A Dangerous Demon King (The Sentinel Demons Book 4) (16 page)

Even though what had occurred still seemed like a dream, she knew it was real. But it had taken a toll on her body.

With the energy she still had left, she told him simply, “I have a skill. It seems that I’m a matchmaker.”

Kristoff began to shoot questions to her, but Sophie heard nothing more. Her world went black, but she wasn’t worried. She’d never be scared again as long as her mate held her in his capable arms.

She let the darkness take her, knowing Kristoff would take care of her.

K
ristoff didn’t let go of Sophie the entire night, nor did he sleep. He watched over his mate as she slept a healing sleep, discovering what had happened by sharing her memories.

A matchmaker? How in the hell had that happened? She was more like a restorer of radiants.

While he was grateful that his men would find their
radiants
like it was meant to be, he sure as hell didn’t like the stress it put on his mate’s body.

He watched the sunrise, the light filtering through the bedroom window as he held his entire life in his arms, wishing he could will her some of his strength. There was nothing he wouldn’t give to keep Sophie from harm.

If this was her task, he couldn’t keep her from doing what was in her power to do for his men. On the other hand, the thought of her drifting away from him again made him completely and unreasonably insane.

Her task would be never-ending. The soul of every
radiant
lost was in the small, soul-holding dimension. It wasn’t just the women who died in the demon realm. Every
radiant
who died before meeting her mate from some tragedy had their soul on hold, waiting for Sophie. And there would be more. There had always been some Sentinels who had never found their mate. Now that Sophie was here, it was her task to restore them all in the right women.

He was fucking conflicted. Never again did he want to feel disconnected from his mate. Yet his men deserved to be as happy as he was being bonded to his
radiant
.

“I can help.” Athena’s voice was unnaturally quiet as she approached the bed where he rested with Sophie.

He didn’t take time for the niceties. “How? And how did you even know what happened?”

“I was called,” Athena informed him sleepily, like she’d just gotten out of bed. “The oracles still speak to me occasionally.”

“So you know what happened?”

She nodded.

“How in the hell do I make a decision between my men and my mate? My duty and my life? Damn the fates for giving Sophie this power but making her pay every time she does it. The souls are endless, Athena,” he told the goddess huskily.

“I hold the remedy, Kristoff. You don’t have to make that choice. You’ll never have to make that choice. I didn’t make you a king to have you tormented. You’ve waited a long time for Sophie. It’s your time to be happy now.” She moved forward and stood by the bed.

“What do I have to do?” he asked anxiously, ready to do whatever it took to keep his mate from feeling anything but joy in the future. “Sophie’s had enough suffering.”

Athena reached over and placed her hand gently on the top of Sophie’s head. “You don’t have to do anything. I’ll give her what she needs to get through a reincarnation without losing contact with you, and without it being so hard on her physically. It’s not my power. It’s a gift I’ve always been holding for Sophie. I just never knew it until tonight.” She paused and looked at Kristoff. “Giving her this gift will take away her scars, restore her to what she should have been. Are you okay with that?”

Kristoff really didn’t want Athena to change a hair on Sophie’s head, but if it meant that she could be stronger, powerful enough for them to stay connected and still do her job, he didn’t care if her physical appearance changed.

Finally, he nodded at the hesitating goddess. “Do it. She sees her scars as ugly, so I doubt she’ll mind. And they’re a reminder every day to Zach about how he feels he failed her.” He paused before adding, “I don’t like seeing her changed at all. I love her. But I’ll love her no matter what changes happen to her physical appearance. It doesn’t matter. It never has.”

Athena shot him a soft smile and quickly transferred her gift to Sophie without waking her up. As she pulled her hand away, she told him, “She’ll still sleep for a while. But next time will be better.”

“I sure as hell hope so,” Kristoff rasped. “If it isn’t, I’ll lose my mind.”

Athena rose up, shooting her brother a questioning look. “Does she know that you love her?”

She didn’t. Not yet. But Kristoff knew he’d spill his guts pretty quickly when she recovered. There was no way he could hide anything from her for long.

“No,” he answered simply.

“Tell her,” Athena suggested. “I know from experience that a
radiant
needs to hear it. I think we get all hung up on the bond, but we want to be loved, too.”

Kristoff wasn’t quite sure how Sophie could
not
know how he felt, but since their joining didn’t start off all that well, maybe she didn’t. “She’s everything to me, Athena. A miracle I never expected.” He no longer felt like he needed to be guarded with his half-sister. In some ways, he’d always kept himself distant from everyone. Now, he wanted to be closer to his sister and get to know his daughter.

“I know,” the goddess answered. “But it helps to hear the words.”

“She’ll hear them,” Kristoff vowed.

Kristoff had never had the time to have a real discussion with Athena since she’d gotten freed by Hunter. “Are you really happy?” he asked curiously. “With Hunter?”

Athena sighed. “It could never have been with anyone but Hunter. He was always my protector, always sacrificing for me. I wish I would have known. I would have sent for him sooner. He went through a lot more pain than he needed to experience. When I asked you to send him to me, I still didn’t know why. I just knew he held the key to something. I didn’t know just how vital he was to my own happiness.”

Kristoff regretted every punishment that Hunter had ever had to take for his behavior…now. At the time, he had been frustrated as he’d watched one of his friends sliding down a slippery slope that he was certain wasn’t going to end well. “He can be an asshole,” Kristoff warned her.

“Not anymore,” Athena told him with humor in her voice. “Okay…yeah…maybe he is still a smartass, but he’s a happy one. He’s a good man. None of it was his fault. Kind of like you.” She winked at him.

Kristoff was stunned by just how little anybody blamed him for what he used to be. “Do the rest of the Sentinels know?”

“What?”

“What I used to be. That we’re related. That I was a killer.”

Athena frowned at him. “Yes, they know. Before they went out to help search for Sophie, I thought it was better that they know everything. I wasn’t sure at the time how any of it could be related, but I did give up your secrets. I’m sorry.”

Kristoff shook his head. “Don’t be sorry. Anything you ever do to better help protect my mate isn’t an issue to me.” He hesitated before asking, “What did they say?”

“The same thing everybody else would say. They respect you as their king, Kristoff. They always will. What happened before doesn’t matter to any of them. What matters is who you are now. You’ve given and given for your men. All of them know you’d do anything for them. It’s your turn now, brother. You’ve waited and suffered a long time for Sophie. Don’t let your past destroy your future.”

He could sense that Athena was about to leave, but he stopped her when he said quietly, “Thank you. I don’t know if I’ve ever said that to you, or if I’ve ever told you that I love you. But since I’ve found Sophie, it seems more important than ever that you know how I feel.”

“You have no reason to thank me. And I love you, too. You’re my brother. I’ve always loved you.”

Kristoff shook his head, amazed about how much Athena had changed. Once, she had guarded her emotions so well that they seemed not to exist. Now, she’d pour them out readily.

She was much the same as I was once.

“I’m thanking you for saving my life. Had I stayed with Zeus much longer, I’m not sure I could have ever come away with my sanity,” he admitted honestly.

“I’m more than ready to let go of the past and the gods. There’s very little they can do anymore. It’s going to be up to the Sentinels to be the guardians of the world. Things will go back to as they were before our crisis, but the Evils will always be trying to rule the world.”

“I think I’m up to the task,” Kristoff told her with a grin.

“I know you are. I’ve always known.” Athena smiled back at him.

Kristoff looked at the half-sister who had been a part of his life for so long that he couldn’t remember when she wasn’t. She was always his friend and confidante. Now maybe she could become more like a sister.

“You’re a goddess, stronger than I am. I feel like you should lead us.”

Athena shook her head. “I was never meant to be the Sentinel leader. A guardian, perhaps, but never a queen. That’s her job now.” She nodded toward the sleeping Sophie. “Since your bond with your mate, you’re almost as powerful as I am. I gave up some of my power to save Hunter. I may have some skills you don’t possess, but you were meant to be the Sentinel king.” She hesitated before adding, “When I made you king, that role was irreversible. I can’t create new Sentinels, I can’t give them the power for the designations they will fulfill, and I can’t take up your duties. Honestly, I don’t want to, even if I could. If you don’t mind, I’d just like to be Hunter’s
radiant
. But like all of the Sentinels and their mates, I’ll always watch your back.”

He nodded slowly. “I am used to being the boss.”

“I have what I want, and keeping Hunter in line is a big enough job for me. I’m tired, Kristoff. I’m ready to just be part of your team and a woman instead of a goddess.”

Kristoff doubted he’d ever see Athena as anything
other
than a goddess, but since he was the only one who could be their leader, he was willing to let Athena be whatever she wanted to be. “Fair enough. You do need to keep Hunter in line.”

Athena sighed happily. “It’s not easy, but someone has to do it.”

Kristoff knew it was a job that Athena relished. He could see the happy glow on her face. “Completely your job,” he said jokingly. “I’ve tried to straighten him out for years and failed miserably.”

Athena laughed. “I’m heading back home. Sleep well, brother.”

His sister disappeared before his eyes.

“Kristoff?” Sophie mumbled and her eyes fluttered open.

Holding her tight against his body, he replied, “I’m here, love. Sleep.”

“Is everything all right?” she asked sleepily.

She tilted her head to look at him and he swallowed hard as he saw the adoring look on her now unmarked face. Either way, Sophie looked the same.

She looked like she was his, and she always would be.

“Everything’s good. Go back to sleep.”

“My head feels funny,” she answered with a grimace.

He passed a hand over her silken hair. “Do you remember what happened?”

She nodded slowly. “I’m a matchmaker.” Her lips curled up and she beamed at him, blinking to keep her eyes open.

“You’re more important than that. You’re a
radiant
restorer. That’s special.” Actually, he got a kick out of how proud she was about being some kind of matchmaker, but the power to capture souls and bring together mates that otherwise would have never met was pretty impressive.

She nodded her head as her eyes drifted closed. “Best power ever,” she said dreamily.

Seconds later, she was sleeping again. Kristoff kissed her forehead, his body screaming for him to fuck Sophie until they were both sated.

He ignored the temptation and held onto her tightly, just grateful to have her whole and happy in his arms.

Moments later, he slept without having a single nightmare about his past.

S
ophie woke up slowly, the morning light coming from the bedroom window, beckoning her to open her eyes.

Even before she was entirely awake, her sense of well-being made her smile. Kristoff’s powerful arms were around her, and she was sprawled over his gorgeous form, so warm and comfortable that she didn’t want to move.

Blinking as she opened her eyes, she pushed herself up only to have Kristoff’s grip on her unconsciously tighten as he slept.

She sighed, wondering if she’d ever get used to staring at her gorgeous mate. Rather than marring the perfection of his face, the stubble on his jaw just accentuated his masculine, sexy aura that had Sophie instantly craving him.

Smiling as she smoothed her hand down his body and slid to his side, it was no surprise when her hand finally encountered his silken, hard cock. It had already been pressed against her belly when she was waking.

Wiggling out of his grasp, she pushed back the covers and moved her hands over his chiseled body, but one of her hands kept returning to his erection. She was completely fascinated by the silken texture and the rock-hard surface beneath the soft skin and head.

There was a tiny bead of moisture on the tip, and she hungrily leaned over and swiped it off with her tongue. The taste was so tantalizing that she leaned down for more, sucking the upper portion of his cock into her mouth.

“You have about two seconds before you find yourself on your back with my dick buried so deeply inside you that we might never be separated again.”

Kristoff’s deep, dangerous voice startled Sophie.

He’s awake. He’s been awake. I was just so consumed with him that I didn’t notice that his mind was stirring.

“My brain isn’t the only thing stirring, sweetheart,” he answered huskily, obviously picking up her thoughts.

Sophie let him slide from between her lips and turned her head until their eyes met. “Don’t,” she asked softly. “You know I’ve never really known a man before, and I want to see if I can make you feel as good as you make me feel. Please.”

“Fuck! You’re likely to kill me with pleasure. But I’ll do my best,” he said in a lazy baritone.

Sophie shared his mind, and she knew he wasn’t as calm as he pretended to be. But she just wanted some time.

Once again, she sucked him between her lips, taking more of his cock this time, savoring his essence as she moaned her satisfaction of tasting him. She got greedier, and began to take as much of him as she could get.

Kristoff’s hand gripped her hair, guiding her as he let out a long, tortured groan. “Christ, Sophie. That feels so damn good,” he rasped harshly.

Encouraged by the fact that Kristoff found pleasure in her exploring his body, she moved her mouth up and down his rigid cock as his grip in her hair grew tighter, and more demanding.

“Off! Now!” Kristoff ordered in an urgent, demanding voice.

Sophie stopped and turned her head. She could feel his need, his body ready to spontaneously combust. Or was it her need? Oh hell, it was hard to tell anymore.

Climbing up his body, she positioned herself on top of him, her hand stroking him and she centered his cock exactly where she wanted it.

“Do it,” he insisted, his voice hoarse with desire.

She lowered herself slowly, savoring every inch of Kristoff as she buried him inside her. “Oh, God. Kristoff. It feels so good, sometimes I don’t know how to handle this.”

“You’ve been handling
it
just fine,” Kristoff answered, encouraging her.

“I can’t get enough,” she whimpered as she rose and lowered herself again.

Kristoff grunted as he grasped her ass and kept them joined, his cock buried to his balls. “Never enough,” he agreed greedily, his hands caressing her ass.

White heat rocketed through her body as Kristoff slammed his hips up and thrust himself even deeper. “Yes,” she hissed with satisfaction, letting her head fall back in ecstasy as Kristoff took over, pulling her down as he surged upward, his strokes so hard and deep that Sophie’s body was shaking.

“Never enough,” Kristoff growled again, his pace becoming impossibly brutal.

“More,” Sophie gasped, needing his intensity like she needed her next breath.

“Touch your breasts, Sophie. Pleasure yourself. Take what you want.”

Although she had no idea what to do, she followed the images Kristoff was forming in his head, seductive images of her pleasuring herself.

Obviously, the thought excited him, and as she touched her nipples, every sensation was heightened. She cupped her breasts, teasing the sensitive tips, then plucking at them harder and harder as Kristoff pummeled her with his cock. His eyes were raking over her upper body, his intense gaze watching both her face and her hands on her breasts.

“Too much,” Sophie cried out. “I feel too much.”

She was overwhelmed by the strength of Kristoff’s thrusts, the feeling of having him deep inside her.

“It’s not too much, love. Come for me, Sophie,” Kristoff demanded as he gripped her ass even more tightly.

This was real, and it was intimate, the experience erotic and so sensually carnal that Sophie felt Kristoff in every part of her being. He permeated every nerve ending, exciting her to the point of madness.

Sophie felt her impending climax, her core clamping down on Kristoff’s cock as her orgasm threatened to burn her alive.

“Kristoff, burn with me,” she moaned, letting her hands fall to each side of his head as their eyes met and held.

“I already fucking do. Every damn moment since I met you,” he told her as his chest heaved with desperation. “Kiss me, Sophie.”

Her mouth was on his almost before he’d gotten out the words. She was no longer shy, no longer unsure of herself. Sophie gave herself permission to do anything she wanted, reach for what she needed. Invading his mouth with her tongue, she took ownership of her mate, just like he’d taken her. And damn, it felt so good. She devoured and tasted as Kristoff pushed back. When her mouth left his, she tongued the skin of his neck, then nipped his earlobe.

Raw need raced up as her climax slammed into her, and she screamed out his name as he continued to impale her with his cock.

Her climax reached its peak and as she saw his mating mark, she sank her teeth into the spot on his shoulder.

“Fuck!” Kristoff roared. “Yes. Mark me.”

With his encouragement, she held onto his mark with her teeth as the muscles in her sheath reacted with spasm after spasm, milking Kristoff while he spilt himself deep inside her.

Letting go of his shoulder, she ran her tongue over the site where she’d bit him, noticing that there was barely a mark from where she’d attempted to brand him again.

In a heartbeat, Kristoff rolled and trapped her beneath him, his cock still deep inside her as he kissed her. His embrace was rough but loving, urgent, but the tender emotions were still there.

Wrapping her arms around him, she breathed in his masculine scent as he explored her mouth, then planted small, feather-light kisses on her face and her hair.

“Jesus! There isn’t a single thing about you that doesn’t move me, Sophie.”

Her heartbeat had been slowing, but it hammered a couple of rapid beats as she felt the warmth of emotion spilling from Kristoff.

Gently, she tangled her hands in his hair and sighed. “I love you,” she admitted quietly. “Maybe it isn’t meant to be that way between Sentinel mates, but I love you so much.”

He lifted his head and his eyes locked with hers. “I love you, too, baby. I always will. You’re my life now, Sophie. And it’s perfectly natural for mates to love each other. For me, it would be impossible
not
to love you.”

Her eyes filled with tears as he said the words she thought she’d never hear from anyone except her brother. Kristoff was special, a man so compassionate yet so powerful that he took her breath away. Now that she shared his mind and thoughts, the two of them weren’t so very different.

Both of them just wanted to be loved. They had been unconsciously searching for each other for a very long time, waiting.

Kristoff was so worth everything that had led up to her finally finding him.

Tears spilt from her eyes as she answered, “I couldn’t not love you, either. Maybe my life was hell, almost literally, in the demon realm. But I’d do it all over again just to be with you.”

“Ditto,” he answered with a grin. “But you won’t ever be doing anything bad over again, and neither will I. I think we’ve both waited long enough, sweetheart. It’s our turn to be happy. I feel it. Don’t you?” He kissed the tears from her face gently.

An acute wave of tenderness filled her as she answered, “Yes. It’s definitely our time.” The fact that Kristoff finally accepted that, and realized that he deserved to be happy made Sophie so overjoyed she spilled a few more tears.

And Kristoff was there to kiss them away. “I guess Athena was right,” he observed after he’d kissed away the last drop of moisture on her face.

“About?” she asked curiously.

“It feels pretty damn amazing to hear that you love me. She said it would. And that you needed to hear how I felt about you, too.”

“Hearing that you love me aloud is definitely good,” she told him with a smile. “I feel it now, but hearing it is so much better. I guess because I’ve never really heard it before.”

Kristoff was silent, his look thoughtful. “I don’t think I ever did, either. Athena and I knew how to survive, but maybe we didn’t know how to love or how to express it.”

“She does love you,” Sophie told him softly, stroking over his back with her fingers.

“I know. Probably as much as Zach loves you, even though you might never remember him actually saying it.”

They were silent for a few moments, basking in the glow of being loved so deeply, and being certain that they’d always have each other’s back.

When Kristoff moved off her to keep from squashing her, Sophie moaned softly. “My muscles hurt in places I didn’t know they existed. I think I’ll take a hot shower and see if it helps.”

He smirked at her, knowing exactly where she hurt and why. “I’ll come with you.”

“You don’t need to shower,” she reminded him with a sultry smile.

“I do if you’re there,” he answered with humor in his voice.

Sophie was pretty sure he was up to mischief, but she was more than happy to play with him. Neither one of them had experienced much happiness. It was time to find out what it was like to do something just for the fun of it.

Kristoff was right behind her, and his large, naked body barely missed slamming into her as she stopped abruptly. “Oh, my God. My scars…” She was standing in front of the mirror on the dresser, unable to do anything but gape at her nude body and face.

“I forgot to tell you. Athena needed to deliver a jolt of power to you while you were sleeping. It will help you control your skill, and keep you from feeling the aftereffects as badly as you did yesterday. The only side effect from her doing that was it healed all of your scars.” Kristoff grasped her shoulders from behind. “I hope you don’t mind.”

Sophie’s eyes couldn’t stop running over her face and her body. She was no beauty, but with her long dark hair and unmarked face, she was passable. “I’m almost pretty,” she mumbled aloud.

“You’re beautiful, baby. You always have been. You just couldn’t see it,” Kristoff told her gruffly. “Are you okay with how you look now?”

“Okay? Yeah. It’s amazing.” How could she ever thank Athena for what she’d done?

“You don’t have to thank her. It’s energy she’s been holding for you for a very long time,” Kristoff told her as he ran his hands up and down her arms.

“Are you happy with the way I look?” Sophie asked curiously.

Kristoff shrugged. “You look beautiful either way to me.”

Sometimes his word flummoxed her, even though she knew it was true. He really
didn’t
care, and it made no difference to him. “I’m glad they’re gone, especially the demon marks. I’ve learned to live with them, but it feels like I’m starting fresh again.”

“Zach will be happy, too. He’s tortured himself forever about leaving you to die alone when you were sick. Maybe he can slowly forget and forgive himself.”

“He will,” Sophie said determinedly. “I’m so happy that I won’t allow him to be anything less.”

Kristoff let out a boom of laughter. “Then I know he’ll forgive himself. It will be too hard for him to fight your spirit and your will.”

“Am I so hard to resist?” she asked in a husky voice, her nipples hardening as her heart sang from seeing him laugh.

“For me? Impossible!” he confessed, his voice teasing.

“Then come with me,” she suggested as she turned and wrapped her arms around the demon king that she loved with every part of her being.

He kissed her first, giving her a taste of the wicked seduction that was going to occur very shortly.

He took her hand and turned her around. “I’ll come with you whenever you need me.”

Sophie knew he was sexually teasing, but there was a vibration of truth in his tone and in his mind.

Kristoff would be there for her, and she’d be there for him. Although the whole mate situation was still surreal, she could get very used to it very quickly.