,” he said, and for some reason he sounded… sad.