Claimed by the Demon Hunter

by Harley James

  Then she pulled her hand from his grasp, and the warmth was gone. All this without moving a muscle of his massive frame. Alexios’s hawk-like gaze tracked slowly to Nate. “She’s your mate. Sophos—bravo—my brother. I am pleased for you.”

  Was he though? It was hard to read emotion on that chiseled face. She was beginning to even doubt that she’d seen any kind of feeling pass through his eyes. She glanced at Nate to gauge his reaction, but he was also guarded. “What do you mean ‘mate’?” she asked, wondering if Alexios was using the word in the British-sense, the way Nate and Spencer did when they referred to a friend.

  Alexios raised an eyebrow in what…surprise? Neither men answered. She pushed out from under Nate’s heavy arm. “Look, I’m tired and anxious to find my grandparents. If you don’t want to answer my questions, I’m out of here.” She started for the door, not entirely sure Alexios would let her pass, but willing to try anyway.

  Nate grabbed her hand and pulled her off to the side. He lowered his voice. “Hang tight for a few more minutes. Then, I promise, we’ll wake the hu—the others—and layer them with wards before we send them home. After that, I’ll answer all your questions and discuss more protection for your grandparents. I just…I don’t want you out of my sight.”

  She was such a sucker when he played protective boyfriend. “Fine.” She went to the cupboard, took out the box of black industrial garbage bags, and began cleaning up what was left of the door, careful not to make too much noise so she could hear them talk.

  “When we finish with the archdemons, the rest of us will help you find Sophia this time,” Nate said.

  “No. I must do so alone. You know this as well as I.”

  Jessie’s hand stalled on a piece of wood as she caught the soul-deep grief that came and went like a requiem in Alexios’s voice. Clearly the missing woman was the love of his life. Jessie blinked back tears as she returned to her work cleaning up the floor.

  “Is the city of Tampa descended and cut off from the rest of the state in the same fashion as ours?” Nate asked.

  Alexios shook his head. “Neither are the other clubs.”

  Jessie glanced over at the pair again as they moved toward the bookcase. Nate’s eyebrows drew together. “I’m not surprised it’s worse here since we’re ground zero for the Seam opening.”

  “Your remorse is worthless. If the hordes hadn’t chosen this site, it would have been one of the others. Each of our clubs will likely have a period of quiet depending on the power status of each archdemon. Being fresh from Hell, they need souls to increase their strength before they launch an offensive.”

  Nate nodded. “That makes sense.”

  Jessie sat back on her heels. “But why would they alert us that they’re here? Now they don’t have the element of surprise, and we have time to mount a counter-offensive.”

  Nate’s lips curved, but it wasn’t a true smile. “Demonology 101: they live to inspire terror. The more fear they inspire, the stronger the juice when they take possession of that human soul.”

  Oh Lord, that was awful. “Can they possess anyone at will?”

  “No. Possession is not an accident. The victim must, at least in some way, cooperate with or sell out to the demon.”

  Well, that was a little reassuring. “What do they want specifically? I mean, why are they at each of your nightclubs?” She saw Alexios watch Nate carefully. She stood, the black bag still in her grasp. There was a silent warning being spoken, she could almost feel it.

  Nate took the bag from her and set it aside. “Our kind is guarding more than human life—”

  “Nate.” Alexios’s deep voice raised the hair on her arms.

  Nate glared at him. “I trust her with my life.”

  “Good for you. But what happens when a demon gets hold of her and tortures the knowledge out of her. You would put her in that type of danger? They will know if she knows.”

  Nate sighed, and she realized she’d be waiting a long time for whatever he’d been about to tell her. “He’s right, Jess. You’re already in enough danger. These demons are ancient, and as Satan’s children, they will be fighting to gain his favor. They want what we have, and the first to get it will be papa’s favorite.”

  “Our objectives are simple, but not easy,” Alexios added. “Kill the Princes of Hell before they amass their armies to kill us.”

  Oh God. She twined her fingers together in front of her to anchor herself. “So, is this the end of the world?”

  Alexios’s first smile since entering the room sent chills racing through her. “Only if we fail.”

  Chapter 25

  True to his word, Nate took Jessie upstairs after Alexios’s departure. He sure as hell didn’t want her up here, but some part of him understood if he reneged on his promise, it would be hard to go back and regain her trust. So he’d have to worry about her in addition to figuring things out at the club and what was going on outside these walls.

  Right now she was smiling and patting the back of one of the last remaining, disoriented clubbers they’d awoken twenty minutes ago after he and Dorian had woven temporary wards over them. They’d believed the earthquake story. And why wouldn’t they? The club was in shambles. So was the entire metro area. No electricity, no cell phone reception, no passable roads so any vehicles larger than a scooter were worthless.

  At least the water’s running, Jessie had said with a bright smile as she stood behind what was left of her bar station.

  But for how much longer? He’d almost said it aloud, but he didn’t. He’d had to lock his knees not to march her down to the sanctorum once more. Her optimism and warmth drew him. It also made him edgy. Was Jinx right? Was Jessie making him soft? He couldn’t afford any weakness.

  Dorian punched him on the shoulder. “Stare much? Man, you got it bad for her. Way she was about to shut the club down last night, though, I can see why.”

  “Toss off, blighter.”

  Dorian crossed his arms over his belly, bending forward to laugh like a jackass who’d never been laid low by a female. Wretch.

  “Sorry, man. Just never seen you turned inside out like this. It’s kinda funny.”

  Nate wondered how much satisfaction he’d get out of seeing Dorian’s white teeth stained with blood. But Jessie chose that moment to glance over at them from where she was helping a girl in a devil’s costume to her feet. Nate forced his fists to relax. “The wards should last at least six hours, and now that it’s full daylight, the mortals should be able to get home without any demon meddling. Did you remember to warn them about staying inside at night?”

  Dorian unzipped his leather jacket, pulled a slip of paper out of an inside pocket, and read it carefully. After a few moments, he looked at Nate. “Sure. I think I got all the steps right. And don’t worry. I told them after the sun sets tonight all bets were off.”

  Nate rubbed his forehead. “You didn’t tell them the truth about the demons, I hope.”

  “You think I’d do anything crazy like that? It’d scare them too much. Naw, it’s going to be hard enough to pick their way through the rubble to get home, much less worry about being attacked by demons. But I told’em, whatever they do, don’t throw in their lot with evil. That way, they’d keep their souls intact. See? Nothin’ to it.”

  Nate stared at Dorian’s guileless expression and shook his head. With any luck, the clubbers who’d been under Dorian’s wing would write him off as half-baked because Nate had other things to worry about. Like how close the now-fully-awake Dante was standing next to Jessie. The drummer had a strong sense of the other side of the veil, but thankfully his sixth sense hadn’t been strong enough to resist the sleep wards like a few—mostly psychic—humans he’d met over the decades.

  A muscle ticked in Dante’s cheek when Nate approached. “I appreciate you not wiping my mind like every other sheep you put to sleep in this joint. Here’s the thing, though, if you fuck with Jess, I’ll find a way to hurt you no matter what you are.”

  “
If I were you, I’d have a care for that finger you’re pointing.” Nate’s earth element sent a spear of heat up his spine, but could he really fault Dante for being protective of the woman he’d willingly sacrifice himself for? It made it easier knowing Dante and Jessie had never been involved. When Dante lowered his hand to his side, Nate tried to relax. “Have I ever demonstrated disrespect or unkindness towards her?”

  Dante’s brows smoothed out slightly. “No, but I’ve only seen you two together in bits and pieces. I’ll tell you this much, if you wipe my memories, I won’t know, but it will be on your conscience every time you look at me…or Jess.”

  Nate grabbed Dante by the shirt collar. “Not scared by much, eh?”

  “Nate, let him go!” Jessie tugged at his arm. “This is a lot to take in. Before the Seam opened and you put him and the other clubbers to sleep, he saw the yellow eyes of the demons like I did. He saw a few other terrible things, too.”

  Nate complied with Jessie’s request, but shoved Dante toward the exit. “Whether or not I wipe your mind will depend on how well you can keep secrets. Good luck, human.”

  “Wait!” Jessie grabbed Dante’s hand, but glared at Nate. “You’re really going to send him out there without protection?”

  “He’s already layered with wards. As long as he keeps inside at night, he should be fine. The demons won’t be interested in him, in any case. Now, if you don’t stop touching him, I may have to remove said wards.”

  Dante hugged Jessie, then set her carefully away from him. “I’ll be fine. I need to make sure my sister’s okay, okay?”

  Jessie bit the inside of her cheek, still not looking convinced, but she let the drummer walk away. When Cruz closed and locked the door after Dante’s exit, Nate wondered if he’d done the right thing by not wiping Dante’s mind. But there was something about the fellow he respected. In all these decades as a Guardian, he hadn’t come across many humans he’d felt that way about, so he’d gone with his gut.

  When Jessie’s hand squeezed his shoulder, he looked down into her soot-smudged face, his stomach churning like a school boy’s.

  “Alright tough guy, it’s time you tell me everything.”

  “Fine, but first, I want you to meet someone.” He led her down the hallway and upstairs to his office. He paused by the closed door. “I need to tell you one thing before we go inside.” She’d been remarkably cool about everything so far, so there was hope that she’d take this in stride, too. “As you know, Guardians have some special abilities that allow us to battle demons.”

  “Like super strength and manipulating the ground.”

  “Super strength, yes. We also have extra sensitive hearing and sight. Besides that, all Guardians have one element they can control. Earth element Guardians like myself can manipulate the ground and its biological matter in all sorts of ways. I can also manipulate building structures if they have grounded footings that extend into the Earth.” He paused and took her cold hands into his own. Her eyes were wide. “Say something.”

  She blew out a breath slowly. “Wow. Just…yeah. It’s hard to absorb.”

  “I know. I never planned for you to be involved in any of my Guardian work.”

  She looked at the door to his office. “What’s in there?”

  His chest lightened, and he couldn’t resist kissing her. She kissed him back with an ardor that left him reeling, and pretty soon they were both breathless by the time she pushed him away.

  “Now talk,” she ordered.

  “You’re beautiful.”

  “Nate—”

  “I want you so bad I ache, Jess.”

  She smiled weakly as she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest. His heart thumped in its rib cavity, his blood vessels seeming to expand. Make her forget everything but you. He could. With his body, he could enslave her. With his mind, he could break her. Make her dependent on his attentions like so many other women in his past.

  You aren’t worthy of her.

  He inwardly blanched, but the damned voice wouldn’t silence. He pressed one more kiss to her hair. “I brought you up here because you need to stay here…indefinitely.”

  “What? You can’t—”

  “Listen. When I realized what was going on with the Seam, I asked one of my partners to come when her club was secure. I wanted her help get this place ready for you. As an air element Guardian, Jinx can remodel spaces rather quickly.”

  Jessie crossed her arms. “You won’t get me in there if there are bars on the windows.”

  He knew that, which was why he’d rejected his first idea to have Jinx remodel the sanctorum even though that would be the safest place for Jessie. “No bars because there are no more windows. When we dropped twenty feet, the windows shattered, so we replaced them with something better.” Plus, he didn’t want her looking out at the city’s devastation all day long. Especially at night when the demons were on the prowl for souls. He took a deep breath and sent a quick heads up to Jinx that they were coming in.

  “I’m already back home, Hellraiser. You should know by now, I’m much faster than you,” she taunted.

  “When can you come back to clean up the rest of the club?”

  “Go to Hell, Temple.”

  “I’m half-way there. You can’t fault me for asking when you’re the best air elemental out there.”

  She snorted. “Flattery might save your ass, but don’t push your luck.”

  “It’s what I do best, Jinx. You should know that by now.”

  She laughed in reply. Maybe it was for the best that she wasn’t here. Though tiny in stature, Jinx Tanaka was a whole hell of a lot to explain with her intricate tattoos, Weapons-R-Us get-up, and in-your-face-at-full-volume personality. He backed up and gestured for Jessie to take the lead. She opened the door and walked into the new candle-lit flat that Jinx had created complete with eating, living, and sleeping quarters. He’d told her of Jessie’s likes and dislikes—as many as he knew anyway—and the result was even cozier than he’d hoped. He watched Jessie’s face, trying to gauge her reaction.

  “This is crazy.” She walked to the floor-to-ceiling aquarium that used to be the wall of windows overlooking the city streets. “No use having windows if all you see is rubble, right?” She laughed mirthlessly as brightly colored fish zipped in and around the coral in the clear water.

  “This is only temporary until we’ve restored order.”

  She turned to face him, the reflection of the water casting a luminous glow on her smooth skin. “Meaning I’m a prisoner here.”

  “Of course not.”

  “So, if I wanted to, I could walk out of this club like everyone else even though there’s a demon invasion going on? You wouldn’t stop me?”

  Dammit. Of course he would stop her. “You don’t understand.”

  She raised her hands and let them drop. “Then tell me. Explain why I’m more important than any other person who was in this nightclub last night. Why do I deserve special treatment and not them?”

  Tell her or not? Fuck it. He was already in way over his head. He walked to the mini bar, poured two drinks, and held one out to her. She pursed her lips as she sashayed toward him, all swaying hips and jostling breasts. He’d bet money she wasn’t even aware she moved that way. Divinity in motion.

  When she took the drink from his hands, he tossed his back and waited for her to do the same. She did, shivering violently afterwards. She slid the glass on the tabletop. “Now spill it.”

  The sooner he told her, the sooner they could get on with the bonding. “You saw the scar on my abdomen.” She nodded slowly, glancing at his t-shirt. “That was my death scar. A flying piece of scrap metal soared through the air as I was running to save a woman after a German Zeppelin dropped a bomb. The metal flew at such velocity it severed her head before it slammed into me.” Her lips parted in sympathy. He took the emotive expression in and wove it round the dark shadows in the cordoned off areas in his brain. “I died. When I re-awoke as a G
uardian, all of my physical imperfections were gone except for the death scar.” He paused. She watched him silently, her silver-blue eyes like turbulent seas.

  He closed the distance between them and breathed in her scent. His pulse pounded madly in his neck. “Guardians retain their death scar until the first time they make love with a soul mate.”

  There. He’d said it. All secrets were out in the open now. Well, not all of them, but the ones that would matter to her. Jessie blinked up at him, not immediately comprehending. Then…

  “Oh. Oh. So you’re saying…I…it’s me?” Her voice cracked on the last word.

  He nodded slowly. “I assume you recall my own surprised reaction.” Panicked was more like it.

  “But…why me?”

  “Why not you? You’re the most incredible woman I’ve ever met.”

  Her shy, sexy smile revved his engine into high gear. “That doesn’t answer the question.”

  “Can’t you simply accept it? It’s fate.” He pulled her toward him, plucking the top stays of the bustier that confined her peasant shirt. “Enough talking.”

  She smacked at his fingers. “You promised you’d answer all my questions.”

  He picked her up, walked to the bed, and tossed her upon it. “I lied.”

  Before he could cover her with his body, she shot up with a hand on his chest. “I thought you’re supposed to make good choices.”

  “That’s the theory.” He stripped off one of her shoes and began peeling down her stocking.

  He loved it when her face was so conflicted. “You’re sick,” she said.

  He heartily agreed. “And yet, you still want to be with me.” She rolled to the edge of the bed, but he caught her around the waist before she could steal away. He rolled back on the bed, pulling her with him so she was laying on top of him, facing the ceiling. The back of her head nestled between his pecs, yet her feet were still a couple inches shy of his. “You’re fun-sized, you know that?”