by Lynn Hagen
“I think that could be arranged,” the man said as he sat back, gazing over Deandre’s body. Hell if the heated looked wasn’t setting him on fire. The deep hazel in the man’s eyes drew Deandre, turned him on, and made his cock harder. The man was rough, rugged looking, and so up Deandre’s alley.
“I’m not trying to be a prick, but my time is very limited.”
There went that dazzling smile again, the straight white teeth carving an image of complete masculine beauty.
“I’m aware of your time limits.”
Good. Then Deandre wouldn’t have to coax the man into one of the back rooms. As much as he would like to get to know this man better, Paul Bunyan needed to get his ass in gear. Deandre wanted a large piece of that man.
He stood, taking one last swallow of his drink before Deandre started walking down the dark-paneled hallway. He looked over his shoulder and saw the man standing, sucking back the rest of his liquor before he began to follow.
This was going to be sweet. As good-looking as the man was, Deandre was going to have to get the guy’s phone number. Hell, he was going to get a name for once. He usually didn’t bother with names. If the man he was screwing didn’t turn out to be his mate, Deandre usually didn’t come back for seconds.
He was on a mission, out to find his mate. All the demon warriors were. It was a damn shame he had to sleep with so many guys to find Mr. Mate. But, it was also fun. Deandre loved sex, loved everything about the act. He loved the intimacy, when he spared the time for foreplay. He even loved the cuddling afterward, when he had time.
Deandre tried his best to take his time, but in his line of work, it didn’t always pan out the way he would like it to. He was a generous and giving lover, but sometimes a quick fuck was all he had to give.
He sure as shit hoped he had time for this man. He’d like nothing better than to show the thick and muscle-bound man just how skilled a lover he truly was.
Deandre opened the door to the last room on the left, walking inside and freezing on the spot. What the fuck?
Looking around, Deandre knew he wasn’t in one of the back rooms. He was standing in his old neighborhood. The one he had grown up in, and the one that nearly broke him down in body and spirit. Zakerym hadn’t changed. It still looked like it did way back when. And that frightened him the most.
Instinctively, Deandre reached for his knife he kept in a sheath on his thigh as he spotted a group of men walking toward him. He didn’t think they had seen him yet, but he wasn’t taking any chances.
“What in the hell is going on?”
Deandre looked behind him to see the man from Diablo’s standing behind him, looking just as perplexed as Deandre felt.
“Is this your idea of a good time?” the man asked as he glanced at the approaching group of demons, then at Deandre.
Deandre didn’t know who the demons were, but he knew for a fact that they weren’t friendly.“I haven’t a fucking clue what’s going on, but we better get moving. Those demons aren’t heading our way to invite us to tea.”
Those demons knew Deandre was a warrior. It wasn’t hard to spot a demon warrior, but here, Deandre wished he was invisible. The men coming at them wanted nothing more than to torture a warrior, if for nothing else, for bragging rights.
He wasn’t about to be the cause for anyone’s boasting.
Deandre headed to the side of the dilapidated building, his eyes darting around for a shadow to use. All of his insecurities were rushing back, almost crippling him as he tried to find a way out of this place. And what made things worse was that the man who had followed Deandre, trusting him for a good time, was sucked into this strange situation. Deandre had to protect the man.
He grabbed the guy’s arm, hauling him toward a dark shadow at the end of the building. He stepped into the shadow, and then cursed when he realized that he hadn’t left Zakerym. He was still here.
And the group of men had turned down the alley, heading his way.
Chapter Nine
“This isn’ t Malcor’s,” Drake pointed out as they stepped out of a shadow—which he hated to use. He felt like he was going to vomit every single time they used it. They were in some dark parking lot, a row of motorcycles parked out front, and loud music streaming from inside the small shack of a building.
The damn place looked like a good, stiff wind would knock it over.
“I know.” Panahasi turned, walking backward as he smiled at the two. “I figured this place would be better suited for us.”
“Why?” Casey asked. “Are you ashamed to be seen with us at Malcor’s?”
They were wearing the same clothes they had come to the demon realm in. Although the clothes were washed daily, Drake was getting really sick of putting the same jeans and shirt on. Not to mention he could use a new pair of shoes. His running shoes were looking a bit dingy and worn out.
Panahasi stopped, the smile fading from his face. “I am very proud to call you mine. I just thought you would want to hang out in one of my favorite places. I come here to unwind…a lot.”
Drake smacked Casey on the back of his head. “Way to make him feel like shit.”
“How the hell was I supposed to know?” Casey asked, glaring at Drake.
“Do I need to break you two up?” Panahasi asked.
“Nope,” Drake said. “Let’s hang out and have some fun.”
“We are in the human realm, just so you know.”
In other words, no showing off any shifter qualities.
They stepped into the place, the sights and sounds immediately assailing Drake. He could smell hickory and smoke, which meant someone was grilling. His stomach growled at the mouthwatering scents.
Drake loved to eat. He loved barbeque most of all. Give him a rack of ribs, or a pulled pork sandwich, and he was in heaven.
As he glanced around, he saw that the place was half packed. There was also a stage to his left, pool tables, dartboards, loud men, and lively music. The juke box was currently playing“You” by Breaking Benjamin.
“What’s up, Panahasi,” a man said as he gave Drake’s mate a quick man hug. Drake was shocked to see anyone touching Panahasi. The man screamed fuck off from his attitude in the demon realm, but it seemed in the human realm, he was as comfortable as a tick on a dog.
Where in the hell had that analogy come from?
Maybe it was the Southern feeling of the place. It reminded him of the time he and Casey had spent in Montgomery, Alabama. The place was Southern as it could be, but the barbeques he and Casey had been invited to were some of the best times he could remember.
He and Casey had worked in a shithole gas station back then, and his boss loved to toss a pig on a spit—Tommy’s exact words, not Drake’s. They had been invited to a few pig roasts, and he and Casey had had a great time.
Their boss, Tommy, used to joke that he ate everything on the pig but the oink. Whatever that meant. But it was good nonetheless.
“How the hell you been, man?” the man asked as he stepped back.
“Doing good,” Panahasi replied.
The two men talked for a minute or two, and then Panahasi showed Drake and Casey to a table. “Order whatever you like. The food here is amazing.”
“And so are you,” Casey said as he sat down. “I never would have thought you hung out with friends and cut loose like this.”
“They aren’t friends,” Panahasi corrected. “They are just a bunch of nice humans who like kicking back, no fuss, no drama.”
“Do they know about you?” Casey asked.
“Nope,” Panahasi said as he took a seat. “No one knows about me.”
Drake caught the meaning. He knew Panahasi didn’t let anyone close enough to really get to know him. And that was a damn shame. From what Drake could see over the past week, the man was a good guy to have as a friend. The world was missing out on someone very special because Panahasi didn’t let anyone near him emotionally.
“If it isn’t my favorite demon.”
&n
bsp; Drake’s head snapped around to see a very tall biker man approaching their table. His instincts were to show his canines and warn the guy off, but there was something about him that stopped Drake. Not only was he Panahasi’s height, but he had a look that said he could eat Drake if he wanted to. Drake could tell the man was a shifter, and then the feeling overwhelmed him that the shifter was an alpha male. He tamped down the urge to bare his throat. Drake didn’t belong to a pack, and never would. He was in the demon realm now, mated to a demon. No one was going to rule over him.
Panahasi stood, his legs on either side of his chair as he tapped knuckles with the man. Damn, Panahasi was just chock-full of surprises. He seemed like one of the guys, laid-back and relaxed, an everyday Joe. “I wasn’t awareyou hung out here, Maverick.”
“We have a no drinking policy at the Den, so I bring Cecil here sometimes to cut loose.”
Drake watched as a slim man with a flop haircut and amethyst eyes approached their table. He lifted his arm and rested the elbow on Maverick’s long arm, glancing around the table.
“So, I take it you two are Panahasi’s mates?”
Drake shot a glance Panahasi’s way. He knew from what had happened at Malcor’s that announcing that the demon leader was his mate wasn’t good for his health.
“They are.” Panahasi nodded.
“Cool,” Cecil said. “Then let’s go shoot a game of pool. There aren’t any video games here, so pool will have to do.”
Why did Drake have a feeling he was following the devil as he and Casey got up from their seats? Glancing behind him, Drake saw Maverick take a seat at the table, the two men engaging in conversation.
“Who wants to go first?” Cecil asked as he began to set up the game.
“Casey can go.”
“And you are?” Cecil asked.
“Drake.”
“I’m Cecil.” The man shook Casey’s and Drake’s hands.
Drake leaned against the wall, watching Casey hustle Cecil. The man had no clue that Drake and Casey loved shooting pool. It was one of the ways they made a living. Drake didn’t care for stealing. He downright hated it. So he and Casey had found inventive ways to earn money for food and motel rooms.
“I think I’ve met my match,” Cecil said as Casey sunk three balls off of one shot.
“That you have,” Drake said as he chuckled.
“Could have warned a guy,” Cecil grumbled and then smiled.
A woman with very short shorts and a half apron strung around her waist came over and took their orders. She brought their drinks back to them, and then told the three that their food would be out shortly.
Drake glanced over at Panahasi. He was drinking his whiskey, talking with Maverick, but looking directly at Drake. Panahasi winked at him, a smile playing at his lips, and then turned his head back to Maverick.
His heart raced. Drake knew he was falling deeply in love with the demon leader. Panahasi was everything a man could want in a second mate. He wasn’t anything like Drake had first surmised. He was glad Panahasi found small outlets for relaxation. Drake had worried that the leader was wound so tight that he would explode one of these days.
But he had little hidey-holes he escaped to. That was a relief. Drake hated to see him so solitary, so sad looking all of the time.
“They usually don’t relax like this together,” Cecil said as he rounded the table, taking his shot. “When the leaders get together, they are a bunch of boring, stodgy men. This is the only time you’ll see them just hanging out and having a good time. They have to keep up appearances.”
“Why?” Casey asked. “They are friends. Why should they keep up appearances around each other?”
“No,” Cecil said as he shook his head. “They aren’t what we would consider friends. In this paranormal world, leaders are more like allies than friends. They are probably discussing business right now. That’s why us mates have such a tight network. We keep the balance between packs and covens. We remind our men that life is more than just meetings and fighting. It didn’t used to be that way, but some of us mates at the Den decided we wanted to get to know other mates from other groups, so we started our own little coalition.”
“And do what?” Drake asked, curious.
“Mostly we just bullshit around. I talk a lot with Sidney over at Zeus’s pack, and Connor, over at Christian’s coven. We keep everyone updated on what’s going on or just talk about the latest video game out. But it helps keep us abreast of what’s going on. Things are getting bad with Liquid Wrath mutating, the twins of the original vampire waking up and Ceri trying to eat people. Not to mention human vampire hunters and the population of rogues exploding. Sidney even tells me that we have hell hounds to worry about. We need to stay informed. And, we all know our mates try to shelter us from what is really happening out there, so we have a grapevine.”
Even though Drake had no clue about what Cecil just said, he liked the unity that idea made him feel. He and Casey had been alone for so long that having a large community of friends like that piqued his curiosity and made him want to belong.
“Do mates from the demon realm get included in your coalition?” Casey asked. He must have been thinking the same thing as Drake. He could see the excitement in Casey’s blue eyes. The thought of expanding their circle of friends past each other was growing on both of them.
“Sure, just as long as we have a way of contacting you. Keata is a pack member, and he talks with Kamiko.”
“How do Casey and I get in?” Drake asked.
“Just give me your cell number.”
Drake glanced down at the pool table, feeling a bit embarrassed. “We don’t have cell numbers.”
“Oh,” Cecil said. “Then I’ll give you mine and my e-mail address as well. I used to have a Facebook page, but Keata became so obsessed with Farmville that Maverick made everyone deactivate their pages. I’ll make sure you have a way of contacting us just in case you need any of the mates. Sometimes you’ll find yourself in situations you can’t get out of, and your mate won’t be anywhere around. Trust me, I know. If you call me, I’ll make sure help is sent to you.”
This didn’t make any sense to Drake. Why would Cecil help perfect strangers? He knew the mates were close by the way the four had acted earlier when they were in Panahasi’s apartment. He could see the tight network in place. He had to admit, he wanted that for him and Casey, but they were strangers among longtime friends.
Cecil must have seen the doubt in Drake’s eyes. “It doesn’t matter if we just met. You two are mates. That’s all that counts with us. We have mates who can shimmer in and get you out. If we can’t send them, then we tell one of our mates, and they send in the forces.” Cecil shrugged. “We got tired of fighting battles alone, just our pack. We are all a part of the paranormal community. Why not unite?”
When the waitress brought their food out, Cecil asked for a pen and wrote his number and e-mail address on a napkin. He thanked the waitress and then handed the napkin to Drake. “Our resident geek is working on a secret website which will allow us to log in and chat. He keeps complaining about firewalls and other shit I don’t understand, but he tells us it shouldn’t be too long before it’s up and running. That way you guys can ask Panahasi for some sort of computer in the home and you won’t feel so isolated anymore.”
“Thanks,” Drake said as he shoved the napkin in his pocket. He and Casey had already gotten into a bind at Malcor’s. Panahasi hadn’t come when called, and if Phoenyx wasn’t able to get them, it would have been nice to know they had someone to call to help them out. Drake liked that idea.
Their outing had turned into something more than just drinks and food. He was glad they met Cecil. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy.
“Look,” Casey said as he jutted his chin toward the stage. Drake looked in the direction Casey had indicated to see a live band setting up.
“They are pretty good,” Cecil said. “You should stick around and listen to them. They do amazing cove
r songs.”
Drake smiled when he felt large arms wrap around his waist. He inhaled rough leather and spice.
“Having fun?” Panahasi asked.
“Yes,” he admitted. “Thanks for bringing us here.”
Panahasi dipped his head, his lips brushing over Drake’s ear, sending shivers down his spine. “I’m not trying to be a prick to you or Casey. I just want you both safe.”
“I know.”
“Wanna play?” Panahasi asked.
Drake grinned. “You bet, but we have to have something at stake to make it more interesting.”
Casey successfully beat Cecil, knocking the eight ball in and whooping out his success. Drake looked at the pool table and then back at Panahasi. “You up for that?”
Panahasi chuckled as he grabbed a pool stick.
“What do you want if I lose?” Drake didn’t plan on losing. He was a very good hustler. He was even better than Casey. He had kept them fed and housed from his skills as a pool player, but Panahasi was continuing to surprise him. He would have to stay on his toes when playing the demon leader.
Panahasi rubbed his jaw, looking thoughtful, and then a wickedass grin crossed his handsome face. “You and Casey do what I say, when I say, no backtalk.”
“Hey, how did I get roped into this?” Casey asked as he set his pool stick aside. “I just beat Cecil. That should count for something.”
Drake waved Casey’s protest off. “Okay.”
“And what do you want if I lose?” Panahasi asked.
Drake knew right away what he wanted. It was the only thing he wanted from the mysterious man. “I want to know everything about you. No secrets. When I ask, you tell. No hemming and hawing around. Total honesty.”
Panahasi looked a bit surprised at Drake’s request, and Drake thought for a moment the man wouldn’t agree. He was asking for a lot and he knew it. His mate studied him for a moment, the depths of his dark eyes locked onto Drake. Finally, and reluctantly, he nodded.
“Agreed.”