Embraced (Eternal Balance) by Jus Accardo

ignited something feral and raw. Azi surged beneath my skin, pushing for dominance. Demanding it. I gave in, unable to pull myself from the intensity of Sam’s touch, and surrendered wholly to the demon. My movements became its own. My hands, Azirak’s tools. It hooked my fingers around the waistband of Sam’s underwear and tugged an inch. Then, another. She faded in and out, oscillating between herself and the faceless female demon.
    Malphi . The female was Malphi.
    Knowing this, I should have pulled away, but the need grew stronger. Undeniable.
    Azirak lowered my lips to Sam’s stomach, planting a trail of hungry kisses southward. She gasped and arched off the bed. The sound was like fire, consuming everything and mingling with the darkest parts of me, the parts that lay hidden in the deepest corners of my soul.
    The parts that belonged to the demon.
    My vision swam. The impassioned sounds she made were carnal in the rawest sense—and wrong. One moment it was Sam, the next, Malphi. Azirak reveled in it, the semblance of complete freedom overtaking me. I’d never felt anything like it. Powerful and limitless, in that moment I could do anything without consequence. Control the world and take the things I desired. And there was only one thing I wanted.
    Sam…
    Malphi.
    Sammy…
    Malphi.
    The need grew until it exploded, like a bomb going off in a confined space. It jolted me, and I knew this was wrong. Dangerous in so many ways. I struggled for control, and Azi fought like it never had before.
    Strange words echoed inside my head, threatening to break my skull in half. I didn’t understand them, but Azirak did.
    We can be whole again… Feast on the human as my essence looms, lay claim to her power then come to me, my lord…
    I jerked away, stumbling over the edge of the bed and falling back against my own. My heart pounded, a thunderous beat drowning out everything else in the room. The thoughts in my mind tore me apart, then put me back together only to do it again. The darkness. The violence. The willingness to submit…
    Sam knelt in front of me, taking my face in her hands. Her lips moved, but I couldn’t hear her voice. I gripped the edge of the bed until my fingers went numb. Azi had settled, but I still felt it—how it had wanted to do as Malphi asked, was overcome by the need to possess.
    “Jax, please. Tell me what happened.”
    “Pain,” I lied. “I guess that’s why Heckle told us not to test the limits.”
    “Jesus.” Her expression was all concern, and I felt guilty for lying.
    I climbed to my feet as she did the same. “It was like someone set off an atomic bomb inside my head.”
    “Sounds painful.”
    “I don’t recommend it,” I responded, keeping my eyes down. The T-shirt she had on came just below her waist, leaving a thin scrap of lacy black peeking out. One look and I was in an entirely new world of hell. If we started again, I knew there’d be no stopping it.
    “Why didn’t it happen right away, though?” I heard her sigh. “We, um, got kind of far…”
    “I guess there’s a limit.” I turned away, unable to look her in the eyes. “Heckle said a kiss wouldn’t do it, but much more than that would cross the line. I guess we found our trigger.”
    Sam was in front of me, tipping my face up to meet hers. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, shaking her head slowly. “He’s right, Jax. I mean, obviously I want to be with you on my own, but Heckle is right. I can feel how much you want me, and it’s making me careless. Right now, I can feel the urge you have to—”
    A million X-rated images unfolded before my eyes. “Do not finish that sentence, Sammy. Please .”
    “You’ve never been good with impulse control,” she said, voice dropping. “And if I really was riding your…bad vibes…I might suggest that, since we now know our limit, we should—”
    I covered her mouth with my hand. If she kept going, I would cave. If I caved, who knew what would happen?