Sweet Temptation

Kope was trained at eleven and worked several years until having an extreme change of heart. As a young teen he defied his father and refused to work any longer. With anyone else, this would have resulted in death, but Duke Alocer turns a blind eye to his son’s defiance. None of the Dukes know about Kopano’s resistance of his wrathful nature. Only our small group knows.

To make matters more insane, Kopano not only suffers from the sin of wrath, but he’s also inflicted with the sin of lust, which his father promoted hundreds of years ago before my father was brought to earth to take some of the load. I am the only Neph who knows this, because I figured it out on my own. How he fights against two urges is beyond me.

To be honest, I’d prefer to never be around Kope, because his presence is maddening. So bloody noble he makes me ill. I try to keep my voice even as I tell A

A

“Kope is a mystery,” I quickly say with finality.

I’m relieved when she lets it drop.

A lot of lust lives in Hollywood, along with every other sin. Some areas of the city are a cesspool of funk and desperation. An ugly part of me stirs when I think about diving headfirst into what’s being offered, but I shake the dark thought away, afraid A

Oh, no. Is she feeling all of this? The thought that A

“Is it too much for you here?” I ask.

“It’s hard,” she admits. “But not because it’s Hollywood. Even Atlanta is hard for me sometimes.”

She’s downplaying it.

“I’ll get us out of here,” I say. When we stop at a light, I scroll through my mobile’s GPS for the best side street to get us off the main road.

I hear a click and zip and look over to see A

Don’t, I think to myself. That kind of giving act makes blokes like me squirm with discomfort. It’s too much.

“You’re wasting your money,” I say. The woman’s probably a drunk or something.

“Maybe,” A

I hold my breath and watch in awe as A

“God bless you,” the woman says to A

I’m an outsider watching their intimate exchange, but I can’t look away. I’ve never seen anything like this happen between two strangers. Complete ope

I feel strange. The woman walks away and A

“I’m sorry,” she says. “That was presumptuous of me. But she—”

“What on earth are you apologizing for?” My eyes roam her beautiful face, her tied-back hair, her swirled badge. She drops her eyes and I realize she feels bad because now I’ll have to cover her expenses. It must’ve given her some sense of comfort to know she could pay for something if necessary.

I tear my eyes from A

I’m nervous and excited all at once. I want her. I want A

Bugger. Shite. No. This is too much for me. I am freaking out.

And then I nearly slam on the brakes and shout. Up ahead on the boulevard is a shadowy demon spirit. It takes all my control not to panic and bust a U-turn in the middle of Hollywood Boulevard, bunging up every car in my path, but that would draw even more attention. So I keep calm as I speak.

“Legio

She slides lower in the seat and we both watch the contact between a man and a prostitute. I wish A

I grip the wheel and grit my teeth to keep from shaking. Bringing A

When had I ever forgotten that before now? Never. It’s usually the other way around.

I am so deeply ensnared in her angel voodoo. I know I should run. I should drop her at the nearest hotel and leave her far behind like the ticking bomb she is, but I feel as if I physically can’t. A new craving has taken root and the deepest part of me salivates for it. I can’t leave her yet.

Just a bit longer, I tell myself. I promised Patti I’d get A

However, for now I think I’ll let myself indulge in this new sensation while I can. I feel as if I’m carrying some epic secret, and the only reason I’m safe is that nobody else will ever know. It’s so rare to feel anything different, anything positive, and this is most definitely out of the ordinary. Shiny. New. Amazing.

Temporary.

In our room I change into basketball shorts and flop onto my bed.

“We could go for a swim,” I suggest.

“Didn’t bring a bathing suit,” she tells me.

Damn. I don’t suppose the hotel allows ski

“Kaidan . . .” Her sweet voice sails over me, relaxing me. “What happened to all of the Nephilim? Why are there so few of us now?”

So much for feeling relaxed. She will not let this subject go until I tell her. Yes, she needs to know our Nephilim history, but I hate seeing how it affects her. Female tears are one of my least favorite substances in creation.

I sigh and move to sit next to her. She listens raptly as I explain the Great Purge—the killing of every Neph on earth over one hundred years ago—and the measures the Dukes have since taken to keep our numbers at bay.

A