Spotted Her First_A Standalone Reverse Harem Shifter Romance

by Emma Dean

  Niko was right, but it didn’t help. With a damn demon he couldn’t track her scent, popping from one location to the next like he had no sense.

  “What did you think of her?” Caleb asked.

  “Hard to tell when she’s throwing books at your face,” Niko chuckled.

  A bark of laughter escaped him and Caleb rolled his shoulders back, easing more of the tension. “Yes, well. At least she’s more capable than we gave her credit for.”

  “Seriously, a librarian? I never would have thought she’d bite that fucker like that,” Niko admitted. “A hellcat if I’ve ever seen one.”

  Caleb tuned into the conversation Xavier was having with the dad. It would be best if they could get him to trust them. Somehow his Second explained to the cop that they were just trying to help Piper, and that they were the only ones who could even find her.

  The shell-shocked expression on the cop’s face turned to suspicion, but he nodded when Xavier explained the security guard tried to snatch her from the library. He had a way with words that Caleb secretly envied.

  Xavier clapped the cop on the back and then walked him over to Caleb and Niko. Xavier had a temper even Caleb was wary of, but he hid it behind his deep, soothing voice and a gentle expression. Nothing ruffled his fur…except Caleb.

  So, this was Piper’s father. Caleb could smell the familiarity. Her scent on another male who was not one of his partners raised his hackles even though he knew this man was no competition. That secretly wild, gorgeous woman was his.

  And theirs.

  “This is Richard, Piper’s father,” Xavier said, making the introductions.

  “Sir, it’s nice to meet you,” Caleb said, stepping forward to shake the cop’s hand.

  The man glared at his hand but then shook it. “Xavier says you know what happened to my daughter and where to find her?”

  Niko shook his hand next and nodded. “We do, sir. Well, we will in a moment.”

  “And how exactly do you know where she is?” Richard was suspicious and with good reason.

  The three of them shared a look. How much should they tell him? Richard had seen something disappear with his daughter out of thin air. It would be impossible to explain that away. Xavier gave him a nod, agreeing to share their world with a human. After all…this was their mate’s father. It would make things easier in the long run.

  “Well…” Caleb drifted off, not sure where to start.

  Caleb didn’t know Piper – not really. But one whiff of her scent and his instincts had kicked in hard. Already he needed her in his arms. He needed to hear that whispery voice again – so husky and soft, like a cabaret singer’s. Her strange green eyes reminded him of the ocean in the Caribbean, pure and untouched by man. How was her hair so black? It was darker than ink and the tanned skin surprised him, she didn’t seem like the type to go outside much. Piper was a librarian after all.

  For fuck’s sake he knew nothing about this human woman and he had no idea how it was going to work between them.

  Somehow they had to keep a human safe from a demon hell-bent on using her for some nefarious plan, and then convince her she wasn’t just his mate. She was Xavier and Niko’s as well. What would her father say about that?

  “Morgan sent me the coordinates,” Niko announced. “We should get going.”

  “Hey! No one is going anywhere until they explain to me what the hell is going on!” Richard shouted.

  Caleb glanced at Niko. He could be the one to explain. Caleb couldn’t fucking deal with a terrified human at the moment, not when his mate was out there with some demon. He strode off toward the truck and the others followed as he’d expected.

  He ran his hand through his hair again and listened to Niko explain about the witches and the demons and the shifters this poor cop had no idea existed until two seconds ago. Caleb wished he could help the guy out, but he was barely holding onto his cool as it was.

  The cop tagged along as Caleb led them back to the parking lot. Richard’s rapid fire questions didn’t surprise him. He seemed like a good cop – logical and more interested in facts than opinions and emotions. Niko answered everything from who they were to where they came from.

  “Sir, look,” Niko said, putting a hand on Caleb’s arm so he would stop. “Let me give you my I.D. and Xavier and Caleb will too. You can run our info. I’ll even give you my social security so you can run a background check.”

  Richard glared but he took the I.D.s Caleb and Xavier begrudgingly handed over. “You’re telling me a witch told you that your mate – all three of yours, who happens to be my daughter, told you where she was. And that her blood is the key to a curse on your people?” he asked. “I just want to get the facts straight, if we can even call them that.”

  “Yes,” Xavier said.

  Richard glared up at Caleb when he handed him his social security card. Caleb didn’t give a fuck, he had nothing to hide and he didn’t want a cop on his ass the whole time he was trying to track down and protect his mate.

  His mate.

  After the last female leopard on the west coast was murdered he hadn’t expected to ever have a mate. There were exceptions to every rule, but Caleb had never had that kind of luck. Not since the crocs had burned his house down with everyone but him inside it ten years ago.

  And now they wanted Piper. Well, they had another thing coming if they fucking thought he’d let that happen.

  “How am I supposed to believe you’re some kind of shifter?” Richard asked, staring the three of them down.

  For fuck’s sake.

  Caleb stripped and shifted into his leopard form, prowling around the cop while he scented the sudden fear on the air – not as strong as most though and that made him respect Richard.

  “God dammit, Caleb,” Niko muttered, pulling some witch ball out of his pocket the size of a marble. He tossed it on the ground and purple smoke filled the area. “Change back. You have five seconds before the cameras are functional again. Morgan said it wipes up to twenty seconds total on the backend.”

  Caleb shifted again and yanked his jeans back up, glaring right back at Richard. “We don’t have the time for this shit. Do you believe us now?”

  Richard was pale but he nodded, hand slowly coming off his gun. “Fine, you’re a leopard the size of a bear. Doesn’t mean I want you being mates with my daughter.”

  “It’s not really a choice,” Niko explained. “It’s a weird combination of magic, genetics, and fate.”

  His glare deepened and he grumbled something unintelligible. “Fine, she can decide when she hears about this. I’ll follow you to the location, but I’m keeping these for now,” Richard said, holding up their I.D.s and social security cards.

  “We’re the best chance your daughter has at staying safe,” Xavier warned. “Without us she’s going to end up a demon sacrifice.”

  Richard’s massive eyebrows drew together as his frown deepened. He may not like what was going on, but he knew he was out of his element. “Let’s get her back and then we’ll talk.”

  “Whatever it takes to fucking go already,” Caleb snapped. “The longer we take the less chance she’s still alive when we get there.”

  Richard turned on his siren and his lights as he got into his vehicle and Caleb jumped into the truck that he’d illegally parked on the lawn. She better still be alive. He refused to lose another female he was supposed to protect.

  Chapter Three

  Piper

  Suddenly there was air again and she could breathe. “What the hell?” Piper never cursed. Ever. Her dad had always been strict about it.

  “I’m sorry about that,” the security guard said with a wince. “I always forget about the air thing.”

  Piper turned around to glare at him, but was so surprised she blinked and froze in place instead. The security guard was no longer a security guard. His face was still just as inhumanly gorgeous as before, but he wore a grey suit that was impeccably tailored and probably cost more than her car instead
of the uniform she’d seen him in.

  “I’m Eisheth,” he told her, eyeing her from head to toe.

  It made Piper feel a bit self-conscious. She looked down at her comfortable flats and the flowy skirt that went down to her knees. Her belt accentuated her small waist and the button down shirt was crisp and white. She’d rolled up the sleeves to her elbows, but otherwise she wore what she normally wore. It was professional, comfortable, and practical.

  “Well, what exactly did you just do to me?” she demanded, checking his arm for blood, but there was nothing. It was as though she’d never bitten him down to the bone from what she could tell.

  The shock of their new location and too many strange things not adding up had her confused and not quite sure how to respond. She’d been ready to lose it and now she was just…numb. Was this even real? Suddenly she felt dizzy. Piper sat in the nearest chair and then realized she was in some kind of penthouse. She leaped up and looked around at the posh space.

  “Please explain,” Piper gritted out, turning back to Eisheth.

  He grimaced and Piper crossed her arms over her chest.

  “You have to understand. I was summoned. There’s nothing I can do about it once I’m called. I’m under contractual obligation by the universe. If someone knows my full name they can summon me for a favor.”

  “Summon?” she asked faintly, dropping into the chair again.

  Why was he talking like something out of Buffy?

  “Yeah, can I get you something to drink?” he asked, tugging at his sleeves until they were just so.

  “Something with alcohol,” she said meekly.

  Too many strange things. It was all starting to add up, but not in a way she could wrap her head around.

  Eisheth poured her something with a smell that made her eyes water and handed it to her. Piper drank it down without question. She knew she needed it no matter how much it made her cough. “How can you be summoned?”

  Eisheth studied her over the rim of his glass. “I’m a demon, sweetie.”

  “Right, of course.”

  “I’m pretty sure that bastard Forneus has been giving out my name like party favors. That’s the last time I play poker with him.” Eisheth glared at nothing in particular, but Piper couldn’t look away from him.

  He was charming and handsome in the way that most clean cut men were. His hair was a gentle brown with tons of little tiny curls. His skin was nice and tanned, but it was his sharp jaw and dark brown eyes that made him attractive. Even though he was physically beautiful with muscles even the suit couldn’t hide, he made her nervous. Nope, not just nervous. This guy freaked her out.

  He was a demon.

  A flippin’ demon.

  Piper burst out laughing and set down her empty glass. There was just no way this was real. No possible way. She must have lost consciousness and that was why she didn’t remember how they got to this place.

  Standing up she checked for her phone, but found it nowhere. “I appreciate the drink, but I’m not into role playing games. It’s late and I need to get home.”

  “I can’t let you go, Piper Leigh Kostopoulos. I’m under contract to bring you to the crocs of Miami, Florida.” He swirled his alcohol around in his cup and then poured more in.

  Her breathing grew ragged when she heard him rattle off her entire name as though it was something precious – worth more than gold. And she supposed to a demon it might be. No one knew her middle name. No one. Her father had named her after her mother who had died from pre-eclampsia. There were two people in the whole world who knew about her mother, and she was one of them.

  “How do you know my name?” she asked, letting him refill her glass. Piper kept her voice as calm as possible, but inside she was freaking out. This wasn’t normal. It didn’t happen to people in real life.

  “A witch scried for you, Piper Leigh Kostopoulos.” The demon’s eyes narrowed as he studied her and she didn’t doubt him. Her middle name wasn’t on anything except her birth certificate. “Some stupid witch broke the rules. Don’t worry though, she’ll get what’s coming to her.”

  “I would prefer if you called me Ms. Kostopoulos, or Piper,” she told him with false bravado as she sipped at the drink this time. “So why did you bring me here?”

  She needed to figure out what the heck was going on. Piper needed a better understanding of the situation. Maybe then she could…do – something? Years of studying ancient Egypt and the Macedonian Greeks hadn’t prepared her for actual demons, but they did mention something like them a few times.

  After all they believed in multiple gods and goddesses…

  “Are you Eisheth the demon, a Jewish demon?” she asked, his name suddenly clicking into place.

  He grinned wide and sat down on the couch next to her, resting an arm along the top of it like they were best friends. “Yes, though technically I’m an incubus and not a succubus. Altered history books are quite common. No one likes the gays is seems. Why, are you Jewish?”

  Piper couldn’t stop staring at him. She drank a good amount of the liquor; noting the way the demon’s eyes seemed to change colors. “I’m not,” she admitted. “We were Orthodox, but now I’m…agnostic I guess.”

  Why was it so easy to talk to him? She should be trying to run away, but honestly Piper was just tired. And she wanted to know everything this guy had to say. Maybe he was crazy, but maybe he wasn’t.

  “I brought you here, clever little human, because the crocs didn’t specify I had to bring you to them immediately. Only that I had two weeks to do it before the moon was at its apex or some shit like that.” He waved his hand dismissively. “See, much like the fae, demons have to follow certain rules. If we’re summoned, the summoner gets one demand. But if they aren’t very, very careful how they word their contract then…well, the crocs had a witch’s help. So they were better than most. I couldn’t simply tear them to pieces when they broke the summoning circle.”

  Piper finished her drink and curled up against the back of the leather couch, facing Eisheth. This was literally insane. Fae were now somehow real? Well…he did teleport her. “Why not just kill me then? Wouldn’t that make your life easier?”

  Eisheth grinned at her and tossed back his drink. He set the glass down with a ‘clink’ and then tapped her nose. “Yes, but I like you and killing humans without cause is a no-no. Good way to get Jess on my ass which you do not want. Believe me.”

  Piper actually smiled at him. He was fun, easy to talk to, and wasn’t hurting or restraining her. After their rough start she thought it was going rather well. She truly believed he hadn’t wanted to come after her. “Who’s Jess?”

  “Jessica James, Demon Hunter,” Eisheth said with a flourish. A snap of his fingers and a business card was in his hand. “Here, you’re going to need this.”

  And then there was that little bit of trickery. This guy was a flippin’ demon.

  Piper took the card with a frown and then tucked it into her skirt pocket. “Why does a demon have a demon hunter’s business card?”

  “Look sweetie,” Eisheth said with a sigh, tucking her hair behind her ear like a best friend would. “The paranormal world is complicated and has a lot of rules. I’m trying to help you out here. You seem like a cool chick, and I hate being summoned for bullshit like this.”

  He sighed again and straightened a cuff link. Piper didn’t like the sound of this. At all. If she was feeling a little less scared and a little more sober she’d think she was imagining all of this, but Eisheth was clearly a demon. This was clearly…not normal.

  “But you have two weeks until I will be forced to deliver you to the crocs,” he told her. “Tell your kitty cats, call Jess…do whatever you have to, but get me out of this contract.” Eisheth ran a long, elegant finger down her throat and it made her shiver. “Because this blood of yours is powerful. I don’t want to know what someone could do with pharaoh’s blood.”

  Then there were shouts and Eisheth looked up at the door with a smile. “
Oh good, your mates are here. Don’t be afraid, they’re good guys deep down, but maybe don’t let them kill me, yeah?”

  Piper blinked and they ‘popped’ again. When she could breathe she was standing in front of Eisheth, but he wasn’t touching her. “I have so many questions to ask you still,” she whispered, taking a step back until she felt the demon against her back.

  “Sweetie, with your mind you’d never be done asking me questions.” Eisheth leaned down and whispered in her ear. “You really do look like her by the way.”

  Piper gasped when the door exploded in front of her and three angry men – no four including her father – burst into the penthouse. The three she didn’t know looked like they could rip a body to pieces with their bare hands and her father had a gun pointed at the man—demon behind her.

  “No!” she shouted, putting her hands up. “He’s letting me go.” Wait, was he? Piper glanced over her shoulder and the demon gave her an encouraging nod and a thumb’s up.

  “Piper sweetheart, please explain,” her father gritted out.

  Eisheth popped out of the penthouse before anything else could happen. Definitely a demon. There was no other way to explain that disappearance and for whatever reason Piper liked that demon.

  “Piper,” her name on the strangers’ lips sent a shiver down her spine.

  Suddenly three large men she didn’t know were in front of her, checking her for any harm. They charged the very air with their presence and intensity. She had to take a step back. “I’m all right, really,” she promised. She gave the three men a nod of thanks and then went around them to hug her father.

  It was past midnight and she was exhausted after the excitement. “I don’t know what you know,” she told her father. “But there’s a lot to explain.” Would he even believe her? Well, he did just see Eisheth disappear in thin air…twice.

  Her dad nodded and kissed her forehead. “I got the gist of it. That’s why I think these guys should stay with you. They’re ex-military and can keep demons out of your house.”