Darkness Seduced (Primal Heat Trilogy #2) (Order of the Blade) Read Free Page A
Author: Stephanie Rowe
Ads: Link
let out a roar of outrage and grabbed the handle of the spear to yank it out.
Lily ducked past him and sprinted up the cement stairs, her bare feet slapping on the concrete, her heart thundering in her ears as she vaulted up the steps toward the open door. She jumped through it then whirled around and threw it shut, catching a glimpse of the Calydon as he came after her. She slammed the bolt home then tore down the hallway. There was a shuddering explosion behind her as the Calydon burst through the wooden door. She skidded around a corner as her mind whirred. She’d never make it to the kitchen. She needed to stall him—
She screamed as a heavy, sweaty body tackled her and her chin smashed on the wood floor. Her head rattled with the impact as he grabbed her and flung her onto her back. He leered at her chest as he pinned her beneath him. Lust flared in his eyes, the raw, uncontrollable sexual greed of a Calydon. She jerked her gaze down and realized he’d torn her shirt when he’d tackled her.
Terror, raw visceral terror, tore through her, and for a split second, she was too numb to move, too terrified by the memories, by the moment, by what had happened before. Just like this. Again. God, not again.
He reached for her breast, and the sight of that hand coming toward her jerked her out of her stupor and galvanized her into frantic self-defense, a chance she hadn’t had all those years ago. “No!” she screamed. She slammed her foot into his crotch as hard as she could.
Her attacker shouted and doubled over, and Lily scrambled out from under him, lurching to her knees—
He grabbed her ankle and dragged her back toward him, his grip crushing her leg. “I have to bring you back alive and able to perform,” he ground out as he tried to catch his breath from her blow. “But those are all the orders I have.”
She fought, she kicked, she tried everything, and she was no match for his strength as he yanked her across the floor, back toward him, toward the lust gleaming in his eyes—
Oh, crap. His eyes. They were glowing red, pulsating with evil, and her heart stuttered.
He’d gone rogue. He’d crossed the line from sanity into raging, crazed killer, a beast who would feel no pain, have no empathy, ravage mercilessly until there was nothing left. There was no compassion, no humanity left in this warrior. No matter what his orders, she was doomed now. He wouldn’t be able to stop himself. He would kill her.
Again. It would all happen again. Just like before—
“Get off me,” she screamed, scrabbling desperately for a handhold to try to get away from him. Her fingers hit a table leg and a cord. Tears streaking down her cheeks, she yanked on the cord and covered her face as a lamp crashed down on both of them, shattering glass everywhere. Oblivious to the glass, he grabbed her other calf and hauled her until her legs were around his waist, her back slicing across the broken glass as she fought him, desperate, frantic—
“Get the fuck off her!” An enraged bellow blasted through the hallway.
Her attacker didn’t even flinch, lunging for her with the furious insanity of a rogue Calydon. She pounded on his shoulders, then heard the whoosh of wind behind her. She looked up as a throwing axe spun past her head and slammed into her assailant’s chest. The fatal blow flung him backward against the wall, a gaping wound opening over his heart.
She scrambled back, barely noticing the glass sinking into her hands and feet as she struggled to get away from him. He hit the floor with a thud, and the axe yanked itself out of his body and sped back past her head. She heard the slap of it hitting someone’s palm.
Another Calydon.
She whirled around, and her breath caught. At the end of the hall stood the largest Calydon she’d ever seen. He had to be close to seven feet, and he was wearing all black, even his heavy boots and the tee shirt that barely covered his broad shoulders.
Everything about him was dark,
Lily ducked past him and sprinted up the cement stairs, her bare feet slapping on the concrete, her heart thundering in her ears as she vaulted up the steps toward the open door. She jumped through it then whirled around and threw it shut, catching a glimpse of the Calydon as he came after her. She slammed the bolt home then tore down the hallway. There was a shuddering explosion behind her as the Calydon burst through the wooden door. She skidded around a corner as her mind whirred. She’d never make it to the kitchen. She needed to stall him—
She screamed as a heavy, sweaty body tackled her and her chin smashed on the wood floor. Her head rattled with the impact as he grabbed her and flung her onto her back. He leered at her chest as he pinned her beneath him. Lust flared in his eyes, the raw, uncontrollable sexual greed of a Calydon. She jerked her gaze down and realized he’d torn her shirt when he’d tackled her.
Terror, raw visceral terror, tore through her, and for a split second, she was too numb to move, too terrified by the memories, by the moment, by what had happened before. Just like this. Again. God, not again.
He reached for her breast, and the sight of that hand coming toward her jerked her out of her stupor and galvanized her into frantic self-defense, a chance she hadn’t had all those years ago. “No!” she screamed. She slammed her foot into his crotch as hard as she could.
Her attacker shouted and doubled over, and Lily scrambled out from under him, lurching to her knees—
He grabbed her ankle and dragged her back toward him, his grip crushing her leg. “I have to bring you back alive and able to perform,” he ground out as he tried to catch his breath from her blow. “But those are all the orders I have.”
She fought, she kicked, she tried everything, and she was no match for his strength as he yanked her across the floor, back toward him, toward the lust gleaming in his eyes—
Oh, crap. His eyes. They were glowing red, pulsating with evil, and her heart stuttered.
He’d gone rogue. He’d crossed the line from sanity into raging, crazed killer, a beast who would feel no pain, have no empathy, ravage mercilessly until there was nothing left. There was no compassion, no humanity left in this warrior. No matter what his orders, she was doomed now. He wouldn’t be able to stop himself. He would kill her.
Again. It would all happen again. Just like before—
“Get off me,” she screamed, scrabbling desperately for a handhold to try to get away from him. Her fingers hit a table leg and a cord. Tears streaking down her cheeks, she yanked on the cord and covered her face as a lamp crashed down on both of them, shattering glass everywhere. Oblivious to the glass, he grabbed her other calf and hauled her until her legs were around his waist, her back slicing across the broken glass as she fought him, desperate, frantic—
“Get the fuck off her!” An enraged bellow blasted through the hallway.
Her attacker didn’t even flinch, lunging for her with the furious insanity of a rogue Calydon. She pounded on his shoulders, then heard the whoosh of wind behind her. She looked up as a throwing axe spun past her head and slammed into her assailant’s chest. The fatal blow flung him backward against the wall, a gaping wound opening over his heart.
She scrambled back, barely noticing the glass sinking into her hands and feet as she struggled to get away from him. He hit the floor with a thud, and the axe yanked itself out of his body and sped back past her head. She heard the slap of it hitting someone’s palm.
Another Calydon.
She whirled around, and her breath caught. At the end of the hall stood the largest Calydon she’d ever seen. He had to be close to seven feet, and he was wearing all black, even his heavy boots and the tee shirt that barely covered his broad shoulders.
Everything about him was dark,