Primal Heat 05 - Darkness Reborn

death—
    "Hey!" A firm hand slammed down on both their shoulders. "Cut the crap, Kane. Can't you see the angel's in bad shape?"
    Sarah jumped and tried to pull back, but Kane just locked his hand behind her head and cut off her retreat, claiming her with one final kiss of pure possession. It wasn't until he'd decided they were done that he finally allowed her to break the kiss, his brown eyes staring at her with fierce ownership as he pulled back. Lurking in his eyes was that darkness, a pulsing void trying to take him, to consume him. Pain flickered across his face and he grimaced, showing her that he was feeling the same agony that he'd felt when they'd been making love.
    "Kane—" She started to reach for him, and then she was hit with violent weakness. It flooded back into her now that the kiss was over, and she lost her grip on his shoulders, her fingers too weak to hold on.
    "Shit, Sarah." Kane cursed under his breath as he tightened his grip on her, holding her securely against him.
    "I'm okay." She leaned her head against his shoulder and squeezed her eyes shut, fighting to breathe. Her lungs felt tight, and it was hard to get oxygen. Kane's kiss had flooded her with energy and life, but the moment it had ended, the weakness had come crashing back, even worse than before. "I just need the fountain." Or a kiss, apparently, though that rejuvenation had ended the moment the kiss had. Maybe she needed to kiss him relentlessly and never stop. Maybe that would save her life.
    "I'm on it." Kane gently set her down, and crouched beside her, running his hand gently through her hair. "Stay here. We'll get the damn thing to work."
    "We?" She leaned her head against the stone, struggling to breathe, to get air into her lungs. Okay, she was no longer amused at how weak she was. This was definitely pushing it a little bit too close. But how was she supposed to know that the water would dry up and some overly-tempting testosterone factory would show up to seduce her with his kisses?
    "We. My team." Kane jerked his head to the left, and she managed to turn her head enough to see what he was pointing to. Two massive warriors were standing beside them. One of them was the dark haired one she remembered from the other night. His pitch black hair was shaggy and unkempt, and his face was dark with fury. Ryland, the one who knew she was an angel.
    Fear rippled through her as Kane stood up to face them. "You remember Ryland Samuels," he said, not bothering to look away from her face. "He has a crush on you, but don't get too excited about it. He's a veritable bastard who has never once brought a woman roses."
    Ryland strode over to her and crouched in front of her. "I'm here to serve you," he said intently. "You tell me what you need, and it's yours. You honor us with your presence."
    Her heart tightened for the emotion on Ryland's face, for the raw, almost unbearable pain in his eyes. God, she wished she could help him. There was so much grief and anger within him, so little humanity left inside. "Thanks," she whispered, her voice so raw it hurt to say any more.
    "Hey, enough with you guys trying to impress the girl," the other warrior said, his dark brown hair cut in a short style more fitting of a guy in a Polo shirt than a male with a long, hooked spear clenched in his fist. "Let her choose between you guys herself." He winked at Sarah, a cheerful flirt that she knew instantly was designed simply to annoy the other two, and she almost smiled.
    Who would dare antagonize men like Kane and Ryland?
    "Thano Savakis." Kane jerked his thumb toward Thano as the three of them strode across the courtyard toward the fountain.
    She could feel the determination from all three men to get the fountain working, and the faintest flicker of hope drifted through her. Was there really a chance? Could they do it?
    "Thano thinks he's smarter and funnier than he is," Kane said as he vaulted over the wall to the fountain. "Don't get too attached because we're likely to take him out at any time."
    "You'll never be able to take me out," Thano retorted cheerfully. "You're way too old for a hot youngblood like me."
    "Fuck that," Ryland snapped. "You're not smart enough to stay alive. You'll never make it to a hundred."
    Sarah's heart tightened with longing at the easy camaraderie between the men as they circled the fountain, talking in low voices as they inspected it. The affection had been evident in Kane's voice even when he'd been giving them grief,