My body was already exhausted after the morning I had, but sitting in the police station for hours, being asked the same questions that I had already answered in my living room the day before, made me want to scream. Demetri was stuck outside in the car I had ordered to drive us here, just waiting for me to finish up with Detective Sullivan. I was fully compliant and answered every question they had to the best of my ability. I provided copies of my phone log and texts, any pictures I had with Vera in them (which wasn't many), and detailed statements of our interactions. The faster I finished this, the faster I could get back to him. It took me by surprise when I realized that I wanted to go to him and not just the safety that he promised. Somehow the dark and dangerous demon had managed to snake his way into my heart. It was exactly what I had told myself to avoid. I didn't want to open myself up to being hurt by him leaving when I finally found a way to break the bond. That dark c
It was a long day. I had been there for about twenty-four hours before the police chief learned I was being held. He released me almost immediately. He was a man who saw dollar signs floating away from him, and he was right. Detective Sullivan followed behind us like a beaten puppy. "Sir, we can't just let her go! We can hold her for another twenty-three hours." "We can, and we will." Chief Watson stated as he placed on hand on my back and gently guided me away from Detective Sullivan and toward the front of the station. "Ms. Hastings, I am terribly sorry for the inconvenience." I glanced at the older man, the tiredness making it hard to keep my eyes open. "Please understand if I am not quick to forgive this." I glanced over my shoulder to see an angry Detective and a smug lawyer walking behind me. Kendra sent me a wink, and I forced back a smile. "I understand completely. Just know that we always have and always will appreciate your family, and we want to get to the bottom of thi
"It had everything," I whispered in shock as I made a coffee. Sleep-deprived or not, there was no time to rest. With that book gone, and someone trying to kill me, I needed to find a way to protect myself and Demetri as quickly as possible. "Every page, every spell, everything in that book could be used to kill me…us." "Seraphina," Demetri stated calmly as he stopped me on the way to grab my coffee creamer from the fridge. The rough palms of his hands cupped my cheeks, holding me in place as he bent his head down to meet my gaze. "I can feel you, and I felt them. You are so much stronger than them. We will be okay. We just need to make a plan." There was so much emotion in his pitch-black eyes that it scared me. Was what he said true? Can a demon develop feelings and attachments too? There hadn't been time to discuss his admission, let alone do anything else. I wanted it to be true. My entire body, all the way to my toes, was filled with the desperate need for it to be true. "The d
Demetri P.O.VWe went to four stores full of hokey magic tricks, fake crystal balls, and idiotic board games. On each car ride, Seraphina fell asleep curled into a ball and leaning against the window on the other side of the vehicle. I eyed her with confusion and worry as she kept her distance. Her first nap, I had pulled her to me, wanting to provide her with a more comfortable resting place but she woke and pulled away as soon as her head hit my chest.Each time I tried to touch her, she shied away and started to fiddle with whatever was within her reach. I was tense the entire trip, kicking myself for being careless enough to let her see my true form. Clearly, she wasn't ready to see the real me, and now I had to work twice as hard to earn back her affection.The grinding of metal made me flinch as the car slowed. I felt my magic stir within me, urging me to get away from the area, but I wouldn't leave Seraphina. Through the window, I watched as we pulled up in front of a small sho
Demetri's P.O.V My arm moved along the wall, feeling the water-like thickness in the air. Even with my hand in it, I could not feel myself or my powers. It was as if the spell had chained away my beast. Was this what it felt like to be mortal… to be human? Is this weak form what Seraphina preferred? Nothing was appealing about the way my body was forced to take in air, and my vessel was steadily decomposing with each passing second. It was a terrible inconvenience, and it was no wonder humans did not live as long as other creatures. "You won't find it." The female voice behind me caused me to jump. I cursed myself for turning my back on the unknown witch. Without my beast, not only could I not hear as well as before, but I also couldn't sense anyone around me. Seraphina could have left, and unless I heard the door, I wouldn't know. My eyes passed over the shopkeeper and immediately found Seraphina staring in disgust and awe at the skull of a Fae that was hanging from a small stand
Seraphina's P.O.V.As soon as we arrived back home, Demetri walked away from me, inspecting each room in the house. It made me feel good that he was so serious about our protection, but at the same time, if anything happened to me, he would die too. It was just self-preservation.I kept the bag of supplies with me as I walked to the kitchen to get one of my pre-made meals out for an early dinner. As the microwave spun the food and warmed it, I heard Demetri enter the kitchen."We need to talk about this." He stated calmly. I looked up, seeing him lean his hip against the counter as he crossed his arms. The way he was staring at me felt like a child about to be scolded."I don't think we do. Meredith had a hard shell at first, but she was actually very nice, and she is willing to train me. That is going to be a huge help! We both know that I won't be able to teach myself everything I need to know before Vera gets close again. If I can give her some money and she can teach me what I nee
Meredith had been spending a lot of time with us over the next few weeks. Granted, I was paying her quite a lot for my lessons, but it was worth it. She was really funny, and her southern charm made everything sound sweet, even when we were bantering back and forth. I liked hanging out with her, but just like every other relationship I had in my life, I was worried that as soon as the money stopped, she wouldn't be there anymore. It was hard to remind myself that she wasn't my friend. She was my trainer. There was a big difference, and I needed to remember that. Meanwhile, Demetri was like an angry puppy. One minute he wanted my attention, and the next, he was ready to kill Meredith for one thing or another. It was quite amusing at first, but every now and then, I was ready to kill her too. The first part of our training, once we got the shield up, was a big joke to her. She didn't make me pay her for it, but she had decided to play drill sergeant and run me around my property line.
I leaned against the opening to the foyer. Smiling to myself at the small win of being able to use the room again and to see more in it than just the place where I had found my parents' bodies.Instead, I got to focus on the brooding male who made my heart beat a little faster each time I saw him.My hair fluttered across my shoulder blades where it hung down from my ponytail. The air pumping through the room was a welcoming breeze from the summer heat that seemed to warm the house despite the air conditioning.It was rare that he let me see him in his true form. The fact that not only was he stretching his wings in front of me but that he had his horns out, told me that he was more bothered than I thought."You were making me food?" I asked in a small voice, hoping to not ruin the beautiful moment. It was so thoughtful of him and romantic to try to cook for me, knowing that I could not cook and was eating the same meals over and over again every day.Demetri titled his head up to loo