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Authors: Candice Stauffer

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BOOK: Eternal Breath of Darkness
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Having his mind so deeply
merged with hers, feeling her desire, certainly wasn’t making it easy to keep
from ripping her skimpy jogging outfit off her body and showing her what he
thought they should do. It was such a simple act, but it was so erotic. Oh
damn, how he ached to feel her tiny white teeth nibbling his flesh. Hell, he
wouldn’t mind if she bit him hard. As he focused on her mouth, his heart
stuttered as if to stop; then its pace quickened. Reaching around her waist,
dragging her to him, and pressing her body against his, he bent his head to
hers.

“You’re starting to freak me
out.” Taking a breath and holding it, she blinked up at him.

“Good.” He moved slowly, so
very, very slowly, his gaze locked onto hers.

“Haden?” He knew she was
excited and scared all at the same time, but he also knew she was most
certainly, unquestionably more excited than scared. A sudden and drastic change
in the atmosphere captured his attention. Taking her with him, Haden spun
around and went completely still, protectively holding her at his side.
Expanding his mind, he studied the area. At least three vampires and a number
of ghouls surrounded them. Paul, the vampire responsible for most of the recent
killings in the area, was considerably closer than the other two. Haden also
felt the energy of his cousin, Zack Savage, moving quickly in their direction.
Zack was a rogue of sorts, hotheaded and rebellious, but he was a capable and
trusted warrior when push came to shove.

Under the shelter of his
arm, lifting her face, Caylee quietly studied Haden. She didn’t know what was
wrong, but she knew he perceived a threat. He didn’t need to explain it. She
trusted his judgment. For now, she didn’t dare distract him by pulling away.
Under the shelter of his arm was right where she wanted to be. And while he was
distracted, she could stop freaking out over the thought of him kissing her.

Haden took her hand and
placed the twenty-dollar bill in it. “I’m not gay. And I don’t really think
it’s a reason for you to freak out, but if being kissed by me is going to freak
you out, I wouldn’t stop freaking out just yet. The night is far from over,
little love, and I intend to kiss you before it is.”

Caylee opened her mouth to
respond, but she settled for yanking her hand out of his and glaring up at him.
For the time being she wouldn’t scold him for invading her privacy or deny
making the bet with Mia.

Lifting his head, Haden took
a deep breath through his nostrils. The vampire’s rancid odor, far worse than
the corpse at his feet, filled his lungs. He, one of the most powerful demons
in existence, had nearly missed the fact that the creature was hunting him.
Haden was hiding the fact that he was a demon, pretending to be human, in hopes
of luring the undead close enough to destroy it, but it never should’ve been
able to sneak up on him. “We need to hurry.” He caught her hand. “I’ll take you
home.”

Moving too fast, he startled
her. “What do you think you’re doing?” She yanked her hand out of his. Feeling
like an idiot for her off the cuff irrational reaction to him taking her hand,
she stared up at him for a few seconds. “We can’t leave her here,” she blurted
to cover up the true reason she’d reacted adversely to him taking her hand in
his.

Struggling to maintain some
semblance of control, he lowered his brow, his muscles tensing to the point of
pain. Miraculously, he resisted the urge to grab her and shake her. With a thought,
he removed the veil separating her from the woman’s remains. “Look at her,
Caylee. Take a good, long look at her. She is dead. It could’ve been you.” The
instant he said the words and exposed her to the woman’s gruesome remains a
tiny, weak part of him wanted to take them back, but he wouldn’t. And damn her
for making him feel so weak.

Taking a step back, she
jammed her fist against her mouth, but she didn’t come close to muffling her
gut-wrenching sob. “That was an incredibly terrible thing to say to me, Haden.
I apologized. I told you I was wrong.” Trembling, she stared up at him, tears
streaming down her face. “You’re a … you’re just so …” She stared up
at him, her eyes mirroring the pain he placed in her heart.

“You need to understand the
danger you placed yourself in today,” he whispered, drastically gentling his
expression and voice, secretly hoping it would be enough to stop her tears. He
wouldn’t apologize for being right. It could’ve been her. Damn it, why the hell
was she still crying?

“Please, don’t cry.” Slowly,
he reached out to wipe away the tears that were so thoroughly kicking his ass.
“I’m sorry.” Damn her. Damn him. What the hell was he doing? Why was he
apologizing when he was right? No. He wasn’t right. He’d startled her by moving
too fast and taking her hand. It was a trigger. He was fully aware of the
flashbacks she suffered from the violent attack that nearly killed her. He knew
better. “I’m sorry.” He slowly extended his hand for her. “I’ll make sure the
authorities know where to find her.”

At that precise moment, she
heard howls and strange, inhuman screams in the distance. She sensed something
different in the air. It was something evil. Bloodthirsty. Sadistic. And it was
close. Her blood pressure skyrocketed; her mouth went dry. It was very close.
They were being hunted. She didn’t know how she knew it, but it didn’t
matter—she knew it. Whatever had killed the woman was coming for them.

“We need to go now.”
Refusing to give her a chance to argue, he took her hand and walked, pulling
her along. He walked too quickly, causing her to trip over her own feet. In an
instant, without missing a step, his powerful arms swept around her and scooped
her up. Cradling her against his chest, he continued to walk.

Rather than startle her it
irritated her. She muttered a few shocking curses and particularly brutal
threats beneath her breath. She could walk. Being bigger and stronger didn’t
give him the right to manhandle her. “What are you doing?” She wiggled,
attempting to force him to put her down, but he didn’t even seem to notice. He
just kept walking, and she just kept getting madder. “Put me down, Haden. I can
walk on my own.”

“Yes,” he said, looking down
at her, “but not fast enough for my liking.” His eyes gave no hint of humor,
but there was no hiding it in his voice. She was mad as hell.

“Come on, Haden. I’m too
heavy. Put me down.” She wiggled. Of course she knew how ridiculous she
sounded. He didn’t have any problem carrying her. He was a good foot taller
than her, and he was built like a … well, he was a very solid, well built
man. And she wasn’t going to elaborate on any other thought concerning his
body. He was probably mucking around in her head, and his ego was already way
too overly inflated. “You’ll hurt your back.” She couldn’t resist saying it.
Why? She wasn’t sure. But she also couldn’t resist giggling over it. But then,
remembering she was mad because he was manhandling her, she doubled her fist
and punched his shoulder. “Put me down!”

Amused, he stopped and
stared down at her, laughter welling up, but he managed to hold it back. Lips
curved down, her frown was so comically, obviously exaggerated as she met his
gaze. “I’m starting to get the idea you’re angry, little love.”

His heart was so full of joy
he was certain it would burst. “I can’t believe you hit me.” Somewhere along
the line she’d missed the fact that his powerful presence demanded absolute
respect. “I’m assuming it was supposed to hurt.” He’d never known love. He’d
never wanted to fall in love. Love was a funny thing, a wonderful thing, but a
funny thing nonetheless. “If I tell you it hurt like hell, will you smile for
me?”

“Nope. No way. But I will
hit you again, and I will make sure it hurts if you don’t put me down,” she
vowed, finding it very difficult to keep a frown on her face.

“Well then,” he said as he
started walking, “I’m most definitely not putting you down any time soon.”

A shiver raced through her
body. Her head was spinning. He wasn’t gay. His voice was pure, dark seduction.
A sensuous, erotic growl. Lust made it aggressive, but love made it gentle. It
vibrated over her flesh like a hot, sinful caress, touching her, heating her
everywhere at once. He wasn’t gay. Before she could respond, Haden stopped.

“Don’t be afraid,” he
whispered. “I need you to stay very still. The creature responsible for killing
the woman is returning. No matter what happens, no arguments, you must do
whatever I tell you to do.”

Staring up at Haden, she
opened her mouth, but nothing came out. He wasn’t looking at her. His gaze was searching
for something. She felt a rumble deep beneath the ground, but somehow it didn’t
bother her. Why would it? The ground moved when he was around. Why did he use
the word
creature
? That’s what bothered her. Was it a bear? A mountain
lion? A wolf? Maybe she should jump out of his arms and climb a tree. Nah. She
wasn’t a very talented tree climber. Besides, she was definitely better off
staying as close to him as possible.

 

 

 

~
Three ~

 

PAUL WAS A bit confused. Where was the demon? He was an expert
hunter. His predator instincts were very well developed. Something was telling
him to back off, but his thirst for human blood was too great to yield to the
voice of caution. Believing Haden was human, Paul approached with the intent to
kill him and then find the woman he’d been tracking. “Come closer to me.”
Moving forward slowly, arms outstretched, he attempted to use his mind to
control Haden. “Where’s the woman?”

“There is no woman here,”
Haden replied.

Paul knew something was off.
The man standing before him appeared to be an average human, but he didn’t
react like one. Paul was attempting to fill the man’s head with fear, but he
was showing no sign of distress. There was no fear in the man. Absolutely none.
Attempting to figure out what was going on, Paul took a step closer. “You can’t
hide her from me.”

Wondering how Haden was
hiding her, Caylee turned her head to get a look at the other man. He had long
black hair and glowing yellow eyes. He was downright creepy looking. He was too
slender for his height, and his flesh was eerily pale.

She could easily see him. He
was standing no more than twenty feet away. Why couldn’t he see her? Not that
she was complaining. The man was dangerous; hatred and violence flowed from him
in dark waves.

Caylee suddenly realized her
gaze was locked onto the other man’s eyes. She tried to close her eyes, but she
couldn’t even blink. A strange, faint buzzing sound echoed in her head. She
felt dizzy and nauseous. Her head was in a thick, murky fog. She felt drawn to
the stranger, wanting to get close to him, needing to touch him.

There’s no reason to worry.
You’re safe with me. I’m hiding your presence, but he knows you’re nearby. He
was tracking you before I got to you. He’s confused because he can’t figure out
what I am or where you are. He’s using a compulsion to draw you to him. I will
not allow him to succeed.

Haden had hoped to avoid
using his power until Zack arrived, wanting to allow the other vampires to get
close enough so he could destroy them too. However, it appeared the vampire was
quite powerful, so he decided to make what he was clear. With any luck, it
would flee rather than die. Then, after Haden took Caylee to safety, he would
pursue and destroy the vampire.

Black flames swirling around
him, Haden exposed his true identity and created the image with which he took
an aggressive step forward. “What do you want with me, foul one?” A strong wind
rose from out of nowhere. Stirred by Haden’s rage, dark clouds streaked with
lightning and billowed in the sky, accompanied by a constant roar of thunder.

Zack connected with Haden.
You’re
getting better at camouflaging your energy. I thought you were human. I didn’t
know you were out here at all. I’m close. Joseph is also headed your way. Your
woman won’t be forced to witness the vampire’s destruction as long as you are
able hold him back until we get there.

There was no mistaking the
surge of demonic energy in the atmosphere. Paul nervously glanced around. “Why
did you hide from me? Why are you playing games with me?”

Haden laughed aloud.
“Consider it to be a learning experience. Before killing you, I decided it
would be enlightening to know what it felt like to be weak. Of course it didn’t
work. How could a demon as powerful as I know what weakness feels like? You’ve
gone to great lengths to hide from me these past few weeks.” His great power
causing the ground to rumble deep below the earth, Haden created the image of
his wings extending as he took another step toward Paul.

Looking around warily, Paul
used his mind to call his ghouls to his aid. Then, he met Haden’s cold, black
gaze. He’d never actually encountered Haden face to face. He decided to test
him. It was a dangerous situation, but he wasn’t the type to give up easily. “I
don’t hide from anyone,” Paul lied. Vampires always hid from and avoided direct
contact with demons. They were natural enemies, as vampires had killed humans
and demons have protected humans since the beginning of time. “And, Demon,
understand you’re going to die for interfering with my meal. The woman you’re
hiding belongs to me. You can’t protect her. One way or another, I will
eventually take her from you, and I will kill her.”

Haden’s expression remained
emotionless. “You can try to take her.” The deep, ominous sound of his voice
echoed. “But you will fail. Regardless, you will die tonight.”

Avoiding the fierce bite of
Haden’s black flames, Paul took a few steps back. “I will succeed.” Paul knew
he should flee, but curiosity and hunger kept him there. The fact that Haden
hadn’t already attacked him was odd. The demon was merely posturing, possibly
stalling. But for what? Paul knew the woman he was tracking was still close by.
He could feel subtle vibrations of her fear. And, although it was faint, he
could still smell her sweet, tantalizing scent.

Haden laughed aloud again.
The sound of it was even more menacing and ferocious than before. “The only
thing you will achieve this evening is your destruction.”

Pushed by powerful gusts of
wind, horizontal rain fell heavily, saturating everything. Lightning
crisscrossed the sky.
Be careful, Haden—it’s true. He has the aid of a
powerful demon. I’ve dealt with this one on several occasions. He’s dangerous.
He has no common sense, and he possesses more strength and power than most of
his kind.
Zack was using nature to make it very clear he was on his way,
attempting to aid Haden by convincing the vampire to back off.

What demon?
Haden
asked.

I will explain as soon as
I’m with you. Keep your focus on Paul.

Haden had never run away
from a fight, but he started to consider taking Caylee through time and space
to get her out of danger.

No!
Zack
warned.
Don’t do it. There’s a massive web of ancient demonic spells
surrounding the entire area. They’re deadly. She’ll be destroyed if you attempt
to take her through them.

Burying her face against
Haden’s shoulder, Caylee held her breath. She really hoped Haden wasn’t
planning to fight with her in his arms. Lightning flashed everywhere, and
deafening thunder echoed all around. If it weren’t for the lightning, the idea
of climbing a tree would be much more appealing than waiting for them to fight.
She was shivering so uncontrollably her teeth were chattering. She was so
afraid, so cold.

Just breathe, little love.
There’ll be no reason for you to climb a tree. There’s nothing to fear. I won’t
allow the vampire to touch you.

A vampire?

Don’t worry,
Haden
continued,
I won’t need to fight him at all. We’re not alone. Two friends,
Zack and Joseph, are coming to help us. When they get here we will leave.

Smiling, Paul tilted his
head to the side. “You used your woman to draw me out? Normally using a female
for bait is a little too risky for a demon’s liking. And why is your mate still
mortal?”

At that, Caylee glared up at
Haden, totally missing the mate thing. He’d better not be using her for bait to
catch a vampire. She would definitely have a thing or two to say about that.
But whether or not he was using her as bait, she wouldn’t argue with him at
that moment or insist he put her down. She wasn’t an idiot. She was the safest
person on the face of the earth as long as she was in his arms. Besides, there
was no way he was using her as bait; he was way too much of an overbearing,
know-it-all control freak to even consider allowing her to do anything even
remotely dangerous.

Your opinion of me is very
unflattering. I’m not an overbearing control freak. I’m just a tad bit overly
protective of you.

Whatever.
She
rolled her eyes.
Just stop mucking around in my head.

Don’t be alarmed. Our
friends are about to show up.

“This is a very peculiar
situation, is it not?” Paul smiled.

“Or else you’re still as
stupid as you look, and I used them both to bait you,” a deep, booming voice
echoed as a coppery mist appeared in front of Paul. When Haden’s friends
stepped out of the mist, Caylee’s breath caught in her throat. She wanted to
look away, but she couldn’t stop staring at the men. She felt waves of enormous
dark power flowing from them. Just like Haden they were well over six feet
tall, with perfectly sculpted, muscular bodies. They were beautiful. They had
the same strong, godlike facial features as Haden. They were perfect. Too
perfect. They reminded her of ancient warriors.

Paul took a step back. “Why
are you here?”

“What, you didn’t miss me?”
One of Haden’s friends laughed aloud, seemingly mocking the vampire’s startled
reaction. “Don’t feel bad. The feeling is mutual. I really don’t like you very
much at all. To be honest, running into you and seeing your face again and
again has become an intolerable form of suffering I’m no longer willing to
endure. I simply bore too easily to continue this game any longer. And please
don’t bother begging. It’s pathetic. It turns my stomach. I won’t tolerate it
this time. It’s over. You need to just come to terms with the fact that you’re
going to have to die today.”

Hissing, the man that had
threatened to kill her took another step back. Caylee almost laughed. She
clearly saw by the look on his face that he was shocked and quite scared. She
couldn’t blame him. Haden and his friends looked extremely intimidating. Taking
one on would be risky endeavor; taking three on would be just plain insane. It
would be suicide. He fled so quickly that she didn’t actually see him leave.
One second he was there, and next he was gone.

One of Haden’s friends
disappeared too. His other friend stared at her. And she didn’t like the way he
was looking at her. She felt threatened.

What’s wrong with you,
Haden?
Your woman is still mortal.
You aren’t handling her
properly. She is weak. Vulnerable to death. You know what fear does to our
kind. It’s been a year since you found her again. Destiny will never bend to
honor your weakness. You need to walk away from her or attempt to give her
immortality now. She will make it, or she will not. You cannot keep putting it
off. It’s too dangerous. Besides, you need to get back to what’s important. The
days are far darker than ever before. Evil no longer hides in the darkest
shadows of the night; it thrives even in the light of day, destroying the
innocent we’re expected to protect. We need you.

Caylee studied Haden’s face.
She felt his hostility toward the other man but saw no sign of it in his eyes.
She certainly didn’t want to be around if their dispute turned into physical
violence. His friend was just as big and intimidating as Haden. Knowing they
were secretly communicating, she decided to remain silent rather than
interrupt, hoping they would work out whatever dispute was between them with
words.

She didn’t hear it, but she
felt vibrations of a growl against Haden’s chest.
Do not tell me how to take
care of my mate, Zack. I will wait until I am absolutely positive she will
survive it. She needs my undivided attention right now. She’s all that matters
to me. I’ve wasted far too many lifetimes protecting humans from their hatred
and greed. I’ve come to the conclusion none of our efforts have truly mattered.
Humans are too ignorant to benefit from our greater wisdom. They will continue
to destroy each other no matter what we do or don’t do.

You know better, Haden. Do
you no longer remember the others you’ve counseled in this matter?
Shaking
his head, the other man’s lips curved upward in a humorless smile.
In the
span of just one short year, a woman you obviously believe is too weak to ever
receive the immortality of our kind and to stand by your side as your mate for
eternity has managed to ruin you.

Enough!
Another low, threatening growl vibrated through Haden’s chest. But this time
she heard it.
You will not speak poorly about my mate. Tell me about the
demon that’s helping the vampire.

Obviously irritated, the
other man glared at her for a moment. She was starting to get the feeling he
was mad at her. To her relief, he rubbed the bridge of his nose and shifted his
gaze to Haden.
You’ve been out of the loop for too long, Haden. The vampires
in this area are extremely dangerous. They’re working together with a group of
female humans led by Mary Tate.

That’s odd. Vampires don’t
normally play well with humans. And don’t look at her again. You’re scaring
her.

She should be scared. You’ve
lost your fucking mind, and it’s going to get her killed.
Zack shrugged.
With Demetri guarding the bitch, the vampires have no other
choice than to play nice with her. There’s no way in hell any vampire would
dare to challenge a demon as old and as powerful as Demetri. They act as if
they’re her pets.

Haden took a deep breath.
I didn’t realize Demetri was still with her. Why would he give any vampire his
power?

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