Chapter Three
He pushed Diamonique further away from the human. She stumbled, lost her balance and fell to the ground. After glancing back to make sure she was unharmed, Cain centered his concentration on the man. He wrapped one hand around the mortal’s neck and squeezed, then jerked the man into the air so they were eye to eye. Slowly, he pressed his fingers inward, he could feel the fragile bones groan under the pressure of his grip, determined to bring the man out of his lustful trance in the most painful way possible.
Cain waited and watched as realization dawned. Then, with predatory satisfaction, he reveled in the horror lighting the man’s eyes, before he began thrashing about, his lips blue from lack of oxygen. Pitiless as the devil himself, Cain allowed his lengthened incisors to gleam in the dark alley, dipped his head and licked the trickle of blood that still oozed from where Diamonique had scored the man’s neck. He smelled her scent and it fueled his rage further.
Cain raised his head and callously stared as the man started to choke, uselessly flailing his arms and legs. He wanted him to suffer, measure by measure, until he’d squeezed every bit of life from his body. In his mind, all he could see was Diamonique’s tongue stroking. Diamonique’s lips suckling. A killing frenzy blocked out every rational thought.
Then a whisper of sound registered. Only Diamonique’s soft voice could penetrate the layers of rage that was upon him. She was pleading, her desperation and grief stopped him cold. “Please don’t, Cain.”
The sadness in her voice was the only thing capable of bringing him back to reality.
“Please.”
Cain spun around and growled, “You wish for him to live?”
She nodded.
“Why? Do you care for this one?” If she said yes, he would snap the fop’s neck.
Diamond belonged to him. No mortal or immortal would have her and live.
She shook her head. “I don’t even know him. He was only a means of sustenance, nothing more, I swear it.” Her shoulders slumped.
Cain searched her gaze. Finally, he released his hold, satisfied that she was not attempting to deceive him. The human fell to the street like a clump of dirt, then gagged and coughed as he attempted to drag precious oxygen into his starving lungs. Cain merely stepped over him, grasped Diamonique’s arm and hauled her out of the alley. He needed to get her alone, out of the city, away from other males. Never had he experienced anything as intense as this feeling of…what?
Jealousy?
Cain wasn’t the type to get jealous. Women had simply never meant enough to him to inspire such powerful emotion.
Until now.
“Come with me,” Cain growled, grateful when Diamonique acquiesced.
Within seconds, they both shifted into the shape of dark-winged creatures and took to the night sky. Diamonique’s small, delicate form easily kept pace beside him. The memory of teaching her how to shapeshift and take flight came to him unbidden. He still heard Diamonique’s sweet laughter filling his mind as she teased him to keep up. Cain ruthlessly forced the memory away. It wouldn’t do to break concentration several hundred feet in the air.
He flew until he reached the edge of the city. When he spotted a clearing in a small patch of woods, Cain descended, changing back to his clothed human form as he landed and Diamonique followed suit. The instant her feet hit the ground he clutched her by the shoulders and brought her around to face him. They stood so close he could feel her quick choppy breaths on his neck, feel the rise and fall of her breasts. But the vision of her mouth on the man in the alley had yet to leave his mind.
“You have no idea what you do to my head, do you?” His words came out harsher than he’d intended.
She closed her eyes, as if gathering herself, then whispered, “What do you want from me? Why bring me out here?”
“You are in danger, Diamond.”
She shook her head, and he watched a tear trail down her cheek. Suddenly, her image blurred and too late she was gone. Lights and colors were already dancing on the ground and over the cliff’s edge, filling the spot where she stood with warmth.
Diamonique was gone, and he hadn’t told her about the Dark Dominion. He hadn’t been able to tell her why her life was in danger. But he would find her. She might be able to hide her presence from others, but never him. Even though he’d left her alone these last one hundred years, he’d never truly been far away.
Cain closed his eyes and let his soul seek hers. It was easy enough, considering how many times he’d done it over the years. Her life essence was a sparkling light inside his dark soul. It only took seconds to see that she’d gone to her townhouse.
Predictable. He would go to her, explain the peril she was in and then he would take her somewhere safe. Once he knew for certain he’d eliminated the threat to her life; he would take his time in coaxing out the Diamond he’d known so well. He’d show her immeasurable pleasure. Cain would bathe her in it, and once again, she would lower those damned walls and let him in.
When he dematerialized and reappeared outside her apartment building, Cain closed hi
s eyes and sought his beautiful Diamond. Their blood bond brought her image to him with ease. She was standing in her living room, her mind a flurry of activity. Her thoughts were on fleeing the city. Damn good idea, but she’d be leaving with him, not alone.
He’d lost her for too long already. Suddenly, he no longer cared about his enemies. All he wanted was to feast on her body. To seal their bond further.
Cain allowed his body to dissolve into a thousand particles of mist. He soared upwards and slipped inside her apartment, unnoticed. Once again solid muscle and flesh, he cleared his throat.