Page 41 of Dark Captivation

Malek tossed Jeffrey skyward, “This is why I can’t trust you alone with her. You’ll tell her nonsense about me.”

“I love you too, Malek!” Jeffrey sang before gliding over to meet his friends by the door. The four birds flew deeper into the castle.

Like a baby, huh? I never once imagined that the God of Demons could be compared to something as innocent and helpless as a baby. How could someone so innocent do the things Malek does? Conquering, battle and waging war is hardly what I’d call childlike.

Still, Jeffrey’s words made me interested to learn more about the real Malek.

I went with Malek to his car. We left the palace, cruising off into the dark, quiet night, just the two of us.

He dominated the road like it was made for his Bentley alone. The way he revved the engine was brutal but skillful, the harsh way he commanded the steering wheel to move left and right, really exemplified how excessively powerful he was.

I wasn’t sure what lay ahead. But something deep in the pit of my stomach told me that Tabitha was right about one thing. Tonight, would be a night I would never forget.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

LIVY

Malek heeled the clutch, changing gears as we mounted a thickly forested hill. The car’s headlines and sparkling stars overhead were our only light source on the lonely country road.

Normally, Malek and I would have talked quite a bit by now, but neither of us said much since we left the castle an hour ago. His steely gaze was fixed on the road, his thoughts shrouded in mystery.

He’d been good to me so far, that was the only reason I trusted him enough to come all the way out here. But the longer the silence spanned between us, the more I had an inkling that something was off.

The car lagged to a creeping pace before parking on an unmarked piece of forest lined road. Dark somber bushes stared back at us as he turned off the ignition.

“This is as far as we can get by car. The Van Cromwell Caves are only a short walk from here. Your surprise is waiting inside.” He opened his door and swung one leg outside without getting up from his seat.

“Okay, so I’m just supposed to trust you enough to go wandering through some dark lonely caves with you?” I finally asked.

“Have I ever done anything to make you doubt you could trust me?” His lashes fluttered in that irresistibly cute way that made him look like an innocent fawn instead of a dangerous warlord.

“No, but that’s beside the point. I’ve never been in a cave, but my impression is that they’re dark, cramped and possibly full of bugs. What can we do in there that we can’t do out here?” I asked, but I wasn’t afraid of bugs, the dark or cramped spaces. It was Malek. His secrets and the mystique that shrouded him made me uneasy. He was still a stranger. I had no idea what we were even doing out here.

Pocketing the keys, Malek came around to the passenger side door, opened it and drove his handsome face in so close to mine our noses touched. “If you’re worried about possible dangers, I promise you’ll be safer in the cave with me than out here on the sidewalk alone.”

“I’m not afraid. I just like to know where I’m going and why beforehand. It’s a wolf thing, we’re very cautious creatures,” I shrugged.

“I know, and that’s one of the many things I love about you.” He shot me a sweet smile that touched his eyes, one meant to captivate as much as disarm me.

“You think you can get me to do anything you like just because you’re gorgeous? Don’t think I’m not onto you. You’ve been using some sort of demonic mesmerism on me from the minute we met.” I rotated my palms in circles. “Why else would your eyes look so sparkly every time you smile?”

“You think my eyes are sparkly?” Pink tinged his gray cheeks and his face brightened. “What else do you like about me? Do you like my horns?”

He stroked one of his horns, staring at me with the innocence of a puppy, dying for its owner to give him a belly rub to show approval .

“They’re pretty cool.” I muttered, looking away.

He planted a soothing kiss on my cheek that sent shockwaves of sensation gliding straight down to my sex. And it was really starting to get on my nerves just how easily Malek could push my naughty buttons.

His back straightened, lobbing his long black hair behind his shoulder. He just stood there outside the door, waiting for me.

Accepting the fact that he would stand there until he mummified if I didn’t go with him, I exited the car and followed him into the trees.

Malek’s impossibly wide back eclipsed the path and I followed him over exposed roots and soft soil.

“We’re pretty far outside of the borders of my territory. So my demons rarely come here. Still, the spiritually aware visit because these woods are flooded with supernatural power.” He perched his leg on a large root, taking me by the waist and lifting me over it like I weighed nothing.

Now that he mentioned it, the further we went, the more the hair on the back of my neck rose and cold shivers worked down my spine. It was like this forest was alive, emitting an energy field that all magic touched beings could feel.

---