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EMBER HOPED SHE COULD soon learn how to use the magic that had been unlocked from her mind. She could call on hellfire easily, but she didn’t know how to use anything else. Burning Raum’s suit from his body had been the highlight of her year so far. It was right up there with watching Beleth be assassinated.
She snickered at the memory of seeing the handsome demon standing there buck naked and covered in ash. Raum had given her a scathing look, but she’d seen a hint of amusement in his dark blue eyes. Despite his promise not to harm her ever again, she’d expected some kind of retaliation. So far, he hadn’t attempted to punish her at all. A few nights had passed since he and his ally had broken her link to the Immortal Triumvirate and he still hadn’t come in search of her.
Bored with hiding in the Shifter District, Ember decided to test whether the demon lord was really going to let her get away with her impudence. She winged her way to the City Square and flew past his office in the Demon Guild. His head turned to track her and he pursed his lips. He gestured at her imperiously and she impulsively approached his window.
Raum left his desk to open the window for her, then stepped aside to allow her to climb through it. Knowing it would throw him off, she changed into her human form. His gaze immediately dropped to her chest and he smiled in appreciation. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” he asked her silkily.
Ember shrugged and he sucked in a sharp breath when her breasts swayed with her movements. She surreptitiously rolled her eyes at his fascination with her pale, fleshy, fragile human guise. “I was bored and I thought I’d see if you’d calmed down yet,” she said as she looked around his office.
“It was very naughty of you to pull a prank like that on me,” he scolded her. “I should put you over my knee and spank you soundly for being so childish.”
She looked at him through her eyelashes, which were ridiculously long. “You promised you wouldn’t hurt me,” she reminded him coyly.
“I assure you, you would find being spanked by me to be intensely pleasurable,” he said with a seductive smile.
Every muscle inside her body clenched, but it wasn’t from fear. “Why does this body react to you so strangely?” she asked, gesturing at herself.
“You’re as attracted to me as I am to you,” he replied, then reached out to put his hands on her waist.
Ember almost took a step back, but stopped herself. Raum hadn’t made a move to threaten her so far. He was being true to his word, which was odd for a demon. It felt strangely nice to have his warm hands on her naked skin. It was her turn to suck in a breath when he swept his hands up until they rested just beneath her breasts. She remembered the last time they’d been this close when she’d been in her human form. They’d become lost in a kiss until the Night Cursed cop had broken them from their spell. From the way his eyes darkened, he remembered it as well. “You want to kiss me, don’t you?” she asked huskily.
“I do,” he replied and pulled her closer. “You have no idea what it does to me to have you naked and in my arms.”
A thrill went through her when he bent his head to hers. She lifted her face to meet him and went up onto her tippytoes. His lips brushed hers almost questioningly. When she didn’t pull away, he nibbled her bottom lip until she opened her mouth. A delicious warmth suffused her insides when he kissed her hungrily. His hands roamed up and down her back, then dipped down to cup her backside.
Ember let out a startled sound when Raum picked her up. She wrapped her legs around him instinctively. He crossed to his desk and sat her down, then leaned forward until her back was touching the desktop. “Do you like this?” he asked as he pressed his erection against her core.
The demoness made an inarticulate sound of agreement. Sensations she’d never felt before were setting her on fire from the inside. This time, it was pleasurable rather than painful.
Raum cupped her breast and kissed his way down to her nipple. Her back arched when he took it into his mouth and sucked. “What are you doing to me?” she moaned, drowning in pleasure she’d never felt before.
“Everything,” he whispered, then gently bit her nipple. “I’m going to do everything to you and you’re going to scream my name when I make you orgasm.”
His hand slid down her stomach to the aching place between her legs. He touched her nub and she jerked her hips in surprise. Raum began to rub her and suck on her breast at the same time. She clutched his broad shoulders as something began to build inside her. The hellion was just about to explode when a knock came at the door and the moment was shattered. Ember pushed the demon lord away and scrambled for the window. She exited as fast as she could, turning back into her demon form before she could splatter to her death.
Ember glanced over her shoulder to see Raum storm over to the door and yank it open. She moved out of earshot before she could hear him berating his minion for interrupting them.
Feeling unsettled by what had just happened, the demoness flew to the shifter woods. It had been a while since she’d seen her pack and she wanted to check up on them. She landed near the cave where a large group of rogues usually slept and was greeted by a werecougar. The feline was agitated and rushed over to her. She took hold of Ember’s hand with her paw and tugged on her.
“What’s wrong?” Ember asked, but the rogue couldn’t speak. She followed the werecougar to another cave a few miles away. It was far smaller than the other cavern, but it was packed with shifters. “What the hell happened?” she asked in horror when she saw how withered and feeble they were. Their fur had turned white and they’d aged seemingly overnight.
Too weary to stand, the werecreatures lay in a jumble, seeking comfort from each other. When Ember emerged from the cave, she was met with other members of her pack. She felt their bleakness and shared it. Changing into her werewolf form, she sniffed the air and caught a faint hint of three familiar scents. “The Immortal Triumvirate did this,” she growled. Howls, yips and screeches confirmed it. The leaders of Nox had already done their best to ruin the city, but it seemed they weren’t finished inflicting torment on their civilians. “They’ll pay for this,” she vowed as she seethed in fury. She couldn’t let them continue to drain her rogues and hide them away in a cave in the wilderness. One way or another, they were going to die.
The drained rogues would starve to death if she didn’t take steps to prevent it. “I want you all to hunt together in small groups,” she ordered. “If you see or smell the Immortal Triumvirate, run. Look after each other and bring food to the drained shifters.”
Her pack dropped to all fours and rubbed against her submissively, silently agreeing to obey her. It was strange, but ever since she’d started to spend time with them, more game had begun to appear in the woods. It was almost like the old magic of Nox that used to provide for everyone was returning. Whatever the reason for the resurgence of the animals was, it meant the rogues wouldn’t starve to death. She just wished she could have prevented them from becoming victims of the latest betrayal their leaders had inflicted on them.
