Panic cramped her chest. Why the hell was he locked in a cell?
Terrified for him, she shoved at the heavy door. Then she saw the key in the lock, dripping icicles. Even the frame sported a layer of frost. What the hell? Who would bolt him inside? Anger tearing at her, she unlocked and shoved the heavy steel door open. Ice creaked, crackled, and crashed. More frost coated the door, the floor. Icicles hung from the ceiling.
The oppressive darkness in the cell made her desperately want to turn tail and run, but Nik was here. Her sight adjusted, and she saw him crouched in the corner. A thick, sulfuric odor burned her nose, but there were no demons around.
“Nik?” she whispered, holding onto the icy door.
His eyes gone a gleaming white fixed on her. Sweat dripped down his face to his heaving, bare, tattooed chest. A tiny glint of metal flashed. Nipple piercings.
“Nik—” She stepped into his den and cautiously approached him. He reminded her of a wild animal—a wounded predator. “What’s wrong? Why are you locked in this place?”
“No!” He leaped to his feet, pressing his back into the granite wall as if to escape her. Sparks of power shot out of him. A flare streaked across his torso, illuminating his tatts like lightning. “Go,” he snarled, fingers pressing into his inked chest as if to hold himself together. “Get out!”
A tortured groan escaped him, and he doubled over, a dark fog burst out of him. Shadow stumbled back, bumping into the door and slamming it shut, trapping her inside. More smog shot out of him, breaking open his sternum. Bones cracked like thunder rumbling. Blood flowed. Nik fell to his knees.
“Nik!” She darted across to him, falling on her knees and grasping his thick biceps, trying to push him up—
Power blasted her, and she flew back, hitting the wall and dropping on her backside. A hail of ice splinters slammed her, piercing her skin, hurting like hell.
“Shadow,” Nik croaked.
Tears burned her eyes at the pain splintering through her.
“Hold on, baby. Hold on. I’ll get it out of you.” He crawled across, his hands flying as he frantically pulled out the pieces of ice embedded all over her.
She bit back a moan, more anguish swelling through her like a flood…
No, not hers—
His.
“Nik, stop, stop!” She slapped her palms on his chest to push him away.
There’re no broken bones, no gushing blood on his chest.
Shadow shifted to her knees then stilled, the truth hitting her like a fist in her heart. Being what she was, she should have known from the beginning, but his shields had been unbelievably strong. She had no idea, until now.
There was so much dark energy inside him, worse than all the demons she’d fed from. If she gave him relief, then he would know the truth. But how could she not help the man she was starting to feel so much for, so much that his very pain drew her across the continent? He was in agony.
“Nik, let me help you.”
“No! You can’t help me. No one can.” Even his voice didn’t sound like his usual low tone, but guttural and rusty. He worked feverishly, yanking out more of the ice fragments she barely felt. “You have to get out!” The fear in his eyes terrified her. “The fucking demon moon is mere seconds—” His chest rose and fell, he hauled her to her feet and dragged her toward the door. “Lor—”
“No!” Shadow slapped her palm over his mouth, pressing her other hand to his chest. “Don’t call him.” She dropped her mental shields, letting her need take over. He jerked as if tasered as she drew on the thrashing energy…no, notenergybutmalevolent soulsinside him.
This time, she had to take it all.
And save him.
“What the fuck—what are you doing?” he snarled, grabbing her upper arms.
Shadow did the only thing she could. She rested her brow on his sweat-damp chest as the rush of vigor from the feeding gushed through her. It was like finding an oasis after a long, long drought. Every part of her stuttered awake. She couldn’t move even if she wanted to.
Nik froze.
Oh, God.Please, please don’t hate me.
Then a soft groan escaped him, and his hands lowered to her hips.
