Doomsday Brethren, Book 04: Entice Me at Twilight by Shayla Black Read Free Book Online Page A

affair. “Your mother and Mason are now attempting to deal with
your
friends, one of whom is a veritable giant wearing a sword. At a wedding! He’s forcing people to shake his hand.”
    His Grace grimaced. “Felicia—”
    “And you allowed those women to … molest you a few dozen meters from the altar.” The sight had burned itself into her brain, hurting when she knew it shouldn’t. And that only made her more angry. “It’s unforgivable.”
    He frowned. “I have never touched any of those women in my life.”
    She detected no acrid scent, and felt no unsettled stomach. So, he told the truth—this once. Small comfort. “Hardly noteworthy, given your generally deplorable behavior.”
    “I apologize, but I must talk to you about—”
    “When I’m finished.” She poked a finger in his chest. “The paparazzi are peeking through the windows and having a grand time photographing the shocked expressions of your mother’s friends. She’s quite beside herself. I know everyone bows and scrapes to you, and women throw themselves at your feet. Don’t expect either from me.”
    Her face turned even more grim. “It’s not my aim to upset you. This is … necessary.”
    A fresh wave of anger crashed through Felicia, and she welcomed it, hoping it would hold her awareness of him at bay. “Are you so arrogant that you must have attention? Do you need the cameras, the women, and the notoriety to feel fulfilled, Your Grace?”
    “What?” He recoiled, looking perplexed, then furious. “
No
. I’m trying to tell you something but … bloody hell. I’ve gone about this the wrong way. Sorry.”
    “Indeed.”
    He shrugged. “I’m only human.”
    Felicia opened her mouth to argue with him. Then a familiar, biting scent burned her nostrils. An instant later, her stomach turned, and she put a hand over her queasy belly to steady herself.
    Hurstgrove lied—and the stench hadn’t presented itselfuntil his last three words.
    Not human?
Impossible. Felicia’s mind raced. He looked like any other attractive man, though younger than his forty-three years suggested. Perhaps the whole evening—having Mason reveal his true feelings and His Grace making a scene—had thrown her senses off?
    “What did you say?” she demanded.
    “I’m only human. I make mistakes.”
    Immediately, Felicia’s nostrils burned wildly again. Her stomach pitched as if she were in a rowboat in the midst of a hurricane. Gasping, she stared at him, wide eyed.
    The Duke of Hurstgrove was
not
human. What, then, was he?
    The horror on her face must have shown, because he grabbed her shoulders, his touch feverishly warm. A flurry of tingles barraged her. “What’s the matter? Are you nervous? Faint?” Understanding dawned, and he backed away. “No, you’re frightened.”
    Of you
.
    If she admitted that, how would he react? What was such an intimidating non-human capable of? If he knew that she’d figured out his secret, what would he do to her?
    Heart pounding so hard she couldn’t hear her own voice, Felicia muttered, “I-I must … repair my lipstick.”
    Before he could respond, she tore from his grasp and ran.
    As she disappeared up the stairs, Ice, who had been loitering outside the chapel, sauntered across the marble tiles toward Duke. “Apologizing, are you? Not a particularly effective tactic to tell the woman she’s in danger.”
    Duke snorted. “You would have grabbed her and run without any thought of alienating your family, causing a scandal, or scaring the hell out of her.”
    The other wizard shrugged. “I don’t have any family to alienate, I don’t give a damn if I cause a scandal, and I’d rather have my woman frightened than dead.”
    “She’s not mine.”
    A sly smile crept across his face. “Is that what you’re telling yourself?”
    “Piss off. I can’t do what you would have done. My situation is more complicated.”
    Ice didn’t say a word, just took a long look around him at the marble tile, perfectly