Darkyn's Mate

He took her arm with one of the hands that had explored every part of her body not two weeks before. He tugged her out from behind the chair then turned her gently. He pushed her hair over one shoulder, and his hands dropped. No warm magic drifted through her. Was she glad or upset?

"Gods, Darkyn," he muttered, astonished.

Deidre looked at the demon lord. Darkyn's eyes were on Gabriel.

"I win this round," Darkyn said, a faint smile on his face.

She recalled how much he loved to conquer. Right now, he was savoring a victory.

"Double bond. You weren't about to take a chance that you lose her," Gabriel said, sounding baffled.

Gabriel turned her to face him again. Deidre looked up at him, trembling. She couldn't decipher what he had to be feeling. He seemed mainly angry.

His attention fell again to the blood on her neck, caused when one of his death dealers attacked her.

"Tell me Darkyn did that to you, and I'll fucking destroy him," he said.

Deidre shook her head, a smile slipping free. He cared. As much as he tried not to show her, he really did. She wished she'd realized that a few days earlier, before it was too late to matter.

She'd tried to hide her fangs from him, but smiling brought his attention to them. She pressed her lips together for a moment.

"One of your death dealers attacked me," she told him.

"What?"

"I came here to … visit," she said with a quick glance at Darkyn. "They found me."

"Followed her," Darkyn corrected. "Your doing, Gabriel?"

"Of course not," Gabriel snapped.

"Harmony was with them," Deidre added.

"The bitch betrayed me to you, Darkyn. Which means this could be your doing," Gabriel pointed out.

"The funny thing about traitors," Darkyn replied. "You can't ever really trust them. Harmony was granted access to use Hell to go to your underworld. I can assure you if she's found going through my portals again, she'll be sent straight to me."

Deidre's eyes drifted to Darkyn in a sense of longing. As much as she hated herself for feeling it, she needed his touch to calm her.

"How many were here?" Gabriel asked her.

"Two," she replied. "And Harmony."

"They hurt you," he said, lifting her chin to see the blood.

"Yes," she said. "Darkyn rescued me from them. He has the two I think."

Gabriel faced the demon lord. Darkyn stepped out of the corner where he stood and Deidre grew edgy, fear fluttering through her. The two were tense enough to worry her that they meant to fight.