Page 31 of Claiming a Demon

“I don’t know. I really like this guy and he seems really into the idea of a relationship, but…”

“But?” Ingrid urged when I didn’t immediately continue.

“But it sort of feels like he only wants to use me as a distraction. I mean, that’s sort of how we started out, but then we agreed to date, so I thought things changed. When he got back from talking to his friends, though, he teleported me away without a word and wouldn’t tell me what happened no matter how much I asked. The only thing he wanted was sex. Which is fine. I told him I’d distract him when he needed me to, but I’m getting really attached to him. I don’t want to get my hopes up and then end up heartbroken when his problems settle and he doesn’t need me anymore.”

Ingrid’s face softened, and she scooted in close, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. “Oh, Zach…”

Selene took my hand, leaning against my side. Surrounded by my friends, I felt a little better. They took a minute, just to show me they were there, before they started offering suggestions.

“Have you talked to him? If he was into the idea of a relationship, he should be open to communication,” Ingrid suggested.

I shook my head. “No, not yet. He was really upset tonight, and I didn’t want to add more to his plate.”

Selene made a face. “Okay, I get that, but don’t take on all the problems yourself instead. Your feelings matter too.”

Ingrid nodded in agreement. “If he’s not willing to take your needs into account, maybe he isn’t in the best place to start a relationship. You two could stay friends for now and wait until his life isn’t so chaotic to try again.”

I heard what they meant underneath it. I told them about Mal’s dad being sick and their tone had that same edge to it that Mal’s friends had. They didn’t see a positive outcome for Mal’s dad.

“Is there any chance his dad will pull through?”

When Ingrid flinched, my stomach sank.

“I’m sorry, Zach. I wish it was different. But the shadow plague is a little like the demon equivalent of stage four cancer in a virus form. The survival rates are slim. Healers all over are trying to figure out how to combat it, but without risking the healers themselves, it’s almost impossible.”

It was no wonder Mal looked so heartbroken. This was a lot worse than I thought.

“And if he goes to a healer’s facility? Does it change the odds at all?”

She tipped her head back and forth. “Possibly. It means his care is better managed, and there isn’t much of a wait if he takes a turn for the worst. It doesn’t guarantee anything, though. And a lot of paranormals only go to those facilities as a last resort. It gives them a bad rep, since they’re mostly used when things are too far gone to heal at home.”

Which was why Mal’s family was avoiding it. They didn’t want to admit things were that bad. I understood the urge to turn a blind eye, but it wasn’t helping anything. And it wasn’t helping Mal. Sucking in a deep breath, I let it out slowly.

“Okay. Thank you for explaining it to me. Maybe you’re right. If he’s going through all this, it would be wrong of me to expect a relationship right now.”

That didn’t mean I’d abandon Mal. I had been there for him since we met and I wasn’t going to stop now just because my feelings got hurt. I’d just curb my expectations. Put the relationship idea on the back burner for now. Maybe that would protect my heart enough that when Mal eventually ended things, I wouldn’t be so devastated.

* * *

I left Selene and Ingrid’s a lot later than I’d intended. In my defense, the brew kicked in and we all got a little silly when we were drinking. They brought me out of my funk and we played music and danced around until we were all laughing. Then Selene showed me what she was working on and went on a rant about having to make multiple trips to the Other Realm because she kept forgetting ingredients. I couldn’t stop laughing, and she was drunk enough that she could barely manage a scowl before she started laughing with me.

Ingrid fell asleep on the couch first. She was more affected by the brew than even I was, so it wasn’t really surprising. But when I started to nod off, I realized it was time to go. Selene walked me out, looking flushed, but still stable enough to function.

“Don’t work on spells while you’re drunk,” I warned her, nearly tripping over myself while putting my shoes back on.

“Hush, you. I know what I’m doing.”

“I’m just saying, the last time you experimented while drunk, you burned your eyebrows off. I had to draw them on for weeks because when you did it, you kept drawing them crooked.”

She flipped me off, leaning heavily against the doorframe, but her face sobered as I stepped into the hall.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

Giving her a tremulous smile, I shrugged my shoulders. “I guess.”

Selene wasn’t really the loving kind of friend. She was more the friend you drank and complained with and she was always down to hex an ex for me. So when she pulled me into a hug, I was surprised, to say the very least. I hugged her back tightly, soaking in her comfort.

“Just be careful, okay? If things don’t go the way this guy wants them to, then he’s going to be crushed. Don’t let him drag you down with him. You’re so full of light. You don’t need to take on someone’s darkness just because you’ve got feelings for them.”

---