Immortals After Dark 07 - Kiss of a Demon King

reached an entrance to the mines. He charged inside, descending into the core of the mountain.

    Suddenly, her shriek echoed in the dark. His heart dropped even as he bolted in the direction of the sound....
    With a furious scream, Sabine head-butted the Tee-gloth. He slapped her, leaving her gasping on her side, her eyes watering.
    And that was when she caught a glimpse of Rydstrom stealing out from the shadows. He'd lived!
    As he stalked closer, his horns flared with aggression, his muscles seeming to grow before her very eyes. At the edge of the firelight, he silently collected his sword.
    When the leader pawed her, rolling her over once more, she hissed, "Teegloth, you're going to pose a question, and get beheaded before it's answered."
    He roared, "What you talk of?"
    She only smiled as Rydstrom swung his sword.
    "You took the wrong demon's wife," she told the severed head as she clambered away from its corpse.
    With the death of their leader, the others howled with a furor. Rydstrom put himself between her and the pack. "Stay back!"
    When they attacked, sweeping those hammers at him, he used his sword and claws against them. One tried to take him from behind, but he threw his head back, poisoning it with his horns.
    He took hits that would have felled trees, but still he remained standing. Even injured, he was too strong for them to defeat. She watched in awe as the ruthless demon fought, lit by fire and cloaked in shadows from the mine.
    Husband. Gods, he was amazing. He's fighting for me. No one but Lanthe had ever fought for Sabine, never, no matter how much she'd needed them to-One slammed Rydstrom's massive body into a roof support. The shaft seemed to quake all around them. She couldn't scramble up swiftly enough with her hands behind her back.
    When the immense beam began to splinter, she screamed Rydstrom's name.
    With a roar, he took her by the waist and tossed her out of the way-just as the ceiling of the mine collapsed, boulders plummeting around him and the remaining Teegloths.
    Nothing but dust. Again she was helpless, coughing, only able to wait. Would he make it out?
    Waiting . . . Heartbeat, heartbeat. Damn it, stupid demon, don't die! Don't -
    Rydstrom lurched out of the haze. He was bleeding freely from dozens of injuries, his breaths ragged. Brows
    drawn with feeling, he dropped to his knees before her, still demonic, staring into her eyes.
    She was overcome with relief that he'd lived and with gratitude that he'd saved her.
    Then she remembered that she was one of the most powerful Sorceri ever born.
    This damsel in distress could have defeated this entire pack in moments. Except her husband had bound and tied her and made her vulnerable.
    He clasped her in his arms so tightly, she almost cried out. She felt when a sound was wrenched from his chest-part growl, part groan.
    Warm . . . safe . . . furious? She futilely resisted him, cursing him. He said nothing, just clutched her, cupping her head to his chest, keeping her there with his big palm.
    She was infuriated that any of this had happened at all when it could have been avoided. By keeping her tied, he'd risked her life.
    But was she more angry that she'd been jeopardized- or because he'd been?
    He finally drew back, his gaze flickering over her, assessing her injuries. His eyes darkened at every bruise. When he eased her skirt up, his Adam's apple worked in his throat as if he dreaded what he might find.
    "They didn't rape me. No thanks to you."
    He took deep breaths, wrestling for control, and his demonic visage receded.
    When he smoothed blood from her lips, she flinched from his hand.
    "Sabine, I'm here-"
    "And I'm beaten. Trussed up like a present for their convenience."
    He took a swath from the ripped tunic and tied it over her breasts, then he scanned the camp for their belongings. He left her side only to retrieve her boots. "If they intended to sell you as a slave, they wouldn't have struck your face, unless moved by anger."
    "Yes, I taunted them. Therefore, they had every right to hit me! Right?"
    He returned with her boots, then pulled them on her. "Why did you taunt them?"
    Without looking at him, she muttered, "Because it felt good," repeating his own answer when asked why he'd goaded Omort.
    "More might come." Rydstrom helped her to her feet. "We have to leave this place."
    "You're not going to free me?" There was a hysterical note to her voice.
    "You are angry that you were vulnerable. I should have been more