Beast of Fire -- a Demon Hunting Sexy Romance (20 page)

Prince Risen responded under the scrutiny and he did so with a cold, hard truth that Cullen agreed with, “Adrian would not be selective in which wolves he killed,” he stated bluntly. “He simply wants you, and your entire pack, dead.”
 
He glanced at Tara in a silent exchange before adding, “Tara and her coven are willing to offer their services to aid your efforts in defeating the rebels, as am I.”

Suspicion slashed through Cullen’s mind. The offer was generous in the midst of newly forming relationships. In the Demon world, rarely did anyone cover the other’s back, and he had to remind himself that neither of these two were Demons. Still, he questioned them, “Why would either of you be so eager to come to my aid?”

Prince Risen’s reply came quickly, “We need you to come out of this stronger than before.”

Need? “Again,” Cullen said, a bite of irritation in his tone this time, not one for mincing words, not one for games and hidden agendas. “Why?”
 

The Prince’s jaw clenched and unclenched, his gaze unwavering on Cullen’s face. “I’ve told you what I want,” he stated.

Cullen gave him a steely stare. “You want me to oversee the council.”

“As do I,” Tara said, surprising Cullen with her quick insertion. Everyone knew the coven preferred answering to their own kind. But then, didn’t they all?
 

He studied her a moment, then shifted his attention back to Risen. “Why me?” Cullen asked bluntly. If anything, his current situation made him look weak. He despised weakness.
 

Tara reinserted herself into the discussion, unaffected by Cullen’s focus on the Prince. “Every communication we’ve intercepted from the Underworld tells us Adrian wants to rule earth. That means eliminating anyone who will stand against him. He’s targeted the wolves because they are the largest, most established, population of Demons on earth.”

“And because he knows you will not answer to him,” the Prince added.
   

Cullen still wasn’t satisfied. This was all old news. “None of this tells me why you want me to rule the council.”

“Adrian is getting smarter,” the Prince offered. “He’s beginning to infiltrate humanity, allowing his Army to live among humans. The Knights of White have previously stood against them successfully. But a battlefield and swords will no longer be enough. This is a new war we face.
 
We must unite to win.”
 

“It’s already started,” Tara stated, her tone bleak. “Beasts are among us. That’s why we must act quickly. Your pack could offer protection to the council and its followers. You already live among humans in great numbers. You could offer resources and protection we must have to face this and win.”

Cullen hadn’t missed the reference to the Knights of White. He’d known there was a reason that the Prince had given him that book after the last meeting, calling it a point of mutual interest. Just as he knew Tara and the Prince were holding back – they hadn’t told him everything–and Cullen was losing his patience. He had a traitor to go slay. He pinned the Prince in an accusing stare. “What aren’t you saying, Fae?”

Prince Risen’s lips twitched, as if he found the impatience amusing. “Very well,” he said with a heavy sigh. “I’ll be blunt since you seem to prefer this method of communication. The Demons on the council fear the Knights of White quite simply because they are quite effective at hunting and killing Demons. It matters not to them that the Knights are focused on Adrian’s army of Darkland Beasts. They kill Demons; they are the enemy. I, like Tara, believe we cannot defeat Adrian without their support.”
 

“The Knights are immortal,” Tara injected. “Killing them is difficult, but we know they are susceptible to fire. The ring you wear will represent security to the Demons on the council. Proof you represent a threat to the Knights, and can protect yourself, and those on the council, if need be.” “And you believe these Knights will consider a council of Demons?” Cullen inquired, skeptical at best.
 

Risen offered a quick nod. “We believe the Knights' leader must be persuaded to join our cause. The council accepting him is the issue. Your support of his involvement will be critical.”
 

So there it was, Cullen thought. The true motivation to seat him as leader. His ring. It always came back to the ring. Exactly why he would never take it off.
 
“If I agree,” Cullen said, cautiously. “I will want full control. No one sits on this council who I don’t approve.” He was thinking specifically of one Demon he did not believe belonged on the council. He had to trust those he offered his protection. “That includes this leader for the Knights of White. I’ll want to meet him first, before I endorse his presence.”

“Expected,” the Prince said in agreement. “I’ll arrange a meeting.”
 

Cullen considered his options, his heels bouncing beneath the table, adrenaline ripe in his veins. He wanted Nick’s blood. “I will meet with this Knight leader simply because time is critical in our preparation to face Adrian. I will not, however, take on the council until I have my own house in order. I want the rebels dealt with first. The rest of the council is not to know any more than they already do.” He looked a fool enough.

Tara was quick to interject, “My coven is at your disposal, prepared to meet with you this very night to begin our work.” His nostrils flared as her eyes met his, a promise in their depths beyond the words spoken. “I am at your disposal.”
 

Cullen felt the flare of arousal
 
despite his preference to stay unaffected. The little witch got to him, and he had no time for such folly. A scurry of activity sounded down the hall, and Cullen jerked his gaze to the door. Several familiar voices filtered through the air, council members that would soon join them. “We are stronger united,” Prince Rise said softly, urging him to make a decision.
 

Cullen took several seconds to respond, long enough to solidify this as the right choice in his mind. A choice he found remarkably clear. Progress sometimes meant change, change which many feared. That was why he’d left the Underworld and embraced earth as home, why he’d taught his pack to do the same. Yes. Change had served him well in the past. It was time to embrace it again. “Tonight, we begin.”

***

Hours later, Nick stood behind a long table in the underground operation center for his rebels, listening to reports from Alexander of a Council of Demons ready to stand against Adrian. Beside Alexander, Jess stood, hands folded over his chest, displeased at Alexander’s success.
 

“And your source is who?” Nick asked Alexander.
 

“Bartender at the restaurant where the meetings are held,” Alexander replied, eager to earn his place back by Nick’s side. “Very protective of his sister.” In other words, Alexander had threatened her. His wolves had taken great pains to insert themselves in the city hotspots, to stick someone in their pocket in one way or another. In this case, threats against the bartender's sister. Alexander continued, “He said the group has met a couple of times. From what he’s pieced together, they are building a united front against Adrian. The strength in numbers concept.”

Nick almost laughed at that. The wolves were big enough and strong enough that every Demon race should be at their feet. They should stand next to Adrian, his protectors. That would please Adrian. Pleasing Adrian had rewards, such as power. Pleasing humans did nothing but waste energy. With him as leader of the wolves, they would be stronger. He would prove his value to Adrian when he took over the pack.
 

He considered his options. Tell Adrian of this council or wait – hold the piece of information as a card to be dealt later if needed. The Council’s destruction would be a way to gain favor with Adrian – when the time was right. First things first, the ring – the pack. It was time to cut liabilities and seize the reins. Time for Cullen to fall, before he became any more suspicious.
 

Which also brought up concerns of this Hunter killing his pack. Was he secretly working for Cullen? Did Cullen know more than he thought he did? Or perhaps this Council? He grimaced. It was time to use this Hunter and his Firestarter, and then dispose of them. They were two of the "liabilities" it was time to cut. He snapped back to the present, and a satisfied smile curled on his lips. Alexander and Jess stood at attention, waiting for him to speak. Waiting on him. Not Cullen. And they would have waited hours for his direction, standing there like puppets waiting to have their strings pulled. Damn, he loved this power.
   

Nick leveled a glare on Jess, whose eyes flickered with a look that said he did not like being the one under scrutiny. “I am not going to ask you where the Hunter is,” Nick ground out between his teeth. “He’s not here, so it means you have yet to succeed in his capture. In fact, you’ve failed." Jess started to speak and he held up a hand. “Save it. I know why you failed and it disgusts me. You’re scared shitless of the Firestarter.” He lifted his chin at Alexander. “Just like your counterpart.” He flicked his attention between the two of them. “And apparently you are both stupid, since the Hunter outsmarts you both every time.”
 

Nick lifted the lid on the suitcase and displayed an arsenal of guns. “Tranquilizers,” he explained. “You can’t get outsmarted while your enemy is asleep.” He grimaced at them both. “At least, I certainly hope not.” He lifted his chin. “Find them. All of them. The Firestarter. The Hunter. Cullen. Since the Hunter and this Firestarter are clearly chasing the ring, the three of them should not be hard to find fairly close together.” He ignored their gaping jaws. “And since neither of you have acted overly bright these past few weeks – need I remind you both, that the ring protects Cullen when he cannot protect himself. Move him to a secure location, yes. Touch the ring, no.”

It was time the true leader claimed his rightful role in this world – leader of the Pack. At least that was a good place to start. With Adrian’s favor, perhaps they could reclaim part of the Underworld as well.

Chapter Fifteen

Kresley stepped into the luxurious hotel room that Lucan had checked into, but she didn’t care about the splendor of the room. She cared about Lucan. It was killing her to see him like this, killing her to see him so . . . haunted. She didn’t know how else to describe the shadows in his eyes, the darkness to his expression, his demeanor. The violent way he’d seemed to enjoy killing that wolf. She should fear what she saw in him. She did not. She did not believe he would hurt her, or any innocent for that matter.
 

When she looked deeply into his beautifully blue eyes, she saw a kind soul. She saw the man Angels had seen when they’d recruited him into the Knights of White. If only he could see that man–the man he was. But the Demons that were controlling him didn’t want him to see that person. They wanted him to be lost – lost and under their command. Well, damn it, they couldn’t have him. She wouldn’t allow it.
 

Standing in the center of a combination office and living room area, she waited while he locked the door. Waited until he completed his task and turned to her. Their eyes collided, held. A warm, sizzling awareness slid through her body. They were alone. In a hotel room. Another time, she might be nervous. But not tonight. Tonight, she simply wanted to be with Lucan; she wanted to take care of him.
 

“The bedroom is all yours,” he said. “Your clothes are all still at the apartment. I didn’t risk toting bags while being followed. Especially, not with the wild goose chase I took the wolves following me on.I asked the hotel to pick out some things and have them waiting. Hopefully a few of them work.”

“Lucan,” she said. “Talk to me. What happened tonight?”

“I lost it,” he said, self-loathing in his voice. "Exactly why you need to go to the bedroom, lock the door, and stay the hell away from me until I pull my shit together.”
 

Refusal was instant. “I’m not afraid of you, Lucan.”

“I’m afraid of me, Kresley,” he said. “I’m dangerous.”

She suspected there might be truth to that. His eyes were not right. They were black, dilated, where they should be blue. But anything he endured had come from this hell he’d taken on to protect her. She was not going to hide from it. She was done hiding. If all she had left were two weeks, she was going to make them count.
   

She decided she needed to bring Lucan back to the man, back to himself, and drive away the Demons. That should work. She hoped. Because it was the only plan she had. “You can tell me what happened when you’re feeling better,” she said and dropped the envelope she still clutched on the coffee table. She sat down on the couch, snagged the room service menu and opened it, her stomach growling in demand. She glanced up to find Lucan staring at her like he was going to pick her up and carry her to the bedroom and lock her up. She pretended not to notice. “Any special requests?”
 

He didn’t answer. He walked to the window, stared out at the Manhattan skyline twinkling in the depths of a starless black sky. But she had a feeling he didn’t really see that sky. He saw Demons. The ones who lived inside him and wouldn’t let go.
 

She set the menu aside and walked to his side. Cautiously, she set her hand on his back. He reacted immediately, gently shackling her wrist and turning to face her. “What part of 'I’m dangerous' can you not get through that thick, beautiful head of yours?”