Page 8 of Cursed Love
She grabbed her purse like a petulant teenager and turned to leave. His next words stopped her and sent goose bumps down her body.
“Good luck with that… Look, there will be more. You need to control your new powers so you can defend yourself. I’m not sure what’s going on, but there is a shit ton of tubars and worse wandering Helmond.”
Brandy turned to see if he was being serious but found herself alone for the first time in twenty minutes. No tubar and no whatever the man was.
Chapter 4
Ryan stepped away from the infuriating woman. She spun around looking for him before releasing a frustrated sigh.
“Jerk,” she muttered, unaware of his presence.
He should turn in the opposite direction and forget this night ever happened. Only, he couldn’t. The witch—if he could even call her one—didn’t know the dangers lurking in the night.
She was rather lucky he’d followed her magic. If he hadn’t come along, she would be dead. Another meal for another demon.
He maintained his distance and followed her. The sway of her hips mesmerized him as she walked down the dimly lit sidewalk. Ryan forced his eyes away from the attractive woman. He did not need the complications she would bring into his life. After making sure she got to wherever she was going, he would walk away and never see her again.
At least now he understood one of the reasons the activity in the neighborhood had gone up. Demons were stupid creatures—well, that was not entirely true. Tubars weren’t the brightest, but you couldn’t discount them for it. They were ruthless and took immense pleasure in torturing their victims.
She scanned her surroundings and sped to a slow jog. The woman may be uneducated in their world, but she wasn’t stupid either. A familiar growl rang out nearby, and she picked up her pace, running to the door of the building rather quickly.
Ryan didn’t know if she knew what it was, but he did. “She’s not my problem,” he whispered as she made it inside. What was his problem was the creature a block over who wouldn’t see him coming.
For the second time that night where she was concerned, he wanted to do one thing and his body did another. He stared at the names on the walls and picked one.
“Hello?”
“Hi, I have a special delivery of flowers from Mia’s Flowers.”
Buzz.
Ryan shook his head as he pulled open the door. People were too trusting. Closing his eyes, he said a quick spell and followed her trail. When he reached her floor, he was able to find her apartment before the magic disappeared.
Like the creeper he was turning into, he bent his head and put his ear to the door. He listened to her move around the apartment. He heard her speaking, either to herself or someone on the phone. Before he could reach out farther, an apartment door opened. Ryan crouched and pretended to tie his shoe before walking down the hall.
Using his magic, he verified there weren’t any immediate threats to her safety. Once he was out of excuses, he exited the building and went in search of the creature he’d heard. He needed to expend his frustration, and there was no better way than to eliminate another threat.
Moving down the street, the hum running along his skin intensified as it always did with magical beings and creatures. A low snarl caused his hands to ball before he released the tension. Once he was sure no unsuspecting human would follow him onto the deserted road, he turned onto it and faced the four-legged beast. Its eyes glowed brightly, saliva dripping off its muzzle.
“You know you’re not welcome here,” he told the catulus.
A rumble of a growl slipped free before it snapped its teeth at Ryan in answer. Its black matted fur stood on its back, and it took slow deliberate steps with its meaty paws. For a puppy, the damn thing was large.
“I’m not sure who you’re reporting to, but they’re not getting an update,” Ryan said with a shrug before it crouched back and leapt at him. Ryan shifted to the side and used his powers to pound the hellhound puppy into the asphalt.
A yelp slipped from the beast before it rolled over and pushed onto its paws. Its eyes glowed, anger driving it to hit Ryan once again. Countering each feral strike with a spell, Ryan shifted and turned. His heart beat wildly as he realized the pup was stronger than he’d assumed. Sweat rolled down Ryan’s spine as his blade sliced into the hound’s shoulder.
Needing to end the fight before he tired and made a mistake, Ryan took advantage of its wounded state and flicked two fingers. Its neck snapped with a loud crunch. The catulus dropped to the ground in a heap, but Ryan knew better than to assume it was dead.
After conjuring an axe from his apartment, Ryan swung it with all his weight and struck the catulus in the neck, separating its head from its body.
“Maxima ignis!”The catulus and the blood soaking its decapitated body ignited into a searing flame before burning out a second later.
After cleaning any remnants of the demon pup or their fight, Ryan forced himself to go to his apartment above the gym. It wasn’t a large place, but it fit his lifestyle. No muss, no fuss.
Her chocolate-brown eyes filled his mind, and he could not shake the need to protect her. If he weren’t so lost in thought, he would have sensedhim. The strike came quickly, Ryan’s head flying back with the force of the punch.
“Mother f—” Ryan swallowed the curse. Running his tongue along his lip, he tasted the metallic liquid, confirming the blow split his skin open.
