Page 45 of Bad Demon

I felt her stare burning into me, and I ignored it. I jerked up my chin and carried on toward the door that led below ground. War’s orders weren’t the only reason I’d wanted to bring Fern here. The faster she got used to my brothers and to the clubhouse, the better. But most of all, I wanted her in my den, in my bed. Fuck, I wanted her honeysuckle scent all over my sheets.

* * *

FERN

I’d never met Willow, but I knew of the witch’s family, and I’d met a couple of her sisters. Magnolia was one of my regulars and the one who’d told me how to find Agatheena’s cottage. And, yeah, okay, I’d checked out their profiles on Nightscape—a social media app for non-humans—but I never thought I’d be in one of their houses, never in a million years. Nor the hellhound’s den, and definitely not in the alpha’s private quarters. I sure as fuck hadn’t thought I’d be standing by the door, trying to be invisible, while Warrick’s mate distractedly offered me fucking tea.

“No, thank you.”

She’d barely looked at me when we walked in, and I got the feeling when we left, she’d forget I existed. She was definitely preoccupied; grief etched her lovely face. Good thing she wasn’t in the mood to chat because right then, I was busy working at keeping my breathing even and not hyperventilating. I didn’t like confined spaces, and knowing we were below ground was making it hard for me to remain calm.

You know where the exit is. You’re not locked in. You can leave at any time.

Relic was holding her baby in his big arms—rocking her gently, murmuring low, and occasionally scenting her tiny head—while the witch rushed around, putting things in a bag covered in sparkly unicorns. The baby had been fussing but calmed seconds after Willow handed the child to Relic.

Relic and Willow talked about someone I didn’t know in reverent, hushed tones, and I barely heard a word, focused inwardly now, trying really fucking hard not to freak out.

Relic placed the baby in her car seat and buckled her in, and then he pulled the witch into his arms, hugging her and dropping a kiss to the top of her head. Something sharp and painful tugged in my chest. It was unexpected and weird, and I didn’t like the way it felt. Not at fucking all.

“You need anything, Wills—any of you—I’m here, babe.”

She smiled up at him. “I know—we all do, and we love you for it.”

We left and carried on down the main tunnel.

Fuck.

The walls were stone, and torches lit the way, giving everything a golden glow. There were more caves branching off here and there. The dens were obviously vast. The clubhouse was nothing compared to what was down here.

Finally, Relic stopped in front of a door, unlocked it, and then opened it.

His scent was stronger in this room. This was where he slept.

He led me inside and closed us in.

“Why are we here?” I asked, wrapping my arms around myself. My heart was pounding, my palms were sweaty, and every inhale had my body tightening and heating.

“I need some more of my shit if I’m staying at your place,” he said, his gaze really freaking intense.

I quickly looked away, taking in the large room. There was a big bed to one side, a dresser, and a couch off to the side with a flat-screen TV on the wall. I assumed the door beside the bar fridge across from me was the bathroom.

I desperately searched for a window, but of course, there wasn’t one. There were grooves between the edge of the wall and the ceiling. What looked like natural light filtered in from somewhere, and that helped ease the pressure in my skull a little. It wasn’t exactly like the dark dungeon I’d imagined. Still, I didn’t want to be down here.

“What do you think?” he asked.

“Uh, yeah, it’s fine, I guess.” I didn’t know what to say, and he was watching me closely.

“War and Dirk—our two mated brothers—have bigger quarters. The rest are like this one.”

“Oh … right.”

I crossed my arms, still feeling on edge and off-balance from being in this place, being below ground, being stared down by the alpha, seeing Relic with that witch and her baby, and now this. My fangs tingled, and my heart pounded. I was a volatile mix of thoughts and feelings, and my hunger was growing again, rearing its head, reminding me of what I was. I was torn between curling up on the floor in fear, running like fuck out of here, and launching myself at Relic and sinking my fangs into that thick vein at the side of his throat.

“Can we go now?”

He was studying me, and I wondered what he could sense, how many of my fucked-up emotions and desires were being broadcast to the hellhound.

“My brothers need my help first. You can stay in here—”

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