Page 2 of Claiming a Demon

The pixie spun around with a frown. “No way! It wasn’t your fault! They were harassing you. You shouldn’t have to pay for that.”

The store owner bobbed her head in agreement. “He’s right. Damaged items happen sometimes. It’s not your fault.” She took the item from the pixie and flashed me a nervous smile. “I’m just going to take this to the back. Let me know if you need any help.”

I dipped my chin to acknowledge her and let her walk away. It wasn’t uncommon for humans to be nervous around demons. The whole religious context about us seemed to sway them into thinking we were evil. It wasn’t the truth, we had no correlation with their version of hell, but no amount of explaining swayed most of them. Hell, for us, was a town. Admittedly, it was a rough town, but not a place where humans were sent for eternal punishment. My cousin lived there, and he was a chiropractor.

The little pixie watched the woman go and pursed his lips, his brows drawn together tightly. “Sorry. It’s not you. She’s nervous around everyone. I always come to check on her when her parents make her run the storefront. She’s more comfortable in the back doing the paperwork, you know?”

This human didn’t have the same reaction as the other one. He offered me a big smile and gestured to the shelf I was looking at earlier.

“Did you pick something yet? I noticed you browsing when I came in.”

I shook my head. I still didn’t know what to get, and according to the clock on the wall, I was officially late.

“Did you want some help?”

I masked the surprise on my face, studying the little human. The top of his head didn’t even reach my shoulders and his tight clothes showed off his slim figure. Given the difference between the two of us, I thought he would be afraid of me like his friend was. But he wasn’t giving off even a hint of apprehension, his expression curious. I hesitated, still uncertain around humans after avoiding them for so long. He tipped his head.

“If you’d rather look by yourself, I don’t mind. I just thought I’d offer since you looked a little frustrated. I don’t want to toot my own horn or anything, but I’m an excellent gift giver. All my friends say so.”

Since I’d wanted a human’s opinion, I didn’t see the harm in asking for his. I wasn’t obligated to buy what he suggested, and it wasn’t like he was a threat to me.

When I nodded, his face lit up brightly, and he beamed at me. “Awesome. So, who are we shopping for?”

“My friend and her girlfriend just got engaged.”

“Yay! Congrats to them! I love weddings. Were you looking for something sentimental or something practical? Or maybe both?” He picked up the glassware set I’d been looking at earlier with a frown. “These are nice, but they are a little impersonal.”

“I don’t know. What would you want?” He was human, like Isla and Maya were. Maybe he’d have a clue what humans wanted at parties like this.

He snorted, shaking his head. “You can’t go off what I want. I’m not like most people. But if you’re asking what humans want, then it depends on how long you’ve known them. If they’re really good friends, I’d probably go for something a little more personal, but if you just met, then something like this is fine.”

I was curious about what made him different from most people, aside from his size. He was one of the smallest males I’d met since coming to the human realm. And one of the most energetic as well. He almost danced around the shop, peppering me with questions about my friends while he considered the items. He was interesting, this little human, and I forgot entirely about the fact that I was late as I followed him around the store.

CHAPTER TWO

ZACHARIAH

I’d noticed right away that the poor guy was lost on what to buy. I was going to offer to help him anyway when those jerks started harassing him. It worked out alright, but I felt an almost incessant need to help him, even though he didn’t look pleased about it. His face was stoic, and he didn’t say much, following me around as I riddled him with questions. I was worried I was bothering him, but I didn’t force him to accept my help. If he was tired of me, he could go. It’d make me sad, he was interesting, but I wasn’t the type to cry over people not liking me. I was a lot to handle sometimes, and I wasn’t sorry about it.

Abby’s parent’s shop was filled with sappy quotes written on crystal tumblers, ceramic figures, and candles. It wasn’t a bad shop, but it lacked personality in my opinion. I never shopped here. I only stopped by to visit Abby when she had to help, since she was uncomfortable assisting customers. It made her day easier if I popped in between clients.

The demon studied a little figurine with some cliche quote on it and I tried not to make a face. Unless his friends were into this kind of thing, it’d probably end up tucked away somewhere and sold at a garage sale a few years down the line. I wasn’t going to say that though, because it wasn’t about me or my opinions. Instead, I studied the demon, taking in his appearance.

He was bulky, with broad shoulders and absolutely massive arms. He wasn’t the tallest paranormal I’d seen, though he was way taller than me. His skin was a deep crimson, like rosewood, and absolutely flawless. He had a square jaw, deep burgundy lips, and…

“Are your eyes purple?”

Whoops. I was supposed to be looking at the products, not at him, but I just kind of blurted that out. His eyes flicked to mine, and I shot him a sheepish look.

“Sorry. Not important.”

His eyes were purple, though. A kind of dark purple where the color only stood out if there was a light on them. I didn't notice before and I thought they were black, but when he stepped closer to the storefront windows, I finally got a good look at them. It was really cool, I’d never seen that color eyes before, and I had to roll my lips between my teeth to stop myself from commenting on them again.

He put the figurine back down, his thick eyebrows drawing together tightly. I recognized that look. He had it when I first showed up. He was getting frustrated, and it was easy to figure out why. This really wasn’t the best place for presents for your friends. It was more for your snooty mother-in-law who wanted to feel special but didn't really deserve the effort of a good gift.

“If this place isn’t really giving you what you’re looking for, we can try somewhere else. I’m not busy right now, so I’ve got the time to browse a few places.”

A muscle in his jaw twitched, almost like he was fighting back a grimace, and he sighed. “I was supposed to be there ten minutes ago. I thought I’d have more time, but my shift ran late.”

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