The Darkest Craving

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

HE HAD TO get himself under control.

Kane had tackled his only ally, just for touching his chosen female, allowing a mortal enemy to escape.

Now, that chosen female was nowhere to be found. She’d run into the palace during his fight with William, and he hadn’t been able to find her since. He was forced to sleep alone—not that he did much sleeping. Without Tink in his bed, he couldn’t relax.

By morning, the palace was a flurry of activity. Servants rushed here and there, cleaning and moving furniture around to accommodate three long buffet tables.

He caught one of those servants by the arm, stopping her. “Where’s Josephina?”

The female grinned up at him, delighted by his attention. “I last saw her in the kitchen, Lord Kane. I’ll fetch her, if you like. I’ll do anything you ask.” She stepped closer to him. “Anything.”

Mine, Disaster said.

“Thanks, but I’ll fetch her myself.” He stalked to the kitchen—and missed her by less than a handful of seconds.

He picked up a bowl, his grip so tight the crystal instantly shattered. He didn’t want Tink working. He wanted her out of harm’s way. He wanted to kiss her and finish what they’d started yesterday morning. Then, when his body was calm—finally, blissfully satiated—he could figure out his next move.

He left the kitchen and ran into Synda. “Lord Kane!”

Mine, Disaster shouted.

Her smile of greeting slowly faded. “Tell me you’re not wearing those hideous clothes to the ball.”

He was wearing the clothes he’d come here in, but they were clean. “Will you cancel if I do?”

She patted his cheek, and he stepped out of reach. “You’re so cute when you expect the worst, but you’re even cuter in the proper attire, so make sure you change, or I’ll be very unhappy.” With that, she skipped away.

Whatever. With Tink avoiding him, he might as well try to take care of her Phoenix problem. He slipped out of the palace and into the forest, pleased to find Petra had left tracks today. Ridiculously obvious tracks, he realized with a frown. Did she want to be captured?

Yeah, he thought a moment later. She did.

A long time ago, he’d done something similar. He’d planted tracks, allowing his enemy to find him and escort him into their camp. Once there, he’d rained absolute and total destruction.

“—will suffer for what your people have done,” a male voice said.

Kane pushed through a veil of bushes and found four Fae soldiers pinning Petra to the ground and tying her hands behind her back. She was struggling, but her efforts were puny at best.

“Let her go, and stand back,” Kane commanded, pulling the gun he hadn’t given back to William and aiming at her head.

All eyes whipped to him.

The men frowned. Petra cursed.

“But Lord Kane, the other Phoenix have fled. When they return we can use this girl to threaten them,” the shortest exclaimed.

Kane bared his teeth in a scowl. “I said, let her go.”

The four instantly stepped away from her. She popped to her feet, and the rope they’d used fell away, the ends singed.

“You always ruin everything!” she screeched with a stomp of her foot.

Mine, Disaster purred.

Shut it!

“Let’s have this out,” Kane said. “Me and you. Winner gets the girl.”

She stilled, studied him with intrigue. “You’d fight a female?”

“I’d do worse than that.” Hadn’t he proven it already?

She gloated, saying, “Kill me, and you’ll only strengthen me. I’ll rise from the ashes and enslave you.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

She paled at the reminder that no Phoenix was guaranteed an eternity. At some point they all died for good.

“To be honest,” he said, “I don’t really want to kill you. I want to give you back to your people. After all, I was told your king would like to...speak with you.”

Fear darkened her eyes, and she backed a step away. Kane smiled—and squeezed the trigger once, twice. Screaming with pain and surprise, she collapsed. Blood leaked from both of her thighs.

“However,” he said, “I’ll do what I have to do.”

“So will I.” Cringing, she reached for one of the gaping soldiers. The moment her fingers touched the male, he burst into flames, flailing about, screaming with agony. Kane lost sight of the girl as he patted the man down. By the time the flames had been doused, Petra was gone.

He hunted for one hour...two...six...determination driving his every movement. He found multiple trails of her blood, but no more than that. She remained expertly hidden.

His mood was black and stormy by the time he returned to the palace. He could hear the murmurings of the crowd, and remembered the party. Tink would be serving. Still in his “hideous” clothes, he snuck in through one of the secret passageways and, after claiming a glass of whiskey, camped in a shadowed corner.

The ballroom had been decked out. The chandeliers dripped with diamonds as big as his fist, and dragon-shaped pillars had been wheeled inside. The heads moved, ruby eyes scanning the room, forked tongues darting from between blackened lips, and releasing smoke.

Fae males were dressed in weird, girly suits with lace and bows, and the women in big, puffy gowns, with their hair styled bizarrely, with knots and spikes shaped to look like animal heads. There was a lion. An eagle. An antelope. The atmosphere was very...Victorian era meets The Hunger Games in Wonderland, with an R rating. The men were feeding the women by hand, then going in for a taste themselves. On the dance floor, bodies gyrated together, hands roaming, clothing being shoved aside.

Kane watched as Synda fluttered from one group to another, sipping champagne and laughing gaily. The king had left his throne and now “graced” the assembly with a dance. Leopold waited at the entrance, greeting guests as they arrived. The queen was perched on a settee in back, ten of her friends sitting at her feet, watching the proceedings with hawk eyes.

William—my PMS—had gotten his stupid kids an invitation, and the group had taken up residence in the corner across from Kane. They watched him watching them, trying to intimidate him. All they did was irritate him.

Ignoring them, he searched for Tink. She had to be here. She—

Had just entered the room.

Breath caught in his throat. Her fall of black hair was tied in a simple bun at her nape, yet several tendrils had escaped confinement and framed the incomparable elegance of her face. She was captivating, and maddening, and utterly enchanting.

She was...everything.

He finished off his whiskey and dropped the glass in a potted plant. His blood heated, practically boiling in his veins as he pushed from the wall and stalked across the room. His gaze remained on her, studying her more intently. She wore the now-clean uniform he’d bought for her, managing to outshine every other woman in the room.

She carried a tray and gathered empty glasses, stealthily looking this way and that, searching for someone. For him?

A female stepped in his path and he ground to a halt to avoid plowing into her. “You’re Lord Kane.” A giggle filled the minute portion of air between them, overshadowing the soft hum of music in the background. She traced her fingertips along the center of his chest. “I’ve been so eager to meet you.”

He bit back an angry retort and set her aside.

Another girl moved into his path, and this one had brought a few of her friends. The females circled him, wolves intent on their prey, and rapid-fired comments at him.

“Ask me to dance, Lord Kane. Please.”

“Let’s adjourn to the balcony. I have a present I’d love for you to unwrap. Hint—it’s me.”

“My husband is spending the night with his mistress. I would love it if you kept me company tonight. I promise not to wear any clothes.”

“The only thing I’d be willing to do is spank the living hell out of you for accosting a stranger,” he said. “This is my engagement ball, and you think it’s okay to come on to me?”

Just like he thought it was okay to chase down Tink?

Whatever.

He barreled past the floundering females. Finally he reached Tink and the tension inside him eased. “Need help?”

She gave him the swiftest of glances. “You shouldn’t be talking to me.” Her hands trembled as she gathered the glasses the guests had discarded in the oddest places—and he cursed himself for what he’d done with his own.

“When have I ever done what I’m supposed to do?” he asked.

“Point taken. Now leave.”

Disaster purred his approval.

Anger sparked. “Why are you acting like this?”

“Why are you still here?”

He gnashed his teeth. “You want me, Tink. Don’t try to pretend otherwise.”

“Are you so desperate for compliments?” She tried to maneuver away from him, but he herded her in the other direction, away from the crowd and into the shadows. “What are you doing? Stop. I’m not giving you one.”

“It’s not a compliment I want from you, Tink. It’s information. Why have you run from me today?”

She wiped a few droplets of liquid from the wall before pressing her forehead into her hand. “Because! Whatever you want from me, Kane, I can’t give it to you.”

Because of Synda. Because he hadn’t yet broken things off. Guilt had him looking away. He spotted Red’s determined approach and realized it was just a matter of time before Green and Black decided to tag along. Kane latched onto Tink’s arm and hauled her toward the secret doorway he’d used.

He had her inside in less than a blink. Anyone watching would have had trouble tracking the movement.

“What are you doing?” she demanded. “I have a job to do.”

He scrubbed a hand through his hair. A two-way mirror covered the wall, allowing them to peer inside the ballroom. “Do you see the warriors standing where we just were?” He pointed. “The ones from the bar?”

She looked, groaned. “Yes. I see them.”

“They want you for their own. They want to use your ability to remove the war, famine and death from their bodies.”

“More enemies,” she muttered. “Great. Just great!” She whirled on him, eyes narrowed but no less ablaze. “Do you know what this means?”

“Yes. I’m a disaster,” he said hollowly. “I know.”

She peered at him for a long while, and whatever she saw in his expression calmed her down. Her shoulders stooped. “No, that wasn’t what I was going to say.”

“Why not? It’s true.”

She shook her head. “They’re trouble. Another threat against you.”

“And you.” He stepped closer to her. She stepped back, widening the distance. He took another step, and another, and she did the same, until she had nowhere else to go. The wall behind her stopped her retreat.

He leaned down and rubbed his nose against hers. Contact with her was as necessary as breathing.

She closed her eyes, as if pained. “How do you do this to me, Kane?” she whispered.

“Do what?”

“Make me want you, despite everything.”

He heard only two words—want you. He moved swiftly, fitting his mouth over hers. Though she remained closed to him, he could already taste her, and desire rushed through him, drowning him.

Mine, he thought.

Never, Disaster spat.

“Let me in,” Kane said, ignoring the beast. This close, he could see each individual lash framing her crystalline eyes, and they were long and gorgeous, badges of innocence blended with wanton need.

“No, I—”

This time, when he dove in for a taste, her mouth was already open. He took full advantage, thrusting his tongue against hers.

Moaning, she gave up the pretense of resistance. Her arms wrapped around him as she kissed him back with the fervency of a starving woman.

He tried to slow things down, but she began to writhe against him, lost to the sensations, all inhibitions forgotten. He nipped at her mouth, and she nipped at his, and that was it. They became animals.

He growled, and she growled, and they ate at each other. He kneaded her breast with one hand, his grip strong, too strong, but just like before, she didn’t seem to mind. He caged her wrists with the other and locked her arms above her head.

Her back arched, pressing her body more firmly against his.

“More?”

“Please,” she rasped.

“I like that word on your lips.” Blood aflame, he lifted the hem of her dress. His knuckles brushed against the warm, tender skin on her inner thigh and he shuddered with the intensity of the pleasure. Then he hefted her up, anchored her, forcing her to wrap her legs around him, like she’d done inside the dress shop, finding a measure of release and deeper need with his erection pressed against her.

His fingers curled around her backside, past the edge of her panties, seeking more intimate contact.

“Ow!” she said, suddenly fighting to get away from him.

Concern instantly replaced desire as he set her on her feet. “What’s wrong?”

She patted at the sleeve of her dress. Flames from one of the torches had showered over her.

Scowling, he backed away from her. As he tried to tamp down his raging need, he made sure to keep a safe distance. Disaster would flip his lid if Kane continued what he’d started.

It wouldn’t always be this way, he reminded himself.

She sighed, gave him a pained look. “Just proves we shouldn’t be doing this.”

“We’re meant for each other, and you know it.”

She raised her arm with the charred sleeve. “Kane, did you see what just—”

“Did you think about me today?” he interjected, needing her to affirm that there were feelings there, no matter what she was saying. “Did you wish I was with you?”

She lowered her arm. “More times than I liked.”

“I thought about you, too,” he said.

“Why?” she whispered, her head down but her gaze remaining on him. “Why are we thinking about each other? It would be so much better for both of us if we walked away from each other.”

“I’ve tried. I can’t.” His gaze was piercing. “I could marry you,” he said softly.

She closed her eyes for a moment, looking as if she could burst into tears. Then, she closed the distance, expression more determined with every step. Before he could move away, she rested her hands on his shoulders. He stiffened, afraid for her, for what Disaster would do, but he didn’t dissuade her. He yearned so badly for some kind of contact with her, even this.

“I like your kisses,” she said. “I do. So much.”

“Like is too weak a word for how I feel about yours.”

“And I like when you touch me. And I like you, snarly beast that you can sometimes be.” Her chin trembled. “That’s why it pains me to say...no. No, I...don’t want to marry you.”

He reared back as if she’d nailed him with a hammer. “Because the demon burned you?” he croaked. “I won’t always have him. I plan to kill him.”

“I could lie and tell you that’s why. I could tell you I want someone else and you’re in the way. But the truth is, I don’t think you can help me. Not without getting hurt.”

He felt as if he’d just been punched in the stomach. Like his friends, she doubted him. Had no faith in his abilities.

Disaster laughed with undiluted glee, at last appeased.

“I want you to leave this realm,” she said with a tremor. “Tonight. Now.”

Kane was a man well acquainted with pain. At least, he’d thought so. Now, he learned the error of his ways. This was true pain. Rejection from the female he craved.

He’d gotten good at building walls inside himself, and used the skill now. Expression even, giving nothing away, he said, “Very well,” with all the calm of a man discussing the weather. “I won’t bother you any longer.” He turned from her and stalked out of the enclosure.

As he stormed down the hall, he ran into William.

“The problem?” William asked after taking one look at him.

“Doesn’t concern you,” he said. “Just keep your boys away from Tink. I won’t be around to protect her.”

“Hell-ooo. We’ve talked about this. She’s yours and I won’t let them—”

“She’s not mine,” he interjected harshly. “And keep your boys away from me, too. They come near me, and I won’t be responsible for my actions.”

He stalked away from William, grabbed the first drink he found, then another and another, and nearly drowned himself. He danced with Synda, twirling her across the floor. He danced with her friends. They put their hands all over him and he had to swallow back vomit time and time again. Then he danced with Synda again while the king nodded his approval.

“I have to have you, Lord Kane,” Synda whispered, warm breath fanning against his ear. “Let me. Please. You won’t regret it. I’ll do anything you ask.”

He opened his mouth to refuse her, locked gazes with Tink, who was watching him with guarded eyes as she cleaned a table, and said, “Yeah, let’s go.”