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"I-I don’t know if that’s such a good idea" She looked around for someone to save her, but this particular street was clear of other Cary Town residents

He arched a brow "Such willpower you have I bet you never indulge in chocolate, either" He sent her an iripped her elbow to keep her steady on her feet when she swayed again

"I h-have somewhere I need to be," she said

Where she needed to be was in her bed underneath hi tiresoainst his lips, her bodyin He chuckled and pulled away

"Nohere do you need to go?"

"M-my house," she said

He nodded his approval "With whoht

Cain held back a growl The blonde was curled against his chest, sleeping, her breathing shallow He’d nearly killed her, and he should have And yet, he’d stopped He wanted to hurl the woman across the room He was an incubus His kind killed women It was just what they did

Sure, they didn’t have to, and he didn’t always, but eventually he did--when he got bored But this wasn’t about that She’d been a quick bite, a distraction, so h He had no plans to coain There was no reason to keep her alive

He couldn’t deny the truth of the situation He’d shown mercy to someone outside his own species The word ainst him She had to have This wasn’t normal And the whole ti of? Tam

He slid out of the bed, careful not to wake her After co her, she really would be weak Without letting himself think about why, he went to the kitchen and lass of juice, then left it for her on her nightstand

Angry with himself at the display of kindness for a lowed and hissed He tossed the ball in the air and caught it over and over as he conte for hiood idea He could use a witch that powerful as an ally Anthony cla doith his police state would affect Jane, and Jane was one of his It made Ta, Taht by his side like one of his de But this woer? She was just so quality was that she resehe kept Tae

Gloria woke then, a satisfied smile on her face--until she saw him across the room with fire in his hand It wiped the s about their encounter was off

"W-what are you?"

"You know, that nervous stutter was endearing for about the first twenty minutes, but it’s played out now"

Her eyes welled with tears, her lower lip trembled, and she pulled the sheets up around her to shield herself froaze Too late for that

"I’m a de to eat it, then he was going to kill her He’d made up his mind

"So all those stories on the news are true? A-about deht the protesters were just crackpots"

"More or less," he said The stories were partly true and the protesters probably were crackpots Or plants Jack had put in place to further his agenda of a big reveal What did he care if Gloria knew the truth? She’d never see the outside of this rooain He could lay out every detail of each preternatural faction and it wouldn’t make any difference

She eyed the fireball in his hand, and he allowed it to shrink and puff out It wouldn’t do to throw fire at her There was no need to raise suspicion with police, and no identifiable source for the fire would raise suspicion Things were too delicate for another unsolved ested the preternatural Ordinarily he wouldn’t care, but this was bigger than isolated weirdness Anything could be tied to a largerto do with o"

"Eat The Sandwich"

Her hand shook as she reached for the food on the plate "Did you put so in it?"

"Guess you’ll find out," Cain said He wouldn’t let her tears or pleading affect him He was a demon for fuck’s sake Human misery thrilled his little black heart Only it wasn’t thrilling hiainst the hardwood floor, his arht him to her bed, but she’d made a valiant effort to resist hi her No That was compro tame and housebroken He had to kill this woman to convince himself he wasn’t under a spell

"The juice, too," he said when she’d finished the sandwich

He’d gone to the trouble oftherehim as a sorry excuse for a demon Humans are food They are not pets, or friends, or any kind of equal lover Did hulass thudded on the nightstand, clinking against the plate

"You don’t have to do this," she said

"No, I don’t have to, but I want to"

He kneas a lie even as the words came out of his mouth He didn’t want to kill her, but it felt like a line had been drawn in the sand If he didn’t do this, he was lost Who was he? What was he? It had always been so si hadn’t been part of the process, but he’d still operated the same He’d always been alone on a deep level Hu that e that he didn’t need any of them He could find pleasure without connection, without risk

As ht about crossing hin down He’d never been soft He would never be soft

"Come here," he said He’d put the thrall in his words and watched her fight with herself not to leave the bed and move closer to him, but he’d put tooalready given hiain The sheet fell off her nude forolden tan and tan lines fro bikini He liked the lines The contrast between darker flesh and lighter He traced a finger over where the straps had been, and she shivered

"I can do this one of tays I can hypnotize you again and sleep with you and take you out that way, or I can snap your neck Lady’s choice"

"Please--"

Cain put a finger to her lips to silence the begging "Those are the options Pick one"