Demon Retribution (Shadow Quest Book 3) (28 page)

A demon, a dragon, and a witch, oh my.

She chuckled to herself, realizing the
alcohol must be starting to affect her.

“So Cale,” Aidan said, moving to a new
topic. “What do you think of Sebastian and Marik mating Kyra’s
sisters? A lot’s changed, huh?”

“Aye,” Cale said with a bit of a bemused
look in his eyes.

“Some of us had wondered if…” Aidan trailed
off as his gaze shifted to Kyra. “I mean, we all thought it was a
funny coincidence, you know, them being sisters and all. What are
the odds?”

Kyra’s brows furrowed. “Why should it be so
strange?”

Aidan smiled, growing slightly more
enthusiastic. “Well, it’s said that demons only have one mate out
there.” He held up a finger in emphasis. “A single destined mate
that they wait all their lives to find.”

“One? In
all
the universe?” Kyra
asked, disbelieving.

“That’s what they say.”

Cale’s jaw locked.

“That’s just silly.” She raised her glass to
her lips, but paused, realizing how that may have come across. “No
offense, Cale, but that sounds ridiculous. Idiotic, actually.”

His only response was a tight shrug, but his
expression had gone cold.

Unfortunately, she didn’t seem capable of
stopping. “What if a demon’s mate is from another planet that
doesn’t travel space?”

Like Earth, her mind whispered. With a bit
of a struggle, she kept her head from turning to Rex and Zoey.

And still her mouth went on. “If that were
the case, then you would never ever meet them in all your life!
What would you do then? Just live alone, taking the occasional
random partner who doesn’t mean anything?” She stifled a wince.
Ouch, that was close to home. “Again, no offense, Cale.”

His gaze narrowed. “You’re drunk.”

“So?”

“So, I’m going to let that slide.”

Something else came to mind. “And what if
one of said mates dies? What happens to the other? Are they dammed
to a loveless existence? Could there never be another?” She wasn’t
sure if her last question was rhetorical or directed specifically
at Cale.

He answered anyway. “No, there can’t.” His
tone demanded she shut her mouth but…

“Why not? Do you still love her? Is it a
loyalty thing?”

“It’s because there can’t!” His words
reverberated off the walls and the room went quiet. She saw a
glimmer of red in his irises and managed to lock her jaw.

Sonya appeared between them. “Hey, Cale, how
about you and I head over to the exercise room? It’s been too long
since I introduced your face to the mat.”

“Later,” he said dismissively. To Kyra, he
sneered, “What is it you think you know about me?”

“I, uh…” She shook her head, realizing she’d
gone too far.

He hollered, “You think you know what I’ve
been through?”

“No,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean—”

He moved closer, his demeanor menacing. “You
don’t know shit!”

“Okay, I get it. I don’t know shit. I’m
sorry.” She should look away, but couldn’t. Pain flashed across his
face and it dug into her heart. She noted two things then: Cale was
still in love with his mate. And she…she was in love with Cale.

He mistook her expression for pity. “Don’t
look at me like that!” He turned to make his way out the door,
knocking a chair out of his way as he went.

Rage roiled through Cale like a blaze out of
control as he stormed down the hall. Those in his way wisely took
evasive action. He should have taken Sonya up on her offer. His
aggression was nearing the point of no return.

Everyone knew of his past. Why had it
bothered him so much that Kyra did too? Anyway, it was none of her
business. Who was she to judge him?

He’d been furious with Velicia after her
betrayal, but over the years he’d convinced himself that she had
merely been led astray by his wretched mother. Velicia had been a
victim, same as he, same as the rest of his family. His biggest
regret was leaving her behind. He should have gone back for her. If
she were here now, she would know just how to sooth him.

“Cale!” Kyra’s voice bounced down the
hall.

He stilled. As she jogged toward him, her
delicious feminine fragrance surrounded him. Calling to him. Making
instinct war with common sense.

“I’m sorry,” she started. “I didn’t intend
to upset you.”

“I—Am—Not—Upset.”

“Uh, you look pretty pissed,” she
argued.

“Pissed I’ll agree to.”

She had no idea the danger she was in, the
tumult coursing through his veins. Desire flared inside him so
strongly he had trouble deciphering what it was he wanted. He
needed to get away from her, before he totally lost himself. He was
on the verge of something he couldn’t describe. A new kind of pain
made itself known, crawling up his spine, over his shoulders.

“Cale, would you please just talk to me?”
She paused. “Look at me, at least.”

His grip on sanity faltered, and he careened
closer to the Edge. Falling. He had to keep control. He could hurt
her if he didn’t.

He made the mistake of meeting her eyes.
Their lovely gemstone depths captured him completely. Their color
continued to stun him, even though her irises looked unusually dull
today, sad.

They should be brighter, sexier, with a
golden heat. He wanted to infuse them with the inferno that
currently coursed through his every nerve. He wanted to see the sun
in her eyes again.

Something inside him shifted.

A sliver of his rage waned, even as he
gripped her wrist and led her down the corridor.

“Cale, I’ll follow. You don’t need to drag
me.”

He didn’t let up as he walked with purpose.
She stumbled to keep pace. Reason abandoned him. He hardly noticed
the rooms they passed, the doorway they entered, the scent of the
pool in his nostrils. Pushing her into the changing room, he locked
them inside and stalked toward her. She backed up, studying his
expression with a hint of fear.

He didn’t like that, but couldn’t seem to
stop himself. “I am going to have you now.”

Her reply was breathy. “Yeah, I got
that.”

He grasped the slender arch of her neck, and
she came to him with almost no resistance. Their mouths gnashed
together, his tongue plunging, sliding between her parted lips,
tasting her with every silky touch.

A needy whimper bubbled from deep inside
her, enflaming his desire. But then she went quiet again, spurring
his urgency to hear more of those sweet sounds.

Hooking her waist, he twisted their bodies,
forcing her against the wall and capturing her there. His thigh
found its way between her legs, and he lifted it high against her
center. He was rewarded with an erotic moan as her scent washed
over him, somehow managing to increase his lust further.

He lifted her arms over her head, seeking
her total surrender as their tongues danced. She met his passion
with equal savagery, rolling her hips against him. His shaft jerked
painfully.

He growled, going mindless. Yet some part of
him clung to a thread of lucidity. His mind cried danger, telling
him that he was riding the Edge in a way he’d never before
experienced. One unsteady step, and he wouldn’t be able to keep
from slipping into its murky depths.

He pulled back and lost his breath. Her eyes
glowed under heavy lids, like liquid honey. The most beautiful
thing he’d ever seen, even while the burning in his veins turned
into molten lava. He ignored it. All he could focus on was her.

As he took in her beauty, her expression
grew beseeching. Why? Had he done something wrong? Was she hurt?
His body shook with need.

He was about to release her when she
muttered seductively, “Cale, don’t stop.”

With a relieved groan, he resumed his
frenzy, losing himself once more in her soft warm flesh. Opposing
thoughts battled in his head, fighting for supremacy: Take her now,
make her come, slow down till she begs.

He wanted all of her, to wring every last
cry of pleasure from her and then some.

“What do you want?” he asked.

After a hint of surprise wore off, her
features turned defiant. With a wry smile she replied, “I want you
to make me scream, Cale. Do you think you can handle that?”

A huge grin spread across his face at the
challenge. That he could do. He had her clothes off her in seconds.
She reached to undress him next, but he caught her around the waist
and lifted her over his shoulder. A confounded sound pushed out her
lungs.

The dressing room was fairly bare, with only
a counter adjoined to a mirror and a small couch in the corner. He
dropped her on the couch, riveted as her breasts bounced with the
impact. She looked up at him quizzically, then turned hungry when
she realized he what meant to do.

He knelt between her legs, forcing her
thighs over his shoulders. Their eyes locked as he lowered to take
his first taste. His mind blanked, and the Edge fell away. If he
wasn’t already on his knees, he would have toppled over.
Desperation devoured him, desire becoming a demand. His tongue
slipped greedily over her tender flesh, caressing every inch while
she gave herself to him completely.

Deliriously, he engulfed her, exploring her
sex till he found the spot that made her shutter uncontrollably. He
lingered there until her trembling became gasping, gasping to
panting, panting to moaning. Her body moved in sync with his touch,
thrusting as each swipe pulled another cry from her.

Yet she still held back.

Wicked female!

He had her and he knew it. It was only a
matter of time before Kyra could no longer stifle the ecstasy that
was ready to explode out of her. She battled to hold back the
pleasure that bordered the sweetest agony. Fought to contain
herself with each devious caress of his tongue. But in the end, she
lost.

As her release tore through her—consuming
her heart and soul—she screamed.

When her sight came back, Cale beamed
triumphantly. There was only one way to wipe that smug expression
off his face. She sank out of the chair, joining him on the floor.
He feigned mild interest as she pulled at his waistband, loosening
his pants.

He hissed when she wrapped her hand around
his engorged shaft, running her palm along his length.

Moving like a predator, he gripped her ass
and shoved her front against his, dipping his head to the valley of
her neck—licking, sucking, nipping. She moaned again, nearly ready
to give him control once more, but she pushed against his chest,
determined. He gave a sound of protest, but allowed her to maneuver
him against the counter as she knelt before him.

The intensity with which he watched her made
her shiver.

She gripped his shaft again, and the edges
of his jaw tightened. She grinned mischievously, capturing his gaze
as she inched her lips closer. His shaft jerked in her hand, and he
swallowed loudly, almost looking as though he were in pain.

Taking pity, she closed her lips around him,
sucking to the hilt.

“Fuck!” he cried, and then delved into a
stream of incoherent curses.

She pulled out slowly, twirling her tongue
around the tip and then sucked him back in, reveling in his
rumbling masculine groans. As if he couldn’t help it, his hips
began to thrust gently. She wrapped her fist around his base,
working him as she stroked him with her mouth.

“Gods of mercy, Kyra, you’re going to make
me come.”

She would have too, but he took control once
more, lifting her to her feet and bending her over the counter.

She glanced up at him in the mirror. He had
become fierce, daunting, and her heart thundered at the change.

He rasped, “I’m winning this one.” Then he
gripped her hips, pushing her legs apart with his knee. She felt
his shaft rub against her entrance with surprising gentleness,
coating himself with her essence. She swished her hips in
invitation, and he growled, pressing into her.

When her eyes closed on a gasp, he demanded,
“Look at me.” She did, also seeing how lustful her own gaze had
become. She was like some strange wanton creature.

He pushed into her again, and they groaned
in unison. Eyes locked, he began to thrust. She gripped the
overhang and mirror for a bit of stability as he moved to a
delicious rhythm.

Still they watched each other, breaths
ragged, the passion surging as his tempo became savage. Their cries
mingled as flesh pounded against flesh and luscious pleasure raked
through her. For the second time, she screamed as the bliss took
her.

With a guttural sound, he stilled, giving
one more deep thrust as his seed burst forth. Then he hunched over
her with one arm on the counter, propping him up. His breath
fluttered coolly over her sweat-dampened skin.