who had frozen in shock.
Dante bent and snatched the blade from his ankle then tossed it at the Behemoth as he was standing upright. He threw his body at the pair and knocked the demon over before his claws raked across Izzy’s throat.
That seemed to shock her into action, and she was stabbing her weapon into its thick hide before Dante had wrapped his hands around its throat. Dante grabbed a knife from the skull where he’d left it and cut through the carotid artery in the demon’s neck.
Black blood spurted, burning his face and hands. Dante didn’t stop until the skull rolled away from the body. Chloe and Zander converged on them while Dante collapsed to his back.
This was the second time tonight that he’d been injured. All the energy Chloe had given him earlier had been used up in his body’s attempts to heal itself. He had no idea what was going to happen between him and his fallen angel, and he had no idea how to sway things in his favor.
What could he say to her to win her over? How could he convince her to stay by his side, even if she refused to give him her heart? No. That didn’t sit well with him. He didn’t want to keep her if he couldn’t have her heart.
What a fucking mess. He needed a bath and a drink. Then maybe he’d be able to think clearly. Without Chloe he was a dead man walking. For the first time in his life he wasn’t ready to die. There was more than fucking and fighting on the horizon.
Chapter 14
Chloe twisted the faucet, turning off the hot water. A scream echoed out of her throat when she opened the glass door and saw Dante standing there. The sexy cambion held up his hands and lifted one corner of his mouth. “Sorry. You were in here for so long, I was worried.” His eyes scanned her body from head to toe. A burn started in her core and spread throughout her body.
Shivering, she snatched a fluffy towel from a bar and wrapped it around her torso. Warm, soft terry cloth competed with the arousal coursing through her. “So, you thought you’d just walk in without announcing yourself? I’m showering which means I’m naked and don’t want to be disturbed.”
Dante lifted one eyebrow and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his dark jeans. The injuries he’d been healing from looked much better, but they hadn’t all healed. There were also dark circles under his eyes and his cheeks were slightly sunken. None of that made him any less attractive. It did pull at her heart strings. He was part sex demon and thrives on sexual energy.
“We’re mates and I was worried after a half hour passed. I don’t mean to intrude into your space.”
Chloe walked past him and into the room where she had stayed the day before. Her bag sat on the bed reminding her that he’d done more for her in the past three days than anyone in her entire life. He’d put his life on the line any time he left the house for her.
Grabbing panties and a tee from the duffel, she looked at him where he stood in the doorway and dropped her towel. “We aren’t mates. I haven’t chosen you. That’s how it works with angels. We have freedom of choice, unlike your kind.”
She regreted her harsh words when Dante flinched like she’d struck him with a pipe. “I realize that and will never force you into anything. But you can’t expect me to ignore my instincts. I will always worry about your well-being and I won’t apologize for that.”
Her heart skipped a beat and set into a rhythm faster than a car racing around the track at the Indy 500. That was followed quickly by her mouth going dry. Dante’s confidence was alluring. As was his devotion.
When his eyes dipped to her chest, she felt her nipples pearl under his gaze and tugged her shirt over her head. “I don’t know what to say to that. I wish things were different, but I won’t be mating with you. Not that there’s anything wrong with you. Any woman would be lucky to have you. You’re sexy and sweet. You’ll make someone very happy.” Her voice was low and guttural. She was ready to shred someone with her bare hands. She was pissed. But why? She told him the truth.
Dante’s eyes narrowed and his features pinched