The next thing I knew, I was opening my eyes in an unfamiliar room, in an unfamiliar bed.
I lay there and blinked in utter confusion for several minutes. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept — or fallen unconscious — and not awoken in a cold sweat from nightmares. I hadn’t dreamed at all, at least not that I could remember. My body was sore, every muscle aching, and there was a lingering sting on my chest.
The sting. That was what brought it back to me: I’d done the unthinkable. I’d sold my soul to a demon, in exchange for mass murder. I was going to kill Kent Hadleigh and his cult, and I had a demon to help me do it.
A sadistic madman of a demon who laughed when he was stabbed and gave orgasms like a serial killer murdering his latest victim — hard, fast, and brutal, with passionately violent glee.
I sat up slowly, letting the covers fall from my chest. I was shockingly clean, my hair still slightly damp. I couldn’t remember showering, so did that mean…
Did that mean the demon that had chased me through the woods had bathed me?
The thought made me instantly squirm. It was hard to believe he’d bothered to clean me up. He’d even taken the time to put me in bed and tuck me under the covers. It seemed too nice, too caring. Kindness felt like a trap, and it made me instantly suspicious.
I didn’t need to be taken care of; I’d made that clear to him back in the forest. He’d ignored me, of course, but if he’d left me alone like I’d told him to, I would have managed fine on my own. A few minutes of resting my eyes, and I would have been more than capable of walking home.
I sighed heavily, wincing as I tried to run my hand through my tangled hair. I was lying to myself. My pride was berating me for it, but I’d needed Zane’s help back there in the woods. I wouldn’t have made it to safety without him.
The room I was in was spacious, with a few cushioned chairs, a television, and a large dark trunk at the foot of the bed. Gray stone adorned the bathroom at the far side of the room, and curtains were drawn across floor-to-ceiling windows to my left. I couldn’t hear any rain, but the light spilling through was pale and muted.
Where the hell was my gun?
I slipped out of bed, the wooden floor cool beneath my feet. I went into the bathroom, the large mirror over the bronze basin sink giving me a full view of my naked body. It was a body covered in scars, burns, and art; a body I’d often hated and rarely loved. After the Libiri had cut me, the ragged wounds had swollen and scabbed over before they slowly healed to pale scars. I hadn’t been able to bear looking in the mirror and seeing them, a constant reminder of the horror, the pain, and the agony that had come after. The agony of not being believed, of being treated like a troubled child making wild accusations.
I’d eventually covered them with tattoos. At least then, I could look in the mirror and see the art I’d chosen.
But there were new scars now, scars that had miraculously healed between last night and this morning. The lines were slim, not jagged and torn like the others. I didn’t understand the marks, but they were simple, centered in the wolf’s head I’d tattooed on my chest. The new scars hadn’t disfigured the art at all. They flowed with it.
I frowned, tracing my fingers along the pale unfamiliar lines. I’d let a demon take a knife to my skin. I wasn’t even sure how I’d been able to bear it, how I’d been brave enough to kneel there and accept it. But I’d done it, and that brought a wave of relief crashing over me. I’d faced the thing I feared. I’d relived one of my greatest terrors and…
I was okay. I was alive.
I didn’t feel the same nausea seeing these scars as I had when I looked at the old ones. I’d chosen them, not unlike my tattoos. They were strange, but they were mine.
I splashed cold water on my face before I searched the room for my clothes and weapons. But there was nothing in the room that belonged to me, and there were no clothes in any of the drawers. Cursing, I snatched the white sheet off the bed and wrapped it around myself, tucking it in so I could move with my hands free before I eased open the bedroom door.
The hallway extended to the left, and from the landing, I had a view down to the lower floor over the wooden railing. Gray light filtered through large windows above the entry door below, giving me a view of a dirt yard and distant trees. I crept down the stairs, and found myself in a hall that branched off into the kitchen on the left, and the living room ahead. I slipped into the kitchen, found it empty, and took the largest knife from the block on the countertop. I wasn’t about to walk around a strange house unarmed.
The living room was spacious, with an L-shaped couch in the middle of the space. The carpet felt clean and soft under my toes. The far wall was glass, with a view of the dock extending into the lake just down the back steps. It was beautiful, the kind of view people dreamed of having.
Surely this wasn’t Zane’s house. Did demons have houses? Did they need them?
Something moved behind me, reflected in the glass over my shoulder. I didn’t move, but I tightened my grip on the knife. The large, dark form moved silently, coming closer…closer —
I spun around, slamming the knife down. The blade was sharp, and it sunk deep, all the way up to the hilt in the bare, tattooed chest in front of me.
Oh…shit…
Zane tsked, looking down at the knife, then slowly back up to me as I took a step back, and then another.
“Juniper, oh, Juniper.” He sighed, grasped the knife, and jerked it free from his flesh. Blood dripped along the blade, but the wound it left behind didn’t bleed. He waved the knife at me, smiling tightly. “Playtime is over, little wolf. That hurt, you know.”
“Don’t sneak up on me,” I said, my back nearly pressed against the glass. “You scared me.”
His eyes widened pointedly. “Yes, that’s what we demons do. We sneak and scare.”
“Then you’re going to keep getting stabbed.”
He rolled his eyes. He was wearing joggers low on his hips, the black band of his briefs barely visible above them. His chest rippled with muscles, every inch of skin covered in ink. Images of men and women bound in shackles and rope, suspended, gagged — it was practically pornographic, and not just because of the art.
The stab wound wasn’t even visible anymore.
“Mm, you have to remember something about threatening me.” He stepped closer. I had nowhere to run; I could only lift my chin defiantly, staring him down as he caressed the blade along my cheek. “Pain turns me on. Threats turn me on. So it sounds like you’re flirting with me.” He smirked. “Be good, unless your intention is to make me treat you like you’re very, very bad.”
I gulped. My pussy seemed to think his words were good enough to get all hot and clenched over. I squeezed my thighs together, but his smile widened. Goddamn it, he could smell me. I couldn’t even hide my own irrational arousal from him.
I wanted my knife back. I may have given him my soul, but being around him, unarmed, was unnerving. “Where are my clothes?”
“They’re clean and drying. They should be ready soon.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You…washed my clothes? You do laundry?”
“Unfortunately, human society dictates that I’m required to put clothing upon this fleshy body,” he said. “So yes, I do laundry. Did you think demons magically stay clean?”
I opened my mouth several times, at a loss for words. “I don’t know a goddamn thing about demons. I thought you all just…” I waved my hands around. “Disappeared into the air or something when you’re not chasing humans through the woods.”
He laughed, shaking his head as he turned away and carried the knife back toward the kitchen. I followed, because I didn’t know what else to do. “No, little wolf, we don’t just disappear. If we’re on Earth, we’re staying in our physical form the majority of the time. Floating around Earth as just spiritual energy is a terrible idea. It’ll get you all mixed up.”
I wasn’t sure what he meant, but I didn’t question it. He set the knife in the sink and leaned back on the counter, the veins in his muscular arms creating drool-worthy lines beneath his skin as he tapped his claws against the cabinets.
Drool-worthy? Oh God, had my brain really gone there?
The demon smirked, as if he could read my ludicrous thoughts. “Are you hungry?”
Yes, I was, in more than one sense of the word. “What’s it matter to you?”
“I have an interest in keeping you alive,” he said. “Let me tell you a little fun fact, Juniper. Soul bargains are overseen by Hell’s Council. Think of them as our government. Now, once upon a time, an absolute dolt of a demon decided to convince an entire bar of drunken humans to give him their souls. He then massacred all of them, so he wouldn’t have to bother fulfilling his end of their deals. The council doesn’t look very fondly upon the bargain-and-murder method of soul hunting. They put a stop to it. So I’m not trying to have you die from something so silly as starving to death, because I’m really trying to avoid the council’s attention. Now, are you hungry?”
I thought of telling him I wasn’t going to starve to death after only a day…but I was hungry. I nodded.
“Oh, good. Look at you, admitting you have needs. Bravo.” He gave a sarcastic clap of his hands and snatched up a key from the counter, jangling it in the air. “Let’s go then.”
“I don’t have clothes on, asshole,” I said as he brushed past me toward the front door. The touch of his arm against my bare shoulder sent a little shiver up my back and a tingle straight down to my core. Goddamn it, the demon was a walking death trap baited with good looks. “And you’re barely dressed either!”
“Is that a problem?” He turned, one hand on the front door knob. It caught me off guard, and my eyes immediately darted down — down to the absurd bulge in his pants. I hurriedly looked away, jaw clenched, my arms folded over the sheet I’d wrapped around myself. “Mm, that’s what I thought.”
I really didn’t plan on getting into the bright orange Acura NSX the demon had parked in the yard, but the hunger shakes had set in. I’d be useless soon if I didn’t consume some calories. I slid into the passenger seat, begrudgingly noticing just how comfortable the leather was as I settled in. Zane kept looking over at me, a cocky smile on his face as he started the engine.
“What?” I finally snapped, when he wouldn’t stop staring.
“You like the car.” He didn’t even pose it as a question.
“Why does a demon have a car?” I said. “Or a house?”
He pulled out of the yard, onto a narrow road shaded by maple trees. The engine roared, the tires screeched, and the car took off down the winding road, the force of its speed making my stomach flip and pressing me back to the seat.
“Why wouldn’t I get a car?” he said, raising his voice over the sound of the engine. “I can run faster than any human, but I can’t run around in public. The council would have a fit if I showed off like that.” He leaned back in the seat, one hand on the wheel. “I have to show off in other ways.”
I began to recognize the roads as we drove. We were a little north of Abelaum, following the road south along the bay. I wasn’t going to admit it, but the car was impressive. And expensive.
“Do you have a job or something?” I said, trying not to look at him so I wouldn’t slip up and look down again.
“I hunt souls.”
“Does Hell pay you for that? You bought the house and the car somehow.”
“Hell provides,” he said simply. “For those who provide for it in return. Soul hunters are treated generously by the council.”
This was all sounding a bit too much like something out of a fantasy novel. Soul hunters, councils in Hell, the fact that Hell itself was even real. I fell silent, and Zane turned up the radio, blasting “Twisted” by MISSIO through the car’s sound system. He nodded his head along to the music, having a fantastic time while I glared in the seat beside him.
He was playing nice, but I wasn’t going to forget he was a monster; a monster I’d made a deal with for one purpose, and one purpose only: to bring an end to the Hadleighs and their cult.
But maybe I’d get a few more good fucks out of it, as a bonus. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t deny it. I was so goddamn attracted to him that I got shivers just from looking at him. The thought of his dick made my pussy start doing kegels of her own free-fucking-will.
He finally slowed as we drove into downtown Abelaum. We passed the university campus, the tall stone buildings partially hidden behind trees. I’d thought I might go there, once upon a time. Back before my reality was shattered, before I realized the university was just another trap the Libiri used to lure in new followers.
We drove past the bars, the boutiques, and the cafes, finally pulling into the parking lot at Dick’s Drive-in.
I balked as he got out. “I’m wearing a fucking sheet, Zane!”
But he just kept walking, shirtless, toward the order window. I growled furiously, slammed my fist against the dashboard hard enough to hurt — and followed him.
It had been ages since I’d had a good burger, that was the only excuse I had.
Luckily, the sheet I wore was completely overshadowed by Zane strutting up to the window, shirtless. I don’t think the woman who took our order even realized I was there, continuing to stare at him even as I told her what I wanted. I couldn’t blame her.
Back in the car, the smell of the food had me digging into the bag like a starving animal. I had finished my first burger before I noticed Zane watching me, a pleased smile on his face.
“What?” I said, with sauce smudged on my face and lettuce spilled down the sheet.
“Just admiring my pet,” he said. “I thought you might be stubborn and hold back on eating.”
“I’m not your fucking pet,” I muttered.
“Mm, and yet I clearly remember you telling me I owned you the other night.” God, he was unbearable. That stupid cocky grin. He looked so pleased with himself.
He was eating up the attention I was giving him, so I took it away. I started on my second burger, refusing to even glance in his direction as he hummed along to the stereo. He hadn’t ordered any food himself, just a large soda that he sipped as he bobbed his head.
“What’s our first place of attack, little wolf?” he said, as I finished my second burger and leaned back in the seat, obnoxiously full but perfectly satiated. “Where do we hurt your enemies first?”
I had to think for a moment. I hadn’t planned this far. Beyond selling my soul and getting a demon on my side, I wasn’t sure what to do next. Anger and grief were still clouding my thoughts, so it was difficult to contemplate how best to go after the Hadleighs when…
When Marcus hadn’t even been safely laid to rest.
“My brother’s body was stolen from his grave,” I said. “The night of his funeral, someone came and stole him. I watched it happen.” I turned to him. “Kent Hadleigh has a demon that works for him. That’s who took my brother’s body. I need to find out where his body is and get it back.”
Zane nodded. “I know that demon. I’ll ask him about it.”
“Kill him after you’re done speaking with him. We need to get him out of the way so Kent doesn’t have his protection.”
Zane laughed, and started the car’s engine again. “Sorry, but I won’t be doing that.”
My eyes widened as I looked at him, my heart pounding. “We made a deal. You agreed to help me kill —”
“I agreed to help you destroy the Libiri,” he said. He didn’t keep his eyes on the road as he drove. He looked out the window instead, as if he were merely a passenger watching the world go by. It was unnerving as hell. “Leon has caused you no harm, nor will he. He’s not one of them.”
My heart was hammering against my ribs in fury. This was exactly what I was afraid of: the demon twisting words to get out of his bargain.
“No harm?” I snarled. “No fucking harm? He was there the night they threw me down in the dark! He chased me, he fucking chased me for hours! He would’ve dragged me back if he caught me, and would have thrown me down there again to die!”
I braced my hands against the dash to stop their shaking. The burgers were threatening to come up, my stomach twisting.
“Juniper, listen to me.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. Deep breaths, deep breaths. Ten seconds in, ten seconds out.
“I’ve known Leon a long time —”
“Stop fucking saying his name,” I hissed. I wanted to curl up into a ball. I wanted to scream. I hated feeling so irrational, I hated that I couldn’t make this panic calm. “I want him dead. I’ll do it myself —”
“No, you won’t.”
I opened my eyes, glaring at him across the seat. I wanted to strangle him. I wanted to stab him again. How dare he do this to me? How dare he take everything I had left and then refuse —
“Leon hates the Hadleighs as much as you do, Juniper,” he said, and his voice sounded strange, almost…sad. But that couldn’t be. “I know, I’ve heard the story. Kent Hadleigh sent him after you once you escaped the mine. But he couldn’t find you. He couldn’t catch you and he paid for that dearly. He didn’t have a choice.”
“He’s a sick, sadistic monster.”
“The Hadleigh family has kept him enslaved for nearly a hundred years. Imagine enduring Kent Hadleigh every fucking day, for years upon years. Imagine him having the power to hurt you, to magically break you again and again. No hope of escape, no hope even of death. Leon would kill that family in a heartbeat if he could.”
I couldn’t deny it this time; his tone was sad, pained even. I didn’t get it.
“Why do you care about him?” I snapped. “What does he matter to you?”
“We’re bonded.” I frowned in confusion, and he stuck out his forked tongue, pointing to the two metal bars pierced through his flesh. “Bonded, Juniper. We marked each other. We were mates…brothers…lovers…” He waved his hand. “Fucking semantics. There’s not a human word for it. You’ll just have to believe me when I tell you he isn’t your enemy, as much as you may hate him. You’re not going to kill him. Neither am I.”
I was too angry to think logically, too furious to take the deep breaths I so desperately needed. The moment we were back at the house, I stormed out of the car, slamming the door behind me.
Zane caught me before I could get inside.
Darkness surrounded me, as if someone had snuffed out the sun. Phantom tethers coiled around my ankles, rooting me in place. Out of the corner of my eye, Zane loomed up behind me, a dark figure with bright narrowed eyes glaring down at me.
“You’re a fucking bastard liar!” I said, fists clenched at my sides. I refused to turn and face him. “You’re going back on your deal —”
“I’m not going back on shit.” His teeth clipped together close to my ear, and the sound sent a jolt of fear through me. “Let’s reiterate a few little rules, Juniper Kynes. You do not command me. We have a deal, a partnership. As much as it may disgust you that you sold yourself to a monster, you’re with me of your own free fucking will. Now stop holding your breath, you’re going to make yourself pass out.”
I sucked in a slow, bitter breath. The darkness lightened, like mist chased away by the dawn. The tethers encompassing my ankles vanished. His hand reached around my throat, and his claws caressed lightly along my jaw. I shivered at the touch, the coldness of his claws shocking in comparison to the warmth of his skin.
“What happens when we go after Kent and Leon stands in our way?” I said tightly. His fingers tightened too, holding my jaw as if to demand my attention.
“He won’t. Leon will do everything in his power not to protect the Hadleighs. You can hate him all you want, Juniper. Plenty of beings hate that murderous bastard.” He let me go, and I turned toward him, arms folded. Without his supernatural darkness and dramatic deep voice, he was just a clawed pretty boy with sharp teeth and weird eyes. I scowled.
“Are you done with the theatrics?” I said. His eyes widened at the challenge.
“My theatrics? What about yours, little wolf? Are you done throwing a tantrum?”
I kept my mouth closed, angry words caged behind my clenched teeth. My heart rate was slowing, coming down from the mind-numbing panic. Leon. I’d never known the demon’s name before. A name stripped away some of the terror, like a phantom brought into sunlight.
“I’ll get the information you need,” Zane said, rubbing his hand over his head with a heavy sigh. “I’ll find out where your brother’s body is.”
