by Xenia Melzer
“When do you have to open the shop?”
Sammy glanced at the watch on the stove. “Now.” He chuckled. Dre pressed a kiss to his nose. “Is it okay if I stay today? Maybe I can help a bit.”
“I’d love you to stay, Dre. If it’s not too boring for you…”
“Never. I get to watch my favorite human all day. What’s boring about that?”
Sammy laughed and swatted Dre’s upper arm playfully. “Sweet talker.”
“You love it.”
“I do.”
They put the plates and cutlery in the dishwasher and hastened down to open the shop.
Chapter Nine
“Backpack with two Thermoses of hot tea?”
“Check.”
“Two hassocks to keep our butts warm when we have our picnic?”
“Check.”
“Warm clothes, not that you need them…” Sammy looked at Dre, who was busy crossing off the items on their list of things they needed for their trip to Sweden. A quick check on the web had told them that the temperatures in Sweden were still chilly, hence the need for proper outdoor gear, at least for Sammy.
“Check.”
“Camera to shoot pictures of any interesting wildlife or fauna?”
“Check.”
“Paper and crayons to trace the Tanum Petroglyphs?”
Dre grinned broadly and held a leather tube with a strap in the air. “I actually found those cool rectangular crayons, you know, the ones that look like rubbers?”
Sammy frowned. “I always wondered what those are called. What colors?”
“Traditional red, of course.”
Sammy smiled happily. He couldn’t wait for their adventure to begin. Dre had stayed with him the entire week and Sammy had loved it—so much, in fact, that he was beginning to think it didn’t matter if he really wasn’t Dre’s mate. If only he could have a few years like the last week with his gorgeous demon, Sammy was willing to face the heartache when he and Dre had to part ways—or so he told himself. Deep down he knew that his wishful thinking was turning their two-week dream into a reality that might never come to pass, and every time he looked into Dre’s eyes, he knew the demon was doing the same. Sammy wondered if something could become reality when two people only wished for it hard enough.
A kiss on his temple broke him from his bittersweet musings. “Where were you just now, mo grah thu?”
Sammy sighed and snuggled into Dre’s warm embrace. “Somewhere I probably shouldn’t go at the moment. I want to fully enjoy the here and now.”
Dre’s breath ghosted over the side of Sammy’s face like a soft caress. “I know, mo grah thu. I feel the same.” He straightened. “Let’s get going. We have a lot of tracing to do.”
“I can’t wait.” Sammy grabbed the backpack and slung his arms around Dre’s waist. By now he was used to traveling demon style, which had him ruined for planes and cars and any other means of moving from point A to B. Why bother when all one needed was a demon to jump places all over the world? They arrived in Tanum, Sweden, in a small clearing in the forest, where nobody was likely to see them. Even if somebody had witnessed them popping out of thin air, Dre’s magic saw to it that the person in question simply forgot immediately. Still, in the day and age of cell phone cameras, being careful was paramount.
The air was colder than Sammy had expected and instinctively he turned toward Dre to take advantage of his hot boyfriend, pun fully intended, while he clumsily tried to close the zipper of his jacket. Dre chuckled deeply, the sound almost as warming as the actual heat coming off the demon. As soon as Sammy was bundled up, Dre slung the backpack over his shoulder—it was ridiculous how tiny it looked on him—grabbed Sammy’s now-mitten-clad hands and started leading him toward one of the spots where the petroglyphs were. The huge stones were scattered everywhere in the area, and Sammy looked forward to finding the most interesting ones. It was a bit like Easter egg hunting, only with huge rocks.
They had come early enough that not too many people were at the Vitlycke Museum, which gave them a chance to marvel at the Bridal Couple, one of the most famous of the petroglyphs. It was beautiful in its simplicity, a few lines expressing everything there was to say about the joys of bonding with the right person. Even though the carving was rather crude, it spoke to Sammy on a deep level, making him yearn for what he could have with Dre.
“So beautiful. I hope this is going to be us.” Dre voiced Sammy’s thoughts as if he had taken them directly from his mind. It could have been creepy if Sammy hadn’t seen it as proof that he had to be Dre’s mate. Why else would they be so perfectly in tune?
“Me too.” Sammy looked at Dre with a hint of curiosity. “Do we get a wedding ceremony? Or is it done with the bite?”
“Usually it’s done with the bite. It’s considered all the ceremony true mates need. But if you want something more formal than scorching hot sex, we can do whatever you wish.”
“Spoken like a true husband. I like it.” The joke was a bit heavy in Sammy’s mouth, but this was their dream. He could pretend they were engaged.
Dre chuckled. “Whatever you wish, mo grah thu. I’ll give you the world.”
“I only need you.”
“Stop it or we’re going right back to your bedroom, Sammy. You’re killing me here.”
Sammy turned in Dre’s arms and rubbed his cheek on what he could feel of the chiseled abs beneath the thick jacket. Not that Dre needed it, but it helped keep up the magic concealing him. Funnily enough, people had no problem overlooking a seven-foot mountain of a man with red skin and silver tattoos, but their minds drew the line at inappropriate clothing. It was a mystery. When thinking about such things, Sammy often wondered if there was a creator god or goddess somewhere, laughing their ass off at how many jokes they had managed to build into humanity.
“An interesting suggestion. Now the question is are you just horny or do you want to avoid facing me in our little challenge of wisdom?”
Dre snorted. “Hah, as if a puny human could outwit the second son of the demon king!”
“Machu Picchu is all I say.”
“Let me respond with Canada.”
Sammy leaned back a little so they could look each other in the eyes. “Draw?”
Dre’s eyes turned a beautiful shade of crimson. “Too late. Let’s settle this here and now.”
Sammy lifted his chin with utter determination. “Fine. I’ll show you puny.”
“It’s on, squirt.”
They ended their embrace, though Dre kept Sammy’s hand in his when they headed for the trail in Aspeberget.
* * * *
“Oh man, that was great! And I totally wiped the floor with your sorry ass!” Dre watched as Sammy did a little victory dance in his kitchen, his eyes sparkling like diamonds, cheeks adorably flushed from the cold.
“You wish. Though that little tidbit about the fertility slides was good—not as good as my knowledge about the battle at Tollense, but nice.”
“Hah, Tollense doesn’t count, because that’s in Germany, not in the Tanum area.” Sammy waggled his eyebrows triumphantly.
“I say it does because many of the petroglyphs show scenes of war, and the battle at Tollense happened during the Bronze Age as well. It’s referred to as probably the first real war in the history of mankind, which I admit is kind of sad. Still…it counts.”
“I say that’s cheating.” Sammy stuck his tongue out, which Dre took as his cue to approach his man and kiss him senseless. He had found out quickly that this was the easiest way to make Sammy shut up. Plus, it felt incredible.
When they both had to breathe again, Dre looked down into Sammy’s beautiful eyes. “What do you think, mo grah thu? Shall we shower then have dinner at that lovely French restaurant in Toulouse I told you about or do you want to stay here and order takeout?”
Sammy blinked, which made him look all kinds of adorable. “As much as I’d like to go to Toulouse, I’m just too tired to get dressed again. Let’s shower, orde
r in then laze on the couch. Maybe do some exploring of the more carnal nature?”
His grin was probably meant to be seductive, but Sammy apparently was very tired. He looked like a mole who had just broken the surface. Dre laughed out loud and swept Sammy in his arms.
“Yes to all of the above, though I’m not sure about the carnal things. You look beat, mo grah thu.”
Sammy yawned. “I’ll get my second wind once I’ve eaten. Promise.”
“Yes, mo grah thu. Whatever you say.”
Dre carried Sammy into the shower and, as he had anticipated, into bed when Sammy fell asleep before dessert.
Chapter Ten
“I think I’m going to be sick.” Dre watched his reflection in the mirror, wondering if it was possible for demons to throw up. He’d never heard of it, since demons didn’t get human diseases, but right now he felt as if his dinner wanted to make a reappearance, which would be a shame, because it had been delicious.
“You’re going to be fine. Those are my friends, my family. They’re going to love you.” Dre was sure Sammy tried to sound reassuring. He would have probably appreciated his efforts more if there hadn’t been a slight tremor to his boyfriend’s voice. They both were nervous as all hell, ramping each other up. No amount of dessert or heavy petting had been able to calm them down.
Dre splashed some cold water into his face before he straightened his back. Everything in him yearned to turn into his demon form to present a menacing front to the world. But if he wanted Sammy’s friends to like him, he had to be approachable—or at least more so than an eight-foot demon with claws sharp enough to perform surgery with them, a wing span that just wasn’t made for inside and fangs so long that it became almost impossible to speak once they were fully out.
He had shown his true form to Sammy, who was at first suitably impressed then couldn’t get enough of it. After their trip to Sweden, they had spent the rest of the weekend visiting places where Dre could fly with Sammy. To him it was pure heaven that Sammy accepted his demon form so easily, but he knew Sammy’s friends wouldn’t be so relaxed. From what Sammy had told him, they all were powerful paranormals themselves, and how they managed to have regular book club meetings without killing each other and destroying the book shop in the process remained a mystery to Dre.
After his meeting with Mavis and Maribell, he had done some research on the whole group, and even though he would have probably been able to best them in a fight, he was still glad they had grudgingly accepted him. Those two were a lot more than met the eye, and Dre wouldn’t challenge their wrath if he could avoid it. The two alpha werewolves, Declan and Troy, worried him as well. For two alphas to live without a pack and have nobody interfering was unheard of. It spoke a lot of their position within the shifter world that nobody dared to bother them. Emilia, the vampire, was another enigma. Vampires and werewolves mixed about as well as demons and everybody else. Still, she seemed to have no problem meeting regularly with two very powerful shifters. Perhaps it was because she was from the oldest line of vampires, who could trace their ancestors back to Lilith herself. Having such an ancient family at her back gave her a lot of freedom. Amber and Jon, the banshee and the zombie, were the least threatening, though, thanks to Sammy’s warning, Dre wouldn’t accept any baked goods from Amber.
“You’re going to be okay, Dre.” Sammy hugged him from behind. “We’re going to be okay.”
Dre put his hands on Sammy’s wrists and enjoyed the tingles that radiated through his body from where their skin connected. “I just want them to like me.”
“They will. And if not, it’s their loss because you’re the greatest guy I ever met.”
“You’re just saying that to get another massage with a happy ending.” Dre chuckled.
“Doesn’t make it untrue though.”
Dre definitely noticed the interest Sammy’s cock took in his words, as well as the lack of denial of his statement. During their exploring of each other’s bodies Sammy had lost most of his shyness. The Guide to Successful and Satisfying Sex with a Paranormal had helped a lot. Dre would have never thought that reading it together could be a source of so much fun and sensual moments. It had been an eye-opener to him. Never before had Dre laughed so much during sex—even if they hadn’t gone all the way yet. He was fascinated how easily he and Sammy could change from seriously turned on to laughing so hard that their bellies ached. It made him even more determined to keep Sammy, true mate or not.
“No, it does not. Unfortunately, we don’t have time to indulge in happy endings at the moment. We need to go downstairs.”
Sammy pouted, but let go of Dre’s waist. “Fine, be all logical about it. I just want to point out that Milo is handling the shop pretty well.”
That the boy did. Dre had to give him that. It had taken Milo only a week to immerse himself in the workings of the shop. He made a mean café latte and knew the stock almost as well as Sammy himself. The boy seemed to blossom under the calming influence of all the books.
“You’re right. But didn’t he say something about having to work at the pizza delivery tonight?”
Sammy slapped his forehead. “I forgot. Damn. Let’s get downstairs.”
On their way out of the apartment, Dre grabbed his copy of the Chronicles of Corum, which he had read thoroughly. Since he wasn’t likely to sway Sammy’s friends with the fact that he was a demon, he wanted to win them over with his love for and knowledge about books.
After they had sent Milo off, Dre watched Sammy operating the coffee maker to create everyone’s favorite drink while pacing around nervously. When he heard a door open and close again, he almost jumped out of his skin. Sammy’s muffled laughter broke him out of his stupor.
“Easy, Dre. It’s just Jon.”
Dre looked in the direction Sammy indicated and saw a lean man of middle height standing in front of the section for historic books. His hair was dark black and hung around his face like a veil. He wore black jeans, a blue shirt and fluffy pink slippers. Dre so wanted to look twice but didn’t want to appear rude, so he kept his gaze firmly trained on Jon’s eyes, which were of a stunning emerald green peeping through the long strands of his hair.
“Hi, Jon, I’m Dre, Sammy’s boyfriend.”
Jon nodded without extending his hand. Dre already knew the zombie didn’t like skin contact, so he wasn’t insulted.
“Hi, Dre. Nice to meet you. If you don’t mind me asking, on a scale from zero to ten, how dangerous are demons?”
Dre glanced at Sammy in search for help, but the little traitor pretended to be busy with the coffee maker.
“Uhm, if you’re going strictly after the power a demon can wield, we’re a solid ten, though I do like to point out that violence against anybody in the human realm is very much frowned upon. Our main directive is blending in so we can partake in the wonders the human mind can create.”
Dre wasn’t sure if he wasn’t laying it on a bit too thick. Jon was watching him with wide eyes and even pushed back his hair to get a better look at Dre.
“You’re quoting Star Trek. I already like you. Are you team Kirk, Picard or Janeway?”
“Tough one. I’m all for an all-cast team with Picard, Spock, Seven of Nine and Chakotay, because I dig the tattoos.”
Jon seemed to think about that statement. His shoulders were huddled, as if he wanted to make himself smaller, a clear sign that he was very shy. “I’m with you, though I’d like to add Data. I think he and Spock would make a cute couple.”
Before Dre could find an answer to this mind-boggling idea, the chimes above the shop door announced more visitors. The first ones to enter were Mavis and Maribell, closely followed by two extremely handsome men who could only be the wolf shifters. There was just something about those who shared their body with an animal spirit that always made them stand out. The blond guy was about to close the door then opened it wide again, stepping slightly to the side to let two females in. The smaller one had short, green hair and wore enough jewelry to
open a store, thus had to be the banshee. The second one was almost as tall as the two wolf shifters, with long, chestnut-colored hair and the perfect pearly complexion that only vampires possessed. When she greeted him, her voice had that soft cadence no human could resist. Thankfully, Dre was mostly immune to the powers of other paranormals.
“Hello, handsome, you must be Dre, Sammy’s boyfriend. Mavis and Maribell have told us everything about you.” Emilia looked him up and down, her expression unreadable.
Somehow Dre knew it was nothing good. He also tried to ignore the thinly veiled threat she had delivered. These people were only trying to look out for Sammy, a fact Dre reminded himself of constantly.
“He likes Picard and Chakotay.”
The statement came out of nowhere, and when Dre looked back at Jon, the zombie seemed to shrink in on himself.
“Picard and Chakotay? You’re kidding me, right? Kirk and Spock are the kings.” The banshee, Amber, Dre remembered, looked at him with a frown. He opened his mouth to respond, but either Declan or Troy, Dre wasn’t sure which one, beat him to it.
“Amber, please, do we have to go over this again? Nobody says it wasn’t a heroic deed by William Shatner to suck his belly in for I don’t know how many episodes, but he still holds no candle to Seven of Nine. No sucking in of body parts there.” The wolf winked at Dre before he hastily jumped backward when Amber poked him with her index finger between the ribs.
“Do you even listen to yourself? How sexist can you get?”
“Is that a trick question? You do know we’re werewolves, don’t you?” It was the other wolf who spoke. Emilia rolled her eyes.
“Please, we’ve been over this. Stop using your genetic makeup as an excuse. You’re smart enough to be better than that.”
“You’re taking all the fun out of this.” The wolf who had first spoken actually pouted. “I still stand by my words. Seven of Nine is the best.”
“What all of you seem to forget is the beauty that lies within maturity.” Maribell sounded soothing. “Which is why Chakotay and Picard are the kings.”
