Acheron (Dark-Hunter #15)(94)
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon

Yet neither of them could compare to the one in his heart which told him that this couldn’t last. In spite of her stubbornness, she was going to have to go before Artemis killed her.

And Artemis was right. He was about to have to go crawling back to her to beg for food. Between the fighting and the wounds on his back, he was starving and if he didn’t feed very soon, he would start killing.

Wincing, he wondered what Tory would think if she ever saw that side of him. The sad thing was, he never wanted her to deal with him like that. Never wanted her to see the demon beast that lived inside him.

No, Artemis had created that monster. It was only fair that she should be the one who fed it.

He sighed and went to bed to wait on Tory, knowing that come morning, he’d have to let her go.

CHAPTER 20

Tory paused as she entered the room where Ash was sleeping. His breathing was so strange. Not like a human, it reminded her more of a dog panting. Worried about him, she put her bowl and cloth down on the nightstand and sat down by his side.

She placed a hand on his feverish cheek. The moment she made contact, his entire body turned a vivid blue. Gasping, she watched as his skin marbled and swirled with varying shades of blue color. His nails turned black and two small horns emerged from the top of his head.

Shooting off the bed, she scowled as Artemis’s bow and arrow mark appeared over the wounds on his back.

Ash growled even in sleep. And when he opened his eyes to look at her, it was all she could do not to run. No longer silver, they were glowing red and shot through with yellow streaks. He opened his mouth and hissed, showing her a set of serrated fangs.

"Baby?" she whispered, searching for some sign of the man she loved in the creature who terrified her.

He blinked as if seeing her for the first time and crouched on the bed.

Tory approached him slowly. Holding her hand out, she gently laid her palm against his blue cheek. He closed his eyes and nuzzled her hand while he took a sniff of her wrist. That seemed to calm him. He said something to her in a language she couldn’t even begin to translate. "I don’t understand," she said in Atlantean.

"Akee-kara, akra."

She brushed his black hair back from his face. "Do you need something, sweetie?"

Ash was trying to focus, but it was impossible. Everything was so hazy. He wasn’t even sure if he was awake or dreaming. The pain in his back seemed to be gone now. And he was around fresh blood-he could smell it and hear the heart beating.

That sound made his mouth water.

Licking his lips, he inhaled the scent of feminine flesh that covered the veins he wanted to puncture . . .

Eat.

He wasn’t supposed to. Even in this state, he remembered the rule that he’d taught himself. He wasn’t allowed to taste humans. It was wrong. But right now while he was starving, he couldn’t remember why.

All he could think of was sating his demanding ache.

He pulled the human closer so that he could inhale her neck. Licking the tender flesh there, he grazed her skin with his fangs, wanting to sink them in deep. He felt the chills sweep over her as she sighed in pleasure.

She spoke to him, but he couldn’t understand her words. At least not until her lips touched his. The sweetness of her mouth touched the man inside him and it sent the beast back into submission.

Tory shivered as Ash returned to normal. His skin was once again tawny, his eyes that calm beautiful silver. Even so, there was a ferocity to him that reminded her of a barely leashed tiger.

And when he led her hand to touch him, she hesitated. "You’re hurt, Ash. You should rest."

He shook his head as if trying to clear it. Her clothes vanished. And this time when he took possession of her mouth, she couldn’t remember her argument. He laced his fingers with hers and pressed her hand against his hardened cock. She felt his shiver in her own body as he rubbed himself against her palm.

He left her hand there so that he could touch her. One moment, she was standing beside the bed and in the next, she was pinned beneath him. She sighed at the wonderful sensation of his nak*d body lying against hers.

Careful not to touch his back, she cupped his face as he deepened his kiss.

Ash still wasn’t sure if this was a dream or not. All he knew was that the scent of Soteria filled his head and he had to be inside her. His heart hammering, he spread her legs and slid himself deep. The moment he did, he gasped at the pleasure he felt. But it didn’t last long before the beast inside him was back, wanting to feed as her blood rushed through her veins. It was all he could hear. All he could focus on.

It overrode his pleasure and left him salivating.

Tory whimpered as Ash pulled back. At least until she saw his face. The torment there branded itself on her heart. "What’s wrong, Ash?"

Ash wanted to stay with her. He wanted to be inside her again . . .

No, he wanted to feed. The urge to rip her throat out was fierce.

He was losing control. It slipped and broke free until he was no longer able to remember anything other than the misery of hunger. Every second with her brought him closer to the edge.

Unable to handle it without killing her, he left the human realm.

Tory blinked as she realized she was alone. "Ash?" she called, wondering where he’d gone off to.

Completely nak*d, Ash threw open the doors to Artemis’s bathing chamber. No longer human in any way, he was the beast he despised. Nothing mattered to him but feeding. Destroying.

Killing.

Acheron was gone. Only Apostolos was here. And the Harbinger Apostolos wanted blood and there was only one person he wanted it from.

Artemis . . .

Artemis gasped at the intrusion on her bath until she realized it was Acheron. She smiled at his blue skin and black hair. "I told you you’d return to me."

He flew from the doors to the pool where she bathed. Landing in a crouch on the ledge near her, he reminded her more of a bird than a man.

He grabbed her and pulled her close.

She put her hand on his jaw and pushed him away from her neck before he could sink his fangs into her. "You haven’t earned your food. I’m angry at you and you’re not going to eat until you please me."

Incapable of language in his destroyer’s form, he hissed at her and tightened his grip.

Artemis blasted him away. He tumbled back to land on his side. In one fluid move, he flipped to his feet and snarled.

He bared his teeth in anger before he launched himself at her.

She teleported out of his way, knowing that if he laid hands, or in the current case, claws, on her, she’d be killed.

He stalked her like prey. She should probably be afraid, but her anger overrode that. Normally neither one of them allowed him to go this long without eating. But he’d betrayed her and honestly she didn’t care right now if he died.

Refusing to give in to him, she ran for her backroom.

He tried to cut off her retreat, but she shot through him and entered her safe room. Stupidly, he followed. The moment he was inside, she flashed herself to the door and slammed it shut, leaving him trapped inside.

He threw himself repeatedly against the clear door like an animal gone insane. But honestly, as hard as he struck it, she was amazed he didn’t break through.

"You can’t escape here, Acheron. You’re powers are useless in that room and until I let you out, you’re mine."

He slammed one clawed hand against the door and let out a howl so feral it made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Oh, he would definitely kill her right now if he got free.

Narrowing her gaze, she crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a smug glare. "As I said, I own you. Now sit in there and starve until I’m ready to feed you."

Ash could barely understand those words past the hunger gnawing at him. In this state, he was like the Shades of Dark-Hunters who’d died while Artemis held their souls in thrall. Forever hungry and thirsty. Unreasonable and unable to make himself understood. It was the most wretched of existences.

The door solidified and left him alone in a small, dark room. There was no furniture, no windows . . .

No light whatsoever.

For an instant, his sanity returned and he felt like a boy in prison again. He twisted around, looking for the rats that used to bite him. Listening for the telltale sound of their scurrying feet.

"Artemis!" he shouted. "Let me out!"

I’m afraid. Those words caught in his throat.

"Acheron? Are you there?"

He heard Ryssa’s voice in his head.

And then his hunger returned, driving all semblance of humanity away from him. He slashed at the doors with his claws. The pain of his hunger was excruciating. Unable to stand it, he slammed himself against the door, again and again, determined to break through it.

Four days went by while Artemis pondered what she should do about Acheron. His incessant slamming against the wall and snarling howls were beginning to wear on her.

But he needed to be taught a lesson. He needed to be punished and until he learned to come to heel, she wasn’t about to let him out.

Not to mention, at this point, she was honestly afraid of him. He’d never gone this long without feeding. And past experience told her that a small gobbet of blood would only whet his appetite for more.

She considered feeding one of her maidens to him, but that would be cruel.

And on the tail end of that thought came another one. "Not a Kori . . ."

No. Something that rhymed with it rather. She smiled at her ingeniousness. She’d sworn to Acheron that Soteria wouldn’t be harmed by her or one of her minions.

But she hadn’t promised to keep Acheron away from her.

He’d told her that Soteria soothed him. Fine, let the bitch soothe him now. Let her feed him.

Preening with satisfaction, Artemis flashed herself to New Orleans where the little slut was teaching a class. Aggravated at having to wait, she stood in the hallway until it was over.

Tory was heartsick as she dismissed her students. She hadn’t seen or heard from Ash in days and the fact that he’d left her in sole possession of his prized backpack made her wonder if something bad hadn’t happened to him.

Putting her books into her own backpack, she pulled it off the table and headed for the door. But before she reached it, a tall gorgeous redhead stepped inside. Dressed in an expensively tailored white suit and Prada shoes, she was stunning.

Tory wanted to rip every strand of hair out of her head.

"Why are you here, Artemis?" she asked coldly.

Artemis curled her lip as if she hated to be around Tory even more than Tory hated being around her.

Nah, it wasn’t possible.

"Acheron needs you, human. He’s hurt and he can’t come."

Tory scowled. "Why would you come to get me?"

"He wants you. Believe me, there’s no other reason I’d be here."

Still suspicious, Tory gripped the strap of her backpack. "Are you lying to me?"

Artemis made an ancient Greek gesture of loyalty and truth. "I swear to you, he’s in ultimate suffering and he needs you. Are you really so selfish that you won’t help him?"

She was selfish? Tory would have laughed if she hadn’t been so worried about him. "Take me to him, then."

Artemis flashed her out of her classroom and into what appeared to be an ancient Greek temple. The room was surrounded by columns and above her head was an amazing hunt scene stamped into gold. It was exquisite.

"Where am I?"

"Olympus." Artemis led her into a bathing room that had an ancient styled bathing pond. She didn’t stop until she reached a door on the other side of it. As she lifted her hand, the door lightened to transparency.

Tory gasped as she saw Ash lying nak*d on the floor. His black hair was matted, his breathing shallow. His skin was marbled blue again and two black horns jutted out from his head. His lean muscles were starkly outlined by the dual blue skin tone. His hands ended in long black claws and when he saw them looking at him, he bared a pair of sharp fangs in their direction.

Pushing himself up, he kept one arm around his stomach as if he were about to be ill. He took one step and collapsed on the floor again in obvious pain. He roared a bellow of frustration and agony.

"He’s disgusting in his god form, isn’t he?"

Tory raked the goddess with a repugnant stare. "He’s never disgusting. What’s wrong with him?"

"He needs to eat. This is what always happens to him if he ever goes too long between feedings."

"Why haven’t you fed him then?"

A slow, evil smile curved Artemis’s lips. "Sweetie, why do you think you’re here?" She reached out and opened the door.

The next thing Tory knew, Artemis had shoved her inside the room and shut the door, locking her in with Ash. "Bon Appetit."

Tory turned to the door, trying to open it. But it was hopeless. There was no latch or key or anything on this side. All she could do was see Artemis’s gloating face.

Oh if she ever had three minutes alone with her . . . It would be a death match worthy of pay-per-view.

With no other choice, Tory approached Ash slowly. Warily. Could he even tell if it was her? By the way he was acting, she didn’t think so. "Baby?"

He looked up at her with blood red eyes that held no semblance of understanding. They were feral and cold. The eyes of a predator.

With a speed she couldn’t even see with her nak*d eye, Ash was off the floor. He grabbed her by the throat, threw her down on the ground and sank his fangs deep into her neck.