Jonas (Darkness #7) Read online

  Jonas’ mouth dropped open as his dick gave a lurch. His ardor rose. His eyes traveled her beautiful face and then dropped down to her perfect body. Great gods he wanted her. This strong, dominant woman who was so full of pain and loathing for her life that she didn’t realize the strength she possessed. He could help her—bring out the wild vixen in her. And, in turn, she could quell his beasts. She could take control while he happily lost it.

  She’d just figured out his weakness. His real desires. Now the test of wills began.

  “Take me higher? Sexually, you mean?” Jonas countered, trying to back her down.

  The shadow passed over her eyes for a moment, but a glimmer came back in immediately. “I mean to beat the living hell out of you. And you’ll like it. And you’ll beg for completion. And if you do what I ask, I’ll free one of your hands for a time so you can take care of it.”

  “It will be you who takes care of it. With your body. Or your mouth.”

  A crease formed in her eyebrows as she wrestled with something internal. Anger flashed again. “I don’t give a crap how you take the pain, Jonas. You want to get off on it, what is that to me? Nothing. But the only person that is going to be fucking you is yourself. In the meantime, you’ll tell me everything I want to hear. Starting now.”

  He almost flinched as she rushed him in the heat of passion. Violence and aggression poured from her body. She slammed him with the paddle two more times before crossing to his back and hitting him three times there. He soaked in the pain. He let it swirl around him. He let it fire him up and then pool in the base of his cock. His past didn’t rear up, this time. The taunts didn’t come. The remembrance of lonely days or constant torture didn’t surface. All he could think was her and the moment. Her mad plight to use him to extinguish her rage.

  “Touch me,” Jonas groaned as his body lit on fire from the inside out. “Please. Turn your pain into pleasure with me.”

  The paddle didn’t return. She walked around to the front of him with hard eyes. “Does the human mage know Cato? Is it true he backed her?”

  Jonas’ head was swirling. His cock was so hard he couldn’t think. She stepped closer, dousing him in body heat. Her breasts, barely visible, were so close. If she leaned down he could suckle them through her sheer dress. “Please.”

  Her hand came up and slapped him across the face. “Does Cato back the leader of your clan?”

  He opened his eyes and connected to her burning gaze. Passion boiled there. Not sexual, not yet, but something else. Wild abandon. A fighter crouched. A caged animal paced.

  “I will not answer questions about the mage or the Boss.”

  She kneeled in front of him slowly. Her soft hands trailed up his arms and to his shoulders. She glanced down between them. Following her gaze, he saw his dick straining out to her. He almost leaned forward to try and kiss her. To feel those full lips as she lost herself to ecstasy. But when her eyes came back up, that familiar haunt was there. That fear. That inadequacy.

  It really ruined the mood she’d just created.

  “Can I get a conjugal visit?” he asked as he squeezed his eyes shut to try and ignore the pounding in his erection.

  “Damn. I’m no good at this charming guys thing.”

  He felt the absence of body heat. The sudden cold made him shiver.

  And then the paddle again. She’d figured out how to torture him after all.

  * * *

  Emmy slammed the door shut behind her, had a quick glance around to make sure she was alone in her room, and then threw herself onto her bed. She’d just left Jonas. Finally walked away when he was panting and blustering to hold her. Not touch her, not make love to her, but hold her. He kept saying, “Let me share your pain.” Or, “Let me help you turn your pain into pleasure.”

  It should’ve been gross. It should’ve disgusted her. But her body was on fire. Her stomach was butterflies. Her core was throbbing.

  She’d never felt like this before. And while she’d tortured hundreds of people, it’d never been like that. She’d felt free somehow. She’d put all her fear and hatred of her life into those strikes and felt released when he moaned in pleasure.

  She put her hands out in front of her and stared at them. Then she hopped off her bed and stared at herself in the mirror. The same girl stared back, except for the eyes. There was a vivacity in the eyes she’d never seen before. They were now the eyes of a stranger, sparkling away.

  Whose smile was that?

  She kind of wanted to touch him. Just to see. With him tied up, and no way to force her, she just kind of… wanted to see if… it was still a disgusting act when she was in complete control. She wanted to see how his face changed when she gave in and gave him the touch he so ardently desired.

  Shivers erupted across her body. Which was a decided improvement over her usually roiling stomach with the disgust of thinking about sex.

  One thing was for sure, though—she had to get out of here. Jonas was a bit crazy, but he was not like the men in this compound. Or in their compound in England. He didn’t hate humans, for one. Their clan—as he called it—accepted them. Lived among them. Human women were having their babies, and that was not considered an abomination. She wouldn’t be considered an abomination!

  She crossed to her desk and opened a drawer. As she reached in for a map, her door swung open. Nathanial entered the room, followed by Luc, an unwashed piece of trash that constantly sneered at her in disgust. Except when Nathanial was handing out her blood, that was. Then he was first in line.

  Her heart sank.

  “I got answers,” Emmy said in a rush. “Cato has backed the leaders—the mage is the mate and co-leader of Stefan. Stefan is the one they call the Boss.”

  Nathanial stared at her with ice in his gaze. “I see. And how did you manage to get this information?”

  “I’ve worked my way in. He’s hard to pry information out of, but I am cracking him.”

  “Yes. I can see the triumph in your eyes.” Nathanial glanced down her front. She couldn’t help the flinch when she remembered what she was wearing, but she didn’t cover up. He’d exploit that weakness just for fun. “I had heard you asked Darla how to charm a man. And that worked, it seems.”

  “To a point. I haven’t touched him, but he would like me to.”

  “I see.” Nathanial glanced at Luc. “Get out. She will get no punishment today.”

  Emmy couldn’t help the sigh. Nor the uncontrollable shaking under the glare of Luc as he trudged from the room.

  “I will be allowing Darla an attempt with him later tonight. It appears she knows this man, who is called Jonas. She was in his compound with him. She had to flee when attempts to get rid of the human mage were thwarted by the human-animals. Commendable, however, that she tried. Anyway, she says she has some affinity with this Jonas. And, of course, she is… persuasive.”

  Something within Emmy tightened up. “Give me another try. I am confident I can get something out of him.”

  A small smile graced Nathanial’s bloodless lips. “Yes, you do have pride in your work. That is one of your commendable qualities, of course. But we will allow her a session, I think. Since she already knows him, and he seems to respond to sexual advances over pain, I think she is a better bet.”

  A tightness formed in her chest she didn’t understand. Within Nathanial’s stare, though, she didn’t have time to dissect. “Yes, sir.”

  * * *

  Close to dawn Emmy couldn’t help pacing through her small quarters. She’d heard Darla made alterations to the room where they kept Jonas. She’d put in a wide but comfortable chair, and a long cot. Obviously she was going to try and have sex with him. That horrible creature would have sex with anything—Jonas was just her next target.

  It shouldn’t matter. If she got him hard, and then finished the deed, it shouldn’t matter.

  Darla had had an hour so far. And with her track record, she’d surely been with Jonas before. She knew his desires. And his kinks. She
most likely knew what got him off and what made him crazy—Emmy had figured it out in a couple days, so after growing up together, Darla would probably have a blueprint. She’d get information out of him easily.

  Would she make him as hard as I did earlier? Would he beg to help take her pain?

  “Doesn’t matter,” Emmy said to the empty room.

  Something irritated her about the whole thing, though. Regardless if she wanted to admit it or not, she’d shown Jonas her vulnerability, and then she’d shared her suffering. She’d given him a glimpse into her so she could have a larger glimpse into him. And that had left a mark. It had connected them in intimacy.

  “Doesn’t matter,” she said again. Her voice sounded dead in the silent room.

  Emmy started to pace again. Jonas’ eyes filtered into her memory. Focused and entrancing, he always looked at her with equal parts respect and knowing. Like he could read her. Like he cared about her suffering in this place. Like he understood her trials.

  “It does matter.”

  She was striding out of her room a moment later.

  No one had ever offered to help shoulder her burden. No one had tried to back off when they saw she was uncomfortable. And she didn’t share intimacy with anyone.

  Not anyone.

  That connection she had with a perfect stranger, forged in a high-stakes situation, was more real than any she had in her life. She’d had a conversation with him—something she didn’t even do in her day-to-day life since she had no friends. And he didn’t care about her half-half status. He didn’t care that part of her was human.

  Men like him were worth protecting. She just had no idea how she was going to do that and live another day.

  * * *

  “So, the fates have led you right back to me, huh?” Darla paced across the stone floor in her red high heels and see-through gown. She’d always had a great body—toned but curvy—and an even better face. She’d also always been a raging bitch. Jonas hated her. He had no idea how the Boss had always dealt with her.

  “And now Nathanial knows I have all sorts of insider information about the Boss and his stupid human mage. All sorts. What the interior of the mansion looks like, how he operates, how the Watch goes about their business—even the connection you have with the shifters. Pretty soon, you won’t be needed at all.”

  “I wonder why he didn’t talk about his business with you before now? Didn’t trust his pretty piece of ass, huh?” Jonas deflected as he stared at the wall. Three huge males had muscled him across the floor and into a chair. There they’d attached the chains on his arms to the wall above his head and his legs to a metal hook. He now faced the door whereas before he was facing away. It was a new vantage point. Plenty of new cracks to look at to pass the time.

  “He’s got a lot of clout in England,” Darla was droning on. “He’s only in America because of the destruction of the Council. As soon as he can, he’s going to step in and assume control.”

  “That didn’t answer my question. Also, I can’t imagine your new fuck-friend would be thrilled you’re giving me that information.”

  Darla scoffed and shimmied closer. “You think he’ll trade you? He won’t trade you. He’s going to kill you just as soon as he has all he needs. Who are you going to tell?”

  “For a female who can’t seem to complete any sort of organized plan to her benefit, you sure are certain of future events.”

  Darla ran one fingertip across his cheek. She traced the curve of his lips. “How active is that Cato person? Is he moving around much? Are there many at the Council worth worrying about?”

  “Go away, Darla. You’re annoying.”

  “Is that right?”

  Jonas felt the hard bite of her nail digging into his face, followed by a trickle of blood.

  “I seem to remember you like pain, is that right? That’s what turns you on?” She bent. A warm tongue licked up his cheek and played over the wound she’d just given him. “Hmmm. You taste good. I want to suck on you as I ride you. Make up for all those years that you ignored me.”

  “Takes a lot to knock down your confidence, huh? Constant rejection wasn’t enough—now you’re going to force yourself on me. Well, bad news is, it doesn’t work like that for a male. I gotta be turned on for you to ride me. And that ain’t gonna happen.”

  “No?” Darla did a slow walk over to the wall with all the tools. He could see her fingertips glide across the various instruments before curling around a leather paddle. She took it down and turned with a sultry smile. “I know how to play the Dom. You just never gave me a chance to prove it.”

  “Does your new squeeze know all you planned to do was screw me? That you didn’t intend on getting information?”

  “I’ll get information. I’m a good lay.” Darla stopped in front of him, drew the paddle back, and whacked him across the chest. The effect was a light stinging where she’d disturbed the older wounds. She took aim and hit him again. Then again.

  If possible, she was even more annoying while trying to be in control than when she was just sashaying around.

  “Or maybe…” She pulled his sweats away from his waist to expose his dick. Then, bending over, she yanked them down until they gathered around his ankles. With a chilly hand, she clasped his limp shaft and started stroking. “Maybe a knife would be faster. Or a mouth…”

  Gracefully, she fell to her knees and bent over him. He felt the warm wetness of a mouth circle his tip. Ordinarily, yes, that would be enough to get the ball rolling. With her, though, this wasn’t gonna play. There was no way he’d give her the satisfaction.

  Jonas called up memories from his youth. Of the taunts and the laughter. He picked hers out and focused.

  What a little shrimp. You’ll never have a mate. No female will ever want such a puny little nothing. Look everyone—a female is bigger than him!

  Her beautiful face had been screwed up with disgust as she’d pointed and laughed at him. All his classmates had joined in.

  “Impotent, huh?” Darla asked in a mocking voice.

  “With you? Yes.”

  She scoffed. “Is that right…” She hiked up her dress to her waist and threw one long leg over his lap. She settled her nude sex on top of his.

  “You can’t get a male hard—how do you still think you’re desirable?” Jonas pulled his head back to get as far away from her as possible. He just barely saw the door swing open, but couldn’t see who came in.

  “I have four co-leaders in this clan treating me like their mate. Four. And one is a woman,” Darla explained with pride as she moved her hips in a circle over his. Her warm wetness slid across him as her face dipped to his neck. “I’m good at what I do. Get hard for me, baby. I’ve always wanted to try you out. So gruff and manly. I bet you fuck real smooth, though. It was always rumored that you did. Deep and sensual. Everyone wanted to give you a try, but you’re so selective. Why is that?”

  She sucked at the base of his neck as she gyrated forward on his manhood. The friction would’ve had him standing on end, but the woman rocking over him shriveled his desire. His cock stayed limp.

  Jonas felt the pinch of her teeth when he heard, “I don’t think that’s working, Darla.”

  The honeyed pleasure of that voice dribbled down Jonas’ back. The protective instinct he heard in her feminine tones had his heart pounding. He wanted to run into battle with her. He wanted to stand by her side as they took on a wall of enemy and triumphed. She needed that. She needed a way to fight back and overcome whatever was keeping her down.

  “What do you want?” Darla asked in a hiss as Jonas’ sweet torturer sauntered forward. She still wore that nearly see-through gown, but she might’ve been in battle garb for all she noticed. Her eyes were burning and a whip was thrown nonchalantly over her shoulder.

  “I want you out. Draining him isn’t going to help. I can still get useful information out of him.”

  Darla turned back to Jonas. She surveyed his neck. “And you will—as soon as I fin
ish with him.”

  A whip cracked. Darla screamed and scrambled off of Jonas. She arched her back and reached around to touch it as she twirled toward Jonas’ torturer. A neat slice was cut down Darla’s smooth skin. Blood was already starting to trickle out.

  “You just made a big mistake, human.” Darla glared at the younger, shorter female. “You interrupted my interrogation and enacted violence on the superior race. And I’ll make sure I’m the first one who gets a taste from your neck, right before you’re passed to the under-workers. Won’t that be nice? Having filthy hands reaching between your legs and into your body as their stinking breath falls on you? Making the rounds and delivering yourself for their bite? Oh yes, I’ll make sure Nathanial makes you pay for this.”

  Jonas’ torturer lifted her chin in defiance, but Jonas could see the rigidity in her body posture. He noticed the trembling lower lip and shaking hands. With a firm voice, though, she said, “I’m his pet. He doesn’t allow anyone to touch me but him. You can parcel out my blood—that’s nothing new. But after that, you’re just a pet, too. You don’t have half the power you think you do.”

  “Is that right?” Darla’s voice dropped an octave as she stalked toward the other woman. “I wouldn’t be so sure, human.”

  As she passed, Darla slapped the other female. Jonas’ torturer’s face whipped back. She staggered into the wall as Darla opened the door. Jonas stood in a rush, his body going taut. His need to fight fired into him. His hands were now bent behind him painfully, though.

  Before she left, Darla shot him a glance. “We aren’t done yet.” The door shut in a heavy slide.

  “That wasn’t wise,” Jonas said to his torturer. “She’s a vindictive bitch. She’ll do everything in her power to make you suffer.”

  The female shrugged. “It’s all I know. Suffering, that is. What’s one more enemy? They can fight over my punishment.”