Shadow Of Death . Amy Blankenship

He quickly became disoriented as her blood entered him… unleashing something he hadn't been aware of. Retracting his fangs, the sound of their labored breathing filled the thundering silence.

      Aurora gripped the front of his shirt and gazed up into glowing amethyst eyes feeling betrayed as his power spiked. Not trusting what was happening she used every ounce of her strength and pushed him backwards, landing on her feet when he went through the railing instead of over it.

      She clenched her fingers around the piece of cloth that she’d ripped from his shirt then jerked her gaze to the left feeling even more power approaching at a dangerously rapid pace. Her breath left her in a sob and echoed around her when she felt the after pulses of the orgasm she hadn't given enough time to finish.

      Michael hit the electrified track so hard that for a moment, he just laid there still caught in the aftereffects that claiming her blood had caused. The electrical current was nothing to him… only adding to the erratic buzz he already had. The world around him pulsated with the thump of his heartbeat as he sat up and slowly gained his feet.

      Looking back up at the broken guardrail, he growled not seeing her. Turning full circle his growl intensified not finding her anywhere.

      “No,” Michael roared and fisted his hands not understanding what had just happened and not liking what was still happening.

      Slowly glancing back the way he had come, Michael felt the glimmer of a pull in that direction and took off as fast as he could go. Pulling the shadows around him, he passed the humans in the station and traced up the steps until he was bathed in the rays of the late day sun.

      Michael instantly lost his breath as pain seared him and it took him a moment to realize it was the sun doing it. Fighting the pain, he reached up to finger the necklace in confusion then growled again not finding it.

      Shielding the sun from his sensitive eyes, he retreated back into the safety of the underground and leaned against the wall wishing the world would stop moving for a damn moment so he could think clearly. It wasn’t the sun that had done this to him… it was her blood.

      Glancing back up toward the exit, he wondered if she had known what it was and took it to keep him from chasing her.

      Pulling his cell phone from his pocket, Michael glared down at it when it crunched in his tight grip. Blinking in disbelief, he decided maybe he needed to cool off and just wait until the sun went down. Tracing back to where they had made love, he looked around for any evidence of where she had come from to have just been standing there so suddenly.

      The intersection broke off in five directions but only two of them were on this side. Not finding any evidence that she even existed, he grabbed the guard rail giving in to the anger riding him. Ripping it from the concrete, he flung it down one of the tunnels so hard that when it finally found a target to crash into the echo was barely a whisper. How dare she do this to him then vanish like a phantom.

      Feeling his power pulse again in a disturbing manner he looked up seeing the flickering of light down one of the two tunnels. It wasn’t just one light flickering… it was several and coming toward him in a wave.

      Michael’s amethyst eyes glowed and he bared his fangs just as the darkness slammed him into the same spot on the wall he’d just made love at and a strong hand wrapped around his throat.

      Samuel’s lips pulled back in the perfect sneer as he looked the man over. He quickly became curious since he was using all of his strength just to hold him in place. He’d been tracking Aurora since coming out of the demon rift but every time he caught up to her, she would hold him at bay with that damn blade of hers and escape. She hadn't been able to summon the blade in the demon world but coming back here had somehow unlocked its power.

      Now it seemed she’d started taking a new tactic to avoid him… hiding within the area’s other demon masters were still fighting over. It had left him with no other choice but to help her kill the demons coming near her just in case one of them was strong enough to actually claim what was his.

      His dark eyes narrowed on what he assumed was a master vampire… one that smelled of Aurora’s sex and blood.

      “I see you have found my Aurora,” Samuel inhaled the lingering scent of a heated mating and felt his own rush of memories feeding his jealousy. What he wanted to know now was how this man had gotten past her blade. “I can smell her on you.”

      Michael actually smirked, silently thanking the demon for telling him the name of the woman that had eluded him. Feeling his jealousy surface he responded in a cold voice, “She didn’t seem like your Aurora a few minutes ago while I was deep inside of her.”

      Samuel lowered his eyelids hiding his darkest intentions, “Do you think you can replace me by making love to her one time? She has been mine for over a millennium and one fling in the sewers will not break the hold I have over her supple body.”

      Michael felt undeniable rage thrum through him as the image of Aurora under this demon surfaced. He’d been taught that it was a sin to come between a man and his mate but this wasn’t a man and right now he really didn’t give a damn.

      Samuel stilled himself when the man’s eyes began to glow in warning and power he was not familiar with pricked the skin of his hand where they were touching. It would be a mistake to show this one fear.

      Leaning forward Samuel smirked and lied, “If she was truly impressed, then why did she leave you to come find me?” He realized his mistake when the tunnel started to vibrate under his feet and he knew he was looking at the cause of the earthquake.

      Michael felt his skin began to tingle like it had when he hit the tracks earlier… and he liked it. Hearing the thunder of a train closing in, Michael gave the demon a chilling smile then suddenly shoved him backwards. The demon released him immediately and Michael’s smile darkened when the demon toppled over the railing and directly in the train’s path.

      The transport slammed into the demon, but for a split second he noticed the demon had turned and gripped the train as if hitching a ride. Before he could follow it and finish the demon off, Michael felt the earth around him shake and moved just as a piece of concrete came crashing down right beside him.

      Ignoring it, he slowly turned his angry gaze in the direction the train had taken the demon. He didn’t care if the world came crashing down… as long as he drained every drop from that son of a bitch first. Moving faster than the train he slammed into the side of it so hard that it rocked on the track.

      Before he could climb up to the top, Michael felt something slam into his back and fought the searing pain, trying to throw whatever it was off of him.

      Syn had felt the sun touch Michael’s skin and followed the link and quickly closed in on his son’s position. He arrived just in time to see Michael attack the subway train and the dark smile on his face told Syn everything he needed to know… Michael had just tapped into his true power and wasn’t handling it very well.

      Coming up behind Michael, Syn pulled another bloodstone from his arm band and rammed his fist into Michael’s back, forcing it through flesh and blood. He held Michael in a tight grip as he inserted the blood stone behind his heart much the same way Michael had once done Kane.

      The tunnel around them started to vibrate with Michael’s rage and Syn knew a cave in would soon follow if it was not brought under control. Planting his feet against the side of the train, he pushed away taking Michael with him. Trying to stun him into submission, Syn slammed Michael into the wall hard enough to leave an impact creator but Michael still blindly fought him.

      Feeling that rage only gain strength, Syn sighed wearily before gripping Michael’s neck… snapping it.

      He caught Michael’s limp body and gently picked him up in his arms. Walking a few feet to an alcove hidden mostly by darkness, Syn carried Michael to the closest electrical room and forced the door open. He laid Michael on the floor and stared down him for a moment before leaving him in there.

      Closing the door behind him, he turned around and placed his palm against it giving it a demon barrier so his son