Eternal Breath of Darkness (17 page)

Lowering his brow, he
frowned. “A few hundred more.”

She crossed her arms over
her chest. “How many?”

“A thousand.”

“Holy smokes, you’re
nineteen hundred years old?”

He nodded. “Give or take a
few years.”

“Wow. You’re an incredibly
old man, Haden.” Grinning, biting her lower lip, she took a step toward him.
“But you’re not evil.”

“I’m a demon.”

“I know.” She nodded once.
“That’s why I’m getting a big spray bottle to fill with extra blessed holy
water as soon as possible.”

“Interesting.” Tilting his
head to the side, he smiled at her. “What are you planning to do with it?”

“Squirt you whenever you try
to tell me what to do.” She narrowed her gaze on his. “Think of it as a tough
love training tool.”

He was struggling to keep
from laughing. He wasn’t prepared for her to accept it so quickly, so easily.
But she was so accepting of it she was teasing him. Making fun of him. Of
course, teasing or not, he had no doubt she intended to use the holy water on
him in the very near future. He didn’t have the heart to tell her it wouldn’t
have any effect on him. Water was water. Holy water was just another invention
designed by mankind to make them feel more powerful. For some it was a tool
used to alleviate their fear of the mysterious unknown. But in truth, it was
only water.

“I’ve always known you’re
not a human. It was confirmed when you turned into a dragon. You’ve mucked
around in my head enough to know that.” She grinned. “You should also know it
has never mattered to me. You’ve protected me. You’ve risked your life for mine.
I love you, Haden. I want to make love with you.”

He stood up. “No.” His reply
shocked him. What was he doing? He realized at that moment he didn’t believe
she could truly love him because of his failure to protect her. It was shocking
to think that perhaps his insecurities rather than hers had prevented him from
giving her immortality. But there was definitely some truth in it. He’d never
suffered from a lack of self-worth. It was something he would definitely take a
look at in the near future.

Reaching up, she framed his
face with her hands. “Do you think I do not know what I want? There are things
about you that startle me, but I’m not afraid of you. Am I wrong to believe you
would never hurt me?”

“I am what I am.”

“And?”

“I can kill anyone with a
thought.”

Looking far too serious,
frowning and chewing on her bottom lip, she remained silent for several
moments. “You’re right.” Grinning mischievously, she shrugged. “You are what
you are.”

He should’ve been pleased,
but he wasn’t. “You agree with me?”

“Of course.” She tilted her
head back to meet his gaze. “You could think me dead at any moment.”

His blood pressure
skyrocketed. “I wouldn’t.”

She laughed so hard her eyes
started to water. “Oh Haden.” Her face turned bright red as she struggled to
catch her breath.

Tilting his head to the
side, he studied her for a moment. He was appalled. He couldn’t believe she was
laughing at him over such a serious matter.

Her sides ached. She tried,
but couldn’t stop laughing. Wrapping her arms around her stomach, she bent
over, struggling to catch her breath.

Hesitantly, he stepped
forward. Perfect. She was having a mental breakdown. “Caylee?”

Fighting to pull herself
together, she straightened up to meet his gaze. Within a few moments she was
able to subdue her laughter, but she continued to giggle. Her hands trembled as
she wiped her tears dry.

Mental breakdown or not, she
was seriously irritating the hell out of him. “Damn it, Caylee, what’s wrong
with you?”

“Nothing.” She pulled his
shirt from his shoulders. “I’m finally not the one making excuses.”

She was right. He couldn’t
think. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t respond. Holding his breath, he stared
into her eyes.

“You love me, right?”

“Yes.” He nodded, squinting
his eyes warily, fearing what she would say or do next.

Slowly, watching him watch
her, she unbuttoned her shirt. She took it off and tossed it at his feet. Heart
pounding, he made a deep growling sound, his dark gaze briefly jumping to hers
before he lowered it to savor the sight of her perfect, round breasts. Next,
she unbuttoned her jeans and slowly pulled them over her hips and down her
legs. She stepped out of them and kicked them aside. “It’s the duty of a man to
meet the needs of the woman he loves.” She flashed him a wickedly sexy smile
and then turned her back to him. “I’ve needs you must not ignore any longer.
Regardless of your excuses, my body is suffering.” Watching his reflection in
the mirror, she waited.

He stepped closer, his body
nearly touching hers, towering more than a foot over her. Looking up at him in
the mirror, fear stabbed at her. He stood absolutely still, waiting for her to
recover, fearing she might not. He knew she felt very small compared to him.
And she was. His large, muscular frame was intimidating. He was stronger than
her. He could easily overpower her. He could hurt her. She needed to believe he
wouldn’t.

He watched as she took a
deep, calming breath to clear her thoughts. He knew he would never use his
strength against her, and eventually she would know it too. For the first time
ever, he allowed his gaze to feast on her naked, flawless body as he waited for
her to work through her fears. He couldn’t force her to trust him. It was up to
her. But he needed to touch her. Meeting her gaze in the mirror, he gently drew
her long hair to his face. He bent his head and inhaled deeply, savoring its
sweet aroma and the silky texture of it against his flesh.

Breathing deeply, she closed
her eyes, savoring the tantalizing heat of his hard body against her flesh.
Every inch of her flesh tingled with delicious sensations. She felt so
feverish. She felt restless. Empty. Wanting more. Needing him to touch her.

Breathing in the
exhilarating scent of her arousal, his heart started to beat painfully. His
hunger for her was ravenous. The atmosphere exploded. Lightning zigzagged
across the sky, and thunder shook the house. The wind howled, and dark clouds
billowed outside, turning daylight in to darkness. He caught her tiny waist and
dragged her close, pressing her body against his as he leaned down and kissed
her neck. “Open your eyes, little love.” Meeting her gaze in the mirror, he
feathered kisses along her neck and shoulders.

She wanted him to stop, but
she was terrified he would. Ashamed, she tried to look away from his dark gaze,
but she couldn’t. Stark hunger burned in his gaze. A shiver ran down her spine.
She took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds as she watched his hot,
sensual mouth move over her neck and shoulder.

“My every thought is of you,
little love. You’re a treasured miracle to me. You belong to me. I belong to
you. I will forever love, cherish, and protect you with all that I am.” He
lightly feathered kisses from her ear, his tongue swirling over her flesh,
filling her with his fiery passion. From behind, he pulled her into his arms
and held her close, taking a moment to savor the warmth of her body against
his.

Tilting her head back, she
looked up at him. He smiled at her, but there was no hiding the agony in his
eyes. She loved his smile. He had such a strong, masculine face, his warrior
like features set in stone. Most of the time it was impossible to read his
mood, but whenever he smiled at her like this, his harsh features softened,
revealing the goodness of his heart. Perhaps it was wrong, but she secretly
loved the misery so often apparent in his eyes when he smiled at her. Deep
down, she’d known all along it was a symptom of his lust for her and his
resolve to wait until she was ready.

He laughed softly. “It’s not
wrong, little love. It’s good for you to know what you do to me. I do want you,
but … oh, damn it.” He wanted to assure her there was still no rush, but
he couldn’t lie to her while his erection pressed so snugly against the small
of her back. “I really need to be inside your body.” His voice was a deep, lusty
whisper. “I love you. Do now know that I love you?”

Her lips curved in small
smile. She believed him, truly believed he loved her. But she knew his love
would never last once he knew her secret. Her large eyes stared up at him,
fiery tears spilling over. The thought of having his love only to lose it hurt
her like nothing else could. “I know it.” There was catch in her voice.

He couldn’t bear the pain he
felt in her. He lowered his head protectively over hers. “You will never lose
my love.” He made the statement, despite knowing she wasn’t able to believe it
just yet. One day she would know her place with him. Moving his hands slowly
from her belly to her breasts, he caused her temperature to rise and her pulse
to skyrocket. He unclasped the front of her bra and pulled it from her
shoulders.

She was on fire, her body
burning up with need. It was so exhilarating to be needed so thoroughly, so
completely that nothing would ever satisfy him more than her. He cupped her
breasts, causing her breaths come in short gasps. Knees weak, she leaned
heavily against him. He gently massaged her breasts and teased her nipples,
listening to her soft, husky moans, allowing the sound to hurl him into a
massive, violent flood of desire.

Blazing kisses along her
neck, he reached down and cupped the entrance of her body. He caressed her
nipple with the thumb of one hand as he slipped the fingers of his other in her
silk panties to rub her swollen clit. Her body was so sensitive. Too sensitive.
She restlessly, seeking her own pleasure, rubbed her sex against his hand. He
was so swollen and hard, throbbing and aching. It was the perfect torture, her
eager response to his touch nearly causing him to burst in his pants.

She was so hot, dripping wet
with desire. He’d waited for so long. His need was violent, brutal. He needed
to slam into her, to take her hard and fast, but he knew better. She needed him
to be gentle with her. His fingers, coated with her hot, silky essence, stroked
her clit, shattering her body and mind. Her heart raced wildly as her breaths
came in short gasps and soft moans. The pleasure of his touch was setting her
ablaze, incinerating every shy inhibition, driving her insane. Nearly frantic,
she moved against his hand, attempting to soothe her body’s wild, urgent need
for more

In all of his existence he’d
never even imagined a more desirable woman. She was so beautiful, flushed with
need, eyes wide with wonder. Watching her reaction to his touch in the mirror,
monitoring her thoughts, he leaned down near her ear. “I love you, Caylee.”
Teasing her nipple, he stroked her hot, wet sex. “I really need to be inside
your body.”

It happened all at once; the
sensation of his touch, the sight of his hands on her body and the sound of his
deep, lusty voice caused her body to detonate. A sudden and powerful surge of
marvelous sensations raced through her entire body, striking her core with a
vengeance and smoldering there for several mind-blowing seconds. Stroking her,
taking her further, he brought her to a state of ecstasy she’d never known.
Erupting, she cried out, her knees buckling, but he easily held her upright,
her body firmly pressed against his cock, allowing her to experience several
enormous waves of hot pleasure.

When she was able to stand
on her own, he released her and stepped back to turn her around. But he
stopped. How had he missed it before? He stared at a large bruise on the back
of her shoulder. Shaking his head, he ran his fingertips along the bruise. A
demon could only take so much. Sensing something was wrong, she looked up at
his reflection in the mirror. He looked furious. She felt his anger. Raw.
Lethal. A terrible, icy chill of terror raced up her spine, causing her to
shiver.

~
Eleven ~

THE ATMOSPHERE DARKENED. A frigid wind swept into the room. It
would’ve knocked her off her feet if he weren’t holding her. Her breath caught
in her throat. Her heart stopped. Turning her around, he stared into her eyes,
forcing his way into her mind. There was nothing gentle about his intrusion; it
created an excruciatingly sharp pain directly between her eyes.

Caylee clutched her head.
“You’re hurting me, Haden” She intended to scold him for so brutally invading
her mind, but she only managed to release a tiny whimper.

Haden saw everything. He saw
Emmett attack her and shove her to the ground. He saw her cowering on the
floor. It wasn’t the first time. Emmett had abused her many times. Haden felt
her fear, and it ripped his heart right out of his chest.

Caylee trembled
uncontrollably. She knew what Haden was seeing. She tried to back away from
him, but her knees buckled.

With little effort, he held
her tiny frame upright, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Emmett attacked you last
night.” Haden’s voice was harsh, his gaze crueler and darker than ever before,
as he held her in a grip that was too tight. “It will never happen again.” And
it wouldn’t.

* * *

The wind picked up from out of nowhere, tossing debris in every
direction. Dark, ominous clouds billowed above the bank, releasing torrential
rain. The people on the street ran for cover. The sky turned pitch black
seconds before vivid lightning erupted and thunder boomed.

Waiting in line for the next
available teller, Emmett turned his head to look out the window as the lights
flickered off and on a few times. Emmett felt something slam into his chest.
The pain was unbearable. His heart felt like it was going to explode right out
of his chest. He clutched his chest and fell to his knees.

The building shook
violently; it felt like an earthquake. The lights went off and stayed off, and
chaos broke out. The entire building, as if it was being ripped from its
foundation, continued to shake. Pushing and shoving at each other, attempting
to flee and find shelter, people were screaming.

The pain in Emmett’s chest
was more intense than any other pain he’d ever experienced. He knew he was
dying. It felt as if his heart were being crushed. He could literally feel
fists gripping it, squeezing it. In the darkness he saw Haden approach in the
form of the dragon. He blinked once, and the dragon was gone. Haden stood in
its place.

Emmett tried to close his
eyes to escape, but Haden’s cold, black gaze held his captive. He struggled for
enough air to speak, frantically gripping at his throat, attempting to plead
for his life.

* * *

Caylee’s mouth went dry, and her stomach clenched. Haden looked
mad, mad enough to hit her. “You’re scaring me.” He was staring into her eyes,
holding her too tightly, but she sensed he wasn’t really there with her. A few
seconds went by, but it seemed like decades.

“I would never hit you.”
Lifting her chin, he forced her to meet his gaze. “And you know it.” He took
deep breath and released it with a heavy sigh, struggling to regain his
composure, searching for the right words. “You blocked me from reaching you last
night. You purposely prevented me from discovering you were being attacked.
It’s entirely unacceptable.” Tilting his head to the side, he studied her for a
moment. “You will never do it again, Caylee.” Realizing his grip was too tight,
he released her. “You will never block me when you’re in danger.”

Taking a step back, she
stared up at him for a moment. She turned away from him and was faced with her
reflection in the mirror. She needed to get away from him. Seeing herself naked
in the mirror, feeling the dampness between her thighs, suddenly made her feel
uncomfortable and, even worse, ashamed. Reaching down she grabbed her shirt to
cover up her body.

His heart broke, shattered
into a million pieces, at the sight her trying to hide her body. In an instant
he had destroyed her dignity. He was an idiot. Cursing beneath his breath, he
took the shirt from her and tossed it onto the floor. “I’m sorry.” He gently,
sending healing energy into it, placed his hand on her bruised shoulder. “I
love you, Caylee. I can’t bear the thought of anyone laying a hand on you,
harming you in any way. I have such a powerful, violent, driving need to
protect you. It’s who I am, what I am. You’re everything precious to me.
There’s nothing, no one I value more than you. You knew I would protect you,
didn’t you? Why didn’t you call out to me?”

She started to take another
step away from him, but then she stopped.

He moved nearer, unable to
do anything else. He needed to touch her. Comfort her. Comfort himself.

Leaning her back against his
much larger, muscular body, she took a deep breath and released it with a long
sigh. “I only want to forget about last night, Haden.” Turning to face him, she
looked up at him for a moment. Then, resting her head against chest, she
listened to the strong, steady sound of his heart beating. She searched for the
strength to walk away from him. It would’ve been for the best, but she couldn’t
find it. Honestly, there wasn’t a part of her that truly wanted to find it.
“Help me forget.”

Wrapping his powerful arms
around her, holding her close, he lowered his head protectively over hers. From
the beginning he’d failed to protect her. He’d turned his back on her. He’d
left her alone and vulnerable. When he’d finally come to his senses and
realized she was his life, he continued to neglect her. If he hadn’t allowed
her to block him from her thoughts, he would’ve known Emmett was abusing her.
It shouldn’t have happened. It would never happen again. He would never fail
her again.

He held her back at arm’s
length, allowing the heat of his gaze to explore every inch, every lush,
feminine curve of her body. “You’re perfect in every way, little love. You’re
the substance of my most cherished dream.”

She felt his gaze touching
every inch of her flesh, slowly spreading over her. She was burning up, her
heart pumping liquid fire through her veins; the hunger in his gaze was
awakening greater passions in her. She felt his need, the aching, unrelenting
intensity of it.

She slowing, devouring the
sight of him, lowered her gaze. Then, nearly breathless at the sight of his
arousal, she stood perfectly still. Even through his pants she studied the
shocking evidence of his terrible need, the heavy, bulging heat of it, so
swollen and on fire for her. She looked up at him, shyly biting her lower lip,
her cheeks flushed.

Leaning down, he kissed her
long and thoroughly. She trembled, her body eagerly anticipating more, as he
parted her lips with his tongue.

He savored the sweet taste
of her kiss, his passion violently crashing into hers, their needs erupting
into a fierce firestorm of lust that burned through their bodies as he lowered
her onto the bed.

She reveled in the exquisite
sensation of his hands wandering, exploring every inch of her body. Her flesh
was so soft, hot and satiny against his. Pushing her thighs apart, he lowered
his body over hers, kissing her deeply. Suddenly, the weight of his body
created a reminder of the past. Though gentle, Haden’s touch felt as if it was
the touch of a violent assailant. Her body tensed to the point of pain, and her
flesh turned cold and clammy, her lips rigid, completely void of desire.

Violence enveloped her. She
was powerless, chained to a cold stone altar. Men mocked and threatened her.
She was trapped. She couldn’t breathe. She was pinned down beneath the weight
of a man, unable to move and unable to defend herself. She was suffocating. Her
desperation grew. Her entire body ached. There was no escaping the inevitable.
There was no reason to hope. Pain, agonizing, unthinkable pain was inflicted on
every inch of her flesh. Fear far beyond understanding stole her breath. Her
heart labored. Her body absorbed vengeful blow after blow. She prayed for death
to deliver her from the brutality of violent, lustful hands all over her body
and around her throat. Death was the only possible escape. Chains bruised and
tore the flesh on her ankles and wrists, holding her captive. Her entire body
ached and throbbed.

Backing away, Haden looked
down at her, his mind remaining deeply merged with hers. With a blank
expression, she stared up at him. For the first time ever, he was able to study
the entire memory. Despite knowing what had happened the night he found her, he
had never been able to access detailed memories in her mind without causing her
pain. Now, he saw faces of all of the men her father had sold her to. He would
hunt each and every man down.

The pain was too much. It
was too great. She needed it to end, but her assailants were far too powerful
to fend off, and death lingered just out of reach. Left to die, she prayed for
a miracle, she prayed for death to deliver her, but she knew death was no
longer an option the moment Haden showed up. He was a stranger, but her heart
and soul knew him, knew he would never permit her to die, knew he would never hurt
or betray her. His resolve was unshakable.

Holding her close to his
heart, allowing her to be soothed by its steady, strong rhythm, he healed her
physical and emotional wounds. There was no mistaking he was powerful beyond
human comprehension. For a man like him there was no hiding it. She knew then
he wasn’t human, but it didn’t frighten her as it should have. He was so
gentle. Caring. Kind. Being in his arms was like being in the arms of an angel.
He spoke softly, his magical, healing voice a warm, loving embrace. He made her
feel protected and loved. He made her feel joy. True, heartfelt joy. And even
more surprising, he made her want to embrace life for first time since her
birth.

Realizing she was allowing
her mind to wander, she closed her eyes in an effort to censor her thoughts. In
doing so while their minds were so deeply merged, she revealed to Haden how she
was able to block him. For now on he would know the instant she tried to block
him, and he would be able to get through it without hurting her.

He placed his hand over her
heart. “You need to breathe, little love.” He forced his rage down,
successfully keeping it from showing in his eyes. “You’re safe with me.”
Revenge would come, but for her sake he needed to remain calm for the moment.

Slowly, she opened her eyes
and looked up at him. Studying him, she found no hint of anger or disgust.
Relieved, she smiled up at him, choosing to believe he still didn’t know her
secret. For the moment, it was easy to believe she’d managed to keep it from him.
She was amazed by him, by the way he made her feel, and by the way he made her
body ache for his touch and burn for the wild intensity of his kiss. She knew
he loved her. It was there, his love for her. She saw it so clearly she
actually felt how deeply he loved her. Everlasting. Unconditional. For one
precious moment, she felt the intensity of his enormous, never-ending love for
her. It filled her like the spicy, masculine scent of his skin filled her lungs
with each breath she took. Thoroughly. Completely—though she still believed if
he knew she’d been raped he couldn’t possibly love her.

Rolling over onto his back,
he reached for her and dragged her nearer. Pulling the blanket over their
bodies, he encouraged her to rest her head on his chest, immediately applying
more healing energy to her deep emotional wounds. “It’s okay.” Gently caressing
her shoulder and arm, he was tempted to take another glance at the memory, but
he wasn’t entirely sure he could handle any more and contain his anger. He
needed to focus on her. Heal her.

She was shaken by the way
the past had revisited her. It had never happened before. Sure, she had dark
memories, but she’d never relived them so vividly. How could intimacy with
Haden compare to violence? She tried to rationalize the condition of her mind,
but she couldn’t focus on herself. What if he had seen it? He would never want
her as a lover. How could he? She was dirty. Filthy.

Haden was sure that the
instant she confided in him, her past would no longer have the power to enslave
and torment her. Pretending he didn’t know wasn’t easy—he’d much rather tackle
a problem head-on—but his love for her enabled him to wait for as long as she
needed. He brought her hand to the warmth of his mouth. Still, it wouldn’t hurt
to encourage her to open up to him. “Tell me what happened a moment ago.” He
opened her palm and kissed it. “Why were you so afraid?”

“I’m not afraid of you.” And
she wasn’t. She knew he was nothing like the men that had chained her to the
altar, tortured her, raped her, and left her for dead.

“I know.” Nuzzling his chin
in her hair, inhaling her sweet scent, he kissed the top of her head. “But
there’s something you’re hiding, something you’re afraid of. What is it?”

Perfect. She frowned.
Absolutely perfect. She’d ruined everything. Taking a deep breath, she released
it with a frustrated sigh. “I’m so sorry, Haden. I don’t know what’s wrong with
me. I don’t blame you for being mad.”

She heard him chuckle softly
above her head. “I’m not even a little mad. I won’t deny being frustrated. But
it’s okay. Frustrating is good. There’s no need to rush into anything.” He
wrapped his arms around her body, battling a powerful urge to go after the men
that had hurt her. He didn’t want to wait for revenge. He wanted to rush out
and find them. He wanted to kill them immediately. He needed to do it. But he
couldn’t. Not yet. She needed him, and her needs would always come before his.
“Rest with me for awhile, little love.”