Aiden watched Grace walk away until she was out of sight.
She didn't look back. Not once.
Good. That's good. At least that's what he told himself.
He hadn't meant to shriek at her like that. The look on her face...he felt like a total bastard.
With his next breath, he stubbornly pushed aside the feelings of remorse. He'd needed her to go away: Far, far away from these things.
He was hurt. Yes.
He was disappointed in her. Yes.
She had lied and completely and utterly betrayed him. Yes.
Yet the thought of her being at the mercy of these evil things around him turned his bowels to water.
His mouth twisted up into a tight smile. He was being a fool. A fool for a wisp of a girl who had only used him as a means to an end. She didn't care what happened to him. And there was absolutely no reason he should think otherwise. Not after what she'd so blatantly done.
A ghastly thought suddenly occurred to him.
Was that what the last few hours had been about? Distracting him with her feminine wiles so he wouldn't figure out her plan? Had that been her strategy all along?
Yet she'd seemed as completely panicked as he when she'd realized they were busting through the wall.
A hard yank on his hair brought his mind back to his own rather sketchy predicament.
"Mmm, mmm, mmmm," Steven murmured behind him as he watched Grace rush away with the Suits. "Check out that juicy ass. I'm going to enjoy seeing all that pale skin turn red and raw from my palm. Right before I fuck her until she screams. Or maybe while she screams."
Anger, hard and hot, rose up in Aiden at Steven's words. He gritted his teeth against it, biding his time.
There was no bloody way he would let this thing get anywhere near her.
"You won't be able to keep me away from that little piece. You can't protect her," He-Who-Used-To-Be-Steven gloated in his ear. "And she has no powers that are strong enough to be used against us. Oh, yes," he said when Aiden stiffened at his words. "I know exactly who she is. As soon as I'm done with you, I'll be going after that sweet ass. And you won't be around to stop me. Just like you weren't around to stop the ones that killed your family."
Aiden breathed deeply, in and out. This thing was a demon. A demon in his friends' body. It was only fucking with him, playing on his insecurities. He needed to remember that and not rise to the bait.
For that's what it wanted.
Steven shoved Aiden's head forward and let go of his hair, coming around to stand in front of him. The other two tightened their grips on his arms. They were freakishly strong.
Without a word, Steven stared into his eyes for so long that Aiden finally arched a disdainful brow, "Don't be staring at me like that," he gritted out. "I'm sorry to say I don't swing that way, and your ogling is making me rather uncomfortable, to be completely honest."
Steven's nostrils flared as he breathed in through his nose and exhaled heavily, his face the picture of waning patience. "I'll ask you again, what game are you playing, Waano?"
"And I will tell you again, Steven, that I have no bloody idea who this Waano character is..."
Steven's fist came up faster than even Aiden could track, connecting hard with a bone-shattering uppercut. If he'd been human, his jaw would've been pulverized.
"See, the thing is, I know you're in there, Waano. I can feel you. Although..." He cocked his head to the side and smirked as Aiden spit out a mouthful of blood and glared at him. "Hold on. Don't tell me you're hiding behind this vampire?" He made a sound somewhere between a snort and a laugh.
"I would shut up now if I were you," Aiden suggested. "And clear off, while you still can."
"Don't tell me that the big, bad demon feared by all is really nothing but a fucking spineless coward?" Steven continued as if he hadn't spoken. "A recluse who's afraid to leave your safe, little world. Afraid your inferiors will rise up against you and you won't be able to do a fucking thing about it."
He spit on the ground between them in disgust. "I always knew you were nothing but a fucking pussy."
Aiden felt a nauseous stirring inside of him, and fought to tamp down the spike of fear that accompanied it before it showed on his face.
Leaning towards Steven as far as he could without pulling his shoulders from their sockets, he glanced from side to side and whispered confidentially, "I wouldn't call him that if I were you. I don't think he likes it."
Steven leaned in also, his hot breath heating Aiden's face as he spit out, "I don't fucking care. Pussy."
Aiden wrinkled his nose and pulled back. "I wasn't yanking your chain earlier, mate. A little mouthwash, at the very least..."
Pain exploded in his cheek and his head whipped to the side as Steven backhanded him. The strength in that casual strike was staggering, even for a vampire.
Of course, he wasn't just a vampire anymore, was he?
Much as he didn't want to admit it, Aiden knew what was going to have to happen if he had any hope of gaining the upper hand on these twats.
Working his jaw from side to side, Aiden frowned. "I apologize if the truth hurts, but it's not like I didn't make the suggestion to you before."
Another crushing uppercut nearly separated his head from his neck.
A low growl began from somewhere within the innermost depths of his being, part him and part something else. It rose up until it vibrated deep in his throat. Raising his head, he gave Steven a bloody smile as he felt a roiling heat swell up inside of him.
"Well, now you've gone and done it."
His head dropped down onto his chest and his body sagged between the guards.
Steven chuckled, glancing around at the group. "Come on. We'll take him back alive to show 'our mistress'." He made air quotes. "Leeha likes this vampire. Wait until I tell her he's still residing in his body with her pussy ass demon lord." He nodded, almost to himself. "We can hold him over the stupid bitch's head; use him as collateral when we need something from her." Gripping Aiden's hair, he lifted his head. "Hear that, Waano? You're nothing but a pawn in our game now."
Dark shadows swirled in the grey eyes. "Take your filthy fucking hands off of me, Mammot."
Instead of complying, Steven moved his face in closer. "Ah, so you are in there. I was beginning to worry that you really had turned into a complete pussy. And it's 'Steven', you fucker."
Aiden could feel the demon's anger rising fully within him, and he didn't fight it. He was quite convinced now. Letting him loose was the only way for him to get his body out of here in one piece. These demon hybrids were freakily strong, even more so than Dante, the oldest vampire Aiden knew.
Once the demon took him over completely, he would just have to trust that his mates would find him and get it out again somehow. Then maybe they could help the others, now that he knew from experience that they were still there inside of their bodies.
Somewhere.
The foulness of the entity that possessed him rose up then, drifting around like smoke inside of his body. It oozed through his cells, infesting his muscles and polluting his bloodstream until he felt vile and filthy throughout. Bile filled his throat, and he fought the urge to vomit.
Hello, Aiden.
The voice in his head was rusty with disuse. It's English heavily accented.
Waano, I presume?
His physical form was feeling a bit crowded. It was the strangest feeling. He was still aware of himself and everything that was going on, but the demon, Waano, was there also. Sharing what little space there was.
He felt transcendental within his own body for the first time, and idly wondered if this was how it was with the others.
Were they inside their bodies, aware of everything that was happening? Screaming for help, knowing no one could hear them?
He started in surprise as a menacing smile lifted the corners of his own mouth, and his head tilted to the side of its own accord, stretching his neck. His fangs shot down and he felt his muscles harden, tensing for the fight.
Aiden wasn't controlling his body anymore, yet he was aware of everything that was happening. It was rather disconcerting.
No. It was utterly frightening.
Steven’s groupies were still holding out his arms to either side. Not bothering to fight their hold, Waano dropped his head back and closed his eyes.
Short bolts of lightening flashed around him as the static electricity in the air collided together. It massed together, swirling in the air, gaining strength, crackling and sparking.
As the power of it wrapped around him, he roared aloud. His body convulsed once as it broke through his skin and shot through him: The voltage feeding him, empowering him, juicing him up.
At the same time, the demon within him completely unfurled itself, like a sail billowing open in a strong wind. It completely filled his physical body, infusing every cell, until he became...more: More than a supernatural being, more than a vampire, more than any organic entity in this realm.
Aiden felt all of that energy coil into a tight ball within his core, and then without warning, Waano let it loose in one hard shot. Any demon within ten feet of him went flying violently through the air as if a dynamite blast had just gone off, landing hard no less than thirty feet away.
Free of their hold, Waano turned him to face the others behind him. They immediately packed together, standing against him as one, their expressions determined and rebellious. They were not going to back down.
Aiden immediately noticed that there appeared to be power in numbers. The more of them there were, the stronger their connection. They seemed to feed off of each other, sharing their energies. He could feel the vibration of their combined strengths cross the distance between them.
But Waano only chuckled.
"You think to intimidate me with your meager show of force?" he sneered, his words sharp with displeasure. He narrowed his eyes, and Aiden could feel Waano's feelings of disgust for these others. "Are you forgetting who it is that you are dealing with?"
The demons stood where they were, waiting.
For what, he didn't know.
Aiden heard Steven coming up behind them, the others who'd been thrown from the energy blast staggering to their feet to join him.
Waano took a step back and turned to the side so he could keep an eye on all of them. Through the shadows of the demon's eyes, Aiden could see he was tracking Steven as he came around to stand in front of him again, apart from the rest.
Waano crossed Aiden's arms in front of his chest, and spoke to Steven as if to an errant child. There was absolutely no fear within him that he could feel. "You wanted to challenge me? Well, here I am, Mammot. Here is your chance."
"My name is Steven, and I am not your lowly servant boy anymore. I am the boss here. I am the one with all of the power. The others," He swept his arm around to indicate the group standing off to the side. "They do as I say, as I order."
Aiden felt his eyebrow lift. Apparently, Waano was unimpressed.
Steven paced back and forth, suppressed anger rippling off of him in waves. He began to roll up the sleeves of the white, button down shirt he was wearing. "I've been waiting a long, long time to take you down a notch. You may be lord in our realm, but here? Here I am the king."
He drew up in front of Aiden and they stood eye to eye. Aiden could feel Waano's rising irritation, although he didn't show it.
"I challenge you, Waano. Winner takes all, including the other's soul."
Aiden's head was thrown back as Waano laughed loudly and arrogantly. "I knew you were resentful of your rightful place, but I never thought you were an idiot."
Steven bared his fangs and hissed, his chest bowing out in a show of intimidation.
Waano stepped up until they stood toe to toe. "You are not worth the effort," he spit out. With one hand on his chest, he drove Steven into his group of buddies effortlessly.
The force of the shove sent him sprawling into the middle of them, but he instantly untangled himself with a bellow of frustration. Launching himself forward, he came at Waano with clenched fists.
An eerie howl sounded in the distance, followed quickly by another, closer this time.
Steven stopped halfway across the distance separating them. Everyone froze to listen.
Another howl sounded less than a mile away.
What is that? Waano asked Aiden silently.
Aiden felt the dread rising within him: His own emotion this time. He knew those howls.
Sure enough, a large, rangy wolf burst from the trees and headed straight for the group at a steady lope.
They're on our side. They won't hurt you! Aiden told Waano, but there was no need.
As soon as the largest wolf ripped into the nearest creature, distracting the group, the demon pulled out.
Aiden cried out in agony as it retreated. He felt like his insides were being turned inside out as the entity detached itself from his physical form to settle somewhere deep within his soul. Once it was gone, he would've never known it had been there at all if it wasn't for the lingering need to scour himself inside and out with bleach to get rid of the persistent feeling of filth.
As the remaining three wolves joined in the fight, he fell to his hands and knees and vomited blood, feeling like a tree that had just been crushed into pulp.
His last thought before he passed out amidst the carnage was to wonder if Grace had made it out all right.