his teeth as bitter emotions swelled inside him. "Ash killed my mother."
"A Daimon killed your mother because you came late to her job to walk her home. You know the truth, Ambrosius. Admit it to yourself. Ash would have never allowed her to die had he been able to get there. He was under brutal attack that night. Even though he was angry at you, he would have given his life to protect hers. To this day, he visits her grave to honor her even more than you do."
Tears stung his eyes as pain tore through him. He wanted his mother back. To see her one more time. To feel her hand on his cheek as she smiled at him with pride in her kind eyes. He wanted to go back in time and save her from the vicious murder. She'd been the best mother anyone could have and she'd died brutally in the hands of his enemies.
She hadn't deserved that.
And she hadn't deserved a son like him, who'd been unable to protect her from harm.
Still Menyara goaded him. "You're the one who put her in danger. Not Acheron. It was you who failed her. You who killed yourself."
Nick roared as fury flowed through his veins. Throwing his head back, he let out the pain in what shook the room like a sonic boom. His vision changed. . . . No longer could he see colors. Rather he saw the universe for what it was. Heard the fabric of life that surrounded and bound every living creature.
He'd never known such power. Such rage and hatred. He could taste it on his tongue.
Menyara looked at him without fear or trepidation. "You now have the power to kill Acheron. Will you?"
He bared his fangs at Menyara as fire emanated from his hands and ran up the length of both his arms. "Hell yes."
At long last, Acheron Parthenopaeus was about to die.
CHAPTER 7
STRYKER SUCKED HIS BREATH IN SHARPLY AS Zephyra leaned down to look into the sfora. She smelled so good, it literally made his mouth water. She traced the clouds with one long fingernail. Chills rose on his body as he imagined her running it over his skin. He was so hard and needy that it was all he could do not to grab her and pull her close.
She would kill him if he tried. Not to mention he'd never once rough-handled her. Men he would gut without hesitation, even many women, but when it came to her . . . he wasn't sure if he could ever hurt the woman he'd loved so much.
Zephyra froze as she became aware of the sudden bulge in Stryker's pants. The subtle changes to his breathing. She couldn't rememberthe last time she'd taken a lover. But the experience had been poor enough that she'd decided she'd rather take matters into her own hands than be disappointed again.
Stryker had never once disappointed her. He'd been more than just a skilled lover. He'd been a considerate one.
Swallowing, she pulled back. At least until her gaze fell to his lips.
"I've missed you, too," she breathed before she could stop herself.
Stryker froze. Those simple words seared him as he saw the way her eyes darkened. Unable to stand it, he pulled her toward him so that he could kiss her. The moment her lips touched his and her tongue swept across his teeth, he was blinded by need. Blinded by memories so sweet and precious that he'd never thought to experience them again.
Pulling her into his lap, he growled at how good she felt there. She was so tiny that she weighed next to nothing. The scent of her skin intoxicated him.
Zephyra groaned at how good he tasted. At how strong he felt and how hard his lean body was. She hated how much she'd missed this.
How much she'd missed him. But there was no denying it.
Eleven thousand years later, the man still set her senses on fire.
Needing him with a fury she didn't want to understand, she straddled his lap and leaned back long enough to jerk his shirt over his head.
One corner of his mouth quirked up into a teasing smile.
She placed her fingertip over his lips. "One single word and I swear I'll rip your tongue out."
"So I haven't won you over?"
She dropped his shirt to
"A Daimon killed your mother because you came late to her job to walk her home. You know the truth, Ambrosius. Admit it to yourself. Ash would have never allowed her to die had he been able to get there. He was under brutal attack that night. Even though he was angry at you, he would have given his life to protect hers. To this day, he visits her grave to honor her even more than you do."
Tears stung his eyes as pain tore through him. He wanted his mother back. To see her one more time. To feel her hand on his cheek as she smiled at him with pride in her kind eyes. He wanted to go back in time and save her from the vicious murder. She'd been the best mother anyone could have and she'd died brutally in the hands of his enemies.
She hadn't deserved that.
And she hadn't deserved a son like him, who'd been unable to protect her from harm.
Still Menyara goaded him. "You're the one who put her in danger. Not Acheron. It was you who failed her. You who killed yourself."
Nick roared as fury flowed through his veins. Throwing his head back, he let out the pain in what shook the room like a sonic boom. His vision changed. . . . No longer could he see colors. Rather he saw the universe for what it was. Heard the fabric of life that surrounded and bound every living creature.
He'd never known such power. Such rage and hatred. He could taste it on his tongue.
Menyara looked at him without fear or trepidation. "You now have the power to kill Acheron. Will you?"
He bared his fangs at Menyara as fire emanated from his hands and ran up the length of both his arms. "Hell yes."
At long last, Acheron Parthenopaeus was about to die.
CHAPTER 7
STRYKER SUCKED HIS BREATH IN SHARPLY AS Zephyra leaned down to look into the sfora. She smelled so good, it literally made his mouth water. She traced the clouds with one long fingernail. Chills rose on his body as he imagined her running it over his skin. He was so hard and needy that it was all he could do not to grab her and pull her close.
She would kill him if he tried. Not to mention he'd never once rough-handled her. Men he would gut without hesitation, even many women, but when it came to her . . . he wasn't sure if he could ever hurt the woman he'd loved so much.
Zephyra froze as she became aware of the sudden bulge in Stryker's pants. The subtle changes to his breathing. She couldn't rememberthe last time she'd taken a lover. But the experience had been poor enough that she'd decided she'd rather take matters into her own hands than be disappointed again.
Stryker had never once disappointed her. He'd been more than just a skilled lover. He'd been a considerate one.
Swallowing, she pulled back. At least until her gaze fell to his lips.
"I've missed you, too," she breathed before she could stop herself.
Stryker froze. Those simple words seared him as he saw the way her eyes darkened. Unable to stand it, he pulled her toward him so that he could kiss her. The moment her lips touched his and her tongue swept across his teeth, he was blinded by need. Blinded by memories so sweet and precious that he'd never thought to experience them again.
Pulling her into his lap, he growled at how good she felt there. She was so tiny that she weighed next to nothing. The scent of her skin intoxicated him.
Zephyra groaned at how good he tasted. At how strong he felt and how hard his lean body was. She hated how much she'd missed this.
How much she'd missed him. But there was no denying it.
Eleven thousand years later, the man still set her senses on fire.
Needing him with a fury she didn't want to understand, she straddled his lap and leaned back long enough to jerk his shirt over his head.
One corner of his mouth quirked up into a teasing smile.
She placed her fingertip over his lips. "One single word and I swear I'll rip your tongue out."
"So I haven't won you over?"
She dropped his shirt to
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