Page 32 of Feral Possession

Closer. His body became more defined. Unlike his host, Shadow had forgone his concealing hood. His chest was bare, black pajama pants encasing his legs. Each prowling step of his bare feet was silent.

Closer. Dim lighting illuminated the rise and fall of his pectorals. Hard muscle carved what was clearly a predator’s body. Shadow-Steele was a granite sculpture, chiseled by a frenzied artist’s heavy hand.

At the edge of the ward, he glared down at her, and she’d never felt so small. She swallowed and stared up at him. In the center of his chest was a strange glowing emblem. On the left side of his body, the one with the most damage, his skin appeared charred and fractured. Between the craggy fissures, his flesh glowed. The damage extended beneath his silken pants, up his thick pectoral, and down his arm to his hand. Next, it swelled upward, following the path the flames must have taken up his neck, to his jaw before blending into his hairline.

She met his eyes. Both were fully black, the dark eclipsing the light. The pupil in the left glowed red. With the same curious regard, he stared back at her. Her nose twitched with his masculine scent, a mix of burnt leaves and cloves.

“Hi,” she whispered, forcing the word past her shriveled vocal cords.

He ignored her greeting, studying her with the same intensity she had him, his fathomless eyes taking her measure. Once done, the side of his mouth turned down and his brow furrowed. She got the distinct impression she’d disappointed him somehow.

“Why?” Shadow growled.

Dove swallowed. “Why what?”

“Why you?” he sneered.

She repeated, “Why me?”

“Why choose you?”

Again, she sensed he was disappointed.

Her spine straightened. It was one thing for her to doubt herself. Another for a demonic entity to do the same.

“Why him?” She waved, indicating Marcus’s massive frame. Ha, she’d turn the tables on the beast.

Shadow frowned at her. “No choice.”

Dove frowned back. “Why? Were you forced into this situation? Where are you from anyway? Does your species have a name?”

“No.” Shadow held up his hand, silencing her.

“No?”

“No.”

Gah! She’d had a deeper conversation with a spirit who’d died choking on a champagne cork. “But I have a zillion questions for you. Surely, you have the same for me. This could be an opportunity for us to learn from one another.”

“No.”

“No?”

“One.”

“You’ll answer one question?”

“He sleepsss. One question.”

Ah. He was trying to manipulate her into letting him rise. Tricksy demon. “Fine. I’ll talk to Marcus, see what I can do.”

“Yesss.”

Goddess save her. At this rate, it would take months to get the information she needed. Every day the demon delayed them was one day Marcus didn’t have.

He stepped back as though to leave, and she panicked. “Hey, wait!”

Shadow paused, glancing at her.

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