Huh?
I’m about to turn around and make a break for it when the demon lunges, moving faster than should be physically possible.
“Stay back, foul beast!” I make a cross with my fingers, shoving it toward the creature with the bravest expression I can muster.
He pauses mid-roar, tilting his head to the side, those strange glowing eyes blinking rapidly. A high-pitched whine breaks the silence, and I wince, fighting the urge to cover my ears.
“The uh… the power of Christ compels thee!” I conjure up every memory I have of horror movies that deal with creatures of hell, hoping the tales hold some truth and will help me. “Back! Back to whence you came!”
The demon crawls forward on all fours, stopping directly in front of me. It’s so massive that it towers over me even while in a crouch, and I have to jut my chin up to see its face.
Its eyesglowas it reaches out a clawed hand, meaning to touch me. “Mine,” it says. “Mine.”
“I’m going to be sick,” I whisper, shutting my eyes tight against the terrifying sight. “Please, please be a dream…”
I open my eyes, and the demon is gone.
Then a pair of arms wrap around my waist, and I’m flying forward through the air, barreling toward that strange portal.
The world shifts. My vision splinters. Everything goes dark.
2
Rhune
She looks like an angel.
When I first viewed her in the woods, I was convinced shewasone. Angels have been extinct for centuries, and I was thrilled at the possibility of sighting one—but when I scented her, the muted sweetness identified the female as human.
For a moment, I was disappointed. But then it happened.
My soulsang.
It was like being struck by blue lightning, like something long dormant in me finally woke up. Suddenly, I was no longer hungry. At least, not for food.
I drag a clawed finger over the human’s rounded cheek, marveling at the softness, the fragility of her skin. I’m fascinated by the weightlessness, the fragility of her bones beneath my palms. Her flesh is so soft and smooth everywhere—not just on her face—and it’s more wondrous than anything I’ve felt in my entire existence. Though, it offers little protection from the ice storm raging around us.
She has a mane of deep brown that flows down her back and slips between my fingers like water, and her eyes—gods,her eyes. They are the most daring shade of green, identical to themagnolia trees in the human realm. There is nothing that exists in this land with that color, making her even more rare and beautiful.
My gaze dips, taking in the flowing white gown that clings to her supple curves, accentuating her attractive body. My eyes trail to the mounds on her chest, and my cock twitches to life as I fight the urge to trace the deep crevice between them. I’ve never been this close to a human before, and there’s something about this one in particular that calls to me like a siren.
Mate.
That word rings again in my mind, and I hug the fragile creature tighter to my chest, a wave of possessiveness taking hold. The glittering gemstones covering her dress press against my chest with the motion, scratching and irritating the bare skin. I pull back slightly, taking in the way the garment clings to her curves, the shimmering white fabric flowing down her legs and splaying out across the ice like Dravik’s long hair does in the healing pools.
She truly does look like an angel.
There are many humans out there, but this one is mine,I decide. She is the most beautiful creature I have ever laid eyes on—human or not—and I know she is special. I will feed her and take care of her, and no one will be able to take her from me.
Yes,my heart says.This is a grand plan, indeed.
I have been lonely for so long. There is no one to share the cycles with apart from my brothers, and over time, I have grown… desperate. For connection. For a mate to call my own, after so many years in solitude.
And the best one possible dropped right into my lap.
A purr rumbles in my throat as I lean down, nuzzling my cheek against hers. It is just as soft as it was beneath my finger—perhaps more so—but it has also grown suspiciously cold.
I frown, tilting her head side to side gently. Her lips, once so plump and rosy, have turned a deep purple color, and the warmth that was emanating from her skin has turned to ice. Her breathing has slowed, and her heartbeat seems weak—the blood moving slowly in her veins.
