by Lynn Hagen
Danger was always going to be a part of his life. Drake and Casey understood that, had lived that. But if Panahasi had his way, they would be forever trapped in this penthouse. He locked his jaw on Constantine’s wrist, shaking his head wildly back and forth as Casey clawed at the man’s midsection.
When Drake was thrown clear by Constantine, he leapt back onto the guy. Panahasi moved around the three, his eyes blazing and filled with intent. Drake had no clue what the demon was doing, but Panahasi didn’t interfere.
Feeling as though he could finally fight unhindered, Drake attacked with a viciousness that he rarely allowed himself to feel. His canines sunk deep into Constantine, tasting the dark red crimson as he tried to eat the man alive.
Casey was doing the same. The guy may act meek and compliant sometimes, but there was a feral side to the man. It matched Drake’s in intensity.
Constantine wasn’t just standing there taking it though. Drake could feel claws embedding into his side as the demon grunted, moving so fast that Drake could barely keep up. The agony was deep, but he pushed the physical pain aside. He had to, or Drake wouldn’t be able to fight.
“I underestimated you, wolf.”
People always did. Just because he was slim and wiry, most thought him incapable of defending himself, let alone fighting back. He loved proving them ignorant.
A howl rent through the air and then Casey was lying on the floor, blood around his muzzle. Drake would have thought it Constantine’s blood, but he could see the wound on Casey’s face. His shifter mate was lying there unmoving, making Drake think the worst. He doubled his efforts to kill Constantine when the man’s eyes went wide.
Drake looked down to see a hand embedded into Constantine’s chest. Panahasi was standing there with a look so savage that Drake released his hold. As soon as he was clear, Panahasi pulled his hand free, Constantine’s heart in his demon hand. There was so much blood on the demon leader’s hand that Drake backed away, shifting back to his human form. The iron-rich metallic scent was drawn in with every breath. Drake glanced up at his mate.
“Do you fear me, wolf?”
Did he? He glanced once more at the nonmoving hunk of muscle in Panahasi’s hand and then began to shake his head. “No.” It was the truth. He didn’t fear Panahasi. He just didn’t understand the man. Drake would have never thought the guy capable of something so destructive. Panahasi was created to help, not kill. Drake was trying his best to process this, his mind only seeing the carnage.
It was true that Drake had tried to kill Constantine, but for some odd reason, what Panahasi had done was different from what he was trying to do. It was more primal, more savage. That thought made Drake’s heart pick up in speed. All this time he looked at Panahasi as his mate. As a guy who was really nothing to bat an eye at.
Fuck if he hadn’t been wrong.
“Then why can I smell the acrid scent of fear?”
Drake watched as not only Constantine disappeared, but the bloody heart in Panahasi’s hand as well. There was nothing left behind to even indicate the malevolent man was even here. The blood was even cleaned from the demon leader’s hand.
The man was scary powerful—more so than Drake had first thought. “What are you?”
The demon moved like a graceful hunter across the room, but hadn’t come toward Drake. Instead, he went to Casey. The wounds decorating Casey’s mouth quickly disappeared, leaving the shifter clean. Casey looked as if he had merely fallen asleep on the kitchen floor in his wolf form.
That reminded Drake of his own wound, and with that remembrance came untold pain. He looked down to see the blood escaping his body. Drake had been so caught up in what Panahasi had done that he had forgotten about what damage Constantine had done to him.
But now his body was reminding him in the most brutal way.
“You are hurt.” It was a statement. Panahasi moved closer, his hands cupping Drake’s face. “Do you fear me?” The question was softer this time, as if Panahasi was waiting breathlessly for Drake’s answer. Drake stared up into the flames of the demon leader’s eyes and saw the man he was falling in love with, or more accurately, felt like he had loved since before he was even born.
“No.”
Panahasi leaned forward and brushed his lips over Drake’s, the pain instantly ceasing in his side. Drake knew Panahasi was healing him. He could feel his insides stitching themselves back together. The lacerations were closing, the blood trickling to a stop.
“I am every creature ever born,” Panahasi replied when he pulled his head back. “I am life itself.”
“And who is the man determined to end mine and Casey’s life?”
“Death.”
That was not comforting. Drake was paralyzed with fear now that he knew death was coming after him and Casey. It was one thing to fight the enemy. But how could he fight death? He felt hopelessness wash over him until Panahasi cupped his face, tilting it back so the man could look him deeply in the eyes. “I will protect you, love.”
As sincere as the words were coming from the man he was falling in love with, Drake had a feeling he was up shit creek without one single paddle. Death was determined to have him and Casey. It was apparent by the way he kept coming after them. “What’s his name?” Drake wasn’t sure why, but that was very important to him now.
“Jaden.”
That was the same man who had possessed Casey. Drake remembered Panahasi saying the man’s name.
Fuck.
Pulling away, Drake walked over to Casey and sat on the floor, brushing his hands over the soft fur. He wasn’t going to lose this man. Casey had been there from the beginning. The man had taught Drake how to love, how to live, and how to keep the proverbial stick out of his ass. He wasn’t going to give that up.
Turning, Drake glanced at Panahasi. He had just discovered the man, and yet, Drake felt as if he had loved Panahasi since the beginning of time. He was not going to lose the demon leader either.
“How do we fight him?” The steel in his voice was unmistakable. Drake was playing for keeps. No one was ending his life, and no one was taking the two men he treasured most away from him.
Not even death.
“We have to outsmart him.”
Drake could tell Jaden was of extreme intelligence. Outsmarting the man was going to be tricky.
But not impossible.
* * * * Marino felt the moment his brother was lost to him. He could feel Constantine’s life fade away like a thief in the night. He staggered slightly, knowing that his brother’s soul now belonged to Jaden.
And it angered him to know there wasn ’t a thing he could do about that.
But there was something he could do about the killer.
He glanced around the home he had been hiding in for months, knowing it was time to show himself. Whoever had killed his brother had just declared war.
Chapter Twelve
Deandre removed his belt, but before he could tie it around the wound on his leg, the man from Diablo’s was taking it from his hands, kneeling, and placing it around his thigh. “Your friends?”
Pressing one hand onto the brick building, and using if for leverage, Deandre let out a grunt at the pain that was crawling up his leg. “Not in this lifetime.”
“How did we get here?” the man asked as he stood, looking around the now-deserted streets before piercing Deandre with intelligent eyes.
“I haven’t a clue.”
“Great.”
Deandre leaned against the building, taking the pressure off of his
injured leg. “What’s your name?” he asked.
“Clay.”
“Deandre.”
Clay nodded. “I would say nice to meet you, but after this little
psychotic episode, I ’m not so sure I wouldn’t be lying.”
Despite his pain, Deandre smiled. “Same here.”
“I thought demon warriors had badass powers?” Clay asked as he
leaned against the wall next to Deandr
e. Despite his injuries, and the threat hanging over their heads, Deandre was turned on by the masculine scent invading his senses. Clay was everything Deandre craved in a lover.
“It seems someone tossed my a ss here and forgot to let my powers along for the ride.”
“It seems.” Clay nodded.
“You’re human,” he said.
“I am.” Clay nodded once more. “And I don’t think having me here as your sidekick is an advantage. It’s more of a hindrance, just so you know.”
Clay gave off the vibe of being big and dangerous, but the man was right. A human had no place in this city. Hell, Deandre had no place here either. He wasn’t even sure how he got here.
Something fucked up was going on, and Deandre wanted answers. He was supposed to be fucking Clay like a wild man right now, not fighting to stay alive. Although the demons had backed off, leaving Deandre to bleed on the ground, he knew they would be back.
Every evil being alive in the demon realm hated the demon warriors. And being without any powers, they were going to attack Deandre like flies on shit as soon as word spread through this city that a demon warrior was trapped here without his powers. He had to get out of here, and fast.
“Any ideas?” Clay asked.
“Yeah,” Deandre said. “Run like hell and don’t get caught.”
Clay looked as if he were considering Deandre’s words and then nodded. “Sounds like a good plan to me.”
The man didn’t strike Deandre as a coward. Not that he would consider Clay a coward in this situation if he ran. Anyone with half a brain cell would get out of this city. But there was something about Clay that intrigued Deandre. It was true the man had stunning beauty. Not the twinkish kind, but a raw masculinity that called to a more ferocious part of Deandre.
“If we survive this, are you still up for sex?”
Clay turned his head, staring at Deandre as if he’d lost his mind. “I’m not really feeling very sexual at the moment. More like a mouse caught in a trap.”
“But would you?” Deandre pressed playfully.
A smile formed at the edges of Clay’s lips. “Sure.”
At least one thing was looking up for Deandre. “Then we better get moving. I have a feeling those demons will be back for seconds.” Painfully, Deandre pushed from the wall and began to walk toward the other end of the city, the only way to Serenity City from this hellhole. If they made it out alive, Deandre was going to find out who put him here and beat the living hell out of them.
“Lean on me.” Clay moved closer, offering Deandre his shoulder. When the man saw the surprise in Deandre’s eyes, he shrugged. “You look like you are about to fall over. I may be big, but so are you. Carrying you isn’t my idea of making it out of here quickly.”
Deandre knew the guy was right, and he did feel like he was about to crumble. His leg was killing him. He slung his arm over Clay’s shoulder, feeling the heat of the man’s body instantly. They were the same height, which was a good thing considering Deandre didn’t have to lean down or stretch up for his arm to rest comfortably.
“Which way?”
Deandre nodded south. “The entrance to Serenity City is about five miles from here.”
They began moving. “If the entrance is so close, why hasn’t Serenity City been overrun by now with demons from this city?” Clay clasped Deandre’s hand with his. It was a simple move to keep Deandre’s arm around the guy’s neck, but something stirred inside Deandre. Some long-sleeping beast that sat up and sniffed the air around him. Deandre had never felt this strange sensation before.
“Watch it.” Clay skirted Deandre around some debris on the ground.
“There are markers that divide the cities,” Deandre answered Clay’s question, even though he wanted to explore the strange feelings awakening inside of him. “If they breach those markers, the demon warriors know right away. The demon is then taken to the underworld. The punishment is harsh. The keeper and Panahasi don’t take Breachers lightly.”
“Breachers,” Clay repeated.
Deandre knew the word was self-explanatory. That was what any demon trying to get into Serenity City was called. If their intentions were nothing more than to live peacefully in Serenity City, the keeper let them go. If not, they bought themselves a fancy room in the underworld. Complete with gory nightmares and room service from a lost soul.
“Question.”
“What?” Deandre slowed, looking around the deserted streets. He may not have his powers, but his gut was still working, and it was telling him to hurry his ass along.
“Why are we taking a main street? Shouldn’t we be on one of the side streets, trying to lay low? It’s kind of ballsy. Which I don’t mind, but I have pointed out that I’m human, and they aren’t.”
“They won’t be expecting us to just walk right out of here. They are probably looking for us on the side streets and back alleys right now.” Deandre hoped. It was a huge assumption, and one he hoped he was correct at.
Because if he wasn’t, his injured leg was going to be the least of his problems.
* * * * Panahasi couldn ’t shake the feeling that something was wrong— aside from the fact that Jaden had been in his penthouse, allowing Constantine entrance. Panahasi was still trying to figure out how Jaden was getting past the defenses. The keeper was damn good at spells and wards, but apparently the old coot was no match for Jaden.
Panahasi was currently pacing the living room. The act alone was a telling sign of how disturbed he truly was. He never paced. Not in all the years of his life. He could admit to himself that he was worried beyond measure for the two men that meant more to him than his own life. Jaden wasn’t giving up. Panahasi didn’t think the man would. But he hadn’t thought Jaden could get into his home. He had assumed there was one place the two would be utterly safe.
He had been wrong.
That only meant he couldn’t let Casey or Drake out of his sight. Jaden was bound and determined to see them dead. And Panahasi was just as determined to keep them alive.
He glanced up when a soft knock sounded on his door.
“Come in.”
He already knew who it was on the other side before Kamiko entered. The man looked like hell. Panahasi stopped pacing, facing the small man. “What’s wrong?”
Kamiko wrung his hands in front of him, his eyes bouncing all over the place. “Takeo didn’t come home last night.”
Panahasi knew Takeo loved Kamiko with every cell in his body. Cheating was out of the question. Kamiko was all Takeo cared about. Even before they mated, Takeo wasn’t a promiscuous man.
“When was the last time you saw him?”
“He said he had to look for Constantine after dinner, and I haven’t seen him since.”
That wasn’t like Takeo. The man was nothing if not responsible. If he had been delayed, Takeo would have let Kamiko know right away.
Panahasi mentally called for Deandre and Wayland. He would send the two out to look for Takeo.
“Have a seat, Kamiko. I’ll have a few warriors track him down.”
Kamiko looked relieved as he took a seat on the sofa, but he still had worry in his eyes. Panahasi didn’t blame the man. With Jaden on the loose, he knew exactly how the man felt.
Wayland walked into the living room, his eyes going straight to Kamiko. “You wanted something?”
“Where’s Deandre?”
Wayland shrugged. “I haven’t seen him.”
Every cell in Panahasi’s body sang with tension. Something wasn’t right. Deandre was not the type of demon to ignore Panahasi’s call. None of the warriors were. “Gather all the demon warriors. Tell the mated ones to bring their mates here.”
Wayland left immediately.
Panahasi walked to his bedroom, leaving Kamiko in the living room. He needed to check on the two shifters. With things in chaos, having them out of his sight for five seconds was maddening. Never in his life had he expected to love two men so deeply and worry about them to the point of wanting to p
ull his hair out.
He found them asleep where he had left them. They were curled around each other, gloriously naked, and tempting as hell. If he hadn’t summoned the demon warriors, Panahasi would crawl between them and waken them with a pleasure he was sure they would both enjoy.
The loneliness that had been a constant companion for so many years was gone. The aching deep in his soul was replaced by a happiness and contentment that Panahasi never wanted to leave.
But now worry filled a new place. What if he couldn’t keep them safe? What if Jaden succeeded in killing them? Panahasi closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. He wasn’t going to spend the time he had with his mates worrying over the two. As Casey pointed out to him, he needed to enjoy life.
Closing the door, Panahasi made his way back down the hallway. Missing demon warriors was on the agenda, and he prayed Takeo was just delayed somewhere. But Deandre not answering his mental call or Kobe his cell phone had Panahasi worried.
It seemed everything had him worried these days. And he didn’t like that feeling.
As he walked into the living room, Panahasi took notice of the demons standing around and immediately saw that three demons were not present.
Takeo, Deandre, and Kobe.
“We couldn’t find Deandre or Kobe,” Hondo said. “And Kamiko just told us that Takeo didn’t come home last night. Something isn’t right.”
“No,” he agreed, “it isn’t.”
“I tried to call them on their cell phones, but the calls went straight to voice mail.”
Panahasi nodded at Kane. He had tried the same thing with Kobe, but assumed he was busy sating his male needs. It was an assumption he just might pay for. “When was the last time Deandre and Kobe were seen by any of you men?”
“I saw Deandre at Diablo’s,” Einarr said. “But I called Diablo’s and no one has seen him since he went into a back room with some guy.”
“The guy?” Panahasi asked.
“Human. Diablo knew him. His name is Clay. He assured me that Clay wasn’t the type to deceive Deandre.”