Page 38 of My Demon Mate

I match his smile. “Yes. I’d like my father’s body to be inside.”

CHAPTER 14

RAVEN

Everest is curled in on himself as we make the silent drive to his old house. He gets more and more subdued the closer we get, until he is less than a shadow of who he is when he is with me alone. After he told me what he wanted me to do for him, I thought he would be ecstatic about what we were going to do.

But his arms are wrapped around his middle, and his eyes take on a haunted quality. What is he thinking? I cannot even get a read on his feelings, he is so closed off. It is like if he had an emotional grid I could read, it is collapsed on itself, shutting down any thought or feeling from entering.

“Are you okay, baby?” I draw one hand from around his middle and thread our fingers together.

Everest looks at me as if he is coming awake from a deep sleep—blinking slowly and deliberately. His mouth opens, then closes again, his eyes glazing over, and he shakes his head.

Something is not right. Why is he like this? After checking to see if anyone is around, I pull over to the shoulder and put the car in park. Turning to Everest, I snap his seatbelt off and drag him over to my lap. He settles against my chest, breathing in deep, shaky breaths.

“Talk to me, Everest. Tell me what is troubling you.”

He is quiet for a few beats. I take that time to position him better on my lap, rubbing his back in slow, soothing circles. The longer I rub him, the easier his emotions are to read. Fear, anger, apprehension, disgust, anticipation, happiness. A conglomerate of feelings all piling one on top of the other. As soon as I try to pin one down, another takes its place, fighting for dominance.

Everest releases a long, shuddering breath. “This is it. Once we leave that trailer, my biggest tormentor will be dead. It’s almost too ridiculous to believe.” He lifts his head, placing a soft hand on my cheek. “I’m scared, Raven. What if I can’t do it? Mitch was easy—he’s not my dad. What if I’m too weak and he continues to torment me for the rest of my days?”

Tipping his chin up so he is meeting my eyes, I put as much conviction as I can into my words. “If you do not wish for him to die, I will not kill him. As I said, this is your command.” I give him a look when he tries to interrupt at my use of the word command. “But he will never torment you again. I will get you as far away from this place as I can, and he will never find you.”

Tears brim in his eyes as he nods. “Thank you,” he whispers.

“You are welcome, my love.” I kiss his forehead and Everest’s breathing stutters.

I could say the words. I could tell him here and now how much I love him, how he means everything to me, but right now is not the moment. He already has a lot on his mind—any declaration of love will have him more closed off than the thought of killing his father has.

By human standards, it is fast—only a little over a week—but for demons, love is not measured in time. When we feel it, that is it. We express it, knowing our mate will reciprocate. There is no worry about that.

Humans are a fickle bunch. They say they love someone, then end up in what they call divorce court. Demons mate for life when we decide to settle down. I want to settle with Everest. He is my end game. When I decide to end my existence, it will be with Everest by my side.

His soft breath drifts over the skin of my neck. “Thank you, Raven. You’re the best thing that’s happened to me, you know that?”

I chuckle, holding him close and breathing in his naturally sweet scent of fresh rain and peaches. “It is the other way around, my sweet baby.” I kiss the top of his head. “Are you better now?”

“Better.”

“Are you ready for this? Like I said, I do not have to kill him. You can get your things and we can move far away. Anywhere you wish to go.”

He exhales and nods, biting his bottom lip before he meets my eyes. “I want to get my things first. We can figure it out from there.” Everest slides off my lap and settles back in his seat. “I … I’ll think about what I want to do when we get to my—” he pauses, eyes glazing over again— “when we get to Jack’s house.”

I grab his hand and squeeze. Everest holds on for dear life, his clammy hand tight in mine.

With my free hand, I put the car in drive and continue to his old house. He is not so closed off as he was, his emotions clear as day now.

Five minutes later, we pull up at the trailer he called home for many years. I put the car in park and wait for Everest to say something.

He sighs and looks at me. “Ready?”

“Are you?” I counter gently.

He nods, looking back at the trailer. “As I’ll ever be.”

We step out of the car and I round to his side, putting my hand on the small of his back. Everest stares at the trailer with a mixture of disgust and nostalgia. I look at it, trying to see it how he does. It is the most pitiful hovel I have ever clapped eyes upon. It is held aloft by cinderblocks, but one side is sinking into the ground, giving it an uneven appearance. The porch is dipping, the boards old and almost rotted through. The trailer is painted a terrible orange color, faded and chipped in most places. A window where the kitchen is has cardboard over it, the frame broken and splintered.

This place is not fit for a dog to live in, and it was Everest’s dwelling since he was a small child. I am so glad he summoned me to take him away from here. He deserves so much better.

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