Demetrius (17 page)

“Correct. Not everyone is as astute as you. I could talk loved ones into saying the incantation and be done within a month.” His hand drifted down her face, caressed a breast; she repressed a shudder. He kept going until he reached her abdomen. “It’s what you hold here.”

“My guts?”

He chuckled, but his ebony eyes were incapable of humor. “Yes, guts that will carry my child to term and give me the freedom to cross back and forth of my own free will.”

Breeding?
Her mother wanted her to be used as a breed mare? “But…I thought that was the whole point of the Circle, to open a portal, and all that.”

“Ah, you weren’t listening close enough. Free will, it’s something demons don’t have. The Circle wants ultimate control on earth like they have in the underworld. You were my bargaining chip.”

“Couldn’t you have just hung out at a few bars, picked up some vampires, and gotten the job done without having to wait until my twenty-fifth birthday?”

“Biology, my dear.” He wrapped both arms around her. “The bonding ceremony ensured two things. One, that I could cross into this plane in my own form to find you. Two, that you’d be fertile and ready for me by your quarter century mark.”

“That’s what the whole virginity thing was about? Because someone else might have gotten me pregnant?”

His face clouded over. “We learned our lesson the hard way. Not even death was enough to scare some females from protecting their innocence.”

“Vampires are sexual beings,” she echoed the phrase that had become like a motto for their kind.

“They have
nothing
on demons, Callista.”

He ground against her, the steel rod of his erection against her belly. Fear and revulsion made her want to spew all over his good-looking face. Before it was about a creature coming to claim her virtue, holding her prisoner. To be informed a life would form within her, giving her no escape from her ties to Draken—ever—was horrifying. She’d be like her mother—creating a child for a demon’s use.

The back of her shirt ripped open, then he grabbed her pants and yanked at them. All that did was pull her off balance, and piss her off.

“Denim doesn’t rip as easily as cotton-polyester blend, fucker.” She rammed her knee up and let out a glass shattering scream.

The door of the apartment burst open and Scurn rushed in, gun raised.

Draken deflected her knee and spun her around to shield himself from Scurn. Calli slammed her elbow back into his gut, but was only rewarded with a grunt. Regardless, she kept doing it.

“Fire, Scurn!”

He took careful aim, but remained hesitant to shoot at Draken with her so close. She screamed in frustration. She meant real flames, not fire his gun.

She struggled against him, but he held her tighter around her neck, almost cutting off her air. She gasped and fought. The no-flashing wards over the compound totally sucked right now.

A roar rent through the air and Demetrius flew through the door. He skidded to a stop in front of Scurn, eyes on her as she flailed against the unrelenting demon.

“Demetrius,” she gasped. Draken’s grip tightened until she couldn’t speak.

“She is mine,” Draken growled. “Step aside and let me leave with her.”

“The lady doesn’t want to leave with you,” Demetrius said between clenched teeth.

“Her choice was made years ago.”

“She was a child,” Demetrius echoed the same thought going through her oxygen starved mind.

“Matters not.” She lifted a few inches with Draken’s shrug. “A deal was struck. She is mine.”

“She’s. Mine.”

Draken tilted his head, considering the passion behind Demetrius’ words. “Once upon a time, but no longer.”

Demetrius moved so fast, it was like he flashed. Calli flew back with the males when Demetrius tackled her captor. The impact loosened the demon’s hold enough for her to roll to the side. Stunned, she gulped in air, gathering her bearings.

Fists and claws and fangs flew between the males. Scurn now stood between her and them. He seemed hesitant, like he should jump in and aid his boss, but knew Demetrius would rather he protected her.

Calli scrambled to an end table. Demetrius stashed blades and guns all over the place. Surely she’d find one. Frantically searching, she moved from one piece of furniture to the next, spending only seconds at each one. Finally, her fingers touched something metal.

“You’re not going to win this one demon.” Demetrius grunted, emphasizing each syllable by slamming Draken’s head into the floor.

Despite the abuse, Draken laughed, a deep echo like it came from the belly of H
ell. “The reason you will lose, vampire, is that I have more at stake.”   

Calli freed the large knife attached under the chair. She’d never used one, but how hard could it be—pointy end first.

The two fighters rolled and twisted. She only needed to wait until there was a break between the bodies and she could pounce.

A gunshot rang out, she jumped and dropped her weapon. Scurn managed to interfere first. He fired two more shots.

Draken’s face contorted, but the gunshot wounds closed, just like the last time he’d been shot. Demetrius took advantage of the reprieve and beat him senseless. Leaping toward the pair, Callista held the knife with both hands and aimed to strike at the demon’s neck.

Before the blade hit its mark, Draken roared up, knocking Demetrius off, and struck at Callista. The brutal blow to her head sent her reeling back. Scurn dived for her, Demetrius lunged to help her, and Draken ran out the door.

“After him,” Demetrius snarled at Scurn. “Callista, are you all right.”

“I’m fine. We need to stop him. He can change his appearance. That’s how he got in here, he looked just like you.” She tried to get up, but Demetrius held her down, inspecting the gash on her forehead.

“Then he’s as good as gone.” He sat back on his heels and let her sit up. “He got past Scurn and walked right in?”

Calli nodded and regretted the movement. “They even chatted a little, he looked just like you. I knew something was wrong when I saw him.” She gave him a small smile. “He kept calling me love.”

His eyes softened. “And you’re my princess.”

“His scent was off, too. He can look exactly like someone, but I don’t know if he can imitate their scent.”

Demetrius grabbed his phone. He informed Rourke of everything she’d told him. “They’re on it. Excellent information, Callista.” He gave her a once over. “How are you doing really?”

Sighing, she patted the spot next to her on the floor. When he sat, she wrapped her arms around her legs. “Other than being informed that I was bonded to him so I could bear his child who would be his key to this realm? He was waiting for me to be fertile before claiming me.”

“The fucker isn’t getting his hands on you, fertile virgin or no.”

Laughter sputtered out despite the situation. “Fertile virgin. I thought just being a virgin was bad enough.”

Rubbing her back then pulling her into his side, he kept his arm wrapped around her shoulders. “Never be ashamed of that, princess. Vampires don’t cherish innocence enough, not of any kind.”

Reading into his statement, he was talking about her
and
his sister.

“Draken was wrong, Demetrius. That bastard thinks he has more to lose, but the difference is that he’s fighting for himself, you’re fighting for others.” That nudged a thought into her mind, tears welled up.

“Talk to me, princess.” He brushed her hair back from his face.

“I was just thinking,”
hiccup
, “that your true mate will be proud to have you.” More tears, more hiccupping.

He chuckled softly, cupping her face with one hand. “The demon confirmed what I already feel in my soul when he said once upon a time you were mine.
You
are my true mate.”

“We would feel it, and we don’t,” she said, despondent. She wanted feel the pull of a true mate, but more than that, she wanted to be free.

“Don’t you see? We feel everything else. When Draken said he got to you first, it’s because they formed his bond
over
what should’ve been mine.” His expression soured and she knew what he felt.

The thought of Demetrius
ever
being with another was akin to beating herself over the head with a monkey-wrench. She didn’t want to contemplate it was ever a possibility. Not with the male who dominated her thoughts since she’d first laid eyes on his cocky swagger and arrogant tilt of his chin. Their time spent in bed went deeper, was more intense than she could imagine being possible.

“We kill Draken, and you can finally have your fertile virgin mate? What full-blooded vampire male doesn’t dream of that?” She tried to sound wry, but bitterness crept through.

“One who’s a fool.” He shook his head ruefully. “You know, a shifter told me once that it wouldn’t matter who my mate was, when she got with child they would become the center of my world.”

He fell quiet, staring at the wall.

“Is something wrong?”

“Yes,” he said slowly. “but maybe not for long.” When he looked at her, his pale eyes gleamed with excitement. “Let me clean up and then we need to take a trip.”

Chapter Nineteen

“I want you with me when we go talk to the Guardians, they’ve dealt with their own mating issues fighting Sigma. I don’t want to chance having them come here, giving Draken the opportunity to impersonate someone my guards aren’t that familiar with.” Especially since the demon got past Scurn, of all people. “We can’t mention Draken. Or the Circle.”

Callista gave him a sidelong look. “I don’t mind everyone not knowing my business, but is it a secret?”

“Not exactly.”

“You haven’t told the Synod? Demetrius, after Sigma, they won’t tolerate a leader keeping information from them.”

“We can take care of the Circle before it reaches thirteen.” They had no other choice.

“And what if they target shifters instead of vampires. Just like not all vampires followed a dark path, not all shifters followed the light. Since most vampires have chosen to be good, I would guess some shifters are weighing their options.”

Damn. He hadn’t thought of that. “We don’t know that shifters have the power demons are looking for.”

“No, we don’t know. Would hybrids? Part vampire might be enough vampire to host a demon.”

Well, shit.

“I know, you’re scared for her,” she said quietly. Damn, she was right. “Even if you told the Synod, they don’t have to find out about her.”

Secrets had a way of getting out. He might trust those who served on the Synod with him, but the more who knew, the more who’d find out. “Isabelle would be a prime target for the Circle. Her mind would be like cutting into butter, she’d agree to everything.”

“Then have someone guard her.” Callista’s eyes widened. “
She’s
the one Scurn’s guarding, not your place.”

Demetrius nodded.

“Okay. We’ll go talk to the Guardians. I’ll follow your lead, and then you need to bring all of these issues to the council. Or it’ll backfire and take everything from you instead of saving it.”

“Not about Isabelle.”

“They’re not the old council.” She put her hands on his shoulders. “They aren’t going to sell and shamelessly use those who are born weaker.”

He held her hands, stroked the pulse in her wrist with his thumb. “They may not, but there are those still out there who would. Isabelle remains a secret.”

“All right,” she conceded.

She’d never been to the meeting place, so he flashed them to the doorstep of the Guardian’s lodge. Demetrius regretted giving them the ability to protect their dwelling from flashing. He wanted Callista safe within solid walls.

Commander Rhys Fitzsimmons reclined against the log wall of the massive building. His eyebrows rose when he saw Callista, recognizing her from Pale Moonlight. “They’re inside waiting for you.”

Demetrius gave a nod to the commander and pulled Callista along with him.

“They let you just walk around by yourself?” she whispered.

“Now that there’s vampires training to be Guardians, I pop in to check on them, get reports from the commander. We’re being watched every step of the way, never doubt that.”

Her beautiful eyes darted from corner to corner looking for cameras. He could spot most of them, but knew there were more. Their security expert was crafty.

Leading her into a small rectangular room, he saw the Guardian he called Biggie leaning against the one-way mirror. The former Sigma agent wasn’t a shifter or a vampire, yet not quite a hybrid, either. Mutant would be a more fitting term, though he looked like an extremely buff human.

At the table, Mercury, a massive shifter with silver undertones gleaming through his black hair, reclined in his chair.