Immortals After Dark 09 - Pleasure of a Dark Prince

inscrutable. She’d put the truth out there, a shameful secret she’d dreaded his learning.
    “This is what it’s all been about with you,” he said in an even tone. “All the fear, all the running. The nightmares.” When she nodded, he said, “You called him the devil.”
    “He is.”
What are you thinking, Scot?
    “But you… married him?”
    MacRieve’s disgusted with me.
“Basically? Yes.”
    “Ceremony and everything?”
    She swallowed. “He tricked me into it. I-I was only sixteen.”
    A muscle ticked in his cheek and his irises grew pale. “Then know this…”
    She stopped breathing.
    “Lass, I’m about to make you a widow—”
    The sound of swords against scabbards rang out in the distance. She and MacRieve twisted around, found an army of robed Cromites approaching, eyes feverish with fanaticism.
    “More of those fucks?”
    There had to be over a hundred of them. “Please,MacRieve, let’s both leave before they attack. Take me from here!”
    He appeared torn. At length, he said, “I’ll take you away—but I’ll come back for him.”
    Yet more marched from the other direction, blocking them in.
    “Looks like we fight, love!” Without warning, MacRieve charged them, slashing with his claws.
    With her customary arrows, Lucia fired into the skirmish, dropping her mortal foes swiftly, careful not to hit MacRieve.
    But they were in such close confines, and he seemed to be
everywhere….
    With his mind still reeling from her revelations, Garreth tore into the fray, stamping out one Cromite after another. Yet every time he eliminated one, another appeared—even with Lucia’s arrows continually whizzing past him, plugging their enemies between the eyes.
    “Why dinna you tell me you were married?”
To some revolting god.
    “I didn’t want you to know—I didn’t want anyone to know!”
    This fuck tricked my Lousha into this hellhole?
He was as good as dead!
    “What are you thinking, MacRieve?” she cried, shooting three arrows at a time.
    As he slashed, he figured he should be reflecting on the fact that his mate was married and that things weremuch more complicated than he’d ever realized. Instead, his thoughts were simple,
primal
.
    Get past these pricks, shoot the god, and Lousha is
mine,
forever.
Rage mingled with clarity—at least now he had an enemy to fight.
    “MacRieve?”
    “You should have told me.” He ducked under an arc of arterial blood, kicking a headless body out from under his feet.
    “I was trying to prevent exactly this!”
    “And all the times I asked about your nightmares?”
    “The dreams are portents. They tell me when he’s about to rise.” Another three arrows in rapid succession. “I couldn’t reveal that to you because I knew you would come here. But this is
my
responsibility. It has been for over a millennium.”
    Bodies piled up, blood spraying, Cromites screaming.
Good headway.
    “What are you trying to prove?” Lucia demanded.
    Between strikes, he bellowed, “That you should no’ have left me!”
    “You were going to do it to me—don’t bother denying it!” When he didn’t, she said, “Then why are you different?” Another volley of arrows. “What gives
you
the right to risk yourself?”
    He snapped, “Because you could move on if something happened to me.” Then he charged for the last Cromite.
    ♦ ♦ ♦
    That’s where you’re wrong,
she thought as she watched MacRieve finish off their foes.
    As Lucia fought to catch her breath in the dank tunnel, he stood over his last kill, his chest heaving as well. He’d warred like a madman, slaying so many.
    And now that they could leave, they needed to at once! “Scot, again, you have to listen to me—you can’t confront Cruach! You’ll get infected.”
    “Lousha,” he rasped. “I want you to know something.”
    “Can you not tell me outside?”
    He shook his head. “I need you to know this. I’m in love with you.”
    “And you’re declaring this now… ?” She trailed off when he faced her once more.
    His eyes were milky white.
    “No, no, no.” Her heart seemed to stop; she couldn’t get enough air. He was already infected with Cruach’s influence, would need to harm whoever he
loved
.
    Ah, gods, he loves me.
“MacRieve, you have to fight this!” She strapped her bow back on, holding out both of her hands to him. “Come with me—let’s leave this place together.”
    “I love you so damned much, it pains me.” His words were rough. “Wanted to tell you