“Hmm,” he said, the amusement withering on his face.
“What?”
“Breeders usually don’t keep in contact with their human relations. It’s… too complicated.”
Selma arched her brows until they met her hairline. “Too complicated? You mean because the poor woman has to explain to her family why she’s suddenly not allowed to be farther than three feet from her new boyfriend?”
Kain looked distinctly uncomfortable. “That and the lack of aging, along with a few other… issues.”
“Kain, I’m going to see my parents. They’ve been through enough because of my condition. I’m not just going to disappear.”
Though his expression remained grim, he nodded. “We will find a way. I suppose I will have to officially introduce you to my family too, once we’ve settled in a bit.”
The prospect did not seem to please him, but given his upbringing, she didn’t really expect an uncomplicated relationship between him and his father and brother.
Selma leaned forward to rest her cheek against his chest, her eyes fluttering closed at the contact with his strong, warm form. If she could help him heal, she would, not because of Bealith’s plan to break the darkness within the demon world, but because he deserved the care and tenderness his mother had denied him.
Kain stroked her hair in a gentle caress. “Come, little one. Let’s get you home.”
32
Selma
The café Kesh had directed her to turned out to be more of a pit stop for truckers, with only a few patrons at the tables, thanks to the late hour.
Selma paused at the entrance to let her gaze sweep the shop in hopes of spotting the man she was here to meet.
At the farthest table facing the door, an obscenely handsome man looked up, his eyes widening in outrage at the state of her.
Selma tugged self-consciously at her ruined coat. Underneath it her clothes were even more ripped from Marathin’s attack, but she hadn’t exactly had time to do anything about it.
The stranger got up from his chair, his movements carefully measured in a way that more than hinted at inhuman strength as he made his way toward her.
She swallowed automatically, fighting an instinct to flee. He was most definitely a demon Lord, given the way invisible power radiated from his huge form.
“Kesh?” Her voice cracked when he stopped in front of her. She had to tip her head back to look at his face.
He nodded as his black eyes narrowed to slits. “Naharan did this to you?”
Oh, great. As much as she appreciated his anger on her behalf, now was not the time to deal with primitive demon instincts, and Kesh looked an awful lot like Kain had when he’d sworn to kill Marathin.
“No, but can we please get out of here? I don’t know if they’re still after me.” Even though she felt distinctly uneasy about being this close to a demon Lord she didn’t know, Kain had trusted him with her safety. No matter his overwhelming presence, she much preferred to be in his company than out in public where the Prince could get to her.
Kesh growled low, but nevertheless placed an oversized hand on her shoulder so he could steer her out the door.
“How many were there?” he asked when they made it to the parking lot.
“Seven. Prince Naharan and six females.” Selma turned to look up at the demon accompanying her. “They made a deal—the females helped the Prince secure Kain, and in return he’ll be used for... for breeding. We need to save him.”
Kesh’s eyebrows rose at her words, but instead of commenting, he simply guided her to a black motorcycle.
Selma squirmed away from his grip on her shoulder. “Are you even listening to me? Kain’s in trouble. You need to help him!”
The demon let out a small sigh, his dark eyes gleaming with impatience. “Trust me, he didn’t have you call me for his sake. You said it yourself a moment ago—they might still be hunting for you, so right now we need to get you to safety. We can talk about my brother once you’ve been secured.”
Brother? Selma stared at him as he took off his leather jacket, zipped it around her, and then shoved a helmet over her head. Finally he mounted the bike and twisted to lift her behind him.
So this was the other son of the woman who’d killed herself to escape an eternity as a Breeder.
