Free Cursing Athena (Order Of Seven) by Lisa Sanchez Page A

into a savage beast, forever reminding me of the monster I once was, the man I refuse to be any longer.”
    He looked away for a moment before meeting her eyes once more. “That’s why I was at the club tonight. I’ve been tracking a demon, a killer I’m sure you’ve been reading about in the papers.”
    “I knew it,” she said on a shaky breath. She crossed her arms over her chest, as if holding herself together. “I knew there was something wrong with Alexei. His eyes…” Her voice shook as she spoke. “They were completely black—inhuman. And that smoky trail coming out of his mouth—”
    “Was the demon,” he said, cutting her off. “I’ve been tracking a Hirudo the past two weeks.”
    “I’m sorry.” She stared down at him, confusion evident in her voice. “A Hirudo?”
    “A parasite. A body-hopping leech that feeds off human flesh and souls.” His blood boiled at the thought of the bloody trail the now deceased demon had left in its wake.
    His gut rolled, a sick, twisting sensation knotting his insides. Had he not shown up when he did, Danika would be on the Hirudo’s list of casualties.
    He shook his head, refusing to think of what might have been. Danika was alive and safe, and that was all that mattered. “The smoky trail you saw crawling out of Karpos’ mouth was the demon preparing to invade your body.”
    Danika’s jaw dropped and she inhaled a ragged breath. “It…it didn’t…”
    She didn’t have to finish her sentence for him to know what she was thinking. “Rest easy, sweetness. I killed the Hirudo before it was able to leave its host completely. You’re safe. Everyone’s safe now.”
    Slowly, taking great care to make sure he didn’t spook her, he stood from where he knelt, never once taking his eyes off her. “I’m not a monster anymore, Danika. I take out the monsters now.” He sucked in a deep breath and took a small step forward. “I don’t know how to say this other than to just put it out there.” He paused and pressed his hand to his heart once more. “From the moment I first saw you at the club, I knew you were the one for me. There will never be another. You’ve tamed my beast, Danika— and captured my heart. You’ve calmed the monster within me. I sensed you were my fated from the start, but when I morphed from man to lion and you remained alive and whole, I knew, without a doubt, you were mine.”
    Shock coated the back of Ty’s tongue when Danika stepped forward and gently cupped his cheek. Electricity arced between their flesh, a powerful bolt of energy warming him from her fingertips straight down to his gut.
    Great Zeus above! After learning his history, he’d fully expected her to run for the hills and never look back. Instead, she’d reached out to him with compassion and feeling. Danika was so much stronger than he’d given her credit for, a mistake he wouldn’t make again.
    Teary eyes held his gaze. “You’re not a monster, Ty.” She shook her head and pressed her lips together as she fought to find her words. “You could have taken advantage of me at the club, but you didn’t. In fact, I suspect you knew you had a job to do and that’s why you blew me off. Am I right?”
    “Yes,” he said, closing the space between them in one step. He grasped her wrist, and when he was certain she was comfortable, he pulled her to him, crushing her soft, gentle frame against his chest. He snaked his arms around her and squeezed, reveling in her feminine scent, unwilling to let her go.
    Ty pressed a kiss to the top of her head and reveled in the sweet, floral scent of her hair. “I sensed you the moment you stepped foot into the bar. You’re unlike any woman I’ve ever come across. You’re a ray of light, so innocent, so unbelievably beautiful.” He pulled back just enough to meet her gaze. “I wanted you from the start. You have to know that.”
    “I…I do.” She stared up at him, darkened eyes filled with desire and longing. “I feel it