Wings Horns and Shifters

by Lacey Carter Andersen

  Then, they stood staring at each other. Lily knew she had to go, but she couldn’t seem to leave just yet.

  “How are you doing?” the woman asked after a quiet moment. “How’s Blake?”

  For a second it was hard to breathe. “We broke off the engagement. Haven’t seen him since.”

  “Is he still with The Department?”

  “Yup,” Lily strove to sound casual. “Still committed to wiping out the ‘demon vermin’ and all that nonsense.”

  Which means even though I loved him, I had to let him go.

  “I’m sorry—“

  “It doesn’t matter. A demon-hunter and a half-demon marrying is just about the worst idea I’ve ever heard.”

  Sharen chuckled. “I remember thinking the same thing... you know, before my husbands pushed me into this whole blessed union.”

  Lily forced a smile. “You’re one of the lucky ones.”

  “Maybe you will be too.”

  She snorted. “You’ve got three handsome husbands. I doubt I’ll find one.”

  “Love has a way of finding us when we’re least expecting it.”

  Yeah, right. But rather than saying the way she truly felt, she nodded. “Maybe.”

  Sharen pulled her into a tight hug. “Be careful, sweetheart.”

  I’m lucky I have you. “Will do.”

  When her mentor released her, she turned back to the demon-stone. Lily wrote the name of the secret realm carefully on the dark stone and watched as the portal opened with swirling waves of white.

  “I’ll open the portal three times a day, at—”

  “No need,” Lily stopped her. “I’ll get back on my own.”

  “But how?”

  She grinned. “I’ll make the demon-king send me back.”

  Handing the chalk back to Sharen, Lily inclined her head in respect and stepped through to a place surrounded by fire and danger, where demons would kill her if they sensed her human half.

  Let’s hope I’m better at lying than I am at saving lives.

  Chapter Four

  Jaxson stiffened, a growl slipping from his lips. His wolf rose within him, his fur standing on end in irritation. Someone has used the portal outside the City of Flames.

  Just what I need right now...

  The last week had been spent dragging low level demons out of the city, and capturing two rogue Level Eight demons who actually thought they could commit crimes within the king’s protected lands. After all the bullshit, Jaxson had wanted nothing more than a calm day in the palace.

  No, calm isn’t the right word. I wanted a day of complete freedom.

  Actually, he’d wanted to go out exploring the plains, looking for a real fight, but his youngest eternal-brother, Ian, had begged him to play cards instead. And since Ian rarely asked for anything, he’d reluctantly agreed.

  And ended up with some much unwanted bonding time with the two men he spent far too much of his time with already, his eternal-brothers. The two demons who’d been bound to him in death.

  His skin was itching to escape. To fight. To kill. To rid himself of the feelings crawling under his flesh.

  Maybe because it’s been so long since you Shifted. Angrily, he pushed the thought away. That had nothing to do with his current mood.

  And now he had to deal with a trespasser. I hope this one doesn’t go easy.

  “Did you feel that?” Zane asked, dropping his cards onto the table. His eternal-brother’s big brown eyes looked excited.

  Does he have to enjoy everything?

  “Of course I felt it,” Jaxson answered, scowling.

  Zane glared, but he kept his pretty-boy good looks even with his obnoxious expression. “What crawled up your ass?”

  “Maybe he has a good hand,” Ian answered, always the peace-maker.

  Jaxson pushed back from the table, slamming his cards down, and sending poker chips flying. “I just wasn’t in the mood for shit today.”

  “He hasn’t masturbated yet this morning and needs to ease some tension.” Zane said, smirking. The dimples in his cheeks showing with the movement.

  No, what I need is to bury myself in a woman who can look me in the eyes when I take her.

  Which will never happen.

  “Fuck you.” Jaxson turned and stormed from their room.

  This is the last thing I need today.

  Zane was wrong. Jaxson wasn’t pissed because of his very unfulfilled sexual needs. He was pissed because today marked the anniversary of his death.

  Not that the two demons he’d bonded with would understand. How could they? Their death-anniversaries weren’t a reminder of pain. Of suffering. Of failure.

  “Wait up!” Ian hurried to catch up with him, matching his stride.

  The tall, lanky demon looked pensive, staring down at the ground. His too-long blond hair fell forward, his dark eyes filled with concern. Typical Ian.

  “I’m fine.” Jaxson tried to force the words to come out without an angry edge.

  And he failed miserably.

  “It’s October sixth.” Ian spoke softly.

  Jaxson stiffened. “So?”

  “So, it’s okay. Be pissed. But we’re here if you need us.”

  Fuck. How does he know me so well? Jaxson liked to think he wasn’t that transparent... but it looked like he was wrong. Again. “Is that why you suggested cards? You thought I needed the company? Because I didn’t.”

  “Of course not,” Ian said, shrugging.

  Damn his patience.

  Moving down the private stairs, they came out into the foyer. The pristine room was a flawless white, with thirty foot ceilings, and a massive chandelier with hundreds of flickering candles.

  Usually the brightness of the palace made him forget, even if for a few precious seconds, that he wasn’t back on Earth. But today, he felt nothing but misery as he compared his memories of Earth to this dark and dreary prison.

  This place is a pathetic shadow of life. A lonely ruler’s attempt at carving out a little heaven in hell.

  Two Level Ten demons led a handcuffed Level Eight demon, who snarled and fought them, but the two guards seemed not to notice. As they passed, the men inclined their heads in a show of respect to Jaxson and Ian. Jaxson ignored them, heading for the exit. Needing to escape.

  When they stepped outside, the smell of sulfur clouded the air. A hundred or so buildings, crafted from the white plants that grew on the higher levels of the demon realm, crowded the black ground. As he climbed down the dozens of stairs leading up to the demon-king’s palace, he stepped around two demons, busily cleaning ash from the white steps.

  Flaming torches that never burned out lined all the streets, giving the city a feeling of daylight. Even though above them darkness reigned, and nothing more. The City of Flames was the nicest place in the demon-realms.

  But still hell.

  “You guys finally made it.” Zane stood, leaning against a building, looking calm and casual in his white uniform.

  Jaxson felt rage creeping up his spine. “Teleporting is to be used when enforcing the rules of our king, not to make our lives easier.”

  It’s a rare gift the demon-king bestows upon his most trusted servants. And the more restless my brothers get, the more they abuse their powers.

  Once we stop obeying the rules, we might as well be the beasts the angels accuse us of.

  Zane moved away from the building, hurrying to keep pace with Jaxson as he stormed down the main road of the city. “We’re going in search of a trespasser. That’s ‘enforcing the rules of the king’ right?”

  Jaxson clenched his fists. Don’t punch him. “Just shut up and let me do my job.”

  He rushed through the city, but his brothers easily kept pace with him. Level Ten, Nine, and the occasional Level Eight demon glanced at him, then quickly away. Even demons feared him.

  He didn’t blame them.

  At the edge of the city, they reached the moat of slow lava that surrounded the city. He stared at it for a lon
g minute. He hated swimming in the damn lava. It had the unfortunate side-effect of stirring one of the worst of the seven deadly sins, lust. But he’d just made a point to his brother...

  “Ready for a swim?” Zane was grinning.

  “Splitting up would be the best way to search the portal grounds. You go left. You right. I’ll go right down the middle,” Jaxson ordered.

  Zane chuckled. “What? You don’t want to stick together?”

  Jaxson ignored him, clenching his teeth together. Time to practice what I preach.

  Leaping into the lava, the power of it hit him in an instant, warming his skin and hardening his cock. Ignoring it, he swam forward, only coming up for air when he had to. Reaching the other side, he pulled himself out and looked back across the river.

  His brothers were gone. The cheaters teleported!

  Scowling, he adjusted his boner, which, of course, remained painfully hard. Damned lust! Starting forward, he made a promise to himself. When he found the trespasser—and he would find him—the bastard would feel the sting of his wrath.

  The ground on the opposite shore was black just like in the city, but not trampled down. As he walked forward, ash kicked up beneath his feet, surrounding him in a smoky fog. It slightly obscured his vision of the massive black boulders that stretched out as far as the eye could see.

  Smart demons avoided this area. Far too many beasts lurked, waiting to cause pain and suffering. The thought of the trespasser teleporting here alone... well, he almost felt sorry for him.

  Whether the beasts get him or we do, this won’t be a good day for him.

  But it served the trespasser right for entering the king’s private lands.

  Slowing slightly, he squinted as he scanned the plains ahead of him. In this realm, tiny sparks fell continuously, like glowing rain. For humans, the sparks would have been painful. But he barely noticed as they fell on his shoulders and his head.

  The sparks were also the only source of light out here. Which was enough for demons to see by. They were made for the dark, after all. It was the shadows created by the boulders that made this area dangerous. They provided the perfect hiding places for enemies.

  As much as I want to find the intruder before my brothers do, I can’t be an idiot.

  He called his blade to him and it appeared in his hand a moment later. The long silver blade was sharp and deadly, and if he needed, it could brighten with flames.

  Any creature stupid enough to challenge him would be sorry.

  Weaving through the boulders, he listened intently, his senses stretching out around him. Determined that nothing would catch him by surprise.

  After several long minutes, he sensed something not far ahead of him. Inhaling deeply, letting his wolf senses stretch out around him, he scented something strange. It was a delicate smell, almost sweet.

  What the hell could that be?

  Tucking himself into a particularly shadowed area between boulders, he watched and waited. His mind racing through every possible source of the sweet scent.

  A moment later, a beautiful woman strode into the clearing not far from him.

  His jaw dropped, and he blinked several times to clear the illusion from his sight. And yet, she remained. This is impossible...

  Her skin wasn’t bright red like most demons, but a pale red, almost tan color. He might have mistaken her for a human, if not for the two tiny horns on her head. So what is she?

  His heart pounded rapidly. One thing was sure. He’d never seen such a stunning woman, not even when he was alive. Her hair was long and blonde, pulled back from her face in a practical way. And yet, it wasn’t practical at all. It was sexy. It drew attention to her flawless skin, high cheekbones, and long neck.

  She was also tall for a woman, her body curved in all the right places. And the tanktop she wore? Shit. It did little to conceal her hard nipples and the sweet roundness of her breasts.

  Fucking hell.

  For a second, he just drank in the sight of her. Enjoying her like an incredible dish that tasted better with every bite.

  I bet she tastes as good as she looks. A rumble rolled through his chest at just the thought of spreading her sweet thighs and burying his face between them.

  But as she moved closer, the blood from his groin seemed to send a little back to his brain. This has to be the intruder.

  As good as she looked. As good as she smelled. It was his job to deal with her.

  After that, she isn’t my responsibility.

  For a moment, he imagined this woman kneeling before the demon king. What would his leader do to her?

  Nothing she doesn’t deserve.

  Because even though the king of hell was called the devil, and feared for his ruthlessness, he wasn’t a cruel man. Jaxson wouldn’t have served him if he was. He was a fair ruler who enforced his rules and kept order over the demon realm.

  I just hope this woman has a good reason to be here, or the king will have to deal with her.

  Her presence, however, disturbed him. Female demons were rare, and usually had done something pretty awful to be sent to the demon realm. So what had a woman like her done to end up in this dark place? And what was more, how had she known the location of this secret portal?

  Time to find out.

  He eased from the shadows of the boulders and stood directly in her path, his sword held out before him in an unspoken threat. Immediately, her gaze snapped to him. And for a moment, she looked surprised.

  Not frightened like every other demon who crossed paths with him. Strange.

  As always, her gaze instantly moved to the scarring on one half of his face.

  His stomach tightened. For some reason, his grotesque appearance bothered him more today. In the presence of a goddess, a woman whose beauty was unparalleled to any woman he’d seen before, he felt ashamed to even stand before her.

  When her gaze shifted to the rest of his face and then slowly down his body, he watched her warily. When their eyes met once again, he expected repulsion. Instead, she smiled at him.

  Of all the reactions he expected, a smile was the last one.

  “Can I help you?” she asked.

  It took him a second to find his voice. “Do you,” he stopped to clear his throat, “realize that you’re not supposed to be here?”

  Her eyes twinkled in a way he could only describe as mischievous. “And what are you going to do about it?”

  “I serve the demon-king. Since you’re trespassing, I’ll bring you before him, and he’ll decide what happens to you.”

  Again, he expected to see fear. Again he was disappointed.

  No, not disappointed, surprised. Because her smile only widened.

  “I guess you have to do what you have to do.”

  Lowering his blade, he shook his head. “What’s wrong with you? A normal person would be terrified.”

  “Really?” She blinked her eyes slowly, mockingly. “I guess a little woman like me should be really scared then.”

  He scowled. “I don’t know who you are, but you have no idea how much trouble you’re in.”

  She moved closer to him, then her gaze traveled down to his crotch.

  Damn it.

  “Is that from the River of Lust, or are you just happy to see me?”

  Is she flirting with me?

  Warily, he watched as she closed the distance between them. Pushing the arm that held his sword to the side, she pressed her body against his, running her hands up his chest. Instantly, her sweet scent washed over him.

  Within him, his wolf stirred in a way it hadn’t in many months. Like a puppy, it was drawn to her. Eager for more of her touch. For more of her intoxicating smell.

  Like sugar. Or cookies. Or something mouthwatering.

  But why was she touching him? A woman like this had no good reason to be anywhere near him.

  This has to be a part of some sinister plan? Which means I should be shoving her away...

  “What’s your name?” she asked, her stunn
ing hazel eyes holding his.

  “Jaxson.” Why the hell did I tell her that?

  “Well, Jaxson. I’ll agree to go along without a struggle, but I’m going to require a kiss first.”

  His breathing sped up and a wave of arousal swept through him, heating his blood. He was aware of every inch of her curvaceous, beautiful body pressed up against his. Closing his eyes, he tried to ignore the torturous awareness of her hard nipples against his chest.

  Of course she’s not wearing a bra.

  He felt like a horny teenager. He wanted to blame it on the River of Lust, but it probably had more to do with how long it’d been since a woman had willingly pressed herself against him. In the light. Where she could see his face.

  Probably before I died.

  Demons aged more slowly than humans. He’d died when he was twenty-seven. And after thirty years as a demon, he hadn’t aged a day. And yet, he felt as if a lifetime had passed.

  “Am I not your type?”

  His eyes flashed open. “You’re every man’s type, and you know it. But a woman like you wouldn’t be interested in someone who looks like I do, so what do you want?”

  She tilted her head, frowning. “Someone who looks like you?”

  Mistake seductress! He yanked himself free of her, his heart pounding.

  Grabbing her arm, he tightened his grip on his blade. “No more games. You’re coming with me.”

  She shrugged. “I guess I’ll take a raincheck on that kiss.”

  His cock jerked at her suggestive words, and for a second all he could think about was her kiss. Her touch. How her body would feel clenching around him as he came.

  I need to get as far from this woman as possible. As quickly as possible.

  Hauling her through the maze of boulders, he tried not to notice how the tiny sparks of light seemed to cling to her, nor how soft and warm her arm felt beneath his touch. Because if his brain started down that trail, he wasn’t sure he could stop it.

  They walked in silence. But every second he was aware of her. Of how confidently she moved through the dangerous lands. And how calm she seemed, despite her situation.

  She absolutely confused him.

  After several long minutes, they reached the River of Lust. He released her arm, considering his options. How the hell am I going to swim through the river with her, without touching her?