Hot Blooded

veins. My body began to get physically hot as the intensity built.

For a single brief moment I felt completely alone.

My gold devoured Selene’s entire body. In my mind I could see her immortality manifested in tiny red beacons. No surprise there. They bit at my energy, fighting my power. Underneath me, Selene bucked and moaned. I pushed back. We’re going to have to give her a blast of our power at the end, when everything is saturated.

I wasn’t sure when to do it, when it had covered her enough.

Selene made the decision for me.

Her body flexed beneath me and she began to fight back in earnest. Red sprang to life where it hadn’t been a moment ago. Pressure built on its own. This is it. I threw more power at her. Let’s try to stay awake after this one, I told my wolf. She didn’t have time to agree with me.

I heard Rourke yell something, but I was lost to the fight.

Selene vibrated beneath me like a tuning fork. I held on. I tossed my head back, fairly sure I was screaming. I gave one last pull on my power. Once it was all concentrated, I yanked it back to me like a spring. Selene’s immortal essence flexed once and began to break apart, shredding under the force of my power.

Selene’s rage filled the cavern, finally getting through to my senses. “No. No!” she screamed, her back bowed to me. “I will not die!”

“Too late,” I ground out of my rough vocal cords. I pulsed with energy as I gave one more internal squeeze. The remaining red exploded into nothing right as I squeezed her heart.

Selene’s body went limp beneath me.

My eyes snapped open.

I fell forward, gasping for breath.

Rourke hovered behind me. Fur coated his arms as they wrapped around me, easing me back up. I

leaned against the weight of his chest, exhausted. We both glanced down at Selene’s immobile body. I

spoke first. “Just to be sure, we should take her apart next. Leave the cross in. I just have to catch my breath.”

“Anything,” Rourke whispered into my ear. “I will do any goddamn thing you tell me to do. I

thought I’d lost you for a second there. Your whole body glowed with eerie light. I thought Selene was killing you with another spell. I tried to pull you back, but I couldn’t move you. Not even an inch.” He shook his head. “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” I said truthfully. “But in the future, if I look like I’m glowing, it’s a safe bet not to mess with me.” My body had already morphed back to normal. I was getting good at snapping back to my human form quickly. It was becoming second nature.

I took a deep breath and turned to face Rourke.

He grabbed on to my face, his eyes searching. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, but I’m exhausted.”

His mouth covered mine deeply. I took him all in, my senses jumping for joy. I wanted to lick him,

taste him, and feel him against me. My body burned for him. I pushed myself up against him. He growled with pleasure, his blond stubble tickling my chin as he kissed me.

I wanted to lose myself in him forever, but I couldn’t. I broke from him with supreme effort. “As much as I regret this, we have to get this over with.”

Rourke let me go reluctantly. He knew what was needed and moved me over, immediately kneeling by Selene’s head. “Do you want me to take it off? Her neck is damaged beyond repair, but her head is still attached.”

“I don’t know.” Her chest was open, and her neck was shredded. She wasn’t healing because the cross was still in her chest.

Rourke grabbed on to her head. “I’m not taking any chances. We take her head off and her heart out

—whatever’s left of it.” But before he could do anything rocks began to shake from the walls. They rained down around us.

Instead of pulling Selene’s head off, Rourke jumped up with a roar and came at me, grabbing me around the waist and pulling me backward against him.

“What is it?” I yelled.

Sulfur poured into the room, making us all gag.

“Something’s coming,” he said. “Let’s go. The way Tyler came in is the back way. Head for the opening.” He herded me along.

“Do you know what it is for sure?” With the scent of sulfur, we knew it was coming from the

Underworld.

“Whatever it is, it’s huge,” he said grimly.

“Jess,” Tyler said. “We’re right behind you. Go, go.”

Naomi gave a diminutive shriek as Danny wrapped his arm around her middle and picked her up.

“You weren’t moving fast enough.” He’d changed back and was in his sheet once again. We all moved toward the opening. The only person who was missing was Ray. I had no idea what happened to him—

if he had gotten out or if Eamon had indeed taken him.

The floor continued to shake, rocks tumbled, candles flickered, and the chandelier jumped. The power climbed quickly and it started to taste familiar. “Oh my God,” I gasped. “This is the same signature from the forest.”

An explosion ripped through the room, smashing Rourke and me into the wall, the others following, all of us tumbling into one another.

When the dust settled a single shape stood in front of us.

“Well, well, well. We finally meet.” A voice laced with sarcasm floated through the room. “I’ve heard so very much about you.”

27

“And yet I’ve heard nothing about you,” I said as I picked myself off the ground as eloquently as I

could manage. Rourke was already beside me, a low warning issuing from the back of his throat. I

figured my best line of defense at the moment was to act like the sight of a Demon Lord in the flesh wasn’t freaking me out completely. I wasn’t sure I could pull it off, but it was worth a try. Get a handle on the fear, I told my wolf. We don’t want to emit any scent if we can help it.

“Well, my reputation does precede me in certain circles,” it said.

“I’m assuming you came to pick up your prize?”

“What? Are you referring to this?” It arched a well-manicured hand toward Selene’s lifeless body like it was nothing. If imps were greasy and unkempt, Demon Lords were the exact opposite. This man-thing emitted enough power to choke all of us and was dressed like a news anchor in a perfectly tailored three-piece suit without a single fiber out of place. It must have been glamoured on him in some way. I’d always pictured demons wearing capes and dressed in all black— not dressed to deliver the nightly news. What was most disturbing was its face. It was as precise as it was cruel, flawless and hawkish at the same time. Its hair arched away from its face in a poof that would be impossible to re-create, even on the Jersey Shore, no matter how much shellac. “Selene is not why I came. I came for you, of course.”

“What do you mean you came for me?” I balked. So much for cool.

It took a step closer and the room erupted in growls. I glanced to the right. Both Tyler and Danny had their game faces on. “My sister is not up for adoption, Demon,” my brother snarled. “You came to the wrong cave.”

The demon stopped and opened its hands like it was going to give a sermon to a roomful of worshippers. “Let me correct myself. I came to assess your threat to my race and make an appropriate diagnosis. Once I make