The Dark-Hunters (434 page)

Every bit of it was still fresh in his memory.

And Artemis had shown herself all right. But no one other than Ash had seen her there. She’d watched his beating with relish.
“I told you what would happen if you betrayed me.”
Then she’d moved to the beefy executioner who was beating Ash and whispered for him to hit even harder, to make the lashes more severe.

Ash had only been twenty years old at the time.

When it was finally over, and then only because the executioner’s arm had gone out, Ash had been left to hang for three days in her temple. No food, no water. No comfort. Naked and bleeding. Aching. Alone. And while he’d hung there, people had come up to spit on him and curse him. They’d pulled his hair and hit him.

Told him he was worth nothing and deserved nothing but what he’d received.

When the priests had finally cut him down, his head had been shaved and they had branded the back of his skull with the bow symbol of Artemis.

Then he’d been dragged in chains behind a horse back to the palace. The ground had reopened his wounds and added even more. By the time he was back in his room, he’d been unable to even speak for the pain. He’d lain on the cold stone floor for days, weeping for the fact that the woman he’d loved so dearly had forsaken him when he’d done nothing wrong. He’d guarded her name to the bitter end.

And she thought a mere apology would ease all of that.…

The bitch was crazy.

To this day, Artemis wouldn’t tell anyone anything about their relationship. Not that anyone with a brain hadn’t guessed it at this point. It’d only been what? Eleven thousand years of her sneaking him into her temple. Eleven thousand years of her abusing him.

They all knew, but none of them let on. It was a stupid game they all played, and for what? For Artemis’s vanity.

“Hold me, Acheron,” she said with a tremor in her voice. “Hold me like you used to.”

It was all he could do not to shove her away. But that would be cruel, and in spite of what he might wish, he wasn’t as cruel as she was.

Instead, he pulled her against him even though his insides cringed.

She sighed dreamily before she wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled against him.

Ash hated her tenderness most of all. It reminded him too much of the dream he’d once had. A dream of her taking his hand in public. Of her smiling at him openly.

As a human, he’d been dumb enough to think that she would cherish him. At least acknowledge his presence.

But instead, he was and had always been her dirty secret. Before his death at the hands of her own brother, Ash hadn’t even been allowed to speak her name in public. Never to touch or look at her or walk past her temple. Only in private had she ever accepted him.

He’d been so desperate for even that modicum of kindness that he’d accepted it.

“I love you, Acheron.”

He ground his teeth at words she didn’t even understand. Love … yeah. If this was love, he could definitely do without it.

She kissed his lips before she pulled away with a smile. “You always taste like sunshine.”

And she always tasted of cold darkness.

He let out a tired breath. “Feeling better?”

Rubbing his chest, she nodded. “You look tired, my Acheron. Go back to bed. I’ll join you shortly.”

Yee-flippin’-haw,
he thought sarcastically. He couldn’t wait for that. It rated right up there with an acid enema. “Where are you going?”

She stood up. “I have something to take care of. But I’ll be right back. Trust me.”

Like he had a choice?

“Take your time.” If he were lucky, he might actually have a whole grope-free hour.

It was really sad when that was the best thing an all-powerful, immortal god could look forward to.

Artemis smiled at him before she vanished.

She took herself to the Underworld where the Dolophoni made their home in the darkest part of Hades’ domain.

It didn’t take her long to find Deimos. He stood before a large bureau of weapons, examining the blade of a small hand axe.

“What are you doing?” she asked, wondering what thought was in his mind.

He looked up at her question. “Testing the blade.”

“Shouldn’t you be finding Sin?”

He set the blade down but didn’t look at her as he brushed his hand over other weapons. “Depends. Is your daughter going to keep getting in my way?”

Her stomach shrank at his words. “Pardon?”

He turned toward her with a cold, sinister look. “Your daughter. You know, the tall blonde with a body made for sin who has your eyes and her father’s powers. You didn’t really think I was so stupid that I never knew, did you?”

Artemis couldn’t speak. She was only grateful Acheron wasn’t here to hear that. He’d kill her.

Deimos narrowed his gaze. “That is why you called me in to kill Sin, isn’t it? He learned the truth and now he must die.”

She refused to give him anything he could use against her. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Of course you don’t.” His tone was mocking. He closed the distance between them.

Artemis backed up until she was pressed against the wall.

Deimos gave her a twisted smirk. “So does that mean I have your permission to kill Katra if she gets in the way?”

CHAPTER EIGHT

Sin
ducked as Kat’s dagger narrowly missed his throat. He smiled at her skill, extremely impressed by it. It wasn’t often he found anyone who could come close to striking him, and especially not someone who was put together like a brick house. Like Kish had said about Angelina, he wouldn’t mind having his ass beaten by Kat, so long as she did it in a black lace or leather teddy. Yeah, the thought of her naked in spiked red heels made him hard even as she slashed at his face.

He caught her wrist as she swung back, but he wasn’t expecting her knee a heartbeat later. It landed straight in his ribs.

He grunted before he squeezed the dagger out of her hand. The next thing he knew, she’d head-butted him.

Pain splintered his skull as his head snapped back and blood trickled from his nose. Damn, the woman could hit hard.…

“Omigod!” she said instantly. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to. I got carried away.”

He shook his head to clear it even though his forehead and nose were still throbbing and his ears were ringing. “You always apologize to your enemies when you land a solid blow?”

“Never, but I do so whenever I accidentally whack my sparring partner.”

Rubbing his head, he smiled as he noted the red spot on her sweaty forehead. The flush on her cheeks made her eyes practically glow. Daughter of Artemis or not, Kat was absolutely beautiful.

“What?” she said, stepping back.

“Nothing. I was just looking at the red place on your forehead where you whacked me. I was wondering if mine looked the same way.”

She let out a light laugh before she reached up and touched his head where it was throbbing. “Just a little, Uni.”

“Uni?”

Her smile made his cock twitch. “Unicorn. You look like someone sliced the horn right off your forehead.” She lifted up to kiss the spot she was eyeing.

That kiss did nothing to ease the serious hard-on that was now aching unmercifully. It’d been a long time since a woman had turned him on like this without being naked in his bed. Or down on her knees in front of him.

Then again, he didn’t really converse with his lovers. Basically he’d spy them in the casino, pass a few strategically flattering words, and in no time they’d be in his room completely naked and sweating. Once he was finished with them, he’d send them packing.

Yeah, he was what gave men a bad name and he knew it. But he always made sure that the women knew before they left the casino that he wasn’t going to be interested in anything more than casual sex. He didn’t take their numbers and promise to call, only to leave them hanging. They knew exactly what his intentions were from the get-go.

As a rule, Dark-Hunters were forbidden from having relationships with humans. And even though he wasn’t technically one of their breed, he’d accepted that part of his life. His wife had humiliated him enough with her infidelities. The last thing he wanted was to give another woman any kind of control over his emotions. They just weren’t trustworthy enough for that.

But something about Kat was different and he didn’t know what it was. Part of him enjoyed her teasing. Hell, he even enjoyed her barbs. That was something that had never happened before.

She bit her lip as she gave him a sympathetic pout. “I really am sorry I head-butted you.”

“It’s all right. Remember to keep that aim. Unlike a Daimon, the only way to temporarily stop a gallu is to hit it right between the eyes.”

“Or sever the spine,” she said, to his surprise. “Believe it or not, I was listening.”

“Good. That knowledge will save your life.” But he wasn’t really concentrating on their conversation. His thoughts were on the sweat that was rolling down between her breasts, which swelled underneath her tank. His mouth actually watered for a taste.

She was only a couple inches shorter than him, and in four-inch heels she’d probably force him to look slightly up at her. He didn’t know why, but he found that thought incredibly sexy.

Yeah, he could easily see himself in his bed with her on top of him, her body naked except for those heels as she ground herself against him. It was enough to make him crazy.

When he’d developed a shoe fetish he didn’t know, but he couldn’t get that image out of his head.

Thanks, Kish.
He’d have to beat the man later for this torture.

Kat swallowed at the hot look in Sin’s golden eyes. She’d had men stare at her lustfully before, but she wasn’t used to being affected by it. For some reason she didn’t understand, she wasn’t immune to Sin. He turned her on in ways she’d never thought possible.

Closing her eyes, she could feel his lips on hers. The scent of his skin filled her head and made her want to bury her face against his neck so that she could bathe in that scent. She wanted to feel those muscles rippling under her palms. To have him lying against her …

He was so hypnotic. She barely heard the sound of him dropping the dagger to the floor before he placed his hand on the small of her back and pulled her closer to him.

Still he didn’t kiss her. He stared down at her as if waiting for her to shove him away or turn her head. His lips hung over hers as his eyes burned voraciously.

Unable to stand it, she lifted her hand to sink her fingers in his soft black curls and pull his head down to hers. When their lips touched, she moaned in satisfaction. She couldn’t imagine anyone tasting better. Couldn’t imagine a sweeter place than in his arms.

Sin knew he should break away from her. She was her mother’s daughter.…

And yet her touch set him on fire. The taste of her lips, the feeling of her body against his … it was enough to make him forget everything else. There was no hate inside him when she held him. No past tormenting his thoughts. All he could see, taste, smell, or hear was her.

And he reveled in it.

Her hand in his hair sent chills down his spine. Unable to bear it, he lifted her up in his arms. She wrapped her long legs around his waist as he pinned her to the wall. “I want you, Katra,” he growled an inch from her lips as he stared hungrily at her. “Right now.”

Kat couldn’t think straight from the sensation of his body between her legs. She was throbbing with need and every bit as hungry for him as he was for her. “My mother will kill you.”

He let out a wicked laugh. “You’d be worth it.”

She bit her lip as she felt the swell of him against her. No man had ever touched her—not like this. Truthfully, she’d never been this close to one unless they were fighting. It was actually kind of scary. She’d lived her entire life without the complication of a man.

And they were a complication. Everything about them. Because of a man, her grandmother was imprisoned for eternity. Her mother was forever tied to her father even though she wanted to let him go. Not even Cassandra was free anymore. Wulf meant everything to her, and he had become her life. Her friend Geary had given up her life’s quest so that she could stay with Arik.…

Don’t be silly, Kat. It’s only sex … it doesn’t have to be a lifetime commitment.

If only she were sure about that. Would being with him change her?

Then again, how could it? Simi hadn’t changed. She was still the same exact demon she’d always been.

Kat felt him lifting the hem of her shirt. She had to decide before he went any further.

Yes or no.

In the end, it was her curiosity that won out. She wanted to know what it was like to be with a man, and no other one had ever attracted her like this. If a woman had to lose her virginity, who better than a fertility god to give it to? If there was one thing any of them knew, it was how to please a woman.

And Kat was anything but a coward.

Taking a deep breath, she removed their clothes with her thoughts.

Sin sucked his breath in sharply between his teeth as he felt her naked flesh on his. There was nothing between them now. Nothing. They were skin to skin. It took a full second for that to register in his mind.

He looked down in awe of her bared beauty. Her breasts were perfect and pale. Her nipples were pink and taut, begging him to taste them. He dipped his head down to draw the tip of one into his mouth.

Kat groaned at the foreign tickle that made her stomach contract wildly in response to his gentle licks. The sight of him nuzzling her breast warmed her through and through. Groaning, she ran her hand down his spine and over the scars that marred his darker skin. She laid her cheek against the top of his head as her heart pounded. She and her family had taken so much from him that it only seemed right she should give him what she’d never given to another.

But more than that, she wanted to know him like this. To feel the strength of him surrounding her, filling her. She wanted to share her body with him.

He pulled back from her breast to blow a stinging breath across it before he kissed her again. Mmmm, he was divinity and she couldn’t wait to experience more.