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their own. I want to help you.”
    “I have no need for help such as this.”
    “I don’t understand,” she said. But deep down, she thought that perhaps she did.
    “Is the stone meant to trap me? Enslave me, perhaps?” he asked, sounding so dangerous that it chilled her. She had never, not even at their first meeting, feared him.
    She refused to be afraid of him now.
    They were both on their feet. Before her eyes, so fast she could scarcely believe it, he changed from sensual lover to angry predator.
    Somehow, he’d found out what her sisters had planned for him.
    Yet even now, when she knew she should, she could not confess her part in it—that she had indeed been meant to lure him into slavery—because it was too late. Even if it were not, she could never betray her sisters either.
    “I never tried to enslave you, and I never will,” she said. That much was the truth. She had discarded that plan the first time he touched her.
    He stepped toward her, forcing her back. Deep in his eyes, demon fire flared. Nearby, shrubs burst into flame.
    “You already have. Is the bond between us not slavery enough for you?” he asked.
    She should have told him she loved him. She had no one to blame but herself for this disaster. She had known how much he resented the bond between them, and that he disliked the loss of freedom it represented as much as he enjoyed possessing her.
    She reached for the amulet she wore, the one he’d given her to protect her from demons, and that protected her from his anger now. Slowly, she lifted it from around her neck, freeing it from the tangles of her hair, unwilling to part with it because she discovered it was far more precious to her than the other, but knowing she must. He would never believe in her love for him while it kept her safe. If she showed any fear of him, she would lose him.
    “How is our bond more slavery for you than me?” she asked. She held his amulet out to him. When he refused to touch it, she took both stones—his and hers—and joined them so that the two pieces fit together as one. Then, she allowed them to trickle from her hand. The twin chains glittered in the dirt at her feet. “I love you. Bond or not, whether you claim me or not, I’m yours. I’ll never belong to another.”
    The fire in his eyes died, as did the lingering flames that burned the shrubs around the oasis to ash. He stared at the two joined stones for long moments.
    “You are my heart and soul. There will be no more misunderstandings between us. If you love me as you say,” he said, “then stay with me.”
    She heard the pleading, the longing, and the need behind his demand. Heart pounding, Allia stepped into his arms. She would promise him anything. She’d almost lost him, and she’d never risk doing so again. Someday, when her sisters found the one meant for each of them, they would understand this decision and forgive her for it.
    “Always,” she said.
    He cupped her face in his hands, kissing her brow. He stroked a thumb along the curve of her lips before bowing his head. “I promise, you’ll never regret this decision.”
    She knew she would not. She would give him no reason to, either. Together, they would repair the damage done to the world. They’d bring it new life.
    They would show goddess, demon, and mortal alike what it meant when two souls, destined to be together, finally found each other.
    We hope you have enjoyed this prequel novella. Turn the page to find out what happens in the first book of the Demon Outlaws Series, The Demon’s Daughter .

The Demon’s Daughter
    Available now from Entangled Publishing
    Prologue
    Year 330 PD (Post Demon Occupation)
    The Goddesses’ Mountain
    The mountain was on fire.
    Only a few days prior, ten priestesses had dwelled in its catacombs. Now, none but Desire remained. The haven the goddesses had built against demons had proved to be no haven this day.
    She shivered despite the intense heat, thankful that the demon fire no longer