Page 45 of Hooked on a Demon
“Can I ask you something?” she says, sprinkling cheese over sauced dough.
He kisses the top of her head. “You can ask me anything.”
“How does being a demon… work? Like what causes the power? Do you need to practice using it?”
He laughs lightly, finding her series of questions adorable. To be honest, he hasn’t even had to think about it since he was a young child. It’s a natural part of him. But to her, someone who hasn’t ever experienced it or likely been with someone who has supernatural abilities, it must seem so otherworldly. “I did need to practice, yes. Lachlan helped a lot with that when I was younger. Our father was absent, to put it mildly, and our mother struggled. We both have a good relationship with her now, but it took time to get there. So Lach truly was my father figure growing up. Well, as much as he could be. When we are young and growing into our powers, it’s no different than being a teenager and having your hormones all over the place. The exception is that we can cause a lot more damage if we throw a tantrum,” he laughs, memories of fights with Lachlan and them using their power against each other flashing through his mind. “As for how it all works, no one really knows, as far as I am aware. It’s something we’re born into, but there’s no real understanding of how or why it chooses the beings it does or what leads to the power manifesting the way it does. We know that it is attached to bloodlines. Or at least, that’s all I’ve ever learned about it. I think there’s a fear in the community that if information were to spread about how supernaturals are created, situations would arise where humans are forcibly turned into supernaturals. So it’s all kept pretty hush-hush.”
“That makes sense.” She shivers. “I’ve heard some stories from my parents about what was going on with Grog and with the Hale family as well. That seems terrifying enough.”
“Yeah, we were challenged as a community when Grog was trying to ruin Petra and prevent her from taking power. Losing Gladys was rough for her, and having him be at the helm of all of that was even worse. But she, along with Lachlan, Ecia, and the changes they have made in the council, has done wonders. It’s like a breath of air when we were all struggling to breathe.”
With the pizza ready, he slides it onto the preheated stone and puts it in the oven, setting a timer for five minutes to remove the parchment paper. They lean on opposite sides of the counter. His eyes travel her form before meeting hers and continuing. “It’s kind of hard for me to think about what it feels like to be a demon because it’s all I’ve ever known. It’s something there inside me. All the time.”
“Does it hurt?”
He tilts his head up, looking at the ceiling as he thinks about his response. “Only when he’s demanding a shift and I try to force against it. But I so rarely do a full shift these days that it’s a non-issue, really.”
“Why?”
Another thing he hasn’t had to think about in some time. “I think at this point, I’m just comfortable in my human form. My father was a crime lord in the underworld. He made Lach an enforcer. Once our father died, Lach refused to use his demon form for some time, unhappy with what it represented. Wanting to be like Lach meant that I did the same. Now it’s just second nature.”
“What causes the shifts?”
“Usually extreme emotions. Typically, anger for me. Something has to enrage me so much that I lose that aspect of control.”
“What do you look like? As a demon, I mean.”
He smiles at her, letting the expression reach his eyes, hoping that he shows how much he appreciates her curiosity. “Bigger. Taller and broader. My skin toughens as a means of protection. Horns grow out of here and here,” he says, touching spots on his forehead, “and my eyes turn to demon gold.”
“Do you ever shift… at other times?” His gaze shifts to hers, where heat greets him.
“That’s a dangerous question, Miss Oaks.” Her cheeks flush. “But yes. I have done partial shifts when engaged in activities.”
She licks her lips, drawing his eyes to them.Fucking Hades.“And what’s that like?”
He steps toward her, raising his hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. Leaning in, a rumble starts in his chest. Her hand lands softly on his pec, and her breath hitches as she feels the vibrations. Whispering, he says, “like the best orgasm you’ve ever had. Toe-curling, star-seeing, ecstasy.” A small whimper escapes her as he presses his body against hers and kisses the crook of her neck. As he’s about to lick the hollow at the base, that perfect little spot he’s been eyeballing all night, the oven timer goes off, breaking him from his desire-laden stupor.
They manage to make it through the rest of dinner with calmer flirting and relaxed, if sexually charged, conversation. As Eliana helps him clean up, placing the dishes in the dishwasher, the sound of a vehicle door slamming and Buckley letting out a bark calls their attention. Their heads abruptly turn toward each other, her face reflecting Declan’s sense of alarm back at him.
“Honey! I’m home!” Everest calls, closing the front door behind him.
Eliana springs into action, sliding the back door open and exiting into the yard. The door closes softly, and she disappears from view seconds before Everest turns the corner and enters the kitchen.
“Aww, man. I missed dinner,” Everest mock pouts. “Any leftovers?” He opens the fridge, not waiting for Declan to respond, which is probably for the best, as he’s still too busy wrapping his mind around the fact that he and Eliana were literally seconds away from getting caught. Not that they were doing anything untoward, but Everest would certainly have had questions about why his little sister was there. Alone. With Declan.
Everest pulls out the container with a couple of slices of leftover pizza, pops the lid, and takes a slice out. Biting a chunk off the end, he lightly tosses the container on the counter and, with a mouth still partially full, groans and says, “Man, your pizza is the best. Forget running a mechanic business; you need to open a pizza shop.”
Declan laughs uncomfortably. Eliana’s coat is still in the closet, and her boots are at the front door—thank Hades that Everest isn’t the most observant person in the world. Regardless, he needs to get them to her somehow without his uninvited guest knowing about it.
It doesn’t take long before Everest is trying to cajole him into going out for another chill night out. As Declan thinks of excuse after excuse to try and get out of it, Everest grunts in frustration and excuses himself to go to the bathroom. As soon as he’s out of sight, Declan calls on his power and uses his smoke tendrils to grab Eliana’s effects as he throws open the front door, nearly running into her.
Her hands are running up and down her arms as she bounces in place, trying to keep warm in the cool night air. His heart cracks at the sight, and he pulls her into himself, giving whatever warmth he can as the tendrils of smoke place her coat on and help her into her boots. Buckley gruffs behind him, but he doesn’t care. They only have a moment before Everest is back. With her fully dressed, he cups her face in his hands and kisses her roughly. The feel of her lips on his is heaven.
Footsteps sound behind him, ending the kiss long before he wants to. In a hushed voice, he says, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t expect him to come over tonight. I’ll call you tomorrow.” She nods, her expression a mix of panic and sorrow. Before either one of them can say goodbye, Declan turns, closing the door on what should have been a wonderful date and time to get to know each other better.
“See, Bucks, there is no one there,” he says, quickly covering up the real reason for his being at the door.
Everest ruffles the fur on Buckley’s head. “Silly pupper.”
