by Eve Langlais
“For what? Ain’t your fault they attacked.”
“Yeah, it was. They were after Adara.”
“You don’t know that for sure,” Kevin remarked.
“She was attacked last night by demons, too. And two nights before that.”
Kevin’s brow creased. “And you’re just telling me this now?”
“I’ve been busy.”
“Babysitting Adara shouldn’t take priority over your pack,” Kevin chided.
“I know, it’s just…” Logan scrubbed at his face. “Demons are after her.”
“How is that the pack’s problem? The vampire seems more than willing to offer her protection.”
Logan glared. “She’s my problem, so stop busting my balls over it.”
“You can’t keep neglecting your people.”
“I ain’t neglecting them. They’ve got you. And you need to stop questioning my fucking actions,” Logan snapped. “For the past decade, I’ve made the pack my whole fucking world. Night and day. With no time off. I don’t think it’s too goddamned much to ask for a little slack while I deal with some personal shit.”
“Personal shit,” Kevin repeated slowly. The beta’s eyes widened. “Fuck me, you mated with her.”
“Kind of.”
“How? When?” Spat at him. Followed by, “What the hell were you thinking?”
“It was an accident. I was trying to save her life.” Because watching her bleed out, her breath getting shallower with each heave of her chest was more than he could bear.
“If you’re mated, then that changes everything. You know the pack will back you. Fuck the demons. Bring her home, and we’ll protect her. You don’t have to do this alone.”
“I kind of do, though. See, she doesn’t want to be mated to me.”
“She kind of doesn’t have a choice.”
“That’s what I thought, but Titus said he found a way to have the mark removed.”
At those words, Kevin frowned. “That’s not possible.”
He rolled a shoulder. “Not according to him. We go see some witch tonight to see if something can be done.”
“Do you want it gone?” Kevin asked.
Honestly? “No. But Adara does, so I guess it doesn’t matter what I want.” He wouldn’t bind her against her will.
“Maybe you should hold off or—”
Knock. Knock.
Kevin broke off. “Must be the satellite guy. One of the demons tore the dish right off the roof and tossed it at Brian.”
Except opening the door showed a stranger looking much too crisp for this time of day. His hair short and business-like, dark as a raven’s wing. His eyes hidden behind tinted shades. The stranger wore a proper suit that didn’t sport a single wrinkle, and he even had a tie.
“Can I help you?” Kevin asked.
“I’m looking for Logan McAllister.”
Inside, his wolf stretched and whined. Something about this guy felt off. He inhaled to find out more, only to realize there was no scent. None at all. His gaze narrowed.
“Why do you want him?” Logan asked.
“Are you McAllister?” The head swiveled to look at Logan, and despite not seeing the eyes, a shiver went through him.
Bad. Logan didn’t need his wolf’s impression to come to the same conclusion.
“What if I am? Who the fuck are you?” Logan didn’t cower before the stranger in the tie. He didn’t like him. Not one bit.
“Might I enter so we can discuss certain recent events?”
Logan crossed his arms and blocked the door. “Wanna be a little more specific?”
“I hear you had a demon situation last evening.”
The hairs on his neck rose. “Says who?”
“Let’s just say I’m a person who knows many things.”
“You’re also a person who is going to get this door slammed in his face if he doesn’t answer the simple question of who the fuck are you?”
“My name is Mammon. As for a title, think of me as a demon liaison here to offer apology and restitution.”
Logan might have gaped for a second before he snickered. “So, you’re like a lawyer for Hell. Here to…what? Bribe me and get me to sign something in blood, promising I won’t make a complaint and get your kind in trouble?”
“You don’t need to sign a thing. I am here to offer an apology.”
“How about you give me a reason as to why those demons attacked my house in the first place?”
“Could we discuss this indoors? These are not matters to be spoken of in public.”
Kevin immediately hissed, “Don’t trust him. And don’t invite him in. Never give them permission to come inside your house.”
A tilt of Mammon’s lips showed his mirth as he said, “That is a myth.”
Logan took a step back. “Prove it.”
He watched as the man lifted a polished loafer and placed it over the threshold, then the other until he stood just inside. He didn’t writhe in pain or burst into flames.
Had the legends gotten anything right?
“Satisfied?” Mammon asked with a hint of impatience.
“Not really. I don’t trust you.” He also didn’t like the fact that he couldn’t tell what this guy was. Not human, that was for sure. But was he a demon? Because demons weren’t supposed to tolerate sunlight.
“We don’t need trust to come to an arrangement.”
“You’re inside now. Start talking. Why did those demons attack my place?” Logan didn’t mention the other attacks. No use tipping his hand until he found out more.
“They were following a trail and obviously got confused.”
“Trail for what?”
“You mean who.” Mammon hadn’t removed his glasses even though he’d come indoors. “An entity of interest has escaped our realm.”
“And they thought this person was in my house?” Logan arched a brow. “Only demon around is the one in front of me. Because you are a demon, right?” Despite the lack of scent, something about the guy triggered Logan. Made his hackles rise and had his wolf on edge.
Danger.
“The entity of whom I speak is not a demon. But is quite dangerous. Manipulative.” The word was spoken on a growl. “They might seem weak, fragile, but do not be fooled. If you’ve seen her—”
“Her?” Logan queried, interrupting Mammon.
“She has chosen a female form to better ply her wiles. Do not be fooled.”
“What does she look like?”
“Unmistakable with her platinum hair, but she might have dyed it another color.”
“And does she have a name?”
“The name matters not, for it is probably false. She has adopted a new persona to better blend in and fool those around her.”
“Sounds pretty thin, Mammy.” Logan intentionally shortened the name and saw the tightening of the guy/demon’s jaw. “You’re looking for someone, but you don’t know what she looks like or what she’s called. What makes you think she’s been through here?”
“A tip led me to this area.”
“A tip?” Logan sneered. “Your fugitive might be in this town, but I am gonna tell you right now, she ain’t in my house. This is pack territory. For pack members only.”
“And yet there are rumors of your associating with a female.”
Logan didn’t react. “I’m a guy. I like associating with women, especially my mate.”
Now a frown knit the guy’s forehead. “Mate? My file doesn’t show—”
“Fuck your file. And fuck your little bounty hunters trying to collect a prize. The only females hanging around this house are part of the pack.” Logan jerked his thumb at Kevin. “Don’t believe me? Ask my beta.”
Kevin straightened. “Like the boss said, you’re the only non-pack member who’s been in this house recently.”
The shaded lenses didn’t exactly let Logan know what this Mammon character thought, but he could sense the guy’s agitation.
“You would do well to ensu
re you don’t end up on the wrong side of this issue. The fugitive will be caught, and those who have abetted her will pay the price.”
“Threats now?” Logan said in a soft voice. “That’s not very nice. And here I’ve been more than helpful.”
“She will be found, and if you’ve—”
Logan cut him off. “My turn to ask you something, Mammy. Did you get permission to come to Earth and intimidate folks? Do the big dudes in charge know your bounty hunters are attacking people? Maybe we need to look at tightening who comes through that doorway from Hell. Or put a lock on it.”
Lips tightened, and a wisp of smoke curled from a nostril, yet Mammon retained his placid expression. “I’m sure there’s no need for hasty actions. I did mention earlier I was here to offer restitution for any damage incurred.”
“And yet you haven’t offered any money, which makes me wonder why you’re really here. What did this fugitive do?”
“She dared to threaten the basis of our entire society.”
“Sounds like she’s pretty badass,” Logan mocked, wondering if they could be talking of Adara. Who was he kidding? What were the chances this guy was after anyone else?
“She is dangerous. If you see her, contact me at once.” Mammon withdrew a card and flicked it in Logan’s direction, the blackness of it matte, yet the sigils on it blazed as if imbued with fire. Grabbing it from midair, Logan didn’t let his expression change as it did indeed scorch the tips of his fingers.
“What about our compensation?” Kevin asked. “Because that is why you came, right? We have damage from your demon posse. Damage we’ve had to repair out of pack funds. Or are you now going to be a cheap bastard about it since we don’t know shit?”
Logan could have smirked at the extra jab.
“Apologies. I should have perhaps begun this conversation with this.” Mammon withdrew a wad of cash from his jacket and handed it over. “On behalf of the legion ruled by the great dark lord, please accept this token of remuneration.”
Kevin took the wad of cash before Logan could slap it from his hand. In the movies, accepting anything constituted a deal. Except, in this case, Kevin hadn’t pledged anything. Still…Logan did wonder if they should bury it.
Message and money delivered, Mammon left, and Logan’s gaze followed him as he traversed his property. Was it just him, or did a shadow fall over Mammon, keeping the sun from hitting his skin directly? The demon liaison paused at the sidewalk and cast a look at Logan. Smirked. Then he got into the dark sedan parked at the curb. A moment later, he was gone, and the tension in Logan eased.
Kevin whistled. “Shit, dude, there’s like ten k in this wad.” Logan turned to see his beta fanning the crisp, hundred-dollar bills.
Dirty demon money.
Logan handed the business card to his beta with one order. “Burn it all.”
Chapter Fourteen
The next address Mammon visited proved even less remarkable than that of the Lycan pack. He held in a grimace as he stepped into the rat king’s home. The things he had to do himself since the agents he’d smuggled into this world had failed so miserably…
The stench of rodent permeated every inch of the space. Disgusting. He’d have to burn his suit.
Unlike the wolf alpha, the rat king didn’t hesitate to let him in.
“So, you work for Hell?” the rat king asked, leading Mammon past a living room that had probably never seen better days to a kitchen that surely spawned the plague itself.
“You might say I serve Hell’s interests.” So long as they coincided with his own.
“And you’re here, why?”
“I am in need of information.”
“Really?” The beady eyes showed a wily astuteness. “’Cause what I heard is you’ve been going around paying off folks who’ve had problems with demons causing damage.”
“Violent incursions are rare, but when they do occur, we take them seriously. Rest assured, we will take measures to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”
“Now there’s a load of bullshit,” the rat said with a sneer. “In the past forty-eight hours alone, there’s been seven known attacks, including one on a warehouse that put some of my people out of work.”
A well-informed rat king. Perhaps Mammon would finally get the information he sought.
Mammon showed none of that on his face but continued in his annoying, placating tone. “A regrettable occurrence. A slackening at the borders. We have already dealt with the breach.”
“Why are those demons attacking?”
“Creatures of chaos don’t usually have a motive.”
The rat shook his head. “These ones did, though. Way I heard it, they were after someone specific.”
No point in lying. “As a matter of fact, they were searching for someone.”
“Who?”
“A female. Not a demon,” Mammon hastened to add. “However, she does bear a taint.”
“What’s her name?”
“We are unsure what she’s chosen to use in this realm.” The spells hiding her kept many facts from him. It made his task so much harder. But he’d prevail in the end. He would find her.
“Do you have an example of her scent?”
“No.” If he did, he’d have her in his clutches already. He’d come closest with the first attack. Only to have his three best agents foiled. Agents now in hiding because they’d killed some puny humans.
The rat king eyed him even more shrewdly. “Can you describe her?”
“We have reason to believe she’s changed her appearance.” The reports he’d heard thus far differed. Dark hair. Streaked. Short. Tall. The magic hiding her changed people’s recollections.
The rat snickered. “So, you mean to say you’re looking for someone, a woman, whose name you don’t know, whose appearance is unknown, and for whom you don’t have a scent. Gonna be honest, short of her stepping forward, doesn’t sound like you stand much chance of finding her.”
“I assure you, if you meet her, she is not easily forgotten.”
“And you’re here to…what? Threaten me into finding her?”
“Who’s threatening?” Mammon spread his hands in a gesture meant to make him appear benign. A lie. If he didn’t need this thing’s aid, he could tear him apart with his bare hands. “I merely thought to ask if you could provide assistance. For compensation, of course, given your kind are known to be excellent trackers.”
The rat king smirked. “Sorry, but we don’t work for demons. Even we have a line we won’t cross. We especially aren’t interested in helping you catch some woman to drag her back to Hell. So, you might as well mosey your arrogant ass back to the pit you crawled out of. Me and my people are not for sale.”
“You toy with things you don’t understand.”
“And you are trying to manipulate me, which I don’t appreciate. This meeting is done. You know where the door is.”
Mammon tugged at his cuffs. “I will leave, but a warning first. If it is discovered that you abetted the fugitive, it will not end well for you.”
“Again with the threats.” The rat king sighed. “No wonder you pissed off Logan.”
“You spoke to the wolf?”
“Yeah, I did, and he warned me you were a slick bastard.”
“You should choose your side carefully. I am not a person you should trifle with.”
“Neither are we. Go back to Hell where you belong.”
Anger churned inside Mammon. It boiled and burned, steaming from his skin. “You are impertinent.” He moved closer to the rat king, who uttered a short whistle. From the battered cupboards and other crevices came rats. Dozens, hundreds, their beady eyes staring.
“Do you really think your tiny army of rodents frightens me?” Mammon smirked. “If I weren’t expected elsewhere, I’d teach you a lesson in manners.” But he had more people to question. Mammon strode towards the entrance of the house only to pause. “I almost forgot.” He withdrew an envelope from his breast pocket. “Compensation
for your time and an example of what you could earn should you choose to help me.” He extended his hand, only the rat didn’t reach for the package.
“Don’t need your money.” The rodent king crossed his arms.
“But I insist. Take. It.” Mammon growled, irritated at the lack of respect.
The rat shook his head. “No matter what anyone thinks of my kind, I won’t be bought.”
“You will regret this.”
“Doubtful. Get out.”
Arguing would serve no purpose, especially once the rats from the kitchen arrived, a flood of furry rodent bodies, their beady eyes fixed on him. They formed a semi-circle around him that tightened, forcing him towards the exit.
“If you change your mind and wish to speak, contact me.” He flicked a business card before exiting.
Then smiled as someone exclaimed, “Holy shit, the damn thing is written in fire.”
Eventually, someone would let greed overtake their morals. And then…then Mammon would find out for sure if the rumors were true.
Did she truly live?
Chapter Fifteen
It’s good to be alive. Adara woke slowly and stretched. The sunshine spilling over the bed warmed her skin.
A beautiful day to meet her lover.
Lover?
She sat up and looked around, noting the unfamiliar bed and strange room. The walls appeared comprised of white stone, seamless and glittery with sparkly flecks. The space, while large, wasn’t the biggest bedroom she’d ever seen. Titus had it beat with the one he let her use in his mansion. Yet despite its smaller footprint, the room inspired the same luxurious feeling.
A fireplace adorned one wall, the ivory mantle unstained by soot, the interior inlaid with crystal blocks. The giant bed, the posters made of bleached wood that rose in spirals, had matching nightstands on either side, and a tall wardrobe sat in the corner. The window was covered by sheer drapes, partially ajar, just enough for sunlight to creep in.
Where was she? Adara had to wonder because nothing felt familiar, and yet at the same time, she knew this place. This is my room.
Her room from before.
Which meant this must be a dream. A new one. Adara almost feared moving, scared it would vanish. This was the first time she’d ever dreamt of anything but that horrifying day.