Death Lord

6

Eira’s pupils dilated like she felt it as well, and she licked her lips. My eyes fell to the movement, and I swallowed, my mouth suddenly, inexplicably dry. She wanted this, too, that much was clear in her eyes, and for a moment, I felt like we were both on the same page. Everything else faded into the background, and all that mattered was the need to seal my lips to hers. Would they taste as sweet as they looked?

No. I couldn’t. I was Death, and there was no way I could get involved with anyone. I could kill with just a touch now, and it didn’t matter that this particular urge didn’t apply to Eira. She was from a different world, and I didn’t need to drag her into mine in such an intimate way.

I stepped back and tried to regain control over myself. The want had a keen edge that wasn’t going away, and I had to battle against it in an entirely different way from the usual hunger for death. It was dangerous, and I shouldn’t tempt whatever it was.

But I couldn’t let Eira go either.

She was glaring at me again, her beautiful face filled with hatred. No matter what strange desire drew us together, she still blamed me entirely for her father’s death, and that wasn’t going to be something that we could get past with a kiss or even a good f**k. But I needed to know why and how she affected me this way, and I had to keep her close long enough for that. I had no doubts that if I left her tied up in my bar’s basement, she’d find a way to get out, but there were other options. It was just a matter of convincing her to go for them.

“I’ve noticed shifters going missing, too,” I said finally. “It’s not because of me though. Yes, I’m going after the ones who are dangerous and are killing humans, because they need to be stopped. But the others? I have no idea what’s happening to them, and I’d like to find out. Maybe it’s tied to the increase in violent crime over the last few months.” I leaned back against the fridge, keeping my distance from her as much as I could. “Why don’t we work together to find out why the shifters are going missing?”

“You want to work...together?” she asked, like I’d just said the most ridiculous thing she’d ever heard in her life.

“Yes. That is, if you can stop trying to kill me for a while.”

Eira tilted her head back and shot daggers at me with her cold eyes. “I’m not sure if I can resist the urge.”

“I assure you, it’s completely futile. I cannot die, and it doesn’t matter how many ice spears you throw at my back. It does hurt though, and kind of puts a damper on the idea of us working together.” I shrugged casually. “The other option is that I can just leave you chained up down here, and go do it myself. I can’t have you interfering with my work. Either you stay out of my way, under lock and key, or you work with me. Which one is it going to be?”

“That’s really not an option,” Eira said, twisting her sexy little mouth up into a scowl.

“At least I’m giving you the choice,” I said. “Anyone less generous might have taken offense to you repeatedly attacking me.”

“Fine,” Eira spat. “I’ll work with you, and I’ll do my very best to try and not kill you.”

She still had that defiant tilt to her head, like she expected me to revoke the offer because of her attitude. If this was any other circumstance, I’d tease back, I thought. She was just my type, gorgeous and smart and feisty as a hellcat, but I had no time for any sort of feelings. Right now, all there was, was the mission.

I stepped forward and unhooked the chains from her wrists and ankles. I crouched down in front of her and carefully undid the cuffs on her feet so that she could walk properly. I half expected her to try and kick me and escape, but apparently somehow I’d convinced her that fighting and running wasn’t the best idea.

She might just be biding her time to find another escape route, but I hoped I’d be able to show her that I was willing to help her out. There was clearly more going on than what she was telling me. She had seemed very emotional about the shifters going missing, which made sense if she was looking for her brothers, whoever they were. Hopefully that desire to find them overruled her other desire to kill me, at least for a little while.

As I was pulling away from her leg, my fingers slid against the exposed skin of her ankle. Something crackled in the air between us. I wanted to lean in and lick her skin, but I steeled myself and let her go. But I stood up slowly, still caught in her spell. Touching her was intoxicating, and I couldn’t get enough.

Eira was looking at me, eyes wide, cheeks flushed. I slid my hand along her neck, and she let out a long breath as her body trembled slightly. Her eyelids fluttered shut like she was going to give in, and she swayed toward me. I let out a harsh gasp, fighting desperately for control, as my mouth drew closer to hers with every second.

I drew back sharply. I couldn’t do this. She hated me, and I had no business trying to seduce her. We’d just agreed to not kill each other, for f**k’s sake.

No, I’d have to simply suffer through it. I turned away and started up the stairs without waiting to see if she would follow me.