Page 4 of Mated to the Human: Volume One

“There you are! I thought I’d missed you,” Uncle Neal said as he got closer. He was a tall man, strong and lean, with a square jaw and silver hair growing in at his temples. His sister was Hollis’s mother, and since Hollis had never known his father, Neal thought it was his job to fill the role.

Hollis glanced at Derek. Derek was looking back at him, brow furrowed with a concerned expression. Hollis tried to paste on a reassuring smile, but it felt like he’d missed the mark.

“Hi, Uncle Neal.”

“Trying to sneak off, huh?” Neal took hold of Hollis’s arm, giving it a shake. Hollis tried not to grimace.

At that moment, Derek stepped back through the door, and an invisible rush of power filled the hall. He felt like the force of it would drive him to his knees until Derek reached out and took Hollis’s hand. At the barest touch of his skin, Hollis could breathe again, the suffocating force of raw energy rushing over and around him instead of through.

“Commissioner Riven,” Derek said, voice cool.

The only sign Neal felt the same flex of power Hollis did was a slight widening of his eyes and the way he released Hollis’s arm and took a step back.

“Derek,” Neal said, fake smile in place. “Surprised Hollis managed to snag someone of your…stature.”

Derek tilted his head and bared his teeth in a chilling smile. For the first time, Hollis viscerally remembered that the man beside him wasn’t a man at all. Derek was a demon. A hellhound. The most powerful one in the city. “I chose him.”

Neal looked shocked for a split second before he covered it up with one of his mega-watt smiles that made Hollis feel the need to take a shower. “Of course. Now, I’d like a word with my nephew before you take off.”

The last thing Hollis wanted to do was speak to Neal alone. The man had prided himself on being a father to Hollis, but Hollis had never seen him that way. Neal was a bully, and he believed men should behave in a way Hollis never agreed with.

Derek looked at him and gave his hand a squeeze. “Hollis?”

He shot Derek a smile. “I’ll be right back.” Dread built in his stomach the farther Neal pulled him down the hallway. He glanced over his shoulder, surprised and relieved to see Derek still standing there, eyes trained on them.

Neal finally stopped and turned Hollis to face him. He glanced at Derek, shooting him a tight smile, before bringing his eyes back to Hollis’s face. He leaned in and started talking in a low whisper. “This is perfect. I don’t care what you have to do, Hollis. You keep him happy.”

“I don’t…”

“You will do as you’re told. It’s about time you did something worthy of this family.” Neal leaned in closer and said through gritted teeth. “Keep. Him. Happy. I’ll have your cousins check on you in a few days.” Reaching out, Neal grabbed Hollis’s arm again. He squeezed. Hard.

“Hollis.” Derek’s voice came from down the hall. Not a shout, but like his name had ridden a wave of Derek’s power to press against them. Except this time, the power didn’t feel like a weight about to crush him. It felt like liberation.

Neal’s grip went slack, and Hollis stepped away. “Thanks for your congratulations,” he said, holding his uncle’s furious gaze before he turned and hurried back toward Derek.

Once Hollis reached him, Derek took his hand again. “Goodbye, Commissioner,” he said and walked them out the door. As soon as it shut behind them, Hollis let out the breath he’d been holding. “You, uh, know my uncle?”

“Not well, but we do work with the human police from time to time.” Derek pulled something out of one of the saddlebags on the large black motorcycle parked beside the door. He turned around and held out a helmet. “You okay?”

Taking the helmet, Hollis nodded. “Yeah. He’s an asshole, but he’s my uncle.”

Derek hummed, watching Hollis fiddle with the helmet for a moment before stepping into his space and taking the straps from his hands. He adjusted the way the helmet sat on Hollis’s head and secured the straps beneath his chin. “This helmet doesn’t have a face guard, so when we get going, close your eyes and put your face against my back.”

“Don’t you need a helmet?”

Derek chuckled and threw his leg over the bike. “No, I don’t. Hop on when you’re ready. Put your arms around my waist and hold on tight.”

“Okay.” Hollis had never been on a motorcycle before, but for whatever reason, he wasn’t afraid. He stepped on the back peg and straddled the bike. Once he was seated, he scooted forward and wrapped his arms around Derek’s waist.

The first thing he noticed was Derek smelled good. So good. Like expensive cologne, soft leather, and woodsmoke all rolled into the perfect bundle of scents. The next thing he noticed was the sheer hardness of the body pressed against him. Derek was sturdy. Solid in a way that Hollis didn’t think he could ever be, even if he lived in the gym and ate a million grams of protein a day. Maybe it was a demon thing.

The bike roared to life beneath them, and Hollis let out a little yelp. One of Derek’s big, warm hands settled on his thigh, his fingers nearly encompassing the whole of Hollis’s leg. Warmth flared through Hollis at the touch.

“It’s not a long ride,” Derek shouted over his shoulder. “You ready?”

He nodded and shouted back, “I’m ready.” When the bike started to move, his stomach gave a little flip. The bike sailed over the asphalt. Derek barely paused at the end of the alley, pulling them smoothly out into traffic without missing a beat. The bike accelerated, passing cars and people in a rush of cool air and blurring lights.

He tightened his hold on Derek’s waist. He was heading to his new home to start a life with his new demon mate, and somehow the tiny spark of hope in his chest was building into a consuming fire.

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