Desire Unchained

“That’s awful,” she said, her hand freezing over his lower back. He wiggled until she got the hint and started rubbing again.

“My mother slaughtered the bastard, but she was devastated over losing her mate. I helped out a lot after that.” He felt Runa smile against his chest. “What? What’s so amusing?”

“I just can’t picture you babysitting a bunch of little girls.”

He twirled a lock of her soft hair around his finger. “I love babies. I’d love to have a cave full—” He cut himself off, because he’d never have that. Not with Runa. Not with anyone.

“Kids,” she breathed. “That’s something I guess we’ll have to talk about eventually, huh?”

“Yeah.” His voice was hoarse and husky, a powerful combination of Seminus instinct that told him to impregnate her now, and common sense, which screamed at him to run far and run fast.

Common sense won. Barely. “Come on. We need to get to the hospital.”





Gem couldn’t wait to get off work. After last night’s disaster with Kynan, she couldn’t bear to see him when he came on shift in an hour.

God, she was so pathetic, lusting after a man who didn’t want her except when he was drunk. Worse, even after what had happened last night, she knew that if he walked into the ER right now and crooked his finger at her, she’d fall at his feet like a neglected dog, willing to take whatever scraps its master was willing to give.

Imbecile.

The ER Harrowgate flashed, and Wraith strode through. In his arms he carried a bloody, red-skinned demon …

Ciska. Oh, God.

Adrenaline kicked her into gear, and she barked out orders to the nearby nurses and techs as she guided Wraith to an empty room. “What happened?”

As Wraith laid Ciska down, she gloved up.

“Dunno,” he said, sounding oddly unconcerned. “Found her like this.”

“Where?”

“Outside the hospital.”

Reaver and nurses joined them, but Gem had a sinking feeling it was too late. The demon had been torn to shreds. Her abdomen lay open, and Gem would be willing to bet that she was missing a few important organs.

Ghouls. Roag.

“Someone page Eidolon. And if Shade is around, get him, too.” Eidolon could repair damaged tissue, but Shade could affect how the patient’s organs functioned, could keep a patient breathing and pumping blood far better than any machine could.

“No breath sounds, left side,” one of the male nurses, a vampire, said.

“Tube her,” Gem said, and gestured to Reaver. “BP and pulse?”

“One sec,” he replied.

Hot breath fanned against the back of Gem’s neck, and she jumped, startled.

“So, Gem,” Wraith murmured into her ear, “why is it that we’ve never fucked?”

“Because I don’t like you?” And with the way he was behaving while one of their own nurses lay dying, that was true enough at the moment.

His hands came down on her hips, and his teeth scraped her neck. “Leave the nurse. She’s as good as dead. Come with me, and I’ll make you like me.”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” She shoved him away. “Are you high again?”

He laughed, shot her a wink, and strode out of the room. Stunned, she stared after him. Wraith was obnoxious, but as vicious as he could be, she’d never known him to be outright cruel. If anything, she’d have expected outrage and a swift promise of retribution for their mutilated staff member.

“Doctor, look at this.”

One of the physician assistants had opened Ciska’s mouth. A cloth had been stuffed inside and—oh, Christ—it had been pinned to her tongue. As gently as she could, Gem pulled it free, experiencing a sudden twist in her gut at the writing on the cloth.

A gift for Wraith. I know what you did.





Wraith lit up a cigarette right in front of Eidolon in the staff break room. Demons didn’t get lung cancer, but E had some leftover human prejudices from his days in human med school, and he hated the smoke. Which was what made lighting up in the hospital so fun.

“Dammit, Wraith,” E growled, but he didn’t say anything else. Disappointing. Wraith seriously felt the need to work off some tension. Shade had called an hour ago to say he was on his way in and wanted to talk to them, and the wait was killing him, partly because he was worried about Shade, and partly because he had a ton of new information to share with his brothers.

Last night after he left Kynan, he’d gone hunting, but not for blood. He’d tracked down Ramses, a senior member of the Seminus Council, and after that, he sought the advice of an elusive, ancient spellcaster who hated him on sight. He’d had to work off her animosity—in bed—for hours. Lucky for him he didn’t wear out easily. And now he was in possession of information that would help both him and Shade.