A Dangerous Demon King (The Sentinel Demons Book 4) Page 9

  Once the demon leader was down, he dropped the blade on top of Goran’s lifeless body, knowing it would take a very long time for him to recover.

  “That will have to be enough,” Kristoff informed Athena calmly.

  “Enough? You just kicked his ass. He won’t recover for months.”

  “I wanted him dead,” he grumbled.

  “I know. I wish I could have given you the satisfaction. But I can’t,” Athena replied sadly.

  He nodded abruptly to signal that he understood, then he waited for the goddess to disappear before he followed her out of the demon realm, leaving Goran critically wounded on the floor without a second thought.

  The next evening, Sophie sat beside Kristoff on his bed, watching as he finally fell into a healing sleep.

  His punishment for entering the demon realm had been swift, excruciating for her to watch, and devastating because she knew he’d gone there without a thought to the side effects he’d suffer.

  She hadn’t left his side since Athena had brought him home, spilling the story of what Kristoff had done, and how disappointed he was that Goran couldn’t die.

  Sophie moved to lie down next to him now that he was no longer thrashing and in the throes of a reaction to entering the demon realm and harming Goran so badly that he would be out of commission for quite some time.

  Lying face to face with him, she reached out and stroked his whiskered jaw as she whispered, “Why would you do this to yourself. Why?”

  “Because you’re my mate,” Kristoff grumbled, still half asleep.

  Sophie hadn’t expected an answer, and as she probed his mind slightly, she could feel that he was somewhere between sleep and awareness. “They could have killed you. Goran could have killed you.”

  “He needed to die. As long as we aren’t mated, you’re still vulnerable. He could come after you again,” Kristoff replied in a groggy voice. “I don’t want him to ever touch you again.”

  Sophie felt her heart in her throat as she bit her lip to keep from sobbing. Having someone fight for her was so foreign to her, but it touched her more than Kristoff could ever know. He’d risked his life for her safety without a second thought.

  “I don’t want you hurt, either,” she whispered back to him, pushing a lock of hair back from his forehead. “Promise me you won’t do something like that again. I can’t stand to see you pay for breaking the rules.”

  “Fuck the rules,” Kristoff rasped. “I’ve followed the rules forever. When it comes to you, I’ll break every damn rule ever written to save you.”

  A tear trickled down her cheek. As far as she knew, Kristoff kept a tight rein on his Sentinels, and he led by example. He never broke the rules. “How did you even manage to do it? You’re bound by the rules.”

  “You’re more important to me, the only thing that’s been stronger than my compulsion to follow the dictates of the Sentinel laws,” he muttered hoarsely. “You make me crazy,” he added earnestly.

  Sophie’s heart skipped a beat as she found herself suddenly staring into his beautiful eyes as they fluttered open.

  She answered quietly, “It broke my heart to see you hurting because of me.”

  Their eyes locked and held, and Sophie couldn’t pull her gaze away from the intensity reflected in Kristoff’s gaze. “You’re mine. My precious mate. Do you really think there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to make you happy, to keep you safe?”

  Sophie could still feel the lump in her throat as she replied, “I think I’m starting to get the message.” Really, she was starting to understand that Kristoff was unstoppable when it came to his protective instincts.

  “Being in my bed puts you in a dangerous position,” he told her gruffly.

  Her core clenched in response, and her nipples peaked to an almost painful hardness. The look in Kristoff’s eyes wasn’t amber. Sophie knew he wasn’t at full strength yet, but the intense, fierce desire he had for her showed in his tumultuous stare.

  She smiled at him. “I hardly think you’re in any position to do anything about it.”

  “You think not?” he growled as he rolled her over and pinned her beneath him. “My cock is always ready to be buried inside you. My body is always ready to fuck you into next week. Don’t underestimate how much I need you, Sophie. It could get you into trouble.”

  Her heart was hammering so loud that she could hear it whooshing in her ears. In a matter of seconds, he had her body trembling with a need so sharp it was almost painful. “Don’t,” she whispered. “You’re still recovering. Please.”

  “Fuck! I can’t take much more,” Kristoff rumbled.

  “Kiss me,” she asked impulsively, needing to feel the warmth of his body on top of hers for a little longer.

  “Playing with fire,” Kristoff uttered as his tortured gaze swept over her face.

  Sophie freed her arms from the weight of his body and speared her hands through his hair. Her desperation to feel him overwhelmed her and she urged his head down.

  Kristoff completed the descent, capturing her mouth with a tortured groan. He plundered until Sophie could do nothing except respond with the same desperation that Kristoff was experiencing, clinging to him like she never wanted to let go.

  He explored.

  He tasted.

  He possessed.

  Sophie felt his compulsion to claim her, and the need echoed back to her, making her moan against his mouth and lower her hand to claw at his back even as she rationally knew they had to end the embrace before they both went up in flames.

  Stop!

  She sent him the mental message even as she clung to him, sending him mixed signals.

  Kristoff grunted as he yanked his mouth from hers like it was painful, which for Sophie, it really was.

  He rolled onto his back, his fists clenched and his body tense. Sophie could see the ripple of every muscle as he held back his desire.

  “I’m sorry,” she told him breathlessly. “I knew you were still recovering. I shouldn’t have asked you to do that.”

  “I’m never going to let an invitation to touch you pass. I’d have to be dead,” Kristoff replied, his voice strained.

  “You need sleep, Kristoff.”

  “I. Need. You.” His graveled voice was quieter as he closed his eyes.

  “No one has ever needed me before,” she confessed, her voice tremulous. Her body was still trying to calm after Kristoff’s unexpected burst of strength.

  “I fucking need you enough to make up for everyone who never did,” he grumbled unhappily.

  “You’re in my mind,” Sophie reminded him. “You know I want you, too. So much it’s almost uncontrollable.” Which was why she’d asked him to kiss her when she really shouldn’t have. Her urges were becoming hard to ignore.

  “I know,” Kristoff acknowledged. “I can also sense that you’re exhausted.”

  “I haven’t slept since Athena brought you home. I couldn’t. You were in so much pain.”

  “It was nothing. I’ve suffered much worse punishment. And I’m fine now. Sleep, Sophie. Stay here with me. It might kill me to know you’re here, but it’s worse when you aren’t.”

  She felt exactly the same way, so she made herself comfortable next to him, her body starting to feel the strain of sleep deprivation.

  “You haven’t promised me that you won’t do something crazy just to protect me again,” she reminded him sleepily.

  “No, I didn’t. Nor will I. I take my vows seriously, and I can’t tell you that I’d never do anything to keep you safe, because I will.”

  “Stubborn Sentinel,” she admonished.

  “Stubborn mate,” he answered drowsily. “Accept that I’m always going to do whatever it takes to make you happy and make sure you’re safe.”

  As she fell asleep without answering, Sophie smiled. Kristoff gave a new meaning to b
ossy, but he was doing it to try to keep her safe.

  Since it felt so good to be cherished, she was pretty sure she could live with his demanding nature. In fact, the more she came to understand his motivations, she knew she could.

  Sophie spent the next two weeks catching up on everything she’d missed in the last few centuries. To say she’d been shocked at first was putting it mildly. Kristoff had taken her to her native London, and there was very little she recognized anymore. Some buildings had been preserved, but were used for other purposes now. Very little had remained of the city she’d known two centuries ago, except the pain she and Zach had experienced when they were two children trying to survive in a very cold, very brutal world. That she remembered. That she couldn’t forget. But seeing how the world had moved on and progressed had helped.

  They traveled somewhere new every day, but they always returned to Athena’s castle, where Kristoff continued to feed her more than she could eat, got even more protective and possessive about her being his radiant, but never mentioned what they were going to do about that issue.

  He treated her well. Actually, he was almost too polite. Sophie shared his thoughts, experienced his desperation like it was her own. Or was it her own? She was getting to the point where she couldn’t tell.

  Maybe he decided he doesn’t want me anymore. Maybe he finally realized that my pox marks and scars are ugly.

  Instantly, she knew that her negative thoughts were her own insecurities. Kristoff didn’t see her as an ignorant, scarred mate. That wasn’t the problem. Although she tried not to intrude, she could sense his need, his desperation to claim her. His radiant. He didn’t even seem to notice her faults. Sometimes, her attraction to him overwhelmed her, and it was usually because his emotions were getting so entangled with her own.

  She sat outside on the beach, mesmerized by the magical, deep-blue cascade of waves as they hit the sand over and over again, trying to figure out what was really going on with Kristoff. Rarely did he lock his thoughts from her, but there were things behind a mental door that occasionally slammed shut when he was contemplating something he didn’t want her to know.

  Sophie wasn’t quite sure if he closed her off intentionally, or if it was subconscious, but she could feel the distance when it happened, and it hurt to the depths of her soul.

  Being destined mates was complicated. It was as though they were connected, and when she was excluded, it was almost physically painful, a deep ache that wouldn’t go away.

  He hadn’t touched her since the night he’d recovered from being in the demon realm to attempt to slay Goran, but she knew he wanted to, and his emotions were almost violent, frantic and frenzied, as he painfully tried to hold himself back.

  Why? Why is he checking himself when it’s hurting him?

  Letting the sand sift between her toes as she moved her bare feet, Sophie decided she’d take things as they happened. Problem was, she really wanted something to occur, and she definitely wanted to know exactly what Kristoff was thinking. Most of the time, he communicated openly, mostly sharing information with her, and talking about memories of Zach and Athena.

  But he never talks about his life before he became the Sentinel king.

  Sophie assumed whatever had happened, it wasn’t good. But she was his mate, and she knew he was close to the edge. She could feel it in her soul.

  Athena didn’t think Kristoff could survive not mating.

  However, Kristoff was determined not to mate, even though Sophie knew ignoring his instincts was practically killing him.

  How could the situation be resolved?

  Her confidence was growing as Kristoff showed her more and more of the world as it was now. So much had changed, but some things remained the same. There was a lot of amazing technology in the world today, but still too many people were still struggling just to survive.

  Just like Zach and I did two centuries ago.

  She swept her sandy hands over her blue jeans, shivering as she thought about the way Kristoff had looked at her as she’d left the castle in only denims and a T-shirt. His eyes had been amber, his expression somber, his gaze practically burning her alive as he watched her leave, looking like he wanted nothing more than to go with her, even though he’d refused with a simple shake of his head when she’d asked him if he wanted to join her. It couldn’t be the fact that he disapproved of her attire. After all, he’d been the one to create her clothing for her, helping her catch up on what women wore these days. Although it had taken her a while to get used to wearing pants, she had to admit that it was one of the changes she was learning to embrace.

  “Hello, Sophie.”

  The greeting came so abruptly from behind her that she startled, even though she recognized Athena’s voice.

  Scrambling to get up to greet her visitor, she plopped back down when the goddess motioned for her to stay where she was, and then joined her on the sand.

  “Athena. What are doing here?” Sophie realized what a dumb question she’d asked considering this was Athena’s dimension, her creation, and her home. “That was a stupid question. This is your place.”

  The blonde woman shook her head as she positioned herself comfortably in the sand. Dressed much like Sophie, the goddess still radiated a power that was slightly intimidating. “I wanted to see how you were doing here. This isn’t my home anymore. I haven’t even been here for a very long time. Maybe I was more at peace here, but I was still lonely. Home is wherever Hunter is now.”

  The peaceful look and small, contented smile on Athena’s face told Sophie that this was a place the goddess didn’t need anymore. “Kristoff has been reintroducing me to the world. In so many ways it’s changed, but fundamentally, it really isn’t that different.”

  Athena nodded. “That’s how I felt, and my life dates back thousands of years. People are still the same: some good, some bad. There’s still war and battles, different cultures and people fighting over what’s right and what’s wrong. Prejudice and bias still exists, but more cloaked in what humans consider a more civilized manner.” She snorted as she let out a mocking laugh. “But I have to admit, I would rather be in the world I have today than anywhere else. Technology is a wonderful thing. I won’t complain about that.”

  Sophie watched the beautiful blonde tilt her head toward the sun as she asked her, “What news is there about the Evils. How is the cleanup going?”

  “Time doesn’t pass quite the same here as it does in the human realm. Barely a few days have gone by there, and trying to right all of the wrongs the Evils did will take time. But we’ll get it taken care of.” She hesitated before mentioning, “You and Kristoff haven’t mated.”

  “How did you know?” Sophie asked curiously. Then, remembering Athena was a goddess who knew a lot of things without asking, she continued, “No. He’s been more of a teacher and mentor to me.”

  “He’s meant to be your mate, Sophie. And I can tell because I can still feel the slight unbalance. Everything that should be done hasn’t happened. I’m Kristoff’s Sentinel creator, and we’re closely tied. I can still feel the echo of his sorrow…and yours. It’s always been present with Kristoff, and now I feel it even stronger because you two are connected.”

  Sophie finally gave up hiding anything from Athena and her probing stare. Strangely, she wasn’t intimidated by the goddess anymore. Seeing how much Athena adored Hunter, and how much she cared about Kristoff’s happiness had melted away most of her hesitation. “He refuses to bond me to him. He says no woman deserves that fate, especially not me. I think he’s trying to figure out a way to reverse the radiant thing.” She sighed as she added her biggest concern, “It’s getting painful. I ache so badly that I feel irritable and restless. Is it the same for Kristoff?”

  Athena snorted. “It’s a thousand times worse than what you’re feeling. Stubborn male! The mating bond is irreversible. You can deny him, and he can deny y
ou, but you’ll still be his radiant. And I don’t think he can survive the strength of his attraction. You’re the part of him that he’s been missing for so long, the woman he desperately needs to stop the emptiness that’s been plaguing him for eons. Because he’s the king and a demigod instead of a human, his urge to obey the command of the gods is stronger, more powerful than any of his previously human Sentinels.”

  “I’m not sure what to do,” Sophie admitted. “I mean, both of us were pretty much thrown into this situation without even knowing each other, but it’s worse now that I’ve gotten to know how kind he is, how much he’s sacrificed himself for his Sentinels. He’d die for any of them.” She hesitated before adding, “He’s willing to die for me.” She sighed as she continued, “Kristoff mentioned that our mating situation is unusual, but I don’t know how it works normally, so I have nothing to compare it to. You, Talia and Kat shared your experiences, but what exactly are the rules? How is it supposed to work for a normal Sentinel?”

  Athena quickly laid out the basics of how the radiant mating generally occurred, providing her with information about how it had been different with her and Hunter because she was a goddess. When she finished, she asked quietly, “What do you want, Sophie? Do you want to be with Kristoff?”

  She shook her head but answered, “I don’t know. I guess…” her voice trailed off.

  Athena glanced at her questioningly. “What is it?”

  “I have feelings for him, things that aren’t part of the mating bond. I care for him in ways other than just as my destined mate. The overwhelming desire is there, but I want…more. I want somebody to love me. I don’t want just an arranged mating. Maybe that sounds stupid since me being handed a Sentinel like Kristoff is absurd in the first place. He’s too rich, too handsome, too powerful for me.” She spilled out everything, all of her emotions in her voice, and choked back a sob.