He struggled against his hunger that demanded he take her regardless. His groin was on fire for her. His needs out of control. Her scent was all over him. She was all he could focus on. All he could think of. And it made him dangerous. Lethal.
Growling, he summoned up the last of his willpower and forced himself away from her. "Run, Amanda," he snarled.
Amanda didn't hesitate. Something was wrong with him. Grabbing her clothes, she ran to her room. Kyrian heard her footsteps recede as he lay on the cold floor. He buried his hand against his burning erection as he writhed in pain. This was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. Dear Zeus, another minute and he would have sunk his fangs into her.
Closing his eyes, he shook as he fought down the beast inside him. The beast that demanded he take her over and over, no matter the consequences. Amanda didn't stop shaking until she reached her bedroom. She would never forget the feral look on Kyrian's face when he had told her to run.
She'd never feared him before, but right then she had seen the Dark-Hunter in him that she was sure made the Daimons wet themselves in terror. Breathing deeply, she tried to calm herself. All she'd ever wanted was a normal relationship. But then normality with a vampire was asking a lot.
Her heart pounding, she paused as she saw herself in the mirror. Her lips were swollen from his kisses, her neck red from where his whiskers had rubbed against her.
"Amanda?"
She paused at the sound of Kyrian's voice through the door. "Yes?" she asked hesitantly. He nudged the door open, but didn't come inside. "Did I scare you?"
"Honestly?"
He nodded.
"Yes."
His heated gaze bored into her. "I'm sorry." She knew he meant it. Could see the guilt in his eyes.
"Why haven't you asked to go home?" Kyrian asked, his low tone cutting across the quiet stillness of the room.
She tensed at his question. "You want me to leave?"
He was silent so long she didn't think he would answer. Finally he whispered, "No, I don't."
There was so much heartfelt emotion in those three words that she couldn't have been more stunned had he declared his love. She started for him and he took a step back. She realized he still wasn't in full control of himself. Even so, she wanted him.
"Then I won't leave until I wear out my welcome."
Kyrian froze at her words. In the back of his mind was the thought that the earth would surely cease to exist before Amanda wore out her welcome in his house. And it was quickly followed by the knowledge that when the earth ceased to exist, he would still be alive and Amanda…He winced at the truth of immortality and the knowledge that for the two of them there could never be a happily-ever-after.
CHAPTER 11
The next night, Kyrian was haunted by what had happened with Amanda. He'd come so close to losing it with her. So close to…He forced it from his mind as he walked the rooftops of the French Quarter at midnight. The frigid winds whipped at his leather coat while he walked along the roof's edge, looking down into the alleys below.
Like a cat, he often prowled high above where no one could see him coming. At least not until it was too late. He paused as he heard something.
"Don't hurt me." The frightened voice was faint on the wind and came from several blocks over.
Twice as fast and as surefooted as a cheetah, he glided over the rooftops until he found the one who had spoken. To most, it would look like a poor man being mugged in a dark alleyway, but the four blond Daimons were highlighted by Kyrian's Dark-Hunter vision.
He arched a brow at the ordinariness of the scene. For some reason, Daimons liked to travel in fours or sixes. They had the poor human man cornered against an old, rundown building. Something about the human seemed strangely familiar to him.
The stench of the garbage was pungent as the man tried to hand the Daimons his wallet. 'Take it," he said, his voice wavering. "Just don't hurt me."
The tallest Daimon laughed. "Oh, we're not going to hurt you, little human. We're going to kill you."
Kyrian stepped off the roof with his arms spread for balance. His black coat fluttered in the wind as he fell three stories down to the alley below. He landed in a silent crouch behind them.
"Did you hear something?" one of the Daimons asked, looking around. "Just the sound of a human heart pounding." The tallest Daimon grabbed the man.
"Or," Kyrian said, rising slowly to his full height. He pulled his coat back and placed his hand over the hilt of Talon's asrad. "The sound of four Daimons about to die."
As they stepped away from their victim, he recognized the human. It was Cliff. Cliff recognized him at the same instant.
"You!" he roared. "What are you doing here?"
Damn you, Fates, Kyrian thought. The last thing he wanted to do was help the man who had hurt Amanda. She had told him the whole story of her ex-fiancé. Right down to Cliff's harsh criticisms of her family. The man didn't deserve his help. Damn you, Code.
Out loud Kyrian said, "It would appear I'm saving your life."
"I don't need your help."
The four Daimons turned to look at Cliff, then burst out laughing.