by Sophie Stern
Don't Date Demons
Sophie Stern
Published by Sophie Stern, 2019.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
DON'T DATE DEMONS
First edition. August 2, 2019.
Copyright © 2019 Sophie Stern.
Written by Sophie Stern.
Also by Sophie Stern
Alien Chaos
Destroyed
Guarded
Anchored
Starboard
Battleship
All Aboard
Abandon Ship
Below Deck
Crossing the Line
Anchored: Books 1-3
Anchored: Books 4-6
Club Kitten Dancers
Move
Dragon Isle
My Lord and Dragon
The Dragon Fighter
A Dragon's Bite
Lost to the Dragon
Beware of Dragons
Cowboy Dragon
Dark Heart of the Dragon
Once Upon a Dragon
Catching the Dragon
Dragon Isle (Collection: Books 1-3)
Dragon Isle (Collection: Books 4-6)
Dragon Isle (Collection: Books 7-9)
Good Boys and Millionaires
Good Boys and Millionaires 1
Good Boys and Millionaires 2
Honeypot Babies
The Polar Bear's Baby
The Jaguar's Baby
The Tiger's Baby
Honeypot Darlings
The Bear's Virgin Darling
The Bear's Virgin Mate
The Bear's Virgin Bride
Office Gentlemen
Ben From Accounting
Polar Bears of the Air Force
Staff Sergeant Polar Bear
Master Sergeant Polar Bear
Airman Polar Bear
Senior Airman Polar Bear
Red
Red: Into the Dark
Red: Through the Dark
Red: Beyond the Dark
Shifters at Law
Wolf Case
Bearly Legal
Tiger Clause
Sergeant Bear
Dragon Law
The Fablestone Clan
Dragon's Oath
Dragon's Breath
Dragon's Darling
Dragon's Whisper
Dragon's Magic
The Hidden Planet
Vanquished
Outlaw
Conquered
The Wolfe City Pack
The Wolf's Darling
The Wolf's Mate
The Wolf's Bride
Standalone
Saucy Devil
Billionaire on Top
Jurassic Submissive
The Editor
Alien Beast
Snow White and the Wolves
Kissing the Billionaire
Wild
Alien Dragon
The Royal Her: A Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance
Be My Tiger
Alien Monster
The Paralegal
The Luck of the Wolves
Roses in the Dark
Honeypot Babies Omnibus Edition
Honeypot Darlings: Omnibus Edition
Red: The Complete Trilogy
First Shift
The Swan's Mate
Eternity: A Vampire Romance
The Feisty Librarian
Polar Bears of the Air Force
Wild Goose Chase
Star Princess
The Virgin and the Lumberjacks
Resting Bear Face
Don't Date Demons
By Hook or by Wolf
Don’t Date Demons
Sophie Stern
Story Copyright 2019 by Sophie Stern
Cover Design by thebookbrander.com.
Contents
Don’t Date Demons
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Epilogue
Author
More
In a world filled with monsters, a girl has to look out for herself.
I've been on my own for as long as I can remember. That's the way I like it. I can't trust anyone, so I lurk in the shadows and take what I want.
Then one terrible night changes everything.
I'm not about to let the vampires attack someone right under my nose, so I stop them, only to find out that the person they're hurting is not what I expected. He's not human at all. In fact, he's a demon.
He's also so deliciously sexy that I can't stand it.
But I have one rule, and I don't intend to break it.
”Feel your heart, it breaks within your chest now.” -Something Corporate, Down.
Chapter One
Amy
The dark building looms over me, but I’m not afraid. I glance at it casually, almost in passing. On any other day, I’d be fascinated by the intricate architecture and the elaborate design of the structure. Usually, I’d want to know how it all came together. I’d analyze it, evaluating every angle and decorative flair.
Today is different, though.
Today I’m on a mission.
Right now, I’m too focused to care about the fact that I’m closer to the Mountain than most people get in a lifetime. The building that houses the King of the Vampires isn’t a place people go casually.
Or at all.
If you’re going to the Mountain, it’s because you’re important, you know someone who is, or you pissed off someone who is.
Me?
I’m none of those things.
I’m better than that.
At least, I like to think I am.
I slink around the side of the building and look out for monsters. Here in the darkness, they tend to be everywhere, but they aren’t out tonight. Not the way they usually are. It’s strange and it makes me feel just the slightest bit uncomfortable. It’s not supposed to be this easy.
It’s never this easy.
The hairs on the back of my neck rise up, but I ignore the sensation, choosing instead to keep moving swiftly, carefully. With determination and sheer endurance, I move to the West entrance. The guard is gone, as promised, and I slip the key from my pocket. It’s old and rusty and much too outdated for a place this pristinely perfect, but the King has always been a cocky son-of-a-bitch. He’s not the type of person who thinks anyone would dare approach him or break into his palace.
Then again, he’s not really a person at all.
A voice in my head sounds.
“Songbird, hurry up. You have twelve seconds.”
Ignoring the voice, I don’t respond. Instead, I focus on slipping the key into the crumbling lock and turning it. No one uses this entrance anymore. In fact, despite having a regularly posted guard, I’d guess no one has used it in years. It makes this the perfect choice for entering the Mountain. The “impenetrable” fortress has long been a place where good souls go to vanish. It’s also supposedly the home of one of the greatest treasure rooms in existence.
Not that I’m planning on being here long enough to enjoy it.
This place is known for its incredible beauty, but it’s also known for the monster who runs it.
Derek, King of the Vampires, takes no prisoners. We all know this. More importantly, we all respect it.
Well, some of us do.
Others, like me, take advantage of it.
If he catches me, he’s going to kill me. He’s not going to let me live to regret my choices, so I might as well enjoy them all. This makes for an interesting life and tonight, it makes for an interesting adventure.
I slip silently through the doorway and shut the heavy door behind me. Just as it clicks into place, I hear the guard’s quiet footsteps padding back into position. Apparently, Daisy has finished entertaining the guard. She was going to try to distract him for a little while so I could get inside. Considering the fact that she’s not anywhere close to the Mountain, I have no idea how she did it.
I didn’t ask.
Daisy is a determined woman, but she has her secrets, just as I do. We work together, but we play our cards close to our chest. It’s safer for everyone that way, and in my world, safety is the most important thing we have.
Now that I’m in, I’m on the clock. I have a limited amount of time before the vampires are done patrolling. I press a button on the side of my glasses and my normal shades change to night vision. Perfect. I can see clearly in the room now and, better yet, I can see where any alarm systems or traps might be.
Carefully, I glance over the boxes and stored items in this room. Dust has settled on everything, and not just a thin layer, either. No, the dust in this room lets me know it hasn’t been used in a very, very long time. Years, maybe. Decades. It’s not the type of place Derek expected anyone to break into. Seriously, his side door is used as a place for him to store his holiday decorations? Stupid.
I step over three tripwires and dodge two laser alarms before I reach the next doorway. This one has a data sensor. I slide my gloved thumb over the sensor and, as I hoped, it lets me in. Perfect. I’ll have to remember to thank Daisy later. Her work tonight has been un-fucking-believable. I move to the hallway and this time, I cringe as the lights hit my eyes. They’re brighter than anticipated. Quickly, I shut off the night-vision on my glasses as I keep moving. That’s the key here: never stop moving.
When I was younger, I did. I didn’t know just how important it was to be swift and cautious.
I didn’t realize how vital it was to stay hidden at all costs.
That cost me more than I care to think about.
Things are different now.
Now I know better.
“Forty seconds,” Daisy whispers in my head and I nod, but don’t respond verbally. I’m pretty sure she can see me. There are cameras sprinkled throughout the hallway and I don’t bother trying to hide from them. That’s Daisy’s department. I’m the thief; she’s the brains. She gets me in and gets me out and then we split the profits from whatever it is I’m supposed to take.
Today it’s some sort of knife. It’s old as hell, and if we succeed, the payday is going to be exactly what we’ve been waiting for. Daisy has a family to feed, after all.
And me?
Well, it’s just me now.
I hurry to the end of the hall and then turn. Three more turns and finally, I find myself standing in front of a treasure trove. That’s really the only way to describe what I’m looking at. It’s fucking gorgeous: an entire room full of every imaginable item. There are piles of jewelry and display cases with vases and statutes and gold bars. I feel like Aladdin in the Cave of Wonders.
It’s vast.
It’s incredible.
And it’s all right here.
“Songbird, stay focused,” I hear Daisy’s voice in my head, and I know that she’s right. I’m not out of the woods yet. The Vampire King is not exactly known for his patience. If he found out someone was trying to rip him off, he’d be on my neck in an instant. That’s why I’m the only one who would take this job. That’s why I got to charge whatever the hell I wanted for this job.
And charging hell is exactly what I’m doing.
After this, I’ll be able to retire: free and clear.
There will be no more robbing.
No more thieving.
No more dodging vampires.
Nope.
After tonight, Daisy and I are packing up. She’s taking her family somewhere else: maybe someplace warm, like the beach. And me?
I’ve got a cabin in the woods just calling my name.
I’m ready to escape from people, from reality.
I’ll be happy if I never see another fucking vampire again.
I scurry into the room and look around quickly. I have only seconds to grab the knife and get the hell out of dodge. There are stacks of books and piles of gold coins. There are trophies and gold statues. Basically, everything I’m looking at is bright and shiny. I don’t know where to even start looking for the knife.
But we’re certain that’s it here.
Our intel is never wrong.
Bad intel means that we all die, so Daisy and I go above and beyond to make sure that anything we look for is a sure thing.
And a magical weapon?
That’s a pretty sure fucking thing.
Magical swords and knives have been around since the dawn of time. It’s impossible to tell which ones really existed. Humans love fairy tales and nothing makes for a good story quite like a magical object. I mean, there’s Excalibur, wielded by King Arthur. There’s Caesar’s Crocea Mors. Hell, there’s even Ninurta’s Sharur. These weapons have been talked about, studied, and sought for thousands upon thousands of years.
Yet very few magical items have been found or captured.
Until now.
The Sword of Edith isn’t something most people know about or most people have been able to get. Not any humans, anyway. Not that many are looking for it. Most people are too damn scared of Derek’s army or his reach to be willing to sneak directly into his home and steal from him.
Good thing I’m not most people.
I peruse the treasure room and I try not to stress. I don’t see it. There are piles of gold and stacks of treasure chests. Could it be in one of those? This entire place looks like the kind of room you’d see in a dragon’s cave. Then again, vampires are probably just as old as dragons. They certainly have a lot of the same characteristics. Scanning the room, I note the gold benches, the chairs, the tables. I see the gold statues and the silver boxes. I see rings, necklaces, and every other kind of treasure I could possibly imagine.
And then I see it.
I see the blade.
It’s at the end of the room and it’s surrounded by what looks like lasers. This room doesn’t have physical guards because the idea of anyone breaking into it is preposterous. No one would dare cross Derek like this. Unfortunately for him, he’s a cocky bastard.
I approach the blade and look at the lasers.
“I’ve got eyes on it,” I tell Daisy quietly.
“Hurry,” she urges me.
Most people would try to find a way to get through the lasers without touching them. Most people would try to find a place to shut them off so they could grab the blade. I know better, though. These aren’t ordinary lasers. They won’t chop off your hand if your skin comes in contact. These lasers aren’t hot; they’re laced with a poison. Instead of dismembering you, the noxious poison seeps into your skin and destroys you quickly.
It doesn’t take long.
Most people exposed wouldn’t make it back to the hallway. They’d die here: their body left to serve as a warning to anyone else who might dare cross the vampire’s path.
But I’m not most people.
Besides, I’m prepared. I hurry quickly, quietly, over to the blade. I pull out the enchanted gloves that cost me six month’s wages to purchase and hope that they do their fucking job. Ezekiel promised me they’d work exactly as prescribed. If they do, then the investment would have been entirely worth it because once I sell Edith,
I’ll never have to work again.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Daisy is speaking to me, but I ignore her as I reach through the lasers, grab the blade, and pull it out.
Then I turn and I fucking run.
The alarm starts blaring when I’m halfway across the room. All hell is about to break loose. There weren’t sensors under the blade itself, but anytime the poison in the lasers is activated, it sets off an alarm that notifies the vampires there’s trouble. I run back toward the entrance. There’s a wall sliding closed over the door, but I’m not about to do something crazy like try to slide under it before it closes. Instead, I grab one of the gold statues and toss it ahead of me. It slides across the floor and manages to jam the door open. The wall can’t close now, but I don’t know how much time I have before it crashes down, smashing the little statue.
Daisy is screaming in my ear for me to get my ass out of here, so I drop to my stomach and wiggle under the door. On the other side, I look both ways and start running left. I’ve trained for this moment far too long to get something as little as an alarm going off be the reason I get stuck inside the Mountain.
Not today, Satan.
I can already hear the emergency gas sensors starting to go off. I glance up and see small bursts of something being pushed into the hallway. I press a button on the side of my sunglasses and a nose cover comes down, pressing against my face. The cover extends further down and mashes against my lips, effectively rendering me mute. It’s going to be a little hard to breathe for a few minutes, but the tight cover will both keep gas from getting into my lungs and slowly feed me oxygen. Wearing this mask isn’t like a normal gas mask, but it’s also not like I’m just holding my breath. There’s oxygen flowing from a pack I wear at my hip. It’s just not a lot, and I don’t have a ton of time.
“Songbird, do you copy? Two hostiles up ahead. There’s no other way out. You’re going to have to fight this time.”
Fuck.
I had hoped I’d make it through the escape without having to fight anyone, much less two someone’s. I’m a fantastic thief, and honestly, I’m a pretty good fighter. It’s just that I hate violence. I hate the feeling of hitting someone. I hate the idea that I might cause pain to anyone.
