Desire Unchained

Wraith strode out of the room, his boots striking the stone floor with heavy, ominous thuds. Kynan had a sudden feeling that whatever the demon was up to was going to have consequences that would roll through the hospital like a never-ending seismic wave.

Knowing he couldn’t do anything about it, Kynan swung his feet over the edge of the bed and yanked the IV line out of his hand. He couldn’t believe he was going to take advice from Wraith, but the guy had a point. Kynan had spent far too much time drowning himself in work and alcohol, and in the process he’d lost himself. It was time to deal with his demons.





Gem was pouring a cup of coffee when someone knocked at the door to her apartment. “Come in!”

Boots thumped on the floor, and she turned. Kynan stood in the doorway to the kitchen, filling it, owning it, making her breath catch. “Here’s the deal,” he said, without so much as a hello. “I spent my life doing good, knowing good from bad, fighting evil. I wanted to save the freaking world. And then all of a sudden, evil wasn’t so evil, and the people I thought were good were bad. I lost myself for a time, Gem, and I need to get myself back. I went from killing demons to saving them … to wanting to have sex with them.” His eyes darkened dangerously, and her breath caught. “But I need to regroup. Figure out where I fit in this crazy world.”

The cup in her hand shook. She put it down before she spilled. “So what are you saying?”

“I’m going back to The Aegis.”

Her heart plummeted. “You’re … leaving us?”

He closed the distance between them in half a dozen strides, halting just inches from her. So close his heat engulfed her, and his rugged, male scent washed a tide of sensual hunger through her blood. “Hell, no. Listen to me. It’s not safe for me to be working at Underworld General anymore. I’m pretty sure the military is watching me, and I won’t put the hospital at risk. I’ll be working for The Aegis, but I’m not going anywhere. I have friends here. E, Shade, Wraith. Tayla.” His hand came up to cup her cheek. “You.”

Her heart pounded painfully against her ribs. “Friends. That’s why you’re here? To tell me we’re friends?”

“I don’t want to be friends.” He watched her with those patient, navy eyes of his. “I want to be lovers.”

Oh, yes, yes, yes! Excitement and joy bubbled through her. This had to be a dream.

Kynan traced her lower lip with his thumb. “I figure that if Tayla can serve in The Aegis while being half-demon and being mated to a demon, I can date a demon.”

“You’re … you’re serious.”

One corner of his mouth tipped up in a smile as he inclined his head in a slow nod. “Yeah.”

Kynan’s eyes darkened with longing, and she wondered if her own gaze had become as heated. He slid his hands up her arms, leaving a trail of goosebumps on her skin. When he reached her shoulders, he anchored her in place. Slowly, so slowly she wanted to gnash her teeth, he lowered his mouth to hers.

Someone knocked on the door. “Ignore it,” he murmured against her lips.

“I plan to.”

The door exploded inward. Kynan wheeled around, shoved her behind him. The next thing she heard was the sound of automatic weapons being brought to bear.





Fuck. Kynan had suspected that the R-XR was watching him, but he hadn’t expected them to come out into the open. He figured they’d hang back and watch his movements, his contacts. If they knew about Gem’s demon side … he reached back, tucked her more fully behind him, and faced off with the ex–Delta Force operative leading the team. His hair, cut in a severe high-and-tight, was as dark as his expression.

“Lower your fucking weapons, Arik.”

Arik gave a curt nod, and his men, all dressed in black BDUs, stood down. “We need to talk.”

“Then talk.”

“Trust me. We want to do this privately.” Arik moved into the living room, and Kynan had no choice but to follow.

“Stay here,” he told Gem. “I’ll take care of this. Don’t worry.”

“I’m not.” She smiled at him, and then scowled at Arik through the opening. “They’re going to pay for my door.”

“I’ll let them know.” He squeezed her hand and then moved off to Arik, though he kept Gem in his sights. He faced off with the other man, doing his best to keep his temper in check.

“What the fuck?” So much for the temper.

“I’m sorry we had to do it this way,” Arik said. “But you said you wouldn’t come in.”

“That’s because I wasn’t in the mood to be tortured for information.”

“You wouldn’t be tortured, but that’s not what this has been about. The fact that you’re working in a demon hospital is, ah, disturbing, and we could use the intel, but that’s not why Runa was sent to find you.”

“I’m starting to lose my patience, so get to the point.”

Arik glanced into the kitchen and lowered his voice. “We need you to come into R-XR.”

“No means no, buddy.”

“No is for when you have a choice.”

Kynan clenched his fists. “Tell me why I should go without a fight.”