Desire Unchained

Lori’s smile.

This was Wraith at work. He knew it, but he couldn’t stop himself from gasping, “Lori?”

She closed the distance at a run, threw herself into his arms. The impact and shock knocked him to the ground, taking her with him.

“You’re dead,” he said. “This is bullshit. Wraith, knock it off.”

“Shh.” She touched a finger to his lips, silencing him. “Tell me about Arik.”

He shook his head. His mind was getting misty, his memories unclear. His barriers were slipping.

“Kynan? Tell me.”

“Arik is part of the Raider-X Regiment. Army paranormal division.” Fuck. Did he just say that?

“Yes, you said it.” She nuzzled his neck the way she did when she wanted to make love slowly. “Did you tell them about the demon hospital?”

He blew out a long, slow breath, but it did nothing to release the tense feeling of wrongness about this. Wraith was … wait … who was Wraith?

“Tell me, love,” she whispered.

“Yes, I told them. But not where it is.” By the time he learned the location, he was no longer in contact with the R-XR.

“You should tell them.”

“Never.”

“I’ve missed you, Ky. I’m so sorry about everything.” Her hand slid down his abs until her fingers breached his waistband. She climbed on top of him, rubbed herself against him as Gem had done.

Gem had been so hot, so …

“Ky, please. Love me.”

“I loved you so much, Lori.” He gripped her waist, flipped her so she was on her back, and yanked her hands roughly above her head. He wasn’t going to fall for her shit again. “Until you betrayed me and threw me away,” he growled.

She arched her hips, trying to work him into arousal. It wasn’t working. “Tell me about the demon hospital. Tell me about what information you’ve been giving to R-XR.”

He frowned. “I haven’t contacted them since the night I caught you with Wraith.”

Wraith! You son of a bitch!

Suddenly, he was standing in Eidolon’s office, heart pounding. “Damn you,” he whispered. “Damn you.”

He lurched away from the demon, but his legs were too rubbery to support him, and he had to catch himself on Eidolon’s desk. Closing his eyes, he stood there, hunched over, trying desperately to bring himself fully back into this world. The images of Lori had been so real, even if they’d been wrong. But one thing hadn’t been wrong—even if it had been a surprise.

I loved you so much, Lori. Until you betrayed me …

Until. Holy shit, he didn’t love her anymore, did he?

He grappled with his surprise and his nausea as Wraith filled in Eidolon on everything that had taken place inside Kynan’s head.

“I regret that we had to resort to that, Kynan,” Eidolon said. “But we had to know what you weren’t telling us. The R-XR will be our secret as long as they don’t fuck with us. I promise.”

Kynan nodded, but didn’t open his eyes. He got it, knew why they’d been forced to take the information from him if he wouldn’t talk. He’d have done the same thing in a similar situation. Had done worse in the name of protecting The Aegis.

“Ky, if you need some time off, take as much as you need.” Eidolon left, leaving him alone with Wraith.

“You okay, dude?”

The room spun a little as Kynan swung around to glare at Wraith. “Go to hell.”

“Why are you mad at me but not E?”

“Because he’s in charge of this place, this staff. He’s protecting his hospital. But you …” You’re my friend.

God, did he really think that? Just because Wraith had stuck his fangs in him? Okay, it was more than that—they’d been sparring in the gym together for months, kicked each other’s butts in video games—but that hardly constituted a friendship. He must really be spiraling downward if he believed any different.

“I what?”

“You got off on it.”

“You think I liked using your dead wife against you?” Wraith asked quietly.

“You’re the one who said you don’t care about anyone or anything.”

Wraith went taut, as if he were offended. “That doesn’t mean I like to see the people around me suffer.”

Kynan snorted. “Yeah, you’re a real tender guy.”

“I would take your pain away if I could, human.” The words were spoken so softly Kynan barely heard them, and then Wraith was stalking away as though his feet were on fire.