Silent Secrets
by Ellen Cross
Preternatural Rescue Centre Book 6
M/M Paranormal
eXtasy Books
Blurb
How did Dante find himself in this mess? First Grant creates a portal that no living being can pass through—leaving Dante as the only one able to cross it—but when Dante does, he finds his mate on the other side, chained to the ground of a building that is seconds from collapsing on top of them both.
Dante only has two choices. Either he leaves his mate, or he takes him back through the portal. Both will result in his mate's death. Before he can decide, his inner vampire takes over, and helpless to stop it, his beast bleeds his mate's life away...
Sonny has been a servant his whole life, mute through circumstances of his birth. With no ability to voice what he knows, and never having learned to write, it goes unnoticed that he overhears more than he should.
Left for dead when Sonny's master flees, death comes calling with glowing red eyes and a deadly set of fangs. Funny thing though, as death swoops in to take his life, Sonny could almost swear that he smells his mate...
***
Excerpt
Strange light filled the corner Sonny had just been in. Swirling black mist accompanied it, but the dark crimson light began from the centre of the mist, flickering and capturing his attention as it grew and took shape. Within a few of Sonny's ragged breaths, a funnel of the constantly churning radiance had taken over the corner of the room, large enough that three men could walk into it side by side. From the centre of the light, a dark spot formed, becoming larger as it took shape, until Sonny could see it was in fact a figure, running through a long tunnel and getting closer with each beat of his heart.
Sonny's feet refused to move, more shattering pops sounded throughout the building, several large cement blocks ripping from above the doorway and toppling to the ground not far from Sonny. More crashes and groans echoed throughout the building as the structure gave way and slowly crumpled. Throughout it all, Sonny's eyes remained on that figure, so close now he could see its eyes, and the sight terrified him. The creature—now a man, he could see—stepped from the light, sweeping the room with those eyes. Brilliantly glowing like two blood-red stars, they scanned the room before settling on him. Hell, was this man a demon? Was that what the mark of death was? Surely he must be, to have eyes like those. He was definitely male, the predatory vibration filling the air from him, was heavily laden with male strength and determination. Just Sonny's luck that he was the only one left, the only possible outlet of this demon's ire. He could feel it, the pure anger vibrating through the air with its presence.
Another crash from just outside the room sent Sonny sprawling to the floor, as the whole entryway wall collapsed and the lights went out. He took only a second to get to his knees, before hurrying to the only corner left available to him, now that the swirling light and being took up one, the bed another, and the remaining two little more than rubble. Magic filled the air, making it so thick, it prickled at his skin and sweat beaded along his forehead and top lip, despite the chill to the room.
The demon spoke. "What is happening?"
Sonny wouldn't have answered, even if he could.
More booms, and the floor cracked down the middle, the side closest to the door tilted wildly. Sonny flattened himself to the wall. There was nowhere for him to run, not with half the room about to go and the creature against the other half of his side of the room. Sonny was trapped, and unfortunately for him, the bolt that fastened to his chain sat directly under that strange light. In fact, the demon, straddled the chain as he stood over it.
The demon took a step toward Sonny. Between the dust filling the air, the darkness of the mist, and zero lighting, all Sonny could see were those eyes. There was no way he was going to let that creature near him. He braced himself against the corner, leaning his backside against it and spreading his legs for stability. The dagger was still in his hand, thankfully, and he lifted it to his chest, pressing the tip directly over his heart and bunched his muscles for the thrust, he needed.
The creature growled, its eyes flaring even brighter and illuminating the room in that unearthly glow.
"No!" It screamed, before vanishing into a dark blur. The breath was knocked out of Sonny, as he was pushed, spinning on his soft-soled boots as a pair of arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him back against a warm wall of muscle, and shoving the dagger down and away from his chest.
"You will not die at your own hand!"
Too late, Sonny thought. I'm going to die anyway. He relaxed in the demon's arms a brief moment, just long enough that the grip it had on him loosened a little. The second it did, Sonny twisted the hand he held the dagger in, out of the demon's fist, and swung it up, hard, aiming straight for his own heart. Funny, in this last moment of his life, he almost swore he could smell his mate.
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