The silver caduceus, p.1
Knight’s Seduction: A Knight’s of Hell Prequel, page 1
Knight’s Seduction
A Knight’s of Hell Prequel
Sherilee Gray
Copyright © 2021 by Sherilee Gray
Editor: Karen Grove
Proofreading: Judy’s Proofreading
Cover Design by Cover Couture
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All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Produced in New Zealand
ISBN:
978-0-473-60631-2 (Epub)
978-0-473-60632-9 (Kindle)
Contents
About
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Epilogue
Knight’s Redemption
Also by Sherilee Gray
About the Author
About
As an immortal demon hunter, fighting and killing is all Kryos has ever known. Trained by angels to control Hells escapees, he was promised a reward for his sacrifice—something with the power to calm his inner demon and make him feel whole after an eternity of emptiness. He never dreamed his prize would be her.
* * *
Waitress Meredith Malone has never fitted in, has lived her life feeling so deeply alone that she’s given up on dreaming, of wanting. Instead, she does what’s expected of her, hoping that one day she’ll be just like everyone else—even if that means marrying someone she doesn’t love.
* * *
Until a man who looks like an angel, but has bad boy written all over him walks into her world and offers to change it forever…
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Chapter 1
October 13, 1970
Roxburgh, NY
* * *
Kryos scanned the diner as soon as he walked in. The muscles in his neck were tight and there was this…tingle between his shoulder blades.
Something had called him here, had been calling him here for the last two months. At first, he thought the draw to this place meant the demons he and his brothers hunted possibly frequented the diner. That maybe it was some kind of meeting place, or they lived nearby.
But that wasn’t it.
“The donuts better be fucking spectacular with the amount of time you spend here, brother,” Rocco said beside him.
Kryos ignored his brother and reached out with his senses.
No, he hadn’t been sure exactly why he kept coming back, still didn’t, not really. He did know there was a who—a gorgeous, vibrant, sweet-as-fucking-candy female that he couldn’t stop thinking about. And every night he came here, he sought her out as soon as he walked in.
He was well aware his obsession with the female was getting out of control, but he couldn’t seem to stop it. He’d even been dreaming about her. And every morning when he climbed into the shower after waking hard and needy for his little diner waitress, he’d make himself come to images of her in his head, of touching her, of tasting those tiny freckles scattered across her smooth skin.
Of burying his face in her wild, dark blond hair and running his hands over her soft curves—
Nope. Kryos slammed the door on his wayward thoughts and sat down. If he got a hard-on right now, his brothers would never let him live it down.
Roc’s leather jacket creaked as he took the seat across from him, then he shuffled down for Zenon. Zen scowled and tipped his head forward like he always did, so his long black hair concealed his yellow eyes and the brand scarring the side of his face.
Kryos was surprised he’d actually agreed to come inside with them. Zenon preferred his own company, and since most beings were terrified of him, he got his way more often than not.
Kryos shifted in his seat. The corner booth was the one he claimed every night, it had the best view of the rest of the dining room.
Christ, he had a regular booth.
Music filled the place, and only two other tables were currently occupied. No one was behind the counter, but she was here. He could feel her.
Which was…completely fucked up.
They’d barely spoken, besides taking his order. In fact, the female was utterly indifferent to him. She never made eye contact or lingered when he tried to get her to talk more, and it drove him insane.
The little sunflower name tag she always wore had Meredith written on it, and he’d been trying to work up to using it.
Yep, he was an immortal demon hunter, older than dirt, and for some reason, couldn’t bring himself to use the tempting female’s name. He’d been trying to work up the courage for the last fifty-eight days. He inwardly winced. What the hell was wrong with him?
“So?” Rocco asked. “Are they good or what?”
Kryos glanced at his brother completely lost.
Roc stabbed a finger at the menu. “The donuts?”
“Ah, yeah, they’re all right.”
Roc screwed up his face. “All right? You’ve been coming here every night for two months. And the food’s just adequate?”
“Coffee’s pretty good as well,” Kryos said, giving his brother a hard stare. “You didn’t have to come in. I’m sure there are demons in need of killing somewhere. Go find them.”
Zenon grunted his agreement.
A portal opened here in Roxburgh every solstice and equinox, a direct door straight from Hell. Demons tried to escape into the city en masse whenever it opened. It was the knights’ job to stop them and hunt the ones who got through.
The swinging door behind the counter opened and finally she walked out. “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Diana Ross was playing on the radio. She loved this song, she always hummed or sang along whenever it was playing, adding little hip wiggles that made him grind his teeth.
Right on cue, electricity fired through his veins, and he broke out in a cold sweat as soon as he got a look at her. Yeah, she had to have sex demon DNA in her blood, a fucking strong breed, because suddenly his dick was an iron rod in his jeans and his balls were tight and achy.
What the fuck am I doing here?
Again.
Her gaze lifted, hazel eyes sliding right to him before they quickly dropped. Kryos dragged in a ragged breath, trying to gather some control. His inner demon whined and rolled over, clawing at his subconscious, seemingly as affected by the female as Kryos was for some messed-up reason.
“Things have suddenly become crystal clear,” Roc said, chuckling. “You’ve got a hard-on for the waitress.”
Kryos growled. “Shut up.”
Maybe this pull he had toward her was something to do with her power? She was a demi-demon—half human, half demon. The hybrids were the reason Kryos and his brothers, the knights of Hell, existed. They took them to safety when they came of age and gained their powers, taught them to use them, block them, to protect themselves. How to live their lives safely once those skills were mastered.
Meredith was close to gaining hers. He could feel the hum of it prickling over his skin. He told himself every night that was why he came here, but he wasn’t sure that was true anymore.
Her dormant power wasn’t strong enough for demons to detect. Not yet. For now, the fuckers would leave her alone. Kryos should leave her alone as well, at least until it was time to come for her. God, he didn’t relish tearing her from her life or telling her what she was and what it meant, despite how drawn to her he was.
Yeah, her sire had to be a sex demon. That was the only explanation he could come up with for the constant hard-on he had whenever he was near her. Sex demons could be potent, could affect him and his brothers in different ways. Being knights didn’t make them immune to it.
That had to be it, right? What else could it be?
“Can you feel it?” he asked his brothers.
Roc frowned. “What?”
“The female, she’s a demi, close to gaining her powers.”
“Really? I hadn’t picked that up,” Roc said, glancing over at Meredith.
“So your skin’s not tingling? Your gut isn’t all tied in knots? You’re”—he leaned forward—“not hard?”
Roc leaned back, giving his dick a squeeze. “Just the usual semi, definitely not primed to fuck at this particular moment.”
Kryos glanced at Zenon. His brother was focused hard on his tattooed hands resting on the table. “Zen?”
He shook his head.
“Maybe you just want to jump her bones?” Roc said.
She moved toward Kryos, and despite having an audience, he couldn’t make himself look away. Her uniform clung to her curves, the buttons of her shirt strained a little over her chest, and the skirt…shit, it was short. He’d seen a lot of changes in clothes and fashion in his lifetime, and her boss had embraced the miniskirt, and yeah, let’s not forget the hot pants. Me
His mouth actually watered.
Jesus Christ, he needed to get laid already. This was getting ridiculous. He was acting like an adolescent human with a high school crush.
She stopped in front of their table, and her scent filled the space between them. His gut gripped so damn tight he had to fight not to grunt. This female had some seriously strong sex demon pheromones rolling off her. How could Roc and Zen not feel it?
When this female gained her powers, she’d need some intensive training to keep that shit in check or she’d find herself in all sorts of trouble. He had no idea why only he could sense it, but then demons of any kind were complicated. Perhaps there was something different in his own DNA that caused him to pick up what she had going on, something his brothers didn’t? They were his brothers, just not in the biological sense.
“What can I get you tonight?” she said in that soft, sweet-as-candy voice.
Kryos jolted and snatched up a menu. “Uh…I’ll ah, have the…”
She laughed under her breath. “The usual?”
He inwardly cringed. “Yeah, that’d be great, thanks.”
When she finally did gain her powers, he’d have to send one of his brothers to collect her because he barely had control around her as it was.
She glanced at Rocco, and his brother grinned, enjoying the hell out of Kryos’s squirming. “I’ll have his usual as well.”
When Meredith glanced at Zen, she flinched, and Zenon quickly lowered his yellow eyes back to the table.
“He’ll have the same,” Kryos said to her.
She dipped her chin and rushed away.
“The female is totally hot, I’ll give you that,” Roc said. “I might have to insist on training her when we eventually bring her in. You saw the way she looked at me, right? Chick was undressing me with her eyes.”
“You’re a dick.”
Roc grinned wider.
Zenon shifted in his seat, fidgeting, finger tapping, knee jiggling—
He shot out of his seat suddenly and strode for the door. Honestly, Kryos was surprised Zen had lasted as long as he did.
Rocco sighed. “I better split, make sure he doesn’t do anything fucked up. You stay and enjoy your usual.” Then Roc strode out after their volatile brother.
Meredith walked back a short time later with their black coffees and donuts and placed them on the table in front of him, frowning at the now empty seats.
“They had to leave.”
“Oh…”
Kryos smiled at her.
She chewed the side of her lip, and instead of walking away, she lingered. “So…do you work around here or something?”
Every word that came out of her mouth was like velvet brushing over his bare skin. He had to clear his throat to reply. “Yes…not far from here.”
“Did you just finish work, or do you work nights?”
She still wasn’t looking directly into his eyes, her gaze bouncing everywhere but. When it eventually dropped to his mouth, his lips tingled. “My hours vary, but yeah, I’m working tonight.”
She gripped her tray tighter. “Oh, well, I um…hope you have a good night.”
Meredith spun around and rushed away.
What was that about?
She darted behind counter, and he had to force himself to stay where he was and not go after her. Christ, he needed to leave. This was insanity.
Pulling out his wallet, he threw some money on the table. It was a feat of physical and mental strength to get his ass off the seat and head for the door, but before he walked out, he turned back. He had to.
The pretty little female was watching him, eyes wide, lips parted.
Gritting his teeth, he gave her a weak wave, then carried on out the door, closing it behind him.
Meredith gripped the counter as he walked out.
God, he was the most beautiful man she’d ever laid eyes on. His hair was a riot of angelic golden curls, his eyes soft brown and surrounded by long, thick black lashes. His face was something from a storybook, or a painting, or a sculpture of some Greek god.
Utterly beautiful. There was no other way she could think to describe him. His mouth was full and…sensual, and if it wasn’t for his strong nose and scruff-covered square jaw, he’d almost be pretty.
Then there was his body. The guy had to be six and a half feet. And it was impossible to miss how muscular he was under his jeans and T-shirt. His arms were rippling muscle, one of them almost completely covered in tattoos.
He looked like an angel, but there was something about him that told her he was far from it. And neither were his friends. He was one of those bad boys her parents had warned her about her, the kind who’d get her into trouble and then leave her behind.
And she’d never wanted anyone more in her entire life.
Before she could stop herself, she rushed to the window. He was striding down the street, a swagger to his walk that made her pulse race, and she wasn’t the only one who noticed. Gazes lingered on him, following him, people actually turning to watch as he strode by.
He moved like he was poised for something, just waiting to explode into action.
The door opened again and her heart sank when she saw who it was. Guilt over her reaction followed, and she forced herself to plaster on a bright smile. “David.”
David smiled back as he moved closer, and not for the first time, she had to fight the urge to recoil. She didn’t understand it; he was a perfectly nice man, handsome, but the feeling grew stronger every time they were together, every time he tried to touch her.
David was her father’s boss. Meredith had met him at the company’s Christmas party, and he’d asked her out. Her parents had insisted she go. He was young, successful, the CEO of the company, and her father wanted to keep him happy. So she did what she was told. Like she always did.
All her life, she’d struggled to make friends, to fit in—to be “normal.”
She didn’t know what normal meant, but Meredith was sure she wasn’t it. She’d learned early that she didn’t think like other people, so now she kept her thoughts to herself. She didn’t care about the things they did either.
Her whole life, she’d felt…disconnected from, well…everything and everyone.
She never understood it, still didn’t, and had spent her life doing what her parents told her to, trying to fit in, desperate for their approval, for whatever scraps of affection she could get.
It wasn’t like she had any idea what she wanted for herself, anyway, so why not let them decide?
She and David had been dating for a couple of months now, and he seemed to like her. So she’d keep on saying yes, because that’s what was expected. It was what “normal” people did. And it was nice to be liked, to please her parents finally.
Maybe, just maybe, if she kept doing what her parents told her to, eventually she’d feel like everyone else. Maybe one day she’d wake up and the awful loneliness, the gaping hole inside her would be gone, and she’d be like everyone else.
“How’s my girl?” David said, gaze moving over her.
“Good. I didn’t know you were coming in tonight?” She kept the smile on her face even though for some reason it was more of a struggle than usual.
He kissed her cheek, and she had to stop herself from pulling away.
“I wanted to surprise you.”
“That was sweet.” A weird feeling fluttered in her belly and began to build behind her chest.
Urgency.
The feeling was urgency, but for what?
David reached for her again, but she pulled back, almost stumbling over a chair behind her.
“Are you okay?”
“Sorry, I uh…thought Frank called me.”
Frank, the owner and cook of the diner, had not called for her. He was probably asleep back there.
David took her shoulders, rubbing them, his smile back and wider than ever. “I talked to your father tonight.”
