Page 39 of My Demon Mate

Everest puts his arm around me, hugging me tight. “Don’t leave my side.”

“Never.” I kiss the top of his head.

He does not knock on the door—he throws it open and steps inside the house. We are immediately assailed with a foul stench, a combination of old food, body odor, mold, and rot. Everest puts a hand to his nose, turning into my body, coughing and gagging.

A rounded, misshapen lump on the floor moves, twisting back and forth at the noise and intrusion of natural light through the open door. I zero in on Jack, Everest’s piece of shit father. He tries to get to his feet, holding on to the armchair to stand.

Everest turns towards him, disgust winning out in his expression. Jack cuts a pathetic figure. Him not having a bath looks to be measured in weeks, not days, dirt and grime streaked across his face and upper body. The ratty undershirt he is wearing has seen better days, holes dotting through it like Swiss cheese. It is ridden up, showing a hairy, protruding belly that could only be achieved by years of hard drinking and little to nothing else. Matted and filthy hair frame his face, almost hiding his haggard appearance. Red tinged eyes that stand out in sharp relief from his otherwise pallor color lock on the two of us as we stand there looking at him. “The fuck you want?” he snarls, trying to get his footing.

“You’re pitiful,” Everest mutters to his father, frowning intensely.

“Shut the fuck up, boy!” Jack roars, weaving on his feet and pointing a shaky finger at Everest. “I told you that you’d come crawling back. What? Did this fucker here,” he points the trembling digit at me, “tell you he didn’t want you anymore? Serves you right.” He drops his hand, looking around at the state of the trailer like he has never seen it before. “Since you’re back, get started on cleaning. This place needs?—”

“Stop talking,” Everest says in an overly calm voice, staring his father down without fear. Jack closes his mouth with a comical snap, though his eyes blaze with anger as he stares at Everest. “Raven didn’t tell me he didn’t want me. He would never tell me that. We belong together. I love him.” I whip my head in his direction, but Everest does not pay me any mind, all of his attention on Jack, whose face turns redder the longer Everest speaks. “I came to get my stuff and leave. This will be the last time you see me. I never want to lay eyes on you again.”

“Now you listen here!” Jack shouts, his finger waggling again. “All this foolishness ends now! I said you need to come home, so let that man’s hand go now and clean up this fucking house! You’re my son, you belong to me!”

“I belong to Raven!” Everest yells, matching his father’s tone. “He is the only one I belong to! I owe you nothing.” Everest growls the word with enough emotion that it rocks through our mental connection with how strongly he feels. “You have never done right by me. You’ve been an asshole since I was born. Now you don’t have to worry about me anymore. Understand?” Everest turns away from his father and looks up at me. “Can you get me a suitcase? I don’t know how much I want to take with me, but I know I can’t carry it in my hands.”

Smiling at him, I snap my fingers. “A suitcase is in your room.”

Everest stands on tiptoe and kisses me gently. Behind me, his father mutters, “Disgusting.”

Neither of us acknowledge his comment.

“Stay here and keep an eye on him,” he whispers to me.

“I can go with you to pack.”

He shakes his head. “I don’t trust him not to come and be a fucking nuisance. This is something I have to do alone.”

Though I do not like it, I nod, give him one more kiss, and let him walk away.

Everest keeps his eyes on Jack as he walks past him, not turning his back to his father. He need not worry about his father trying to hit him—I would have his head relieved from his shoulders before he could blink if he made the attempt.

But Jack does not use his fists, he uses his words. “Go on then! Get! You’re lucky I let you live, since you wanna leave me! I didn’t give your momma that same courtesy when that bitch wanted away from me.”

Everest freezes, his back ramrod straight. He turns around slowly, his face reflecting surprise and fear. “What did you say?”

With what I can only describe as a smug expression, Jack straightens up as much as the spirits he consumed allows him to. “You heard me. That bitch tried to leave and I wasted her ass. No one leaves me!”

Everest’s face crumples and tears immediately drop from his eyes. His shoulders heave and sobs break from his throat. I rush over to him, gathering him in my arms as I keep my eyes on Jack. He cannot hurt me—even in this form, I am faster than him and damn near invincible. Everest is immortal now, but not invulnerable. A well placed knife on this plane could end him.

“What did you do with her?” Everest’s asks in a small voice. “Where did you put her body?”

“Out back. It’s a patch where the grass don’t grow. Wanted to use that bitch as fertilizer.”

“Why?” Everest’s voice sounds wrecked. It is taking all of my willpower to hold him and not rush over to Jack and fucking end him. Not until Everest gives me the word. “I thought you loved her.”

Jack scoffs, shaking his head. When he almost topples over with the movement, he throws his arm out to catch himself on the back of the recliner. “I didn’t love that bitch. Never did. I only married her because she got pregnant with you. Her parents told me to do right by her.” He scoffs again. “I caught your stupid ass mother trying to run off with you when you was ten. Thought a good ass whooping would put that bitch in her place, but she said she was still gonna leave me. I couldn’t have that. So I made sure she couldn’t.” He smiles like he is proud of himself, his rotted teeth flashing.

I can only chalk up this confession to Jack being drunk. If Everest wanted to go to the police, his mother’s body is in the backyard is evidence.

But Everest does not want to go to the police. In a hard tone tinged with hurt and pain, Everest says through our mental link, “Fucking kill him. I don’t want the day to end with him still breathing.”

“Your wish is my command, my sweet baby.” I kiss the top of his head. “Go pack your things,” I tell him out loud, giving him a gentle shove towards his room. “I will not start the show until you are done.”

“No.” Everest voice is firm, even though it’s thick with tears. “Now.”

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