Devil Takes His Innocent

by Emma Anderson

  “Is it all right with you that Bobby stay here while he has a chance to get to know Jason and his family?” Judge asked.

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she replied immediately.

  “Pity,” Judge muttered under his breath.

  “What’s a pity?” she asked.

  “You would make an amazing Alpha female. You’re strong, gorgeous and caring, all the perfect attributes for an Alpha’s mate,” Judge replied, staring intently at her. “It’s just a shame that you aren’t my mate. I could see myself enjoying the rest of my life with you in it.”

  His honesty had her laughing nervously. The truth was, she too thought him to be handsome, in a scruffy kind of way. She liked his straightforward way of speaking, and his power comforted her, making her feel safe. But it wasn’t enough for her. Something was holding her back from exploring her attraction to this man. Or should she say someone. The man who’d taken her virginity continued to haunt her, preventing her from seeing Judge as anything other than just another man.

  Chapter Five

  “Where have you been lately?” Viper asked as he walked into the office. “And thanks for disappearing the other night. You have no idea what you missed out on. Those women were fucking amazing.”

  “Chaos and I were investigating Gabriella further,” Devil said without looking up.

  “Why don’t you just forget about her?” Viper asked, slumping into his chair.

  “Because she’s my mate.”

  “Bullshit! You would have recognized her as such when you met her.”

  What Viper had said was true. Vampires, like their shifter brethren, found their mates through their scent. The more magical paranormal creatures, like fae and warlocks, discovered theirs through their aura. Unfortunately, for Devil, it wasn’t that easy with Gabriella.

  “You’re right, except she had a lot of perfume on that night. It would have masked her scent to me. Since Chaos suggested she may be my mate, I have been to the house that we originally thought she lived in, which was correct, by the way. Her roommate sent the flowers away. Gabriella Winters is mine!”

  “Why did she send the flowers back, do you think?” Viper asked one of the many questions that had been haunting Devil. Then added another more intriguing one. “And why the hell would Gabriella give up her virginity to clear that asshole’s debt?”

  “I don’t know, but I will find out as soon as Gabriella gets back,” Devil vowed.

  “Do you know when that is yet?”

  “No, but I have some people watching the house,” Devil explained, picking up his mobile and checking the screen. “When she gets back, I’ll know.”

  “What are you going to do then?”

  “Claim her,” he replied bluntly.

  “Are you sure you’re ready to go from having any woman you want, to the same one for the rest of your life?” Viper challenged.

  Like most young men, in their youth vampire males were insatiable. No amount of sex was enough. Devil was no different. In fact, neither were his three brothers. Except none of them had outgrown it. They were all ancient by anyone’s standard, but still their sexual appetite knew no bounds. That had been true for Chaos until he had found his mate, a little over ten years ago. And now it was true for Devil. No other female had the same effect on him that Gabriella did. Just thinking about her had his cock hardening.

  “You know as well as I do, once you meet your mate, no one else will do,” Devil replied, adjusting his hardened member in his trousers.

  “Better you than me,” Viper scoffed. “I can’t imagine just sticking with one woman. No more thrill of the chase, or experiencing the high from capturing all those sexy bodies. I can’t imaging no more threesomes like I had the other night. God, I’m getting hard just thinking about those two.”

  “When it happens to you, brother, you won’t be able to do a thing about it.”

  “Ha! You want to bet?”

  “I would love one,” Devil said, laughing. “But I don’t think it’s fair to take your money. But hey, I sure will enjoy watching you eat those words.”

  “Never!”

  “Never say never, Viper!” he warned. “After the number of years we have walked this earth, we had all given up on finding our mate. Now Chaos and I have found ours. You and Judge will probably be next!”

  “Don’t count on it. And do I need to remind you that Chaos hasn’t claimed his mate, and you can’t find yours. No one’s fallen into the trap yet, brother.”

  “I’ll find her, have no doubt,” Devil vowed, suddenly looking forward to the day she returned home.

  ****

  Gabby ended up having a great, action-packed holiday. She had seen Bobby settled in with his new, loving family. He now had three younger sisters to deal with, and he seemed to be loving every minute of it. Maryanne proved to be the kind of mother every child would wish for. She baked and cooked just as well as any high-class chef, which was exactly what she was before she had met Jason. Gabby got to meet the Jason she had originally assumed him to be. He displayed all the qualities a father should, gaining both her and Bobby’s trust.

  Judge had spent a lot of time showing her around the pack lands. Though she was human, he was true to his word and trusted her with their secret. He wasn’t shy with his explanations about the paranormal world, either. It seemed that shape shifters and vampires weren’t the only creatures to live secretly amongst humans. He spoke of fae, warlocks, and demons. He claimed that angels also existed, but he had yet to meet one in person.

  He then went on to explain that every paranormal creature had a mate out there. It was Mother Nature’s way of ensuring the most feared people, who tended to only exist in nightmares, had a chance at love. Due to the high number of interspecies pairings that occurred, the attraction was immediate and irreplaceable. A mate could not deny their future, no matter how scared or how little they understood. The chemistry between the two couldn’t be ignored.

  Judge’s pride had welcomed both Bobby and Gabby into their midst with open arms, and by the end of her two-week holiday she had invited the pride to use her land. The beautifully dense terrain had gone unused for long enough. The property had a large body of water fed by a spring that she had named The Lake. Her grandfather had bred trout in it, and for the life of her, she could never seem to bring herself to catch one, kill it, then eat it. Anything she had seen with a head would not be passing her lips. She couldn’t look something in the eye, then eat it; it just wasn’t in her genetic makeup. Thankfully she lived in the city, where, for a price, supermarkets took away that guilt of taking an animal’s life.

  She had finally returned home, but she wasn’t alone. She knew she wouldn’t be able to hide her adventure from her best friend, and had forewarned Judge that one other human would know of their secret. She had guaranteed that Nikki wouldn’t expose them, but Judge had still insisted on being present when she was told.

  Over dinner and several glasses of wine, Nikki flirted harmlessly with Judge. It was typical Nikki behavior. She could flirt with men, but as soon as it turned serious, she ran a mile. As a survivor of an abusive relationship, Nikki didn’t trust men easily. She had survived a brutal rape and beating from a man who claimed he loved her. It would be a long time before she felt safe offering her body and heart to another man. Her flirtations, yes, but nothing else. And any man looking to get involved with Nikki would have to be worthy, otherwise Gabby would have no problem sending him packing.

  Judge laughed at something Nikki had said. He seemed to be lapping up the attention, claiming it had been a while since he had shared a dinner with two beautiful women. He was a smooth talker, of that Gabby had discovered early into their friendship. He flirted with every woman he came in contact with, elderly, married, single, or pregnant. Gabby had come to the conclusion that he just couldn’t help himself. She definitely pitied the woman he ended up with. She would have to be strong and confident to put up with his antics.

  With her lack of e
xperience with men, and Judge’s perpetual flirting with anything in a skirt, Gabby couldn’t believe how at ease she felt with him. Though she knew a sexual relationship wasn’t on the cards with him, she often found herself wishing that she could get Devil out of her head so she could explore a relationship with another man. Maybe one like Judge.

  “So how did you two meet?” Nikki asked after they had finished dinner. “And don’t even try to tell me it was at a pub. That’s just not Gabby’s scene.”

  “Actually, we met through a young boy named Bobby,” Gabby explained before sharing everything that had happened on her two-week break.

  She wasn’t surprised that her friend took the existence of shape shifters in stride. Gabby knew that if anyone else had told Nikki the same story, she would have laughed it off as a joke. It once again spoke of the trust her best friend placed in Gabby. It was a trust that she had no intentions of destroying.

  The first question out of Nikki’s mouth had Gabby chuckling. It was true to form of the bluntness that had many people steering clear of Nikki. “So can I see your cat?”

  “It’s a mountain lion,” Judge corrected, feigning injury through insult.

  “Fine, can I see your big, ferocious, deadly mountain lion?” Nikki added sarcastically.

  Before Gabby could object, Judge was down on his knees, working through the transformation. It wasn’t the first time Gabby had met Judge’s animal form, but this would definitely be the first time inside. She feared for the furniture she and Nikki had worked hard to purchase. Somehow, Judge managed to maneuver his large beast around the tiny coffee table that sat in the middle of their lounge room. He plonked himself down beside the armchair that Nikki sat on and rested his head on the arm.

  “Who’s a pretty boy, then?” Nikki cooed as she stroked his head. The comment earned her a soft hiss from Judge, but still he remained by her side, accepting the pat.

  Gabby had learned that mountain lion shape shifters differed in several ways from their animal counterpart. For starters, they were larger, hence her concern for her furniture, and lived harmoniously in a pride. Another difference was they loved the sensation of being touched.

  “So does that mean you two are those mate things that you were explaining about?” Nikki asked, now rubbing behind Judge’s soft ears.

  “No,” came the menacing voice from behind Gabby. It was a voice she would recognize anywhere. “Change back, Judge!”

  Thankfully, unlike in the books she liked to read, shape shifter magic allowed Judge’s clothes to reappear with his change. He was wearing his Alpha’s face, hiding all emotions behind a mask of blankness.

  “Hello, Devil, fancy seeing you here,” Judge said, moving toward the very still newcomer. “So you want to tell me what brings you to these lovely ladies’ home?”

  This had Devil moving, and far too quickly by human standards. In the blink of an eye, he had Judge by the collar of his shirt, and stated, “My mate lives here. What’s your reasoning?”

  Judge pulled himself from Devil’s hold, ripping his shirt in the process, and moved over to where both Nikki and Gabby now stood by the window. He placed himself in front of them.

  “Since neither woman knew of the existence of our kind before I met them, I’m assuming this is news to whichever one is your mate? And as for my presence here, I was invited by Gabby.” His response was met with a low, menacing growl from Devil. Judge chuckled. “I should have known. As soon as we met I knew she was meant for one of our kind. In fact, I had wished it to be me.”

  “She’s mine! Keep your grubby paws off of her, Judge. Otherwise your pride will be looking to find themselves another leader, and our brothers will be denied your presence in their lives,” Devil warned, glaring at Judge as he made his way over to Gabby. He then tried to pull her out from behind the large mountain lion shifter. Judge’s arm and Nikki’s hold prevented her from going anywhere, though her body desperately wanted to abide the man.

  “Are you a mountain lion too?” she asked the man whose touch was currently doing strange things to her body. Even though his hold was strong and unmoving, it gave her comfort rather than scaring her.

  “No, angel, I’m a vampire, and you’re mine.”

  “Who is he, Gabby?”

  Nikki’s fear and worry acted as a cold shower for Gabby. Gone was the confident woman most people knew to be Nikki. Instead, beside Gabby stood a trembling woman whose gaze was fixed on Devil’s hand gripping Gabby’s arm.

  “Both of you need to leave. Now!” Gabby ordered, not caring how rude she appeared. Her friend needed these men out of their house.

  “We need to—” Devil started to say. Gabby had no idea whether it was her fixed stare that she hoped held her resolve, with maybe a little bit of pleading, or the whispered words delivered by Judge, but thankfully Devil made a move to leave. “We still need to talk.”

  “Come on, Devil,” Judge said, pulling on the man’s arm. “Let’s head back to the hotel, and you can tell me what’s been going on.”

  As soon as Gabby heard car engines start, she led Nikki to the sofa, maintaining contact the whole time. Once they were both curled up on the long seat, Gabby exhaled. “That, my friend, is the man I had that date with before my vacation. He calls himself Devil. He took my virginity that night, and quite possibly my sanity. I have been unable to think of anyone else since.”

  This seemed to draw her friend out of her panic. The threat had been removed, and a romantic interlude was something Nikki had no power to keep her nose out of. “Your virginity, on your first date?”

  “Yep!” Gabby replied, shivering.

  “Wow.”

  “You can say that again,” Gabby said, sighing.

  “And you’re his mate. How exciting!”

  Turning herself to fully face her best friend, Gabby asked, “How can you say that?”

  “Maybe we shouldn’t have sent Judge away. He seems to know the man well,” Nikki pointed out.

  “It’s too late now and I, for one, am exhausted. Let’s head to bed,” Gabby suggested.

  Uncertainty clouded Nikki’s eyes as she looked around the house. “Um, can I sleep with you tonight?”

  Without hesitation, Gabby replied as she always did when Nikki’s panic attacks resurfaced. “Of course you can, Nikki. I could do with the company myself. How about a movie to fall asleep to?”

  Gabby had to laugh at her friend’s choice of movie. Even in her current state she hadn’t lost her sense of humor. She had chosen Twilight, claiming Gabby had better brush up on her vampire knowledge if Devil was going to be the star of her dreams and fantasies. The question for Gabby was, did she also want him to be a part of her life as well?

  Chapter Six

  “Judge, you’re back earlier than we expected,” Viper said, clapping the mountain lion shifter on the back before he and Chaos claimed the other two chairs at the table.

  “I found him in my mate’s house,” Devil replied for him, still unhappy at the man’s familiarity with Gabriella, or Gabby, as he had discovered she liked being called.

  “So she really is your mate?” Judge questioned.

  “Yes.”

  “Then why did she only discover the existence of paranormal creatures through me?”

  “How long have you known her?” Devil asked.

  “I only met her a couple of weeks ago.”

  “How?” Devil demanded. His knowledge of his brother’s womanizing ways had his fists clenching.

  “Oh, my old friend, you know how this works. You answer my question first and then I’ll reply in kind,” Judge said. The mountain lion’s smirk had Devil wanting to wipe it off his face. But still he found himself describing his introduction to Gabby, as well as her father’s involvement in the whole misunderstanding. “That bastard pimped his own daughter out? Please tell me you have plans for that asshole.”

  “Have no fear, that man is now wishing he were dead,” Devil promised. “Now it’s your turn.”

  Devil w
atched as Judge took a large swig of his whiskey before speaking. His actions told Devil that he wasn’t necessarily going to like what he was about to hear. Judge’s first comment confirmed his suspicions.

  “Let me explain the backstory, so you can understand the bruises.”

  Slamming his palms down on the table, Devil pushed himself up and demanded, “What fucking bruises?”

  “Sit back down, Devil, and I’ll explain,” Judge promised. Knowing the mountain lion well enough to know he wouldn’t share any further information until Devil had done his bidding, Devil retook his seat. “I don’t know if you remember me telling you about our neighbor. About fifty years ago, he met and fell in love with a woman. The wedding date had been set and invitations sent out. But his fiancée met one of our pride mates. She was his mate, so she canceled the wedding. She and her mate thought that if they explained the situation, then the man would understand and be reasonable. They were wrong. It turned out that he never got over her and became a nasty and bitter person. Any mountain lion he spotted on his land was shot. He didn’t care whether they were animal or shifter, he just wanted them all dead. A few years ago he died, leaving his land to his granddaughter, but still our pride never went near the land for fear that she too would have adopted his negative attitudes toward our kind.”

  Judge went on to share the details of his meeting with Gabby. Devil admired her actions, caring for the young boy even after discovering what he was. Her open-mindedness would do her well within the paranormal world. He felt pride when hearing how she had checked out Jason before approaching him about Bobby. A moment later all positive thought vanished, replaced by a menacing growl and a red haze that clouded his vision when Judge told him how Gabby had become bruised.