twisted inside. The Dark Ones have done vile things, but Augustin has surpassed them to the point that his own branch shuns him."
"Why don't other demons do something about him? Arrest him or whatever?" Kimi asked, clasping his hands tightly.
Despite how serious things were, one side of Nic's mouth quirked up. How did he explain to her what his society was like? Their caste system was rigid and based on which branch someone was born into. Weaker demons regularly enslaved themselves to stronger demons for protection, and the alliances among branches were an intricate tangle that even the oldest of their people couldn't unravel. This would have made pursuing Augustin difficult enough, but when the innate fear most demons felt for the Dark Ones was factored in, it became impossible.
"The Bak-Faru live separate from other demons, and it would have been left up to them to handle Augustin. For whatever reason, they've opted to let him roam free."
Kimi took a step closer. "Could they just be scared of him too?"
"It's unlikely it's that simple, but I don't know. The Dark Ones seem irrational, and I can't begin to guess their logic."
She continued to gaze up at him, and Nic found himself sinking into her beautiful brown eyes. He wanted to reassure her, to make her believe that everything would be okay, but he couldn't. Instead, he leaned forward and brushed his lips over hers.
He meant to do nothing more than offer comfort, but their kiss was more perfect than he'd imagined—and he had expected it to be damn good. Unable to stop himself, he took it deeper. Kimi opened her mouth beneath his and Nic groaned as he finally tasted her: his vishtau mate. At last, he was kissing his vishtau mate. Pulling his hands free of hers, he reached for her hips and drew her body against his. Nic had to feel her, and he wanted her to know how she affected him, wanted her to know that even this simple kiss left him excited.
Kimi broke away. "I don't want this," she told him, and her lips trembled.
"Really? Eight months ago you wanted more from me than a few kisses." He hadn't meant to say that, even if it was true, but he didn't get a chance to apologize.
"That was then," Kimi shot back, and with a toss of her head, she flipped her hair behind her shoulder.
Reluctantly, Nic smiled. He liked the fire, it was that which prompted him to push her. "So you no longer want me to slowly undress you, kissing each inch of exposed skin as I go? You don't wish me to bare your breasts, to roll your nipples between my fingers and take them in my mouth?" She blushed and looked away. Nic's grin broadened and he kept going. "That's not the only part of you I want to use my tongue on. I've imagined putting your legs over my shoulders and going down—"
"Shut up," Kimi snarled. She glared into his eyes, but he read more than anger and embarrassment. There was also arousal.
"Why?" He asked, trying to sound innocent. "I was just getting to the interesting part."
"I don't want to hear it."
"What have
you
fantasized about doing to
me?
" He asked, although he didn't expect an answer.
"Right now, I'm imagining punching you—hard."
Nic grinned. Kimi had grown up. He couldn't visualize her holding her own with him when they'd first met, and he liked the change. His smile faded. No doubt he should allow her more time to mature into the person she'd be one day and take more time to work on gaining the control he'd need to safely bed her, but he already sensed the bonds between them tightening—for him, not for her. Yes, she felt the attraction, but it wasn't the driving need to mate that he had. Everything would have been easier between them if she'd been a demon herself, or even part demon.
From time to time in his life, he'd idly wondered about his vishtau mate. Would he find her? What would she be like? How would it feel to be that closely connected to another? He'd never, not even once, imagined her to be a human.
He'd known it wasn't outside the realm of
"Why don't other demons do something about him? Arrest him or whatever?" Kimi asked, clasping his hands tightly.
Despite how serious things were, one side of Nic's mouth quirked up. How did he explain to her what his society was like? Their caste system was rigid and based on which branch someone was born into. Weaker demons regularly enslaved themselves to stronger demons for protection, and the alliances among branches were an intricate tangle that even the oldest of their people couldn't unravel. This would have made pursuing Augustin difficult enough, but when the innate fear most demons felt for the Dark Ones was factored in, it became impossible.
"The Bak-Faru live separate from other demons, and it would have been left up to them to handle Augustin. For whatever reason, they've opted to let him roam free."
Kimi took a step closer. "Could they just be scared of him too?"
"It's unlikely it's that simple, but I don't know. The Dark Ones seem irrational, and I can't begin to guess their logic."
She continued to gaze up at him, and Nic found himself sinking into her beautiful brown eyes. He wanted to reassure her, to make her believe that everything would be okay, but he couldn't. Instead, he leaned forward and brushed his lips over hers.
He meant to do nothing more than offer comfort, but their kiss was more perfect than he'd imagined—and he had expected it to be damn good. Unable to stop himself, he took it deeper. Kimi opened her mouth beneath his and Nic groaned as he finally tasted her: his vishtau mate. At last, he was kissing his vishtau mate. Pulling his hands free of hers, he reached for her hips and drew her body against his. Nic had to feel her, and he wanted her to know how she affected him, wanted her to know that even this simple kiss left him excited.
Kimi broke away. "I don't want this," she told him, and her lips trembled.
"Really? Eight months ago you wanted more from me than a few kisses." He hadn't meant to say that, even if it was true, but he didn't get a chance to apologize.
"That was then," Kimi shot back, and with a toss of her head, she flipped her hair behind her shoulder.
Reluctantly, Nic smiled. He liked the fire, it was that which prompted him to push her. "So you no longer want me to slowly undress you, kissing each inch of exposed skin as I go? You don't wish me to bare your breasts, to roll your nipples between my fingers and take them in my mouth?" She blushed and looked away. Nic's grin broadened and he kept going. "That's not the only part of you I want to use my tongue on. I've imagined putting your legs over my shoulders and going down—"
"Shut up," Kimi snarled. She glared into his eyes, but he read more than anger and embarrassment. There was also arousal.
"Why?" He asked, trying to sound innocent. "I was just getting to the interesting part."
"I don't want to hear it."
"What have
you
fantasized about doing to
me?
" He asked, although he didn't expect an answer.
"Right now, I'm imagining punching you—hard."
Nic grinned. Kimi had grown up. He couldn't visualize her holding her own with him when they'd first met, and he liked the change. His smile faded. No doubt he should allow her more time to mature into the person she'd be one day and take more time to work on gaining the control he'd need to safely bed her, but he already sensed the bonds between them tightening—for him, not for her. Yes, she felt the attraction, but it wasn't the driving need to mate that he had. Everything would have been easier between them if she'd been a demon herself, or even part demon.
From time to time in his life, he'd idly wondered about his vishtau mate. Would he find her? What would she be like? How would it feel to be that closely connected to another? He'd never, not even once, imagined her to be a human.
He'd known it wasn't outside the realm of
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