Page 43 of My Demon Manny

Vampires were fast, had quick reflexes, and were undead. They were survivors, and yet Mammon and the dark soul had slaughtered them all. The thought of either of them getting anywhere close to Archer or Gunner scared the shit out of me. Just the thought that they'd been in town at the same timewas enough to make me want to rush home and wrap my arms around them both.

Giving one last nod to Maximus, I left, eager to get home and hold the two people who meant more to me than this whole world.

Archer

I learned a lot from Dakota, like how the demon realm was a beautiful place, and I should ask Lux to take me sometimes. How the demons loved discovering new human things, things that seem common and everyday to us but can be a revelation to them.

Dakota and Nico stayed for a while, and Gunner managed to win over another demon with his antics. Nico seemed completely besotted by him, and I wondered what it was about Gunner that he liked so much. Was it just the fact that he was a baby?

Nico's phone pinged with a text just after I'd fed Gunner his last meal of the night, and whatever it was had them rushing to get home, though they assured me Lux was fine and he'd be home soon.

Just a moment after they disappeared, I got a text as well.

Lux: Almost done. I'll be home soon.

With a sigh of relief, I picked Gunner up, then headed to his nursery when I realized the little man needed changing. Once he was changed, he started getting sleepy now that the guests were gone, so I got him ready for bed and put him back in his crib in the nursery, sitting in the rocking chair. I hadn't had dinner yet, couldn't bring myself to eat until Lux was home.

Glancing over at Gunner's crib, I thought back to a time not too long ago when I'd thought he was all I needed in this world.

How had it gone from 'just him' to 'just them' so quickly? Lux had become such an integral part of my life in such a short time, and it was crazy how much he meant to me now.

Dakota had assured me that strange as it felt, my feelings for Lux were real. The mate bond we shared might've sped up our relationship a little, but it couldn't create feelings out of thin air. Everything I felt for Lux was a hundred percent true.

"What do you think, Gunner? Do you want to call Lux Dada?"

Gunner was already asleep, so I didn't get an answer from him, but I still imagined a future where Lux and I raised Gunner together, where he came to me when he was hungry or needed help with homework, and went to Lux when he needed fashion or love advice, or when he needed something a tad more magical.

It wasn't hard to picture a future like that at all, and I wondered just how Lux had weaseled his way into my heart so quickly.

"Hey." My head shot upright at the voice I'd been waiting to hear, and I smiled as Lux peeked into the room, his eyes flicking from me to Gunner. Holding my finger up to my lips, I grabbed the monitor and left the room, closing the door behind me.

"Hey. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, more or less." Eyes falling shut, he leaned his weight into me, and I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug.

Lux returned the hug, then sighed happily. "This is exactly what I needed."

"Happy to help." I turned my head and pressed a kiss into his hair, holding him to me as he slowly relaxed. I was sure he'd tell me what'd happened when he was ready, and for now I was just happy to hold him. After all, I'd promised Lux a cuddle.

We stayed like that for quite a few minutes before Lux spoke. "We didn't get the dark soul"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Were you unable to track them?"

Lux shook his head, then pulled back so he could look at me better. "I did track them down, but the trail was old. The dark soul and Mammon were here yesterday."

"Did they hurt someone?"

Lux sighed, running his fingers through his hair and pushing the strands away from his face. "Yeah. A vampire coven."

Even though I now knew vampires and other supernatural beings existed, hearing about them was still a little strange.

"They killed a whole coven? Do you know why?"

"Unfortunately, yeah. They're trying to make a potion that will let them possess someone. It's black magic."

I shuddered at the thought of some evil soul controlling someone I knew orme. Yeah, that wasn't good. Not at all.

"Don't worry, Archer. All of Otherworld is looking for them, so we'll find them."

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