He was barely conscious of moving until Georgia’s fearful gasp brought him back from the brink. He looked down at her, splayed on her back beneath him, eyes no longer squeezed shut but opened wide as she stared back up at him. He had her wrists pinned above her head, and his pelvis rested heavily on top of hers, forcing his clothed but aching cock hard against her pussy and ringed clit.

Fuck, that look of terror on her pretty face did nothing to stop every dark instinct clamoring to force his way inside her body and to hell with the consequences. But the sick thread of dread it sparked in the deepest parts of his conscience was enough to rein in his all-consuming need for her cunt.

Breathing heavily, he released her wrists and shifted some of his weight from her pelvis to his arms. “You okay?”

Georgia’s blue eyes widened even further, as if she couldn’t quite believe he’d asked. “I… y-yeah.”

How was he meant to do this? He couldn’t fucking think with the maddening scent of her arousal in his nose.

“You’re going to be the fucking death of me.”

“I-I’m sorry.”

Another fucking apology. He bared his teeth at her, and instantly regretted it when the bitter taste of fear intensified on his tongue and she shrank deeper into the mattress.

Aaaand there went his gut, clenching with regret. Great. Fucking great.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he murmured, voice softened despite his urge to scream with frustration at the clashing roil of instincts warring somewhere south of his ribcage. Fucking. Breeders.

“What… what are you going to do?” Her voice was tiny and pulled on his maddening urge to coddle and coo like an overgrown mother hen. “You say you’re going to brand me… and… train me. I don’t know what that means.”

They’d made a deal. He’d spent a great deal of power on healing her useless brother in return for her cooperation. The main reason he’d agreed was so he wouldn’t have to do this—coddle and explain and take his time when he had none to give. But as she lay beneath him, her bewitching scent thick in his nostrils and that scared look on her pretty face—the one that pulled on everything primal and stupid in him—he realized he’d been a fool to make that bargain. His experiences with his infuriating sister-in-law should have taught him that one breath of a Breeder’s manipulative pheromones would make him bend over backwards to ensure they had whatever they wanted. He’d thought Georgia would be different, that the fact she wasn’t a Pure Breeder would help him keep his mind focused. But clearly, that wasn’t how this was going to go.

With a deep—deep—sigh, Kesh pushed himself up to kneel between her splayed thighs. One glimpse of her flushed pussy and bared clit and he made sure to yank the silk skirt down to cover her before he lost his ability to focus again. “All Breeders are given a blinding mark—a brand. It takes away your ability to see through our human disguises. We find that it makes it easier for a woman to accept a mating and settle into her new life.”

She blinked up at him. “So I’d… see what others see when they look at you? Just a regular human?”

“Yes.”

She frowned, eyes darting to his horns for a long moment before she asked, “Um… so… why are we…?”

“Why am I getting you off?”

Georgia flushed a deep red, and he rolled his eyes. Considering she’d been begging him for more only minutes ago, embarrassment at stating the obvious was pretty fucking ridiculous. Humans.

“Your innate resistance to our magic is at its weakest during a climax. For the brand to take, you need to come. Hard.”

“Oh.” Her blue eyes flicked briefly to his mouth, and he knew exactly where her mind went—to the bathroom where he’d pushed her up against the vanity and sucked her clit to orgasm. Heat coiled low in his abdomen in response, and when she looked up at his eyes and blushed even deeper, it took all his willpower not to push her dress back up and wrap his lips around her clit.

“So…” She hesitated for a moment, then seemingly found her courage. “Why aren’t you…?”

His face darkened. “Because, Breeder, your pussy is fucking crack, and if I lose control for even a second, my magic will enter you and you will die. Horrifically.”

“Oh.” She paled, knees curling up to close his direct access to her hallowed core, survival instincts finally kicking in.

“Yes. Oh.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “This is such a fucking nightmare.”

Slowly, she sat up, eyeing him cautiously. “And we can’t just… pretend you never met me and send me on my way…?”

His hard stare made the red flush return to her cheeks.

“Right, okay, yeah, that was probably… a bit optimistic,” she muttered. “But then what? I don’t want to die. Does this… this brand really need to happen?”

Kesh sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You tell me. Look at my face, Breeder. Can you see yourself settling into domestic bliss with a man whose mere features make you quiver with fear? Could you nurse children who look like this?”

Georgia’s eyes roamed over his face. As expected, the truth was written all over her features.

“Yeah. Didn’t think so,” he growled, inexplicably irritated with her natural fear of his appearance. “So yes, Breeder. I need to brand you.”

A short moment’s silence fell between them as Kesh tried to figure out how the hell he was supposed to get this girl branded. It was interrupted when Georgia quietly asked, “I’m supposed to birth your… children?”

He scoffed. “No, not mine. As I said, if my magic enters you, you will die. But yes, you will birth your future mate's children. You are a Breeder, after all—this is your job.”

Horror slashed across her face. “What… what will you do to… to my babies?”

Kesh stared at her. “What do you mean, ‘what will we do?’ Your mate will protect them, just as he will you. Bringing our sons to adulthood is one of our most sacred obligations.” He frowned when it dawned why she looked at him with such horror. “You thought we’d eat our own children??”

“Well, I… You’re demons. I don’t know what your drive for parental care is like,” she protested, a mix of shame and defensiveness replacing the look of horror on her pretty face.

He leaned in close, staring hard into her eyes. “It’s strong, Breeder. As is our drive to protect our mates. Bargaining your body to demons was foolish, but one thing you do not have to fear for is the safety of you or your babies. Ever.”

“Oh…”

She looked like she was about to say more, but the sound of his apartment’s front door slamming open pulled Kesh’s attention with a hard yank.

16

Kesh

He got to his feet, adrenaline rushing through his body in an instant as every cell kicked into protective mode, but before he could take a step a familiar voice called out, "Your Highness! You're needed urgently!"

Growling at the interruption, Kesh pulled the bedroom door open, lingering adrenaline making him slam it into the wall hard enough to make the Breeder jump on the bed. Immediately outside, his second in command stopped abruptly, a harried look on his face. Marks of battle covered his leather armor.

"Mallorn? Why aren't you in Maine?" Kesh growled.

The other demon drew in a deep breath, familiar with his prince's temper. "Prince Kesh, you're needed in Maine. Our troops are getting overrun. The Europeans brought two lords. They're too strong for Lord Aran to fight back on his own."

"Son of a bitch!" Kesh snarled. "How the fuck did they manage that without anyone noticing?"

"We're not sure yet, but we need you there. Now."

Kesh glared at his second, every battle-hardened instinct in his body throbbing to fly at the threat to the borders. But... He hesitated, glancing over his shoulder at Georgia, who stared at him wide-eyed from the bed.