They parted ways and Carver entered The Java Demon. Sometime during their absence the place had become packed. It seemed everyone in town wanted something satisfying and comforting for their after-Samhain celebrations. Carver leaped into the fray and went into autopilot, smiling, taking orders, serving, and reliving the night’s festivities. He also got the gossip on what had happened after he, Thorn, and Sera had left the party. Someone had unleashed an orgy spell at the mansion. Some of the guests were still sleeping it off and others looked worse for the wear. Others seemed embarrassed. Carver was thankful they had gotten out when they did.
When it was time to leave, Carver was exhausted but excited about spending time with Sera. Thorn drove, even though Carver hated seeing anyone in the driver’s seat of his Jaguar XJ sedan but him. Tonight, he was too tired to care.
When they arrived home, Carver just wanted to curl up and take a nap. “Goddess, I’m tired. What are you making for dinner?”
“Spaghetti, garlic bread, and I bought some zeppole for dessert.”
“Good, nice and comforting. The zeppole isn’t already fried is it?” Carver hated when the delicious little doughnuts got soggy.
“Nope, just the dough. It’s all pre-made, so there’s no need to put anything together. Easy. No worries. Why don’t you nap and I’ll get the meal ready, heh?” Thorn headed to the kitchen area.
Carver grinned. “Thanks. I think I will.”
He headed to the stairs only to stop short. “Should we tell her about the contract?” That little item had slipped his mind. He worried his bottom lip. Keeping something like this from Sera could backfire. Being up-front would be better. Besides, it gave them an edge so that if Francine tried to spring this on Sera she wouldn’t be caught unawares.
Thorn paused in his prep work. “Yes, I think we should. She needs to know that we’re serious about courting her. Besides, this protects her from our kind. Once a demon enters into a contract the others respect it.”
“Good. OK, nap time. Call me when she gets here, please.”
Carver doubted he’d be out for long, but he didn’t want to risk being late for dinner.
“I’m not your alarm clock. But yes, I’ll call you when it’s time.” Thorn turned on the radio and went to work.
Carver headed up to his room. He didn’t undress, just took off his shoes and climbed on top of the coverlet. Sleep took him as soon as his head hit the pillow. When Thorn shook him awake he had to struggle to stay conscious. His body was alert but his head felt foggy. At this rate he wouldn’t be any good to either Thorn or Sera.
“Sera’s here already? Coffee?” Carver hoped they had something strong enough to clear his head.
“Yes, she’s here. And of course there’s coffee. Black?”
“Yep. Gods, my head is so fucked up right now.” He ran a hand through his hair, tousling it even more.
They went downstairs. Sera sat at the breakfast bar, with a mimosa in her hand. Carver frowned. He didn’t think she should be drinking alcohol. He wanted her head clear so she could accept what they had to say without the fog of a buzz.
“Sera—”
“Hey, Thorn said you were napping. Feel any better?” She took a sip from her glass.
Carver glanced at Thorn for guidance. Thorn just shrugged. “One drink isn’t going to ruin things.”
Carver scrubbed a hand over his face.
“Worried about my mindset?” Sera placed her beverage down on the counter. “It’s really light on champagne, so no worries. Besides, alcohol runs through my body pretty quick. I’ll barely feel it.” She gave him a small smile.
Carver nodded. “OK.”
He met Thorn’s gaze and his best friend nodded.
“I’m glad you’re sitting down because we have something we need to discuss. It’s about your mother.” He went to the bar and settled down on a stool next to her.
Thorn entered the kitchen area and poured Carver’s coffee before he went to finish up the preparations for dinner.
“Go on.” A mask of neutrality fell over Sera’s features until he couldn’t read her emotions. Her eyes had turned a rich, shining amber.
Carver cleared his throat and tried to find the words. Nothing came to mind so he just pressed on and let the chips fall where they may. “After you and Arthur broke up, Thorn and I went to see your mother and asked permission to woo you. We even brought up the issue of a Contract of Courtship with her. She turned us down flat.” He paused and waited for a reaction. Sera’s body had gone still. Tension radiated from her form but she said nothing.
Carver pressed on. “As you know, demons take contracts in all forms seriously. We wanted to show her just how invested we were in you—enough to bind us to you in the most basic way our kind can. When we pointed out that Arthur had been using you to make another woman jealous, Francine informed us that she knew and didn’t care. He was a pure-blooded panther from an old family with ties to the community. A union between your two houses would elevate both of your families and keep your bloodlines pure.”
Carver stopped again to study Sera’s reaction to all this. Her lips had become a thin line and her eyes had narrowed, turning a shimmering gold that seemed to set off sparks.
Thorn spoke up from the kitchen. “We pressed her to give us a chance. We knew we could make you happy and wanted to give you the love you deserved, but she refused us and asked us to leave. She made it clear your happiness wasn’t as important as your family’s status.”
Sera bowed her head and her hands turned to fists in her lap. Her jaw clenched and her body trembled. Carver could taste her rage, like ashes on the air. If it were possible she would have burst into flames.
“Sera?” Carver ached to reach out to her. He wanted to cup her cheek and kiss away her anger. He glanced at Thorn whose gray eyes were filled with concern. “Honey? Sera, talk to us?”
She inhaled and exhaled until her shoulders dropped. The tension slowly eased out of her. “For as long as I’ve been aware my mother has been obsessed with bloodline purity. It’s all because she herself isn’t a pure-blooded panther. She was the second choice to head up the family. A cousin was the first, but she turned it down. If my father hadn’t died I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in and neither would she. He divorced her and married a lesser feline before he passed on. That has always made her angry. But appearances are more important than happiness, which is why she married her current husband. He has money and deep ties to the feline community, despite having a half-breed daughter.”
Carver let the words sink in. He couldn’t imagine a life like that. Demon society used to be structured in the same way. In days gone by, he and Thorn would be forced to marry a pure-blooded demoness. Thank the gods those days were over.
“And what do you think?” This from Thorn. He’d stopped cooking and stared at her. He held his body very still.
Carver focused his attention on Sera, waiting on a knife’s edge for her answer.
“I don’t care for her way of thinking. It’s my life and I’ll live it how I choose. It’s sweet that you guys wanted to be all formal.” She gifted them both a soft smile. “But, it wasn’t necessary. All you had to do was come to me if you wanted to date me.
“It hurts that my mother knew about Arthur’s intentions the whole time, but it makes sense. He was her choice for me. She wants to keep our family at the top of the leap any way she can.” She held up a hand. “I won’t get into that right now. I’m still too steamed about it.”
Hope bloomed in Carver’s chest, even as his stomach muscles clenched and bile churned in his belly. “So, you’d be willing to be with us? Date us?” He held up a hand to stave off her response. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. We’ll leave you alone if that’s what you want. We won’t push or force you in any way.”
She chuckled. A rich musical sound that shook her entire being. He felt lit up from the inside just watching her enjoy the moment. Carver glanced over at Thorn to see if he felt the same w
ay.
Thorn stared at her, awe on his face. “Beautiful,” he murmured.
Carver bobbed his head in agreement.
“Again, you guys are so cute. I would love to date you both. I’m not sure about where this will go, but I do want to continue this. OK?” She studied both of them.
“Yes!” Both men said in unison.
She laughed again. “Good. Can we eat now? I’m starving.”
“Yes, we can.” Carver guided her over to the table while Thorn served their mini-feast. “And while we eat you can tell us about the rogue you helped bag.”
“Can’t tell you much except he’s wanted back by his master and we got the job.” Sera’s tone was light.
Carver could tell she was holding something back but didn’t want to push. Whatever was going on they’d hear about later, maybe from her or maybe from other sources.
As soon as they sat down Sera started the grilling. “I know the demon history of Evenfall. Your houses were called in and a contract was formed to lend your protection to this place. Gargoyles and werewolves were pledged to the vampires as their guardians, but the shifters and witches were all left out in the cold. Most of the beasties in the forest wanted nothing to do with us, so there was no one to keep us safe. That was why we signed the contract. What I don’t get is what was in it for you guys?”
“Nice change of subject.” Thorn chuckled. “Not the least bit inquisitive are you? Well, let’s see if I can explain it to you. To begin with, this was our patch of land before Evenfall was established. Demons owned it. But we can’t resist a good bargain, and the witches agreed to give us fifty percent of the wealth they found mining the mountains. The shifters agreed to give us right of first refusal on all business deals before going to the vampires or other groups.”
Sera took a sip of wine and nodded. “Go on. I follow you.”
Carver took over the story. “Until fifty years ago our houses watched over this bit of land and taught the witches the secrets of dark magic—for research purposes, you understand. We didn’t give too much away, but it amused us to watch them marvel at the minutiae we gave them.”
Thorn grinned as he ate a large portion of spaghetti.
Sera sniffed. “We’re not that stupid you know, speaking as a witch’s familiar.”
Carver held up his hands. “We know that, beautiful, we know that. But the knowledge you did possess was so small. It was amazing to us that you survived encounters with our kind at all. There was so much you didn’t know about courtesies or contracts. It always left us in awe that we didn’t own witch kind. Demons can’t be entirely trusted you know.”
Sera snorted. “I know that much. Both of you have proved that. Going behind my back with that Contract of Courtship? I’m amazed I didn’t hear about it. The feline community can be very gossipy.”
“I think your mother tamped down the talk.”
“Of course she did.” Sera rolled her eyes. “Now you are a fire demon, right Carver? And you’re an ice demon?” Sera glanced from Carver to Thorn and back again.
Carver was the first to answer. “Yes, I’m fire. Lucifer had the abilities of both fire and ice. The hierarchy demons have ice magic and my kind, who are lower on the totem pole of power, have fire. Those beneath us have watered down versions of both, but are better at black magic.”
Sera frowned. “Don’t all demons use black magic?”
Thorn nodded. “Yes. Older houses have the most powerful stuff, but lower classes have to use a mix of magics to enhance their abilities. And because they interact so much with witches they are more adept at complicated spells. Confused?”
Sera shook her head. “No. That’s like what most witches do. Each family and witch has individual powers. That is the basis of their strength. To use other elements they have to work that much harder. And most elements are associated with certain spells. Fire is used for defense, ice for offense, earth for healing, and air for controlling emotions.”
Carver nodded. “And where do familiars fit in?”
Sera grinned, her bronze-colored eyes shone with pride. “We anchor the witches to the here and now and help amplify their abilities. Witches choose their familiars when they turn sixteen. Some are bonded to them by family relationship, others decide to go outside the family and adopt. Some familiars find the witch. And before you ask, yes, they can have more than one familiar. Too complicated?” She paused.
Carver peeked at Thorn. He didn’t look confused at all. “Go on.”
“OK. If a witch has more than one familiar, she can draw on different energies and elements. As a black panther, I can draw on fire and water. Werewolves and canine shifters can draw on earth and air. This isn’t exactly a state secret, but please don’t spread it around. Anyway, my family has been connected to Bridget’s family for years, so it was easy for me to become her familiar. Mysta is a snake shifter, who’s shown a connection to water and fire, and Lana is a pixie who has a deep connection with earth.”
“I can see that. So Mysta and Lana act as familiars to Bridget as well? Interesting.” Carver let that information sink in. He had more respect for Bridget now that he knew she had such powerful ties. Mysta came from a very powerful snake-shifter family. He didn’t know much about Lana, other than that she loved sweets and shouldn’t be allowed coffee.
Sera shook her head. “Lana isn’t exactly a familiar. Bridget brought her into the business to give her a home and a safe place to stay as well as a job. But she can act also as a conduit when the need arises.”
Carver couldn’t help but be impressed. Bridget had formed a great many alliances, which allowed her business to deal with a multitude of different incidents. She was a true jack-of-all-trades.
“Other than that, I can’t tell you anything else.” Sera gave a cheeky grin and dug into what little remained of her meal. “Bridget would have my hide to make a fur coat.”
For now Carver decided to put Sera’s punishment on hold and just enjoy her company. Sex could wait. A glance at Thorn showed him that his friend was absolutely enraptured. For now, everything was on hold as they learned more about their intended mate.
Chapter Twelve
Sera smoothed the skirt over her hips and turned this way and that, making sure everything was in place. Dinner had gone well. Rather than stay up and make out, both men agreed it would be a good idea to start this new leg of their relationship by holding off. They wanted to show her that they were with her for her, not for a quick fuck. She loved that they wanted to do this, but she worried about the implication of serious dating. Did all three of them have to go out? What if only Carver wanted to go with her? Or only Thorn? It didn’t matter what her mother would think—or the feline community for that matter. What mattered was that they weren’t hurting anyone.
Two gorgeous, sexy, caring, successful men—demons no less—wanted her. And they wanted her for who she was. There was a freeing aspect to this. Part of her was dying to tell all her friends about her men. It was like an extra-good secret, too delicious to keep to yourself. And yet she didn’t want to share.
She turned her attention to the flowers they had sent her—a dozen roses in various shades. Their fragrance perfumed the air with sweetness. She paused to take in their scent and let it wash over her. Arthur had never done anything this sweet for her. In fact, none of her past lovers had been so thoughtful.
The card had said that the flowers had reminded them of her—elegant, seductive, and dangerous. She couldn’t help but smile. It had been a surprise to open the door and find the delivery guy standing there about to ring her bell. She didn’t even have to ask who they were from. Her mother didn’t send flowers, even on her birthday.
She inhaled the deep, musky fragrance, then grabbed her purse and headed out of her bedroom. Carver refused to say where they were going, but he had told her to dress in something sexy. They wanted to show her off. She’d chosen a figure-hugging emerald-green dress with a pencil skirt that had a slit in the back and gold peep-toe shoes
with a matching clutch.
She decided to let the men take the lead and determine how things would be for the rest of the night. She trusted them to take care of her and keep her entertained. Besides, she was curious to see how they would interact now that they were all officially in a relationship. Would Carver or Thorn fight for control? She refused to become the reason their friendship shattered. Carver always seemed so easygoing, while Thorn was more reserved. Both men had dominant personalities. They could go from sweet kittens to roaring lions in a matter of seconds, and that had her inner panther excited. She was ready for anything they threw at her.
The dull buzz of full-moon hormones skimmed her skin and caused ripples of energy to pop and hum through her body. She pressed her lips together. She hoped the evening would end in sex. There were five days left before she had to shift, and she was becoming restless. She had had a lovely dinner at their house, and she appreciated the opportunity to get to know them better, but sex would help take the edge off. In her cat form she’d let her panther run free. She wondered if they’d want to be there for her for aftercare.
Normally, shifters stayed together, changed together, and helped each other afterward. She would be raw, emotional, exhausted, and vulnerable to her surroundings. Everything would pose a threat. The change was the most dangerous time for a shifter; they had no ability to communicate in a human tongue except through gestures and sounds. They could be mistaken for their true feline cousins and be trapped and killed for their body parts and pelts, even in America.
Sera shuddered. She would have to talk to them about that. Normally she shifted with Vivi, Ariel, Donna, and Mysta, or with members of her leap while Bridget and Lana stood guard. Francine chose to change at home with her husband.
An idea hit Sera and her stomach clenched as a fine sheen of sweat formed on her forehead. What if Carver and Thorn were disgusted with what she did when she let her feline counterpart out to play? If they were to be a true ménage à trois, the demons would have to accept all of her, including her panther form. Last night at dinner they’d skimmed the topic, but she’d kept it sweet and simple. She could see they would need to go into it in more depth tonight. They’d already seen her partial shift. Could they take her in her full black panther glory?
Making Demons Purr (Flushed and Fevered Book 2) Page 13