Lazarus led Eve to their seats on board the Boeing 737. Christ, he hated traveling this way, but they didn’t have much choice. They usually used their own plane for times like this when they needed to travel with their demi, but since Gunner was their pilot, that option was out. Gunner had gotten worse, had locked himself in one of the holding cells below their compound, afraid he’d hurt someone.
Lazarus glanced at Eve. She hadn’t met his eyes since this morning, had kept them hidden from him since they did what they had last night.
After the way he’d acted, her silence didn’t surprise him. He’d come so damn close to taking her, to sinking inside her and losing his head completely. He should have pulled away, but there was no way he could have left her wanting. Every part of him had rejected the idea.
So he’d fucking rubbed up on her until she got off then he’d forced himself to stop before his control snapped completely and he’d taken more. Fuck, it had left him hurting.
That persistent hum, his constant awareness of Eve had only gotten more intense. It felt like she was plugged directly into his nervous system and sent a continual electrical current straight to his dick.
Shit, having her soft, pliant body beside him had tormented him through the long night, but he couldn’t make himself get up and sleep in the chair. She’d wriggled and squirmed in her sleep, had made these breathy little sounds, driving him crazy. He’d barely resisted finishing where they’d left off. Taking what he wanted. What he needed.
The situation was a huge mess, and after her confession last night—that she would rather die, than face this new life—he had to tread very carefully from now on. But the pain radiating from her had damn near killed him.
He scrubbed his hands over his face. His mind whirled, full of contradictions.
What the hell was he going to do? What if he couldn’t convince her that mating with him was the best decision for both of them?
And then there was the effect Eve’s presence had on his demon, something he hadn’t anticipated. Especially since they hadn’t mated yet. When he’d touched her, kissed her, his demon had actually calmed. Shit, the bastard had purred. Oh, it still reared and bucked, but only because that dark side of him craved the light it recognized in Eve.
He found he was capable of a level of control over his demon that he hadn’t had since Tobias’s desertion. Since he found Eve, he’d twice prevented his demon from breaking free and wreaking the havoc it continually screamed for, and both times that had been because of her.
What if they didn’t have to mate?
Could sex be enough?
If that was the answer, she’d be able to move on with her life once he’d taken down Tobias. He and his brothers would regain control and she wouldn’t be tied to him, not in any way. His desire for her wouldn’t lessen, but then he’d already planned to walk away, to face a future craving her and never being satisfied. A price he was willing to pay. Whatever it took to protect her from him.
It would mean deceiving her, but it would be for the best. In the long run, it would be for the best.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
How could he ask that of her? How could he ask her to let him use her body like that? Besides, he wasn’t even sure it would work. Was he willing to risk his brothers to find out?
Jesus, he’d lost his goddamned mind.
Until recently, they’d all been tracking Tobias. The situation hadn’t been ideal. They still had to retrieve the newly changed demi-demons, like Eve, while hunting rogue demons that escaped into the city. Now they were all unstable, and in Gunner’s case, caged like a wild animal. Things couldn’t get much worse. His only option was holding off his own demon long enough to find Tobias.
And there was only one way that he knew how to do that with certainty.
Mating with Eve.
Their brother’s death was the only thing that could restore the delicate balance between good and evil warring inside each of them. If he failed, the knights would be lost forever, and mankind would become easy prey to Diemos and his demons.
A child’s cry brought him from his thoughts and back to the now full plane. Eve was settled back in her seat, still avoiding his gaze, and she continued to do so after they’d taken flight a short time later.
He could feel her fear and had the uncharacteristic urge to provide comfort. He’d never been good with words, or people for that matter, and had no idea how to go about it. But at this point, anything he said would be insufficient.
So he stayed quiet.
He glanced over at Eve again, unable to help himself. She was dressed in jeans and a blue shirt with the words Read Books Not T-shirts stretched across her large breasts. The female looked good, too damn good. Her thick, dark hair sat piled on top of her head in a loose ponytail, and some of it had broken free to frame her pale face as she looked around the plane with wide eyes, biting her lower lip nervously.
Don’t look at her mouth.
He quickly turned away.
Time dragged, then halfway through the movie they were watching, Eve asked, “You said demi-demons are trained and released?”
“Yes.”
“So how long will I be staying with you? When will I be…released?”
Never, if I have my way. But he didn’t say that. Hell, he didn’t know where the possessive words filling his head had come from. Instead, he said, “Each demi is different. Once they’re trained to shield and control their powers, and we’re convinced they’ve mastered those skills and will be safe in the outside world, we allow them to leave and start their new lives.”
She nodded.
“It’ll be all right, Eve. You can do this.” He shrugged. “You have to do this. Failure isn’t an option.” He was pushing, trying to bring back the feisty woman who fought him in her store. He hated seeing her this way.
She frowned. “You keep saying that, but it doesn’t feel all right.” She turned and faced him fully, fire flashing behind her eyes. “I can tell you, from where I’m sitting, none of this nightmare feels all fucking right.”
There it was: that spirited side of her nature that would get her through this ordeal. She’d been quiet, withdrawn since last night, and it was entirely his fault. He’d acted like an animal in that room.
He couldn’t help it; he grinned at her.
Her brows shot up. “What are you smiling about? You think this is funny?”
“No. I’d just rather you yell at me than not speak at all.”
The corners of her mouth tipped up a little. “It’s a lot to take in.”
He reached over and grabbed her hand, not just to provide comfort, but because he couldn’t help himself. “I know, but it’s that strength of yours that will get you through this, Eve. Don’t ever forget that.”
What the hell? Suddenly I’m a fucking shrink.
She studied his face. “I hope you’re right.”
“I know I am.” He kept hold of her hand. Disturbingly, he was unable to let her go. Her fingers wrapped in his felt good…right.
She dropped her gaze. “I’m glad I’ve got you here to help me through this.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” He tightened his grip on her fingers as if to prove the point. “Eve, look…last night, what happened between us…” He ran a hand through his hair. “Shit, what I’m trying to say is…, I acted like an asshole,” he stammered out. Christ, he sounded like a spotty teenager.
“After you…after we…” She stopped mid-sentence, apparently having the same trouble.
“Talk to me, Eve.”
She looked everywhere but at him. “Something’s going on, something I can’t explain. I don’t usually, you know, dive on guys like that.”
Now wasn’t an ideal time to explain what she was to him, but then he wasn’t sure there ever would be. And so far, all his other attempts had failed. At least this way she couldn’t get up and run the fuck away. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
She looked down. “No, it’s fine, really. I understand why you didn’t take things further. I just wanted you to know that’s not how I usually behave. I know I put you in an awkward position.”
She put him in an awkward position? “What are you talking about?”
She glanced up at him, puzzled.
“Why do you think I stopped?” he added.
Her cheeks darkened, and she cleared her throat. “You’re not attracted to me. You were just being kind.”
How could she think that? Words spilled from his mouth like someone else had taken control of his vocal cords. “Jesus, you couldn’t be more wrong.” He sounded needy as hell, but was past caring. “You cause such a hunger inside me, Eve. As it is, I can barely control myself around you. I want you so bad I can barely think of anything else. And just so you know, right now I’m so fucking hard for you it hurts.”
He’d yakked up the contents of his frustrated and confused mind without restraint, and instantly wished he could take it back. But going by the intoxicating, purely feminine scent that drifted up to wrap around his senses, Eve was right there with him.
Her nipples hardened, the peaks straining against her T-shirt. He licked his lips, mouth watering for a taste of her. He might not have wanted to rush her, but being half angel sure as hell didn’t make him a saint.
The hard length of his cock burned hot against his stomach. Thank God his shirt was covering all that was going on down there, because the thing had popped past the waistband of his jeans—like it was trying for a look-see at what he wanted so damn bad.
Her cheeks flushed, making him want her even more. She bit her lip, and the innocence that had captivated him the minute he’d laid eyes on her returned in her wide-eyed stare.
“There’s more,” he said.
She sucked in a breath. “More?”
“Yeah, I just…” Where the hell should he start?
“You’re starting to freak me out, Lazarus.”
Fuck it. “You’re not just a demi-demon, Eve, you are…” He stared into her beautiful eyes. “You are my demi-demon.”
She blinked several times then blurted, “What do you mean, yours?”
Inwardly, he winced at the look of horror covering her face. “You’re my mate.”
“What? You mean like…” She paled. “You mean like Kryos and Meredith?”
Okay, this was harder than he thought. “Yes. Each knight has a female somewhere in the world.” She stared at him, and he shifted in his seat. “She is everything he needs—will ever need. Once they mate, the warrior’s strength increases and the demon half of him stabilizes.” He reached out, unable to stop himself from brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “And for a demi, mating means immortality…and the protection and devotion of her warrior for eternity.”
“Immortality?”
“Yes.” The disbelief quickly disappeared from her face.
No, sweetheart, I’m not making any of this shit up.
“And you’re my…my warrior?”
Hearing her say those words nearly had him undone. The cabin lights were low for the night flight and highlighted the shadows beneath Eve’s eyes. She looked fragile. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his lap and convince her everything would be all right. But he couldn’t, because it wouldn’t. “Yes, and you are my female.” He barely recognized his voice, the words rasping past his lips. “But nothing is set in stone. In the end, the decision must be yours, Eve.”
Her eyes widened. “I…I…”
“You don’t need to decide now.” He’d have a better chance of her accepting him if she believed she had a choice in this. He just hoped she made the right one.
She blinked up at him. He wanted to say more, to reassure her, but his reply caught in his throat when unease wrapped around him like a dark shadow, so damn suffocating.
“What’s going on?” Eve said, picking up on his sudden change of mood.
Lazarus stood, unable to respond, and stepped into the aisle. He pretended to get something from the overhead storage compartment and glanced across the rows of passengers in the front and behind them, searching. Most appeared asleep or watching a movie. He did another pass.
Fuck.
“What are you doing?” Eve tried again, voice shaky.
Pins and needles tap-danced down his spine, right before milky eyes opened and the fucker returned his stare, smiling.
They were still an hour from Chicago, but the Orthon wouldn’t attempt anything until they were free of witnesses. He sat back down without a word.
“What is it?” The concern in Eve’s voice and etched into her features caused rage to course through his veins. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her. “It’s nothing.”
Uncertainty shifted through her gaze, and she opened her mouth to say more.
“We’ll talk more later.” Lazarus surrounded her with the compulsion to sleep. He’d used it a lot on her lately and he felt a little guilty, but it was better than letting her freak out for the next hour. She visibly relaxed and made a hmm sound.
In a matter of minutes, she’d drifted off to sleep beside him.
The flight seemed to take forever, but finally, their plane touched down. He reached up and collected Eve’s carry-on.
“Are we here?” she asked groggily.
“Yeah.”
She stood, and he led her toward the exit. First, he had to get her out of the airport. After that, Brent, another demi, would put them up at a secure location.
He glanced behind them, spotting the Orthon. It was in the guise of a middle-aged male, following and gaining on them quickly.
“What’s going on, Lazarus?”
As usual, Eve didn’t miss a thing. “We have company,” he said with a sharp glance over his shoulder.
Clever girl that she was, no further explanations were necessary. She grabbed his hand and picked up the pace beside him.