Page 16 of Bad Demon

I stopped in my tracks as she walked out, locked the door, popped in earbuds, then started down the street. I was fighting my urge to follow when she stopped, muttered something, walked back to the door, unlocked it, locked it again, tested it with several hard pulls, then turned and marched back the way she’d come. She got no farther than last time when she stopped once more, turned back, and did the whole thing again. Then, finally, apparently satisfied, she strode away, fingers tapping against her thigh as she walked—the same way she had when we were in the store earlier.

I had no idea what that was all about, and I should absolutely turn around and leave, but instead, I couldn’t stop myself from following. She was on her own at night in an area swarming with demons. Yes, she was a demon as well, but still, I didn’t fucking like it, especially since she couldn’t even hear if someone was approaching her.

Scanning her from head to feet, I growled low. She was wearing tight jeans that hugged her round ass and thick thighs and made my mouth water. Her blood-red hair was tied back high on her head, and my fingers twitched to feel those silky strands wrapped around my fist.

I shook my head, trying to shake off the haze of lust pulsing through me. Hounds were always ready to fuck, but I’d never felt like this before—an uncontrollable drive to rut like a fucking animal. Christ, my palms itched with the need to touch. To lift her up, toss her over my shoulder, and take her back to my den with me. To swat that round ass when she wriggled to get away. To tear off those jeans and grip that soft flesh in my hands …

I shook my muddled head again, swallowing hard. Why was my mouth so fucking dry?

She passed two demons leaning against a shop front, and they watched her walk by. One of them grinned and pushed away from the wall, following, and the other chuckled and jogged to catch up.

Nope.

Scooping up an empty soda can from the pavement, I crushed it into a ball and fired it at the grinning demon’s head. It found its mark, connecting hard enough to make a dent in the fucker’s skull. The demon went down, hitting the ground. His friend spun around, teeth bared. I flashed my fangs and shook my head, and the demon quickly averted his gaze, grabbed his unconscious friend by the arm, and dragged him around the closest corner.

And my little demon saw none of it. She hadn’t even looked behind her once. No, her ponytail swished as she walked with a bounce in her step to whatever music she was listening to.

How the fuck had she survived this long? She couldn’t be trusted to be left alone.

She turned off the main street and into a motherfucking dark, dank alleyway. I rounded the corner in time to see her jog across the street and then turn another corner.

Her scent hung in the air, and I drew it deep into my lungs, then exhaled on a low rumble. Fuck, I wanted to lick her all over. Would she taste as good as she smelled? I really fucking wanted to find out.

ChapterFour

FERN

Taking a deep breath,I released my tight grip on the rock that Agatheena had given me and dropped it into my pocket—no more contact with my skin, no more protection. Thank the gods, my potion had finally kicked in. There were so many things I had to do tonight that I did not fucking want to do, and I needed all the help I could get. Physically, I knew what I was capable of. I was strong; I could fight, but my mind tried to sabotage me constantly.

After I’d escaped five years ago, after I physically healed and the rage finally burned out, all that was left was fear. So much goddamn fear. I needed that fear that I carried around on my back like a boulder to piss right off, and my potion did that. For a couple of hours at least, there was no anxiety, no intrusive thoughts, no compulsions, and my fear was at a normal fucking level. It wasn’t something I could take all the time though, or I’d be pouring that shit down my neck all goddamn day.

Unfortunately, it gave me one hell of a hangover—and not just a headache. When I’d gotten home from Agatheena’s last week, I’d puked for three hours straight, but it was worth it, and I’d tell myself that when I was hugging the toilet again later tonight and all the things I’d taken the potion to avoid for that short time, came back even worse for hours, sometimes days, afterward.

I subtly glanced over my shoulder. The demons who’d been hanging around the shop most of the day were nowhere in sight. They’d been watching me—I was positive of it. Where had they gone? I only needed one of those breeder scout fuckers. Not only would they be an excellent offering to Agatheena, but it would get one more of those assholes off the streets.

I really hoped Agatheena had some answers for me. What did being a threeling truly mean?

If I showed up empty-handed though, she’d send me away, and I’d get nothing.

The library at the asylum had been no help, there’d been no mention of a threeling or even triplets, not that I could find anyway. There wasn’t much about soul collectors either. The book Rune had pointed out hadn’t really been a demon compendium, but it had contained a basic ritual, and there was mention of a tithe that Lucifer paid when a soul was claimed. Nothing that I’d ever need to know. I was more interested in the blood-drinking side of it, like the dos and don’ts and how often, because the idea of hurting someone that way made me sick to my stomach. There had to be a way to do it that wasn’t painful though, right? Or there wouldn’t be donors lining up to get bitten at the feeding clubs … unless they were into pain.

I had no idea. All I knew was my own experience, and being fed on, drained by a starved being in a desperate frenzy, had been the stuff of nightmares.

Cursing under my breath, I stopped beside my truck and pretended my bootlace had come undone. Those pricks had to be here somewhere. They’d been watching me all freaking week. How easy did I have to make it for them to make their move? I had earbuds in, for fuck’s sake. I’d made myself appear as vulnerable as possible.

Approach me, assholes.Fuck.

All week, I’d been running from them, hiding with the help of Agatheena’s stone, and now, I was out in the open, all but asking them to come get me—and nothing.

Goddammit.

Cursing repeatedly, I straightened and scanned the street again. Those two assholes had completely vanished. Walking around my truck, I got in, started it up, threw her into gear, and headed out.

Agatheena wanted an offering, which left me one choice—I’d have to get one on the way.

Twenty-five minutes later, I was bumping along the forest track I’d driven down the week before. There’d been some rain the last couple of days, and the ruts and dips in the “road” were even worse. A few times, I had to go as fast as hell so I didn’t get stuck. I didn’t make it as far into the forest as I had last time, but I found a spot that wasn’t too boggy and parked.

Grabbing my pack and the charm Agatheena had given me, I locked up and started along the track. Gripping the charm tight, I tried not to jump at the demon shrieks and calls. Yes, I was a demon as well, and I’d doped myself up on courage juice, but some of the breeds in these woods were savage, totally feral—the kind of demons I did not want to fuck with. Even my potion couldn’t take away what I considered a healthy dose of fear—you know, like what normal people lived with.

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