Immortals After Dark 04 - Wicked Deeds on a Winters Night

dead.”
    As Mari watched them fighting, she truly began to believe that. The two circled, scanning the other for weaknesses, striking out at intervals with fists like anvils. She caught herself flinching every time they smashed each other’s face.
    Like a shot, they both charged, their heavy, pounding steps punching through the brittle limestone ground. In a tangle of fists and claws, they crashed into the jungle, razing hardwoods with the impact.
    MacRieve made another furious charge, barreling into the demon, sending them back toward the falls. They slammed into a rock face, pulverizing the outer layer to dust, then surged over the edge of one terrace, plummeting into the water of the next pool down.
    Cade seemed to have the advantage, landing over MacRieve, but it was short-lived.
    Shoving Cade back, MacRieve lunged for his throat with one hand; with his other, he slashed out with flared claws, ripping across Cade’s torso. Blood poured from both, dissipating into the clear water.
    MacRieve fought with such seething ferocity, just as he had the night at the assembly—when she could have admired him for hours...
    Without warning, Rydstrom lunged into the middle, throwing fists and elbows. Once he’d finally separated them, all three were out of breath and bleeding.
    MacRieve turned his head, spit blood, then grated, “The witch is mine .” Before she could react, he’d bounded up the rocks to where she stood. He snatched her tight to his side, laying his massive hand on her nape. His lips were drawn back from his fangs.
    Cade gnashed his teeth in turn.
    “Come near what’s mine again, and I will destroy you.” At that he simply swung her over his shoulder and started across the pools to the other side of the jungle.
    She pounded her fists on his back and kicked to be freed. “What the hell are you doing?”
    “Aye, thrash about. If anyone’s foolish enough to follow me, the sight of that’d be sure to stop them in their tracks.”
    Reminded that her barely clad ass was jutting up for all to see, she stopped her struggles. “Where are you taking me?” she demanded.
    “Somewhere private.” He leapt over an entire branch of the river, making her gasp, then added, “We’ve matters to settle between us.”
    Moments later, she squealed when pounding falls cascaded over her back. He shook his hair out without missing a step, so wolfy.
    Not another cave!
    One minute, she’d been sitting in the sun, chatting with a demon. Now she was being hauled about like a Neanderthal’s prize into the dark once more.
    But as he continued in, deeper and deeper, there came to be filtered sunlight shining down. How? She craned her head up. He’d taken her to a cenote—one of the sinkholes in the area, with a clear pool at the bottom. She knew from her reading that they were considered sacred to the Maya.
    When he dropped her to her feet inside, he snapped, “Understand, you will no’ ever go about dressed like this. As a matter of fact, if you doona put your glamour back on directly, then I’ll be getting you another sodding cloak!”
    Her awe at the beauty of this place was swiftly replaced by ire. “You are crazed .”
    “Mayhap, but it’s plain as day that you’re no’ like other females, and you canna dress as they do.”
    “What are you talking about?” she cried.
    “Everything about you—from your curves to your red hair to that damned ring at your navel—makes a male lose his judgment. Cade knew what he risked from me, and still he courted my wrath to be close to you.”
    “One more time. I’m—not—yours. And hitting Cade like that was so... so wrong! You could have killed him.”
    “Do you want me tae?”
    She started away. “I’m going to check on him—”
    “Then you do want me tae!” He seized her elbow and spun her around, a wild look in his eyes. His shirt was ripped almost free, displaying his sheening chest, still heaving from the battle. “This is a vulnerable time. I have no’ claimed you, and the full moon nears. Yet you receive the attentions of another male? Witch, you play with fire!” He swiped the back of his hand over his bleeding temple. “Forget the demon. He knows you’re no’ his. If he’d truly believed you were, he would have put up more of a fight. He dinna even hit a rage state.”
    “You didn’t change to your werewolf form for me!”
    “I dinna want you to see it!” he roared, grasping her upper arms. “Doona ever doubt my desire for you—if I