Ralph grunted. “I can. What you’re sensing are humans who don’t have any real supernatural power of their own. All of what they have is stolen and leeched from others. They control the demon. They’re who summoned it.”
“Uh, guys,” said Diane from the window area. She was peeking out through the old wooden blinds. “A lot of men in robes are surrounding the building. They’re either going to launch into song and chants to serenade us, or they’re the bad guys.”
Duncan moved quickly to her location and peered out through the slot in the blinds. She was right. The building was surrounded by men in dark brown robes. He’d have laughed at how ridiculous they all looked had the very demon he’d seen years ago not appeared out of thin air before them.
It’s red, glowing gaze snapped directly to Duncan.
“Ca-tri-na,” the demon said loudly.
“Holy crapola,” said Maria. “What was that and did it say your name, Cat?”
Catrina bit her lower lip. “Um, that would be the demon. It talked to me in the restroom too. Said my name then as well.”
Rage filtered up and through Duncan.
No one was going to harm his mate.
Period.
As he glanced back out at the robed men he noticed something about one of the men—one who seemed to be in charge—he was wearing skinny jeans. Not just any skinny jeans. Ones Duncan had seen before.
The little shit who had ordered the coffee-flavored beer!
He stepped back from the window and stared at his cousin. “The robed men are the college boys from the bar. I’d know jeans that cut off yer balls anywhere.”
Liam arched a brow. “I’m nae touching that comment with a ten-foot pole.”
Ralph darted to the window and looked out. He let out an annoyed breath. “You’re right. It’s those little asshats.”
Duncan didn’t wait around to hear more. He ran for the front door, undid it and charged out and at the demon. He leaped and did a partial change in mid-air, his runes flaring and catching fire in some spots.
Running on pure adrenaline, he didn’t feel any pain. Only anger and rage. Only hate at the thing that had stolen his mate’s childhood from her. Who had taken her parents when she was just a wee one.
Claws emerged from Duncan’s fingertips as he connected with the massive demon. It was like hitting a stone mountain. It didn’t budge, but it did slam its fist into Duncan’s chest, stealing the air from his lungs as it did.
Duncan hit the pavement hard but bounced up fast, snarling as he did. His magik coursed through his veins quickly as his upper half was quickly covered in a light coating of fur.
The wolf and his magik side merged, coming to the understanding they’d need to work together to defeat the beast and protect their mate.
He shot power out at the demon and charged it once more, only to watch as it grew in size and mass, as if his very power had fed it.
Duncan slammed into the thing and managed to knock it backward some.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Liam and Ralph going at the demon from the other side, trying to bring it down as well.
They weren’t having any luck either.
The men continued attacking it with both their strength and magiks. All they succeeded in doing was making the demon grow to nearly twice the size it had started from.
Liam fell back onto the pavement after a wicked blow from the demon. He didn’t move.
A sharp whistle rent the air and Duncan’s gaze snapped up to find Maria and Catrina had somehow managed to get behind the robed college boys. They were standing there, hand-in-hand, wind whipping around them, lifting their hair as power bristled through the air.
Catrina’s mouth was moving and it was then Duncan heard the soft sounds of a Latin spell being recited.
The demon shrieked.
Maria glared at it. “I’m the only one who is allowed to hit Butthead!”
Liam rubbed his chest from his spot on the ground. “Shite. That hurt.”
He sat up fast, his gaze going to Maria. It widened. “Lass, no! Go!”
Duncan was about to shout the same thing when the demon hissed and staggered backward some as Catrina kept reciting the chant.
A thought occurred to Duncan.
If the college boys were pulling the demon’s strings, maybe they were the key to stopping it.
He set his sights on Bicycle-Shirt Boy and charged him. He expected to meet with the same resistance he had when hitting the demon.
He didn’t.
He and the boy went tumbling back. Duncan landed on top of the boy and stared down at him, his body returning to that of a man, the wolf giving him this moment of victory.
With a snarl, Duncan bounced the boy’s head off the pavement and then came up fast as if on strings, bringing the boy with him. He lifted the boy high in the air, spun, and flung him at the demon.
The demon twisted and caught the robed boy. Not with its hands. No. It caught the boy with its mouth, crunching down hard, making one gut-curdling scream rip free from the boy before there was silence.
Bicycle-Shirt Boy went limp, his eyes glassing over a second before the demon began to choke.
It spat the boy’s dead body from its mouth and staggered back a few paces, coughing and gagging.
Duncan tipped his head. “Would you look at that? It does nae like coffee-flavored college boys. Cannae say I blame it.”
In the next breath, the robed figures around them all burst into flames, along with the body of Bicycle-Shirt Boy. The demon was next to burn and burn it did.
Never before had Duncan seen a fire so big and bright.
He’d have watched it longer but worry for his mate consumed him. He rushed to her side just as the wind around she and Maria died down.
Catrina stared past him at the charred remains of the demon. “Is it done?”
Ralph jogged over. “It is. If I’m right. The demon ate its summoner. Like a snake eating its own tail. Two dicks, one stone.”
“Cool,” said Maria, her gaze flickering to Liam.
Liam stood and rotated his shoulders. “Ouch. I’m going to be sore for weeks.”
“Aye,” added Duncan, as he pulled his mate into his arms and hugged her. He kissed the top of her head.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and shook.
When he realized that she was crying, he stiffened.
Diane was suddenly there, touching his shoulder. “They’re happy tears, Duncan. What killed her parents is dead and gone. Something I don’t think she really ever thought would happen.”
Catrina nodded against Duncan’s chest.
He kissed the top of her head again. “Let it out, lass. I’ve got you now and I’m never gonna let you go.”
“That’s like gag-worthy-sweet,” said Maria with a wink. “For a dog and all.”
Duncan snorted.
Liam approached Maria. “How is it you got around us? I dinnae see you leave the building.”
Maria grinned. “Catrina has a map of the tunnels that run under the building and the town. We just used a tunnel. Seemed easier than running head first at the big scary demon thing. But you men like doing things the hard way.”
Catrina laughed through her tears. “They certainly do.”
Duncan tilted her chin up. “Lass, it’s all over now. It can never hurt another again.”
“Thank you,” she said, going to her tiptoes and kissing him gently.
“Aye,” he whispered, pushing her hair back over her shoulders. “Lass, I love you and would do anything for you.”
Maria laughed. “Even bounce off a demon a few times for you, Cat.”
Liam snorted. “He does bounce well.”
“Shut it,” snapped Duncan at his cousin.
Catrina touched Duncan’s chin, directing his attention back on her. “I love you too.”
His heart swelled.
“Now, about you claiming me without talking to me about it first,” she said, narrowing her ga
ze on him.
He tensed. “Did I mention I love you?”
“You did,” she said with a wink and grin. “It would appear I have some reading to do. There is a book in there about being mated to an alpha-male wolf-shifter. The fact that it’s a thick book says there is a whole lot of crap I’m going to have to deal with.”
Duncan snorted. “Aye.”
* * *
THE END
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