Savage Breath of Darkness Read online

  Cradling her hips, holding her as if she weighed nothing, he continued to kiss her, to drive her insane with lust. She felt his need, his hunger for her body, for her blood. She tilted her head to the side, giving him access to her neck. His mouth moved over her neck. His teeth scraped and nipped. His tongue swirled. Her flesh was far too sensitive, her clothing felt scratchy and tight, rubbing against her. She needed to feel his skin against hers. She needed him to fill her, to bury his cock deep inside her body.

  He trailed kisses up her throat to her chin. Then, waves of hot lust radiating from him and setting her ablaze, he took possession of her mouth again. He kissed her hard and demanding, a savage claiming. Suddenly, devastating her, he tore his mouth from hers and lowered her onto her feet. She looked up at him. She felt a profound change in him. His mood had turned very dark. He released her and took a step back.

  Tilting her head back, she looked up at him. “You’re leaving, aren’t you?”

  Frowning, he nodded. He didn’t trust himself. His hunger, his need for her was too intense, too powerful to control. “I need to take care of something.”

  “Something?”

  “I need to follow up on some information I received.” He took a deep breath and released it with a heavy sigh. “You’ll let me know if you run into any trouble?”

  “Don’t worry. I have no desire to die. If I need you I will let you know.”

  Her eyes wandered from his face and moved over his heavily muscled arms and chest stretching his tee shirt. For the sake of self-preservation, she needed to get the hell as far away from him as possible. Lust was a cruel fucking bitch. She wanted to touch him, to slip her hands beneath his shirt to feel, to explore his rock-hard muscled body.

  She forced herself to meet his gaze and smile at him. “I’ll see you later, Zack.” She turned and walked away from him because she sure as fuck wasn’t about to watch him walk away with her heart and soul. She felt him watching her, struggling with the urge to let her walk away. Not because she was taking his heart and soul. His struggle to let her go had nothing to do with wanting to be near her. He felt responsible for her. Like a father or an older brother. He felt guilty for allowing her to face the big, bad world on her own.

  2

  TWO DAYS LATER, ZACK observed Emily from several feet behind as she watched Julie, her estranged sister, carve pumpkins for Halloween on her terrace across the street. Despite Emily’s efforts to build walls in her mind to shield him from her deepest, darkest thoughts, he felt the crushing weight of her grief. It was an ever-growing sadness mixed with shame that haunted her night and day for a long time. She needed to forgive herself and restore her relationship with her sister.

  A rustle in the treetops directly above caught his attention. He tipped his head back and spotted the striking yellow eyes of a Northern Pygmy Owl staring down at him. Unlike most owls, they were primarily active during the day, but he wasn’t surprised to find it watching him. As a matter of fact, he wouldn’t be shocked to discover the damn thing was sizing him up for a midnight feast. While tiny, they had a reputation for being tenacious, aggressive predators. They preyed on everything from mice and birds to other mammals over twice their size.

  Emily’s sigh brought his full attention back to her. “Don’t worry, Zack.” She laughed softly. “If the scary bird decides to sample dragon wings, I won’t let him eat yours unless he agrees to share with me.”

  “That’s a great relief. You’re too kind to me.”

  “Other than tormenting the owl with temptation and polluting the atmosphere with dark and moody vibes, what are you doing here?” She glanced over her shoulder and, making his heart beat faster, she smiled at him before returning her gaze to her sister. “Have you ever carved pumpkins or gone trick-or-treating?”

  “No. Have you?”

  She nodded. “Julie and I have gone trick-or-treating a few times when we were in the state’s foster care system. We were lucky. We had a few pretty cool foster families before Mary gained custody of us and …I’ve never carved a pumpkin.”

  He wasn’t surprised that she didn’t finish her sentence concerning their time with Mary. “It’s not too late. You should give your sister a hand with her pumpkins.”

  “That’s a new record for you.” She glanced over her shoulder again. “You just went from being barely tolerable to aggravating as fuck in less than two seconds.”

  “I know you want to reunite with Julie. You should go across the street and help her.”

  “If I want your advice, I’ll ask for it.”

  “You know I am right,” he said, knowing damn well doing so would piss her off. She truly believed she was a threat to her sister. “You want to reconnect with her. Deep down, you know it would be good for you.” He paused for a few seconds. “It would be good for her as well.”

  Never bothering to turn around and face him, she raised her hand and flipped him off. “If you’re worried about what’s good for me, you would stay the hell away from me and mind your own damn business.”

  A smile tugged at his mouth. Her temper and irreverent behavior never failed to amuse him. He liked it. He often went out of his way to rile her. “Like it or not, you are my business.” He didn’t see any reason to deny it. She was his only concern. Nothing else mattered to him anymore. Not really. He couldn’t focus on anything or anyone other than her for any length of time.

  “I sure hope you don’t go around bragging about being a busybody.” Her laughter held no humor. “Not even all the male hotness you have going on is enough to make up for such an unattractive trait.”

  “I’ll go with you,” he offered. He would go anywhere with her. He would do anything for her. While he feared losing control with her, his need to be near her grew stronger every day.

  “Go away, Zack. Far, far away.”

  “You want to restore your relationship with her.”

  She clenched her fists at her sides as she turned to face him. Looking as if she planned to do some real damage to him, she took a step toward him. Her eyebrows came together as she studied him for a few seconds. At that moment, she resorted to guarding her thoughts to prevent him from discovering what she was thinking. He could’ve pushed beyond her barriers, but he decided against doing it. He wanted her to share her thoughts with him. He wanted her to talk to him. He wanted her to want to talk to him. She opened her mouth as if to say something. Then, shaking her head, she closed her mouth and turned to walk away.

  “Wait.” Desperate to keep her from leaving, he closed the distance between them and caught her hand. “Don’t leave, Emily. Stay with me for a little while.”

  She stopped but she didn’t face him. “I can’t.”

  He released her hand, took a few steps back, and then sat on a picnic table. “Please.” He took a deep breath and released it slowly. “Stay with me.”

  She whirled and stared at him, anger simmering in her eyes. “Why?”

  He wanted to pull her into his arms. He had never wanted or needed anything more than he wanted and needed her. He fought a powerful urge to laugh. She would be mad as hell if she knew he was completely turned on by the suggestion of annoyance hovering in her eyes as she stared at him. “I need you, Emily.” Holding his breath, he locked his gaze onto hers. He wanted her to feel his love, his need for her. He wanted her to want him, to need him.

  She looked at him for several seconds as if waiting for something or searching for something. “Tell me what’s wrong. You’re hurting, Zack. Don’t you dare deny it. I feel it.”

  “I can’t stand being away from you.”

  “I don’t understand.” She closed the distance between them. “Being apart from me has never bothered you before.”

  He ached to touch her, to hold her, to feel her body against his. He wanted to kiss her. He needed to feel her mouth against his, to taste her, to stake his claim on her. “I know I’ve made you believe I’m perfectly fine without you.” He took a deep breath and released it with a sigh. “But it�
�s not true. I’m miserable when we’re apart.”

  She frowned. “Don’t lie to me.”

  “It’s true.”

  “Even now, while your telling me you’re miserable without me, I can feel your frustration growing. You’re uncomfortable. It has always been hard for you to tolerate being around me for any length of time.”

  “You’re wrong.”

  “It’s all right, Zack. You don’t need to worry about hurting my feelings. You give me all you’re able to give me. I know you feel responsible for me. I know you care about me. Deeply. Completely. I know you want what’s best for me. I know you would protect me with your life. I also know and accept the fact that you prefer to keep your distance from me.”

  Catching her waist, he pulled her close. “Get up here.”

  “Why?” She placed her hands on his shoulders. “What are you doing, Zack?”

  He lifted her and held her over his lap until she maneuvered into a comfortable position with her legs straddling his body. “You’re everything to me, Emily. You’re so damn beautiful. The sight of you never fails to take my breath away. You’re naturally sensual in ways that blow my fucking mind and cause me to toss and turn night after night. You’re passionate as sin. You’re strong, smart, tenacious, and defiant in ways that scare the hell out of me. You’re more compassionate than anyone I’ve ever known.” He smiled. “You’re mean as fucking hell. And you’re fiercely loyal and protective. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted. You’re everything I’ve ever needed. You’re the substance of the fantasy I never dared hope for.”

  “You think I am mean?”

  “As fucking hell,” he growled.

  “Any man of mine would know better than to call me mean as fucking hell.”

  ****

  Lifting his brow, he parted his lips in a sexy smile that left her feeling breathless. “Any man of yours?” His sexy gaze captured hers, searched hers. Over the years, her attraction to him had grown. No matter what he was doing, he looked hot as hell doing it. He was a dominating, captivating male.

  Amused, her mouth twitched as she struggled to remain straight-faced. She stared at his mouth for a few seconds before managing to tear them away to meet his gaze. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted him to kiss her. She didn’t care who kissed who. She just needed to feel his lips against hers. She needed to taste him, to claim him. “That’s what I said.”

  She reached up and gently traced his jaw with the tips of her fingers. She loved his strong masculine face. He was tremendously handsome. His face always looked as if he’d neglected to shave for a few days. She ached to feel his shadow of stubble on her skin. His addictive masculine scent drove her wild.

  Framing her face with his hands, he gently caressed her lips with the pad of his thumb. Electricity arced between them, through them. Fiery, breathtaking sensations raced through her body and over her flesh. “Am I just any man to you, Emily?”

  No! Fuck no! He was everything she wanted. He was everything she needed. She ached to feel his body against hers. “You’re my man.”

  His eyes drifted from her eyes, to her mouth, and then back to her eyes. He looked so damn sexy. “I am your mate,” he corrected.

  “You are my mate.”

  Dark, savage hunger burned in his golden-brown eyes. His smile was slow and incredibly sexy. “That’s right.” He grabbed the nape of her neck and pulled her closer to him. “I belong to you.” He bent his head. “You belong to me.” When he brushed his lips over hers, she felt and heard a low growl rumble deep in his chest. The sound excited her, sending wonderful waves of intoxicating sensations washing over her.

  The instant his mouth settled on hers, the atmosphere charged with energy. His kiss was gentle. His breath, his lips were hot on her flesh. All thought lost to desire, she arched and moved her body against his. His tongue teased and parted her lips and met hers, danced with hers. A prickly sensation of electrical currents moved over her skin. Heat gathered in her, built in her, centered in her belly and spread throughout her entire body. At first, his kiss was gentle. It was passionate. Tender. Loving. Then, deepening into something wild, he took possession of her mouth, pouring every ounce of his hunger, his aching need for her into it. His desire filled her, burned deep inside her. She gave herself to him, to his touch, to his kiss.

  She kissed him passionately. The need, the hunger in her kiss stirred greater passions in him. He felt her desire, the growing intensity of it burning in him. His heart thundered in his chest. A hot rush of desire shot straight to his groin. He kissed her deeply, savoring the taste of her kiss, mesmerized by the exquisite sensation of her lips, tongue, and teeth moving over his.

  Kissing her was the single most sensual experience he’d ever had. Her tongue brushed against his, stroked his, tangled with his. Her nails scraped the back of his neck. Their kiss was more like making love. He took his time taking pleasure in the sweetness of her kiss, pouring his love for her and his need for her into it. He’d never felt so many extraordinary sensations at once. Confined in his pants, threatening to burst the seams, his swollen, rock-hard cock ached for release

  Arching her body, moving her body against his provocatively, she whispered his name against his mouth. Her sharp, elongated incisors pierced his lip. He gripped her hips and pulled her even closer, pressing her heated core against his engorged cock.

  A low, sexy as fuck growl escaped his throat. His teeth nipped her lips and his tongue soothed the sting. His roughness awakened the darkest, most urgent hunger in her. She wanted … no, she needed to feel the most dangerous, fierce part of him losing control over her, with her.

  Hunger for his body, for his blood rose in her. Hunger more intense than ever before. She kissed and licked her way across his jaw and then up his neck. She whispered his name against his ear. She wanted his blood. She needed his blood. She would do anything to taste, to devour his blood. She scraped her teeth back and forth over his skin teasing him, testing his reaction. Groaning, he gripped her hips tighter as his body shuddered against hers.

  She sank her sharp incisors deep. Then, moaning with pleasure, she drew his blood into her mouth, into her body. He tasted like hot, passionate sin. She savored his addictive flavor as the strength and the power of his ancient blood flowed through her body.

  3

  Zack took a breath and held it. Her heart was pounding. His heart was pounding. Releasing his breath with a hiss, he focused on the intoxicating sound of her rapid pulse echoing in his head. His tension heightened. His hunger grew sharply, quickly. He panicked.

  “Stop.” He stood up, taking her with him. “We can’t.” He lowered her onto her feet and released her. “I can’t.”

  “You drive me absolutely fucking…” she trailed off. “Oh, god.” A look of worry instantly replaced the anger in her eyes. “What happened to you?” She reached up and touched his jaw with the tips of her fingers. Every single cell in his body reacted to the tenderness of her touch, to the sincerity of her concern for him. “You’re hurt, Zack.”

  “I’m fine. It’s nothing.” Electricity arced between them, whipped through him, sizzling over his flesh, heating his blood.

  “The hell it’s nothing. Why didn’t I see it before? You were hiding it, weren’t you?”

  His heart pounded. His blood roared like thunder in his ears. He felt as if his heart was about to burst. “It’s nothing. It’s just a bruise.” His voice was deeper, raspier than usual.

  “I know damn well you don’t bruise easily.” She lifted his t-shirt and moved her hands over his chest and stomach. He held his breath as the tips of her fingers grazed his skin. She set him on fire. She moved to his back. His flesh burned beneath her fingertips as she searched for more injuries. Lust slammed into him so hard his body shuddered. Every muscle tensed. His gums ached as he fought to prevent his incisors from lengthening. Her fingers caressed his flesh ever so lightly, stirring his hunger for her body, for her blood.

  She stood in front of him again. Frowning,
she bit down on her lower lip as she brushed her fingers over the bruise on his jaw gently. “What the hell happened?”

  “Nothing too spectacular.” For as long as he could remember, he hadn’t given the idea of ever finding his mate much thought. He’d lived alone for so long. It suited him until she came along. He needed her. He needed her acceptance, her companionship. “It’s the result of a harder than anticipated landing.”

  A small smile lit her face. “You landed on your face.”

  “I did. Hard.” Yep. He was whining in hopes of getting her to touch him with all that tenderness again. He’d endured several wounds in battles during his existence, too many to count, but never once had he considered using an injury to get sympathy. “Really hard.”

  Appearing suspicious, she narrowed her gaze onto his. “It was an accident? You hurt yourself?”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “Don’t fuck with me, Zack. Tell me what happened.”

  “I was thrown by another demon.”

  “From?”

  “The sky.”

  “To?”

  “The side of a cliff.”

  “And you landed on your face?”

  Grinning like a fool, he nodded. “Hard.”

  “I know. Really hard.” She rolled her eyes. “You already said that.” Then, looking truly frightened, she moved closer to him. “Was it the demon who attacked me and nearly killed Demetri a few weeks ago?”

  “Yes.”

  “How did he find you?”

  “Erebus didn’t find me.” He shrugged, purposely appearing emotionless to avoid alarming her further. “I found him.”

  “Did you kill him?”

  “No.” He hated to admit failure. It was more than his right to protect her. It was his responsibility. “He got away.”