“No,” he sighed. “It should’ve worked, even if just a little.”
She opened her eyes. “Maybe we can’t heal ourselves.”
His newest frown was somehow thoughtful. “You’re an immortal species.” His fangs dropped, sharp and deadly.
She almost climaxed again—just from the sight of them.
He cut into his wrist and held it to her mouth. “Take just a little until we see how you react.”
She’d never tasted anybody else’s blood before. So she licked him like a cat. He growled again—this time deeper. Energy sparked on her tongue and down her throat. He tasted like fine spiced wine. She took more, and her body finally warmed. Completely. Her feet began to throb.
She looked down and watched as the wounds slowly closed. The stitching hurt, softened, and then went numb. “Wow.”
He eyed her carefully. “Feeling okay?”
She nodded. “Yes. Really warm.”
Satisfaction tilted his lips. “Good.” Then he pulled back, a wince stealing his almost-smile. “What the fuck?” He looked down at the palm of his right hand, his eyes wide. Then his head fell back and he glared at the damaged ceiling. “I knew it. Why? I mean just why the fuck?”
She drew her feet away, eyeing the door and then focusing again on the ticked-off immortal. “What’s going on?”
His hand closed into a fist. “Nothing. Not a damn thing.”
Um, okay. She kept still out of instinct. When he did nothing but look at her, pure irritation in his eyes, she sought some sort of neutral topic. “Can we go back to flirting? Talking about sex? You were explaining that a vampire-demon hybrid shouldn’t have sex.”
An angry red splashed across his angled cheekbones. “We can have sex. A lot of it.”
She rolled her eyes. “You know what I meant.”
He exhaled slowly as if trying to regain control of his temper. “Okay. You push every button I have, Mercy. The good ones, the bad ones, even the hidden ones.”
What the heck did that mean? “Okay. So that means no sex?” Which was becoming fine with her. Sure, he kissed like a god, and he had a body women dreamed of, but come on. She didn’t need to talk a guy into sex. “So you don’t want me.” Shesoknew that wasn’t true. But whatever.
“All right.” His tone seriously lacked patience. “There’s no having sex and then going our opposite ways as enemies. If we have sex, if you let me inside you, I’m taking over. There will be no more of you pretending to be a kidnapper or being sent off to fail and possibly get tortured or killed. You’ll be put somewhere safe until I can deal with the threat against you. Hell. The threats. All of them.”
Her mouth gaped open. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Is it?” He shook his head. “Maybe. But it’s also fact. I amnotlooking for a mate right now because there’s a good chance that I won’t survive the Seven ritual. Garrett barely made it, and he had help. So it wouldn’t be fair.”
Her heart did a little dance even as her temper all but exploded. “I’m not asking to mate you, damn it. Give me a break, Logan.” She’d heard the expression on a television show once, and she liked it. It fit. “Sex can be casual, just a way to release frustration and tension.” Though as she said the words, they didn’t work. There wasn’t anything casual about Logan Kyllwood.
He nodded. “It can, and that’d be great. But I’d never allow a female I’d bedded to be put into danger—especially danger that came from me or my people. You’re different, and I think you know it. There’s more to us, and it’s a fucking tragedy that we can’t explore further what we could have. But it’s impossible.”
Yeah, he was right about that. She had to stop the Seven at almost any cost, and he was part of the Seven. And the Realm was his ally, which was another problem. And, of course, she couldn’t let down her entire nation by refusing to mate Niall.
But she did deserve one good night. Branches clashed against the siding, and thunder bellowed even louder outside. She leaned forward and cupped Logan’s hard jaw. Stubble scratched her palm. “You’re one of a kind, Kyllwood.” Most males would’ve hopped in bed with her and then gone on their way the next day. She wasn’t all that experienced, but saying no had to have cost him. His honesty was genuine, and her heart thumped even harder. It kept doing that around him. “You’re sweet.”
“Baby, I ain’t sweet. Not a bit. I’m giving you fair warning.”
She drew back, alarm ticking down her torso. “I don’t understand.”
“I know,” he said softly. “But take my words seriously and literally. I already feel responsible for you, and letting you go is gonna hurt when this is all over. But if I claim you, I won’t let you go if there’s danger involved. Right now, you have all the control and can call the shots.”
Was that even true? “If I tell you everything I know about where Sam might be and what the plan for Hope is, you’ll just let me go?”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. The raging storm outside and the crackling fire inside were the only sounds for several seconds. Finally, he nodded. “Yes. If you can come up with a good-enough story that you won’t be harmed upon returning to your people, I’ll make sure you get there safely.”
What would it be like to belong with Logan Kyllwood? To be his one and only? The prospect of safety was alluring, but they’d definitely have power struggles. Most couples, especially immortal ones, probably went through the same thing. Logan didn’t seem like a male accustomed to losing. Ever.
