“Did you send those cretins after my sire two nights ago?”
“I have better things to do than go after a servant—”
Nate smashed his fist into the asshole’s face. Derrodus yowled and stumbled back, blood dripping from his broken nose. “Have a care when you speak of my sire!”
Snarling, Derrodus flung a hellfire bolt. Nate ducked, then he dove, grabbing the cretin by his neck—his hands morphing to black scales and gnarled fingers—his deadly talons shooting out and burrowing into Derrodus’ throat.
“If you’re here for the female Guardian, not happening. I will rip out your spine and hand it to you if one hair on her is touched. You get me?” Derrodus gurgled, his clawed hands digging into Nate’s wrist, fighting for release. But Nate just tightened his grip, talons plowing further into his gullet. “Did you put up the bounty for her capture?”
“No,” Derrodus choked out, a tinge of wariness flashing in his eyes.
Nate flung him away, fingers ripping free.
The demon hit the support pillar and straightened, his broken nose and torn neck healing instantly, loathing turning his irises a coagulated red. “She’s not worth the trouble. I like my females easy. Would stay and chat at how glorious human blood tastes,” he taunted, “but I have things to do formysire. And you’d do well to remember all my sire’sslavesdon’t last long.” He disappeared in a puff of agitating black smoke.
Fucking dimwit!
Growling, Nate prowled the cement floor, breathing harshly. The bastard was here for Ely because the little shit never gave up, no matter his denial. Hell, he carried the same covetousness bloodline as his wretched sire, Azgor.
He fought for calm, but nothing worked. His talons and scaly hands remained. His beast side roiled too close to the surface. Pain pierced his head like shards, stretching his mind shields thin. Fuck! Nate grunted, hands clenching, his lethal claws driving through his palms and coming out on the other side, so sure he’d split in two with the monster fighting for dominance.
The problem was that both he and the beast possessed strong wills, neither giving way for control. No matter his torment, he would never allow the change to occur—
Spikes of agony shot through his skull, rendering him immobile for a second.
Fuck off.He slammed the thought through his mind.This is my fucking body—mine!
A low sibilant hiss ricocheted inside his head.Minesss, too!
His jaw clenched. He forced himself to relax his hands, allowing his palms to heal. The beast was growing stronger. And deep within, Nate knew the time would come when his monstrous side could win.
I’d sooner die than let that occur!
Too wound up, he continued prowling, bypassing the bags of cement, timber, and whatnot, and found himself at the scaffolding. He stood there, his attention riveted to the now quiet alley and where Ely was.
She moved around like a beam of light in all the darkness. Hades, he longed for some of those rays in his endless night. For a brief moment, he forgot the shitfest that was his life and went after her. But there was no future with one like him.
A spasm of pain flooded his spine, radiating outward into his breastbone and up to his skull. Nate grunted, slamming a palm on a support pillar. He needed to feed and get the fucker to give him a moment of peace, no matter how transient it was.
With one last look at Ely, he flashed to the seedy backstreet near Club Nocte. Movement at the alley mouth caught his attention. A tall figure with flowing tawny hair ambled toward him, a female hanging onto his arm. Despite the human glamour, Nate picked up on what lay concealed.
Fae.
These assholes, unlike demons, kept their activities tightly cloaked from the Guardians.
The male sauntered past Nate with all the arrogance of his kind, like he owned the damn world, his gaze doing an up-down of Nate.
Yeah, he’ll do.
Nate leaned against the building, a foot braced on the wall, hiding his elongated talons and morphed hands against his thighs. He waited.
“Stay here,” the fae commanded, and the woman sighed and sagged against the wall.
He strolled over, his dark eyes sliding languorously over Nate as if he had the hots for him. A ruse that had probably worked often for the asshole.
“What’s your name, lover?”
Nate eyed him coolly. He might be eons younger, but he wasn’t new to this game or how these dickheads rolled. His name would tie him forever to this pointy-eared fucker, as if he didn’t have enough shit going on in his life. “You have a female.”
