“Don’t mistake my hesitation.I know you’ll be a sight to behold when you fight them.” But she was human now, and while she excelled in her training, I still feared for her safety. She didn’t have the stamina we immortals had, didn’t heal as we did, and the darklings wanted to change her into one of their kind. She was their target. We might as well be serving her up on a platter for them.
Selene’s warning remained imprinted in the back of my mind, of the damage Cassie’s body was suffering under the strain of the magic awakening in her. How long would she hold out? How long until I lost her again?
No. I refused to accept that. No matter the cost, I would find a way to save her.
I drew closer to her and took hold of her hips, pulling her back against me. I knew she didn’t feel the bond between us as deeply as I did—humans didn’t bond like immortals. It was difficult for me to ignore, every fiber of my being narrowing in on her very existence. I lowered my nose into her hair, drawing her scent into my lungs. Night-blooming jasmine and the citrus soap she used sent my heart into a frenzy, my body hardening against her. She was everything I could ever want, ever need, specially tailored to bring me to my knees with everything she did.
Her giggle sent an electric shock up my spine as I slid my fingers along the soft skin of her waist around to her stomach. “It’s your decision to make, whether you go or stay. I just don’t want you to push yourself if you’re not feeling your best.”
“You keep touching me like that, and neither of us will be going out tonight.”
My fingers dug into her hips, the temptation too much for me to resist. Her body bowed against me as I moved my hand, dragging my fingertips against her smooth skin until I took hold of her neck, tilting her head so I could lay a kiss against her throat. The life pumping beneath my palm left my fangs throbbing. “That is quite tempting.”
She pulled away from me, crossing her arms and cocking her hip as she looked up at me. “Damien, I’m trying to get ready.”
I chuckled, throwing my hands up in surrender as I stepped out of the closet to finish readying myself. “I’ll leave you to dress.Undistracted.”
Gods, I needed a smoke. She was too damned tempting.
“So how does this work? Patrolling for darklings?” she called from the closet as I checked over my gear, ensuring every knife was secure.
“We’ll meet the others at The Complex. We leave from there.” I grabbed my rolled brierleaf from the box on the shelf and struck a match, holding the flame to the tip as I drew air through the roll, the embers coming to life.
Cassie’s voice echoed from the closet again. “Who’s joining us tonight?”
I secured the roll between my lips and pulled my leather holsters from the dresser, crossing them over my chest before individually sliding each of my throwing knives into their slots. “Barrett, Vincent, Zephyr, and Thalia.”
“Do they all always accompany you on your patrols? I thought you had different recruits and other warriors. Is this overkill?”
“It’s not overkill when we are bringing a new warrior on their first hunt, not to mention my mate. I would rather we be safe.” It was better to have warriors as experienced as I was on hand, in case she couldn’t handle it, or worse, we encountered a large group. The odds of that seemed to be growing lately.
I took one more hit, then set the smoked roll down in the ashtray to allow the embers to douse as I checked the leathers of the holster strapped to my thigh. Once they were situated, I slid my dagger into place. “But to answer your question; no, we don’t always go together. Three teams comprised of two to three warriors go out each night to patrol different sectors. We take shifts. Some nights Zephyr, another warrior, and me, some nights they individually take their own teams, and other warriors take our places some—“ She emerged from the closet my thoughts derailing. “times...”
I had to swallow back the overwhelming instinct to peel her out of the black leather armor and bury myself deep inside her until the world shattered around us. She was cloaked in black from head to toe, armor hugging every curve of her body. The hood of the coat hung back, the coat split down the front. Her thick chestnut braid draped over her shoulder, the end resting against the holsters and pouches strapped across her chest. Black leather pants hugged her legs down to her boots, and her twin daggers hung on either side, the leather straps wrapping around and anchoring the sheathed blades to her thighs. The gear suited her better than I imagined it would. The sight of her in the Elythian leather armor was...fuck.
Gods dammit, I shouldn’t have put that roll out.
“This fabric feels similar to what I felt in my vision of Elena... What’s it called? It feels like leather, but it’s almost... stretchy? It doesn’t feel as hot as leather, either. Will it be warm enough?”
I swallowed at the sight of her ass as she turned in place, my gaze dragging down the length of her legs clad in black leather. It would only take a simple phone call and Zephyr could arrange another set of warriors to fill in for us.
Cassie turned to look back at me, her brows high, and I cleared my throat, trying to focus on the conversation. “Elythian leather. It’s unlike any leather you’ll find in the Mortalrealm. Created in the Godsrealm, it’s designed to be easy to move in, yet durable for fighting, and it helps regulate temperature. Trust me, it doesn’t seem like it, but you’ll be glad it’s breathable when you’re fighting. Too many layers and you’ll be drenched in sweat, even in the winter air.”
Her eyes lit up mischievously as I lifted my gaze from her body.
“How do I look?” she asked playfully, propping a hand on her hip, the golden hilts of her daggers glinting in the dim lamp light.
I licked my lips. “Too good. I’m contemplating stripping you down and not leaving this room for the next twenty-four hours.” The flush of her cheeks heated my blood, and by the way her scent flooded the room, I knew my words left her as affected as I was.
“But I know how much you’ve been wanting to go out with us. I promise not to distract you.” She rolled her eyes, and I huffed a laugh. “Come here—let me check over your gear.”
As she approached, I lowered to my knee to check the straps of her thigh holsters. She pulled her daggers from their sheaths, checking the placement for reach, before sliding them back into place. Her months of persistence with those daggers had paid off, and, through sheer determination, she’d become well versed in using them. I couldn’t be prouder of how far she’d come.
I dragged my fingers up her thigh, feeling her beneath the leather armor, the bond calling out to me. I wished there was nothing between our skin. A soft shudder of her breath had my control slipping again, and I rose, hands gliding over her hips, her waist, reaching the straps bound across her chest. I could feel her eyes on me as I fingered the strap holding her harness in place.
“Are you ready for your first hunt?” I breathed, trying to distract myself.
“Nervous, but ready.” Her eyes lowered, and I tucked my finger under her chin to lift her face to meet my gaze.
