Demon Huntress

"I was talking about earth. There are no fires, no burning pits of torment, no levels or rings or rivers of lava. When we die, we get put right back on earth to live our miserable existences over and over and over for all eternity."

Her head spun at what he was saying, things that went against everything she'd ever been taught at Bible school the few times she'd been forced to go by foster families, and by The Berus. "That makes no sense."

"There is no hell," he said flatly. "Not like you mean. Our world works like yours. You die, you go to the Other Side. We die, we go to the Nether Side. We're reborn to earth, though most demon species live far below the earth's crust, in what we call Sheoul. It's where I grew up. It's cavernous, dark, confining. Demons want out, and will do whatever they can to bring about an event that will allow them to live on the surface."

"An event?"

"Imagine what you call the Rapture. Armageddon. The Apocalypse. According to a variety of human religions, the righteous will go to heaven and leave nothing but evil on earth, which is what we call the Reclamation. Earth will then be hell. There is no need for a fiery pit."

He gestured to the book she still held in her hands. "The Daemonica tells us that human sinners are reincarnated, given another chance to change their ways so that the next time they die, they can go to what many of you call heaven, or the Other Side. When the Reclamation finally comes, that will be the end of redemption. This is what evil wants. A world where the numbers are static and suffering will be eternal." He speared her with a flat, black stare. "That will be demon heaven. At least, for some demons."

It was all too much. Too complicated. Black, white, shades of gray, an occasional splash of blood red. She wanted simple, and she didn't care how she got it. "Hellboy?"

"What?"

"Touch me. Make me forget all this."

He was on her in an instant, took her down to the floor before she could blink.

Hundreds of females had solicited Ming jie for s.e.x. But never in his eighty years of s.e.x.u.a.l maturity had one d.e.s.i.r.ed s.e.x for something other than a release. He didn't know how to offer comfort; his healing skills were limited to clinical knowledge of anatomy. But the way Shu lan was clinging to him told him she needed more than just s.e.x, even if she wasn't aware of that fact.

A small sound of desperation escaped her as he tore through the scrub top. He cupped one b.r.e.a.s.t through her bra, running his thumb over the creamy swell that overflowed the cotton cup.

"You're so beautiful, Shu lan." And she was. He'd always preferred humanoid partners, had sought out the most attractive females. Shu lan wasn't classically beautiful, but her fresh, earthy looks drew his eyes in a way no other female ever had.

His words must have been exactly what she needed, because she sighed and arched into his touch, the small of her back coming completely off the floor. He should move them to the couch, but she wrapped her legs around his waist and his thoughts of comfort scattered.

Somehow, he managed to get out of his jeans without breaking the scissorlock of her t.h.i.g.hs around his h.i.p.s, managed to divest her of her clothing while her lips were s.u.c.k.i.n.g lightly on his collarbone. Her scent rose up, filling his nostrils with the sweet fragrance of arousal. Inhaling deeply, he let the passion high take over until his head swam with l.u.s.t.

"I love it when your eyes change color," she murmured, and he suddenly wanted to kiss her, a real kiss, not one like they'd shared the first time they'd had s.e.x, when she was still in a dream state thanks to yuan's head games. Not like the one they'd shared today in the exam room, when he'd been overcome by s'genesis urges.

As though she'd read his mind, her gaze dropped to his mouth, and her tongue darted out to moisten her bottom lip. Gods, he wanted to take her mouth, but there was no way he'd be gentle, what she needed right now.

Careful to avoid her stitches, he dipped his head and tongued a n.i.p.p.l.e, eliciting a soft m.o.a.n from her.

"You taste like me," he said, savoring his dark essence in the salt of her sweat. He hadn't come inside her since that day at the hospital, but her body was still processing his fluids, keeping her primed, ultrareceptive. "Only me."

His c.o.c.k throbbed against her wet entrance, but he resisted the urge to possess her. Not yet. The doctor in him wanted to heal her with his touch more than the demon in him wanted to get off.

That had never happened before.

It scared the hell out of him.

Something scared her, too, because suddenly she was pushing against him. "I can't do this. Oh, my God, I can't do this!"

He reared back, confused, his body on fire. "What's wrong?"