“Please what?” Shem pumped faster, harder, and molten heat spiraled inside me, tightening into a coil that twisted into something that was a mixture of pain and white-hot pleasure.

  “Please, fuck… Please fuck me.”

  I wanted it. I wanted his cock inside me—I needed it.

  “Not this time, sweet little human.” He yanked my head to the side and bit me.

  The pain was fleeting, buried beneath the grip of my rising orgasm, and the first draw of his lips had heat flooding my groin and tingles shooting down my legs. My toes curled, my body convulsed, then white-hot pleasure claimed me in a symphony of spasms. Breathless sobs battered my chest and blurred my vision. He drank deep, fucking me harder with his fingers, milking the orgasm until I was begging him to stop.

  SHEM

  She’s begging me to stop, but I can’t. She tastes like nectar and her flesh is soft, squeezing my fingers with a desperate force that leaves me throbbing and weeping against her. I want to replace my fingers with my cock. I want to pin her against the tiles and fuck her until she screams my name. Her pleasure resonates inside me like a soft echo. I feel almost whole, and for the first time in forever, I touch the edge of the Morningstar power. Not the dull residual that I’ve been picking up all these years and feeding to my watchers, but the bright light of the core of power. It’s a sliver, a caress, and with it comes a flood of residual energy. It seeps into me from her aura, filling my limbs with energy. For a brief moment, I touch her soul. But then the sliver closes and her allure slams into me.

  It’s a connection I can’t deny.

  But I can’t let myself fall.

  Not again.

  I can’t be seduced by the flesh.

  I end the bloody kiss and seal the wounds with a sweep of my tongue.

  She’s limp against me now. Sated and trembling. I draw my fingers from her heat and suck them clean.

  Her eyes darken, and her mouth parts on my name.

  My heart feels too full, and the urge to claim her lips has me dipping my head toward her before I can check myself.

  I pull away, and the disappointment in her eyes is like a shard cutting into my chest.

  I force my lips to curl in a cold smile. “Residual energy is always more powerful when accompanied by physical release.”

  She blinks sharply then stiffens in my arms. Her eyes narrow. “I’m glad we both got something out of this exchange, then.” She pulls away, and I let her go. “Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to shower myself clean.” She gives me a look that clearly suggests she means to clean herself of my scent before turning her back on me once more.

  I’m tempted to stay. To pull her back into my arms and claim those luscious lips of hers. But I’m not one to make the same mistake twice.

  So I retreat, and while she washes me off her body, I take her scent with me.

  Chapter 26

  RUE

  Ihad no fresh clothes, so I washed my underwear and hung them to dry, fuming over what had just happened. I’d buckled. I’d let him touch me. Begged him to touch me, and I’d enjoyed it.

  Urgh.

  I wrapped the towel tighter around my body and stepped out of the washroom ready to face him.

  The room was empty.

  I hated the hollow sensation that filled my chest. Hated what it signified. Ridiculous. No. I wasn’t going to allow it. This was good. Having the room to myself was fabulous. The more time he spent away from me the better. He was arrogant, manipulative and… What was that, neatly folded on the bed?

  I picked up the pile of clothes and riffled through the items.

  Underwear, pajamas, leggings, and an oversized T-shirt.

  Clothes.

  For me.

  He’d left these here for me.

  He’d gone to the trouble to find them for me.

  No. No, Rue, don’t do this. Don’t make this into a sentimental act. It was a practical action, that was all.

  I flopped onto the bed with a groan and was immediately engulfed in his scent once more.

  Urgh, it was going to be a long, sleepless night.

  I must have dropped off because I woke to darkness. Someone had covered me with a blanket, but I was alone in the bed. Then what had woken me? Wait… Somebody was in the room.

  I could feel them.

  But it wasn’t Shem. I was certain of that.

  I stayed still and kept my breathing steady and even while I got my bearings. How far was I from the door? Could I make it before whoever was in here made a move on me?

  The watchers’ meeting had illustrated that there were males here who weren’t happy with Shem keeping me to himself. One of those males could be in here right now. There was enough light filtering in from beneath the washroom door to allow my night vision to kick in. I needed a moment or two for that to happen, then I’d make a run for it.

  Just a moment…

  “I know you’re awake. I hear your heartbeat.” The timbre of the male voice raised goosebumps across my skin.

  I knew that voice.

  There was no point in faking.

  I lifted my head slowly, clutching the towel to my chest. I’d fallen asleep in it, too tired to change. But now, I wished I’d made the effort. “How did you get into the colony, Kabiel?”

  The shadows shifted and he stepped forward, allowing the light to fall on him a little. Enough for me to make out the shape of his broad shoulders and lean torso, enough for me to see the humanoid aspect while his beastly one remained hidden in the dark.

  He was on the other side of the room, under the vent, but there was no way he could have gotten in through it. It was large, but not large enough for a creature of his size. Or was it?

  “Answer me, Kabiel. How did you get in here?”

  “Don’t worry, little conduit. My secret paths are mine alone. No others will find them. There is no threat to the colony.”

  “And what about when you become the threat?”

  “It won’t come to that. Shem and I have an agreement.”

  Wait. “You came here to see him? You two have been meeting here?”

  He leaned in so the light kissed his sharp, chiseled features and glinted off his silver hair. “Yes. But instead, I find you, tasty little morsel.” His tone thickened and deepened. “Washed clean of the grime. Smelling so fresh and inviting.” The shadows shifted again. “There’s power here. I can feel it thrumming off you.”

  He no longer sounded like himself, and a shiver of apprehension ran up my spine. It was time to get out of this room. “You came here to see Shem. I’ll go find him for you.” I swung my legs off the bed, but my soles had barely touched the floor before he was on me.

  The next few seconds were a blur as I tried to slip free of him only to have my wrists pinned to the mattress above my head. I was trapped, his hips pressed to mine, leaving me with no illusions as to what he was feeling.

  Ice flooded my veins. “Kabiel, stop. This isn’t you.”

  His eyes blazed bright silver. “And what would you know about me? I’m a monster. A hungry…” He dipped his head to lick the column of my neck. “Insatiable.” He rolled his hips, forcing me to feel the monstrous girth of him. “Monster.”

  But he wasn’t a monster and I needed to remind him of that. I gritted my teeth and glared at him. “You saved my life in the tunnels. You protected me. Monsters don’t do that. You’re not that far gone. There’s hope.”

  His eyes flinched. “I saved you… Yes. In that moment…” His gaze tracked over my face. “I felt… I felt like me. But if Shem hadn’t come for you…” He inhaled and closed his eyes, and when he spoke, his tone was edged in a rasp that made my scalp prickle. “Oh, little conduit, if he hadn’t come for you, I would have had you in every despicable, depraved manner imaginable.”

  My stomach trembled. “No. I don’t believe that. You’re a watcher, Kabiel. You’re still a watcher. And watchers protect humanity.”

  He opened his eyes and stared down at me, his pupils large and hungry. “I don’t want to hurt you.” His grip on my wrists slackened. “I came here to… I saw something. After you touched me with the power. I saw—”

  The door slammed and Kabiel was torn off me.

  Again.

  Chapter 27

  “Rue, speak to me.” Shem straddled me on the bed, running his hands over my body, invasive and rough. It took a moment to realize that he was checking that all my limbs were intact.

  “I’m fine. I’m okay.”

  He made a soft sound of relief then turned on Kabiel. “What the fuck were you about to do, hmmm? Have you sunk so low? Is it time for me to put you down?”

  Kabiel stood under the vent, his humanoid body in a crouch while the spider half expanded, legs pushing out to protect him from threat.

  His silver gaze flicked to me then back to Shem.

  Shem climbed off me but didn’t move far from the bed.

  I sat up and adjusted my towel. “He didn’t hurt me, Shem. He was going to tell me something.”

  “While pinning you to the bed?” The air seemed to vibrate with his ire. “I’m no fool.”

  Kabiel hissed. “Fuck you, Shem. I’ve played my part and look what it’s done to me. You owe me.” His gaze was on me again. “Yet, you hoard what could save us all. Feasting on the residual power. Tell me, do you intend to share it with the rest of our unit, or do you plan to put them in the tunnel with me because it’s only a matter of time?”

  What was he talking about? I looked up at him to see his jaw ticking.

  “What do you want, Kabiel?” Shem demanded. “Why are you here? Now.”

  Silence stretched for several seconds before Kabiel answered.

  “I saw a vision.”

  Shem tensed. “You saw…” His excitement was almost palpable. “What did you see?”

  “Not so fast, old friend. The details come with a price.”

  “The details could save you,” Shem snapped.

  “I don’t have that much time and you know it. Which is incentive enough for you to give me what I want.”

  Shem looked down at me for a long beat, his expression torn as if a battle was taking place inside him.

  “No.” He shook his head. “We can do without your vision.”

  Kabiel let out a sharp bark of laughter. “Oh, Shem… Not again. Haven’t you learned your lesson?”

  This was about me. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing,” Shem said. “Kabiel, get out.”

  “No!” I climbed off the bed. “This is about me. I know it is. So, tell me what’s going on.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Shem said.

  “Oh, but it does,” Kabiel said. “I had a vision, little conduit. I know exactly where a relic piece is.”

  “We can find it ourselves,” Shem said.

  “Wait, what? What do you mean you had a vision?”

  It was Shem who answered me. “Kabiel was… is a prophet. Prone to visions on occasion. His ability was lost after he began to devolve.”

  “But not before I saw the light of your soul on this earth,” Kabiel said to Shem. “I told you it was here. I told you and I was right.”

  “You didn’t tell me it was inside a human.” Shem sneered.

  Kabiel snorted. “Do I look like God?”

  No, he was a prophet, and we needed some guidance right now. “His vision could save us time.”

  Shem’s jaw ticked. “Yes. It would, but the cost is too high.”

  What was he talking about? “No cost is too high if it saves my world.”

  “Rue—”

  “Residual power,” Kabiel interrupted. “I want a share of it, that’s all. I deserve it, Shem.” He looked at me. “Keep me from devolving long enough to see the relic reforged, and I can help you find all the pieces.”

  “You can’t promise that,” Shem said. “You don’t command your visions.”

  “No, I don’t,” Kabiel said. “I never have, but do you want to close off the possibility of more?”

  My mind whirred. He wanted to feed off the residual power, which meant he’d need to be close to me for an extended period. That couldn’t happen because he lived in the tunnels, so how… Oh… I stared at him in dawning comprehension because there was one other way to get a burst of residual power.

  “We’ve asked enough of the human already,” Shem said. “I’ll do my best to find the pieces as swiftly as possible and save you, but I can’t give you what you want right now.”

  No. Shem couldn’t, but Kabiel wasn’t asking Shem—he was asking me. This was my choice. I bit the inside of my cheeks. “I’ll do it.”

  Kabiel’s eyes flared bright in the gloom.

  “Rue?” Shem looked at me in horror. “You don’t understand what he’s asking.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I think I do.”

  Shem’s chest vibrated. “Do you? He needs you aroused, Rue.”

  My mouth went dry. “I know.”

  “He’ll have to touch you, intimately.”

  Panic squeezed my lungs.

  “One kiss.” Kabiel unfurled, pushing his humanoid aspect forward. “One deep kiss, given freely, is all I need… for now.”

  I ignored the for now bit. We needed that vision. We needed his ability, and one kiss wasn’t too bad. I’d worry about the for now later.

  Shem let out a bark of laughter. “You think highly of yourself, Kabiel.”

  “No, Shem. I’m merely confident in my ability to make a woman melt beneath my lips.”

  Oh fuck…

  “Rue, you don’t have to do this,” Shem said tightly.

  More like, he didn’t want me to, but I wanted to know what Kabiel had seen. “Having a prophet online will help us reach our goal quicker. I want this done. I want it over.” I took a deep breath. “Okay, Kabiel, let’s do this.”

  I made to cross the room, but Shem grabbed my arm. I looked up into his beautifully brutal face, seeing the conflict that swirled like dark mist in his startling blue eyes. “Rue…”

  The twisted yarn of confusion and angst our encounter had left in my belly unraveled beneath that look because it told me all I needed to know. This thing between Shem and I was deeper than he wanted me to know. Maybe deeper than he wanted it to be. It was the only reason he’d consider giving up an opportunity to get his prophet back online.

  I smiled up at him. “I want to do this. We need this.” I grinned. “It’s just a kiss.”

  He exhaled through his nose and fixed his attention on Kabiel. “One false move, Kabiel…”

  But Kabiel had eyes only for me, his expression etched in lines of longing and hope.

  I crossed the room to him. He was taller than Shem, having to hunch his back and lean in to bring his face closer to mine.

  I reached up and cupped his jaw. His skin was cold and rough, but his breath was warm and sweet like candy.

  “One kiss.” I looked him in the eye.

  “One kiss, for now,” he whispered.

  I focused on his mouth. His lips were thinner than Shem’s, but he had a Cupid’s bow that softened them somewhat.

  I closed my eyes and pressed my mouth to his, stiffening when I felt his hand on my nape. He pulled back slightly, but I leaned in and captured his mouth once more, forcing my body to relax, to shut off the part of my brain that screamed that I was kissing a spider.

  This was a watcher. The male saved my life, and… his mouth tasted so good. Like cotton candy. I sucked on his lip, and he moaned and opened for me, his grip on me tightening, forcing my head back, angling me so he could deepen the kiss. My heart jackhammered, blood rushing to my head as his tongue caressed mine with long, lazy strokes that melted my body, leaving me clinging to him and gasping into his mouth, wanting him deeper, wanting him closer.

  “Enough!” Shem’s voice was like the lash of a whip, dragging me back to the surface.

  I broke the kiss and drew back, breathing heavy as if I’d run a sprint. Kabiel’s skin deepened to a bronzed shade as I watched, and the sharp, angular lines of his face softened. His grip on my nape flexed, massaging my muscles, and my eyes fluttered closed for a moment.

  “Let her go,” Shem ordered. “Now.”

  Kabiel’s breath whispered across my lips then moved across my jaw to linger at my ear. “Thank you.”

  He released me, and Shem snagged my elbow, pulled me close, and tucked me to his side. “Now, tell us where it is.”

  My head was still fuzzy from the kiss, so it took a moment to realize he was referring to Kabiel’s vision and the location of the relic piece.

  “This piece is on earth,” Kabiel said. “North of here, on the outskirts of the deadlands. These numbers filled my head.” He rattled off the digits.

  Coordinates.

  Kabiel turned toward the vent.

  “Wait!” Shem called out. “You said, this piece… You know where the others are?”

  “Not now, Shem. Not so easy. We’ll talk when you return. After my second payment.”

  He leapt up into the vent and squeezed through so fast I was left reeling at how versatile his body was. “You left me here knowing he could get in?”

  Shem’s jaw flexed. Yeah, he was pissed about that oversight. “He couldn’t get through that vent before. We always spoke through it. But it looks like his devolution has progressed, despite the power you’ve given him.”

  “What did he mean earlier about playing his part? What did he mean when he said you owed him?”

  Shem ran a hand down his face then sat on the edge of the bed, drawing me down with him. “A few years ago, the watchers in the tunnels became a threat. They kept testing the boundaries. Trying to get into the colony. The runes weren’t working then because the devolution wasn’t complete. I asked Kabiel to go into the tunnels and restore order. It was meant to be a temporary solution but being there, surrounded by the devolving watchers, hastened his own devolution.”

  “Why didn’t you bring him back here?”

  “We wanted to but… his body… The changes were too monstrous, and with no guarantee that the process would slow… We had to put the colony and the humans first.”

 

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