Taming the Darkness

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Charley Davidson or any of the other characters within, nor do I earn any sort of profit for writing this piece. This is purely fan fiction based off the amazing world and stories by Darynda Jones. This story obviously contains mature content and scenes, as well as spoilers for The Trouble with Twelfth Grave so please read at your own risk.

_________________________________________________________________________

"Elle-Ryn-Ahleethia." He called my name for the second time - the celestial one. The way it rolled off his tongue it was as if he was testing the feel of it out, unconvinced that it was really me before him. His warm hand remained firm against the curve of my jaw and his wrist pressed into my neck. I'd touched him and he had freaked, basically pinning me to the living room wall. I swallowed against the pressure, staring into those dark eyes of this...animalistic version of my husband. I fought the urge to squirm. There was way more contempt in his expression than I was comfortable with. Well, from him anyway. If it was anybody else, I could have rolled with it, but Reyes! Now from him, it was just a touch more painful. But underneath that, I recognized the hint of lust within him - that shadowed his expression.

"Rey'azikeen," I choked out almost mockingly, as both my anxiety and the pressure of him against me increased. The confusion knitting his eyebrows together was kinda cute, despite all that distaste in his stare. It must have been the human-ness in me. Something poked at my memories - Kurr, a big baddie I'd sent into the same hell dimension I fought to get Reyes out of, had called him that. He had said that before Lucifer forged a son, that Reyes had been Rey'azikeen the god - a god with a distaste for humans. My humanity wasn't exactly something new, but I guessed to this version of Reyes, it was. But why had he forgotten me? What had happened to him in the god glass? I had called him repeatedly by every name I could think of until my throat hurt, voice hoarse, and still, he hadn't returned. And now, one big ol' explosion later, here he was in all his glory: the dangerous, delectable man I had fallen in love with...but with a little splash more wild godliness and more than a bit of amnesia. His humanity had been wiped away; the slate was clean. Somebody had hit "restart" mid-game. My own heartbeat drummed in my ears. His lips were so close that I could nearly taste them. His free arm remained against the wall beside my, caging me between him and the wall. I could feel myself trembling and opened my mouth to speak, but the sound of my apartment door swinging open gave me pause.

"Aunt Charley?"

Alarm rose within me as a growl rumbled low in Rey'azikeen's chest. Judging by the sound of her voice, she was a little freaked. Had it been the loud boom? I wouldn't doubt it. That explosion had totally scared crap out of me. I hadn't expected that stupid 600 year old stone pendant to bring the souls trapped inside or my husband out in such a manner. Although, it seemed like the very essence of my husband had been the cause of the damage, if that made any sense. He could make one hell of an entrance.

We were torn from our stare down to look at the blue-eyed girl lingering in the doorway to my living room. Those pale eyes were wide as they viewed our stance, and the growl from her pseudo uncle (because let's face it, I am pretty much this chick's rockin' aunt, if I do say so myself) reached her ears, making them impossibly wider. Rey'azikeen's lip twitched upward in disdain, showing off his perfect pearly whites. I scrambled, pushing hard against the wall of muscle. He didn't budge. The tiniest of squeaks escaped my thirteen year old niece. She was used to her yummy, sweet Uncle Reyes smiling and winking at her and helping her gets into all kids of trouble, but his expression was scary even to me.

"Um," I tried to make words, but failed miserably. I tried again.

"Listen, kiddo, now's not a good time -"