The Dark-Hunters (681 page)

“Aimee—”

“Sit, wolf.” It was the sharpest tone he’d heard from her in a long time. “You might have taken Fury, but I can take
you.
”

Yeah, right. That was almost funny. However, he knew what she did … wolves didn’t attack women unless they were trying to kill them or someone they cared about. So she was safe and he was defenseless.

Sighing, he sat down as ordered.

She tipped the peroxide to moisten the cotton pad. “What is it with you males that you have to fight like that?”

“We’re damaged?”

“Apparently.”

Fang hissed as she touched a particularly tender spot.

She made a sound of agitation. “Stop your whining, you big baby. If you’re going to fight, at least act like you can take the wounds.”

He glared at her.

She moved to a new spot that was no less painful, but this time he rode herd on his body.

“Would you please explain to me why you two went at it like that?”

Fang shrugged. “There’s a part of me that hates him.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Hasn’t anyone ever rubbed you the wrong way?”

“Yes.
You
a great deal of the time. But notice I haven’t beat
your
head in yet.”

He pulled her hand away from his face so that he could stare up at her. “Then why do you keep coming around me?”

“It must be from the rock Remi hit me in the head with when I was thirteen. The concussion must have gone deeper than any of us guessed.”

He ran his hands up her sides and pulled her forward until she was straddling his left thigh. Damn, she was the prettiest woman he’d ever seen and all he could think about was ripping her shirt open so that he could taste her.

Aimee let the cotton fall from her hand as he captured her gaze with his. The look in his eyes was scorching and when combined with her heat …

He took the bottle from her hand and set it aside. Slowly, he reached up to cup her cheek. She dipped her head so that she could kiss him.

Aimee groaned at how good he tasted as she lowered herself onto his leg. She whimpered as the sensitive part of her made contact with the hard muscles of his thigh. The ache there was excruciating. And as her knee lightly brushed the bulge in his jeans, he growled.

Fang couldn’t think as she slid into his arms and he tasted her fully. Yes, it made his swollen and bruised lips burn, but he didn’t care. Not when the pain in his groin shoved that minuscule ache away.

By the scent of her, he knew she was in heat. He could have her in an instant. Whenever a Katagari female was in season, her need to mate was all-consuming.

She pulled away from his lips, her teeth nipping before she buried her face against his neck. She laved the skin just below his earlobe. Chills erupted all over him.

“I want you, Fang,” she panted in his ear.

“We can’t do this.”

“I know.” She unbuttoned his fly and slid his zipper down so that she could touch him.

In that one moment, he was completely undone. His eyes rolled back in his head as she stroked him with her soft hand. Gods, how long had it been since a woman touched him?

He bit his lip before he buried his head in her neck to breathe her in.

Aimee shuddered at the feel of Fang’s tongue on her flesh. She felt him undoing her pants and when he sank his hand down to touch her, she cried out in pleasure. She lifted herself up ever so slightly so that he could slide one finger deep inside her. No one had ever touched her there before.

She ran her hand down the length of his shaft, letting his wetness coat her fingers as his cock grew even larger. Her body wanted him inside her, but the last vestige of sanity knew they couldn’t do that. If he penetrated her, they could emerge as mates.

It was something they couldn’t allow.

So she satisfied herself with this bit of intimacy while she reveled in the pleasure of his hand stroking her.

Fang leaned his head back as Aimee ran her tongue from his throat up to his chin. He felt as if he were dying. His body on fire, he showed her how to stroke him.

Damn, she was a quick learner. And the feel of her hand on him while she tongued his ear was more than he could stand.

Fang stood up so fast he barely caught her before she hit the floor. He set her on the desk, knocking the bottle to the floor where it spilled down the vent. But he didn’t care. Not when his body was shaking and begging for something that could get them both killed.

But the sight of her there with her pants lowered …

Her eyes were dark and inviting as she reached for him. “Please, Fang. I can’t stand it. My body is killing me.”

He knew that sensation, and the fact that she was in heat made it worse on her. Damning himself for the stupidity, he pulled her pants off.

Aimee felt heat rush over her face as Fang bared her to his hungry gaze. He sank down on his knees as he parted her legs and slid his hands up her thighs to the center of her body.

His gaze held hers captive as he took her into his mouth. Aimee yelped in pleasure. Reaching down, she sank her hand into his hair and held him against her while his tongue soothed the fire inside her.

Fang had never tasted anything better. He ravaged her, exploring every part until her scent was branded into him. And when she finally came, he didn’t stop until he’d wrung the last spasm from her.

Aimee lay back against the wall, panting as her body slowly returned to normal. But she saw the pain that was still in Fang’s eyes. His body was still swollen.

“You need a hand with that?”

He took her hand into his. “You’re not funny, Aimee.”

She sucked her breath in sharply as he led her hand down to cup him. He was so large now. That was one of the things she knew about wolves. Their cocks grew larger throughout sex, and when they came it was several minutes before they could return to a normal state.

Fang buried his head in her neck as he thrust himself against her hand. He was like a savage beast and it made her wonder what it would be like to have him deep inside her.

When he finally came, he cried out her name. Aimee held him close, keeping her hand on him for as long as he needed the pressure.

He lifted his head to scorch her with a look of tenderness. “What have we done?”

She kissed him gently. “Nothing. This can’t mate us.”

Fang wasn’t so sure about that. But at least his palm wasn’t burning from being marked. At least not yet. Stepping away from her, he zipped his pants up so fast he caught himself. “Shit!” he snarled even though he was grateful for the pain. He needed that to bring the blood back into his brain.

Aimee met his gaze and he saw the tears brimming in her eyes. “I love you, Fang.”

He clamped his jaw shut to keep from telling her that he loved her too. That would only weaken him more. “What are we going to do?”

“I don’t know. I don’t.” She scooted off the desk to retrieve her pants and dress.

All he wanted to do was take her in his arms and hold her for the rest of eternity.

Fang pulled her locket off and handed it to her. “We can’t get caught. Your mother is the Grand Regis Ursulan and my brothers rule both seats for the Lykos. Us being together would void every treaty Savitar has in place.”

She nodded as she fastened her pants. “It would pollute our bloodlines.”

He pinned her with a hot stare. “And I really don’t give a shit.”

Cupping his cheek in her hand, she smiled up at him. “Neither do I.”

“Aimee?”

They both looked at the door as they heard Mama Lo’s voice in the hallway.

Ah, shit! This was bad.

“Where is that girl?”

“I have to go,” she whispered before she vanished.

Fang cursed. But no sooner had she gone than Mama Lo opened the door to his room. He used his powers to camouflage what they’d just done.

At least he hoped he did.

Nicolette scanned the room suspiciously. “Where is Aimee?”

He knew he couldn’t deny that she’d been here since her scent would be more than evident to Nicolette’s heightened senses and while he could mask most of it, he couldn’t remove every trace of her. “I don’t know. She brought some peroxide to me and vanished.”

Which was true so Nicolette wouldn’t smell the lie on him. He just left out some really important details.

Nicolette sighed. “There is another contingency of bears downstairs for her to mate with. I swear, she’s never where she’s supposed to be.”

Fang had to ride herd on his temper at those words as well as the urge to go downstairs and skin a bear. “If she comes back for the peroxide, I’ll let her know.”

“Please do so.”

He caught a strange note in her voice. “Is something wrong?”

“Non.”

But he knew she was lying. “What is it?”

“Nothing.” She left and shut the door.

Frowning, Fang opened it to watch her leave as Wren came up the stairs. Nicolette curled her lip at the tigard, but said nothing.

Wren, for his part, made an obscene gesture behind her back. He paused as he realized Fang had seen it.

“What’s the deal with the two of you?”

Wren shrugged. “She thinks I’m a freak. I think she’s a bitch. Nicolette doesn’t believe our races should mix and she hates me for being a mongrel.”

“She accepts me.”

“I’m a little different from you.”

Fang snorted. “No offense, Wren, you’re a little different from everyone.”

Marvin came running up the stairs with a banana. He leapt onto Wren’s shoulder and chattered at Fang, pointing the banana at him like a gun. That spoke for itself. They both were whacked.

“Why do you stay here?”

Wren took the banana from Marvin so that he could peel it for the primate. “The same reason you do.”

“And that is?”

Wren glanced toward the stairs. “She’s the only person or animal I’ve ever met who truly is kind. I don’t have any family and when I was brought here, I didn’t trust anyone. I still don’t. Except for her.”

Aimee. He didn’t say her name because he didn’t have to. She was the only one Wren ever really spoke with.

“You love her?”

“As a sister and a friend. I’d die to protect her.” Wren stepped closer to him and lowered his voice. “I’ve seen how you two look at each other and it scares me.”

“Why?”

“Because even though it’s frowned on, it’s accepted for Katagaria to be with Arcadian. But for the species to blend … take it from someone who was crossbred, you don’t want to go there. And if not for her, then think if the Fates are cold enough to give you children. The hatred of others drove my mother mad and in the end she hated me for it.”

“We’re not mates, Wren. You know as well as I do that we have no control over that.”

“Of course you do. If you don’t sleep together, you don’t mate.
That
you control.” He broke off a piece of banana and gave it to Marvin. “Trust me, wolf. Stay away from her for both your sakes.” Wren left him and headed toward his room.

It was a warning he didn’t really need.

Fang returned to his room while those words rang in his ears. The problem was, he wasn’t getting hard for any other woman. It already felt like the Fates had mated them.…

What am I going to do?

He pulled up short as he saw a shadow in the corner.

It moved forward into the light to show him the last person he expected to see.

Thorn.

CHAPTER 21

Fang moved forward into the room, making sure to show Thorn no sign of his hostility. “What are you doing here?”

Thorn leaned nonchalantly against the desk. He crossed his arms over his chest while he kept a probing stare trained on Fang. “Just checking in with you. Wanted to see if the demon was winning and if we needed to kill you because of it.”

“Nice to see you again too. I see time away hasn’t made you any more charming.”

“Oh, I can be charming. I just choose not to. People start to think you like them, then when you stab them in the back, they take it so personally. Really pisses me off.”

Fang sat on the bed and tugged his biker boots off. “Do that a lot, do you?”

“Boy, don’t make me smite you.” He crossed one long leg over the other.

Fang tossed his boots aside and laughed. “Just how old are you again?”

“You don’t need to know anything about me. It’s much safer that way.”

“Safer for who?”

“Most definitely
you.
” There was a deadly undercurrent in Thorn’s voice. “There’s really only two, maybe three, entities who threaten me. And you’re not one of them.”

Point taken. Fang leaned back on his arms to narrow his gaze on Thorn. Honestly, he was getting tired of this pointless exchange. “So why are you really here? Do you have another assignment for me?”

“No. Just a warning.”

“For what?”

Thorn scratched his chin as if they were just shooting the shit between them and not handing over information that could prove vital. “One of the demon spawn here summoned Jaden out of his hole.”

There was a name Fang had never heard before. “Jaden?”

A snide smile curved Thorn’s lips. “He’s a … demon broker. He bargains with the primal source to attain powers and other things for demons. Personally, I hate the bastard and he’s not real fond of me either. Since you’re new to all of this, I wanted to warn you to stay out of his way.”

“Why?”

“Suffice it to say that he’s been known to use my people as target practice. He doesn’t really think I’m on the up-and-up and so he sees you guys as stupid pawns.”

“Does he have reason to think that?”

“Not really. Basically he’s just another prick I have to deal with. I think it’s emotional scars from his childhood that won’t allow him to believe in anything. Or maybe it’s post-traumatic stress disorder or simple brain damage. End of the day, don’t really give a shit, but he is lethal, so steer clear.”

“And how will I know him? Does he by chance wear shirts with his name on them?”

Thorn laughed. “Damn, wolf, I do like your sarcasm. No, his mother didn’t sew his name on or in his clothes. But you can’t miss him. Tall bastard with one brown eye and one green. Really off-putting. He has a slave collar and an aura of power that smacks of a godhood he doesn’t have. He also has demon funk all over him.”