He’d still not forgiven her for the borderline cruel manipulation of his instincts that followed.

“We’re at the meeting point in two minutes,” the demon Lord said, his voice clipped and cool. “You will stay behind me at all times or I will abandon the mission and drag you home, no matter how much you cry. Is that clear?”

Selma sighed, but nodded to placate him. None of them would benefit from distractions, and she knew he needed to believe her safe so he could focus. As long as they got to Kain, she didn’t care what she had to do to make that happen.

25

Kain

The shackles around his wrists cut into his already bleeding flesh, but the pain was easy to ignore.

Snarling, he crouched by the wall he was chained to, ready to lunge the second the female came within reach. He would snap her neck as he had the last of his captors who’d made that mistake.

“Now, now, big boy. I just want to chat,” she purred from behind the bars of his cell. She cocked a hip and looked him over with hunger in her cold eyes. “You’re such a handsome one. And strong. I just want to make you feel good. Don’t you want to feel good?”

“I want to rip the head from your shoulders. That would make me feel good.”

Her laughter echoed off the stone walls, its pitch modulated for seduction. The only impact it had on Kain was to further fuel his rage.

“I bet your offspring will be as fierce as their daddy. Would that be so bad? To make strong children who will bring honor to your name?”

Children. His chest gave an achy spasm, and he gritted his teeth against the onslaught of emotion that word brought.

He had a child—or at least he’d had a child. He didn’t know if Selma managed to escape, and he would likely never find out. All he could do was hope that she’d made it to Kesh and that his brother would treat her and their child well.

If a mated demon died, it was customary that the Breeder went to a sexually mature family member if she still had young children. It was the only way to ensure her new mate didn’t kill the offspring not related to him in a fit of jealousy.

To Selma and his family, he was dead. No one knew where he’d been taken or that he was even alive, and Kesh was smart enough to know not to draw attention to Naharan’s betrayal. An all-out war with the royal family would risk destroying them all—including his mate and unborn child.