leaked from her eyes. Her teeth burned. No matter how hard she bit him, she
couldn"t get past his flesh.
Frustrated, she shoved away and tried to scramble off the bed. This was
fucking crazy! She started hyperventilating, gasping for air that was lost to her.
Demetri grabbed her arms. “Wait. It"s all right, sweetheart. Don"t run. You
have not shifted enough to break my skin, but I can still give you what you need.”
“Nooo….”
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He tightened his grip when she attempted to twist out of his hold. Before
she knew it, she was slammed on her back and his strong thighs were locked
around her hips, pinning her to the bed. A knowing smirk curled his lips as he
gazed down at her. His silky mane dangled down the sides of his face and tickled
hers.
“I know what you need,” he reiterated with the soft kiss of a whisper,
flipping his hair to one side.
He lowered his head to hers, slanted his mouth across her lips and ravished
her, kissing her deeply, inhaling her breathy moans. Blended colors danced behind
her eyelids. She thought she"d die from sheer rapture when his tongue slipped
between her lips dripping with sweet tangy deliciousness. The taste of him
enticed her palette as she rolled her eager organ around his. Her nipples tingled,
her clit pulsated, and her core exploded. She muffled out a cry.
Yes! Damn right this was what she needed!
Panting, she nipped at his tongue then sucked on it with hunger, absorbing
his offered nectar.
He trembled. “Sharayna,” he moaned, nipping at her bottom lip. His sweet
kiss moved down to the underside of her chin.
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The moment his lips touched the top of her neck, a fever ignited. She tilted
her head back as far as it would go, fully exposing her throat. She wanted his teeth
sunk into her flesh so badly it was damn near suffocating.
“Demetri…Please…”
He hovered over her offer. The brightness in his eyes dimmed as his fangs
extended from beneath his flushed lips. His breath teased and caressed the
sensitive flesh over her fluttering vein. The walls of her smoldering core matched
the erratic pulse of her heart. Every part of her convulsed with need. The
anticipation was unbearable.
Breathing hoarsely, she palmed the back of his head. “Do it.”
His body stiffened against her.
“What"s wrong?” she panted out.
Groaning, he drew back and pushed off of her. She propped up on her
elbows and watched the curtain part to allow him to walk to the edge of the shore.
He looked up to the moon and violently shook his head. Ripples cast down his
long, raven mane.
“You cannot offer me this,” he strained out over his shoulder.
Irritation sliced through the sexual spell. She got to her feet and glared at
the back of his head. “What? Why?”
“Your blood,” he faltered in a murmur. “It is sacred.”
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“Listen, you got the green light, baby. So why don"t you get your sexy ass
over here and finish what you started.”
He ran a hand roughly through his hair and paced. “Oh Angel, if you only
knew what you were offering me—”
“I know what I"m offering you! I know exactly what I"m offering you!” She
planted her hands on her hips. “Do you see this? You got me standing out here in
my unmentionables, boy.” She pushed out a harsh breath and cleared the curtains.
“I"m damn near butt naked, and you"re acting cute.”
He spun around to face her. His eyes were glazed with sorrow. “Sharayna,
I…I didn"t mean to upset you.”
“Whateva. If you"re scared to bite me then just say so. Don"t go out of your
way to get me all worked up just to—goddammit Demetri, what the hell is that
cologne you"re wearing? It"s driving me freaking crazy!” she shouted, grabbing a
handful of her hair. “I"m so horny, I could―ohmyGod.” Her words came out in
quick spurts. She couldn"t shake the feeling of extreme aggravation. The desire to
jump his bones and slap him at the same time overwhelmed her.
away from you, but you must understand your true nature first.”
“Then make me understand,” she whispered harshly. “I need to know why I
can"t breathe without you.”
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He claimed her lips and took her aggressive tongue with a chesty groan.
“Don"t force me, Sharayna,” he growled, desperation coating his words. “Please,
just let things fall into place. Don"t rush what you don"t understand.” He pressed
his forehead to hers. “You have awakened something so primal within me, I must
go to stay true to my word.”
“No, wait boo. No you don"t,” she purred in a sultry tone, latching onto his
shirt. Darting her tongue out, she flicked it across his quivering lips. “Stay with
me, please. I, I feel like I"ll fall apart without you. Don"t go.”
There was uneasiness in his eyes. “If I stay…” He briefly closed his eyes and
nibbled on his lower lip. She caught a glimpse of his eye teeth lengthening as he
spoke. “If I stay, I will not be able to control what I"d do and I"m not prepared for
you to see that side of me.”
She rolled her eyes and huffed. “You showed me your fangs, Demetri, which
I admit is pretty damn scary. How much worse could it get?”
The pad of his finger gently traced the vein along her neck, drawing out a
moan. “What I"ve shown you was my desire, my lust. You have not seen the beast
that drives me to kill, and if I can help it, you will not see him.” He stepped back
and took her hand. “I must gain control, so I"ll leave you now.”
“Wait baby. Don"t—c"mon…” she whined.
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He caught her head between his hands. “He"s clawing at my insides, needing
to be released, needing to be fed, and I refuse to feed on you.”
From the depths of his alluring eyes, she saw the death to come. It didn"t
scare her someone would die by his will tonight. It scared her that the thought of
him killing intrigued her.
“Ohh okay.” She licked her lips, still tasting a bit of him from their kiss.
“What"s your cell number?”
The glimpse of a smile curved the corner of his lips. “I don"t carry a cellular
phone, Sharayna.”
“Uh-uh, what language are you speaking? You need to get with the times,
man. Everyone has a cell phone,” she jested to make light of the deathly situation.
He wrapped his arms around her, kissed her softly then stepped away. Now
fully dressed, she stood in front of the studio as if she"d never left.
“I will find you, where ever you may be.” Right before her, he became ghostly
then disappeared.
“Well that was a quick walk,” Sota said behind her. “Feel better, baby girl?”
Still staring at the blank space where her dark lover once stood, she
mumbled, “I think I just had the mother of all hallucinations.”
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Chapter Seven
Frantic Cries
The current of the night sky engulfed him.
Demetri sliced through the strong winds in an attempt to flee. He had to
escape her enchantment, for the strength of his will had been shot to pieces. The
need to taste and be with her had overruled all reason. Her essence traveled
through his system, urging him to turn back around and claim her.
Landing on the roof of an apartment building, his chest heaved. A Xsonri
breathing excitedly as a human was unheard of, yet here he was panting as if he
needed to. He paced.
An image of her loveliness entered his mind. The smoothness of her umber
complexion tinged with a soft sheen of gold, her enticing chocolate eyes, the
fullness of her pouty lips and a smile straight from the heavens…And in addition to
that, her beauty was accentuated by the brilliant red, which streamed throughout
her thick mane.
A Goddess among men.
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He inhaled the air around him. Her delicious fragrance was a mere whiff on
the breeze, but still everywhere.
His need for her increased with each passing moment, and to think, he was
supposed to sit back and allow her to choose her mate from a mass of wretched
demons. He curled his hands into fists and growled. Never! She was for him! He
felt it deep down within his being, and he"d do everything in his power to make
known his claim on her.
At this time, her lust and need for comfort drove her into his arms, but that
wasn"t enough for him. He needed more. He needed to mark her just as she"d
marked him. He needed her to love him.
Sharayna.
Before he could place his claim on the beautiful Queen, he"d have to find a
way to control himself in her presence. Pushed to the point of utter madness, he
carelessly dropped fang in front of her. She was already conflicted with her true
identity. His revelation almost made things worse.
Leaving her had been his only option. He could only hold back the beast
within for so long.
Remembering the sweet taste of her kiss and the fantastic sensation of her
body against his, he stopped his frantic strides across the roof and licked his lips.
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It was pure torture to taste her thick lips, caress her soft skin and smell her
intoxicating arousal and not be able to take her.
He walked to the edge of the building and peered down at the passing cars.
The moment she offered her throat to him played over and over in his mind. She
craved his bite and it took everything within him not to give it to her. Had he been
a fool for not taking it, the ultimate power?
“No,” he growled.
She was unaware of the power in her blood and until she was, he wouldn"t
accept one drop. He might be a monster, but he still had a few morals.
Squatting down, he placed his hands over his head and slipped into a
meditative state to summon a semblance of calm. He stared up at the full moon,
which blushed under his appraisal.
How could the water demons not have told her? How could they have
allowed her to live her life as a human, knowing one day she"d shift to her true
form and create havoc on earth?
The questions boggled his mind. He"d absorbed a great deal of her pain
tonight, but he could only imagine how confused and disoriented she really was. It
was a miracle she"d made it this long without completely losing it.
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No matter the outcome, he wouldn"t allow her to go through this alone.
He"d protect and cherish her, and would have no mercy in taking the head of any
creature who dared to stake a claim on his Queen.
Yes, she was his Queen.
Finally able to gain some self control, he stood, stretched his arms out and
ascended into the night sky. The soothing rush of the wind calmed his senses and
brought down his ravenous craving for the demon Queen, for the moment.
Halting his flight, the unmistakable scent of evil souls assaulted his senses.
He landed on top of an abandoned building and sniffed the air around him.
The piteous sobs of a young girl gained his attention. He could sense her
blood, her fear, and the lust of the men who surrounded her. A wicked smile
played on his lips. This wouldn"t cure his obsession for Sharayna, but would
momentarily quiet the beast inside.
He dematerialized into mist and seeped into the building. Down the
stairwell, he drifted, lured by the sobs that quickly turned into frantic cries. His
journey ended in a large room overwhelmed with the scent of mildew, feces and
decaying rat corpses. Moonlight shone through a small window, giving the space
faint illumination. The girl, whose cries drew out his incisors, was bound to a
rickety bed frame by her small wrists.
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A man was on top of her, his form corpulent and grotesque. He ripped at her
clothes while four other men watched and waited their turn to take her.
Demetri thought back on Father Shannon"s plea for the souls that had been
lost to God. His plea was in vain. There was no salvation for these men. The evil he
saw in their minds were beyond heinous and were unforgivable. They"d raped and
murdered young children for years, and he was supposed to grant them mercy?
No. No mercy would be granted. Not tonight.
“Damn man, you taking all night. Just get her clothes off,” complained one
man waiting near the bed, tugging at his penis.
“Just hurry up and fuck her so I can get in there,” grumbled another.
Demetri materialized. Had the men not been so riveted by the sight of the
naked girl laying on the blood and urine stained mattress, they would"ve seen him
standing by the doorway.
He projected a mental message to the girl. “Close your eyes and keep them closed.
No matter what you hear, do not open them until I tell you to.”
Her fear-filled cries bounced off the molding walls as she followed his
instructions.
Casually, he approached them, allowing his footsteps to resound on the
floor. All heads jerked in his direction. The man on top of the little girl moved off
her and turned around, kneeled at the end of the bed. Unbuttoned, his police
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uniform exposed a big round gut and nub of a penis. The rotund officer drew his
gun out of his holster and leveled it at him.
“Gentlemen…” Demetri kept his steps at a slow measured pace, holding back
the excitement of the impended kills. “Surely you have room for one more.”
“Who the fuck are you?” exclaimed the policeman kneeling on the bed.
Demetri stopped a few feet before them and smiled. “Who the fuck am I?” he
asked, exposing his fangs. “Those who know of me refer to me as Demetri, but you
may call me Death.”
A gunshot rang out.
The bullet was halted in midair then launched back at the man"s big gut.
The other four took off running. Not in the mood for a chase, he swept his hand
ever so slightly and they were frozen in place.
Absorbing their rising fear, he tapped his chin in thought. Now how should
he go about this? There were so many ways to destroy humans with wicked souls,
but not one appealed to him at the moment. He couldn"t just drain them. No,
that"d be too easy. He needed to give them a memorable death, one that would
follow their wretched souls straight into hell.
; Decided, he gave into his malicious nature and released his dark energy
upon them. Through his will, his force pulled their penises from their bodies, very
slowly. Horrified screams of agony filled the musty room.
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He reached out and grabbed the man on the bed by his throat. While
clutching his wounded stomach, the officer began to pray.
Demetri chuckled. “Officer Jack,” he chimed, as if he was greeting an old
friend. “There is no need to pray. God can"t save you now.” He dug his nails into
the man"s throat and drew out a strangled howl. “Evil has consumed you and
attracted death to you tonight.”
“Noo, please! I have a sickness!” he jabbered, blood oozing from the corners
of his mouth. “I can"t help myself!”
Amused, Demetri arched a brow. “Do you truly believe this confession to me
will change your fate, Officer Jack? Do you believe your hell bound soul is worthy
of redemption?” He grabbed the man"s penis and small shriveled testicles and sunk
his nails in until a blood gurgling wail filled his ears. “No? I didn"t think so.” He
delved his nails in deeper and in one swift move snatched the man"s genitals from
his body.
The blood lust consumed him. He plunged his incisors deep into his man"s
jugular, drained him within seconds then ripped his throat out. Aggravated he
hadn"t put him to death slower; he threw the limp corpse against the wall, leaving
a bloody smear of human tissue where it hit.
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Growling, he shifted his eyes at the officer"s tortured comrades. One by one,
he ripped limbs, claimed throats and climaxed with every painful cry. Nothing
could compare to the feeling of taking a wicked life.
The last drained, throat-less body dropped to the floor. Howling with
pleasure, he dipped his head back, held his arms out and gave into the stimulus
induced by the evil blood that flowed through his system. His cheeks flushed. His
body ignited. The dark energy was so heady, he nearly erupted in laughter.
Rattling from the old rusted bed frame jarred him from the blood orgasm
and snapped his attention to the girl, who he"d almost forgotten was in the room.