Overwhelming. Undeniable. Perfect.
Kissing him ignites a passion in me I never knew existed before him, and I’m swept away almost instantly. The demon, my injuries, the hospital room, and everything around us fade until there’s nothing left but him. His warmth, his presence, and the overwhelming pull of my desire.
Becks’ mouth moves against mine in the most delicious way and I tug him closer. He makes a sound in the back of his throat that’s half-growl, half-moan, and one of his hands wraps around the back of my neck, anchoring me to him, while his other arm slides around my lower back.
Before I realize his intent, I’m off the bed and in his lap.
“If I lived a thousand lifetimes, I’d never get enough of you,” he says against my lips before taking them captive again.
My heart soars and my head spins, my body a riotous mess of sensations as he claims my mouth again and again. Through it all, one truth rises above everything else: what came before doesn’t matter.
The only thing that matters is this: Us.
What’s between us is unbreakable, more powerful than anything I’ve ever known.
Becks rips his mouth from mine and I’m left blinking back at him, disoriented and more than a little dizzy. He turns his head, his gaze flicking to the side. I follow the motion to find Kade standing at the open door, the knob still in his hand.
Heat rises to my cheeks as Kade’s gaze bounces between Becks and me, his face grim. “Glad to see you two are getting along, but we have a problem. A big one.”
Becks insists I sit in a wheelchair, even though I can walk, and pushes me down the hall behind Kade and into the elevator. After getting caught making out, I can’t look Kade in the eye. Although Kade didn’t even bat an eye, and we obviously have bigger problems, I’m still mortified.
Becks is all business as he questions Kade. Apparently, the demon has made some sort of public appearance, catching the attention of the humans, who aren’t supposed to know creatures even exist.
The situation is serious. I don’t know how Becks compartmentalizes so easily. Butterflies flutter low in my stomach. I can still taste him, still feel the pressure of his lips on mine. My scalp tingles where he tugged on my hair. Yet he’s completely focused on the task at hand. I’m not sure if I should be offended or impressed.
The elevator dings when we hit the ground floor and I can hear the commotion even before the doors slide open. People are shouting as they rush back and forth, clutching tablets and radios, voices overlapping in frantic bursts. Screens line the walls, each one flashing different footage—traffic cameras, news broadcasts, grainy cell phone videos—all showing pieces of the same impossible truth.
The demon. Out in the open for the world to see.
It seems like there are only glimpses of it. Blurred or shadowed footage that could easily be explained away . . .
That is, if there wasn’t so much of it.
Becks curses low under his breath as he rolls me past the screens and into a conference room behind Kade. The moment we enter, he comes to an abrupt stop. I don’t have to turn to look at him to know that something’s wrong. The immediate tension roiling off him is palpable.
In half a second, he’s moved to stand in front of me, shielding me with his body, his fist raised and already coated in flames.
“What is he doing here?” he demands, his voice coated in rage.
I peek around him and spot only one other person in the room, a redheaded guy seated at the other end of the oval table that takes up the majority of the space. I don’t know what’s happening or what threat he poses, but I trust Becks. My body goes on alert, the hairs on the back of my neck rising in warning.
“Calm down,” Kade says, and Becks snaps his attention to the Order leader.
“Don’t tell me to ‘calm down,’” Becks growls. “He’s a traitor, and got Creator knows how many innocent women killed.”
I muffle a gasp, my gaze flicking back to the red-haired guy, who tips his head down in shame.
Kade rolls his shoulders once, tension pulling his muscles tight. I can’t see Becks’ face, but I think he’s probably glaring at him.
“There’s more to the story than what you know,” Kade explains. “Ares is cuffed so he can’t use his magic.”
Magic. That means the redhead, Ares, is some sort of creature. My gaze travels back to him in interest, noticing the tips of his pointed ears poking out from his hair.
Fae.
I’ve never met a fae before. At least, not that I know of.
Becks plants his feet. “I don’t care to know the details. All I need to know is that those deaths are at his feet. He could have led the demon straight to Haven. That’s enough to know that I don’t trust him.”
