Addictions of a Sex Demon (9 page)

Sephina reached two of the captors and swung out with an
impressive roundhouse kick. The dragon hunter caught her by the ankle
nonetheless and yanked her so she fell back. Axel’s wings were free from his
skin and taking him into the air in a flash. Sephina never hit the ground.
Instead, he caught her and launched them both into the sky. Once more, Axel
tried to smother her against his chest so when the arrows came, they’d lodge into
the thick scales lining his posterior.

He swerved during flight to avoid many of the bullets and
arrows coming his way. The power from the successful heat thrummed through his
veins and he flew faster than ever. Sephina clutched him tightly and the warmth
from her body filled him with happiness. The holes in his back were forgotten.
The sight of her rushing into danger was not. Gods, he’d been afraid then.

The sound of another arrow whizzed toward them, but couldn’t
reach their height. They were safe. An elbow rammed into his stomach. “What the
hellplane? We could have had those guys, half of them were already charred to a
crisp. You’re just going to let them go?” Sephina voiced an obvious desire to
finish off their captors, but he had no desire to continue the fight with
Sephina nearby, especially when they were outnumbered. The hunters had found
him once. They’d find him again. The only thing he could do was ensure that
Seph wasn’t around.

Axel looked down as they tore through the clouds back toward
home. “I’ll not risk your safety.” Her amber gaze glinted a deep orange and he
knew she was displeased. Highly. “Although, I must commend you on the good form
of that kick. On the other hand, when we get home, I’m going to throttle you
for running straight into the enemy.”

“See, this is why I don’t do relationships. A man never
treats a succubus with trust. There’s no equality.”

Her words caused him to grit his teeth. What she said
couldn’t have been further from his intentions. They continued toward the
village in silence as the thick white clouds billowed past. When they finally
neared Orescia at sunset, Axel knew what he had to do.

“I’m sorry,” he said. She didn’t move within his arms as
they landed just outside of town. “Seph. Please, I’m sorry. I’m going to go
back and finish off the hunters. I regret that you think I don’t trust you or
respect your abilities. It’s so far from the truth. I cherish you, and I’d
never been so afraid in my life. I love you.” He didn’t wait for a response. “I
trust you. I want you to come with me when I go back. But I need to bring
reinforcements so we’re not outnumbered. Your brother-in-law is an expert
swordsman. I was hoping he could accompany us as well. By now, the hunters will
have regrouped. We can use all the help we can get.”

Sephina smiled. “I knew you’d come around.”

“Where the fuck have you been!” Zahra’s frantic voice
accosted Sephina as soon as she entered the room. Tears glistened in her
sister’s eyes and Sephina rushed toward Zahra to wrap her in a hug. Zahra
didn’t cry often, but now her body shook with unrestrained sobs as she clutched
Seph close. “I thought you were lying in a ditch somewhere. I thought you’d
relapsed or someone had tried to steal a succubus. There are some sick fucks
out there...”

Seph sucked in a breath. Zahra thought this way because
nearly all of those things had happened, especially the relapsing and lying in
a ditch part. “I’m sorry. If it makes you feel better, I did get kidnapped.”

Lennox’s voice grumbled dangerously from the front door.
“Speaking of sick fucks.”

Sephina turned out of Zahra’s embrace and saw Lennox’s
broadsword pointed at Axel’s neck. “Easy, Lennox.” She’d seen her
brother-in-law kill men with that sword. “This isn’t a sick fuck. It’s the
demon that saved my life.”

Lennox sheathed the sword but continued to appraise Axel.
“He’s bleeding.”

“Actually I’m called Axel Stavros.”

“And he’s a smartass.” Lennox growled his response.

“Gods, what happened, Seph?” Zahra paid no attention to the
verbally dueling dudes.

“Isn’t anyone going to ask her why she’s wearing a burlap
sack?” Axel sounded in utter disbelief.

Zahra turned to him with impatience simmering in her bright
yellow gaze. “A family of succubi don’t ask these kinds of questions. When you
need near constant climax to thrive, sometimes clothes are quite cumbersome.
Get used to it, quetzalem.”

Seph smacked Zahra playfully on the back of the head. “If
you guys are done hazing my boyfriend, we have hunters to discuss.”

Lennox’s innocent baby blue’s glinted with a silver storm.
“Hunters sound like
his
problem.”

“Well, brother, I love him, so his problems are our problems
now.”

“You love me?”

“You love him?” Lennox and Axel both looked astonished.

“Oops.” Seph blushed.
Guess that demon’s out of the bag.

“Aw, congratulations.” Zahra wrapped Seph into a giant hug
so tight her feet lifted off the ground.

Lennox’s slapped Axel on the back and the sound cracked
through the room. “Welcome to the family, asshole. Break her heart and I’ll
sever your head.”

“Noted.”

* * * *

Axel bristled at the blacksmith’s words, but in truth, they
warmed his heart. Any man being protective over Sephina was a good man in his
book. Axel would just have to prove that he wouldn’t be doing any heartbreaking.
He’d rather walk into Lennox’s sharp blade and drive the thick sword through
his own heart.

Sephina had said she loved him.

Axel moved away from Lennox and stole Seph from her sister’s
grip. Capturing her within his arms, he dipped her back and kissed her. She was
weightless in his arms and the injuries in his back completely forgotten. As he
tasted her, the sweet, spicy aroma rolling off her skin enveloped him. He
wanted to wake up in the scent and taste her lips every morning. Reluctantly,
he released her to address the ogre in the room.

“I’d like to explain the hunters, but we’re pressed for
time.” A loud smack interrupted his words as Sephina’s tiny palm connected with
his backside.

Lennox grinned. “That means you’re official.” The blacksmith
flexed his strong arms and folded them over his broad chest. “Now, tell me of
the hunters.”

“They’ll be a day’s ride from here, and I cannot anticipate
their numbers. Probably not greater than twenty. They will be traveling out of
realm, so they can’t travel in large groups and attract too much attention. If
the Knights of the Fog detect their nature as quetzalem hunters, the portal
realm law enforcement won’t hesitate to arrest them.”

Zahra began braiding her long, black hair into a thick
braid. “Let’s ride.”

“I’ll grab the blades.” Lennox disappeared with his woman
and for the first time since Sephina’s admission, Axel was alone with her.

“Did you mean what you said, Sephina? Be sure, for you will
not be rid of me.”

She gripped his ass and pulled him against her. The forceful
move stirred fire into his veins and his dick hardened. “I’m sure.” To seal the
promise, she gazed up at him, ready for another kiss. “I’m glad you’ve met my
family.”

“Lennox is very charming.” Axel grinned mischievously.
Sephina’s laughter that followed brought Axel to a new high. Gods, she was
beautiful when she smiled. “I’m glad we’ll have a master sword maker in our
family. Perhaps I too need to find another night job.”

“No more dealing?”

“No. There are other ways to keep the bad drugs off the
streets. Perhaps I’ll petition to be a lawman.”

“Ohh, sexual. I can’t wait to see that. Now that I’m going
to be an official resident, I’ll have to get a job too. I think I’d be a
great—”

“Time to go, lovers. We’ve got the horses saddled and
ready.” Zahra and Lennox appeared at the door. Lennox threw his arm around the
amber-eyed vixen at his side. “We’ve got enough swords, daggers, and arrows to
take out an army.”

The thought of encountering an army made Axel grind his
teeth down to nubs. Sephina squeezed his hand, as if reading his mind. She led
him out the front door where four steeds waited to take them to battle. “I’m
really good with a bow and arrow, you know. Lennox made me a special bow from
astral stone and I can hit a fly from a rainbow’s length away.”

Axel hoisted her onto a strong, white steed. A crisp evening
breeze floated by and caught Sephina’s neon pink hair, casting it into the
wind. It was a stunning sight. “Let’s hope you don’t have to get any closer
than that.”

She glared at him in response, but leaned down to kiss him.
The softness of her lips nearly brought him to his knees. Gods, he didn’t want
her charging into danger by his side. Her insistence, bravery, and fire were
what he loved most about her though. He’d just have to make sure he killed
anyone who came close to her.

* * * *

Sephina rode hard. Her powerful, white Andalusian steed
raced across the grassy landscape at a speed to be reckoned with. Axel, Zahra,
and Lennox’s horses galloped beside her. The pounding of the hooves against the
ground drowned out any option of conversation. She’d met Axel’s gaze many times
during their long, hard ride, and each time he looked increasingly concerned.
He was worried about her. And yet he trusted her to ride along, and for that,
she loved him even more.

Axel held out a hand signaling them to slow their animals.
“Let’s rest them. We’re not far from the hunters.”

“It would be best to slow our pace if we are to arrive
unnoticed,” Lennox agreed.

“How do you know how far they are?” Zahra raised a brow in
Axel’s direction. Sephina too was suspicious of Axel’s plan to slow the horses
so soon. They’d only been riding five hours.

“They have quetzalem blood stored in their carriages. I can
scent it.”

Zahra and Sephina drew back so they walked several feet
behind the men. Lennox and Axel seemed deep in conversation, but Sephina had
the sneaking suspicion they weren’t bonding. She turned to Zahra. “Do you think
they’re going to try to ditch us?”

“Not if they value their lives. Lennox isn’t that stupid.
Your man, on the other hand…he’s new enough to do something insane.”

As if his ears were burning, Axel slowed to ride beside
Sephina. Zahra raised a brow before nudging her horse to trot ahead and meet
Lennox.

Axel guided his mare closer to Sephina’s and grabbed the
reins, bringing it to a halt.

“We have to make way,” she pleaded, searching his face for
an answer to why he’d stopped them. Instead of explaining anything, he guided
his fingers through her hair and leaned in for a kiss. For the first time, she
realized how much stronger the smoky scent was wafting off of his skin. Their
lovemaking had indeed filled his body with fire.

Their lips brushed across each other, but he didn’t take
her. He lingered close, just a feather’s breath away. “I love you.”

Before she could bat an eye, blue feathered and scaled wings
sprang from his back and propelled him high into the air. He was an image of
grace and speed as he cut through the sky…leaving her behind.

“Damn him!” She urged her steed forward and raced in the
direction Axel had gone.

Zahra and Lennox immediately caught up to her. Lennox
reached out and grabbed her reins. “Seph, he hasn’t left us behind. He has a
plan.”

Tears threatened to spill over her lids at the betrayal.
When she met Lennox’s gaze, she forced the sadness down and replaced it with
fury. “What plan calls for us to ride with him for near five hours only to be
left behind?”

Lennox looked into the distance. “The kind where he
distracts the hunters long enough for us to catch them by surprise.”

Sephina threw her horse into motion until she became a white
blur across the midnight green landscape. She was even more furious than
before. He hadn’t left her because he didn’t trust her. He’d ensured she had the
edge in the fight because he loved her. Even if it meant sacrificing himself.
Damn him for that.

* * * *

Axel spotted the hunters from high above the clouds. He
hoped he could dispatch them all before Sephina and the others arrived. Not
only did he want to keep her far from danger, but he didn’t have a strong
desire for her to see him kill either. And he would. He would kill to protect
his love, as well as his quetzalem race. The dragon demons had been hunted to
near extinction. Only recently did rumors begin circulating that the lost
quetzalem king had returned; the last of the noble blood line, the one who
could lead the race to rebel against the humans that’d taken over Canicus, the
realm of the dragons. Axel would do the lost king a favor and wipe out a few of
the hunters this day.

With a strong flap of his wings, his body aimed downward and
he cut through the clouds. They slid against his skin like silk as he soared
toward the ground. The humans straight below him had no way of detecting his
silent, speedy arrival. Opening wide, Axel welcomed the sensation of the
scorching, hot flames billowing up his throat.

The first human to detect the heat screamed, but it was too
late. The man rolled on the ground, trying to put out the flames that engulfed
his body to no avail. Axel flew through the air spewing fire toward the
hunters. As he set more bodies aflame, the remaining hunters aimed their
munitions his way. A bullet whistled past his ear as he swerved to avoid the
shot. Doing a somersault through the air, he jetted back toward the hunter with
the gun. Arrows with flame suppressant flew his way, but he swerved away from
them. When the armed hunter pulled the trigger, Axel unleashed his own missile
of fire. The man exploded in bright red heat and unfiltered screams. Only half
of the hunters were left. The evidence: ten charred bodies soaking the ground
in ash and bubbling flesh.

An arrow pierced into the hardened scales of Axel’s back,
and he knew they’d saved him from the effects of the flame suppressant. He’d
have to be careful of arrows coming from the front where he had no scales to
save him. As he set fire to more hunters, a serrated steel rope latched around
his neck. It slid tight and the barbs cut into his flesh as the sudden collar
cut off his air.