A Dangerous Hunger: (The Sentinel Demons) (12 page)

“Incredible,” Drew corrected. “I’d only ever heard of the connection between mates. It’s not the same as feeling it.”

Talia lifted her head, which seemed to take an enormous amount of effort since her body was limp and sated. “Does this mean you’ll feel less protective? Now that we’re officially mates?”

Drew laughed, a genuine sound of happiness that Talia had never heard from him before.

“You wish,
mo ghra
. I protect what’s mine. I’m likely to be worse. But I’ll try not to suffocate you with it.” He shifted her to his side and cuddled her close. “Is it really so bad? Having someone worry about you?”

No. It wasn’t bad at all. “I’m not used to it. I’ve always been alone, Drew. But no, it isn’t bad. It’s wonderful. It’s only bad when you’re being stubborn and unreasonable.”

“Me?” he quipped innocently. “I’m never stubborn or unreasonable, love.”

Talia snorted but she didn’t comment. Drew Winston was the most stubborn individual, male or female, that she’d ever encountered, but it was one of the things she loved about him...most of the time, anyway. He was definitely tenacious.

“Tell me again, Talia,” Drew demanded quietly.

She knew what he wanted to hear, but it was difficult for her to keep telling him that she loved him when he didn’t love her in the same way. It stabbed at her heart, and if she kept saying it, it would be a scab that would never heal. Instead of speaking, she traced the lines of the mating mark on his shoulder, noting that it was exactly the same as the one she’d seen on Kat.

“Talia,” Drew said huskily. “How can you think—”

“Drew!” Talia cried with alarm, feeling her body start to fade. “Something’s happening.” Her head began to swim and her image of Drew grew blurry.

“Talia! Hold on to me. Don’t leave me.” Drew grasped Talia more tightly, trying to hold onto her body, but within seconds he was clawing at thin air.

Drew tried not to panic, but he failed miserably. His breathing grew rapid and shallow as he scrambled out of the bed, bellowing her name. “Talia!”

Stay calm, man
. Zach had freaked out and look how that turned out. All Drew could remember was that Kat had ended up in the demon realm after she and Zach had mated, unable to control her realm-walker powers that had emerged immediately after the two of them had mated. And Zach had definitely lost it when his mate had disappeared.

“Bloody hell!” Drew cursed, trying to remember what exactly had happened to Zach. “Kristoff reminded him that he was still connected to Kat,” he rumbled, remembering how significant that had been.

Drew closed his eyes, his mind racing, trying to feel Talia’s essence. They
were
connected now, joined by their souls.

He could feel her confusion, but he didn’t sense that she was in pain or afraid. And she was close, in one single place, and not drifting from realm to realm. Her presence was solid, but that information still didn’t keep him from feeling desperate to get to her.

Dressing himself with his magic, Drew closed his eyes and followed the trail of her spirit, knowing only that he had to find her. His demon might be demanding its mate, but Drew knew the man in him needed her more than his demon ever could.

His form dissolved, determined that he’d either find her, or die trying.

T
alia was mortified when she found herself transported to another room, in an unknown place that had the same décor as Kristoff’s home, the same style, but God only knew where the hell she was.

She sat up slowly, pushing the hair from her eyes, realizing the humiliating fact that she was completely nude. “Shit,” she cursed softly, looking around in a panic to see if she could cover herself.

“Problems?” a rough, low voice said from the other side of the room. “What are you doing in here?”

Talia’s eyes shot to the other side of the room, only to find Hunter staring at her with an evil grin. He was lying on a massive bed, his head propped up by one arm, looking at her like women dropped into his bedroom every day. Did anything ever faze Hunter? “I’m naked,” Talia said, stating the obvious as she drew her knees up to her chest to hide her body.

“I’d help you out, but I’m fresh out of powers,” Hunter grumbled, swinging his feet over the edge of the bed and sauntering to his closet. Pulling out a robe from the back of the closet, he tossed it in her direction, keeping his eyes averted. “Use that. I sleep in the raw anyway. I hardly ever use it.”

“Where am I? Am I still in Kristoff’s house?” she asked Hunter nervously as she held the robe up to hide her nakedness.

“Technically, yes. This is the basement apartment,” Hunter answered cautiously, as though he was still trying to figure out what the naked mate of another Sentinel was doing here.

Talia quickly wrapped herself in the black silk robe, pulling the sash closed with a hard jerk. She might be tall, but the Sentinels were massive, and it covered her from neck to toes. Scrambling to her feet, she had to reach for the arm of a chair to catch her balance. Her entire body was humming, a droning noise that kept getting stronger and stronger, louder and louder.

Her impulse to touch Hunter was confusing, and rather frightening. She tried to fight it, but she was drawn to him like a magnet. It wasn’t the same way she was drawn to Drew, but more of an instinct, a magical compulsion to make contact with the Sentinel in front of her. “May I touch you, Hunter?”

Hunter just gaped at her, his expression incredulous.

Talia!

She could hear Drew’s desperate bellow in mind, and she mentally called out to him, letting him know she was safe.

I’m with Hunter. I’m in the basement apartment. I’m fine, Drew.

“You want to touch me why?” Hunter rasped. “Nobody touches me unless they have to for penalties,” he denied her.

Talia felt Hunter’s pain more acutely than she ever had before, the aching loneliness that was nearly making him go insane. His rage was on the surface, but the real pain was deep inside him. “I don’t know why. I just need to touch you. Please. It’s painful.” The droning was getting louder, her head beginning to spin.

“Fuck,” he said irritably. “Then do it. Just don’t do anything that will make Irish want to kick my ass or kill me.”

Talia stepped forward cautiously, as though she were approaching a wild animal. Hunter wasn’t completely broken. Because she was hurting, he’d agreed to whatever she needed him to do to help her. “It’s not like that, Hunter. I don’t know what it is, but it isn’t sexual.”

Hunter surprised her by holding his roughened palm out to her, and she placed her hand into his, the noise quickly quieting for her, but Hunter looked dumbstruck. Talia gripped his hand tightly, suddenly realizing exactly what was happening. “Your powers are returning to you.” She could feel the transfer of an energy that wasn’t her own flowing into Hunter’s body.

Hunter’s body shuddered as he momentarily gripped her hand tighter before finally releasing it. Shaking his head in denial, he said gruffly, “You mated with Drew?”

Lowering her hand back to her side, she replied, “Yes.”

“And if you ever fucking touch her again, I’ll kill you,” Drew’s angry voice informed Hunter from behind her. “What the hell are you doing?”

Talia spun around and put a palm on Drew’s chest. “I asked permission from him to touch him. It wasn’t his fault. Drew, this has to be my latent
radiant
power. I was drawn to Hunter because he was powerless. I’m obviously a conduit for lost powers of the Sentinels. I’m some kind of power restorer. Hunter’s powers were bound. I’m clearly capable of releasing them or restoring them. They came to me, and I gave them back to Hunter. Why would the Sentinels need that kind of skill? How often do Sentinels lose their powers?”

Drew shot Hunter a still irritated look and asked, “Are they completely back?”

“Yeah. I can feel them,” Hunter answered roughly.

“Sentinels don’t lose their powers often in the human realm, but they’re powerless in the demon realm.” A third male voice entered the fray, and Talia saw Zach and Kat standing behind Drew. “Your power makes perfect sense,” Zach muttered.

“Well, it doesn’t make sense to me. Are you saying that Talia can be sucked into the demon realm at any time?” Drew questioned Zach, his eyes filled with rage.

“Doubtful,” Zach answered calmly. “There are no Sentinels being held prisoner there except Kristoff, and he’s under a bargain.” Zach looked at Kat, and she nodded hesitantly. “I have something I need to tell you all.”

“Spit it out,” Drew growled. “I don’t like the idea of Talia being vulnerable.”

“When Kat and I were stuck in the demon realm, we saw human females there. For some reason, the Evils are keeping some women alive there. Human women. Kristoff said they’re special, that they are able to recharge and not die when their souls are drained,” Zach explained.

“
Radiants
,” Kat and Talia said in harmony, smiling at each other as they spoke.

Talia shrugged. “It’s the only thing that makes sense. Human females who recharge can only be Sentinel
radiants
who haven’t yet lost their dormant power. The Evils pursued both Kat and I relentlessly. It’s obvious they’re after
radiants
who haven’t yet mated. It’s probably their source of increased power.”

Zach and Drew looked at each other and slowly nodded. “Makes sense,” Drew agreed aloud, pulling Talia closer to his side.

“Why is Kristoff in the demon realm?” Hunter asked hoarsely, his expression confused.

Drew quickly filled Hunter in on all that had occurred while he had been hiding away in his room, angry about the binding of his powers.

“Kristoff had a request for you. Are you going to do it? He said it was important,” Drew asked, eyeing Hunter cautiously. “You can go slay demons now that you have your powers back, or you can honor the last request of your king.”

Talia watched Hunter closely as rage flashed briefly in his eyes, and then turned to a look of stubborn determination. Obviously, Hunter’s first instinct was to kill, but he had enough honor left to heed his king, even if said king had bound his powers.

“Kristoff pisses me off, but he saved my life. I’ll see to it,” Hunter agreed reluctantly.

Drew quickly gave Hunter the information Kristoff had given him. “There’s a woman there Kristoff needs you to locate. I take it she’s critical to helping us. That’s all I gathered from Kristoff. His time with us was limited.” Drew watched as Hunter nodded abruptly. “Our king traded his own life for mine and Talia’s. I’d like to return the favor. I’m counting on you to find this woman, Hunter. If this woman can help, we need her.”

“Kristoff is my father, Hunter. Please do this for him, and for me,” Talia begged. “I know it shouldn’t have happened, but it did. He got my mother pregnant, and I’m his daughter. He’s the father I never got to really know. If we can save him, I want to give that possibility every chance.” Talia reached out and touched Hunter’s arm lightly in a silent plea, ignoring the low, growling noise she heard rising in Drew’s throat.

Hunter looked startled at Talia’s revelation, but he didn’t ask any questions. He simply inclined his head again and disappeared without a word.

“Were you doing that to distract him, to keep him from beheading more Evils?” Zach asked Drew curiously.

“No. It actually was Kristoff’s request. Whoever this woman is, Kristoff thinks she can help Hunter.” Drew’s voice was grave, but slightly hopeful.

“I sure the hell hope so,” Zach answered quietly. “He might be a pain in the ass, but we’ve been brothers for a long time. I want the asshole alive and safe.”

Drew was hurting over Hunter. Talia could feel his pain as surely as she could feel her own. The gradual decline in Hunter’s sanity troubled him deeply, and she was willing to bet that it did the same to Zach. Although they were both covering up their anguish over their brother with a “tough guy” mentality, Talia knew they cared about him more than they could express.

“I can’t believe Kristoff is your father,” Kat said, shaking her head.

“He is. Pretty amazing, I know,” Talia agreed.

“How?” Kat asked curiously.

“Brother, if your mate doesn’t know how that happened by now, you aren’t doing your job very well,” Drew teased Zach, his voice amused.

Zach flipped Drew the middle finger and grasped Kat around the waist. “I’ve taught my wife plenty, and it would take me an eternity to show her everything I know,” Zach boasted arrogantly.

Talia looked at Kat and they both rolled their eyes. “If this is going to be a caveman competition, I’m leaving. I have scrolls to study,” Talia told Drew, pulling away from him.

“You have scrolls?” Kat asked excitedly. “Which ones?”

“The demon prophecies,” Talia told her enthusiastically. “Kristoff gave them to me.”

Kat squealed. “I want to have a look, too.” She rushed over to Talia and grabbed her hand, ready to pull her from the room.

“Wait,” Drew demanded. “Zach and I have business to attend to. Humans are being slaughtered, and we need to check on the warrior Sentinels and see what’s happening. But I have one thing I have to do first.”

Talia looked at him questioningly. “What?”

He looked at her intensely, and Talia gasped as the robe she was wearing was replaced by her own clothing, a V-neck shirt and jeans. “The robe smelled like Hunter. I don’t like the smell of any other male on my woman. If anything happens, call out to us. You’ll be watched over by the guardians until we return.”

“Yes, master,” Talia snapped back at him, more than a little irked by his arrogance.

Drew smirked at her, and Talia could feel his amusement underneath his alpha exterior.

I think that particular game is a little advanced for you, mo chridhe. But we can try it if you like
.
Problem is, if I had you at my mercy, pain would be the last thing on my mind.

Talia’s irritation drained away, replaced by a rosy flush that covered her entire body as she heard Drew’s sexy, naughty words in her mind. Suddenly, the idea of being completely under his control was one of the hottest thoughts imaginable.

Maybe I don’t want to play.
Talia tilted her chin and her eyes met his, her body melting as she saw the glint of amber in his eyes.

Then it will be my mission to convince you.
His accent made the low, hot statement sound almost like a deep, throaty purr.
Stay safe, love.

Any anger Talia had was gone, replaced by her concern for Drew, and the events that were currently taking place with the Evils.
Be careful. Please.

Drew nodded slowly.
I intend to. I have you to come home to now.

Talia watched as Drew and Zach vanished, her gut clenching from not knowing what the two of them were up against and what would happen.

Kat squeezed her hand. “I know how you feel. It’s scary out there right now.”

“I love him,” Talia admitted simply, following Kat as she headed toward the bedroom door.

“Of course you do,” Kat answered with a laugh. “He’s a Winston. They’re hard to resist.” Kate dropped her hand and walked out the door ahead of Talia.

Talia followed, knowing Kat was right. But Drew was
her
Winston, and even knowing how capable Drew was, it didn’t stop her from worrying any less.

Two days later, Talia and Kat were sitting at the kitchen table, still trying to decipher the prophecies. Drew and Zach hadn’t been back since the day they’d disappeared from Hunter’s room, and the two women were working frantically to help by figuring out the words on the scrolls.