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  Quution’s brow dropped as he thought through her predicament. Stryke gave her a do you really think Spaeth will keep his word? look.

  “I’m not a rookie,” she said defensively. “I know Spaeth will either refuse to release them and keep me under his power or find some other way to control me. Prolonging the situation was my first goal, but recently, he’s been putting a lot of pressure on me and I haven’t gotten a vibe of where they are.”

  “We can work together,” Quution offered. “We’ll help you find them.”

  “And then what? It’s not as if I back your stupid idea to trap us all down here.”

  Stryke pushed off the doorframe. “You two argue that out. I’m going to search the underworld and see if I can pinpoint where Spaeth’s chamber is and where he’s keeping your family prisoner.”

  “Finding them isn’t going to make me so grateful I’ll keep quiet about your wards.”

  Quution’s expression remained placid. “Maybe finding them will convince you why we need to take extreme measures to keep a demon like Spaeth in this realm.”

  “Or,” Stryke cut in, “maybe I’m a decent guy and won’t let a female and her child suffer.”

  Quution’s steady gaze didn’t leave hers. “That too.”

  “Meanwhile, I’m still a prisoner.” They were helping free her family while she was their captive.

  Quution’s mouth tightened. “No, but I ask that we join teams, at least temporarily.”

  It was her only out—for now. “Temporarily.” When Xera and Xoda were free, she’d take off with them, head deep into unexplored caverns.

  Xoda would love…

  What would she love?

  Stryke interrupted her thoughts. “I’ll stop in tomorrow. Buzz me if you need anything, Q.”

  In other words, call him if she caused trouble. She almost rolled her eyes, but she was alone in a room with Quution, a room she supposedly could leave at any time.

  Chapter 14

  Quution regarded the female sitting mutinously in his chair. She had to see the logic in warding the underworld. He shuddered to think what Spaeth had done to Xera, or worse, the little girl. Using her family’s situation to support his argument wasn’t appropriate, and it wasn’t relevant anyway. All his work would do was limit Spaeth’s reach to the underworld.

  Which would be a major improvement for many demons. He had to get Xan to see that. “If the full-bloods didn’t need half-breeds to do their bidding in the human realm, there would be no need to enslave them.”

  While half-breeds could possess a human without their muted powers blowing the host’s circuit, it was notoriously difficult for a pure-blooded demon to possess a being in the other realm. They needed a powerful host like an elite vampire, and if Demetrius and his team were successful at their jobs, that’d become next to impossible.

  But Xan didn’t appear to be swayed. The fingers of one arm tapped the surface of the desk. One long leg was crossed over the other, her foot bobbing until he felt like he was under interrogation.

  “Do you know what it’s like to work for a powerful demon?”

  He’d never had the misfortune. “Pain and torture.”

  She lifted a shoulder. “For some. For others, it’s a haven. A powerful being watching out for you.” She uncrossed her legs and sat forward. “But you know what else they provide?”

  His mind was still turning over her claim that being controlled was a haven. How could it be?

  But then he thought of the lesser half-breeds, the ones with wimpy powers and mediocre fighting skills. It’d be like the mafia. A mob-boss demon protecting them. A name to throw around to fend off the baddies.

  She didn’t wait for him to answer. “They’re our access to the human realm. To television. To good food that doesn’t try to eat us first. To massages and moonlit strolls and a fine merlot.”

  He processed her words but couldn’t reconcile them with the demons he knew. “They find a host and destroy the host’s life with less concern than they would have for a bug. The only goal of having a host, for most demons, is to find a route for easier possession, to find a strong vampire for their full-blooded master.”

  “Is that what you do?” she challenged.

  “You know I don’t.” He’d always prided himself in how he treated his hosts, but he couldn’t deny the times he’d gotten them into grave danger—or shot.

  “Oh.” She nodded, but it was an overexaggerated motion. “You’re like the unicorn of demons. Only you would treat a host right, as if possessing them wasn’t an ultimate violation in the first place. But they should be thankful when you possess them. The rest of us? Evil monsters.”

  “How did you find Marcus?”

  “His cult-loving ex-girlfriend summoned the full-breed I was working with. I’m sorry, the full-breed Malachi was repeatedly mauling when he was alive and who wanted a way out. I was tasked with finding a host strong enough for her.” She reclined in the chair and draped one leg over the other. “But it proved difficult with the Circle cronies recruiting their own vampires to possess and take over the realm. She was killed before I could finish. My deal with her was over, but I kept Marcus.”

  He would’ve, too. A self-sufficient human with few ties to other humans outside of work left Xan days where she could gallivant around in him without raising suspicion from those who cared about him.

  He conceded the point she’d made, but only slightly. “You and I are different. I’ve seen the swath of destruction other demons have left. People suffer. Families are destroyed. The violations are both personal and physical. It’s sickening. If we keep on this path, both full-bloods and half-breeds alike will find a way to bring hell on Earth.”

  “You don’t think highly of our kind.”

  He threw his hands in the air, his long claws glinting in the torchlight. “How could I think any other way? I was born into captivity. My mother was neglectful on a good day, which was rare. I did not want her attention. You killed your mother to protect your sister, and you’re spying on me to protect your living relatives. Sounds like a fine species to let gallivant wherever they want.”

  Xan ran her tongue across her teeth, managing not to nick a fang. He wanted to lick along that fang, watch her shiver from his touch.

  He steeled himself. The heavy discussion should be muting his libido, but alas, around Xan, that was never the case.

  “Being in a host like Marcus is the only joy I’ve ever known. There is no joy down here.”

  Her words sent him reeling. No, there wasn’t any joy to be had in the underworld. But his memories kept trying to yank him back to the time with her in his chamber, when she’d…

  That had been fake.

  “And the real question,” she continued, “is how stuck down here with us would you be? Hypocritical, don’t you think? Confine the rest of us, but only after you figure out how to move freely.”

  Dare he tell her? “Two demons I care very much about have mates in the human realm. I will not separate them.”

  “And you?”

  He couldn’t answer. His motivations aligned with hers. There was no joy in the underworld, but in humans, their energy—their love, their passion, their fun… He wasn’t leaving it behind.

  He’d thought he felt it all on a different level because of his energy. Yet Xan spoke like she’d plucked the words of his favorite host experiences from his head.

  “So taking it away from everyone else is fine. Got it.” Xan rose, her lithe body graceful. “I have my sister to find.”

  “If you or I go looking, Spaeth will know something’s up. He gave you a deadline and he’ll wonder why you aren’t pushing for answers.”

  “Oh, I’ve gotten answers. I could go to him now.”

  “You said you’d work with me.” Temporarily.

  “You haven’t made a good case for why I should.”

  At least she wasn’t leaving. The way she strolled through his wards, he didn’t know if he could contain her, or if he wan
ted to damage her trust more. Her acceptance didn’t matter; it was what he had to do.

  “I’m not just being selfish. Someone needs to oversee the wards, make sure that they’re holding and perform regular maintenance.” He went for full disclosure. “The vampires, they’re the first, dare I say, friends I’ve ever had. Stryke is my only family. You have your sister and your niece. Would they tolerate me?”

  His real talk was enough to capture her attention. “You trust vampires over me?”

  “Does it matter who I trust? But, yes, they have earned my trust.”

  Had she gotten closer? “And naturally, you’ve taken it upon yourself to be the hall monitor.”

  “A realm monitor, yes.”

  “Quution the All-Powerful.”

  He frowned. “No.”

  “Quution the Magnanimous.”

  He shook his head. “It’s not like tha—”

  “Quution the—”

  “What else am I going to do?” he snapped. He tried to shove his hand through his hair, but two of his claws caught his forehead. He growled and a ripped both offending claws off, then picked away at the other three, tossing them on the floor.

  “And me? What about me?”

  She had slinked closer. All his claws were off. If he touched her, he wouldn’t mar her soft skin. “I’m just your job.”

  Regret crossed her face. “You’re not just a job.”

  But he was her target. “I’m a means to an end. The…what we did…all that was an illusion. You didn’t mean any of it.” He tried to say that neither had he, but he couldn’t tell such a bold lie.

  “Do you recall the part of the fantasy where you thought I was sick?”

  He forced himself to go back to that day. Avoidance had been key to keep from distracting himself. He could surrender himself to the delusion and not reemerge for anyone. It’d been that good. But, yes, he did remember concern over her well-being.

  “I made myself look like that host you use.”

  “Why?” He hadn’t chosen the host because she was attractive. Brooklyn’s stress over college graduation made her a beacon to a demon like him.

  “Because I thought that was what you liked. Call me surprised when I dropped my personal mirage and you were fine.” She stepped into his personal space. “So, what about me, Quution?”

  “I still don’t understand your question. I’m just a job for you.”

  Anger sparked in her purple gaze. “Do you think I fuck my targets?” Her fury swelled and she was turning away.

  He panicked and grabbed her arm. “Don’t go.” She stopped, but the tremor running through her said he was still on shaky ground. “What am I to think? I’m not your type. My power is coveted, not me. Are you…” Was he a fool for asking? “Do you like me?”

  Had he possessed so many humans that he was tying himself in knots trying to figure out his feelings?

  “I wanted to fuck you so bad I still ache.”

  The sonic boom of her claim disappeared under a swell of desire. His hands were on her waist before his conscious mind could come back online.

  “You…did?” Because he did, too. “Then why didn’t you?” He would’ve been more than a willing participant, and if Stryke had visited and interrupted him while he was inside of Xan, Stryke’s life would’ve been in grave danger.

  “Like you said, it was all fake. Your reasons for wanting me were under false pretenses.”

  “But this is real.”

  “I guess it is. So, what do we do about it?”

  He was swamped in her scent. Lavender with the smell of home he’d thought he hated so much. His hands were on her warm body. A little tug and she’d be curved into him.

  A pink tongue darted out to lick her lips and her gaze was on his mouth.

  Today seemed the day for honesty. He went with it. “I know what I want to do.”

  “Me too.”

  Okay. This was going to happen. She had a few days left before she was to report to Spaeth. Stryke wasn’t coming back until tomorrow, and to keep up the ruse, she was supposed to be seducing him.

  But he’d never done this before. Her previous partners had probably been experienced, even a little brutish—or a lot brutish. Quution didn’t know what she liked, but—

  She wrapped one hand around each fang and yanked. A flash of pain burst through his mouth, but his prosthetics released without bloodshed. His real, smaller fangs held strong.

  She dumped the fakes on the floor next to his “claws.” “Those are ridiculous.” Her gaze rose to his. “But they grew on me. I just want them out of my way.”

  Her gaze heated and she kissed the spots on his lips that were still indented from his falsies.

  His pulse hammered through his ears. “You were my biggest annoyance. But I looked for you around every corner.”

  He tightened his grip and bent his head. As soon as his lips touched hers and she returned the pressure, he was lost.

  He swung her around until her ass hit the desktop. Lifting her on top, he stepped between her legs. Leaning over her more than if she were standing, he briefly wondered if she would mind.

  But she wrapped her legs around his waist and hugged his shoulders so tightly he couldn’t have backed away even if he’d wanted to.

  He plundered her hot, wet mouth. The only things between them were his ratty clothes, but he refused to pull back enough to get them off.

  He’d rather have her tear them off.

  She must’ve had the same idea. The next moment, his jacket was yanked down his arms, pinning them to his sides, his hands on her legs.

  Pulling away, she purred, “Ooh, I think I like this.”

  He did too. But no way was he going to miss using his hands during his first time with a female. Not with this female.

  Shrugging the coat off the rest of the way, it hit the floor at his boots.

  The shoes would have to go. He snaked an arm around her and captured her mouth again as he toed out of his bulky footwear. Kicking them off, he dropped a couple of inches in height, bringing her center even with his.

  His loose pants didn’t inhibit his erection. It prodded her core and she rubbed against him.

  A low groan resonated through his chest and into hers.

  Seams tore as she ripped his shirt off, but it didn’t slow them down. Their mouths clashed. She stroked her tongue against his. He sucked on it, on her lips, until she nicked his tender flesh with a fang.

  He planted his hands on the desktop, sagging from the pleasure, his moan echoing through the chamber. She broke away from him with a sultry, wicked smile.

  “Do it again,” he said, his voice ragged.

  “Where?” she whispered and yanked at his pants. The cloth tie snapped. His pants floated down his legs. He shoved them away with a foot.

  He was naked with Xan and this time it wasn’t a fantasy. This was real.

  He looked down between them. His thick erection prodded her belly.

  She caught his lower lip with her fang, sending another shot of electricity to his groin and making his erection jump. He held his breath as she ran a finger along his length, the intimate, light stroke enough to send tremors down his spine.

  He wasn’t going to ravage her like a…well, like a demon. She could set the pace and he’d do his best to keep up.

  She swirled her finger around the tip of his cock. He wasn’t prepared for her fist to close around him.

  “Xan.” His eyelids drifted shut as he rocked into her grip.

  But she didn’t pump him, she guided him to her hot entrance.

  His eyelids flew up. “Don’t you need to… Shouldn’t we…” Why did he get tongue-tied talking about sex? But he’d learned enough to know that foreplay was critical.

  “Shouldn’t we what, Quution?” she asked innocently. But she was naughty with his shaft, rubbing it up and down her seam. “Don’t I feel ready?”

  She did. Her wetness coated his tip, and searing heat branded her scent into him. “Yes,�
� he said through clenched teeth.

  She spread her legs farther, her heels digging into his hips. His gaze was riveted to her core, open for him.

  She placed him at her center and caught his gaze. Molten passion flowed through her eyes and her lips were parted. “Do it.”

  He grabbed her hips and thrust forward. His head fell back and a jagged groan left him as he slid into her inch by inch.

  Her panted breaths reached him as he gazed at where her swollen flesh encased his cock. So damn erotic.

  He wasn’t fully seated inside, but he didn’t keep pushing forward. Rocking out, he took his time penetrating her again.

  Her low moan stroked his male ego. Already his balls were tightening, energy coiling at the base of his spine like it was demanding he thrust, thrust, thrust. It was what they both wanted.

  She rocked her hips until he was buried within her. He held her still. Her walls rippled around him, gripping up and down his length.

  Amazing. There was no pleasure in the human realm that could match this.

  She caressed the side of his face and breathed his name. If he’d thought he was lost before, he was done for now. Swinging his hips, he drove into her over and over again. He grunted from the waves of ecstasy crashing into him. She hung on to him, matching his rhythm.

  The instinct to please his female kicked in. He licked his thumb and circled her clit. She cried out and fell back, slamming her hands into the desktop to catch herself.

  He stroked the outside of her nub and angled his hips up to hit her zone from the inside. A flood of heat covered his hand as her walls clamped down on his shaft. She arched her back, his name rolling off her lips.

  His own orgasm hit and it was nothing like their fantasy date. Coming inside of her was a state of bliss he’d never thought possible. Nothing like this had been in his research. The closeness, the rapture, the connection. Wet, hot satin wrapped around his cock, milking him until he hung over her, their foreheads touching.

  He couldn’t talk, he could barely catch his breath.

  Xan laid a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth. “Did any of your research tell you that demons have amazing stamina and can fuck for days?”