Page 25 of Bad Demon

She shook her head. “I’m not telling you that.”

“Why?” I wanted to know everything there was to know about this female. Everything.

“Because it’s none of your business. I’m none of your business.” She chewed her lip. “Unless, of course, you plan on sentencing me to Hell. But you’re not going to do that, are you?”

There was no use in lying. I shook my head. “I told you I wouldn’t if you behaved.”

She blew out a breath, and her shoulders slumped, like they had in the forest. She was feeling relief again. “All right, good. And you’ll stop following me?”

“I’m not demon, and I’m not human. I am beast. The beast’s instincts are second to none, and that part of me insists I go where you do. I don’t know why, but I listen to my instincts. I also don’t like that I scared you. To tell you the truth, I fucking hate it.”

Her eyes flashed red, and she gritted her teeth. “You’re being unreasonable. You’re just looking for an excuse to punish me. You’re getting off on this shit.”

I shook my head. That smart mouth—she couldn’t fucking help herself. What she’d done was wrong, yes, and I could tell myself I was only here because I wanted to make sure she wasn’t breaking any more rules, but the truth was something else.

“You keep doing dangerous shit, Fern. So, I’m going to make sure you don’t do anything else you’re not supposed to, and I’m also going to make sure you don’t get yourself killed.”

She huffed out a breath. “You’re not only arrogant, but you’re insane too. I don’t need a minder. I can take care of myself.”

I shrugged. “You don’t have to like it; that’s just how it is.”

Her hands trembled at her sides. She was scared now. I didn’t want that. What could I do to ease her fears? All I could do was show her how strong I was, how I could keep her safe. Eventually, she’d realize I would never hurt her, that the idea of it—of anyone hurting her—made the beast snarl and hunger for blood.

“Fine, whatever,” she snapped. “Trail after me like a sad fucking lapdog all night if you want, but stay out of my damn way.” Then, she spun on a pointed heel and strutted off down the street.

I growled in approval; the sound vibrating in my chest.

No, I wasn’t letting her out of my sight.

ChapterSix

FERN

Shit.Shit.Shit.

I glanced over my shoulder as I walked into The Bank, a popular nightclub, especially among shifters and witches, and true to his word, the hound was right on my tail. I shivered. The male fucking terrified me, and telling my giant hellhound stalker to get lost to his face had not been very clever on my part. Not that I had personal experience with stalkers, but it was common sense. Under any normal circumstance, pissing off anyone bigger, stronger, with more power than you would be dumb, but a hellhound? Then, bruising his giant ego had been just plain fucking stupid. I’d known this—of course, I had—but my self-preservation responses were seriously fucked up and deeply ingrained, and no matter how hard I’d tried, I couldn’t get it under control, not without my potion anyway.

I didn’t want to encourage him either though, so what were my choices here? He’d looked down at me like I was a snack that he had a serious craving for, and I refused to be that male’s next meal.

Maybe I could lose him?

He knows where you live.

He’d checked up on me at the witches council or had someone do it for him. I hadn’t expected him to do that for some stupid reason. He didn’t have my real name, so no, there wouldn’t be any record, but then, even if he had, I doubted anything about me was there. My family, my coven, would have wiped all traces of me from public record.

I glanced back. The hound was still there watching me. What the hell was I going to do? Agatheena said I was powerful—pity I couldn’t harness all that power right now because I could seriously use it.

Searching the room, I looked for somewhere to hide, and spotted the door to The Vault on the other side of the club—the real reason I’d come here tonight. My belly swooshed. The Vault was a private club below this one that catered to blood drinkers and live donors who willingly offered up a vein. I’d never been there, but after what Rune had said about feeding, I couldn’t think of anything else. I sure as hell didn’t want to hurt anyone, and I knew firsthand the damage that could be done when a blood drinker was starved and out of control.

All my life, I’d resisted the gnawing hunger for blood, positive there was something seriously wrong with me. I never wanted to be likeGhoul, who’d hurt me so many times, but there was no denying it now. My father’s breed were blood drinkers. And so was I. It was horrifying and confusing, but I also felt like a weight had been lifted, one I’d been carrying around for far too long. I craved blood because of who I was, because I needed it. I’d been anemic my whole life; I’d had bouts of extreme weakness and chronic tiredness and never known why. Now, I knew no amount of herbs or tonics or elixirs would make it better. What I needed was blood, and I assumed the only reason I’d survived this long without feeding was because of the small amount of witch and other demon DNA I had diluting it.

Tonight, I’d planned to finally give in to the unshakable need inside me. My mouth actually watered at the thought, while my stomach twisted with self-loathing. My pulse sped up, the anticipation making me shake, and I felt sick to my stomach at the same time. I wished I didn’t need this, but I did, and I’d never forgive myself if I hurt someone because I’d ignored my hunger.

I knew what that looked like, what it felt like.

When I glanced over my shoulder again, my eyes were instantly drawn to a pair of golden ones, almost freaking glowing from across the room. But even if he didn’t have those beast’s eyes, it wouldn’t exactly be hard to find him; he stood a head taller than everyone else in the club. I quickly looked away. I’d finally gotten rid of the breeder scouts hanging around my place—the last week at least—and now, I had the hound to deal with.

Screw this. I didn’t care what he thought of me, and with any luck, knowing I needed blood would put him off.

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