Mate to the Demon Kings by Lacey Carter Andersen

8

They showered together,squeezing into her tiny bathroom. It could’ve been comical, but there was nothing funny about the three tattooed hotties rubbing Sharen down in warm water. By the end of it, she was deliberately rubbing herself against their erection, until Ryder growled into her ear that they were about to go for round three.

That got her thinking.

As much as she might want to spend her time lying in bed, making up for years and years of bad sex, she had a job to do. So, she slipped on a bra, underwear, dark jeans, and a black tank top and went to eat the rest of her cold breakfast.

When the men were reasonably dressed, they all sat, or stood, around the kitchen eating like there was no tomorrow.

The food went surprisingly fast, and then they arranged themselves on her sectional, drinking hot coffee and regarding each other with open interest. Alec had pulled her legs into his lap and was rubbing her feet in a way that made her toes curl.

Ugh! Focus!

Pulling her legs away, and tucking them under her, she set her coffee on the table. “Guys, uh, as fun as that was, we need to talk.”

Ryder smirked. “About how you’d like it next time?”

Damn it, she was blushing again. “No, about… well, everything!”

Alec chuckled. “Sweetheart, you know what we’re doing here. We know you being a demon-hunter and all means you’ll need some time to get used to the idea that we aren’t evil and that we aren’t going anywhere, but we can give you time. Alright?”

There were a thousand things she wanted to say. Like that the demon-hunters in this world might find them and that they could all be in danger. But what she should have been saying was that she would be turning them in. That she would be telling the authorities about them.

But somehow, she couldn’t force the words past her lips. Nor could she tell them that she refused to be the instant wife to three demons.

I must be lonelier and more pathetic than I thought because I’m actually thinking about keeping these three.

That was a whole other issue, and one she had no intention of diving into at that moment. But there was something they needed to talk about: what had happened to her best friend.

“Tell me about Elaina.”

The demons exchanged a glance.

After a tense moment, Kade spoke, his tone serious, almost annoyed. “You already know that Elaina is trapped in a demon realm because your superiors suspected her involvement with demons. What else do you need to know?”

Does this guy always have such an attitude?

She glared at him. “Look, just because I’m not calling the authorities right now doesn’t mean I suddenly think demons are the good guys and my fellow Hunters, the ones keeping the people of earth safe, are suddenly the bad guys.”

“Don’t forget the asshole angels,” Kade muttered.

Asshole… angels? She’d have to come back to that later.

Ryder, or Mr. Hottie Next Door, as her brain had started to think of him as, phrased his explanation as if desperately trying to be gentle. “Sharen, the people you work for do some good. They keep out the really dangerous demons, but they aren’t perfect.”

She hated that she didn’t immediately jump to the defense of The Universal Protection Department.

Ryder continued, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “The people you work for know more about the realms than they’re letting on. They know what you’ve figured out, that not all demons are bad. They also know that not all angels are good.”

“Is that what I think? That not all demons are bad?”

All three men studied her.

“I mean,” she continued, choosing her words carefully. “You said you killed some people. Just because you don’t seem like murders doesn’t mean you aren’t.”

Kade raised a hand to stop the other two before they could keep talking, and his tone left no room for argument. “The men we killed deserved to die, and we sure as hell didn’t deserve where we ended up, but there’s no point in arguing. You’ll figure this all out when you talk to Elaina.”

Sharen sat up straighter. “Where is she?”

“Trapped in a realm,” Alec said.

She glared at him. “You told me that. Which one?”

He frowned. “We don’t know how you guys identify realms. We just know how the realm she’s trapped in feels.”

Are you freaking kidding me?

She stood, feeling frustrated. “So, I’m just supposed to believe that my superiors trapped my best friend in a strange realm and that you need to feel for it? How do I know this isn’t a trap?”

“A trap?” Alec asked, studying her like she’d lost her mind.

“Yeah, a trap!” She put her hands on her hips. “The only way you can tell me which realm she’s in is if I lead you into a top-secret area where we identify different realms? I’d be insane to let a demon in there!”

Alec stood, staring her down. “Then, don’t! Do you think I want to get involved in this crap? I don’t. I came here to live a normal life. Getting mixed up in this could get us all captured and thrown right back where we fought so hard to escape! We told you because Elaina’s husbands are friends of ours and because frankly, we hate the idea of her dying like that.”

Sharen stiffened. “Dying?”

The more they spoke, the more real it all felt… the more she believed them.

Reality was starting to come crashing down around her, making her muscles tense as if preparing for a fight. Instead of Elaina feeling like a ghost who haunted her, she was starting to feel real again. Alive.

And she needs my help.

Something within her changed, and she turned determined eyes onto the demons, waiting.

Alec’s anger melted away. “Sweetheart, sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Tell me.” Her words held an unspoken threat. “I already lost her once, I can’t do it again. I won’t, not if I can do something about it.” She took a deep breath, trying to take the edge from her words. “Please.”

Alec swore and sat back down, crossing his arms over his chest.

After a long moment, Ryder spoke, “humans aren’t meant to survive in our realm. She’s been eating our bad food, trapped in the heat, and hiding from the lesser demons. She’s got another couple of days, max.”

Sharen felt as if a bucket of ice water had been thrown on her. Of course, Elaina can’t survive much longer in the demon realm. It’s a miracle she’s survived this long.

I need to save her. Fast.

Alec leaned back against the couch, his irritation clearly visible. “So, who can you contact to rescue your friend? I know you feel an obligation to save her, and we feel an obligation to our friends, but I don’t like any of this. Our presence should mean that your life is happier and safer. Not more dangerous. And getting mixed up in this, it’s the last thing we wanted for you.”

“I was the one who said we shouldn’t tell her,” Kade said, crossing his arms over his broad chest and glaring.

She looked at them as if they’d lost their mind. “You’re asking me who has access to a portal room and would break every single protocol to rescue a woman who is supposed to be dead? I hate to tell you, but I’m the only one.”

Alec’s expression froze. “There’s got to be someone else who can help her.”

Even if I could convince someone that all of this is true, no one else would be reckless enough to enter a demon realm without an entire team to defend them. Especially not a Leader. And only a Leader has access to the portal realm.

“There’s no one.”

Alec gave an angry bark of laughter. “Well, there’s no way in hell we’re going to let you go into a demon realm.”

Her brows rose and her words came out, cold and controlled. “Who said you let me do anything? If I want to save my friend, you three aren’t going to stop me.”

Alec stood again, his expression thunderous. His hands curling into fists.

And yet, Sharen wasn’t afraid of him. Deep down in some unexplored place inside her, she knew this man, this demon, would never hurt her. And the knowledge made her feel strangely confident.

“Do you have something to say?” she asked, trying to look as arrogant as hell.

He made a sound, almost like a growl.

Ryder leapt to his feet, placing his hand on the other man’s chest as if to hold him back. “Let’s just take a minute and calm down.”

Very slowly, she rose and leaned closer. “If you don’t help me do this, any chance of something real happening between us is gone. I’ll kick you out of this house and never think of you again. So what are you going to do?”

But before Alec could answer, Kade spoke from his spot on the couch, his tone dangerous. “We can’t return to a demon realm. It took years to manifest the energy to even reach the realm you found us in. We can show you what realm it is and that’s it. So, if you do this, you do it alone.”

“Which is not going to happen!” Alec shouted.

Her gaze met and held each of theirs. They’re not going to help me. “I’ll keep the secret of what you are.” Their expressions remained the same. “I’ll… I’ll agree to be your wife.” She saw her words hit them and knew she’d found their weakness. “If you do this for me, I’ll give myself fully to you. But I meant what I said, if you don’t, you’ll lose me forever.”

Tension seemed to crackle through the air like lightning. They’re demons. They have my ring. They can force me to do whatever they want, so I just have to hope what my gut is telling me is right. That these three want me to love them willingly, not by force.

Ryder spoke after a long minute. “It’d be too dangerous for all of us to go to one of the facilities. But… I’ll go with you.”

“Ryder—“ Alec’s tone was a warning.

The other man spoke softly. “Her soul called to us. Because she’s a fighter. Because she has the heart to love all three of us. A woman like her could never find peace leaving her friend to die. We can’t feel this illogical love for her because of who she is deep inside, and also stop her from being that woman. You both know I’m right.”

Alec’s tough expression crumpled, and he turned to look at her, his dark eyes holding her gaze. “If you stayed with us, you’d be safe and loved. You’d want for nothing. Do you really want to risk your life now, when we’ve finally found each other?”

She didn’t hesitate. “I don’t want to. I have to.”

Alec sat back down, digging his hand into his dark hair and hanging his head.

“I guess we can’t just tie her up. Can we?” Kade said, the hurt in his eyes so powerful it took her breath away.

Ryder brushed her cheek. “If only.”

For some reason, everything they said made her heart ache. These men seemed to profess their love for her so easily. All because of some connection they were so sure of. She wanted to scoff at it. To call them liars. Or hopeless romantics. But the truth was, she felt a connection to them too.

And if I let myself for one second think about what I’m about to do, I might lose my nerve.

So I just can’t think about it then.

“At least I’ll be there with you. Most of the way.” Ryder gave her a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Her stomach twisted. Oh yeah, this isn’t just about me breaking rules to save Elaina. I have to take one of the demons with me.

If she took them to the control room, she’d be breaking every rule she’d ever been taught. She’d be risking her life, but more than that, if these demons were lying to her, she was taking the chance that they could cause complete chaos. They could use her and the portal equipment to allow a limitless number of powerful demons onto earth.

No sane person would take this risk.

But if they were telling the truth, and she did nothing, she was condemning her best friend to death.

So, the question was, did she trust them enough to endanger all of humanity?