Page 44 of Bad Demon

“We don’t hate demons, Fern. If they’re up to no good, then, yeah, we let them see our mean side, but we don’t just see a demon and immediately want to fuck them up.”

She didn’t look convinced, she was still searching our surroundings, over the row of bikes, then to the garage, where a couple of my brothers were working. “They won’t like me. They’ll sense I’m a demon and see me as a threat.”

I stopped trying to pull her after me and stepped close to her instead, forcing her to tilt her head back. I grinned down at her. “No one here will see you as a threat, little demon.”

“Asshole,” she muttered.

“You’re cute when you get all feisty.”

She tried to shove me. “Why are you like this?”

“Like what? Charming? Sexy? Handsome? No idea. I was just born this way, Tink.”

She tried to fight it, but a small smile curved her lips, which was exactly what I’d been going for. She was scared as hell, and the bitter scent surrounded her. I fucking hated it.

“So, why was it so important that we come here?” she asked, this time letting me lead her toward the door, albeit reluctantly.

“Willow—the alpha’s mate—got some bad news this week, and I wanted to pay her a visit.”

She frowned up at me. “What kind of news?”

“She’s losing someone close to her.”

“Oh.”

She didn’t say anything more as I led her into the clubhouse. Jagger and Rome were at one of the tall tables across the room and gave us a chin lift. A couple of other brothers were sitting on the couches in the back with females and didn’t even notice we’d walked in. The door to the dens opened, and Warrick walked out. He spotted me and headed my way.

His gaze slid to Fern when we stopped, and she stepped behind me, pressing against my back. I fucking hated that she was afraid, but I fucking loved that she instantly sought protection from me.

War looked at me and lifted a brow. “What’s up?”

“Wills home?”

“Yeah.”

“How’s she doing?”

Warrick’s expression grew heavy. Before he’d met Willow, before they mated and he gained the ability to truly feel, he hadn’t done that; his face had given away nothing. Sometimes, when I looked at him when he was with his family, he’d have this look that even I could tell expressed a whole lot of really fucking good things, and I wanted to know what it was like, what those good things felt like. This time, though, it was obvious. I didn’t need to ask what this one meant.

“She’s not doing too well. She’s heading back out soon.”

“You good if I stop in and see her?”

War looked back at Fern, and she actually whimpered.

“Who’s your friend?”

I reached back, curling my arm around her to reassure her. “Brother, you’re freaking her out.”

He looked back at me, and there were questions, but thankfully, he didn’t voice them.

“I’ve got her,” I answered.

Fern was no threat to his female or their pup.

Warrick nodded. “If you go now, you’ll catch her before she leaves, and then I need you back up here. We leave in half an hour.”

War had texted earlier—something I hadn’t told Fern. We had a couple leads on Faron, and he wanted all hands on deck.

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