14

CHAPTER 13

The cabin itself had been unmolested during our stay in California. The next day Taurin came back from a meeting with the gordons and told me that they saw some activity in the woods.

"What kind of activity?" I asked.

"Not really in their best interest to find out and they are not a talkative lot. They told me there were some hunters and some not hunters."

"What the hell does that mean?"

Taurin crossed his arms. "It means that there were hunters on your land and others who were not hunters on your land."

I gave him my best enlightened expression, "Ohhhh."

"Can the shit, Dove." Taurin said calmly.

I gave him a lopsided grin, "You said 'shit'."

"I'm trying to get your attention," he growled.

"Fine. You have it. Should I assume that the information you are garnering out of this is that there are fisherman and people snooping around."

"Not only snooping, but camping out." His arms remained crossed.

It was my turn to cross my arms and get serious. "What did you find out?"

"I smelled werewolves at a deserted campsite."

"Persistent. What did you do to them?" Taurin stared hard at me. "Don't give me that look. What did you do to them?"

His expression turned conniving, "Have sex with me and I'll tell you."

I gave him an exasperated look, "Go find your sex on the street and tell me what you did anyway."

He placed his hand palm up in front of me. "What?" I asked suspiciously.

He calmly replied, "Just give me your hand."

I reluctantly placed my hand in his, it was surprisingly comfortably warm. He led me to the couch where we sat angled next to each other.

"I suppose I should tell you and Ezra at the same time, but he will find out since your sleeping in the same bed." An edge of anger crept into his voice. I wisely kept my mouth shut. "I was hired by a pack of wolves to torture the family members and pack of a werewolf elected to be a council member. Many of those once in power elect to abuse it. This pack feared that, and rightly so. This wolf is shrewd. The move was to convince Affairs' that he did not have control of his power to occupy the position." He held my eyes.

"I was very good at my job."

I refused to turn away from his stare.

"The wolf didn't break. He achieved the position. He destroyed and scattered the opposing pack after finding out the names of those hired to kill and torture his family."

"You killed them?"

"Some."

"But you didn't kill him?"

"Not in the contract. Time ran up."

"You failed."

He looked to the left, "Not one of the highlights of my career as an evil demon."

I sighed heavily, disgusted and amused at his reply, "I suppose there is no other way to make amends."

"This happened five years ago. I have never been in one place long enough for him to track me. It's not my nature. And, it was messy." His eyes remained on mine.

"Why do you do this?" I looked down at my clasped hands.

"Revenge, Power. Demons love to drink down others' power. There are many ways the knowledgeable trap us. The more power we acquire the less likely we will be at someone else's mercy, that includes other demons. That is why we are alone. Demons always seek to dominate each other and everyone."

His hand went over mine. I looked up into those icy eyes and didn't resist the impulse to brush my fingers through his straight pale hair.

"Why haven't you attacked Ezra?"

"It surprises me to know he is powerless because he chooses to be." He moved his face closer to mine, not answering the question.

"He has had his share of deaths and torture. Make no mistake about that, Dove."

"His power has not changed since we bonded."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "There are things Ezra does that I don't understand. I can now draw on yours any time I want."

At those words it felt as if his hand was caressing me everywhere, pulling me towards him. His face got closer to mine and he whispered, "I will tell you a secret." He paused for a long time, "You can do the same to us."

I was startled, I didn't know this, "Why would I?"

"Why would you?!" He repeated, astonished. "The goal is to stay alive, Dove. To move faster, push harder. Right now you are an easy kill, but not for lack of power." His hand pushed back my hair behind my ear. "I was tempted in those seconds before Bronti threw up his protection spell."

My hand pulled on the ends of his hair. "Why hasn't Ezra told me this?"

"Why would a demon tell anyone?" He asked rhetorically.

"Why did you tell me?"

"It is no easy thing to deny once you have been the manipulator. As for why I told you, to give you more advantage over Ezra, of course." At those words he pulled at my power again, making me groan.

"Remember this, Ezra is not human and you would be wrong to forget that. He plays a deep game that has both of you walking the edge of a knife. I will not let you forget who or what I am the way he does." Again he moved his power inside of me. I yanked hard on his hair, growling at him. Angry that he could make me feel pleasure in such a way.

"You told me to give me another reason to fight with him," I gasped between breaths.

He moved quick and was straddling my lap, knees on either side of my body. "I could battle with Ezra."

As he leaned in closer I studied the fascinating ice fissures spreading across his eyes. I narrowed my eyes to help me concentrate on our conversation and asked again, "Then why don't you?"

He smiled and paid no attention to me pulling his hair. His hand curved around my neck and he leaned his forehead against mine. "Because I don't know what would happen to us."

His attempt to seduce me only made me more infuriated, but only because my body betrayed me. I spitefully spit out, "You could always kill me."

"I grow fond of your defiance."

His aura pushed itself into mine and I felt the air around me grow heavy and cool. I yanked harder on his hair causing his head to move down. "Get the fuck off me."

Ezra's deceptively calm voice filled the air around us. "You say those words a lot around him, my trusting Dove."

My head whipped up to see him standing in front of us. Taurin took that moment to lick and bite my skin where my t-shirt slanted into a 'V'. I jumped slightly at the intimate gesture.

"You would know how trusting I am," I said sarcastically to Ezra.

"Yes. I would," he replied gravely.

Taurin's hand moved over the one I had in his hair. He applied pressure and I had to let go. My hand remained trapped in his. His other hand grabbed mine and he twined our fingers together. I jerked, trying to free them. His kissing and nuzzling was going past my shirt and towards my bra. Meanwhile, he continued pulling and caressing me with his power. I gasped and closed my eyes, arching on the couch, forgetting everything for a moment of ardor. Taurin moved his body closer just as Ezra grabbed his hair from the back.

"She has not agreed," he said harshly.

Taurin lazily rolled his head so he was looking at Ezra. "Of course Ezra, but what are you going to do about it?"

In a blur of movement his right hand pulled back my t-shirt. He bit down deep with sharp teeth, drawing blood and sucking. My eyes widened and I gave a sharp inhale of breath. Taurin completely disregarded Ezra's tight hold on his hair. He continued to eat at my power, causing me to be drowsy.

I might have only slurred 'Fucker', but I definitely shouted it in my mind. My attempt to slap him with my left hand he released merely caressed his face instead. He sighed and angled into it. Ezra wisely did not pull him off or Taurin would have ripped through my skin. When he was done he licked me a few times and leaned back. My head was starting to slide to the side of its own accord and my heart drummed loudly in my ears. I was barely able to mumble to him.

"What was that?" He laughed and leaned closer to my face.

Ezra replied for me. "She said she's going to make you do the laundry if you got blood on her shirt."

Taurin voice turned amused. "Did she really say that?"

Ezra didn't answer, he just forcefully pushed Taurin aside and bent down to pick me up. His angry eyes were the last thing I saw before I closed mine.

CHAPTER 14

The next day Taurin was gone. I figured he knew I was going to make him bleed for last night. Ezra continued to give me looks throughout the morning, following me around the house.

I finally glared at him when we were in the kitchen together, "Alright already!"

"Are you trying to get him to kill you?" His eyes blazed fire at me despite the calm tone.

"Shut up."

"You continue to tempt him."

I threw my hands up in a surrender gesture. "What am I suppose to do? Cut him with a knife every time he gets close? He's a pain in the ass. What if we fix his problems and unbind him. Is that possible?"

"You have mingled magic and blood."

"You didn't answer my question," I said with a huff.

"You are asking the wrong demon."

"You're the fucking demon! You should know!"

His face became tight as he looked at me and the volume of his voice rose, "And what are you?! Demon hunter," he spit out. "YOU should know!" Ezra shook his head and lowered his voice, "Death."

"Death, huh. We'll I won't make it easy for him," I joked, as I picked up the kitchen knife I was using and gestured with it.

"You already are," he said seriously as he gently placed two fingers where Taurin bit me.

"I'm just a softie." I focused on the kitchen floor with an 'aw shucks' look and moved my foot back and forth on its toe for emphasis.

"Despite your swearing, you are and that is why I am with you."

I looked up into his glowing eyes. His expression remained serious. "Why didn't you tell me about power sharing?"

Ezra paused for a long time as he leaned up against the counter and crossed his arms. "I have my reasons."

"Yeah, and they are?" I drawled out as I turned back to the vegetables I was cutting.

"It was not time."

"That implies you were going to."

"It does."

"I see." I dumped the vegetables into the pot and listened to them sizzle in the heated oil. "When?"

"It does not matter anymore."

I took a deep breath through my nose. "It matters to me," I said forcefully.

Ezra said nothing, just kept looking at me.

"Fine. Are there other things that you are keeping from me?"

His expression never changed. "Of course. Same as you keep things from me."

"You sound so sure about that, Ez. My life is an open book for anyone who lives with me. I just like to pretend I have secrets."

He walked towards me. "Your thoughts, your feelings. Many of those you keep inside." He brushed his fingers through my hair.

I looked at him from the corner of my eye as I added broth to the pot. "I can't honestly believe that you are comparing what I feel to learning to control the binding between us. And why haven't you've done the things Taurin has to me?"

"I have."

He moved behind me and rubbed my shoulders. I leaned back into him and closed my eyes, letting out a sigh of relaxation. "No. Not the way he does."

"It was not time for it."

I opened my eyes and stared up at the ceiling for patience as I reached for the lid to the pot. "Ugh." I dropped the lid on with a clang and turned to face him. His satisfied smile on his face irked me. "You!" I shook my head and pursed my lips. With a gusty sigh I walked past him. His chuckle and the ringing of bells occurred at the same time. I stretched my neck around in a circle as I walked towards the room I specifically added on for summoning and meditation.

I yanked the curtain aside and walked into the darkened room, listening to the fall of water. There were a couple tables, a mirror, the copper bowl, a small running fountain of water and candles and incense. I hesitated at the front of the mirror and bowl.

I knew Ezra could control fire. Not blazes of it, but lighting a candle I've seen him do. I contemplated the large candles on either side of the bowl and felt for the link of us inside. It wasn't easy despite knowing it was there, like trying to find something that you lost. In fact, it felt like it was always three steps ahead of me. Finally, it stopped and became very still. His essence seemed to breathe until it felt like I had two breaths. I figured it wasn't a good idea, but I did it anyway. I swirled it inside of me as if etching a spiral for a spell. I gestured at one of the candles with my goal in mind and directed his power through my hand. The candled flared and sparked wildly, startling me into stepping back. Astonished, I watched the wax on top immediately start to melt. I knew it was Ezra when I heard the curtain being pulled back to the room.

"You used too much," he said dryly.

I took the other candle and lighted its wick from the blaze. "I suppose I did." I didn't need to turn around to know he was a tad pissed, even though I suspected it was only his will that let me use his power. I hurried to establish a connection as the bells trilled again, mostly so I didn't have to deal with the fact that I felt like I had just been incredibly rude.

Lin, a petite Asian woman, appeared in the mirror. She sat in front of her desk with her jeweled hands folded neatly behind the glass bowl in front of her. Her black hair was piled on top of her head with two ebony sticks jutting out from either side, beads dangling from their tips.

Ezra was always mesmerized by this woman and would occasionally tease me about her. Lin and I did not particularly like each other, mine was jealousy, hers, disgust. He spoke up before I could.

"Lin, what a pleasure to see your enigmatic presence before us. You are, as always, a welcome sight to my weary eyes. No matter what news you bear." His voice purred around me and his breathing deepened.

I scowled briefly, then gloated a bit when I saw the faintest twitch on the side of her right eye, otherwise she was as still as a statue. Ezra had once goaded her so much that she slipped out of her sever, professional demeanor. She told him to never come near her or that she would have someone slice out his heart and feed it to the dragons of the sea. Nothing fed a demon more than fear. She knew she had made a grave error that day. To make up for it she became even more severe with us, refusing to give but the barest information on our warrants.

"You have been granted a warrant," she said in her Asian accented voice before I even had a chance to greet her. She slid a piece of paper from the side of her desk and placed it in the bowl. Her whispers transferred it over to our side. Ezra quickly placed his hand on the mirror before she could wipe it out. She stopped mid motion, her expression becoming increasingly stone like, refusing to place her hand on her side of the mirror. They stayed like that, staring at one another, the silence thickening.

He wanted her. I wasn't sure how or for what. I just knew that ever since that day his already intense scrutiny had increased. It was evident in the bright flare of his eyes, the cloying smell of cloves and the heat wafting off him. I slid in front of him and he transferred that intensity to me. His hand stayed against the mirror even as his other hand came around my waist. I moved in closer to him and gave him the softest of kisses on the lips. Lin made a faint noise of protest and he looked at her again, his humanity stripping away. I heard his claws scratch the mirror as I watched his tattoos slip his skin and crawl over each other until I saw the whole of his wings move restlessly behind him.

I stood on tip toe to reach his ear. "Ezra," I whispered, "let her go."

He gave me an arrogant look, one I'd never seen before. One I didn't know what to make of. He moved his eyes back to Lin. "Then you will pay for it."

I never forget that I was born to protect others from demons. My left hand moved to his right shoulder and slowly glided down his arm. Ezra moved me closer into his body and I moved effortlessly to fill my self into his hallows and hills. His eyes stayed on the mirror. When I reached the mirror we blanked it together.

He gave me his furious gaze and picked me up with a deep growl that vibrated through his body. I didn't have time to adjust to the hostility directed at me. In seconds my clothes were gone and he bent me over on the floor. All the candles flared to life and shadows danced around us. Inside of me a fire built and spiraled, pulled and pushed.

I cried out, feeling my self grow wet with desire. There was an undercurrent of unexplainable rage under each caress of power he drenched through me. It was too much and still not enough. I welcomed him with a moan of pleasure as he entered me from behind. His nails drew blood from my shoulders, stomach, and hips. He exploded molten fire into me as I orgasmed with him.

I was turned over harshly, but every kiss and lick down my body felt like an apology. He lapped at the blood on my skin and spread my legs apart in a quick movement. I arched as his tongue moved from the inside of one thigh to the other, teasing. When I could only grunt out his name in frustration he finally moved exactly where I wanted him to be. As I made myself focus on more than my own ecstasy I tentatively pulled on our psychic link. His eyes glowed brighter as he looked up at me and I played with this new found ability. I watched him in wonderment as his body responded to the magic. His eyes closed and he sat back on his knees. He arched his back with each caress of power he permitted me access to. A noise of satisfaction vibrated through my lips while he growled his own passion.

I didn't realize my eyes had closed until I felt him lift me to sit me on his erection. We began anew as he laid back. I watched, fascinated as his wings melted and twisted into their tattoos. He continued to pump furiously into me until we had used ourselves up and lay sated.

Somewhere in the midst of everything I felt Taurin's presence. He was a cool breeze against my heat filled, sweaty body sprawled against Ezra's chest. I saw his shiny shoes at eye level, but didn't look up. For the life of me I couldn't move or even put together a coherent thought. He slowly crouched down to our level and gazed at me. Then, he blew a bitterly cold wind that caused me to shiver. Ezra's arm tightened around my waist.

Taurin cocked his head to the side. "You see. We cannot deny what we are. You should be afraid."

"That would be a stupid," I said, still dazed from the sex and emotions.

His hand cupped the side of my face and it felt liked a light touch of feathers. I watched him deeply inhale the smell of the air around us. His touch grew warm and I felt water slide down my cheek and neck. How he kept his balance, I don't know, but he bent over Ezra and licked the side of my face where his hand was. Ezra's hand came up and his fingers slowly pushed Taurin away.

He stood up abruptly and walked around us. I heard the rustle of paper as he looked at the warrant, then he laughed oddly. I turned to look at him, but it was Ezra he directed his look at. "We have a date with a lucifer."

Ezra's glowing eyes opened fully, but he didn't get up. "Who?"

"Kiesh," he laughed.

Ezra mused, "We will not get a full summoning from Lin."

My fingers walked up his chest as I said nonchalantly, "We would have if you hadn't gone all demonic on her."

He gave me a familiar, sly smile. "Then there would have been no 'make up sex'."

I laughed and shook my head, "You know that term?! Oh damn, the trials and tribulations of being with a demon," I said with great drama as I placed my wrist on my forehead in a pantomime of fainting.

"Demons," Ezra and Taurin said simultaneously.

I raised my eyebrow at their reply as Ezra picked me up. My legs instinctively wrapped around his waist and his hands cupped my buttocks. I contentedly placed my head on his chest and nuzzled into his warmth. The weight of the silence caused me to look up at his face to catch him gazing silently at Taurin.