It had taken all his considerable willpower not to pin her down, rip the fabric clean off her body, and fuck her into oblivion once that sweet, heady smell of her arousal hit his nostrils and made every cell in his body ache.

He shot her an ungrateful glare out the corner of his eye. The little Breeder was contentedly humming in the passenger seat as he maneuvered the car through the busy city, watching the world go by as if she had not a care in the world. How was she so fucking calm? Kain himself felt every nerve stand at attention, his senses hyper alert as he watched for other demons. Yet Selma… Selma had been calm ever since he woke her up, all traces of fear and anxiety gone for reasons unbeknownst to him.

Perhaps it was just the result of a good night's sleep, because while he had sat awake, staring at her passed out form and struggling with the onslaught of mixed emotions and raw desire her presence brought up in him, she had slept peacefully.

And through it all, his instincts were practically purring with contentment that the Breeder in his care finally trusted him to protect her. It was maddening.

“Are we close?” She looked out of the passenger side window as if searching for the demons she could no longer see while he pulled into a parking lot. “And is it demon-free?”

“Yes and yes, as far as I can tell.” Kain turned off the engine and looked over at her. “Listen, if things go wrong, I want you to stay calm and close, okay? I will talk us out of any trouble if I can, and if not, I will fight. Most likely, things will run smoothly. Just be prepared.”

She nodded obediently, and slid out of the car.

Her newfound calm remained as he guided them through the crowd, one arm securely wrapped around her shoulders as he scouted for potential trouble.

“No demons around then?” she asked again, offering him a smile that would have distracted him from his vigilance if he’d let it.

“Over there,” he murmured, indicating a couple of demons who were watching them from a distance. “They don’t look like trouble, though. Just keeping an eye on me.”

As much as he’d dampened his natural power, there was a limit to what he could do. Demons didn’t get fooled by human disguises, after all, and anyone who saw him would have no doubt he was a Lord—a Lord who didn’t belong in this territory.