ValiasVillain (3 page)

“Yes, it’s almost healed,” he said in a low, menacing tone.

She noted his nose was already slightly less crooked too.
Ferox
must have awesome healing abilities. His eyes closed, giving her a reprieve
from the fury in them, while she finished washing the blood from his chest.

When she stopped, he commanded, “Bathe and I will return
with your fruit. I trust you won’t run again now that I’ve seen your reaction
to where you are.”

“I’ve never been here. I’ve always lived in the veil,” she
said. She had to admit she was surprised he didn’t kick her ass for what she’d
done to him. She sensed he wanted to for sure, but she’d felt him fighting to
restrain himself.

He left her standing in the bathroom, door open. She watched
him shrug into a pair of black sweatpants and a black tank top. She didn’t miss
his ever-present erection tenting his sweats and she couldn’t suppress her
laughter even though she knew it was terrible timing.

He spun around. “What’s so funny, female?”

Her eyebrows raised as she gazed pointedly at his crotch.
Then she struck a seductive pose. “I can take care of that for you.”

Rydin started to take a step toward her but shook his head
as if to clear it and stopped. “Bathe,” he ordered and then disappeared.

Valia decided she liked him even though he was obviously
confused or high or insane. Whichever. She could do three days as long as she
was able to coax him out of his semen. Which, of course, she would because she
was awesome.

She needed to contact her sister Araya, though. Araya would
be wondering where the hell she was and why she wasn’t helping with Araya’s
wedding plans. She’d need to convince the bossy
Ferox
to let her phone
home. Or maybe she’d search for his cell phone while he was out. That way, her
mother could send some guards to search for her in case the
Ferox
didn’t
hold true to his three days. Surely he had one and she’d watched him dress. He
hadn’t taken one with him.

Valia searched the rickety dresser next to his bed. Another
pair of handcuffs, and some sort of ledger. She opened it and flipped through
the pages. Some pages contained names and descriptions, some contained
photographs and addresses. Interesting, but of no use to her at the moment,
maybe she’d look at it more later.

She realized there must be handcuff keys around here
somewhere. If she could find those, she’d simply leave. The thought
disappointed her but she knew it was the only move that made sense even though
the thought of leaving him so soon made her ache in an odd way.

She moved on to look through his dresser. Just as she opened
the top drawer, he appeared, looking yummy but furious again.

“What are you doing, female?”

Valia gave him her best smile. “Snooping.”

“There’s nothing here to steal.”

She glanced around the dreary room. “Yep. That’s for sure.”

He followed her gaze around the room and frowned. “You find
my home lacking?”

She flipped a lock of hair over her shoulder and sauntered
over to him. “No offense,
Ferox
, but this place is a dump.”

His gaze narrowed and she thought he was about to slam her
into another wall, but then he surprised her by laughing. It was a beautiful
sight. All tension left his face and his amber eyes sparkled, but the
lightheartedness was gone in an instant.

“You are rude, female. Get a shirt from the drawer you were
snooping in and come eat,” he said as he turned and left the bedroom.

She chose a green tank top and pulled it over her head. The
hem hung below her knees and the armholes were so large her sides were bare to
her hips. She joined him in the other room. She hadn’t noticed what he was
carrying until he set it on the table. A round, black…thing. It looked similar
to a slimy, black coconut. “What’s that?”

“It’s your dinner.” He looked at the watch on his wrist and
frowned. “Actually, your breakfast. It’s five a.m.”

“I’m not eating that,” she said.

“It’s fruit.”

“That is not fruit. That is gross.”

He frowned. “This is what your species eats.”

“That might be what the demons here eat, but I live in the
veil. I eat kiwi fruit and pineapples.”

“Kiwi fruit and pineapples are not readily available here,”
he said. “Sit.”

He produced a large knife from a drawer next to the small
sink. Raising the knife to shoulder height, he then brought it down with great
force. A loud cracking noise sounded as the gross-looking black thing split in
half. The inside was blood-red and oozed juices. He picked up each half and
dumped the juice into a cup and handed the cup to her.

“Drink it,” he ordered.

She scrunched up her face and shook her head. “No way.”

He picked up the cup and took a small sip. “I’m not trying
to kill you. Drink it.”

“Didn’t think ya were but uh-uh not touching that.”

He took another swig from the cup, then pulled her to him
and kissed her hard. His tongue snaked into her mouth and the bittersweet juice
made her mouth tingle. It wasn’t kiwi or pineapple but it was good. Her body
came alive at his kiss but he broke it off and set her away from him.

“Now, drink it,” he said and sliced chunks of gooey stuff
out of the black coconut thing. “And eat these.”

Valia took a sip of the juice. The thick, bittersweet liquid
coated her tongue and tingled as it flowed down her throat. It reminded her of
his kiss. When she left here, she’d have to talk to her mother about growing
these in their orchard. She popped one of the chunks into her mouth and chewed,
the texture similar to a mango.

Rydin stood watching her eat and she didn’t miss the look of
hunger in his eyes nor the erection once again tenting his pants. She slowly
stood and then scooted her ass onto the table. She propped one foot on the
chair, knee bent, as she leaned back slightly, her arms supporting her. She
rested her weight on one hand as she picked up another piece of fruit and
rubbed it across her lips, slowly licking the juice from them while gazing
directly at Rydin.

“What are you doing, female?”

“Eating, as you ordered,” she answered innocently.

He closed the distance between them. He looked dangerous,
determined.

He settled his hips between her legs, then reached between
them and stroked her already wet cunt. She wanted him and she needed his semen.
She could feel herself weakening. She lifted the piece of fruit to his lips. He
bit into it and kissed her, pushing it into her mouth. He broke away as he
thrust a finger inside her. Every touch of this infuriating male alit her
senses.

“I’m going to fuck you hard and fast, female.”

He lowered his sweats just enough to free his bulging cock.
The sight made her groan with want, with hunger, with a yearning for something
she couldn’t put a name on. He slid his arms under her knees and hiked her legs
up forcing her to lean back, arms bent beneath her. He pounded into her fast
and strong, filling her fully, completely.

He grunted as her orgasm overtook her, her inner muscles
clenching hard around his cock. His face strained as he continued his fast and
furious thrusts until her climax subsided and then he pulled free of her again
stroking himself as his semen spilled to the floor.

She tried to get up, to stop him from wasting what she
needed but he roughly shoved her back.

“Goddammit! What’s your game?”

He released himself and went to the sink to clean himself
then used a cloth to clean the floor.

“I told you this wasn’t a game,
Sempire
.” His eyes
glinted cruelly.

“Whatever you think I’ve done to you, you’re wrong,” she
insisted. “You said you wouldn’t starve me. You know I’m a
Sempire
. So
you must know—”

“I am well aware of your needs,
Sempire
. You kept me
locked up to feed your needs for three days.”

He looked so serious. His voice dripped with venom as his
lips turned into a sneer. Valia considered busting his nose again. How could he
mistake her for someone else? It made no sense.

She took a deep breath. “When’d I do this to you?” she asked
with a calm she didn’t really feel.

“Why do you pretend? You walked right up to me in that club.
You saw me and wanted to flaunt yourself in front of me. But you underestimated
me without that collar around my neck.”

Collar? Her mother had locked her sister’s fiancé in a cell
and collared him, along with countless other males in attempt to save her
sister’s life. But her sister hadn’t accepted any of those other men. So, the
Ferox
couldn’t have been one of them. Besides, she and her sister looked nothing
alike other than their eyes. There was no way anyone would mistake one for the
other.

“Okaaay. Ya know, if I did what you say, I wouldn’t have
been dumbassed enough to let you carry me out of the club and then flash me to
the demon realm. Nope. I’m way too awesome for that.”

He seemed to consider her words for a moment and shook his
head. “Go bathe,
Sempire
.”

“You go bathe.” She poked him in the chest. “You’re lucky I
find you so yummy because you’re getting on my nerves.” She strode past him
into the bedroom completely ignoring his demand. She was hungry and grouchy and
tired from fighting off the fear that threatened to swamp her. Nope. She
wouldn’t be afraid, dammit.

She pulled the top sheet of the bed back and tossed and
turned trying to get comfortable and not succeeding. She turned to see Rydin
watching her from the doorway.

“What?” she snapped.

“You’re restless,” he mused.

“I’m tired and hungry and your crappy sheets are rubbing my
skin raw,” she grouched.

He frowned and moved to the bed. He took the sheet between
thumb and forefinger and rubbed. He reached out to her and stroked her arm. His
aura sparked confusion, concern and annoyance. He produced the handcuff key,
from where she didn’t know, and unlocked the extra cuff before securing it to
the bed post.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Valia asked. “You know I can’t
run. I can’t—”

“I’d prefer to avoid another broken nose.” His expression
darkened. “Or dick.”

She huffed. “Whatevs.”

Rydin grabbed a pillow from the bed and threw it on the
floor on the opposite side of the bed from her and lay down.

“You don’t have to sleep on the floor. Seeing as how I’m at
your mercy here, I probably won’t break any more of your body parts.” She shot
him a look. “Probably.”

“Shut up,
Sempire
. I need sleep.”

She mumbled under her breath, “You shut up.”

Rydin awoke on the uncomfortable floor. He’d had a helluva
time going to sleep with the
Sempire
’s scent calling to him. Everything
about her seemed to call to him. Even though he’d been furious when she’d
broken his nose and his dick, he’d been impressed and he wouldn’t underestimate
her again.

He was certain he didn’t have to worry about her running
again. He’d sensed her fear when she’d realized where she was. He’d sensed it
as if it had been his own, as though he was somehow connected to her.

He felt the connection when he fucked her too. It was as if
he’d lost a part of himself thirty years ago and the only time he felt whole
again was when he was near her, inside her. He tried to shake off the feelings
and remember this situation was all about revenge, but he was already going
easier on her than he’d intended. Already losing some of the anger that had
burned within him for so long.

Rydin forced himself off the floor and tossed the pillow
onto the bed. The
Sempire
didn’t budge. She lay on her side, her cuffed
wrist hanging above her. Her red hair was splayed behind her in fiery disarray,
her legs tangled in the sheet. He could see the swell of her breast peeking out
from beneath the sheet. He wanted to be inside her again. And he damn well
would be.

He walked around the bed and slid in quietly behind her. He
never noticed before but his sheets were scratchy, especially for someone with
skin as soft as hers. He growled mentally. Why should he give a damn about her comfort?
Although, he’d been comfortable in the cell she’d locked him in. Hell, that
cell had been the lap of luxury compared to his domicile. It meant nothing to
him before he’d brought her here. Now its lack of…everything, shamed him.

Pushing those thoughts from his mind, he reached between her
legs and cupped her pussy. The back of her body pressed to the front of his,
her perfect little ass cradling his erection, drove him wild.

“Wake up,
Sempire
,” he demanded in low tone.

She stirred. “Mmm?”

He nipped the back of her neck as he massaged her thighs and
worked his way back to her pussy. She groaned, wiggled her ass against him and
he felt her wetness on his fingers in an instant.

Ah yes, his little prisoner desired him.

He rubbed the head of his cock between her soft, wet lips,
slowly, back and forth. She thrust her ass back in such an angle that the head
of his cock slipped just inside her sweet cunt. She felt so right, he could
come in an instant, but wanted to make it last, savor the feel of her.

“Fuck me,
Ferox
,” she said in a hushed but urgent
tone.

He thrust into her with abandon. “That’s the plan,
Sempire
.”

Goddamnsonofabitch
! He denied her his semen again.
She was weak. She wouldn’t make it two more days. She was hiding it from him
the best she could because she hated showing weakness, especially in front of
someone as strong as the
Ferox
. But, the cramps would begin soon and
she’d have trouble hiding that.

If only she hadn’t neglected feeding for three days before
meeting up with him. Araya’s happiness and excitement about planning her
wedding had been infectious. Valia loved her sister and even though she didn’t
understand her need to tie herself to one male, she was happy for her. It was
hard to blame her too. Araya’s mixed-breed Incubus fiancé was yummy. Not as
yummy as Valia’s
Ferox
, but yummy enough.

Her
Ferox
? Well, hers for now.

He uncuffed her wrist and she slowly laid it down on the
bed.

“Stiff?” he asked.

“Duh,” she retorted.

“Come,
Sempire
,” he said, “bathe.”

She rolled over and sat up to glare at him.

“I need to call my family so they don’t worry about me.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Call?”

“Yes, call. Ya know? With a phone?”

“
Sempire
, do you see a phone around here? And if I
had a phone, I’d not let you use it. I was not allowed any such provisions.”

Valia jumped off the bed and stood in front of him and poked
him in the chest again. “I’ve done nothing to you! We’ve never met! I’m sure
I’d remember an arrogant, bossy, delusional, abusive dickwad like you.”

Rydin’s brows drew together and a muscle ticked in his jaw.
His aura was a mixture of anger, confusion, hurt and amusement. And lust.
Always lust.

He seemed to relax after a moment as he reached out and
stroked her cheek, the tender action making her feel a strange emotion she
couldn’t name. “I have not abused you even though you cost me fifty years.”

She slapped his hand away and stormed to the bathroom. Her
voice rose. “I call starving me abusive.” She jumped in his crappy shower and
hoped to wash away her annoyance.

The hot water felt good but did little to remove the
aggravation and confusion swamping her. How in the world could he confuse her
with someone else?
Sempires
all had gold eyes but surely that wasn’t
enough to justify such a mistake in identity. He didn’t seem crazy. Bossy and
obviously confused, yes, but not crazy.

Could she have a lookalike running around? She’d like to
think her look was unique, but the
Ferox
seemed so certain it was her.
Even if she did have a twin running around and abducting
Ferox
demons
for sexual pleasure, wouldn’t Rydin know when she touched him, when he tasted
her, when he sunk into her that she and the other female were not the same?

She shoved her face into the steaming stream of water and
quelled the urge to scream. She just needed to pull herself together and take
from him what she needed. Reminding herself that she was Valia and Valia was
awesome, she grinned, turned the water off and decided to give him a show.

No matter how much misplaced anger he might feel toward her,
he desired her greatly. Of that, she was certain.

He smirked to himself as he cut up slices of the
cocinus
for her breakfast. He’d finally gotten under her skin, other than sexually. She
tried to portray it as anger and no doubt, she was angry, but she was also
scared. He could feel it.
Good. About time.

He only had two more days left with her. The thought made
him scowl and he toyed with the idea of keeping her longer. She did owe him
fifty years.

“Whatcha doin’, Rydie-pie?” she asked sweetly from behind
him.

He spun around. She stood naked, water dripping down her
body pooling on the floor at her feet. He wanted to lick the water from her
toes, her nipples, from that sweet apex between her legs. Damn, he had no
control over his cock when she was near.

Her seductive voice brought him back to the present. “What
do I have to do to get a towel around here?” She sauntered up to him and traced
a finger around his nipple.

He grabbed her and set her away from him. “I see the shower
improved your attitude. There’s a towel in the bottom drawer of the dresser.”

Rydin wanted to laugh at the surprised look on her face. She
pouted and swayed her hips in an exaggerated way making her perky, little ass
call to him. He desired her and it had taken all of his willpower to set her
aside, but he knew what she was doing and right now and he wanted her to eat.
Besides, the sex was on his terms, not hers. He may not be willing to feed her
with his semen, but he wouldn’t completely starve her.

She strode back into the room wearing another of his tank
tops, a light-green this time. “Sit. Eat,” he said. She slid into one of the
wooden chairs and picked up a slice of the fruit popping it into her mouth.

“Aren’t you eating?” she asked.

He grabbed a dish from the counter and set it down on the
table as he slid into the chair opposite her. When she saw what was on his
plate, her eyes bugged and her mouth dropped open.

“
Ferox
, please tell me you’re not gonna eat that.”
She sounded incredulous and disgusted.

He chuckled. He couldn’t help it. “You are a spoiled little
Sempire
demon, aren’t you?” he goaded.

“If spoiled means not eating food that looks like that, then
yeppers I am. By the way, you oughta laugh more often. It’s extra sexy-sauce on
you.”

He hadn’t expected that remark and tried to cover his
surprise and his pleasure. He wasn’t sure what sexy sauce was but knew it was a
compliment and he felt the sincerity.

“This,” he said pointing to his plate, “is a
stilio
.”

“It looks like a big, fat lizard. Correction, it looks like
a big, fat, charred lizard.”

“That’s what it is,” he agreed and took a hefty bite.

She slapped her hand over her mouth and looked away.

He chuckled again. “It’s not as if we have cows running
around the demon realm.”

“Why don’t ya just flash to a grocery store and buy
something less…nastyfied?”

He scowled at the reminder of his situation and took another
bite of the
stilio
.

“Well?” she prompted.

“The
stilio
is tasty enough. Want a bite?”

“Oh, but hell no.” She shook her head vehemently. “Is it
because you can’t afford it?”

He slammed his fist on the table making the plates rattle.
Valia jumped, startled. “I am not poor,
Sempire
.”

“For fuck’s sake, Rydin, call me Valia. And, if you’d simply
answer my question, I wouldn’t make assumptions that piss on your parade.”

He didn’t know why it made him so angry that she might think
less of him but it did. Knowing his place in the demon realm was only
temporary, until his contract was fulfilled, he’d never felt the need to do
anything with it.

“I am under contract and cannot enter the human realm unless
my current task requires it or unless I am granted permission by my contract
holder.” He couldn’t help but grit his teeth at the permission part.

She looked fascinated as she popped another slice of fruit
into her luscious mouth. “What kinda contract?”

“Do you know nothing of the demon realm?”

“I know I’m glad I don’t have to live here.”

He snorted. “Spoiled.” When she didn’t take offense and
instead only stared at him, he continued. “Because of our strength, many
Ferox
are contracted for a number of years by other demons who are considered upper
level.” He sneered at that. “We are given no choice, taken when young and
bound. They have money, assets that act as money here, and the power to grant
us leave to the human realm.”

“Wow. So, what kinda tasks?”

Why not tell her? It might help put more fear into her. “I
kill. I capture. I torture. I steal. Whatever is required of me.”

She looked away and picked through the remaining pieces of
fruit before choosing one. She bit off a small morsel, then focused on him
again.

“The demons you kill, capture, and torture, do they deserve
it?”

He shrugged. “Don’t know.”

“You don’t ask why you do whatcha do?”

“It’s not my concern. I’m given a task, I complete it.”

“Hmm. You’re so…villainous.”

“Don’t judge me,
Sempire
.”

“I’m not. Really. Just sayin’. Kill, capture, torture,
steal—pretty villainous.” A thoughtful daze settled on her face for a moment.
“Do you want to do the things you do?”

“What I want is to be free. To be free from the contract,
free from this realm, free to live in peace. And I already would be if not for
you.”

She sighed, closed her eyes, took one deep breath and then
another. He expected her to jump up, poke him in the chest, and yell at him
again. He didn’t understand why she continued to pretend she didn’t know what
she’d done to him. It was utterly infuriating.

Instead she asked, “Who holds your contract?”

“You ask a lot of questions.”

She shrugged. “You interest me. So who is it?”

“Debol. A deranged Incubus.”

She shuddered and her pupils dilated at the mention of
Incubus. He knew Incubus semen was irresistible to
Sempires
but
dangerous to them because of its addictiveness.

“Why not kill him? Wouldn’t that set you free?” she asked.

He swallowed the bite of
stilio
he’d just bitten off.
“Yes, but I am unable to.”

She eyed him, grabbed his biceps with both hands and
crinkled her forehead. Her touch on his bare skin sent sparks skittering up his
arm. “Why? Looks to me like you could take out just about anyone.”

The fact that she even considered for a second that he
hadn’t yet killed Debol due to lacking physically ability, stirred his
annoyance and he sneered. “The bond between contract holder and contractee
prevents it, otherwise I would snap him in half”

“Hmm,” she said, leaning back in her chair and her next
question surprised the hell out of him. “Do you want me to kill him for you?”

She was serious. He could see it in her eyes and feel it
inside instinctively. An unfamiliar emotion struck him and he felt a sort of
softening in his heart, as if her unexpected, selfless offer melted away a
layer of anger. It was ridiculous. He wasn’t soft, didn’t do sappy emotions,
yet she surprised him at every turn and made him feel. Made him yearn. Made
him… He shook his head and reminded himself that regardless of her offer, this
was the female who’d screwed him out of fifty years of his life. “Why would you
do that?”

“Because it would set you free. And bonus, one less Incubus
in the world.”

“But why would you care about setting me free?”

She shrugged, her perky breasts bouncing beneath the
oversized tank top. “I can’t quite put my finger on it but under your arrogant,
bossy, delusional, abusive, dickwad surface, there’s something else. I feel
your desire to be free and I feel…” She scrunched up her face and didn’t
continue.