Page 2 of Rescued By the Dour Demon

Her brain frantically flipped through her mental list of monsters before she landed on the right reference page. Beyond media and religious portrayals, any factual information on them was scarce. Not surprising. According to the info she had, they were insular creatures, preferring to remain in their corner of the Underworld, only venturing Earthside when absolutely necessary.

So why was there a demon at her crossroads? And why had he answered her call, rather than the spirit she’d petitioned? Hell, she’d take Baba Yaga, the legendary and super-scary Slavic witch who loved her a good crossroads, over a demon.

She swallowed hard, regretting her decision to come here.Should have hired a damn lawyer and managed the fallout, she thought, licking her dry lips.

The demon loomed over her, almost a foot taller than her respectable height of five-foot-eight. With broad shoulders and long limbs, he had a competitive swimmer’s build, all sleek, lean muscle made for cutting through the water. Shining black horns curled over wavy black hair that tumbled over his forehead and glowing blue eyes pinned her in place like a mouse trapped beneath a cat’s paw.

The demon looked like he’d just left a long boardroom meeting, dressed in charcoal gray pants, polished black oxfords, and a crisp white button-up, its three top buttons undone, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The tendons in his forearms flexed as he shifted his stance, the tattooed flames leaping and flickering over the skin of his right arm.

Rowan felt an unexpected flutter in her belly.

Gathering her scattered thoughts, she rolled her shoulders to release some of the tension there. “You weren’t who I was expecting.” She rolled her eyes at herself.Way to state the obvious, Ro.

He grunted, folding his arms over his chest, his muscles flexing. Impatience radiated from him in waves. “You summoned me. Let’s make a deal.”

A sharp jolt of worry shot through her.Well, hell. Coming here really, truly wasn’t a good idea. I am in no way, shape, or form prepared to make a deal with a crossroads demon. I just want an answer to my question.She cursed, trying to think of how best to extricate herself from the whole situation. “No, I summoned a spirit.”

“Well, you got me instead.” The demon flashed her a sharp-toothed grin. “Lucky you.”

2

LEITH

Leith Mamon scrubbed a hand across his jaw, stubble rasping over his palm, and tried to ignore the summons. It was an incessant, annoying tug at the core of his body, distracting him from his work and dragging him out into the night towards some damnable crossroads. Maybe he could resist it long enough for the petitioner to get bored and walk away, thus escaping any repercussions of a liminal-space contract.

But the summons was strong and rapidly evolving from annoying to painful. Cursing under his breath, he tossed a pen on the pile of legal briefs he was reviewing and pushed back from his desk, the piles of papers and discarded coffee cups wobbling precariously. “This better be worth it,” he growled, raking his hands through his hair and tugging on his horns for good measure. “I’ve got a deposition tomorrow and don’t have time for this bullshit.”

The deal he made with the Demon Queen was that, as long as he remained in the human realm, he was responsible for this region. And that included annoyances such as crossroads management. Luckily for him, there was very little oversightfrom the demon realm, and he usually got away with avoiding the whole territory-claiming, deal-making department.

Besides, he was busy playing the rather enjoyable role of a stereotypically ruthless lawyer. He wasn’t out there looking to earn a name for himself by collecting the souls of up-and-coming musicians in exchange for success or other such nonsense, unlike some of his predecessors.

“Relax. I’m coming,” he growled when the summons squeezed tight and pulled. With a wave of his hand, he opened a portal and stepped into the screaming black void.

As he exited onto the gravel road, he heard a woman’s voice say, “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”

Leith shook his head at the petitioner’s too-late realization of her folly. How could she possibly think summoning a demon to the crossroads was a good idea, especially this time of year when the Veil between realms was so thin?

“You can say that again,” he growled, irritated she called him away from work he actually enjoyed doing.

Then he got his first look at her, and the dusty, withered thing he called a heart restarted with a jolting thump. How utterly unexpected.

He cocked his head, studying the little human in front of him. She was certainly more delicious than the usual petitioners. The intoxicating scent of her made his mouth water. He inhaled, tasting her intentions. Her disdain and hostility had a spicy kick, but there was no hate or greed flavoring her purpose. She’d come to his crossroads out of love and concern for another. Even more unexpected.

His heart beat faster, a soft glow of heat expanding in his chest as a missing puzzle piece clicked into place in his soul.Mate, it whispered. He glowered, willing it to hush so he could focus and do his job.

She frowned back and ran her tongue over her ruby red lips. “You aren’t who I was expecting.”

Folding his arms over his chest, he grunted in affirmation. Of course not. No doubt, she’d hoped for one of Hecate’s minions or Epona, the horse goddess, to appear when she called.

Too bad. The crossroads in this region were his domain. No one else would dare interfere. “You summoned me. Let’s make a deal.”

At those words, the irritation he’d felt at being called away from his work disappeared, and he mentally rubbed his hands together in anticipation. It had been far too long since he’d bothered to make a crossroads deal. Usually, he just scared them off. Always funny to watch a petitioner run away like their hair was on fire.

But he was curious to find out what this adorable little human wanted, and what she was willing to offer in return. That blasted heart of his pulsed at the idea of spending more time with her and getting to know this woman his soul recognized as his mate.

His brows drew together, his glower deepening. Where had that idea come from? He didn’t have the time or inclination to deal with a life mate right now. He was trying to avoid attachments and responsibilities, not add to them.

“No, I summoned a spirit,” she said, her hands clenched by her sides.

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