Darkblood Prison - G.K. DeRosa Page 0,42

demons like Delacroix. “So what do the squads do exactly?” I asked.

“We work closely with the Gargoyle Guardian Council. They’re like our supernatural watch dogs, and they alert us when threats to the humans arise. The gargoyles live in the bigger cities, keeping an eye on things. When it gets out of hand, they call in one of the slayer squads.”

I turned to Talon. “Is that what you used to do too?”

He nodded. “I’ve had a few posts in my five years with the agency.”

“Don’t be so modest, T. He was the youngest recruit chosen for a squad and with the most take-downs under his belt within the first year.”

Talon’s cheeks rosied, and I didn’t think it was possible, but it only made him ten times more attractive.

“How’d you end up at the SIA anyway?” In the past few months of knowing him, I’d never even asked. Not that he was ever a big talker, it was more like pulling teeth with him.

His mouth pressed into a tight line, and his chin dropped.

“Good luck getting the answer out of him, inmate,” Ella interjected. “His past is a big mystery—the stuff of legends.” She grinned and patted his shoulder, her fingers lingering a little too long for my liking.

“We gotta get going, Ella. I need to get her back before lights out.”

“Sure. Good seeing you again, T. I’m looking forward to having you and the boys back. It hasn’t been the same around here without you.”

I gave her a half-ass wave, and she wiggled her fingers at me. I really needed to get this jealousy thing under control. It was totally uncalled for and so not my thing. Definitely the crazy dragon blood bond.

The gleaming dagger soared through the air, a spiral of purple energy guiding the blade into the life-size dummy across the prison training room. It sunk into its chest with a satisfying squelch and hit the back wall before rebounding back.

“Good,” Talon muttered.

I popped my hands on my hips and glared up at him. “Just good? How about fantastic or incredible? That was the tenth kill shot in a row.”

Talon rolled his eyes and grunted. “Kill shot if it were a measly human, not a powerful higher-level demon.”

“Do you get off on spoiling my fun?”

His silver irises twinkled, and the hint of a smile hitched up the corner of his lips. “I think you know what gets me off.” His mountain-fresh scent mixed with his sweaty, manly musk was suddenly all over me. When had he gotten so close? He pushed me back against the wall, driving his knee between my thighs. A swirl of heat lit up my core as his corded arms caged me in.

He ran his tongue over my bottom lip then snagged it between his teeth. I squeaked as his fangs lengthened, the razor-sharp edge scraping my tongue. “Careful,” I uttered, a little more breathlessly than I’d liked. “The last thing we need is more blood exchanged between us.”

Talon released his hold on my lip and stepped back, the fiery expression on his face morphing into something darker. He shook his head and dragged his fingers through his hair.

“What?” I asked as the building fire dwindled to ashy embers.

“I hate this.”

An invisible fist jabbed me in the gut, and it was all I could do to keep from buckling over. He must have read the expression on my face or maybe gotten a rush through the bond, because his face softened.

“I’m sorry, that didn’t come out right.” He took another step back and then paced a few steps in either direction, keeping his eyes trained to the floor. “I hate that this blood bond ties us together, but only enough to enforce this connection without us really being able to connect.”

It took me a second to figure out what he was trying to say. I almost burst out laughing when I put it together. “You mean because we can’t have sex?”

“Not just that,” he growled. After a few more steps, he turned back to face me. “I mean, obviously that too, but growing up I’d never believed in this mate thing. I couldn’t imagine feeling so strongly about someone you’d want to be tied to them for the rest of your life. And now, with this blood bond, which is only a minute fraction of what the mate bond is, I get it. And I find myself wanting it more than anything.” He paused and raked his hands over his face.

My breath hitched at