“Raven White,” she said, and the man stood.
Bla’Gar’s whole world came to a reeling halt. He snatched his hand from his date’s shoulder, mouth hanging open. Raven looked… Raven needed to be on his arm, in his bed, with Bla’gar buried deep inside his pet. Raven belonged to him. His inner demon was stirring restless and violent as the shocked force of arousal shot through him. Grinding his teeth, his hands clenched under the table. Feeling himself piercing his own palms, he tried to focus.
“We almost lost you three weeks ago,” said the police captain. Bla’Gar’s gaze shifted from Raven to her and back to Raven again. True, it seemed Raven’s skin was paler, his breathing different and his heart beating unnaturally. Bla’Gar could feel the demon inside him settle. At least the shock of the woman’s words stopped the mating urge in him.
“But you came out strong thanks to your new partner. On behalf of the City of Québec, the Mayor, this department, and those of us who know what it’s like to face judgment every day for those we love, we say thank you for your contribution, and would like to present you with this Medal of Honor.”
Bla’Gar watched as his Raven walked forward, grinning and blushing. When the police captain placed the medal around his neck, pride rose like an incoming tide. Bla’Gar was the first to stand and start to clap. Applause followed, giving the man Bla’Gar loved a standing ovation. Fuck, was there a prickle on his cheek? The police captain shook Raven’s hand and pulled him into a hug. Bla’Gar couldn’t help but smile when Raven’s gaze met his and greeted Raven with a short nod.
“I don’t get it, it’s his job. Why does he need to be praised for it?” the escort asked when Bla’Gar sat. Anger whirled in his blood at the man’s arrogance and, under the table, Bla’Gar’s nails pricked hard against the man’s thigh, but not enough to break his skin.
“One word of disrespect to any of these officers from you, and I will inject you with a poison you would not wish on your worst enemy. You may leave. I’ll even call you a cab. The funds have already been deposited into your account. A good evening to you, Mr. Bentley.” Bla’Gar stood, downed his champagne and set the glass on the table. “I hope I never see you again because the next time I might have to rip you in two for shunning the man I love.” Bla’Gar left and advanced toward Raven’s table.
He had barely come within a couple of feet when the pesky Pyro stood glaring at him and reached for Raven’s hand, pulled him to his feet and averted Raven’s attention.
Jessy pulled Raven to his feet, “What?” Raven asked, confused.
“Come on, partner, we’re dancing.” She towed him to the dance floor.
“We are?” He dragged his feet. Her gaze was focused behind him, but she gripped his shoulder and forced him into the crowd before he could see who she was glaring at.
Raven had never loved dancing, he hated it. Partly because he could, and bloody fucking well too. His parents had forced him to take lessons from an early age. A piano started to play. Even the music didn’t fail to follow with the theme of the ball. It had to have cost Chetlér quite a penny to have a full orchestra perform for the evening.
Raven took Jessy around the waist and raised her left hand with his, he hoped Chetlér was watching.
“Let me lead,” he whispered in her ear as a cover version of Christina Perri’s A Thousand Years began playing. He knew a hush fell over the crowd as they danced, but halfway through the song Raven had to battle for breath. His head not only started spinning, he felt the slight sting of a headache approaching.
“Rave, you okay?” she asked.
“Yes,” he hissed. “Just need…”
His knees buckled and just as he was about to fall, a deep voice droned behind him, a strong arm cradled around his waist, pulling him against a firm warm body. “I will take it from here, Miss. Thank you.”
Raven didn’t question the voice or the sturdy grip holding him up, his forehead damp as Chetlér gently escorted him to the outside garden. He remained silent, trying to slow his thumping heart before the monitoring device started to scream. He took a much needed breath when Chetlér helped him onto a bench. Raven lowered his eyes as the embarrassment colored in his cheeks.
“I’m sorr—” Two fingers against Raven’s lips silenced him, and whatever he had put into slowing his racing heart was nullified.
“Wait here,” the thunder in his voice buzzed above Raven. “I’ll be right back with some water.” Chetlér said and turned. He took two steps before he stopped, spun around, and walked back to Raven and leaned close.
“I am sorry,” Chetlér whispered in Raven’s ear and swept a kiss against his hair.
The cold December air was refreshing in a shivering kind of way, or was it that Raven missed the comfort of his grandfather’s coat? “Here, love.” Chetlér reappeared offering a glass of ice water to Raven. He took his expensive handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the sweat from Raven’s forehead, then wrapped it around the glass offering it to him. Raven took two gulps of water, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. “Thank you, Mr. Chetlér.”
The demon sat next to Raven, the warmth radiating from him, begging Raven to lean closer.
Chetlér cleared his throat. “You look…” The demon’s hand trembled on his massive thigh, his voice soft, “handsome.”
Raven swallowed, only handsome? He grinned nonetheless. “So do you, Mr. Chetlér.”
The two remained quiet for a short moment. Neither looking at each other until Chetlér gently placed his big warm palm on Raven’s knee.
“What happened?” The words were nothing short of a low growl.
“I was attacked, by a Hellhound.”
Again silence fell between them, though Raven more than noticed the hand on his knee massaging the tissue. The heat spreading from the palm intensified.
“The branding on the ear…” the tremor of Chetlér’s deep voice spoken so calmly shook Raven a bit. “If you give me its description I will kill the bastard Master myself.”
If Chetlér could identify the Master of the hound it would help Raven immensely, and might even help with his parent’s case. Raven turned to the demon. Chetlér’s jaw was clenched, his eyes boring into the wall ahead of him.
But it was the glistening tear trailing down Chetlér’s cheek that took Raven aback.
“You’re crying,” he whispered as he wiped the tear away. Chetlér hid his face, rotating away from Raven. The demon stood and pushed his hands into his pockets.
“It’s like that day in my office. Mr. Chetlér, what’s wrong?”
“You, Raven. You…” the demon cleared his throat, “I am in love with you. From that first moment I saw you in that coffee shop. I wanted you, wanted to claim you as mine.”
“You can’t be,” Raven challenged. “We barely know each other to have something going on between us.”
“Do not lie to yourself, pet. Do not deny the desire I smell coming off of you; the increase of your breath, the pounding of your heart when I am near. If we were just a casual fuck you would not have such huskiness and shyness to your voice, and we aren’t even that.” There was a slight painful sadness in Chetlér’s tone.
“What I feel is not important. I will not force you. I want to give you time, Raven, time to get to know me, time to understand what is growing between us.”
“Then why did you show up with that man tonight?” The jealousy in Raven’s tone was as hard and cold as a block of ice.
Chetlér chuckled deep from his chest, throwing his gaze up at the moonlit sky.
“You rejected my invitation, Detective. I had to have someone on my arm. If I could not have the handsomest one, I had to get one equally, but…” Chetlér turned to him, his face cast with pale blue shadows. “Even there I failed, for he does not turn my blood the way you do. He could never face the true devil I am and tame it.” Chetlér stepped toward Raven.
A dryness formed in his mouth, he tried to swallow as the intimidating bulk towered over him. “You, my d
eliciously beautiful pet,” Chetlér grinned as he purred. “You, I love.” Chetlér reached for Raven’s face, cupping both hands to Raven’s cheeks and took Raven’s lips upon his own.
This kiss was different. Warm, as Chetlér blew his own breath into Raven, causing a fire to ignite across his skin. Chetlér’s soft lips stole Raven’s mind and he could feel his heart struggle. The demon pulled away with a painful expression.
“I should have prevented this,” his gaze went to Raven’s chest and back to Raven’s eyes. His thumbs gently grazed the sides of his face. “I should have kept you safe,”
Raven’s arousal grew in his tight pants and he cursed for having them cut so slim. Chetlér came in for another kiss, and Raven wrapped his palms around the demon’s wrists, gasping as Chetlér’s lips took him again. When they parted, Chetlér’s eyes glistened, glowing a soft red. The clouds separated above giving way to the silver moon. Raven gulped, licking his lips, searching the demon’s face for something, anything, but for what he still wasn’t sure.
“What do you want, Raven White?” Chetlér asked, his words soft, his eyes burning into Raven’s soul.
“You,” Raven said in a husky voice and wet his lips again. “Us…alone like that first night we shared a meal, a kiss and…” Raven held his breath, his cheeks warming once more.
“I’d like that,” Chetlér said stilling Raven’s head before it could drop and break eye contact.
“Raven.”
“Yeah,” he smiled.
“I’m not playing a game to get you into bed. I’m not saying love to have only your body. Understand, that what you mean to me is nothing I can describe.” Chetlér dropped to his knees, loosening his grip on Raven’s cheeks. Slowly the demon rested his head against Raven’s chest, wrapping strong arms around him.
Chetlér spoke and each word reverberated through Raven. “You are an Enforcer, and I’m sure you know about demons. We are cruel, brutal, sadistic beings. For us to fall in love, it feels like we are being ripped apart and born anew. Do you know how a human becomes a demon?”
“No.” Raven whispered and felt the powerful grip around his body tighten. A whimper came from Chetlér’s lips, his body quivered as if recalling a gruesome and painful memory.
“For a human soul to become a demon they have to experience pain beyond understanding, physical pain for centuries. It took me twelve thousand years to turn into Bla’Gar the Callous One. Only once we are numb to pain are our souls transformed into what we become, and yet each time you stand before me, each time I see hurt in your eyes, it wrecks me in a way Hell never can.
“We demons don’t feel. It is so rare when we come across someone who can stir our blood and make us yearn painfully for their touch. We understand the deprivation of compassion, thus when we feel love for those that can evoke emotions in us, we don’t question it. We take it for what it is and accept it instantly. I have forgotten what true pain is. I have forgotten how to truly feel. When I saw you in that coffee shop I felt heartache and yearning, pain and love. No one has ever caused such a devotion to well up in me before.”
It was true. Most supers loved unconditionally for their mates from the first moment. Humans on the other hand, were just plain stupid and still only thought with their genitals. Well, most of them did.
Chetlér looked up at Raven. There was wetness in his eyes and Raven had to refrain from stroking away the stains that clung to the demon’s face.
“I want to be yours, Raven White, more than I want you to be mine. For if not, they can Ciylos me.”
Raven flinched at that word. He knew what that meant for demons—they would cease to exist, be nothing…complete and total nothing.
“Mr. Chetlér, wait, you said...” It hit Raven straight in the gut. Chetlér had given him his real name. Demons rarely did, if ever. A demon’s true name held power over them.
The demon pulled from Raven and stood, reaching out his hand and cupping Raven’s cheek.
“I am Bla’Gar the Callous One, and I give you my true name because I love you, Raven White.”
Raven stared. He had heard all that Bla’Gar had said, and he honestly didn’t know what to do with it. He swallowed hard as the demon removed his hand from his face.
“I sense that I should leave you to your own thoughts, pet. I shall but ask you one last request before I depart for the evening. Will you allow me the taste of your lips?”
Raven smiled and reached for the demon’s hand. Bla’Gar pulled Raven to his feet and wrapped his arms passionately around him.
“That evening, I granted you pleasure and refrained from taking my own. There is a reason for it.” Bla’Gar looked sincerely into Raven’s eyes as he held him close.
“I cannot fall to blissful pleasure in this form,” He chuckled causing Raven to shake with him. “I do not have an appendage to stick into you in my human form.”
Raven paled in shock and pressed his face into Bla’Gar’s chest. “You’re fucking joking, right?”
“I am afraid I am not,” Bla’Gar’s hand tilted Raven’s head up so their eyes met. “Soon, I promise, but first I would like to get to know my future lover,” Bla’Gar leaned forward, bringing their lips closer.
“And I you, Bla’Gar,” Raven whispered before his mouth was covered in a warm kiss.
The kiss lingered as the moon hid herself behind the clouds, plunging darkness around them. Bla’Gar’s chest began to vibrate. Raven felt the vibration of the phone against his. He tried to pull away so the demon could answer, but Bla’Gar growled and held Raven firmly, deepening the kiss as their tongues slid past each other. When the phone began to vibrate again Bla’Gar released Raven’s lips and reached into his jacket. Quickly bringing it to his ear, Bla’Gar answered but did not let go of holding Raven.
“What?”
Bla’Gar went silent as someone on the other end babbled. Raven could feel tension—or was it worry?—well up in the demon’s frame.
“I’m on my way,” Bla’Gar said and ended the call. He turned his gaze to Raven one more time.
“I need to leave, pet, but will you—?”
“I’ll go with,” Raven interrupted.
Bla’Gar shook his head.
“It’s a pack matter, I will handle it. Please join me tomorrow night for dinner at my home.”
Raven silently nodded and Bla’Gar let go of his waist.
“Be safe, pet,” Bla’Gar said and turned. Raven gripped his wrist and with all his strength tugged to no effect on Bla’Gar. He spun, nonetheless, and Raven reached up to him, claiming Bla’Gar’s lips on his.
“I’ll see you tomorrow night, Bla’Gar,” Raven smirked and let go of the demons wrist, watching him return to the main hall.
Raven felt weird, happy but confused. He wanted Bla’Gar, but he wasn’t going to jump on the bandwagon just because the demon declared his love for him. He still wasn’t completely sure what he felt for the demon. Only Therianthropes could pass instant love on to a human. The other supers and paras had to go the old fashioned route, and Raven admired them for it. He wanted to believe he understood how hard it was for them to resist. They hardly ever challenged faith or love, they took it for what it was and claimed what was theirs, but that didn’t mean some tried to fight against it. It happened but not often. The true trouble came with humans. They tended to over-think things, and some only loved with their brains or greed and not with their hearts.
At least Bla’Gar had been honest with him, completely he hoped. He sighed still glowing from the kiss. He licked, tasting Bla’Gar’s flavor on his lips and in his mouth. He shuddered wanting to taste more and taste it permanently. Raven arched forward with his hands on his knees, and closed his eyes to center himself before he entered the ballroom again. He was pretty sure he would get an earful from his partner, but it wasn’t her heart that was on the line, it was his.
As he sat and his thoughts swirled, he was unaware of the thick fog curling and growing around his feet.
“Hungry,
” a grating whisper spoke behind him. Raven snapped up, his spine jolting. There was a sudden chill as the temperature plummet. The first hand came colder than the night, clamping around his mouth, the other with ruthless force, gripped and pulled him back through the maze that lay behind Raven. Branches tore and scratched at his clothing, cutting his cheeks and exposed hands. He struggled and screamed into the icy cold clutch. His eyes widened when his attacker sank fangs into his neck. His heart hammered adrenaline through his system, eyes rolling back in their sockets. Agony ripped inside his chest as he was sucked brutally of every drop of blood. All while the wrist monitor kept screaming.
It was over too quickly.
The teeth wrenched free as the vampire screamed an inhuman and a paranormal sound Raven had never heard before.
He lay in the pathway twitching, crimson blood pooling from down his neck, staining his shirt and the snow around him. His lips moved, willing words of help that never came.
“Rave?” she asked tentatively, her footsteps falling on the cobble stone.
The wailing scream that echoed from her, as darkness overtook him, was the last Raven White might’ve ever heard…
RAVENOUS IS THE BLACK NIGHT
Bla’Gar paced back and forth, his heavy steps the only sound echoing through the room. The entire pack was present, post-like little soldiers in a row, all except one.
“What the fuck happened!” Glass shards crunched under his shoes as he turned to face them.
Neon White Season One: A Tooth, Claw and Horns Chronicle Page 9
