Page 28 of Grabbed By the Guard

Sex is out. My relationship with my demon kidnapper is already way too complicated for me to satisfy my curiosity when it comes to what he’s packing beneath those shadows. Is he proportionate in size and a monster down there, too? Does he have one cock? Two? Something that buzzes? I’d be lying if I said my imagination hasn’t already run wild when it comes to that, but I quickly stopped that line of thought before Glaines guesses and decides to be helpful and show me. Now I’ve seen the outline of that rogue demon and can answer at least one of those questions…

Essence, Billie. His soul. He already took yours, and he’s offering you his.

Damn it. He’s not wrong. I don’t know what I’m doing, and while I’ve trusted him as much as I can, if I have all of his knowledge about this world, I can be a lot more independent.

Okay.

Let’s do it.

I hold out my hand before I lose the nerve.

Glaine hesitates for a moment, then takes my hand in his huge one. It heats up, then I suck in a breath when a massive electrical shock jolts me.

I yank my hand back as everything he is slams right into me. I stumble, but I stay standing even without his steadying touch on my elbow.

He waits a few moments before asking me, “How do you feel?”

I wish he didn’t sound so concerned. Where’s that forceful, commanding demon who did what he wanted and didn’t care about the repercussions for anyone else? And, true, I got that impression of him after he stole me, but before we could communicate. Suddenly, I know that while the demon soldier is used to being in command, he grabbed me more out of a panic that he would lose me before we ever had the chance.

And how do I know? Because he’s stuffed my head full of his memories and his emotions, the very essence of who Glaine is.

How do I feel? Like I’m hungover. My head is heavy. I don’t like the sensation of not knowing which thought is mine. I’m so used to being the only one in my head and, after a moment to settle, I use every bit of mental strength I have to shove Glaine’s essence to the far back of my mind.

I’m panting by the time I’m done. It’s tough. Harder than killing that demon out of self-defense, and isn’t that something I’m going to unpack when I’m back home and can call my therapist… but I do it, and tapping into my Thr33peat days, I give Glaine a smile that once graced the teenybopper mags.

“Feel great,” I lie, not even caring that he can probably use my essence to tell that I am. “Why?”

CHAPTER 11

RELIEF

GLAINE

Iwant to believe I am an honorable male.

An honorable male would have warned his mate that, unless the bond is finalized and the mate promise given shortly after an essence exchange, we shall feel unfulfilled. It’s the gods’ way of reminding a Sombra demon that a mate is a precious gift, and it must not be wasted. To spark a bond but not finish it… it is though we are throwing that gift in the face of the gods, mocking them. A demon must be fully bonded to his mate after the exchange or he must release his female, otherwise we will suffer until we do.

It’s the mate sickness, and it’s not very common among demons and demonesses. When a demon finds his mate in a demoness, she has been raised to understand that her essence must be guarded until she is ready to finalize a bond. The same with the demon. But humans… I want to believe I am an honorable male, but while I had Billie’s essence first, she did not know exactly what she was agreeing to when she took mine.

Oh, I was careful. I let her know that, once the exchange was done, she wouldn’t be able to continue denying that I am her mate. My stubborn female understood, but I knew she didn’t quite believe me. She doubted that any consequences she might face would be worth it for her to have an equal footing in my world.

If I could keep her from suffering from mate sickness, I would. And maybe I am honorable, because I mean that. The seconds when I thought Billie was in danger of the rogue demon… I hated myself for leaving her vulnerable. She didn’t know what he said to her in Sombran, or how he promised to take her as his own mate, taking his own pleasure as often and as roughly as he wanted before he tossed the broken mortal to the shadows.

He deserved the fate he met with my sword. To even threaten Billie… to think that she was as much a dumb beast as those that lurk in the shadows because she is human… to say he would take her pleasure and not worship her the way I will?

He deserved his fate, just as Billie deserved to be the one to give it to him.

But I have been arrogant. I’ve decided to take my mate instead of waiting for her to find me. Her presence in Sombra is an insult to Duke Haures and our gods… and they’ve both punished me for it..

Worse, they’ve punished my mate.

Mere hours after I gave her my essence, she starts to slow. It is hot in Sombra for my mortal, but her curls have drooped, drenched in sweat. The air smells of salt, and also her own delectable musk as she becomes more and more aroused… and I have to breathe softly so that I don’t show her how the mate sickness is also affecting me.

Finally, just when I was prepared to suggest we find a closed ring of shadows where we can sit for a moment and rest, she stops.

Because she does, I do.

Billie exhales. “I’m sorry. I know I’m dragging, and I don’t want you to have to carry me while I can walk… but, crap. I’m not feeling the best right now.”

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