by Lil Hamilton
I didn’t want a mate still, but Lan he comforted me. I valued the man and the intimacy. His head swooped down and took one nipple into his mouth causing me to arch up and cry out. His alternated between suckling and nibbling and it was driving me nuts. His other had caressed my other breast with his fingers rolling and pinching the aching bud. It was such a wonderful torment he could just keep doing that forever. My hand hooked around his neck rubbing into his hair while my other hand ran down his back. This demon was thorough in his sensual torments and soon he switched breasts and began again. By then I was getting antsy for more. My hand digressed from his back and slid between us and down until I latched onto that silky steel hardness of him. I smiled and arched as he groaned when I fisted him and slid my fist up and down.
He lifted his head up and his eyes burned with desire and his fangs were bared. “You do that and I cannot wait.”
“I don’t want you to. I need more and I need it now,” I said.
“Then drop those shields. Now.”
I let all my outer shields drop. My demon aura slammed into his and both of us let out a moan as we felt how aroused we both were. His hand slid between my legs into my slick heat until he found the bundle of nerves that caused a jolt to my core as soon as he made contact. He grinned feral. “So ready for me.” He slid two fingers into my sheath and I arched upward with a cry of pleasure, but it was not nearly enough. He rubbed my clitoris as he thrust his fingers. “Come for me while I watch and I will give you more.”
“Damn you demon,” I said breathlessly.
“You want me to stop then?”
“No!”
He pressed harder and thrust at the same rhythm. Until I was clutching the sheets and moving restlessly.
My body became so tense as I rose to that peak. I watched him with passion glazed eyes, as he watched me. His eyes taking in every movement, every sound. “So close. I will help you I think.”
His hand moved away and I almost screamed but then just as suddenly his mouth was there sucking right where I needed it to be and the pleasure was so damn intense an orgasm rocked through me. I cried out and trembled and still he sucked until each tremor was wrenched from me. Then he was standing and pulling my legs up and moving over me so my legs rested over his shoulders. He fitted himself at my entrance and with one deep thrust he was seated deep inside me and I cried out at the sharp pleasure of it.
I wrapped my arms around his waist as he thrust in again and again. He could not hold back for long and I would not let him. Soon he was pounding into me and I was crying out and clutching on to him, my nails digging into him. Our auras were flaring together, heating the intensity of our drives and need until we had to go faster and harder. He could feel the moment my orgasm approached and I didn’t think he could but he thrust even deeper and faster, frantically trying to get me to that point and get there with me. I screamed out when it hit, clawed into his back, arched right off the bed and dimly heard him roar out his release as I collapsed limply.
I was too limp and drained to even want to move. Lan softly kissed my forehead, gathered me up and snuggled us both under the covers. I think I was too stunned to even move really. There must be something to demon lovemaking because of the aura merging. Just the knowing where your partner was at, exactly, the knowing what made them scream, precisely, that just made for a damn mind blowing experience.
After an all too short nap and loads of tea and pastries we made it back to the office. I didn’t feel clean or refreshed. Spelling more alertness would simply crash on my harder than falling from a sugar high. I scarfed down three Mars bars on the way. Hanson was already waiting. Likely impatiently and in a mood. So I gave him a cheerful greeting and in I invited him in for tea. Unfortunately, he brought with him Doug Cooper the fae liaison officer with Inter. Any problems or concerns I had I was to come to him about, but honestly I didn’t. Usually I spoke to the detectives on an advisory position. Nothing wrong with Cooper really. He was a polite young man in his early thirties, with a little paunch on him but lean muscle everywhere else. His role made it so that he gathered all and every information available on the fae so he could understand the culture. So he was very sensitive to our concerns but really knew jack shit. He was what Hanson called a suit and in effect worked for the government, possibly with military ties. All I knew was that the man had no gifts to speak of but wore far more charms than any government official could afford. Any mundane could wear a charm, because a charm didn’t need an ability to activity, they just worked as is. I had no idea what his did but I suspected they were all there to ensure he was not influenced in any way by the Other community, including demons and fae.
Dill and Lan made themselves uncomfortable in the office style furniture. Dill, as my right hand man, knew me enough to be quiet but observant. Lan I had to bribe with donuts and coffee.
“Doug Cooper this is Lan. Lan this is the Faerie liaison with Inter,” I said. “I’m not sure if demons have the misfortune to have one yourselves.”
Doug scowled at me but not long enough to take his attention off of Lan. “Would you like to explain the incident on Nihilo coven territory, Ray? Perhaps why you failed to notify the Interracial Department of your investigation or activities?”
I leaned back in my chair and smiled evilly at him. “Oh, perhaps you would like to defend your department’s actions when it failed to properly investigate missing faelings and demi over the past month. Quite the pattern to be brushing off. Witches as well, but I wouldn’t dream of interfering in those investigations. If you all had done your job then you would’ve taken the coven yourselves and we wouldn’t be talking, but you didn’t. I have been doing my job. I had a missing nymph and dozens of faelings to track down. No positive evidence. I have worked with Inter long enough to know without enough evidence you will do nothing. So we came to see what was going on. See if it was true they might in fact have my nymph, as I have the right to do. Found out. Problem solved. A thank you would be much appreciated at this point given we have solved all those missing persons, closed a slavery ring and you didn’t have to do a damn thing, like usual.”
As I talked his face just got redder until I thought he might just stroke out. Hanson glared at him before he could start yelling about policy and whatever. “Ray, the people of the Warrens are surprisingly unhelpful even when their own disappear. They don’t trust us.”
“I don’t like that excuse and besides it’s not yours to offer, Hanson. You’re in Homicide. By the time it landed on your desk they wouldn’t be missing any more would they?”
“True, but us detectives get tossed about as you know. And you didn’t ask me here to talk about the coven take down today. I’m sure the department appreciated that. They may grumble about not being invited to the party but they understand why you went there. They have laid the nymph to ground, by the way, in the central park.”
I closed my eyes for a second to hide the prick of tears. So the body had given out. I opened them again and nodded. “I will inform her sponsor.”
“A few of our faeling staff wanted to ensure I told you that there were actually twenty faelings held in the building. Some were in a laboratory in the basement. Fifteen demi. And ten witches. Fifteen of the faelings had been infected by the curse but were able to be treated by the Inter coven. Five were beyond recovery. All the witches unfortunately were unable to be recovered. All but two of the demi were treated. Time was of the essence and the department faelings were honored you showed respect for their bloodline. Now as far as I’m concerned that is over and done with.”
I nodded. I poured us all glasses of whisky and sat behind the desk. “I got something for you. It relates to the coven‘s activities. An extra gift, but with a bit of a price.”
“Good, cause I got four more bodies.”
I frowned. Must have been prior to my encounter. “Mid Town Flats?”
“No, Olde Towne. Bout four blocks up the road from here actually. Charm shop.”
“Ah, fr
ick,” I muttered. So much for feeling safe in the hood and the belief that the Whites protected their own. That story would hit the media. “That is going to get the Whites all riled up.”
“A bound demon is going to stir all the covens, I’m afraid. The Whites and Grays will not only be ensuring the protection of small affiliated covens but searching for the black coven responsible. Inter is going to have the hit the black covens hard to find the right one and fast.”
“I know who your demon is,” I said to start the ball rolling.
As he sipped his drink, appearing at ease, a slow flush went up his neck. His lips thinned as he carefully placed the glass down. “Somehow I suspect you knew already.”
“Actually, more like I suspected I knew and then I confirmed it. Cases of case overlap. This is my situation, my friend. Nihilo has been scooping half-breeds up all over the place. It just so happens they picked one in particular that is causing some extra complications for us all. There is a witch with half fae blood who mated with the bound demon. The Nihilo Coven has taken the witch, Lily, in order to call the demon and use him to get rid of some competition. The demon delegate is here to get this witch and mate back. You want the killings stopped. I want to make sure this witch goes with her mate to the Hells. Therefore we all have the same goal in mind.”
“Ah, nice and tidy then. Did it ever occur to you, if you had told me you were missing a demon mated witch, I could have organized a search and prevented all this?”
“Sorry, no. I didn’t honestly think you had the manpower to be hunting down one witch when she could have been anywhere. A missing person isn’t that important to investigators, but a missing half-fae is important to me.”
Damn that sounded arrogant, especially since I had not confirmed a damn thing on my own until Eadon had been snared.
“We may not have much manpower, Ray, but Inter keeps a close eye on all vampires and witches, as they are our problem in our realm. And now it is everyone’s problem.”
Sometimes mortals thought they had more control than they did. However, that was likely why the truce had held, because Inter proclaimed to manage the other races. Inter had a massive research department, several on staff witches, vampires and shape-shifters. When it came to the locals, I let them do their thing. When it came to inter-realm situations and politics, I did my thing and usually did not involve Inter in it. It would only be a blow to their self-esteem. After all, they thought vampires were the big nasty. As if. Compared to a vampire I was the big nasty because I was half and half of the big nasties.
Normally I would have welcomed the help. I loathed witch matters. But she was a Seelie half-breed and a damned royal bastard at that who was mated to a High Demon. Getting Inter involved was not an option before and now I had to use my lying skills just to hit the highlights.
“Yeah, well, knowing that the Nihilo Coven has her and that you watch the covens, do you know where their House is?”
“The good thing about the larger covens is that they are not as transitory. Finding them is not hard but breaching them is. This coven is a money maker. They were harder to find than most. Took months for our coven to locate the damn place and then to remember it. This coven can afford having supernatural protection. Certainly any raid would be difficult enough to give the witches notice and they would be gone before we got in.”
“I want the location. The witch has fae breeding. I want to give you a heads up that I’ll be going in to get her. The demon delegate will be going in to release the bound demon. In return for providing the information on the coven house location and assisting me in this matter I will provide you with some additional intelligence on this coven. They have started a sex slavery brothel in the Gutters, which is why they have been using the bound demon against other covens, to ensure they keep the land they have claimed. My Intel suggests some of the kidnapped faelings and witches have ended up there as food for feeders, who also enjoy sexual encounters while they feed. I suggest while I take down the coven house you move against the brothel. It makes sense to do this quickly and at the same time, while they are disorganized and weak.”
“Ray, you admitted she is a half-breed. The witches have more authority in this matter than you do,” Doug said and I glared at him. “We can’t allow you to openly attack witches, considered to be a mortal race, when faelings are also a mortal race and not covered under your Accords rights of protection and defense.”
“As you know we may not interfere in their mortal lives but we are not fond of them being mucked around with by Others, otherwise they would be vampire bait. So I don’t think leaving her to suffer under the care of this coven is an option. While it is true you can bicker about it, Doug, you cannot deny my demon companions have the right under the Accords to go get their kin and remove him from the binding. With all force necessary and killing the witches involved in the binding to prevent them from calling the demon again. Lan, is temporally, taking the vacant demon seat of the Haven Accords council. Go ahead and deny my fae right to do so, I have been hired, as an investigator to find Lily so I will simply accompany them.”
“I allow they have the right to do so according to the treaty arrangements. However, I do not believe Inter should be involved in the situation at all. It wouldn’t be prudent for us to be providing information on the coven to assist in the matter. Accords matters are outside of our purview, Ray.”
My demon aura bulked up as fury radiated off me and I wasn’t the only one, just the only one with stability issues. I slammed my hands on the table so hard Doug flinched. “So then you would have me deal with the Accords coven reps who would help me,” I said through clenched teeth. They would help at a cost. Since he was right the Accords was outside of the government and human laws. I would have to make bargains for any assistance. “Instead of assisting me yourselves to help bring down demon callers, who if are not dealt with will continue to use that demon against other covens, when I am also willing to give you on a fucking silver platter a sex slave brothel to take down. Is that right? You would rather just let that place continue to operate? Because the chances are by the time I take care of the coven house the brothel will have been alerted and moved. Do you want that on your conscience?”
“Now hold on,” Hanson said, giving me that wary cop look. “Let’s think this through. I don’t want to get this all tangled up with Accords business. Don’t give me that look Doug; I know the demons got the right to do as they please with demon dealers. And I’ve no complaints there. I also know it is against the law to bind demons. Everyone who sat in the circle with the one who did the actual binding is just as legally to blame. The witch has been kidnapped which is within our ability to handle. As she does have fae blood we can have Ray in as a consultant. However, I think, Ray, we need to be more involved here. We can handle both operations at the same time, by pulling in some people from other cases. I know some people in the department who deal with covens who will be very interested in taking down the operation you mentioned. And I would be very interested in taking care of the group that bound that demon. It is non-negotiable.”
Doug ran a hand down his tie and cleared his throat. “If we control the operation, the take down and the evidence then it is a different matter entirely.”
Snide bastard.
I pretended to consider Hanson‘s compromise. The entire coven would be up on kidnapping, murder and unauthorized acts of magic charges. I planned on taking the key witness, but likely I could get a statement from her, or work something out. The coven and the human laws meant absolutely nothing to me. What I wanted was simple; the location of the coven and the two bonded mates. “I can get her out, Hanson. I can get in and get her out. I’ll leave you to bag and tag the coven. If we coordinate our efforts, getting the victim free will be successful. As per the Accords I also plan on killing the witch that called our demon as to prevent that from happening again. Other than that it is your show.”
I hadn’t really wanted Inter around because even if we had the
right to handle the situation as needed it didn’t always end up that way. Questions were always asked. Things were documented. Paperwork was compiled. Hanson was a good sort. Doug was government and therefore he was not exactly on my side.
“And how do you plan on getting in and out?” Hanson asked.
“I plan on going through the front door, of course,” I said. “And while your team handle the thugs, the Inter witches can follow behind me. My good demon friend here will be our inside man. He can pop in, find and guard Lily until I get there.”
Hanson narrowed his eyes. I wondered if he suspected I was just using him to keep everything official looking. “All right. I’m on it. I will mobilize a team and coordinate with the local police force. We will be ready to move by tonight. I will get the Inter Coven here and you can take them to the site to see if the victim is there.”
I nodded. I had worked with the Inter Coven a few times when they needed help taking down a nasty warlock or witch. They were in fact the coven I had been sending Chera to when I could. Viv would be pissed on so many levels if she knew that.
“That works for me. I need a few hours to recharge.”
“After fighting a demon?” Hanson said.
He could not know that. Even if he had a team combing the warehouse, it had to be a guess on one of one of his witches based on the demon and fae energy trails. “A minor altercation,” I said. “How did the cleanup go?”
He grimaced. “We are processing all the people taken for slaves now. Slow going. As for the witches, we caught a few but the rest had one fine escape plan.”
“Ah,” I said, knowing the ones he caught were the ones we had taken down. He should be thanking us. Yeah, right.
“Maybe if you had considered a coordinated effort we might have gotten more,” Doug said politely, but the simmering anger was still there. I needed to work with Inter and if they could not trust me they wouldn’t work with me.
