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She closed her eyes, willing her human body to return. She held her shadowy hand in front of her face as her claws retracted into her knuckles and her skin rippled and reformed. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
Colton approached her, pulling her into his arms as she teetered on the edge of tears. “Riley, it’s perfectly normal. In fact, I’m amazed at your restraint. Fledglings lash out because they don’t understand their new environment. It’s like putting a wild animal in a cage. We have trapped you in our world, and for that I’m sorry, but I won’t lie to you. I’m happy you are here.”
Riley tipped her head up. Though Colton held her, she had her arms folded in front of her chest. A reflex to put a wall between her and the uncertainty of her circumstances. “Why? You don’t know anything about me, and Steele is afraid of me. I could see it in his eyes.”
Colton’s eyes roamed over her features with a sense of wonder. As if he’d found a rare treasure. One he searched a lifetime for and didn’t believe existed. “Your origins are unprecedented, but that doesn’t change the fact that you are a miracle. We will figure it out.”
“Figure what out? What’s wrong with me?”
“You’re only the second woman to survive the transition. Dannika was the first, and she was bitten by a reaper. Demon venom is much stronger than that of a reaper or shadow warrior. It raises certain concerns, but we will deal with whatever transpires. Hopefully, you will still have a totem animal.”
Her eyes widened as a shiver ran through her body. Colton tightened his hold as if she was going to break away from his grasp. “You think I will be able to change into a cougar or a wolf?”
“Or a bear. If you have an animal regardless of species, it will go a long way to calming clan concerns about your demon origins.”
She nibbled her lip. “Am I a monster?”
“No more than I am.” Pain flashed on Colton’s face before his lips descended on hers.
He moved slowly, giving her time to retreat, but her body was frozen, ensnared by his masculine scent and predatory eyes. She couldn’t have pulled away if she wanted to. The first touch as his mouth melted to hers sent fire racing through her veins.
What started as a gentle invasion soon turned to that of an erotic conqueror. Molten lava poured down her throat, consuming her insides, pooling in her core like a cauldron of brimstone. Heat burned through her veins, carrying erotic ecstasy to every cell in her body. She moaned into his mouth as her fingers clutched his shirt.
Colton broke the kiss. “I’m sorry. I have never had a fledgling. When I met Dannika for the first time, I felt the need to protect her, but this is unexpected. The pull between us is insane.”
Part of her was horrified at her behavior, confused by the instincts and emotions coursing through her, but another part considered wrapping her hand around his neck and pulling his head back down to hers. Melding their lips once more and damn the consequences. “I feel it too.”
His eyes searched hers before he kissed her again. The muscles beneath his skin tensed as his arousal increased, pressing against her stomach. Alarm bells blared in her mind when his hands tightened on her hips.
Riley broke the kiss. “I shouldn’t be doing this. I need to check on my father,” she said rubbing her stomach.
Colton followed the movements of her hand. “Hasn’t the hunger passed?”
She shook her head. “I feel like my stomach is eating itself. I don’t usually go for fast food, but I think a burger and fries would do wonders right now.”
Colton rubbed his neck. It was the first time he looked uncomfortable and unsure of himself. “You’re not human Riley. You can’t eat solid food.”
Her eyebrows arched. “No solid food? While I’m not opposed to a juice bar now and then, I’m not giving up potato wedges or chocolate.”
“I have no idea what a juice bar is but you misunderstand. It’s not that I don’t want you to have solid foods, you can’t digest them. You no longer eat.”
Riley backed away with her hand in the air. “I have to eat. What do I survive on?”
CHAPTER7
Colton held his hand up, attempting to calm the dark-haired woman that mystified him. Her deep green eyes captivated him and her mocha skin was something he wanted to explore at great length. His fascination and attraction were concerning, and his demon was equally enamored with her. He didn’t understand their connection. The need to protect her was an instinct unlike anything he’d ever experienced, but the apprehension on her face made him nauseous. He’d rather take a reaper blade to the stomach than destroy her world this way. “It isn’t what you think.”
Riley stepped back until her heel kicked the wall. Her fear permeated the air and made him curse under his breath.
“What do shadows eat?” she asked.
Colton cleared his throat. “We have demon souls, and that requires fresh blood.”
Riley tensed before she darted for the door. The bedroom was too small for such a maneuver and Colton grabbed her arm when she attempted to dash past him. She twisted free and leapt over the bed, putting it between them. “I won’t kill anybody. You said you protected humanity. You lied to me.”
Colton moved in front of the door while continuing to face her. He would’ve done anything to protect her from this aspect of the shadow shifter lifestyle. The look of betrayal and disgust on her face gutted him. It had been so long since he’d felt those emotions, his beast struggled with the reality. His emotions were a cauldron of chaos, rising to the surface, but he allowed none of it to show on his face. He had decades of discipline, and this one woman had eviscerated it.
“We don’t hunt humans. We protect humanity. It doesn’t negate our need to kill or to feed.”
