A Glow of Stars & Dusk by Eve L. Mitchell

I wokeup to the sound of movement in my cottage. I wasn’t alarmed that they had come back to my cottage after they had been drinking; I genuinely didn’t think they had anywhere else to go. Well, not on this plane anyway. What I was alarmed about was that I woke wrapped up in the arms of a male. In the dark, I wasn’t entirely sure who was in bed with me, and I may have called myself easy only yesterday morning, but that didn’t mean I was actually free about who I slept with.

“Sam?”

“Hmm,” he answered.

Thank you, Jesus. “Why are you in my bed?”

“Trying to sleep,” Sam said as he pulled me closer.

I assessed the situation. He was on his back, his arm curled around me, with my head on his…chest? I felt with my fingers, yes, that was definitely a chest. My leg was over his, my lower body pressed in tight to his thigh. Wonderful. I had dry humped him in my sleep, I just knew it.

“I didn’t know demons slept,” I confessed, and even I frowned at the stupidity.

“Don’t need much,” he answered with a sigh as he moved in the bed, taking me with him. “Some would be nice though.”

Hint received loud and clear. “Will I leave?”

“No.”

My smile was small in the darkness, but I knew he felt it against his skin, as his hand tightened on my arm. “Okay.” I closed my eyes again, and feeling an odd sense of contentment, I fell back asleep. When I woke again, I was alone, and the disappointment at being so surprised me.

Getting up, I went into the en suite, noting the damp towel, the wet shower cubicle and the open bottle of shower gel. Shaking my head in rueful acceptance that my life was officially upside down, I took care of my morning routine and emerged out of my own shower sometime later. Tying my hair up in a towel, I went back into my bedroom to find Sam stretched out in the chair with a mug in his hand.

“Morning,” I said with a blush. I knew I was blushing, but it felt oddly intimate waking up beside him in the middle of the night. I was also weirdly shy, and I knew I was avoiding eye contact, but I couldn’t help it.

“Zel got you a coffee maker,” Sam greeted me as he raised his cup. “This is better.”

“He didn’t need to do that,” I replied. “Let me guess, he also got a coffee grinder?”

Sam’s mouth spread into a smile. “He’s particular about his coffee.”

“You mean the scary demon is a coffee snob,” I mused as I undid my towel from my head and shook my wet hair out. “There’s a sentence you don’t expect to say.”

“Zel is not…friendly.” Sam sounded like he was struggling for the right words.

“No shit, Sherlock,” I agreed as I brushed out my long blonde hair.

“He brought this to your house,” Sam carried on as he seemed to focus on my hair.

I stopped brushing my hair in surprise. “What are you saying, he got me a gift?”

Sam reluctantly nodded. “I heard Pen say it was baby steps and that you would appreciate the term.”

I snort laughed as I resumed brushing. “Okay, I’ll thank Zel for the gift.”

“He would like that, although…” Sam hesitated. “He may not show it.”

I rolled my eyes as I got out my hairdryer. “It’s fine, Sam, I’m willing to take baby steps with him too.”

He crossed the room and stood almost hesitantly behind me, his attention flicking between my hair and the hairbrush. Curiously, I held out the brush to him, and he gently took the brush from me and began to brush my hair. “In my…culture, brushing a female’s hair is considered a great compliment for the male.”

I looked at him in the mirror as he stood behind me, and I picked up my hairdryer. “You brush, I dry.” I had no idea why my mouth was dry, but I felt strangely exposed and vulnerable to him. Once Sam realised what the hairdryer was for, he took it off me, and for the next few minutes, he dried and brushed my hair.

“There,” he said as he stood back and appraised his handiwork. “Done.”

As I would had I been in an actual salon, I had kept my eyes cast downward; I hadn’t once looked in the mirror, and as I looked at my hair, I wondered briefly what the cost of this would have been in the hair salon. Sam had magic hands, which was probably true, but man, that demon could style and blow dry hair.

“Wow, it’s…” I turned my head. “It’s amazing.” I saw him turn his head, and I whirled on him. “Oh my goodness! Demon, are you blushing?”

Instead of answering, Sam kissed me. His mouth moved over mine hungrily, and his hands deftly untied my bathrobe. I was naked underneath, and I didn’t care as his hands travelled over my body in soft exploration. Strong hands cupped under my bottom and lifted me onto the dresser. Sam’s knee parted my thighs, and he stepped between my legs as he continued to kiss me hard.

My hands went to pull his cable knit sweater off him, but he stilled my hands. “You gave me a gift, let me return it,” he murmured against my skin as he knelt on my bedroom floor, and his mouth moved over my core.

Holy shit fuck demon balls.

Sam kissed me down there like he kissed my mouth. I was a quivering mess of sensation. His tongue worked in rhythm with his fingers, and oh holy gumdrops, his fingers felt good. My hands were in his hair, and my legs wrapped around his head. I almost choked when he lifted me from the dresser whilst his mouth still moved over me relentlessly.

The bed dipped as we both landed on it with a thump, and my entire lower body raised itself off the bed to meet the thrust of his fingers. There was slight discomfort at his roughness, but the pleasure of his mouth overrode it.

“Sam,” I moaned as I pulled him into me more. “I’m so close, don’t stop,” I begged him. His tongue rolled over my nub, and then he sucked it gently, just before he bit it hard, and despite the shot of pain, my body felt like it fragmented as I reached the point of no return.

“I knew you would taste good,” he told me as he kissed his way up my spent body before kissing me deeply again. “Fuck, the things I want to do to this tight little body,” he growled against my mouth. My hands were on his belt, undoing it as my hand hastily slipped inside and pulled him out. I stroked his hard length, relieved that my memory of his dick had been distorted with alcohol. Sam groaned as his own fingers returned to caressing me. Our breathing was loud in the room, but I didn’t care as I picked up my pace, pulling him to my centre.

“Do it,” I urged. My legs were still parted, and he was between them, hot and hard and so ready. “I want it.”

“Not today,” he groaned as he took control of my hand, his grip tightening on my hand painfully as he used my hand to stroke his length. “Tighter,” he commanded with a stern tone of voice as his speed picked up and my fingers gripped around him. His head dipped down so his chin was on his chest as he watched our hands work him hard. With a grunt of satisfaction, his head fell back as he spilled his release on my stomach.

He dropped my hand before he fell down beside me. Sam’s teeth bit into my neck, and I flinched even as his tongue soothed the bite. “You’re late, get dressed, they are waiting.” He lifted himself off of me, but he seemed hesitant. “Fuck,” he groaned as he dipped his hand back in between my legs and thrust two fingers roughly inside me. I cried out at his touch, which caused him to close his eyes. “Soon,” he promised as he backed away from me and turned on his heel and left me in the bedroom.

It took me a few minutes before I was able to get up and make my way to the bathroom to clean up. I came back out and sat on the edge of my bed, with my head in my hands as I tried to figure out what was happening to me. I was falling for a demon? I couldn’t be. He was a demon. Bad. Demons were bad. Wicked. My tummy flipped as I thought of his wicked tongue. Good Lord, I could get too used to that. I hadn’t told him I had never had anyone do that to me. I’d heard about it, read about it, but neither of my sexual partners had ever reciprocated in the oral sex department. I didn’t like the pain bit of it, but I couldn’t deny the end result.

If I knew that had been what I was missing out on, I would have been insistent. As I stood on shaky legs, I realised they probably weren’t as aggressive as Sam. Was anyone? I had to concentrate, this was not the time to lose my head over a man.

Not a man.

Male?

Demon.

With a groan, I stood. I didn’t need this to distract me. What I needed was to get dressed. It was a long drive to St Andrews. My legs clenched as I thought about being with Sam in the small confines of my van.

You’ll be with five other demons.

I grinned at the wicked thoughts my brain just turned to, but as much as I wished my life may turn into a reverse harem novel, I knew a certain tall, dark, and green-eyed demon would never share. In all honesty, I didn’t want to be shared. I wanted him. My lady parts throbbed with agreement, and I opted for a quick cool shower to calm my libido down and wash all evidence of my morning off my skin.

Longer than it should have taken me, I was eventually dressed in black jeans, a long black oversized hooded jumper and my black biker boots. I’d never been on a bike in my life, but they had solid grips and looked badass.

When I got to the kitchen, only Zel and Der were there. “Hey,” I greeted.

“You’re late,” Zel grumbled with a dark look.

“Morning to you too,” I said with a forced smile. I noticed the coffee maker and frowned. The pot was empty. “No coffee for me?”

“There was,” Zel said with a shrug as he leaned back in the kitchen chair. “But you took too long.”

My eyes narrowed as I watched him. “If I had been in this kitchen when the coffee brewed, you still wouldn’t give me any, would you?”

“Sounds like you got what you needed earlier.” Zel’s look spoke volumes.

“You’re such a hateful dick,” I hissed at him. “Where is Sam?”

“He and Ros are patrolling the perimeter,” Der replied as he stroked his beard while he watched me. “You should be careful,” he told me. “It is a dangerous game you play.”

“Game?” I looked between the two of them. “What game?”

Zel pushed the chair back as he stood abruptly. He walked towards me, his face twisted in a sneer, and when he reached me, he dropped his head to my ear. “I can smell him on you, and it disgusts me.” He shouldered past me, and I looked after him as I rubbed my shoulder.

“Wow,” I mumbled as I tried to hide the hurt. “Haters gonna hate, right?” I tried for joking, but my voice was flatter than a pancake.

Der stood and picked up his two axes. “You should be careful, he will react badly.”

“Badly? Who will? React to what?”

Der’s look was almost, almost pity. “You are not skilled enough to play this game, witch,” he said sadly. He left through the back kitchen door, and I stared after him in confusion.

“What the fuck was that?” I demanded of the empty kitchen.

“Morning,” the voice greeted me from behind.

I turned to Chaz, and I smiled. “Hi, it’s nice to see a friendly face,” I said to him.

A fleeting look of hurt flickered over Chaz’s face before he schooled his features. “Have they explained what’s happening today?”

“Road trip?” I quipped as I again tried to lighten the mood, but Chaz also looked disappointed in me.

“Come, Star, let’s get this over with.” Chaz walked back out of the kitchen, and I followed. The demons were acting very strange in this cottage this morning. As I left the cottage and turned back to lock the door, I heard the roar, and I jumped, dropping my keys in fear.

Turning swiftly, my jaw dropped as I saw Sam being held back by Ros, Zel and Der. His eyes were glowing bright green, and the snarl on his mouth couldn’t possibly be directed at me. It wasn’t, I realised. He was focused on Chaz, and I took a step towards him in confusion.

“Sam?”

“Let me go, brothers,” Sam snarled as he shoved them off of him, but even though he seemed to have shaken the demons off of him, Zel and Der were immediately on him again. Ros pushed Sam back, and I couldn’t hear the whispered words.

“No!” Sam roared as he surged forward again. “I will skin him for this.”

“What did you do?” I asked Chaz fearfully. The long-haired demon was watching the struggle, looking as confused as I was.

“Pen?” I turned to the brown-eyed demon, who was watching Chaz with suspicion. “What the actual fuck is happening?”

“Shut your mouth, whore,” Zel snapped at me.

“Excuse me?” I shouted back at him. “Sam?” I demanded.

It seemed my voice was enough to settle the dark-haired demon. “I am calm,” he told the others as his gaze fixed on me. They each looked at him and then each other, then as one, they stepped back.

How they fell for his shit was beyond me, because he sped past them, and suddenly I was pressed against the wall of my cottage with a hand wrapped around my throat, my feet off of the ground and something sharp and pointy pressing through my coat and jumper right against my rib cage.

“Sam?” I tried to plead as I searched his eyes. They glowed so brightly I wasn’t sure he could actually see me.

“Brother,” Pen murmured. “We still need her.”

“Do we?” Sam snarled as he gripped my jaw and twisted my head. He looked at my neck and then bent his head low. He inhaled, and with a disgusted grunt, he dropped me to the ground. “She has to be alive?” he asked Pen quietly. “Because right now, I don’t want to hear her breathing.”

It was the quiet of his voice that scared me more. “Sam?” I pleaded.

“Silence, witch.” His hate-filled stare glared down at me. “You speak only when I allow it.”

“Fuck you.” I rose unsteadily to my feet, the tears falling rapidly. “I don’t know who the fuck you think you are, but you can go back to hell!” I rubbed my neck where he had grabbed me, even as a sob escaped me.

“Brother,” Chaz began, but whatever he was going to say was cut off with the look Sam gave him. Chaz’s hands rose in a placatory manner. “Brother,” he said again. “I would not.”

Sam was breathing heavily as he looked between the two of us, and with a reluctant nod, he accepted Chaz’s words.

“Would not what?” I demanded. “What does he mean? Would not what?” Sam refused to look at me, so I turned to Pen, who also turned his head. I looked to the one male who hated me enough to be honest, and I sobbed out loud when I saw the malice on Zel’s face. “Zel?”

“Whore?”

My eyes closed in despair before I opened them and looked at them all. “What is going on? What’s happened?”

“Your act of innocence can stop,” Sam snarled as he spat on the ground beside me. “Gag her and bind her,” he snapped at Der and Ros as he walked to the van. “I don’t want to hear her lies.”

As the two demons advanced on me, my scream tore from me, and as I lifted my hands in the air, the wind and rain swirled around us. Six demons looked at me, some in shock, some in hate, all six of them with weapons drawn.

“Witch,” Sam growled in warning.

“Fuck you,” I yelled at him over the wind. “Fuck you all. Bastards, all of you. Stay the fuck away from me.” Hound, I need you. The hellhound appeared before me, and his head lowered in warning to the demons. Any other moment in time, I would have fainted with shock that the hellhound obeyed me, but as I locked eyes with Sam, my anger was ruling my emotions. “Protect me, Hound,” I ordered the hellhound, and I heard his snort. Two more appeared, forming a protective barrier around me. Even over the wind and rain, I heard the shocked intake of breaths from the demons. “You come close to me and they attack.”

You can attack, can’t you, Hound?

One glowing red eye met mine, and I almost apologised, because my relief was real.

“Witch, stop this, now,” Sam ordered, stepping forward.

“Stop?” My hand flew up in the air, and lightning crashed above us. “Like you stopped when you choked me?” More lightning. “Like you stopped when he called me whore?” Another crash above me. “Like you stopped when you were going to stab me, you fucking prick demon?” Tears streamed down my face as I glared at all of them. “How dare you, how dare you.” I choked on a sob, and I angrily wiped at my face. “After this morning? And last night? I hate you so much,” my voice cracked on another sob. “Do your own spell. You get nothing from me again.”

“Star?” Chaz’s voice was as always calm and cool, even as he held two long knives in his hands. His eyes flicked to Sam quickly before he sheathed his knives. “Star.” He took a step forward, and three hellhounds growled. “Okay, okay.” His hands rose in the same placatory gesture he’d used with Sam. “Star, what happened this morning?”

Lightning sounded again, and I stared up at the sky in wonder. Was I really doing this?

“Star,” Chaz prodded, bringing my attention back to him. “Who were you with this morning?”

“What?” I looked at Sam in confusion, although he refused to look at me. “What?” The wind picked up again. “What, now you can’t even look at me?” I yelled at Sam.

“No, I can’t look at you,” he snarled. “Not when I can smell it on you.”

“Smell what?”

“His seed,” Zel growled at me, the loathing in his eyes tangible.

“You fucking demons have no boundaries.” I tossed my hair over my shoulder. “His seed? Seriously, that’s why you’re all acting like fucking animals right now? Because he came on my stomach?”

Sam growled low in his throat and took a step towards me in anger, regardless of the three hellhounds in front of me.

“Star!” Pen shouted to get my attention, and I looked at him reflexively. “Who were you withthis morning?”

Thunder and lightning boomed above me as I looked at Sam, and his green eyes glowed in anger. “You!” I choked. The lump in my throat was making it difficult to speak. “I was with you.”

Sam straightened in shock. I heard more sharp gasps and dropped my head into my hands as my tears overwhelmed me.

“Hello, brothers,” the new voice and demon walked from behind my van. Thick black hair hung low over his forehead, almost in his eyes it was so long, and it curled around his ears. His straight roman nose sat over sensual lips. Cold blue eyes watched me in amusement. “She tastes like a peach,” he told them casually. “Such power, I’m eager to tap into that—and all the other things she offers so…freely.”

“Who the fuck are you?” I asked hoarsely as I looked between the newcomer and Sam. Sam’s entire body was rigid as he stared at the newcomer with scorn; he was clearly no longer listening to me. It would be untrue to say they were identical, but in the pouring rain with my heart shattering around me, I couldn’t tell them apart.

I couldn’t tell them apart.

“Oh God, no.” My hands flew to my lips as my eyes met Sam’s, and I saw the flash of realisation in them. “Hound!” I called as I backed away from the demons. “Take me away from here, now.”

The hellhound crouched in front of me, and I clumsily clambered onto his back. The storm chased us as we sped away from the cottage, chased me or followed me, I no longer cared. I needed away from them all. My arms hugged tightly around Hound’s neck as he carried me away from my cottage and the cluster fuck that I left behind me.

The taunting voice of the demon rang in my ears, reminding me of what I had shared with him this morning, shared something so intimate, only I shared it with the wrong demon.