Speak of the Demon by Stacia Stark

5

Danica

Iheaded to the werewolves’ territory early the next morning. Most of the werewolves lived on the edge of Duke Forest. It was close enough to the city that they could attend their day jobs, yet their territory was vast enough for them to strip off their clothes and howl at the full moon or whatever it was that werewolves did in their free time.

It had taken me twelve minutes to get out here, and I could see the appeal of the area. I’d slid my window down, inhaling the fresh air as I drove, and there was barely anyone on the roads this early in the morning. The sun was rising over the trees, the birds were chattering amongst themselves, and I was clutching a take-out coffee like it was a lifeline.

The wolves were notoriously private. They kept to themselves, and their natural abilities to cut through most magic meant that the vast majority of paranormal creatures in Durham treated them like they were poisonous.

I hadn’t expected to get a meeting with the werewolf alpha, but he’d agreed to talk to me in the interest of ‘helping the demons with their investigation.’

I figured it had more to do with the fact that many werewolves still weren’t out of the closet, and the overprotective alpha was doing what overprotective alphas did best.

When the portals first opened, anyone who carried a particular gene mutation instantly underwent their first werewolf transformation. The resulting carnage it caused was still taught in history classes around the world.

Imagine going about your daily life, when— out of nowhere— you slowly, and painfully, begin transforming into a beast. A beast with claws designed to slash through flesh and teeth, designed to hold their prey in place.

Fear and fury caused similar biological reactions in werewolves, and when their adrenaline spiked without warning, new wolves attacked. A rampaging werewolf could lay waste to a city block within ten minutes. And they did. To say the wolves were out of control is an understatement.

It hadn’t seemed like the werewolf gene was random. Over the years, there had been numerous studies theorizing exactly why people who had been predisposed to dangerous jobs were more likely to become werewolves. There was also the little matter of the lack of female werewolves— they were exceedingly rare.

Some people theorized that those who craved adrenaline were more likely to have the gene mutation. Others figured it was about testosterone levels. Either way, the wolves who raged through the city were the type who would usually be protecting it.

Firefighters, cops, active military personnel— many of the people the citizens had counted on to save the city were instantly one of the biggest threats to their lives.

It wasn’t until a werewolf named Nathaniel managed to regain control, fighting his wolf until his human self could intervene, and forcing the other wolves to fall in line. The alpha had fought to clean up the werewolves’ image, slowly transforming their reputation as rampaging killers, into the people who were called when the shit really hit the fan, and humans needed saving.

There were still plenty of people who despised werewolves. Sure, the other creatures who poured through the portals had been just as bad. But werewolves had been human first. Their inability to control themselves was seen as a betrayal of humankind. Now, most humans lived in fear that they carried the genetic marker, and if bitten, would rampage in the exact same way— even though the alpha had maintained full control of his wolves for decades.

There were a number of cul-de-sacs out here, all surrounded by forest. Nathaniel lived down the end of one of them, and I examined his house as I closed my car door and crossed the street.

I’d expected a mcmansion, but this was the kind of home most people dreamed about buying one day when they retired.

While the house was certainly large, it seemed to melt into the woods behind it. The ranch was clad in wood siding, but most of it was glass— the floor-to-ceiling windows reflecting my body as I walked down the front path. According to my research, Nathaniel’s home boasted thirteen bedrooms. And yet, it almost felt like a deserted cabin in the woods.

I knocked, and a second later, a man dressed in a gray suit opened the door.

I gave him a smile. Always start out with as much charm as you can muster. “I’m here to speak to the alpha.”

The man’s gaze scanned me from head to toe, lingering on the Mistilteinn Dagger beneath my shirt. He could obviously feel it somehow. I shrugged at him. The Dagger of Truth wouldn’t work on the werewolves, in fact when I inched my shield down and poked at it with my magic, it almost seemed like it had gone to sleep.

I pushed away the memory of the Mistilteinn Dagger’s low purr when I’d first found it. There was something very wrong with that knife, and yet I needed it more than anything else.

Story of my life.

“My name is Tobias. Please follow me. He’s expecting you.”

Tobias opened the door wide and waved me into the entranceway. Two sets of stairs wound up either side to a landing and my feet itched to explore. The werewolf alpha didn’t need all this space to himself, right? Did the other werewolves live here too? Or just the ones he couldn’t trust enough to allow them to live alone?

“Right this way.”

I dragged my gaze away from the landing, meeting Tobias’ amused eyes. They were the same color of his suit and they gleamed at me.

“Werewolves are mysterious,” I defended myself. “This may be the closest I ever get to you guys.” I winced, not liking how that sounded. “I didn’t mean–”

“To make it sound like you are visiting a zoo?”

I spun, vaguely aware of Tobias excusing himself behind me. My gaze was stuck on the alpha as he walked in another door behind me, gesturing to the sofa in front of him.

I sat before I realized I’d moved. I frowned at the alpha, and he smiled, revealing straight, white teeth. I’d seen photos of Nathaniel, and his eyes were usually an unfathomable dark blue. Today, they’d shifted to a blue so light it was almost the color of a winter’s frost.

“Excuse me,” he said, toning down his alpha-ness. “It has been a rough morning. One of my wolves–” He cut himself off and took a seat across from me in a delicate armchair that definitely did not look designed to hold his weight. Ignoring me, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and slowly let it out.

I’d known the alpha was dangerous, but I hadn’t exactly realized how dangerous. If there had been someone else in this room— even someone who meant me harm, I wouldn’t have noticed them at all, every ounce of my attention on the man in front of me.

His eyes were still closed and I gave him the moment he obviously needed, sitting back on the plush, sand-colored sofa. The sofa was positioned in front of the window, and behind me, the sun spilled daylight onto the back of my head. Nathaniel had positioned himself so he could keep an eye on the street outside.

A round, polished table sat between us, made from some kind of wood. It looked like an antique. The floor was wood too, but the walls were plastered in the same gray-sand as the sofa, sweeping up to tall ceilings with exposed wooden beams.

Nathaniel still had his eyes closed as he blew out a long breath and I took the opportunity to examine him. Unlike Tobias, Nathaniel was dressed casually, in light jeans and a blue t-shirt. He was built like a linebacker— his wide shoulders squared as he went through some kind of meditation routine. A few seconds later he opened his eyes; they’d darkened back to their normal color. But I knew what I’d seen, and I raised one eyebrow.

“Just like everyone else, wolves struggle for control,” he murmured. “However, unlike most, when we lose control, people die.”

“That must be difficult.”

He shrugged. “Most of us are used to it. New wolves are taught by those who have fought the same battles. Now, what can I do for you, Danica Amana?”

I smiled. “I have a few questions for you, if you don’t mind?”

He waved one hand, sitting back in the delicate chair. It had to have been magically reinforced, because it didn’t even creak.

“Something or someone is killing demons,” I said, and his face stayed neutral. There was no way for me to know if he was surprised by this information, or if he’d already known it.

“How worrying for the demons,” he said, and I tilted my head. His eyes laughed at me. “I have nothing against Samael’s demons, unless they threaten my territory or the lives of my wolves.”

“A werewolf was seen fleeing from the scene.”

His expression turned serious and he went eerily still. “Which scene and when was this exactly?”

I filled him in and he glanced toward the door. A moment later, Tobias appeared. “Find me a list of any wolves who didn’t attend the pack meeting that night, and their reasons for not attending,” Nathaniel ordered.

Tobias nodded and hurried away.

“I have a few more questions while we’re waiting,” I said.

He waved one hand. “By all means.”

I had a feeling I amused him. It didn’t put me in a good mood. “Mary Johnson,” I said. “She’s a second cousin to one of your wolves,” I pulled out my phone and glanced at my notes. “Jose Martinez.”

Nathaniel pulled out his own phone, pressed a button, and muttered in Spanish. A few minutes later, he ended the call and glanced back at me. “Jose described the witch as a bigot. The moment she learned that he had been bitten, she worked to make sure everyone in the family disowned him. He would never harbor her, and neither would anyone loyal to him.”

“Thank you.”

Tobias reappeared with a piece of paper in his hand. Nathaniel scanned the list and then glanced up at him, his eyes once again that disconcerting ice-blue.

“Find Matt.”

Tobias strode away and Nathaniel turned to me.

“You don’t believe my wolves had anything to do with this.”

I shook my head, choosing to ignore how well he could read my body language. “I’m just crossing off suspects. But if your wolf was there, he might’ve seen something that can help.”

A man appeared in the doorway, his shoulders hunched. His head was carefully angled so he didn’t meet the alpha’s eyes, and shame practically radiated from him.

“Matthew,” Nathaniel growled.

The wolf dropped to his knees, and I had the strangest urge to slide off the chair and do the same. My hands fisted. That was enough.

I dropped my shields and reached for my trickle of power. My head was instantly clearer, and I relaxed back against the sofa. Nathaniel glanced at me, his brow lifting like I’d done something interesting.

He turned back to the wolf. “You know why you’re here.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

“Tell me.”

Matthew gulped. Fear radiated from him, and my opinion of Nathaniel plummeted.

I’ve spent my entire life suppressing my instinct to rebel against any and all authority. And yet, compared to my sister, I was the chill one. A few hours with this guy and she would’ve been planning how to make his life a living hell.

I rubbed at my chest, at the ache that was a constant presence. Sometimes, no matter how much you tried to forget about someone, everything you encountered reminded you of them in some way. It was a special kind of hell that could drive you crazy if you let it.

I turned my attention back to Matt. “I wanted to see Rebecca,” he admitted, his eyes wet. Nathaniel gave a heavy sigh, and Matt crawled toward him, his gaze on the alpha’s feet.

“You know the rules.”

Matt let out a whine that sent a bolt of fear through me. If he turned, I could be dead before I realized what had happened. I angled my body so I could reach for the knife in my boot. It would still take precious seconds but it was better than nothing.

Matt turned his head and gazed at me hungrily. Nathaniel tensed and the wolf immediately turned away from me, curling further into himself.

“I just wanted a glimpse,” he sniffed. “She was getting a tattoo. She’s always wanted one.”

“And if you’d seen her, and she had said something you didn’t agree with, you might have ripped her apart.”

Matt flinched and my chest tightened. If the woman had been getting a tattoo, she was a human, a mage, or a witch. Any other creature would heal too fast for the ink to stay in her skin. He’d been forced to leave the woman he loved so he could learn how to stay in control and not tear her apart.

Nathaniel sat further back in his chair. “We will discuss this later. What did you see in the parking lot that night?”

“Darkness,” Matt said with a shudder. “I cut through the park and I was waiting behind the restaurant between the parking lot and the tattoo shop. They had red Chinese lanterns outside, and I was sitting on the back stairs.”

His face turned pale and he shuddered. “It was dark, and I was hiding. I didn’t want to scare Rebecca, and she wouldn’t be expecting to see me. I just wanted to see if she was okay.”

He went silent and Nathaniel reached out, placing his hand on the wolf’s head. “It’s okay,” he said. “Tell me what you saw.”

“Darkness,” he repeated. “A darkness so encompassing that I knew if I got any closer, it would rip out my soul. I heard… laughing.”

“Male or female?” I asked.

“I couldn’t tell. It was… evil.”

“Anything else?” Nathaniel asked, and Matt shook his head.

“Rebecca hadn’t come out yet, so I ran,” he admitted. “I’m sorry. I ran.”

“You did well,” Nathaniel said. “If the evil had encompassed you, a new werewolf, who knows what would have happened? Do you see why the rules are in place now?”

Matt nodded, and I shifted uncomfortably as a tear slid down his face. “I just miss her,” he managed to get out. “I miss my wife.”

“I know. Follow Tobias now. We’ll discuss your punishment later.”

Matt got to his feet and glanced at me. “I hope you find whoever did it,” he said.

“So do I.”

He left, and Nathaniel took another of his long, slow breaths. His eyes were still ice-blue when he opened them once more.

“You think I’m a tyrant.”

I blinked and he smiled, but not like it was funny. “Disgust has a scent.”

Great. So not only did my dagger not work here, but the alpha was a walking lie-detector. “I don’t like bullies.”

He tilted his head, and there was nothing human about the way he appraised me. He may not currently be furry, but he was all wolf.

“My wolves could kill every human in this city within a day or two,” he said. “They’d regret it— many of them would spend the rest of their lives wracked with grief. But while it was happening, they would enjoy it. We’re monsters, Ms. Amana. And while the way I rule my werewolves may offend your delicate sensibilities, those rules keep people alive.”

I wanted to kneel again, and I bared my teeth as I reached for more power and stood instead. The alpha stayed seated– secure in his dominance– and while it was now impossible for me to meet his eyes, I stared at his chin. The fact that he’d justified himself to me— a stranger— was telling. I had a feeling Nathaniel didn’t particularly enjoy being king of the monsters.

“One more question, if you don’t mind.”

He raised his eyebrow, still relaxed, but something about the predatory way he watched me let me know I was pushing my luck. I pulled the picture out of my pocket and showed it to him. I highly doubted I’d ever get another chance to talk to the werewolf alpha. “Have you ever seen this woman?”

He was polite enough to study the picture, instead of simply glancing at it like most people did. “She’s beautiful. Your mother?”

“Yes.”

“I haven’t seen her. You may ask any of my wolves about her on your way out of my territory.”

“Thank you for your help.” I reached into my utility belt and miraculously found one of my cards. “If you learn anything about the murders, will you get in touch?”

He got to his feet and offered his hand. He didn’t squeeze or give a limp-wristed shake and I appreciated the gesture.

“Yes.”

* * *

Samael

I strode through my club, opening my senses to the lust that permeated every inch of it. Upstairs, some of the most powerful creatures in Durham gambled and drank with my demons, unaware that everything they said made its way back to my ears.

I fed automatically, but it held no true pleasure. Feeding from crowds like this was like ordering a salad when I really wanted a juicy steak. If that steak would taunt me, defy me, and plan to escape me.

Forcing my thoughts away from the little witch— and the thought of feeding from her lust while I moved within her— I watched as Bael exited the elevator and moved toward me.

“You canceled Monday dinner. You never cancel Monday dinner.”

I raised an eyebrow. It was the early hours of Tuesday morning and Bael was usually balls-deep in Lilith by now. She must be curious enough to have sent him to attempt to get in my head. I almost smiled at the thought.

“You have an issue with having your Monday night free?”

He tilted his head. “It was because of the witch, wasn’t it?”

“The witch doesn’t factor into my plans.”

He gave me a long look. “You didn’t want to force her to come to the dinner so soon after becoming bonded to you. So you canceled the dinner itself.”

Bael always assigned honorable motives to my actions whenever he could. But he was wrong.

The little witch feared and loathed me in equal measure. Her terror and fury called to the deepest part of me, urging me to make her follow my orders. But I’d seen the way she looked at me– dread warring with an inquisitiveness she couldn’t hide. She was like a rabbit— curious enough that she couldn’t resist the urge to poke her pert nose out of her burrow.

And I was a patient predator.

The crowd parted as Agaliarept stormed toward us. An ember of rage took up residence in my gut at the thought of what had likely put that expression on his face.

I jerked my head and we moved to the smaller bar area behind the club where it was quieter.

“Tell me.”

A muscle twitched in Agaliarept’s jaw. “We’ve had another attack. Three demon females.”

Bael cursed and my wings ached with the need to unfurl as I struggled to stay in control. In this world, demon males outnumbered females by almost two to one. Most females preferred to stay in the underworld, and those who did make it through the portal were often disappointed by what they found.

I shifted. “Where?”

“Trinity Heights.”

“Take the bounty hunter.”

He nodded. “I messaged her and she’s on the way. She questioned the werewolf alpha yesterday.”

I tilted my head. What had the alpha thought of the little witch? What had she thought of him?

Bael’s gaze was knowing and I forced the thought away, turning my attention back to Agaliarept. “Go.”