The Darkness Within (Demon Elite Death Squad #1)

BLADE 1

The dimly lit bar buzzed with the low hum of laughter and clinking glasses. Shadows cling to every corner, hiding secrets in their depths. Blade leans back in his chair, his blue eyes scanning the room with the practiced ease of a predator. Beside him, Scar is nursing a glass of whiskey, his gaze fixed on the bar’s entrance.

“ We’ve been here for two hours,” Scar murmurs, his dark eyes flicking to Blade. “If Rake was coming, he’d be here by now.”

B lade grunts, swirling his drink. “He’ll come. He’s gotten careless. Thinks he can slink around here, feeding on humans, and we won’t notice.”

S car shrugs, taking a long sip. He was the perfect contrast to Blade—where Blade was controlled and calculating, Scar was a brawler, brash and reckless. They made a good team. Two of the Demon Council’s Elite, hunting down rogue demons who didn’t follow the code. This was their life: a relentless hunt in the shadows of the human world.

T he bar door swings open, and three women walk in, laughing and talking amongst themselves. Blade barely glances their way until his senses prickle. He turns his head, and for the first time in over two centuries, he feels a surge of emotion that shatters his calm.

I t is the woman in the centre who has caught his eye. Her hair is a rich auburn that falls in waves down her back, a stark contrast to the dim light of the bar. She is petite, almost fragile looking, with an elegance that seems at odds with the gritty surroundings. But it is her face that hits him the hardest—the way her mouth curves when she laughs, the way her eyes sparkle with a lightness he hadn’t seen in a long time.

B lade blinks. The world is changing. Slowly, colour is bleeding into his vision, starting with her hair, a deep, vivid red that he’d only heard about in stories. His breath catches, he clenches his fists, feeling the familiar rush of heat that comes with rage—or in this case, something dangerously close to desire.

S car glances at him, brow raised. “You good?”

B lade doesn’t answer. He is focused on the woman, on the way his demon senses scream that she is important, that she is his. The myth had always seemed distant, something other demons spoke of like a fairy tale. But now, here it was, living and breathing, standing a few feet away.

S he is flanked by two other women, chatting and laughing as they make their way to the bar. One of them, a blonde with a bubbly laugh, grates on his nerves almost immediately. But the other one—the one who mattered—was all he could focus on.

S car, who had followed his gaze, whistles low. “She’s pretty. You gonna make a move?”

B lade’s jaw tightens. “She’s not just pretty. She’s mine.”

S car frowns, his casual demeanour slipping. “Yours? You mean—”

B lade cuts him off with a look, his eyes flashing with intensity. Scar knew better than to press. For a demon to find their mate, to finally see in colour, was unheard of. Blade had spent centuries thinking it was a myth, something reserved for other demons, for legends of the past.

B efore he can act, a human man approaches the women, his attention on his woman. The sight sparks a dark possessiveness in Blade. He watches as the man leans in, saying something that makes Rayne smile. Blades’ vision darkens, the telltale sign of his demon side surfacing.

W ithout thinking, he stands, crossing the room in a few strides. He steps between Rayne and the man, towering over him. The man takes a step back, clearly startled.

“ She’s taken,” Blade says, his voice low and edged with menace.

T he man’s eyes widen, he stammers an apology before quickly disappearing into the crowd. Blade turns to Rayne, who is looking up at him, her mouth slightly parted in surprise. Up close, he can see every detail of her—how her eyes are flecked with gold, how the faintest blush creeps up her cheeks. And beneath the surface, he feels the connection snap into place, undeniable and strong.

R ayne blinks, pulling herself together. “Do I know you?”

B lade smirks, tilting his head. “Not yet. But you will.”

S car joins them, giving Rayne a quick once-over before smirking at Blade. “Guess we’re sticking around for a while then?”

B lade doesn’t answer. He is too focused on Rayne, the way she looks at him, her curiosity mixing with a hint of something else. He knows he should walk away, keep his distance until he understands what this means. But he can’t. For the first time in centuries, he is seeing colour, and it is all because of her.

R ayne’s friends call her back, she gives Blade one last lingering look before joining them. As she walks away, Blade feels a pulse of possessiveness so strong it leaves him breathless.

S car slaps him on the shoulder. “Looks like you’re in trouble, brother.”

B lade chuckles, the sound low and dangerous. “Trouble? I’ve been waiting for this kind of trouble my whole life.”

A s they settle back into their seats, Blade can’t take his eyes off Rayne. He knows this is only the beginning. Whatever the bond between them means, he is ready to find out. And nothing—not Rake, not the Demon Council, not even his own doubts—will keep him from her.

A nd so, Blade’s world has changed in an instant. The hunt for Rake, the mission, and even the code fades into the background. All that matters now is her.

◆◆◆

Rayne leans against the bar, laughing as Ashley recounts another ridiculous story from their school days. It has been a long week, and she needed a night out with her friends. She sips her drink, glancing around the room. The bar is a little darker, a little grittier than the places they usually go to, but tonight, it felt like the perfect escape.

S he glances toward the back, where the two men sat in the shadows. There is something about them, especially the one with dark hair and piercing eyes, that holds her attention. He is looking at her, his gaze so intense it makes her heart skip a beat. She feels her cheeks warm, but she can’t look away.

F or a moment, it feels like time stops. Everything else—the bar noise, her friends’ laughter, the clinking glasses—fades. It is just her and him, locked in a silent stare that feels as intimate as a touch. She swallows hard, her pulse racing. Who was he?

T hen Ashley nudges her, breaking the spell. “Hey, Earth to Rayne. You okay?”

Rayne shakes her head, laughing nervously. “Yeah, sorry. Just zoned out for a second.”

B efore she can fully collect herself, a man approaches her, flashing a confident smile as he leanes in. “Hey there. Can I buy you a drink?”

R ayne is about to decline politely when she feels a shadow loom over them. She looks up to meet those same intense eyes. He is standing right there, mere inches away, and she can feel the heat radiating off him. Her heart pounds in her chest as he speaks, his voice a low growl.

“ She’s taken.”

T he stranger—her stranger—stands tall and broad, making the other man look small by comparison. His words are clear and unyielding, leaving no room for argument. The man stammers something and backs away, disappearing into the crowd. Rayne can’t take her eyes off him, a mix of gratitude and confusion swirling in her chest.

“ Thank you, I guess?” she manages, her voice sounding far too small.

H e smirks, and the faintest hint of amusement dances in his eyes. “I couldn’t let him bother you.”

T here is something about the way he looks at her, as if he can see right through her. She’d never felt so vulnerable, and yet, there was something thrilling about it. He was dangerous, she could tell. But there was also a strange familiarity, like she’d known him before, in a dream she couldn’t quite remember.

S he clears her throat, suddenly feeling the need to fill the silence. “Do I know you?”

“ Not yet,” he replies, his smirk deepening. “But you will.”

H is words send a shiver down her spine, she finds herself wanting to ask him a hundred questions—who he is, why he felt so familiar, why her heart is racing like she’d just run a marathon. But before she can say anything, her friends call her back, breaking the spell.

R eluctantly, she turns away, feeling his gaze on her as she joins Ashley and Rita. Her friends are chattering away, but Rayne feels like she’s in a daze. The stranger’s face is imprinted on her mind, and she can’t shake the feeling that he is about to change her life in ways she couldn’t yet understand.

B ack with her friends, Rayne tries to focus on their conversation, but her mind keeps drifting back to him. She can still feel the heat of his presence, his dark gaze like a lingering shadow. She doesn’t know his name, doesn’t know anything about him, but somehow, she knows this was just the beginning.

◆◆◆

Blade watches her rejoin her friends, the pull he feels toward her almost unbearable. He clenches his fists, his nails digging into his palms. It should have been impossible—him finding his mate here, on Earth, in the middle of a hunt. He’d given up on that kind of connection long ago, resigned to the idea that it was a myth, a story meant to give hope to demons who’d lived as long as he had. And yet, here she was.

H e looks at her, feeling an intense mix of possessiveness and confusion. She was so human, so fragile, and everything about her calls to him in a way he couldn’t understand. He had always thought that if he ever found his mate, he’d be prepared for it, that he’d know exactly what to do. But now that it was happening, he was utterly lost.

S car’s voice cuts into his thoughts. “You’ve gone quiet. What’s on your mind?”

B lade takes a slow breath, steadying himself. “Everything,” he says, his tone rough. “She’s everything.”

S car gives him a wary look. “Are you saying she’s your mate? I thought you gave up on that legend.”

B lade lets out a humourless chuckle. “So, did I. But seeing her—Scar, I’m seeing in colour.”

S car whistles, clearly taken aback. “That’s… Well, damn. I guess the stories were true after all.”

B lade’s jaw tightens. True or not, it doesn’t make things any easier. He is Elite, a warrior with a mission. His purpose is to hunt down rogues, to keep the balance between their world and the human world. Having a mate changes everything. How is he supposed to focus on his duty when every instinct screams at him to stay by her side, to protect her from anything that might threaten her?

A nd what would she think if she knew the truth? That he was a demon, that he’d lived for centuries, killing and hunting down his own kind. The idea of exposing her to that side of his life makes him feel vulnerable in a way he hadn’t felt in decades. She’d probably run screaming if she saw what he truly was.

T he possessiveness flares up again, even stronger this time. The memory of that human man leaning in, thinking he had a right to touch her, was enough to make his blood boil. Blade had barely held himself back from ripping the guy apart then and there. The demon in him wants to mark her, to let every creature—human and demon alike—know she is his and his alone.

B ut it isn’t just about marking her. It is about keeping her safe. He knows what kind of danger she’d be in now. Rake is cunning and ruthless, and if he finds out that Blade has a mate, she would become a target. He’d seen it happen to others, seen mates used as leverage, as pawns in brutal power games. He’d never imagined he’d have someone to worry about like that.

S car places a hand on his shoulder, grounding him. “You’ll figure it out. You always do. But if she’s your mate, you need to tell her. She deserves to know what she’s getting into.”

Blade nods, though the thought fills him with dread. How could he explain this world to her? How could he ask her to trust him, a demon, with a life like his?

H e glanced over at her again, watching her laugh with her friends, oblivious to the storm he is grappling with just a few feet away. She deserved better. She deserves normalcy, a life untouched by the darkness that follows him everywhere he goes. But as much as he wants to walk away, he knows he won’t. He can’t.

T he bond is too strong, the pull too deep. She is his now, whether she knows it or not. And he will protect her, even if it means tearing through any rogue, demon, or human that dares to come near her.

S car is right. He’d figure it out. He always did. But for the first time, he felt like he was fighting a battle he wasn’t sure he could win.

H e pushes the thought aside. For now, all he knew was that he wasn’t letting her out of his sight. Not until he understood what this bond meant and how he could keep her safe.

T he bar seems to shrink, the walls closing in as he watches her, her friends pulling her toward the dance floor. He can still feel the electricity crackling between them, his senses heightened by the way her presence stirs something deep within him. The colour that had bled into his vision hasn’t faded; instead, it intensifies, bringing the world to life in a way he hadn’t thought possible.

Scar is saying something, but he doesn’t hear him. His focus is locked on her as she moves, her laughter reaching him over the noise, a siren call he can’t resist. She turns and glances back at him, her gaze holding his for just a heartbeat longer than necessary. It was all the invitation he needed.

B lade is on his feet before he even registers the movement, his body acting on instinct. He crosses the room, weaving through the crowd, until he is standing just a few feet from her. She looks up, surprise flashing in her eyes, but there is something else there too—a spark, a hint of the connection that had been simmering between them since they first locked eyes.

“ Rayne,” he says, trying her name on his lips for the first time, having heard her friends calling her. His voice is low and rough, filled with a need he can’t contain.

“ Yes,” she replies, almost a whisper. He can see the curiosity in her eyes, the way her chest rises and falls with each shallow breath, mirroring his own anticipation. He reaches out, his fingers brushing against her cheek, marvelling at the softness of her skin, the warmth that seeps into him from the lightest touch.

“ What are you doing?” she asks, her voice trembling, but she doesn’t pull away. Instead, she leans into his touch, her eyes searching his, as if she is looking for answers he doesn’t yet have.

B lade hesitates, the intensity of his emotions warring with his sense of duty, with the knowledge that he should walk away, leave her in peace. But he can’t. The need to be close to her, to feel her against him, was stronger than anything he’d ever known.

“ Something I shouldn’t,” he murmurs, his face just inches from hers. He can see every detail of her, the way her lips part, the hint of vulnerability in her gaze. He can smell her, a sweet, intoxicating scent that makea his head spin.

A nd then he can’t hold back any longer. He closes the distance between them, capturing her lips in a kiss that is as fierce as it is tender. Rayne gasps, her hands finding their way to his chest, clutching at his shirt as if she were trying to ground herself. Blade feels a surge of satisfaction, knowing that she feels the same intensity, the same hunger that is consuming him.

T he kiss deepens, and Blade loses himself in the sensation of her. Her lips are soft, yielding to him, and he can taste the faint sweetness of her drink mingling with something uniquely hers. It is intoxicating, more potent than any demon’s brew, more dangerous than any enemy he’d ever faced. He wraps his arms around her, pulling her close, feeling the warmth of her body pressed against his. The world around them fades, leaving only the two of them locked in this moment, as if time had stopped.

R ayne responds with equal fervour, her fingers trailing up to his neck, tangling in his hair. Blade shivers, a low growl rumbling in his chest as he deepens the kiss, pouring everything he couldn’t say into the way he touches her, the way he holds her as if she were the only thing that matters.

When they finally break apart, both are breathing heavily, their foreheads resting together as they try to steady themselves. Blade keeps his arms around her, unwilling to let her go, even as the rational part of his mind screams at him to step back, to put distance between them before it was too late.

R ayne looks up at him, her eyes wide and searching, filled with a mixture of wonder and uncertainty. “What…was that?” she asks, her voice barely a whisper.

“ I don’t know,” Blade replies, his own voice thick with emotion. “But it feels like something I can’t walk away from.”

S he nods, and he can see the same conflict mirrored in her gaze, the same need that is pulsing through his veins. She touches his face, her fingers light against his skin, as if she’s afraid he might disappear. “I feel it too,” she admits, her words a soft confession.

B lade closes his eyes, savouring the feel of her, the way she seems to fit against him, as if they are two halves of a whole that has finally found each other. He knows this is dangerous, knows he is risking everything by allowing himself to be close to her. But he also knows that he can’t turn away, not now. Not ever.

F or a long moment, they stand there, wrapped in each other’s arms, the world around them forgotten. Blade knows that this is just the beginning, that there are still secrets to be told, dangers lurking in the shadows. But for now, he allows himself to hold her, to let her warmth seep into him, anchoring him to a world that, for the first time in centuries, felt real.

A s they pull away, Blade meets her gaze, a silent promise passing between them. Whatever this is, whatever it means, he will protect her, will keep her safe from the dangers that would surely come. Because she is his now, in a way that transcends words, in a way that he knows will change everything.

A nd he is ready to face it, whatever it takes.

B lade reluctantly pulls back, his lips tingling from the kiss, the taste of Rayne still lingering as he gazes down at her. Her cheeks are flushed, and her breathing uneven, but she doesn’t step away. Instead, she holds his gaze, her eyes filled with questions and a hint of something that makes his chest tighten.

“ I don’t even know your name,” she says softly, her voice a bit unsteady.

“ It’s Blade,” he replies, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He let’s the name hang in the air, watching as she processes it, as if she can feel the weight of it, the history and the darkness that comes with it.

“ Blade,” she repeats, testing it out, a slight smile appearing on her face. “Well, that suits you.”

H e chuckles, the sound low and almost surprised. He wasn’t used to feeling this light, this… connection. But he knew he couldn’t stay. The night was darkening, and there were shadows moving that needed his attention, dangers lurking too close for comfort.

B efore he can pull away completely, he reaches into her back pocket and pulls out her phone, holding it between them. “Your phone,” he says, raising an eyebrow as he waits for her to unlock it. She hesitates, clearly caught off guard, but then complies, handing it back with a curious look.

W ithout another word, Blade punches his number into her contacts, the motions quick and practiced. He pings his own phone, ensuring the connection went both ways. He needs a way to reach her, to keep her safe in a world she doesn’t yet understand.

“ There,” he says, handing her phone back. “Now you have my number. And I have yours.”

R ayne looks down at the screen, a small smile playing on her lips. She glances back up at him, a flicker of amusement and something else, something deeper, in her gaze. “So, does this mean I’ll see you again?”

“ You will,” he replies, his voice carrying a certainty he hadn’t felt in a long time. He tucks his phone back into his pocket, letting his hand linger just long enough to brush against hers. “But I need to go for now.”

H e takes a step back, the distance feeling like a sudden loss, a hollowing out that makes him realize just how much he doesn’t want to leave. But he has no choice. He has responsibilities, dangers to face before they can get any closer. He has to protect her, even if it means stepping away.

“ Be careful,” he warns, his voice softer, almost a plea. “If you ever need anything, call me. I’ll be there.”

R ayne nods, a small crease appearing between her brows, as if she could sense the weight of his words, the layers of meaning beneath them. “I will.”

B lade holds her gaze for a moment longer, imprinting the sight of her on his mind before turning away. As he walks back toward Scar, who is waiting at the door with a knowing look, he felt the lingering warmth of her presence, the echo of her touch still thrumming through his veins.

I t wasn’t over—not by a long shot. He’d find his way back to her. The bond they shared was too strong, too deep to ignore. As he slips into the shadows, Blade knows that now that he’d seen her, touched her, tasted her, there was no going back.