Noah (33 page)

She had been considering why he had so urgently called her down to him earlier. She’d thought there was something wrong, but now she understood that he’d done this so she would be at his side as he faced potentially disturbing news from his commanders. He had wanted her to be involved, if only to begin learning how his monarchy worked. If only to meet these men who meant such a great deal to him.

She leaned forward, drawing on all her grace and manners to lay a warm, elegant hand on Elijah’s arm. “I’m sorry to interrupt you, but could you explain these rogues to me, the ones who killed the Shadowdweller?”

“Yes, of course,” the warrior said, not even batting an eyelash before he launched into an explanation about the lawless Vampires who were killing other Nightwalkers to accumulate power through the drinking of their blood.

“I have met Jasmine briefly, but what is her role in this?”

“She’s Damien’s right-hand adviser. A Vampire,” he said, in case she didn’t know. “Recently we created a network of Nightwalkers, Vampires mostly, and spread it out across the world to catch any Vampire who thought that this would be a fun way of gathering power. It’s a young network, not even complete yet. We had hoped to have it complete before anyone had enough time to think about doing this thing that was once forbidden.”

“Forbidden?”

“Until recently, it was forbidden for a Vampire to drink Nightwalker blood. It was mostly a mystique factor, folklore of horrors that would happen to a Vampire if they did such a thing. Wisely, it was a method of stopping this very thing from happening.”

“What changed?”

“Damien took a Lycanthrope bride and took her blood. That and we found a hidden Library of great and ancient works that showed Vampires had once married interracially, blood exchanges included. It seems they sabotaged themselves in the matter of love and soul mates in the process of reining in a threat, just like we Demons did when we slaughtered the Druids a thousand years ago.”

Kes paused only a single beat before her eyes lit with comprehension.

“Druids are meant to be Imprinted with Demons. You destroyed your own soul mates?”

“Yeah. I’m thinking our ancestors weren’t too clever.”

“Barbaric is a better word. But”—she held up a hand—“I understand it must have been a barbaric time. So you’re saying Vampires cut off access to their own soul mates when they made the taboo about taking Nightwalker blood. Damien made a choice, take his soul mate or leave the taboo intact, right?”

“And he chose Syreena, his mate.” Elijah nodded and looked pleased. “We’ve all ditched a lot of foolish prejudices these past few years.”

“But at a huge price,” Kes noted.

“Anything worth having is worth paying a huge price for.”

“I would have to agree.”

She tapped her foot in a rare giveaway about her own high emotions on the topic. Her long glance at Noah made her equally readable. She was unaware of the genuine pleasure that shone in Elijah’s eyes. It was the same for all of them, this almost heartbreaking joy they felt to know Noah had at last found the one who would save him from himself, the only one who could truly protect their King from an agonizing lifetime of loneliness and potentially endless shame and pain.

“Are you a soldier?” he asked her suddenly, startling her.

“Why would you ask that?” she asked.

Elijah tapped the side of his nose once, lightly. “Gun oil, for one. The cut of your body is extraordinary for a human woman, I know that much. And I know a fellow warrior when I see one. The way your eyes drift over the exits regularly, the way you are sitting so you can see everyone in the room, and you aren’t sitting back relaxed, you’re perched on the edge of your seat as if you want to fly out of it the instant you have to.”

“Actually, I was a Marine once,” she confessed, again surprised at her honesty. “Seemed the natural course for me after…after a childhood and college career full of athletics. I went to Annapolis.”

“Really? An officer, eh?”

“Yes. I went right out of high school. My parents had died, so I was able to commit myself completely. You can go pretty far if you dedicate yourself.”

“When did you opt out?”

“Now, who says I opted out?” she asked with a laugh.

“Because of how Noah found you, Kes. We all know about it. You weren’t in uniform at the time.”

“True,” she agreed. She was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with his logic and line of questioning. Luckily, she saw Noah and Gideon break apart and head in their direction. She was on her feet instantly, wiping her hands against her short skirt before taking the one Noah offered out to her.

“Our apologies, Kes, but we must be going and will not see you at the festival,” Gideon said graciously, bowing his lavender-hazed head toward her.

See through my eyes, quickly
.

She felt Noah look at her, but she didn’t look away from Gideon. She only strove to keep him there a moment or two longer in order to give Noah time to work his way into the front of her mind.

“I’m very glad to have met you both,” she said, reaching to shake each of their hands again, making sure to look at each man distinctly before releasing them.

Kestra gasped when they both popped out of existence right before her eyes. Noah laughed softly at her surprise.

“It is teleporting. My sister is able to teleport herself and others at a thought. She was clearly waiting for her cue.”

“Did you see Gideon? What was all that spray paint around him?”

“It is called a power aura. I can see them, too. All Fire Demons can. Apparently you can, too.”

“So why him and no one else?” she asked, slapping her thigh in her frustration.

“I would say it is because you mapped his power last night, Kes. Relax. This is how it is going to be for a while. Luckily, I could explain this one.”

“This one?” She rolled her eyes. “But you don’t see everyone like that, do you? Because personally, I would get eyestrain.”

“I can control it. So can you. We will test this ability another time. You need your energy for tonight, and playing capacity parlor tricks will wear you out.”

“Oh, is that right?” Her attention was immediately on him as he curled her tightly to his side.

“And did I mention how damn adorable and sexy you are in this dress?”

“You mentioned nothing of the kind,” she said, allowing herself to sinuously cuddle up against his hard frame until she was content and comfortable. “In fact, you have been rather silent since I came down here.”

“I had business to take care of first,” he reminded her.

“Yes, but I couldn’t escape the feeling that I had done something displeasing to you,” she said pointedly.

He didn’t bother to deny it in the least. “It was that moment you thought you were standing amongst us as if you were my blond trophy. It upsets me that you have been in my mind and yet do not realize how such a behavior is in no way part of my makeup.”

“Oh,” she said, the dawning understanding causing her to look away. “I’m sorry. It was unfair, I know.” She sighed softly, reaching to draw a pattern with her fingers against the fabric over his chest. “I’m still getting to know you, but that isn’t a fair excuse. You’ve never given me cause to believe you capable of that level of chauvinism.” She paused, absorbing the heat of him through her fingertips, the appendages sipping at him like hungry little straws. He was so warm. He always felt so damned good. It was almost addicting. “I’m also now realizing I have to learn about myself as a person connected to you, and I was feeling a little off my mark with such powerful strangers around me.

“To be fair to myself,” she added, “I’m also not used to someone monitoring my every callous thought. I can have a very cynical, bitter mind sometimes. A defense mechanism, I suppose. I warned you I was normally not a nice person.”

“And yet you exhibited flawless manners and etiquette with Elijah just now,” he countered, leaning forward to brush his lips through her bangs. “Something of a contradiction, are you not?”

“I wouldn’t agree. Everything I do is designed to get me something I want or need. I’m a mercenary, remember? I needed Elijah’s information, and I wanted to make a pleasing enough impression so that I wouldn’t be perceived as a threat to you by him. I’m a tough gal, but I’m
not
tough enough to go up against your own personal Goliath.”

Noah choked out a laugh. “He
can
be intimidating at first sight.”

“Intimidating? That’s what you call it?” She snorted indelicately. “He’s a pit bull. He figured out I was military-trained in-like-five seconds and then he dogged me for my entire résumé.”

“That is why he is in charge of my fighters.” Kestra didn’t mistake the swell of pride beneath Noah’s humor. “Let me know if he tries to recruit you.”

“You’ll be the first to know,” she assured him. She smiled up at him as she slid her fingers around the soft waistband and leather belt of his breeches, these dyed a piratical black in harmony with a black silk shirt. His black and tan boots had been replaced with entirely black Hessians as well. “You look very Prince Goth tonight,” she remarked. “Hair slicked all in order into a tail.” She teasingly reached for his hairline and he dodged her mischievous fingers. She then kissed his cheek and rubbed her pouting lips along the line of his jaw, murmuring, “Hmm, freshly shaved and aftershaved. Feeling so soft and smelling so pretty.” She laughed when he placed a hand over her face and tried to push her away, but she had already slid her hands into his front pockets, securing herself to his body very tightly. Defeated, he had to slide his hand down from her face, stopping when she nipped at his passing thumb with possessive lips. He began to rub her lower lip with speculation shimmering in his eyes. “One would think you had a hot date tonight.”

“I do have a hot date tonight,” he agreed. “I am expected to make an appearance at the festival.”

“I see. Deep in a dark English forest,” she mused. “Where couples frolic behind every bush and tree.”

“No,” he chided. Then he smiled. “I told you, frolicking comes
after
the festival.”

Kestra made a small adjustment of her hands, seeking him through the soft fabric of his pants as she licked her lips, and subsequently his nearby thumb, her eyes shimmering with mischief.

“All frolicking?”

Noah was watching the sexy slide of her tongue when the touch of her hands seemed to come out of nowhere. He sucked in a soft, startled breath as her fingers rubbed him from their covert hiding places. She chuckled low in her throat as she watched the gray in his eyes cloud over darkly.

“I want you to know,” he said roughly, pausing to close his eyes as she caught his thumb in her mouth and slowly, with a sweep of her tongue, sucked it with sexy suggestiveness. His entire body went into instant meltdown as she toyed with him. He barely managed to complete his point. “I am required to make this appearance.”

Kes slid a hand free of his pocket so she could fully cup him through his zipper. She made a soft sound of admiration as he blossomed into rigidity beneath her insistent fondling. His hands had come around her shoulders and were squeezing her tight enough to bruise her. She reached for his mouth and he obliged her instantly.

Here
he
was the one in charge of the aggression. His lips crushed down on hers in a full-out assault. He delved into her mouth wildly, a reward and reflection of the fire she had lit with so simple a match. She caught his tongue, sucking it suggestively now as her palm pressed up the hot length of erect male flesh beneath her touch.

Noah groaned loudly, unable to help himself as she ripped the sound out of him with her skillful playing. He felt her take a step and he automatically stepped back under the press of her body. Before he knew it, she had him backed into his desk and she wrapped herself around him like a snake, taking his wild kisses with delighted little laughs of encouragement, her hand taking his and placing it on her backside. He could feel the ridiculously short hem of the minidress she wore right at the tips of his fingers. He slid his hand beneath the thin gingham and felt the shock of completely naked feminine flesh filling his hand warmly.

“Sweet Destiny, Kes,” he gasped, “you have nothing on under this dress!”

She shrugged and actually batted her lashes at him, the little minx. “I was in a rush.”

She heard him curse roundly, and she burst into laughter even as he flipped their positions against the desk, seating her on the edge and grabbing both of her thighs and hooking them onto his hips. He kissed her savagely until she was too breathless to laugh, his hands sliding up under her dress with heat and eagerness. He behaved as though he hadn’t touched her in weeks, rather than hours, and she reveled in the power of his craving for her. His hands ran burning paths up over her hips, one breaking to settle in the sensitive small of her back, the other continuing on until he was cupping her breast, kneading the full flesh with enough passion to bend her back over his bracing hand.

Noah wanted nothing more than to shuck the slip of nothingness she called a dress off her body and devour every inch of her skin. He could not believe she had stood there conversing with a roomful of men in what had amounted to nothing but a—well, he couldn’t think of a metaphor at the moment. Her hands were driving him to distraction.

The Demon King was no fool, however. He was also very cognizant of the benefits to the immodesty of her apparel. He slid his hand down from her breast, sweeping over her belly until his fingers crept between her thighs, playing a fair game of turnabout as he sought sensitive, damp flesh.

“My, my, my,” he murmured against her ear as he stroked through rich, honeyed folds. “Someone has been thinking some
very
exciting thoughts.”

“You would know,” she gasped, her voice so low and sexy it caused heat to claw at his groin in response. Everything she did seemed designed to make him swell beyond reasonable capacity, and he ached with the pleasurable pain of it. Without any further preamble, Noah slid a finger inside her. She shuddered, and he felt it from the inside of her body outward.