Gunnar strolls into the kitchen. “Bacon?”
“Yes, sunshine. Just a few more minutes. And seriously, you’re hooked up with my sister, I would have thought you’d be more joyous than the grumpy bear sitting here waiting to be fed,” I chuckle and shake my head.
The man glares at me. “I’m a joyous person on the inside; the outside needs to wake up since your sister was riding my cock all night and I’ve missed out on some serious sleep.”
I stare at him and blink slowly. “Dude. I don’t know what you said but half of that was static hurting my ears. Did you say you need coffee and bacon? Coming right up.” I turn and busy myself at the task at hand.
Yeah, too much damn information. I’m not going to touch that discussion. I mean, I absolutely adore having my twin in the same large building. Emphasize the large part so we don’t run into each other some days so it’s not overwhelming but we’re there for each other when needed; boundaries in place and all.
With Vike being the Prez and Gunnar the VP, twins or not, they lead these guys as one force. Before Gunnar was cursed the tables were turned, but watching these two work side by side, I’m sure they worked the same way back then and it doesn’t matter what the patch on their pecs states; they’re equal.
One by one Demons start to fill the kitchen and I’m pretty sure some are waiting in the main room of the club too. I did mention clean up service after I’m done, right? Yeah, they might be Demons but they are teddy bear level instead of lower level. I’ve grown fond of some and others are just plain freaky but overall? As I mentioned; teddy bears.
I spoon the scrambled eggs in a large bowl and place them on the table along with fresh baked bread, bacon, cereal, and some fresh fruit. Marcin strolls in. He’s one of the new prospects who has the ambition to cook and is easy to be around too.
“Gimme that,” he grumbles and takes my place behind the stove.
Okay, he might be grumpy in the morning. Maybe he needs to find himself a woman since he doesn’t have one. My eyes flit to Gunnar and his words echo back in my head. Yeah, maybe a woman isn’t the solution either. More coffee. Coffee is the solution to boost your mood.
A pair of strong arms surround me as I’m being pulled against a muscled chest. Vike’s scent wraps around me; spicy, leather, all masculine with a vibration of power added to it. He buries his face against the crook of my neck.
“Morning.” A one-word rumble against my skin, and it’s a good thing he’s got his strong arms wrapped around me because I’d be a puddle on the floor otherwise.
He’s a Demon. A Prez. A ruthless Viking or so I’ve been told by many but to me? He’s everything. Not exactly mister romantic but it’s in the little things he’ll show how much he cares for me. Even if it’s overbearing at times; his actions are straight from his heart.
I might not have thought things through in the heat of the moment when we fought Vapula together but to me it was simple; we’d fight or die together. He makes my world complete and I’m thankful we succeeded and have been growing stronger each day since.
He gently sways me back and forth. “I have something for you.”
“Stop talking. You’re gonna ruin my appetite if you say some shit like ‘morning wood,’” Gunnar grumbles. “So, I’m out of here.” He takes his plate of food and hightails out of the kitchen.
Vike’s chuckle slides over my skin and I grind my hips against him feeling the morning wood Gunnar mentioned.
“Yes,” Vike groans. “Most definitely. It wasn’t my first priority, though I know I would get lucky if I told you something I put together.”
“Quite the confident man,” I muse, getting lost in his touch.
“I am because of you.”
His words make me chuckle. “Smooth talker. From what I’ve heard you were a true Viking. Taking everything you want, all fearless and fierce Demon Prez before you kidnapped and stole me away. Don’t smooth talk how it’s all because of me.”
He spins me around to face him. “That’s where you’re wrong. I might have stood my ground and been who I was but when a man finds his equal, he can finally grow and live up to every capability, even beyond its reach. When you’re alone there is no growth, only personal gain. It’s when you connect with another and form a front you get to be a unity without limitations.”
My throat turns dry. “I need coffee. It’s too early for hitting my heart with pretty words.”
Vike’s laughter rumbles through the room and a steaming cup of coffee appears from my right. I glance over to see Marcin holding it out to me with a big smile. I silently take it and sip to have the time to revel in the words my Old Man just gave me. My eyes trail off through the window where there’s not a cloud in sight and yet...
“What the hell is that?” I gasp while stepping closer to the window, placing my coffee on the counter.
“Shit,” Vike says behind me. “He’s early.”
He takes my hand and leads me out of the kitchen and through the main room of the clubhouse while he barks out, “Everyone, stay inside. Gunnar, get Dio...he’s early.”
Gunnar rushes through the hallway in search of my sister while I’m still processing what the hell is happening.
Vike spins around and takes my head in his hands. “Do not leave my side and please, sweetness, please...let me do the talking because they have rules about women.”
They have rules about women? What the hell? A roar cracks through the air making all the hairs on my arms stand on end.
“A dragon?” I gasp. Realization settles. “Do you have news about my sister?”
He slowly shakes his head. “Not yet. I had a favor and called it in to request a meeting with their Prez.”
My heart is beating rapidly in my chest while Dio rushes toward us. “What’s going on?”
“Vike arranged a meeting with the Prez of Death by Reaper MC, Dragon Charter.” Tears sting my eyes as I see Dio’s lip start to tremble. “But we need to let him handle the meeting.”
Dio nods furiously. “I know, I know. They have laws about how women should act.”
“What?” I growl, not believing what I’m hearing.
Dio waves her hand. “You should talk to Nixie, she has this whole addiction to Supernaturals like Angels and Dragons, she’s like this walking dictionary. You know I’ve been spending time with her because I want to strengthen my Fae side and she’s helping me with empowering my magic. Well, most times we end up chatting more instead of practicing magic but it really helps.”
“Learn to share, Dio,” I sigh in frustration. Clearly, I’ve been consumed by Vike while she’s been all expanding her horizons in a whole different way.
“Not all of us have every ability crafted to its full extent, Tria,” she hisses back. “Nixie is crucial for helping me boost up my magic side.”
The ground trembles and by the sounds of it, the Dragon just touched down in front of the clubhouse.
“Can we zip it and have this discussion at a later time? Preferably not with a Dragon near?” Gunnar sighs.
Vike laces his fingers with mine and opens the door. There’s no dragon in sight but instead there’s a tall man standing there in all black spandex gym clothes. His legs are braced and his thick forearms are crossed.
“Viking Hemlocks, you requested a meeting,” Mister Bulky states with a rough voice while his tone sounds as if he’s bored.
“I’m cashing in the favor I’m owed.” Vike drags me closer to him as he says those words.
The man’s eyes narrow and the muscles on his thick forearms twitch as if he’s angry Vike dares to say such a thing. And seriously, I didn’t even know a Dragon owed Vike a favor. I make a mental note to harass him about it the second I have a chance to do so.
“State your request,” the Dragon man’s voice booms through the air.
Vike’s chest expands as if he’s taking a deep breath to brace himself, and is he pushing me behind him? “I’d like you to find a woman who’s half Dragon, half Guardian.”
>
The man is standing in front of Vike the next instant. Smoke puffs out of his nostrils while they flare as he leans down into Vike’s face as he growls in anger, “There is no such thing out there.”
Great. Not only is he an angry asshole, all superior as if everyone’s beneath him who’s not a full Dragon, but he’s also unreasonable. And mostly, rude.
“My sister is not a thing.” Oops. So much for letting Vike handle the meeting.
His head slowly turns to me, eyes flashing to slits and back as if his Dragon is there one moment and the man the next. His gaze roams over me and he takes a deep breath before his attention goes back to Vike.
“Half Guardian along with Fae and Phoenix. Explain,” he demands.
“It’s a long story. I don’t want to bore you with the details but we know for a fact that there is a woman out there who’s part Dragon. Created with help of a hex bag thanks to the ex Prez of the Heaven Charter—he’s dead by the way—but he’s managed to put daughters on this earth who are all combined with strong Paranormals.”
The man shakes his head at the words Vike just spoke. “I repeat, there’s no such thing out there.”
“Humor me and do some research and when you find her? The favor I’m owed? My Old Lady and her sisters would like to have—and stay—in contact with her,” Vike doesn’t ask, he demands, as he always does.
The annoying Dragon man’s jaw ticks and he takes a step back. “One week from now I will return. If what you said is true, you will have your favor. If not, there will be consequences for this ludicrousness.”
There’s no time to react as the man turns on his heel, takes three steps and jumps into the air, shifting into a large dragon midair. The imposing beast is completely silver and turns in the air, hovering above us while releasing a roar followed by flames before it goes higher up into the sky and is out of sight within a few breaths.
“Fuck,” Gunnar sighs. “I hope to fuck she’s out there because if not...we need to have one hell of a backup plan, brother.”
Dio huffs and internally I do the same thing.
“She’s out there,” I say, knowing I’m right. “And I seriously hope she shares enough of our DNA because that fucker needs someone to rip out that stick he’s got shoved up his ass.”
Vike’s laughter booms through the air. “And this, sweetness, is the reason I asked you to let me handle this discussion.”
I flash him all my teeth in the brightest of smiles. “See? All assholes can be taught manners.”
I know I shouldn’t mention the fact Vike broke his ‘never ask for something’ rule for me because I know he doesn’t even realize it when he asks me for something instead of demanding it. But then I notice the twinkle in his eyes and I’m not so sure.
He cups the side of my face and lets his lips feather over my lips before they make a path to my ear. “Find an equal so one can finally grow even stronger.” His words make me shiver. “Sounds better than mentioning assholes can be taught manners. Though I’m hoping you’re right about your part Dragon sister ‘cause we have a serious problem if he can’t find any trace of her existence.”
“No worries,” I tell him in a fierce voice and let my arms slide around his neck. “She’s out there and I’m very thankful you gave us an opportunity to find her.”
“Thankful enough to handle morning wood?” Vike says in a husky tone, head in the gutter as always.
“Yep, our cue to get the fuck out of here,” Gunnar groans, making all of us laugh.
But my laughter stops soon enough when I gaze into Vike’s eyes filled with lust. “Thankful enough to handle everything you got,” I promise him in a fierce tone.
And to be honest? I can’t wait to find out what other things life will have in store for us. Even if it might entail the wrath of a Dragon; together we can and will face everything.
Epilogue
~ Six Years Later ~
***Vike***
“Viiiiiiiike!” My name is being bellowed by my wife throughout the whole clubhouse.
Shit. I knew I should have waited at least a decade before I knocked her up almost six years ago.
“Hey, don’t look at me, it’s not me she’s screaming for,” Dio chuckles and slides off the couch as she lifts one of her kids onto her hip, bends down and puts the other twin on her other hip.
Gunnar and Dio have two boys, identical twins. Tria and I have five-year-old twins too except we have one boy and one girl; Clover and Cliff. My brother and Tria’s sister’s twins are damn Angels compared to ours. Same damn gene pool and yet totally different. And when I round the corner, instant lust slams through me. Even after all these years together this is something that never fades.
Tria is standing in the middle of Clover and Cliff’s playroom, looking the ever-stunning wife she is in a bright green jumpsuit. I can’t help appreciate this jumpsuit with its see-through sleeves. Does it bother me she never wears anything other than jumpsuits? Fuck no. Though I have to admit I loved the one time she was wearing a dress.
A wedding dress on our wedding day. If only for a few hours because she changed into a white lace jumpsuit later that day and I have to add...it looked even sexier than the wedding dress. Oh, yeah, she might have the whole jumpsuit addiction but I’m there appreciating it right along with her.
But when my eyes travel to her face, I notice the scales. Shit. That’s one angry Fae mom right there. “What’s wrong, sweetness?” I croon, hopefully soothing some of her anger by addressing her this way.
Hope in that direction evaporates when her eyes filled with fury land on mine. “Do. Not. Sweetness. Me,” she snaps. “These...” She points to her left and it makes me follow her outstretched arm. “Are not normal altercations. You need to do something because I’m so freaking angry right now...I just...I...ugh!”
I have a hard time keeping my laughter at bay. Clover is completely covered in soot. Her red hair too and it’s standing up in every direction as if she was just hit with an electric current. Cliff, on the other hand, has a scowl on his face and his horns are showing. Not the large ones I have but the little stumps are slowly growing and by the size of his appearance, I’d say he’s close to shifting completely one of these days.
Raising Demons is hard, their rage is rooted in every emotion but Cliff has always been able to control his temper when it comes to Clover. Needless to say, I’m becoming quite angry myself knowing it’s the first time he did something that could possibly hurt his sister.
“What happened, Cliff, explain. Now,” I snap at my son.
Five years old and the little man grinds his teeth before he huffs and I can see he’s about to snap back at me. I make sure to growl low in my throat as a first warning for him to think before he acts.
“She started it,” he finally says and points at his sister while he stomps his tiny foot.
Yeah, boy or not, he takes after his mom with the stomping of his foot and I’m back to keeping my laughter in check.
Even more when Clover rubs her tiny nose filled with soot and says, “You took Peen and taunted me.”
Peen is her bunny, a stuffed animal she’s had since she was born.
I notice Cliff’s shirt is out of his pants and I’m sure he’s got her stuffed animal hidden somewhere so he can show he has it through the window of his chest. That’s right, little kid or not, he has an inked chest. Upper level Demons are born with this ability and needless to say Cliff being my firstborn, he inherited my abilities.
Clover, on the other hand, has her mother’s abilities as a dominant factor. Meaning she might look as if she’s been on fire but it can’t hurt her and Supernatural kids play very different from normal ones though the basics are the same; they need to control their temper and respect others.
“Why did you take Peen? And what did Clover do?”
“Daaaaaad,” Clover whines.
I shoot her a look to silence her. “I will hear you out in a minute, young lady.”
Cliff’s gaze is all o
ver the room except for the direction I’m standing in. Weird. Suddenly he sighs and says, “Never mind. I’m sorry. Here.” He dashes to the corner and pulls out Peen from behind a bookcase.
“Hold on,” I mutter and glance at Tria whose eyes are wide.
Clover takes Peen in her arms and hugs the stuffed animal close before she launches herself at Cliff and starts to ramble, “Sorry I teased you. I didn’t know you’d explode.”
“Explode?” both me and Tria ask in shock.
“I tried to contain it into a bubble and I did but...” Clover’s shoulder’s sag.
Cliff hugs his sister. “You rocked that bubble thing, Clo.”
I glance at Tria again and she raises one of her eyebrows, probably thinking the same thing I am; this is only the tip of their powers showing.
“All right you two, what did you learn?” Tria questions in a stern voice.
Clover sighs. “Not to tease Cliff that he luuurves Esra.”
“Clo,” Cliff huffs. “I do not.”
“Do too,” Clover states. “I saw you give her a flower from Auntie Nixie’s garden. She’ll make you clean the floor with a toothbrush if she catches you taking something from her garden and you know it. Her flowers are puuuurity, she doesn’t like you picking them.”
Tria is rubbing a hand over her mouth and I’m damn sure she’s hiding her laughter. Esra is the daughter of Nixie and Caius. Not to mention Caius is the VP of the Vampire Charter. Needless to say Esra is a damn Vampire.
“Okay, you two, enough. Clover, bathroom, now. A shower and then it’s bedtime for you, young lady,” Tria states.
I glance at Cliff. “And you, young man. We’re going over to Aunt Nixie’s tomorrow and you’re going to apologize for picking a flower out of her garden, and I know for a fact you know why.”
Demons (Death by Reaper MC, #3) Page 10
