Gods & Monsters: The Gods & Monsters Trilogy Book 1 Page 23

  David looked at the stranger, wondering how he was going to get out of this. Even possessed, or whatever was wrong with Jane, he didn’t want her taken or harmed.

  The man did not react to David’s glare and looked away to watch Jane approach.

  David could see more of the man’s face now, but his expression gave nothing away as he held his hand out for Jane.

  She took it without hesitating and allowed the man to pull her close to him. She ran her hand up his stomach to his chest, smiling wickedly as she pressed her naked breasts against the man’s body.

  The man let out a hiss as her hands slid under his shirt.

  “She knows you,” she murmured, still in the alluring voice that dominated the real Jane’s sweetness. She peered up into the emerald eyes that watched her and added, “She is blocking her memories from me. She is not stronger than me, so how is she doing it?”

  The green-eyed man smirked and trailed his fingers up her side as his other hand moved to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “I wouldn’t worry about that.”

  She lowered her hand and palmed the man through his pants, moaning as she began stroking the man’s erection. The stranger sighed, then grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her even closer, tilting her head upward in the process. He cast a quick glance at David, then returned his focus to Jane. The green-eyed man never took his gaze off her as his lips covered her mouth.

  Jane, however, closed her eyes and slid her hands around his neck and into his hair. She gasped and eagerly opened her mouth for him.

  Immediately, the man deepened the kiss, thrusting his tongue into her mouth and finally closed his eyes. They moaned together and, growling, the stranger lifted her off the ground. She wrapped her legs around the man’s waist just as easily as she’d done to David.

  David was devastated. He was angry and panicked. He tried to get up again but stopped when the man’s eyes suddenly opened.

  Confused and unable to break free anyway, David had no choice but to watch as they continued their rough kiss.

  The green of the mysterious male’s eyes intensified into an electric-green color, and he squeezed her waist tightly as their kiss grew more urgent.

  Then, suddenly, Jane’s arms fell limp at her sides.

  The man broke their kiss and watched her head roll to the side; then he calmly repositioned her so she was cradled in his arms.

  David was worried but confused more than anything by the way this man now looked so adoringly down at her.

  “There you are,” the man said in a completely different tone than he had spoken in before. It was loving. “Wake, Sweet Jane.”

  David saw her weak smile from where he still lay and stayed silent as Jane reached up to touch the stranger’s face.

  The man smiled tenderly and turned his face against her palm.

  “I knew you were real,” she said, breathless. “They weren’t dreams.”

  “It was real—I never left you.” He lowered his face to softly kiss her swollen lips. “Do you remember now?”

  “I remember.” She whimpered, nodding as she hugged him. “Thank you, Death.”

  NEVER TAKING HIS EYES off the two people across the room, David slowly sat up. The entire situation with the possessed Jane had overwhelmed him. He was worried, angry, and sad that she was going through so much. Worse, he hadn’t been able to save her. Again. All his great strength had been utterly useless. He’d been defeated, and she didn’t even have to lift a finger to do it.

  The woman he’d waited centuries for had been trapped; she’d begged him to help her, and he couldn’t. His only hope to keep Jane safe had been to give that thing what it wanted. She had enough power to destroy them all, and he stood no chance in defeating her. But this stranger did.

  David looked at the man who held Jane. No, he’s not a man, David reminded himself. He was Death. The Angel of Death held Jane as if she were his most treasured possession, all while she looked back at Death with equal adoration. So much tenderness, awe, longing, and devotion passed between them. They did not need to say a word—they loved each other.

  Finally, Death replied to Jane. “You’re welcome, Sweet Jane.”

  David stood and walked closer. Death suddenly looked away from Jane and met his gaze. All the tenderness Death had looked upon Jane with was nowhere in sight. Now the deadliest of all immortal beings stared David down with a glare so terrifying, it should have sent him running.

  David would do no such thing. He wanted to fight the bastard, but something told him to back off. To wait. So he did.

  It wasn’t that he feared fighting something that no one could, but more that he felt Jane needed the being holding her. David felt a warmth radiating from her he’d never experienced before. Her eyes shone brighter, and despite the sorrow still visible in her smile, she looked at peace.

  Death pulled Jane’s naked chest flush against his, hiding what both men had already seen. She glanced down briefly before quickly looking back to Death with an embarrassed grin. Again, they gazed at each other, and Death’s threatening look was gone.

  David cleared his throat when Death smiled at her again. He might have felt the need to hold back, but he wasn’t going to be able to watch their loving exchange much longer.

  Jane turned toward David. He could still see her sadness and fear, but Death had given her something he didn’t think he ever could. He saw it clearly. She was relieved and happy to be united, or reunited, it seemed, with Death. She really knew the Angel of Death, and David realized she’d lied to him about her past.

  “David, I’m so sorry,” she cried. “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”

  Angry or not, he couldn’t stop his tender reaction upon seeing her cry. “Shh… No, sweetheart. It’s all right. I know that wasn’t you.”

  His efforts to soothe her failed. She shook her head back and forth, unleashing more tears as shame and guilt rolled off her in waves.

  “No, baby... Please don’t be sad,” David was cut off when Death let out a threatening hissing sound.

  After glaring at David, Death turned his attention back to Jane. “Jane, my sweet, no one is angry with you.”

  She looked back up at Death. “What about Gareth?”

  “He’ll be fine,” Death answered, smiling again.

  “Are you sure?” Her tears ceased.

  Death nodded. “I promise, baby girl.”

  Jane let out a relieved breath, studying him a few more seconds. “Okay.”

  David didn’t know how he felt. Apparently, all she needed was a few simple words from Death and she was fine. This was all wrong. She was meant to be with him. He’d known it would take time for her to grieve the loss of her family, but he believed Jane would eventually accept him. Now it seemed someone else had already claimed her.

  “Jane,” David said, trying his best to not let out his frustration on her.

  She tore her eyes from Death to look at him but quickly lowered her gaze. David’s heart cracked. She was ashamed, but he’d seen the flicker of guilt she was overwhelmed with. He wasn’t sure if she simply felt guilty for what her evil counterpart had done or because she had clearly lied to him about her past.

  David wanted to be furious with her. He wanted answers. If they were destined, he wanted to know why it seemed every obstacle possible was coming between them. He watched her expression as she tried not to break down. She refused to meet his gaze, but he could see her struggle with sorrow. When she silently cried with only Death there to comfort her, the fire building inside David burned out.

  He sighed. “Are you all right, Jane? Do you hurt anywhere?”

  Finally, she looked up, and he was so relieved at the sight of her hazel eyes. “I’m not hurt—my wound is gone. I only feel tired and weak.”

  David nodded but continued to check her for any injuries. Once he was satisfied she showed no outward sign of pain, he turned to Death. The fire roared inside him. “What did you do to her?”

  Death’s face contorted with
rage. “What you could not, Knight!”

  “I doubt kissing her like that is what she needed.”

  “It worked, didn’t it?” came Death’s quick retort. “I did what needed to be done. I’ll do it again when she needs me to.”

  David opened his mouth ready to voice his own promises of what would pass if such an event took place again, but Jane’s sniffling made both men look away from each other.

  “Please don’t fight.”

  Death threw a final glare at David before pulling her closer. “We’re sorry. We will not fight anymore. I promise.” He kissed her forehead sweetly, but his eyes gleamed with mischief as he made her this vow and eyed David’s balled fists with a cruel smirk. “David, will you make yourself useful and get her a new shirt?”

  Death carried Jane away before he could tell him to go fuck himself.

  David stared at the wall for ten seconds. He wanted to kill something, but he needed to calm down. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and let Jane’s smile form in his mind. She made it easier to breathe. His fists unclenched, and he opened his eyes. Jane came first. The rage he felt for the being holding her could wait.

  With his temper reined in, he went to the dresser and quickly snatched up a shirt. My shirt! He’d make sure that bastard saw whose shirt she wore.

  When he turned, Death was sitting on the bed with Jane across his lap. The angel had pulled a sheet up to cover her and was brushing his fingers under her eyes to wipe away her tears.

  More of David’s anger dissipated. Though it had already been clear that Jane adored Death, and had somehow known him, she wasn’t jumping for joy. She was still sad and scared, but Death was helping her. He had saved her. It made David realize he should be grateful for what the angel did.

  Death looked away from Jane and held out his hand.

  David knew he was asking for the shirt. He had been ready to politely hand it to him, but when he looked at Jane, and she avoided him by hiding her face in Death’s chest, his anger spiked again.

  Death grinned and kissed her hair, his teasing gaze on David the entire time.

  David scowled and roughly threw the shirt at Death’s face.

  The angel caught it before it could hit him and chuckled. “Thank you, David.”

  David pressed his lips together and grabbed a nearby chair. He needed to find out what was going on. At the moment, other than being a potential rival for Jane’s heart, Death didn’t appear to be a threat to him. He could at least find out how the hell he stopped the thing in Jane.

  Death leaned back and grabbed Jane’s chin, forcing her to look at him. David watched as she became captivated by the ethereal being who gazed down at her. She sighed as Death slid the shirt over her head, and the angel showed no hesitation when he reached through the arm holes for her hands, nor did he display any unease upon hearing her gasp.

  The sheet she had been holding tightly fell to her waist, and David wanted to punch the satisfied look on Death’s face as he pulled her hands through the shirt. An awareness of some sort flickered in Jane’s eyes, and she blushed while Death smirked, a similar recollection dancing in his gaze.

  David reached his limit. He could not sit there and watch her being pulled under Death’s seductive spell. He loudly cleared his throat.

  Jane quickly tore her eyes away from the angel and stared at David with worried eyes. He smiled, trying to show that she did not have to fear his wrath. Unfortunately, it didn’t produce the desired reaction from her. Her features scrunched up in sadness, and like earlier, Death was the man who soothed her.

  David sighed and folded his arms across his chest. “Can the others hear us?”

  “No one will hear us unless I wish them to,” said Death.

  David figured as much. “Explain what you did to her.”

  Death continued running his hand up Jane’s arm. For a moment, David’s eyes darted there and Death smirked again. “I absorbed her energy. Well, enough to let Jane take control again.”

  Jane closed her eyes, appearing sad but so tired she might fall asleep as well, but she suddenly took several panicked breaths.

  Death pulled her head to his chest again. “Rest, Jane.”

  She nodded and took a slow breath while relaxing against him.

  David was at a loss on how to feel about their affection. “You took her energy?”

  Death looked up. “Yes. I could not let it hurt her anymore.” His face saddened as he glanced back to Jane, but the emotion vanished when he looked back at David. “Though, I realize you felt you had no choice, I would not stand by so she could be raped.”

  “I didn’t want it to hurt her,” David said softly.

  “Neither did I,” Death said. “So I stepped in.”

  “What is it?” David asked, letting go of a bit of his hatred toward the angel.

  Death shrugged. “I am not sure. I never caught it before. It was hidden deep inside her.”

  “Before when?” David snapped.

  Death grinned and stared David in the eye. “Jane and I met a long time ago. That’s all you need to know.”

  “Fine. What do you know about it?”

  All the playfulness vanished when Death spoke. “It’s a part of her. I cannot take it away without killing her, too.”

  “Do you know how to keep it from taking over again?”

  “No. From my observations, her emotional state and need for blood made it easier for it to come forward. If Jane is relaxed and fed, she stands a better chance at keeping it confined. It would also benefit her to train in combat and learn how to use her abilities. If she masters them, she may be able to overthrow the entity when it harms others. The entity doesn’t need Jane’s knowledge to wield her power—it is the source of her power.”

  David shook his head. This didn’t make any sense to him. She was supposed to save them, not destroy them.

  Death went on. “If we can help strengthen her mind, there is a better chance she will be able to stay in control.” Death paused and looked down at Jane. “Until we are confident in her ability to control this, we will have to give her whatever she wants.”

  This is what Arthur had told him, but hearing Death say it didn’t sit well with him.

  “Of course”—Death smirked—“if it comes back, I can drain her again.”

  “I am sure you would enjoy that,” he spat as Death chuckled. “How do we call you?” It was hard to admit, but Death had been able to help her when he couldn’t.

  “I’ll know if she needs me,” Death answered.

  Jane gripped Death and stared at the angel with panic. “Don’t leave me again. Please don’t leave me.”

  With adoring eyes that he seemed to only have for her, Death whispered, “Never, Sweet Jane.”

  David felt torn. Death had succeeded where he had failed. In fact, since finding her, David realized he had done nothing but fail and bring her pain.

  Death looked David in the eye. “I need to speak with her privately.”

  David wanted to argue, but it was clear Jane wanted Death. There was a possessiveness in her desperate hold on the angel.

  “Yes,” he said. “I will go and check to see if everything is all right. Sweetheart?” Jane finally lifted her sad eyes. “Call if you need me, okay?”

  She nodded. David wanted to touch her, but when he reached out to caress her face, she whined and turned toward Death. David’s face fell.

  Surprisingly, Death gave him a sympathetic smile. “I will take care of her, David.”

  David nodded to him before giving Jane one last look; then he left the room—leaving Jane with her Death.

  Jane peeked over her shoulder as the door shut. Her heart wrenched, and she cried. She was in agony over everything she’d done. The darkness she’d always felt inside herself had finally been unleashed. She had hurt Gareth, and worst of all, she hurt David.

  Death held her close to him and caressed her hair. “If it hurts so much to push him away, why are you doing it?”

  S
he cried harder. “I have to. I was horrible. I hurt him. I can’t face him again.”

  “No, baby girl,” he said, kissing her hair. “He understands. That wasn’t your fault.”

  “I couldn’t stop it.” She pressed her face against his chest more. “I tried, but she wouldn’t let me. She was laughing at me, letting me see what she was forcing him to do. She told him things I didn’t want him to know.” She sobbed, squeezing Death’s shoulder as she screamed her heartache into his chest.

  “Shh…” Death rocked her. “He knows that wasn’t really you. Just like I did, he saw you being held down inside her.”

  “I tried,” she sobbed.

  “I know you tried. I’m proud of you. You kept it hidden even from me. That shows how strong you really are.”

  “I’m not strong. I’m nothing but a tool. Just like she said, I’m a flesh and blood fuck-doll.”

  “Jane, do not speak that way about yourself. You are nothing of the sort. Were you aware of everything?”

  “No. It was mostly dark. There were moments where I could see shapes and hear muffled conversation, but I think she controlled what I could see and hear. I saw her face—my face—in my mind. She wanted to see my reactions.” She looked off to the side as a hollow feeling spread through her chest. “How long have you been here? Did you know that wasn’t me?”

  He sighed. “I’ve been here most of the time. I did not know what it was. I saw fragments of it recently, but I did nothing because I did not know what I was facing. I needed to get information to keep from harming you. It was just luck that draining you of energy allowed you to come back. I wasn’t going to sit back and watch you basically get raped.”

  “He didn’t want to,” she whispered, her eyes watering at the thought of David taking her that way.

  “True, he did not. But I could not watch it happen and do nothing. Not anymore.”

  She whined, and he held her tighter.

  “She said she wasn’t going to let me witness him take her, but she’d show me later how much she satisfied him. Do you know what she is?”

  “No. She was already there.” He muttered something in a language she didn’t recognize. “I didn’t know—”