Primal Heat 05 - Darkness Reborn

went utterly still, centering all his attention on the feel of her hand against his bare skin. The softness of her touch. The heat of her hand. The life beating within her. Slowly, ever so slowly, he felt the grip that the void had on him begin to lessen. The world stopped spinning, and his muscles began to fire again. The pain began to start again, but he didn't give a shit about that. He'd take the pain over what had just happened. Was that death? Was he a sliver away from dying? Because that's what it felt like.
    He took a breath, then turned to look at Sarah. Her face was still streaked with the hairline fractures, and she was so pale that she looked like death itself. Ryland and Thano were each supporting one of her arms, and Ryland's arm was around her waist, holding her up.
    For a split second, the ancient male instinct roared through Kane at the sight of the other two males touching his woman, but then Ryland shook his head once. "Don't do it, Santiago. We're saving your ass, so back the fuck off. Control yourself."
    His heart thudding with the need to attack his friends, Kane looked at Sarah instead, focusing on the intensity of her blue eyes. Ryland was right. They were holding Sarah in position so she could touch Kane and bring him back. Why did her touch make the void disappear and bring the pain and the darkness to life? What are you doing to me, Sarah? Why do I react like this around you?"
    Uncertainty flickered in her eyes, and she shook her head. "I don't know."
    She was lying. He knew she was, and that realization burned through him like acid. "No lies, Sarah. No damn lies."
    She stiffened at his tone, and Kane saw Ryland move closer, trying to put his body between Kane and Sarah to protect her. Thano touched Ryland's arm in warning when Kane tensed, and Ryland froze, partially blocking Kane's access to Sarah.
    No one moved, the tension so thick that it felt like one wrong breath would make everything snap. Violence rolled through Kane, a raw need to rip Ryland apart and make him pay for being too close to his woman. Kane felt his upper lip curl into a snarl, and Ryland tightened his fist on the machete. Kane immediately called out his flail, and Ryland raised his blade.
    Thano swore and slid his arm over Sarah to pull her away, and Kane instantly pressed his flail to Thano's throat. "Don't fucking take her away from me," he growled. His voice was harsh and raspy, almost unrecognizable, and he felt Sarah suck in her breath.
    Black spots began to dance through his vision, and Kane called out his other weapon. Ryland and Thano instantly did the same, and then all three men were armed, with Sarah in the middle.
    "I think you should go, Sarah," Thano said, his voice grim. "There's something seriously fucked up happening right now."
    But Sarah didn't move. She just looked up at Kane, searching his face desperately as if trying to understand. Then suddenly, more quickly than any of the men expected, she darted in front of Thano, putting her throat right in front of Kane's flail.
    Kane swore and sheathed his flail instantly, jerking his hand back as Ryland and Thano grabbed for her—too late, because Kane would have already killed her by then if he'd wanted to.
    "Jesus!" Thano grabbed Kane's arm and shoved him back, while Ryland grabbed Sarah and spun her away, shielding her with his body.
    Darkness rolled through Kane at the sight of Ryland yanking Sarah away from him, and he lowered his head, glowering silently at his teammate as Thano set his hands on Kane's shoulders and shoved at him, ordering him to stand down.
    Kane ignored him, his gaze riveted on Sarah as she turned in Ryland's arms. She raised her chin and met his gaze, her blue eyes blazing with audacity and...something else. No longer fear. Smug satisfaction. Relief.
    "I knew you wouldn't hurt me," she said, her voice full of such relief it went right to his core and peeled away at some of the darkness inside him. "I knew I could trust you." Then she smiled, her face so radiant that it felt like he'd just been blinded by heaven's rays.
    "Jesus," Ryland muttered. "That's why you did that? To test him?" Ryland looked almost ashen, which was astounding for him. "Sarah, he's a bastard on the edge. We all are. He was right when he said he's not an angel. Don't believe in us, and sure as hell don't test us by jumping in front of our weapons to see if we'll pull the blow."
    "Speak for yourself," Thano said. "I'm completely angelic. It's the new wave