Page 34 of Feral Possession

At last, he seemed to get through to her. She swallowed and paled, shrinking on her stool.

Careful to hold himself in check, he pressed his advantage while he had her full attention. “I mean it, Dove. Do not lower your guard near the bastard. You have no idea what it is capable of.” Images of his slaughtered security guards flashed in his mind.

Shoulders hunched, not meeting his eyes, she drew an “X” shape over her heart. “I promise I’ll be careful when dealing with Shadow.”

“Shadow?” He loomed over her, control threatening to slip through his fingers.

“Yes, Shadow,” she whispered.

“You named it?”

“Well. Yes.”

Veins pounded in his forehead. “You do understand it isn’t a pet but a bloodthirsty killer who would sooner rip out your spine than take treats from your hand?”

She squirmed. “Um… funny you should mention the pet thing. See, I had this rabbit—”

“Unbelievable.” He spun away from her, stalking to the refrigerator and back. The little idiot had named the demon who threated to destroy his very existence. It wasn’t even the kind of name that struck terror into hearts. No. She’d named it Shadow. He was dealing with a tree-hugging, daisy-sniffing, sprout-eating lunatic. It didn’t matter what Ida thought of her. The girl was totally out of touch with reality.

Lights flickered over his head. Shadows lengthened. Heat rose from his center. “Our female named me. Honored me. Claimed me. This is reality,” growled the unwanted voice from the back of his mind.

Marcus clenched his jaw. Honored him? What the hell did that mean? Not that it mattered. He had bigger problems on his plate. Helen, for one, and his plans to find her, capture her, torture her, clear his name, then end her. He reinforced his mental walls, pushing the voice down. Each day, it became harder to keep the bastard silent.

Once more, thanks to his Chosen, he found himself backed into a corner. Drew a deep breath. Unclenched his fists. When he was calmer, back in control, he said, “Because of the deal you made, you’ll need to remain at my side, traveling with me. Each night that I sleep, you will interact with the demon, learning as much as you can from him.”

Her forest green eyes sparked with curiosity. Despite the seriousness of the situation, she locked in on the shiny, distracting part that interested her. “Travel with you where?”

It was no use. Why fight it? He heaved an exasperated sigh. “To Adara Island.”

She perked up, straightening on her stool. “You mean that exclusive resort said to resemble Atlantis? Oh my gosh. That would be amazing.” She clasped her hands beneath her chin. “Armond will be so jealous. Not even Vivian was able to get us into that place.”

“That’s because Xavier Delgado collects guests like he collects trophies. He seeks to add the most unattainable to his guest list. Apparently, I am one of those things. He sent me an invitation to a party he’s hosting. In the past, I’ve declined since I find the male pompous and irritating. However, he claims to have information about my former CFO, Helen. My sources say she was there with her lover the weekend before the assassination attempt.

Dove’s enthusiasm waned. “I take it Helen is the one who tried to end you at the grand opening of your casino.”

“Helen not only plotted to kill me, she framed me as a Zion conspirator. Since she planted the bomb, she may also hold the key to ridding me of my demon.”

“You believe she’s the third party. The one responsible for your possession.”

“It’s possible.”

“So that’s why you’re trying to find her.” Fire burned in her eyes, outrage darkening her complexion. “To exonerate yourself and get rid of your demon.”

Finally. She understood, or so he hoped. With Dove, he was learning to expect the unexpected.

Which was why he felt it necessary to warn her. “This isn’t a vacation. While we’re there, you’ll need to communicate with the demon.” He refused to call it Shadow. “Only this time, I will give you a carefully crafted question you will relay without embellishment. You will not ask the demon its favorite color, nor what sign it was born under. Perhaps with more guidance, you’ll discover something useful.”

She stared down her nose at him. “Actually, there is quite a bit you can learn about a soul if you’d simply open yourself to the experience. For instance, I am a Pisces—”

“Don’t care,” he growled, cutting her off.

She frowned, affronted. “Fine. Except, how is that going to work? Me interrogating your demon at some swanky resort? You can’t very well turn Shadow loose in a public space. In your private penthouse is one thing. Here, you’re locked inside, surrounded by your staff. You’ll be much harder to contain at Adara.”

He folded his arms, satisfaction curling his lips. “Not my problem.”

She blanched. “What do you mean, not your problem?”

“You created this situation. As my contractually obligated necromancer, containing the creature is your job.”

---