Runaway Devil
49

I couldn't remember if I screamed or not. The only sounds still echoing in my ears were my heartbeat and Alec's feral roar. My eyes clouded, something dripped from my body, and all I could see were shadows.

Wild howling surrounded me as more hands were laid on my prone body. My chest tightened as I tried to move. I had nothing left, my body was done. And so was I.

But, the heavy air suddenly filled with blinding heat. A low rumble shook the ground, the once wild howling turned frightened. The air ignited and flooded with white-hot light, turning everything in its path to ash. I felt it wash over me like ocean waves, washing away any weight that rested on me. The hands that tore at my flesh greedily tried to hang on, digging into my skin to anchor themselves. But even they were ripped away.

I laid there for what felt like an eternity. The wet grass around me slowly chared and was swept away by the wind. The light grew brighter, closer, and hotter. Tears of relief caught in my throat, and my breath was shaky. I had never been saved as much as I had been in Alec's company. The sudden realization that I would have died, multiple times, hit me square in the chest.

I must have been a pulpy pile of mess when Alec finally stood before me. He knelt next to me, his heat searing the ground and my raw skin. The second his fingers touched me, the tears spilled, almost as easily as blood. He wrapped me in his cocoon of fire, spreading a protective barrier around us. His body steamed in the morning air, his eye aglow with a soulful fire I forgot he wielded. His flames were convenient when I needed to light a cigarette, or it was a cold night. But his fire, his true fire, was soul-deep. It was glorious, almost godly.

He held my body to his chest, his arms wrapped around my figure like they were made for it. I looked up at him, my tears evaporating from my cheeks. He was in a trance-like state, acting purely on instinct. There was an awareness behind his eyes of fire, and it knew more than I did at that moment. I couldn't know for sure what he was thinking, but I did know that he was in his truest form.

His flame spread down his wings and doubled our protective circle. Anybody who dared get closer was instantly incinerated. Some flung themselves into the flame in an attempt to fight through it. They met the same apathetic end. His fire was brighter and hotter than anything he had used before.

He stood with me in his arms and began moving with deep intent. His movements were slow and deliberate. I couldn't hold on any longer, my eyes closed and my mind was lost to me.

I awoke with an ache in my hips. I was laying on something uncomfortable with a thin blanket between my body and the surface. Opening my eyes, I couldn't see much of anything. It was dark and chilly.

My vision was blurred, and my eyelids ached something awful. I tried to sit up, but Alec's arms were holding me too tightly. I craned my neck to look at him. His eyes were closed, seemingly asleep. I stroked his arm to try and get it to loosen, to no avail. "Alec," I said. No response. "Alec," I said a little louder. Nothing. "Alec." His eye fluttered open and he looked down at me.

"How are you feeling?" His arms did not loosen, but he did sit up, bringing my body with him. We were in the back of the pickup Hank gave us. A blanket was spread out under us, and another was haphazardly draped over us. And we were naked.

"I feel fine," I lied. My body ached all over, my muscles were sore, and my skin still stung. When he sat up, the blanket fell from my torso, exposing my stinging skin to the frigid night air. I instinctively cuddled closer, wanting nothing to do with the chill. I could feel Alec's chuckle rumble through his chest and he kissed the crown of my head. "Where are we?"

"I have no idea," he said.

"Maybe a better question would be, why are we naked, in the back of a pickup?"

"That would be a good question," he paused, leaving me hanging for far too long. "I realized I may have turned the heat up too much, our clothes didn't stand a chance. All I knew was I needed to get you out of there," he sighed. "So, here we are." He gestured around us. We were in the middle of nowhere. No other people in sight, nor could I hear any sign of human life. "I think it's a campground." He didn't sound certain at all.

"Did you burn all of our clothes?"

"No."

"We're still naked, even though we have clothes available." He nodded, closing his eyes again and resting the back of his head on the window connecting the cab and the cargo bed. "Why didn't you put clothes on?"

"Why would I want to do that?" He rested his heavy hand on the back of my neck and peeked at me through a hooded eye. He stared at me for a long while. "You scared me back there." I felt my blush spread over my chest, up my neck, and across my face. He leaned forward and kissed just behind my ear, his lips were gentle and soft on my skin. I felt my heart beat against the inside of my chest.

His hand held my neck and he tilted my head back with his thumb, giving him more access. He hit a raw spot, most likely still healing from the holy water, and I sucked air through my teeth. My grip on his wrist tightened and he stopped. "That's still a bit... tender," I said.

"Let's remedy that, shall we?" His tongue darted out between his lips and left me trembling. His kisses left a trail of burning heat in their wake, I could feel my skin heal under his torment. It warmed and no longer stung when touched. His hands roamed wherever they pleased, healing me with pleasure and pain simultaneously. The bite of my healing skin was chased away by his warm kisses.

I shifted myself onto his lap, our naked bodies impossibly close. His hands trailed over my back, tracing my scars, old and new. We locked eyes, both of us burning up. I ran my fingers through his hair. "Are you hurt at all?" He stared at my lips, shaking his head. "Are you sure?" I asked while I dipped my head to kiss his neck.

It was hot to the touch, just the way I liked it. As I swirled my tongue over his skin, leaving my own trail of kisses, I could feel his breathing quicken. I felt him harden beneath me. He continued his own assault on my skin, his fingertips making me tremble. "Where's Balan?" I asked, my voice was breathy and distracted.

"Hunting, probably for you. He was worried..." a groan escaped his lips and his grip on my hips tightened. "... about you."

Knowing that Balan was safe and unharmed allowed me to really let go. The world around us fell away as we got lost in each other.

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