by Lynn Hagen
It angered Kane that someone would do this to another, and for what? To gain the other demon’s powers. He didn’t think it was worth stripping someone of their very essence to gain that prize. Kane wondered what this demon’s powers had been and who now possessed them.
“I didn’t see anything. I was coming out of Diablo’s and spotted someone slumped over. You ain’t pinning this on me,” Torky snapped.
Kane ignored the demon as he studied the surroundings. A detective he was not, but he’d learned over the millenniums to look for the unseen.
Deandre bent down and hauled the soulless man into his arms. “I’ll take him over to the institution.”
Kane nodded as his eyes scanned the area. He couldn’t see anything that would help him find the soul sucker.
“I got a tugging in my chest.”
Kane stood, staring open-mouthed as Deandre and Phoenyx came walking down the alley. He looked over at Hondo, who looked just as baffled.
“What did you do with the body?” Kane asked cautiously.
Deandre’s brows pulled together in a deep frown as he looked from Hondo to Kane. “What body?”
“Shit,” Kane shouted as he and Hondo took off back down the alley and around the corner onto King Kennedy. He looked around quickly and then spotted “Deandre” two blocks down, in the opposite direction of the institution.
“Who the hell is he?” Hondo asked as they both took off down the street.
The impersonator spotted them and dropped the soulless man, hauling ass away from them. Kane threw his hands out to freeze the punk when a crowd of shifters emerged from Jake’s Java.
“Fuck,” Kane growled as they lost the fake Deandre in the crowd. Hondo quickly retrieved the body that had been tossed away and turned his back at the gawking shifters.
“Let’s get him over to the institution.”
Kane followed Hondo, pissed as hell that the man got away.
Once they dropped the victim off, Kane headed back to his apartment, happy to see his mate safe and sound. Hondo went up to Panahasi’s as Kane entertained the men.
“So what did you have to do?” Dillon asked.
Kane dropped down into the chair in the living room and pulled Snooke onto his lap. “Chase a soul sucker.”
“What!” Chris cried. “I’m gonna kill Hondo.”
“What’s a soul sucker? It sounds nasty,” Dillon inquired.
Kane ran his hands up and down Snooke’s back as his mate snuggled into his lap. “It’s a demon who gets greedy. Isn’t satisfied having just one power. He sucks the soul out of another demon, acquiring their power and leaving the victim an empty shell.”
Dillon shuddered. “I am so glad I’m human.”
Hondo came through the door, smiling as he walked across the living room.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were going after a soul sucker?” Chris placed his hands on his hips, narrowing his eyes at Hondo.
The warrior gulped and looked over at Kane, shooting daggers at him.
“Hey, he asked.” Kane shrugged.
“And you just had to tell him?”
Chris grabbed Hondo’s arm, pulling the large demon along with him. “Come on, fella. You’re taking me home.”
Hondo shout a glower Kane’s way before following behind his mate.
“That was so mean.” Snooke chuckled.
“I never claimed to play fair.” Kane pulled Snooke’s head closer, inhaling the demons scent as his cock hardened. He knew Snooke’s neck was an ultrasensitive area and planned on exploiting it.
“Which apartment is Rainerio in?” Dillon stood and walked to the door. “Because I’m not sitting here watching you two get horny as hell with each other.”
Kane laughed. “Fifth floor.”
“Later.” Dillon closed the door behind him.
“He’s…strange.” Kane smiled.
“But a good friend.” Snooke burrowed his head into Kane’s neck. “More than I’ve been.”
“You made a bad judgment call. It happens. The important thing is that you learn from it.”
“I have.” Snooke rubbed his hand back and forth over Kane’s chest. If he were a shifter, he’d purr at the intimate feeling. “I was always taught to stand by my family, no matter if I agreed or not. But since I met you, my friends, I can’t stand by and blindly watch him try to destroy the warriors.”
“Do you know what the crystal can do?”
“I don’t want to know. The less I know, the better.”
Kane agreed with his mate. But the demon needed to know the ramifications of his uncle possessing something so powerful. “It is the key to the underworld, where we keep the prisoners. Whoever holds the key and knows how to use it can free whomever they chose.”
Snooke sat up, looking terrified. “He hasn’t figured out how to use it. We need to get it back.”
Kane laid his hand on Snooke’s head, bringing his mate back down to his chest. “Do you know where we can find him?”
“He has a place he likes to go in the human realm. I can show you.” Snooke tried to get off of Kane’s lap, but he had other plans. He spun Snooke around, making his mate straddle his lap.
“In a moment.” Kane unclasped Snooke’s slacks and freed his beautiful cock. He then unsnapped his jeans and pulled his erection free.
“They look good together.” Snooke moaned.
“That they do.” Kane wrapped his hands around their cocks, stroking them slowly as Snooke laid his hands on Kane’s chest.
“Kane,” Snooke panted. “I love you.”
Kane’s nostrils flared. His control tested as Snooke licked his fingers and then traced them over the heads of their cocks. His hand applied pressure as Snooke’s hand joined his.
“Make me come, Kane,” Snooke pleaded.
“I got you, shorty.” Kane spat in his hand and then grabbed their cocks again, pumping his hand faster as Snooke’s breath grew ragged.
“I’m there,” Snooke shouted, his seed warming Kane’s hand. The smell of his mate’s spunk had Kane quickly following. Their seed combined as Kane slouched back, sated and hungry.
Snooke slid from Kane’s lap and walked to the bathroom. He came back a few minutes later with his slacks fastened and holding a wet washcloth. Kane watched silently as Snooke cleaned his softened shaft and then his hand, walking back to the bathroom to return the cloth.
“Come here, shorty.” Kane held his arms out. Snooke placed his knees on either side of Kane’s hips as Kane pulled his mate down for a deep kiss filled with passion. “I love you, too.”
Snooke looked surprised. Kane figured after what had happened, he would too if he were Snooke. “I fell in love with you before I suspected anything.”
“When?” Snooke asked hesitantly.
“The first time I saw you.” Damn, Snooke sure blushed a nice shade of red. Kane loved Snooke’s eye color the most. They were a deep blue, as blue as the sea at night. His lopsided smile was endearing, and he always looked like he was ready to pose for GQ magazine.
“You’re staring at me.” Snooke smiled shyly.
“I can’t help it. You’re handsome as fuck.” Kane stood, lifting Snooke with him, then set his mate on his feet. “Let’s go see Panahasi.”
Snooke paled. “Is he angry with me?” His eyes widened as Snooke stared at the door like it was the enemy.
“I guess we’ll find out.”
Snooke was not looking forward to seeing the leader of the warriors. How do you face the leader whose warriors you almost crossed? Snooke felt like he was walking to his doom as Kane walked him into a shadow and emerged outside the leader’s door.
Snooke was always in awe when he saw Panahasi. The warrior was the largest of them all, the most fierce-looking, with a darkness about him that warned Snooke to watch himself.
“Snooke knows where we might be able to find Marino.” Kane walked around the large penthouse living room, going behind the bar and fixing himself a drink. Snooke stood in the doorw
ay, unsure of what to do.
“You can have a seat, Snooke.” Panahasi waved him over to a sofa. To Snooke’s surprise, Kane brought the drink to him. He felt trapped in a room with two large predators staring at him as if he were their next meal. Snooke gulped the drink down, regretting it as soon as it hit his stomach and burned like crazy.
“Easy.” Kane took the glass from him and set it on the bar. “You can’t drink hard liquor like that.”
Snooke’s eyes darted to the door and then back at Kane. He was working himself up, and he knew it. He rolled his shoulders, ready to take what he had coming.
“Sit down.” Panahasi shook his head at Snooke. “You’re safe. I’m sure your mate handled the situation with you.”
Kane had, making Snooke feel like shit. He knew that wasn’t the warriors intention, but it didn’t make Snooke feel any better. He moved over to the sofa slowly. He wasn’t going to make any sudden moves with these two watching him. Snooke lowered to the couch with precise movements, watching the two large demons the whole time.
“So where does your uncle like to disappear to?” Panahasi asked as he took a seat at the bar.
“Chicago.” Snooke told them the location of the home Marino owned. “He has neighbors watching, so be discrete.”
“We’re discrete.” Kane chuckled while rubbing his jaw. “He’ll never know we’re coming.”
“I can show you a back way in,” Snooke offered as he sat back, wishing Kane was sitting next to him instead of on the other side of the sofa.
“No. I don’t want you in any danger. We can handle it.” Kane leaned forward, placing his arms on his knees as his hands dangled between his legs.
In other words, they didn’t trust him. Snooke had that coming, but it still hurt like hell. He glanced over at Kane, a longing in him to be near his mate. But what right did he have to anything at this point? He was a traitor who almost sold them out. He should be lucky Kane still wanted to be bothered with him. “I understand,” Snooke said dejectedly. “I’m gonna go back downstairs and find Dillon.”
Snooke rose from the couch and hurried to the door. He wished things would have been different when he met his mate instead of the lies and secrets.
Snooke contemplated walking out of the apartment building, leaving all this behind so Kane wouldn’t have to live with a shameful mate. It twisted his gut to think that the other warriors would find out what he had done and possibly shun Kane for Snooke’s crimes.
He turned to walk toward the exit when he ran into a hard, muscular chest. “Going somewhere?” Kane asked as he backed Snooke to the apartment door. “Where were you going, Snooke?”
Snooke turned his head, his knees growing weak, as the massive body pressed his into the door, making his head spin. “I asked where you were going,” Kane purred into his ear.
“Away. I don’t deserve you.”
Kane’s chuckle was low, tickling his ear. “Why don’t you let me be the judge of who I deserve to be with.” His fingers traced over the side of Snooke’s jaw, leading down to his neck. Kane’s eyes hooded, his lips pulling back in a smile. “Fate gave you to me so I can help you straighten your life out. Walk the straight and narrow.”
“How about the gay and narrow.” Snooke smiled up at Kane.
“Sounds even better.” Kane swooped down and covered Snooke’s lips with his. It was a heated kiss, conveying to Snooke what Kane wanted.
“You two still at it again? I need some sleep, so go get a hotel,” Dillon griped as he entered the apartment and closed the door on them.
“I thought that attribute to him was charming.” Kane looked at the door. “Now it’s irritating.”
“He’ll grow on you.” Snooke opened, allowing Kane to explore his mouth with his tongue.
Kane opened the door, lifting Snooke into his arms as he kicked the door closed, heading straight toward the bedroom.
Snooke packed quickly as Kane, Hondo, and Rainerio stood watch in his bedroom. He wasn’t sorry to leave his apartment behind. It had been a place to hide from his uncle when things got bad, but it was never truly a home.
The place was void of anything personal. He refused to hold onto anything, afraid this place would be found and it would be discovered that Snooke lived here. Well, it seemed his worries were valid. His place had been breached, and his uncle now knew about it.
The walls that had sheltered him for so long were no longer a safe haven. Although it had been a few weeks since the incident in the backroom of Malcor’s, the warriors didn’t want to chance bringing him here until they felt it safe.
Snooke would never be safe as long as his uncle stayed free. Marino was on the run now, in hiding just like Snooke had been.
Irony was a motherfucker.
“You got everything, shorty?” Kane asked as he grabbed Snooke’s bags.
“I think so.” He looked around one last time to ensure that he did. There wouldn’t be a second trip here, so he had to make sure he had it all. Snooke ran into the bathroom one last time to check when his uncle’s elf shimmered in.
He held his finger to his lips, glancing past Snooke to the door. Snooke never did trust the guy. “Your uncle has been dealing with some very dark men. I fear he is close to finding out how to use the crystal.”
“Where is he?” Snooke could hear the venom dripping from his own words. He hated his uncle with a passion now. The longer he was around the warriors, Chris, and Dillon, the more he saw what true friendship and caring was all about. The realization had struck him that Marino had never truly cared about him.
No matter what the bastard had done, Snooke had still loved him. Not anymore.
“I can’t tell you. But warn the warriors that he is getting close.” The elf shimmered out.
“Thanks for nothing,” Snooke muttered as he checked under the cabinet and in the medicine cabinet. Flaky-ass elf.
“You almost done?” Kane stepped to the doorway. “Hondo is itching to get back to Chris.”
“I didn’t say that,” Hondo shouted from the next room.
“He’s cock whipped.” Kane chuckled as he pulled Snooke from the bathroom.
“So are you,” Hondo countered.
“Never denied it, my brother.” Hondo and Rainerio grabbed Snooke’s bags as Kane slid his hand in Snooke’s. When they emerged into Kane’s bedroom, Snooke spun around.
“My uncle’s elf shimmered in while I was in the bathroom.”
“What!” Kane’s voice was harsh as he stared down at Snooke. “What did he want?”
“He said my uncle was getting closer to finding out how to use the crystal. That he was seeing some very dark people.”
“Shit.” Hondo dropped the bags onto the floor and headed for the bedroom door. “I need to let Panahasi know.”
Rainerio followed Hondo out.
“Thank you for telling me.” Kane placed his hands on Snooke’s forearms.
“I promised no more secrets.”
“That you did.” Kane pulled Snooke into his arms and kissed his temple. “That you did.”
“Hey, can a guy get something to eat around here, or do I have to wait for you two to fuck?” Dillon asked from the doorway. “I’m starving.”
“One of these days, right to the moon,” Kane mumbled as he released Snooke. “And what does the human want? A cracker, a stale piece of bread, or maybe some millennium-old cereal?”
“I don’t know where you got your sense of humor from, but you need to give it back. It sucks.” Dillon spun around and walked away. “Hurry up before I wither away,” he shouted back to the bedroom.
“Why did we bring him here?” Kane looked down at Snooke.
Snooke chuckled as Tulip came trotting into the room, barking at both of them as if to scold them for upsetting her master.
“Even the dog wants to pick on me,” Kane mumbled. “Would you like a two-headed pit bull as a playmate?” he asked the dog.
It growled and yapped at the two before sticking its nose in the air
and trotting away. “A dog with ’tude, just great.” Kane shook his head as he walked out of the bedroom.
Snooke thought it was hilarious. Kane and Dillon constantly bumped heads, and the dog always yelled at Kane afterwards.
He set his bags on the bed, opening them up, and began to put his things away. Snooke still couldn’t believe that after three millenniums, he found his mate. He wanted to shout with joy and kick his heels together.
It felt fantastic.
Dillon stuck his head in and asked, “We’re heading down to the supermarket. Do you want to go?”
“Sure.” Snooke left his bags on the bed as he joined the others in the living room. A trip to the grocery store was his thrill of the week. Kane spouted on and on about Snooke not going anywhere unless two or three warriors went with him. It was too much of a hassle, so he just stayed in. But for some reason, he enjoyed going to the grocery store.
“I don’t see how you eat all that without being as big as a house,” Snooke teased Dillon as they put the human’s snacks away.
“It’s all in the jeans.” Dillon grabbed his crotch and laughed.
“I guess I’ll never know then.”
Dillon stood in the middle of the kitchen and pouted. “Spoilsport.”
“I thought you liked Rainerio anyway,” Snooke said as he put the last of the boxes in the cupboard and then climbed down the step stool. He folded it up and stored it away as he looked around and declared the groceries put away.
“I’m going to go finish unpacking. Try not to bug Kane too much.”
“I promise I will.” Dillon smiled as Snooke shook his head and left the kitchen. No matter how much his mate complained about the annoying human, he knew Dillon was growing on Kane. The man had a way of doing that.
Snooke stepped into the bedroom and stared at the empty bed. Well, wasn’t that sweet of Kane.
Snooke strolled back down the hallway, humming as he entered the living room. Dillon was slouched over the couch with the remote in his hand while Kane sat in the chair having a staring contest with the dog.
Snooke thought it was the funniest sight ever. And if he wasn’t mistaken, the dog was winning.
He crawled onto the chair and began to kiss Kane all over his neck. “Thank you.”