Kiss of Darkness (11 page)

He can live. For now.

Turning back, he registered the other man’s study and returned it. He’d been in Winter’s mind. He knew the lupine alpha was an old lover. Somehow he’d trained himself not to care about that. Well, not care too much. If he didn’t bury the anger he felt toward the man who’d dared touch his woman soon, even though it was long before he knew her, he’d lose control. He could destroy Mitchell’s mind where he stood and damned the consequences.

They were night and day, he and this wolf. Both tall but where he was leanly muscled, his body better used for speed, the wolf was almost bulky, his build more for strength and force. He had shorn black hair and glowing green eyes. Marcus supposed most women found him attractive. And what about Winter? What did she think? He shied away from the questions; that way led to madness.

“She’s a remarkable woman,” Mitchell said, making the first move. There was a hint of possessiveness in his voice and it engaged every one of Marcus’s senses. He turned to face the wolf, opened his mind in aggression and widened his stance. He wasn’t as strong as the wolf, but he was faster. More agile. And he could crush his mind if it came down to it.

“She’s mine,” he practically snarled, not worried about losing control anymore. He had to assert his dominance, his claim against the one person his instinct said was the only real threat.

Mitchell watched him for several seconds then turned his gaze to seek her out. Marcus clenched his fists. He didn’t want anyone else even looking at her and he knew the impulse was ludicrous. It would ease when she accepted him, but in the meantime he was very dangerous. He almost didn’t trust himself.

“She won’t be happy about that.”

Marcus shrugged. He’d resigned himself to that at their first meeting. It’s why he’d physically stayed away and tried to get to know her first. There was no walking away now. He knew that. It was only a matter of hours before she did too. There was no way he was letting her go anywhere alone when day broke.

“She’ll get over it.”

The wolf gave him a look that was pure disbelief then threw his head back and laughed. It was the last thing Marcus expected and unsettled him a little.

“Good luck with that,” he said between chuckles. Marcus took an aggressive step forward. He didn’t like his control of his mate being questioned. Mitchell stepped back and held his hands up in mock surrender. “Hey, believe it or not I’m on your side.”

He didn’t believe it. He’d watched the wolf at the Alliance meeting and seen his longing. His thoughts must have shown on his face. He had to be more careful.

“She’s not for me. I know that.” He didn’t try to hide the disappointment he felt over it and Marcus’s respect for the alpha leader went up a little against his will. Mitchell continued softly, “She has to bond soon. She’s too close to giving in to the demon.”

Marcus didn’t respond that that was his problem not Mitchell’s but he wanted to, wanted to hang a flashing neon sign over her head announcing who she belonged to. He was through playing around. The lupine was waiting for a response but Marcus didn’t intend to give him the satisfaction of a reply. Finally, he shrugged.

“If you hurt her, I’ll shred you,” the wolf said softly enough none of the other sharp ears in the courtyard would pick up the words. Marcus smiled, feeling exhilarated, more alive than he’d felt in years. He wasn’t worried. Mitchell knew what he could do in retaliation. The lupine laughed softly, shaking his head. His tone was wry. “I guess we understand each other.”

“Not exactly.” Marcus grew serious again. He knew there were going to be men around her, knew she wouldn’t give up her position as commander if he asked, knew she wouldn’t stay away from Mitchell even if he ordered her to. He was afraid of what he might be capable of if she disobeyed him. “Stay away from her. You’ve had your last sparring match.”

“Impossible,” he replied with narrowed eyes. He added sarcastically, “I’m part of your little task force for one thing.”

Marcus opened his mouth to reply, to tell him to substitute one of his people for his place, but the lupine went on before he could get the words out.

“It’ll be me and Baron. That’s non-negotiable. We don’t trust you. You don’t trust us.”

Marcus knew he was right, but hated like hell to admit it. That was why he and Luke would be handling it themselves, with Kadall, one of Luke’s most trusted soldiers.

“And the sparring? Take that up with her. I have no intention of stopping.”

Marcus felt his control slipping, felt his mind beginning to expand. The lupine felt it too. He didn’t budge, his stance still as aggressive as always, but his eyes widened, wariness stamped across his face.

“We’ve been at peace for fifty years, wolf.” And he didn’t mind blowing it over a woman, his woman, but he was also responsible for the welfare of every nightwalker in the area. He struggled for control. “Are you ready to ruin it over a woman who isn’t even yours?”

He watched as Mitchell struggled with what he knew was the right course and his instinct to assert his dominance. Antagonizing a nightwalker was probably a bonus. Marcus forced the tension from his body, striving for perfect control.

“I’m putting a stop to the fighting. Don’t get in my way. You’d react the same way if the situation were reversed.”

Mitchell shoved a hand through his short-cropped hair and his features relaxed. That slightly self-mocking tone was back in his voice when he spoke. “You people are as bad as us during the mating hunt.”

It wasn’t a question so Marcus didn’t reply. He wouldn’t have anyway. Nightwalkers were not fully in control of themselves, of their powers while pursuing their mates. They were dangerous, but exactly how unsafe they kept to themselves.

He should tell Winter, warn her, but he wasn’t sure that she wouldn’t try to take off. She saw herself as a strong independent woman and she was, but he lived inside her. He knew her secret heart, her most secret desires, and he had every intention of giving them all to her. Getting her to accept that she could submit to him and still be the same forceful person with everyone would be the trick.

Tonight. He’d start tonight.

Chapter Fourteen

Gia gritted her teeth as she felt Luke push at her shields again and looked around trying to spot him. He was deep in conversation with Brady, one of the Order’s historians, but jerked his head over to meet her gaze. She felt hunted. No, that wasn’t right. The hunt was over; she was pinned, trapped. How could she have let this happen?

She wrenched her gaze away and concentrated on helping Winter, but that was wince-inducing too. She shouldn’t have been so secretive about Luke with Winter. Mostly because of their friendship. She’d found a way around the demon’s hold on her soul, and it had been cruel and selfish to keep that secret from Winter.

His being a nightwalker was almost worse. It wasn’t forbidden by the Order, but she suspected that was because it had never happened before. Or if it had both parties had gone out of their way to keep their relationship private. In all her years in the Order, and she’d grown up with them since both of her parents were hybrids, she’d never heard of one instance. If she’d discovered one of her juniors was involved with a walker, she’d be worried about them compromising the Order. Most walkers were strong telepaths. Luke was certainly a stronger telepath than her—her major power was telekinesis—which was why she’d insisted he not enter her mind in the beginning. Someone with that much power could influence a person’s thoughts, their actions.

She didn’t blame Winter for being angry and hurt at all, but she wasn’t sure she’d do it differently if she could go back.

Stop it,
Winter said.
It’s done now and we have too many other things to focus on.

Gia sighed.
We’re okay then?
The last thing she wanted was to screw up that friendship.

Like a man could mess up a sixty-year-old friendship?
Winter’s mental reply was light and breezy. The power of her mind was pure and cool and Gia didn’t argue as Winter siphoned off some of her worry and let it float away. Then she was gone, leaving Gia to her anxious organization.

Before coming to Charles’s compound she’d stopped at Winter’s office and searched quickly, almost frantically, for a long-forgotten list of Order safe houses, something she should have done as soon as they found out about Winter’s promotion. Every region was required to maintain emergency safe houses, but she bet the other areas had neglected theirs just as badly.

Gripping the clipboard, she forced herself not to flinch when one of the younger hybrids flashed into being in front of her. She had the younger ones checking out the old houses and reporting which were habitable and not, which were defensible or not. He made his report, she made a check mark next to the address on her clipboard, and sent him off to the next place.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Winter step closer and get in Robert’s face as their argument escalated. Winter was careful to modulate her voice so it didn’t carry. Robert wasn’t so cautious. Even if she didn’t already know what the fight was about, it’d be impossible to miss now. Robert was this quadrant’s commander and he was pissed. She rolled her eyes. Understatement of the century.

“When is someone going to intervene in that?”

She jumped at the voice that came from over her shoulder and she spun around. Marcus. Cocking her head to one side, she studied him. He was a curiosity. He was nothing like Luke. She hadn’t known they were twins, but she did know he was Luke’s brother. She felt bad for not telling Winter but she’d been keeping her…involvement with him as quiet as possible. Luke looked at her again and she scowled back. He’d made it very obvious
secret
wasn’t working for him anymore.

Marcus cleared his throat and she looked up at him again. Did they have to be so damned tall? And what did he want? She winced a little when she heard Winter raise her voice, almost yelling when she asked Robert if he thought he could do a better job and the idiot responded yes. She faced their small circle again and answered the nightwalker who stood stiffly at her side.

“Winter can handle herself. Dupree’s there if she needs any assistance.”

She nodded to where Dupree hovered nearby, careful not to step into a conversation that should have been private but close enough to help if necessary. If Marcus heard her, he didn’t acknowledge it. He stepped forward and she grabbed his arm to stop him. Luke’s fury rolled over her, but she didn’t turn to look at him until she noticed Marcus concentrating on her. He carefully removed her fingers, which were suddenly gripping hard enough to bruise, from his arm.

“You should be very careful for the next several weeks. Don’t touch any males, especially where my brother can see it,” he said softly.

He was gone so fast she didn’t see him move though she knew he hadn’t teleported. When she looked he was standing next to Winter, arms crossed over his chest, glaring at the quadrant leaders standing around her. Gia shook her head. Winter could handle him; she had her own issues. Issue. And she was going to find him and give him a piece of her mind.

That turned out to be unnecessary because when she turned to look for him he was in front of her. She felt him pushing at her shields again, demanding entrance into her mind, and she sucked in a deep breath while shoring up her walls. He crowded close to her, caught her around the lower back when she tried to retreat.

“Let me in, Gia,” he whispered, his breath warm against her neck as he spoke, his masculine scent filling her nostrils.

Her knees went weak as she responded to his proximity but she shook her head no. He’d made the rules clear when they began their affair. He wouldn’t be around long, he’d said. He didn’t do long term, didn’t do commitments, he’d said.

And she hadn’t cared.

She’d only been concerned with controlling her demon, with feeding the demands of her demon. A sexy nightwalker who lavished her body with attention was the perfect solution despite being temporary. Neither had realized at the time that his feeding from her, leaching off that excess energy would be as effective as bonding herself to someone. For the first time in years, she’d experienced relief, but had steeled herself against the day the struggle would return, when he decided he’d had enough of her.

She’d barricaded her heart too, but that was a wall that hadn’t held. If she dropped her shields, let him into her mind, he would see how much he meant to her. See that it was too late for her. She let fury mask her fear of discovery. It fueled the demon, gave her strength and with a glare, she shoved him away.

They’d agreed in the beginning he wouldn’t have access to her mind. Agreed either one of them could walk away whenever they chose. She wouldn’t, couldn’t do that and knew she’d be shattered when he eventually did.

“We had an agreement. Don’t try to change the rules now, Luke.”

He stared down at her with absolutely no expression on his face. She only knew he was deeply angry because she felt it rolling off him in waves. “Things have changed.”

Exasperated, she threw her hands up in the air and tried to pace away but she didn’t get far. He grabbed her elbow and pulled her back, pulled her to him. Her body pressed close against his and she struggled against the urge to snuggle closer. He had the power to destroy her. She squeezed her eyes shut and rested her forehead against his chest.

“Things have changed,” he whispered again, his low sexy voice sending tendrils of fire licking through her veins.

She sighed. They’d had this argument already tonight. Several times. He was like a broken record or a CD set to replay over and over again. She had to end this, had to walk away before he did permanent damage to her heart. Stepping back, she met his gaze not sure if she could, not sure if she had the strength to walk away.

One of the hybrids she’d sent out flashed back into the courtyard and she exhaled her relief. The conversation could be avoided for a little while longer. She had work to do, even he couldn’t argue that under the circumstances.