Unholy Cravings Read online

  “Where are you going?” Tara asked.

  He drew his sword and charged the deahmans.

  “Wait!” What he was doing was suicide. There were three deahmans to his one. Tara stood stunned as his tall, muscular frame charged into the fray. They converged on him as one body, biting at his skin and tearing at his clothes.

  Tara froze with fear, her mind blanking. Was the man mad? One bite from a deahman would kill a normal human. It would kill an Iatros as well. Then again, Soren was neither Iatros nor human. He was one of them.

  He was a good fighter, as well. It wasn’t long before he decapitated one. The cut was clean and the head rolled off the body and onto the pavement. The body crumpled, falling into a bloody heap on the ground.

  Only two left to go. Soren turned to face one of the deahmans, turning his back on the second. The second deahman pulled a long blade from his hip and raised it into the air.

  “Look out!” Tara grabbed a throwing star out of her jacket and threw it at the deahman at Soren’s back. It lodged in the beast’s neck, severing a vein. The deahman shrieked and fell back. Soren turned and finished the job, lopping off his head as if someone would cut a slice of bread.

  Soren then turned and did the same to his stunned opponent. Both deahmans fell, their heads rolling a short distance away from their bodies.

  Tara stared at the fallen deahmans in awe. Soren single-handedly killed three deahmans. It was quite impressive. And sexy. The bodies started to shimmer, then turned into ash, just like every other deahman her people had slain. Nothing but their clothes remained. A gentle breeze rose up and scattered the remains. Good riddance.

  Soren walked over and picked up one of the shirts, then used it to clean his blade. When the last of the deahman blood was removed, he strode over to Tara. “Thanks.”

  Tara crossed her arms. “Maybe having a woman around isn’t so bad after all, eh?”

  He twisted his lips into a wry smile. “Maybe.” He glanced up at the window. “Master’s coming.”

  Tara looked up to see Donar inching his way across the ledge. “That’s your twin, not your master.”

  Soren looked away from the window and studied her face. “You’re not joking.”

  “No.”

  “I don’t remember having a brother.” He turned back to Donar, who had made it to the fire escape and began the long climb down. “He does seem vaguely familiar, though. The darkness inside of me recognizes him.”

  “It was the blast, I think. It messed with your memory. Temporary amnesia.”

  Donar hopped down onto the pavement and jogged his way over to them.

  Tara looked up at the window. Smoke billowed out and swirled up toward the sky. “Where’s Samir?”

  Donar reached them and leaned on his knees as he tired to catch his breath. “That’s one tough chick.”

  “Anisa?” Soren asked.

  Donar nodded.

  “Is Samir okay?” Tara asked.

  Donar looked at her for a moment. “He was fine when I left him. He said to take you far away from this place. He’d keep her busy as long as possible.”

  Tara swore. “Leave it to him to play the martyr.” She glanced to the front of the alley. “Well, you heard him, let’s go.”

  “You’re going to leave him?” Soren asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “But you were insistent about staying to help him.”

  “I have a responsibility to deliver you safe and sound to Darien Lange.”

  They both gave her blank stares.

  “You know Darien. The leader of your paranormal investigation unit within the FBI? The one who shattered the deahman stone and joined spirits with my queen?”

  “Darien?” Donar asked. “That name sounds familiar.” He frowned.

  Tara shook her head. It was going to be difficult to get any information out of them if they couldn’t even remember who they were. That wasn’t her problem, however.

  “Besides, you heard Samir. He can take care of himself,” Donar said.

  Well, she hoped that he could take care of himself. Once she got these two to Darien safe and sound, she was going to search for Samir. She didn’t like leaving her friend, but it didn’t make much sense to put Donar and Soren’s lives in danger. They were too important to the mission. She had failed at so many things in her life. She was not going to fail at this too.

  She turned her back to the men and started walking toward the beginning of the alley. “Come on, let’s go.”

  “Where are we going?” Donar asked.

  “Somewhere quiet so I can think. I need to figure out what the deahmans are up to.” And make sure that Donar and Soren were safely away. She’d also have to check in with Sparrow and give him an update.

  How did the deahmans find out where they were? Did they sense Soren and Donar or was it something else? Maybe they had just gotten lucky.

  They walked out to the main street. The area in front of the hotel was in total chaos. Emergency vehicles lined the streets and curious bystanders lingered just outside a taped-off area around the building. Tara glanced up and saw flames leaping out of the fifth story window. She hoped to God that Samir made it out safely. Sorry for leaving you, buddy.

  She didn’t have a choice. Soren and Donar were essential to the survival of the Iatros. She had to make sure that they stayed alive long enough to give Darien information. At least the crowd would make it easy to slip away unnoticed.

  Tara took the men down one block, turned, then took them down two more. Finally she slipped into a second alley where they could take a short break and she could figure out what to do next.

  She stood at the alley entrance and watched the oncoming traffic. She needed a plan. She could run around in circles around the city. They’d be caught in no time.

  She couldn’t take them to FBI headquarters yet, either. If deahmans made it through the portal, that would be the first place they’d go. Either there or her home, Celestial Wood. No, both places were off limits for now.

  “I have to call a cab,” she called over her shoulder at the men. A cab could take them far away from the city and give her time to think.

  “No.”

  That voice… It rumbled as though it was thunder. The command caused her skin to heat and desire to spark in her lower abdomen.

  Tara turned around. “What do you mean?” The alley was still the hazy gray of early morning and both men’s faces were cast in shadow of the awning.

  “We need to be fed first,” Donar said from the shadows.

  “Feed? What are you talking about?”

  “What we had in the hotel room was only a taste,” Soren said.

  “We crave and need to be fulfilled,” Donar added. Their voices sounded as if sandpaper had rubbed over their vocal chords. She knew the signs. The deahmans were in control once more. It was probably from all of the fighting. Deahmans loved violence almost as much as they loved lust. They needed a healthy dose of both to remain alive. While sex often made them relaxed and amiable, violence made them more alert, stronger.

  Tara took a hesitant step forward. “Are you two okay?”

  Silence. Where did they go? Tara took another step forward, then another. Soon she was in the middle of the alley. It was early dawn, and the light from the streetlamp didn’t reach here. She could see most of the alley quite well, but there were many places for people to hide. They could be behind the dumpster, next to the crates or under the large awning on the side of the abandoned restaurant. There were so many shadows.

  Why were the men hiding? She wished that she could see them and determine for herself that they were all right.

  Then the air shifted and Tara felt a chill against her skin. The men came out of nowhere and surrounded her. She could smell their scents, feel the heat from their bodies. They stared at her with those crimson eyes, their faces etched with creases. It was almost as if they were concentrating hard on something.

  “What are you doing?”

  They c
ircled her as if they were predators stalking prey. “Our deahmans have not been appeased in a long time and they crave something sweet,” Donar said.

  “Something delectable,” Soren said.

  “We want to finish what we started, Tara.” Donar’s gaze flicked down to her mouth.

  “Yes,” Soren inched closer, forcing her to step farther back in to the alley.

  “What the—” Tara backed into the wall of the abandoned restaurant. A quick glance confirmed that anyone passing by on the street wouldn’t be able to see her. The awning above her hung too low and the stack of crates blocked her body from view.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Preparing to feed,” Soren said.

  “Are you crazy? This restaurant is abandoned. There’s no food here.”

  “We don’t need food.” Soren dragged his gaze over her body. He moistened his lips.

  “But you said—”

  “Food will not satisfy our hunger,” Donar said.

  “Only you,” Soren added.

  Tara pressed her back against the wall of the restaurant. She was scared, but also a little aroused. The men’s faces weren’t angry, nor did they seem intent on causing her harm.

  “We can’t stay here,” she said.

  “We killed three deahmans,” Soren said.

  “But who knows how many more are after us?”

  Donar leaned forward until his lips hovered above her own. “Don’t worry Tara. We won’t let another deahman touch you.”

  Soren eased in closer from the other side. “We want to have you all to ourselves.”

  Heat slid around her body as Tara looked from one man to the other. These two weren’t Donar and Soren, these were their deahmans. As deahmans, they were unpredictable. Tara thrived on spontaneity and adventure, and what these two offered her was tempting. She had her mission, however. She had to bring these two safely to Darien so that they could extract information.

  Safe. It would be tough to keep them safe if their deahmans were in control. Maybe it was best to allow them some time to regain control of their darkness before they moved on. Besides, everyone was busy at the hotel. Surely a minute or two wouldn’t matter…

  “Who are you?” she asked. If she could learn more about the twins’ deahmans, then perhaps she could figure out a way for them to gain permanent control over them.

  Donar leaned back and smiled, drawing her attention to his blood-red lips. “We are your greatest pleasure.”

  “And your worst nightmare.” Soren’s eyes brightened as he bent over her neck.

  Chapter Six

  Worst nightmare? Hardly. Tara had already saved both their asses. She could handle anything the men dished out and more.

  Heat slid over her skin as both men bent over her body. She felt Soren’s hand slip around her waist, and Donar’s fingers along her cheek. She melted as their hot breath brushed over her skin, and their lips caressed her body.

  “So soft,” Soren whispered.

  “So hungry.” Donar crouched low until his head was in line with her abdomen. He brushed aside her jacket, tugged her shirt out of her pants and undid the belt.

  “We can’t do that here.” Tara made a move to stop him, but he brushed her hands away and continued on his mission.

  Soren grabbed her chin and waited for her to meet his gaze. “Yes, we can.” He stiffened his jaw and rolled his eyes rolled upward underneath his lids. His fingers trembled, causing him to lose his grip.

  “No,” he whispered. “I won’t hurt you.”

  Tara could feel his tension, his frustration. She had learned from Arianne that the more the humans fought the inner darkness, the stronger hold the darkness had on them. The deahmans thrived on resistance and frustration. It strengthened them just as much as violence. So did lust and greed. The best way to give the human the advantage was to let the deahman have control. Once the need for sex and pain subsided, then the darkness would recede, and the human could gain control once more.

  The best thing she could do for these men, and for her people, would be to accept the moment and let them do what they will. Sex would appease the deahman, make it more passive and amiable.

  Surprisingly, the idea of having sex with these men while they were in their current state didn’t frighten her. Tara knew that these were good men, they wouldn’t have tried to save her and Samir if they weren’t. They just needed to… What did they call it? Oh yes, feed. Well, if feeding off her would give them the clarity that they needed to get somewhere safe and regain their memories, then it was her obligation to oblige them.

  Tara concentrated on their touch, how their warm lips caressed her skin. Need rose up and gripped her body, creating a dull ache between her thighs. It was in that moment that she realized that this was more than just some obligation. She wanted to help them. She wanted to ease their pain and help them regain their memories. More importantly, she wanted to feel their hands on her skin, and their cocks inside her body.

  She reached out and ran her hand down the side of Soren’s cheek. “It’s okay, Soren. Don’t fight it. Just let it come.”

  “Must…not…hurt.” Soren ground his teeth against the rising darkness in his soul. Tara’s soft fingers made his inner deahman jump and howl with frustration.

  Take her.

  No.

  Mine.

  Soren closed his eyes and shook his head. He had to get a grip. If he gave himself over to the deahman inside of him, he wouldn’t be responsible for his actions. If he hurt Tara, he’d never be able to forgive himself.

  “Soren…” Tara’s soft voice broke through his pain and darkness and touched something deep inside his soul.

  Control, he had to maintain control.

  “Donar.”

  The other man ignored him and instead kissed Tara’s soft belly. Soren’s deahman growled. Take her.

  “No.” He eased away from Tara and grabbed his temples, fighting the darkness with everything that he had.

  “Soren, listen to me.” Tara stroked the side of his cheek. Her fingers felt smooth and soothing against his stubbled jaw.

  He forced himself to meet her gaze. Soren had a strong urge to please this woman, the one who had been so kind to him. He suspected that letting her see his inner monster would only frighten her.

  “It’s okay.”

  “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You won’t.” Tara closed her eyes and moaned as Donar kissed a long, sensual line down her abdomen. Soren’s own cock thickened as he watched Donar flick his hot tongue over her skin. With each stroke, each lick, it seemed like Tara came more and more undone.

  “Soren,” Tara said.

  Take her.

  “Must not…” Pain stabbed through his skull, making him wince. Mine.

  “Let it go, Soren. It’s okay.” Tara touched his face and the monster inside of him purred with pleasure.

  “Okay?” he asked. This situation was everything but okay. There was a presence inside of his head, something that was eating away at his soul. With each passing moment, Soren felt less and less like himself, and more and more like a creature of the night.

  Tara’s features softened and her smile was radiant. “Yes.” She lowered her hand. “It’s okay. Let it go. Let me help you.”

  Let it go. Could he give up control? Could he let his inner monster take charge of his body?

  “What if I can’t take back my body?”

  She kissed her fingers and placed them on his lips. “Trust me. This was how Darien was able to master his deahman. It will be the same for you.”

  Darien? The name should have had some meaning for him, but Soren couldn’t quite place it. No matter. It was getting harder and harder to control the emotions inside of him. Soren knew that it was only a matter of time before the darkness won. He trusted Tara. She had saved his life. She wouldn’t have done it if she didn’t want him alive.

  Soren leaned his head back and looked up at the early morning sky. Clouds had begun to g
ather, casting away the dawning sun’s rays. He relaxed his muscles and closed his eyes.

  Okay, you win.

  Mine!

  The darkness engulfed his mind. Soren let out a loud cry as every inch of his body burned. He began to shake. Sweat beaded at his temples. What was going on?

  Don’t deny me.

  Soren felt weak. In fighting the darkness, he had made it stronger. Never before had he felt so worn out, so overloaded with pain. He locked his jaw and curled up into a ball, not wanting Tara to see him suffer.

  He had to embrace the pain. That was the only way to make the darkness go away. Isn’t that what Tara told him?

  Soren forced himself to relax and let the darkness take control. It filled his mind and surged through his body as if it was an army conquering territory after a long war. He flexed his fingers as he felt his desire grow stronger. He managed to form one last coherent though before the deahman took over his body completely.

  Don’t hurt her.

  Then it was over. Soren lowered his head and opened his eyes. It was a strange feeling, being inside of your body and yet not controlling it. Almost as if it was an out-of-body experience, but not quite. He could still feel his fingers and toes, but he couldn’t move them.

  Donar looked up from Tara, his eyes glowing bright crimson. “Finally.” He nodded his approval. “You may kiss her, but nothing more.”

  Soren grunted as his deahman purred inside his head. His monster liked being ordered around, Soren realized. It craved being submissive. He shifted his gaze to Tara as a deep, primal hunger rose up, and thickened his cock. He wanted nothing more than to plunge himself deep inside her pussy, to lose himself in all of that wet heat.

  Tara met his gaze. She relaxed against the wall and held her hands out to her sides. “I’m here, Soren. Do with me what you will.”

  He twisted his lips into a seductive smile. “Oh I will, sweetheart. Don’t you worry about that.”

  Soren closed the distance between them and covered her lips with his own. The kiss was hard and possessive. He shifted his stance and braced his hands on the wall on either side of her body. Mine. He tilted his head and swept his tongue through her mouth, filling her with his taste. She was perfect, just what he needed to ease the ache in his cock. He groaned with satisfaction as she melted under his touch.