palms up, taking a hesitant step back. I’d been around predators long enough to know when one was about to strike. Normally the challenge spurred my killer instinct, but not with her. Never with her.
There was murder in my woman’s eyes.
“ Kill ,” she hissed.
Then, so fast I could hardly track it, her skin rippled, turning a demonic shade of gray. Her lavender eyes glowed like they’d sucked up all the light in the place.
I felt the eyes of the people behind us turn to look. I knew who they were; I’d known the moment I’d stepped into this place.
They wouldn’t bother us, but the proprietor might. Pandora might not know it, but she’d stepped straight into a hornet’s nest.
“Little demon.” I shook my head slowly, cautiously. I’d sensed her hesitance. She hadn’t attacked yet, but her breathing kept building, and a growl rumbled in her throat.
Only once before had I seen her like this—when she’d killed Kemen. She’d loved him; in fact, Kem was probably the only being on the planet she’d truly loved, and she’d had no problem ripping his head off his neck.
I doubted even her regard for me would make her stop if she lost control of the beast.
From the corner of my eye, I saw the suited owner step around the bar and come up slowly behind her.
Her nostrils flared, as though she’d caught wind of him.
“Look at me.” I kept my voice calm. “That’s right, little demon, just at me. Only me.” As I spoke, I moved ever so slowly toward her.
I didn’t have time to tell the suit to get away. If I lost my focus for even a second she’d rip my throat out. But I’d be damned if I let the bastard lay a hand on her.
The growls were growing louder. I stopped moving.
All the fine hairs on the back of my neck tingled.
“Hell,” was all I could say before she was on me, tackling me to the ground. We flew into an empty table, scattering the chairs like pinballs.
Rolling her over as carefully as I could while she hissed and bucked, I grabbed her wrists and slammed them down on the floor. “Pandora, wake up!”
Hard hands curled into my shoulder, attempting to tug me off her.
“Let go,” I growled to the faceless stranger and focused my attention solely on her.
But that brief lapse in concentration cost me. Her elongated claws shredded through my shirt and latched into my chest, driving like hot spikes through my flesh. Clenching my teeth, I yanked her hands out and slammed them down on the concrete again.
“Pandora, please,” I grunted. “Don’t make me do this.”
But her face was contorted, and she screamed at me, bucking her hips up as she attempted to throw me. My chest bled profusely, staining the front of my gray shirt a dark, viscous red. Her dress was drenched in my blood.
The hands attempted to grab me again, but I jerked my head to the side, connecting with someone’s temple.
“Leave us the hell alone!”
I heard the angry buzzing of voices, but I couldn’t focus on it. My only thought and concern was for her.
Only once before had she ever lost her head like this, and it’d taken something more than brute strength to get her to wake up.
Taking a gamble, I released her wrists and kissed her.
But unlike last time, Pandora didn’t snap out of the haze. Her teeth latched onto my lips, and she bit down so hard they split. I snapped my head back and licked the blood off.
I had no choice now.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I called the shadows to me, gathering them from every corner of the place until they were a tight coil of energy in my palm.
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, knowing the darkness would take her and drag her under into a spell that would disorient and blind her, draining her energy and making her feel phantom waves of pain. It was the least painful weapon in my arsenal, but even so, I knew it would hurt like a mother.
I blasted the shadow into her temple.
She screamed and grabbed her head as the shadow washed through her. Pandora curled into a tight ball
There was murder in my woman’s eyes.
“ Kill ,” she hissed.
Then, so fast I could hardly track it, her skin rippled, turning a demonic shade of gray. Her lavender eyes glowed like they’d sucked up all the light in the place.
I felt the eyes of the people behind us turn to look. I knew who they were; I’d known the moment I’d stepped into this place.
They wouldn’t bother us, but the proprietor might. Pandora might not know it, but she’d stepped straight into a hornet’s nest.
“Little demon.” I shook my head slowly, cautiously. I’d sensed her hesitance. She hadn’t attacked yet, but her breathing kept building, and a growl rumbled in her throat.
Only once before had I seen her like this—when she’d killed Kemen. She’d loved him; in fact, Kem was probably the only being on the planet she’d truly loved, and she’d had no problem ripping his head off his neck.
I doubted even her regard for me would make her stop if she lost control of the beast.
From the corner of my eye, I saw the suited owner step around the bar and come up slowly behind her.
Her nostrils flared, as though she’d caught wind of him.
“Look at me.” I kept my voice calm. “That’s right, little demon, just at me. Only me.” As I spoke, I moved ever so slowly toward her.
I didn’t have time to tell the suit to get away. If I lost my focus for even a second she’d rip my throat out. But I’d be damned if I let the bastard lay a hand on her.
The growls were growing louder. I stopped moving.
All the fine hairs on the back of my neck tingled.
“Hell,” was all I could say before she was on me, tackling me to the ground. We flew into an empty table, scattering the chairs like pinballs.
Rolling her over as carefully as I could while she hissed and bucked, I grabbed her wrists and slammed them down on the floor. “Pandora, wake up!”
Hard hands curled into my shoulder, attempting to tug me off her.
“Let go,” I growled to the faceless stranger and focused my attention solely on her.
But that brief lapse in concentration cost me. Her elongated claws shredded through my shirt and latched into my chest, driving like hot spikes through my flesh. Clenching my teeth, I yanked her hands out and slammed them down on the concrete again.
“Pandora, please,” I grunted. “Don’t make me do this.”
But her face was contorted, and she screamed at me, bucking her hips up as she attempted to throw me. My chest bled profusely, staining the front of my gray shirt a dark, viscous red. Her dress was drenched in my blood.
The hands attempted to grab me again, but I jerked my head to the side, connecting with someone’s temple.
“Leave us the hell alone!”
I heard the angry buzzing of voices, but I couldn’t focus on it. My only thought and concern was for her.
Only once before had she ever lost her head like this, and it’d taken something more than brute strength to get her to wake up.
Taking a gamble, I released her wrists and kissed her.
But unlike last time, Pandora didn’t snap out of the haze. Her teeth latched onto my lips, and she bit down so hard they split. I snapped my head back and licked the blood off.
I had no choice now.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I called the shadows to me, gathering them from every corner of the place until they were a tight coil of energy in my palm.
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, knowing the darkness would take her and drag her under into a spell that would disorient and blind her, draining her energy and making her feel phantom waves of pain. It was the least painful weapon in my arsenal, but even so, I knew it would hurt like a mother.
I blasted the shadow into her temple.
She screamed and grabbed her head as the shadow washed through her. Pandora curled into a tight ball
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