Inferno (Page 34)

“We will deal with them then.”

He sighed, cupping her cheek gently with his hand. She leaned into him, smiling softly as she stared innocently down at him. “What if I lose you?”

“You’ll lose me anyway if I stay mortal. I think my body can handle this Devon, I’m almost positive that it can. You won’t lose me, I won’t allow it.”

He couldn’t help but smile at the fierce conviction in her voice, the intensity in her face and eyes. “I’m sure that you will do whatever you can, but…”

She shook her head; her eyes twinkled as she grinned down at him. “No buts, we’ll get through it, look at how much we’ve already gotten through. This is a small hurdle compared to the others.”

He smiled at her in amusement, tugging lightly on her hair as he wrapped it around his finger. “Is that so?”

“Very much so.” His grin faded as he stared at her beautiful features, and bright, hopeful eyes. He wanted nothing more than to keep her by his side forever, but he didn’t want to risk the danger such a thing represented to her. “Besides, since I am your mate then everything has to be completed right?”

His hand stilled on her, his chest constricted. “That is the way that it is supposed to be, but this is a special case Cassie. We may never be able too.”

Her eyes darkened, her eyebrows drew tightly together as she frowned at him. “We will,” she said forcefully.

“Are you willing to give up children? A family?”

She snorted softly as she shook her head. “I gave up hopes of children years ago Devon, when I found out what I was. And my family is here, with us. Just because we don’t share blood doesn’t mean that they aren’t my family. Hell, the one I do share blood with is the one that I don’t consider family.”

Pain and anger resonated in her voice, but there was also a steel rod of strength hardening her jaw and resonating from her eyes. “But you could have children; you don’t have to give up that dream.”

She shook her head forcefully, her frown deepened as her eyes narrowed. Her jaw clenched slightly, her nostrils flared as she eyed him angrily. She was one of the most stubborn people he had ever run across, and right now that streak was blazing brightly. There would be no talking her out of this right now he knew that, just as he knew that he didn’t really wish too. He only had her best interests at heart, but he also wanted and loved her more than he had ever loved or wanted anything.

“No,” she whispered. “I would rather have you.”

He managed a sad smile for her, knowing that she deserved to have children and a normal life, but a normal life had never been her destiny. Even before he had walked into it, her life had been chaotic and uncertain. But she still could have children, and she would make an amazing mother. “You share my blood,” he said, trying to distract himself from his turbulent thoughts.

Cassie shivered, her lips parted slightly. He recognized the desire that blazed fiercely through her and reacted to it instantly. “Yes,” she whispered.

He tugged on her hair, pulling her down to him. He claimed her mouth savagely, wanting so much more, wanting all of her. Taking her blood on a regular basis helped to keep the beast within him under control, but he wondered if it would always stay that way. Or if eventually the beast would want more, as the man did.

A loud crash downstairs tore him away from her. Wood splintered as glass shattered. Devon tossed the blankets from them, leaping easily to his feet as a cry of surprise and horror echoed up the stairs. “Stay here!” he ordered briskly.

He didn’t have time to make sure she obeyed his command as he hurried swiftly forward, easily dodging the low ceiling. He ignored the stairs as he jumped down, landing gracefully upon the floor. The front of the store was still secure; Cassie’s father was tied to the chair, his eyes wide with terror. Another crash sounded from the back as Devon bounded forward, oblivious to the fact that he wore no shoes, or shirt.

CHAPTER 9

Cassie leapt down the stairs behind Devon, landing silently upon the hardwood floor. Her father’s eyes were bulging out of his head, panic evident on the hard lines of his face. “Let me out of here!” he gasped.

“Stay quiet!” she hissed.

She moved swiftly forward, her blood pumping fiercely, a strange thrill of power pulsing through her. She was primed for this fight, ready for it, determined to win. A loud crash resonated from the back, shaking the floor beneath her feet, but she hardly felt it as she honed in on her enemy, her prey. Passing by the racks of hunting equipment, she grabbed one of the knives they had placed there earlier. It was a wicked looking foot long Bowie, with a gleaming, well honed blade.

She felt oddly tranquil, oddly focused as she strode toward the chaos she could hear radiating from the back room. She stepped into the fray, her mind and instincts rapidly taking in the scene. Five of the creatures had burst through two of the back windows, glass lay scattered across the floor amongst the broken bits of wood that had been used to try and blockade the windows.

Annabelle and Liam were fighting off one, Julian was engaged with another. Devon had one, and Chris and Melissa were methodically beating on the fourth, while Luther and Dani were battling the fifth. Cassie strode into the fray, aiming straight for the one that Chris and Melissa were struggling with. Another one leapt through the window, squealing with delight as it spotted her, Cassie lifted her eyebrow as it raced at her. She braced herself for its attack, eager to take out some of her frustrations on something.

The fight was short and brutal. Cassie ducked away from its initial rush, thrusting the blade upward as she drove it into the creature’s chest. It howled in pain, falling back as it clawed at the wound she had just delivered. Cassie felt no sympathy, held no remorse as she pulled the blade free and drew it swiftly across the monsters throat, driving it deep.

Her mind seemed to turn off as she moved swiftly away from the mutilated monster, heading for her next victim. She barely heard Devon calling her name, trying to reach her through the red haze of annihilation pumping through her as she turned toward the next monster. However, her world was no longer filled with thoughts of the living, and the people she loved; it was consumed with death and destruction once more.

She moved easily, flowing swiftly through the motions of battle, drawing on her training and abilities to help push her through. To keep her going, fighting, moving. She blocked out everything else as she drew on thousands of years of intuition and breeding as she hunted down her next victim.