Page 94 of Blood Bound (Blood Mafia 3)

“We can meet him tonight at nine if you’re ready.”

Demi cranes her neck, checking with me. I nod. Her lips tip up, only slightly, then she returns her attention to Blaze.

“Where should we meet?”

* * *

Demi

There’s no time to worry about my strange interaction with Mateo because we get busy preparing to head to the Underworld. Evelyn’s verbal bitch slap about being a stubborn jerk has hit home. Mateo and I need to make-up, but now is not the time.

Colt and Grayson go to buy new gear so Lacey can add protective spells to it. We have no way of knowing if her spells will work, but I’m willing to do anything to try and keep us safe as we travel to this unknown world.

Around seven we all climb into an SUV. Zander and I sit in the third row. Grayson and Colt sit in the middle while Evelyn rides shotgun. This is the first time I’ve seen Mateo drive.

I half expect him to curb check us around every turn. He doesn’t of course, he’s good at everything it seems. We make it to the meet up point ten minutes early. Climbing out of the car after Colt and Grayson, I lift my arms overhead and stretch.

Alissa stayed behind to watch over my parents, which I appreciate, but part of me wishes she were here. She’s a great fighter and we can use all the help we can get. I know keeping her at home base was a strategic move for Mateo.

She’s fresh off being tortured. Sure she’s healed, but he was quick to assign her guard duty. It would have been easy enough to give the job to Evelyn, who doesn’t seem as eager to fight. He didn’t though. Alissa’s been given the easy job for the night.

The temperature is colder than average tonight and I rub my palms over my arms, wishing I’d brought a jacket to throw over my tight-fitting T-shirt. The less clothing I have on, the better. I don’t want to be caught tangled in a jacket I’m trying to take off in the middle of a fight. I press my fingers to my father’s necklace which is tucked into my shirt.

I’ve decided to make peace with what role Mateo played in his death, knowing I’d also help my friends take down their enemies if the situation arose. We are going after Nix, after all. I can’t blame him for helping her.

We’re standing under a streetlamp, which does a crap job of illuminating this dark street. The warehouses surrounding us give me a bad vibe, but I do my best not to think about all the creatures lurking in the shadows.

After all, I’m with the worst of them now, aren’t I?

Hell, Iamthe worst of creatures as far as Earth goes.

With the pleasant reminder that I can kick some serious ass floating through my mind, all of my unease fades away. Being human for so long has trained me to worry about the unknown. It’s a habit I’ll have to break at some point. I’m taking things one day at a time.

“Where is the wolf?” Evelyn asks, faking a bored tone. She taps a finger on her hip where her hands rest.

She’s not fooling anyone, especially not Mateo. Either she doesn’t notice the slight narrowing of his eyes or she doesn’t care.

Blaze arrives in wolf form. She takes a sharp breath. His black fur glistens under the dull lighting, so shiny and soft. He’s huge. I mean he’s big as a man, but as a wolf he’s at least up to my belly button.

Evelyn takes a step toward him, reaching her hand out to touch him. Grayson grabs her wrist.

She scowls. “Let go of me.”

Listening to her, he drops her arm. She doesn’t reach for Blaze this time. Instead she spins on her heel and puts a good twenty feet between her and the wolf.

I’m busy watching her when I hear the crack of bones rearranging themselves. The sound makes me flinch because it’s not a natural noise, and I slowly move my eyes to him.

One second Blaze’s wolf is there, and the next, after a few more disgusting popping sounds, he’s standing naked in front of us. I cover my eyes because the last thing I want to see is a prick flapping in the wind.

“Judas Priest, wolf boy. Didn’t you bring any clothes?”

A loud screeching sound makes me drop my hand. He’s shoving a dumpster aside and reaching into a hole in a brick wall. He extracts a pair of pants and tugs on a shirt, smirking over my head at Evelyn.

I toss a glance in her direction, not surprised to find her eyes glued to his Adonis belt.

Give a woman a V and she’ll never want again.

Something like that, right?

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