I’d done all of the things you were supposed to do to keep out practically everyone. My place was warded and spelled. My door was strong and secure. My windows were salt-rimmed.
I was somewhere between terrified and mad that none of that had worked. Well, guess I had to fight then. I punched out my hands, reciting an attack spell, and the demon flew back out of my room, hitting the farthest wall across from me. He crumbled to the ground, and I moved to the doorway and reared back my hand, whispering a fire spell so that I could light his ass on fire.
He jumped up, putting his hands out in surrender. “Stop. I’m not here to hurt you.”
“I don’t give a damn what you’re here to do. Get out of my house! Whatever you need, pick somebody else,” I said in my loudest, strongest voice.
He nodded slowly, arms still up. “Billie, I’m here about your father. He was a friend. I’m one of the alphas I know he told you about.”
His voice was deep and slid over my skin like satin, and I fought the urge to shiver. I hadn’t even seen this guy clearly, and I was already turned on. This is what alphas did to omegas, and I hated it. He needed to stop talking and get to walking.
But he said he knew my father. My father did tell me about the alphas. He had summoned a damn demon to work for him, and then this demon and his pack full-o-alphas were also approved by my father to be my new mates once I finally became a full omega.
Omegas and alphas were a minority in society. They weren’t just shifters but could cross any race of people, from witches to werewolves to non-magical humans. Many outdated cultures still believed that an omega’s sole purpose was to be mated and bred by alphas. Although alphas were a minority, there were more of them than omegas, and they usually ran in packs. They were also typically taller, stronger, and more aggressive than your average man or woman. In a nutshell, no one messed with them. Sure, many betas, regular beings—with and without magic—liked the idea of being with an omega or an alpha, but the two were allegedly made for each other. Once together, our strength would grow, making us almost immortal, even the non-magical ones. Of course, most people only thought of the sex, since both omegas and alphas were known for giving mind-blowing orgasms. Not that I would know.
And when it came to how omegas could be treated, it was a crap shoot. It all depended on what type of alpha you got. Some cultures didn’t give you the option, and the alpha selected you. Others allowed the omega to be courted and pick her own alpha or alphas. Still, others did the pairing for both parties.
However, the end game is that no omega got to roam free for long without at least being registered and tracked. The law in most places, and particularly in any country I wanted to live, was very clear on that. In many countries, omegas had to be mated off as soon as they hit twenty-one. In my country, we just had to be mated off while we were still in our childbearing years. As omegas, that ran a long time. I had at least another twenty years before pregnancy would start becoming more challenging.
I’d known my father had tried to prepare me for my change by selecting approved alphas, and during his final months, he’d tried to get me to meet the pack he’d chosen. I refused. But I did know a little something about them, such as one of them being a demon, and this one fit his description. Even if they were dad-approved, I still didn’t want alphas, and until I had to become an omega, I was going to continue to live free and not give up hope that I could somehow find a cure.
I took a step back and flipped the light switch to my bedroom, keeping my distance from the demon. “Stay right where you are, or I will turn you into a pile of ash.”
In the light, I could see more of him. His olive-colored skin made the red lines in his face and eyes stand out more. Adorning his face was a septum piercing, several earrings, and an eyebrow ball stud. His medium-length black hair, cut close on the sides, was partially pulled back in a ponytail while the rest grazed his collarbone. He wore black cargo pants and a long sleeve black T-shirt over his broad chest. The barest pattern of red lines shown on his exposed skin. It seemed he was covered in those lines, and it did nothing to detract from the fact that he was stupidly handsome.
I sucked in a breath, my heart quickening against my will. His scent floated over to me and my stomach clenched with need as I inhaled. He smelled better than any cologne. I took another step back. It wasn’t because I was scared of him. It was because I wanted to stop myself from running up to him and burying my face in his chest.
I hated so much that alphas had this kind of effect on me. My mind felt clouded and unsure, my vision slightly blurry. I wanted to kiss him, taste him, touch him, inhale him. Fuck. This is how omegas got caught, and once an alpha got them, it was game over.
The demon smirked down at me; he was even taller than I could have imagine. At least a foot over me. He remained motionless in front of my dining table across from me, except for that flicking behind him. Yes, that was definitely a tail. It was long, very thin and pointed at the end. It was also black to match the short horns on his head.
I held my breath briefly in a vain attempt to still my heart. It beat loudly in my ears, practically deafening me. I could pass out any moment with a damn, smiling demon in my apartment. I really didn’t need this right now.
And now I remembered that I was almost naked in front of a handsome, smiling demon. I moved to my bed and pulled my patterned blue comforter around me.
He seemed to think my actions were funny because he chuckled. The sound was deep and glided down my spine.
“What do you want from me?” I spat out. I sounded not nearly as angry as I wanted to.
“I’m not here to hurt you.” He lost his smile, and his eyes bled from red to gray, looking very much human. “I am sorry about your father. Ronald was a good man.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. I knew my father was a good man except for one particular matter. He had summoned a demon.
The demon dropped his arms and walked toward me.
I stumbled back. This fool really didn’t see me as a threat. I guess I could show him better than I could tell him. I whispered my fire spell aiming my hands at his tail. Soon the end of his appendage caught on fire. The demon jumped from side to side before grabbing his tail and blowing on it, extinguishing the fire.
I gave a triumphant smile. “Should have listened.”
He looked down at the crispy end of his tail still in his grasp and then slowly moved his hand up and down. It looked slightly obscene, like he was pumping another below-the-waist appendage. My breath caught in my throat, and despite the low temperature in my apartment, I was starting to feel beads of sweat run down my back and under my breast. Everything this guy did just affected me. Of course, I probably had pending omega-heat brain, too.
He chuckled, continuing to pump as he looked down at me. His tail was beginning to heal with each stroke of his hand, but I was not focused on his healing in any way, shape or form. His gray eyes gave a sinfully lustful look with half-lowered lids, and I had to turn my head. “I suppose I deserved that, but I just needed a seat, and you’re in your room already. I know your dad told you about me, so hopefully, you know I’m not here to hurt you. So, may I come in?”
I twisted my lips to the side, considering his question. Sure, my initial feeling of threat was subsiding a tinge. He hadn’t fought back at either attack. Still, I was apparently in horny mode, and having a fine as hell demon in my bedroom while I was dressed only in my bra and panties felt like a bad idea. No, I was stronger than my vagina. I could handle it. I wasn’t someone who just spread my legs randomly.
I jutted my chin out. “You can sit at the end of my bed.”
He winked at me before sitting at the foot of my bed. I instantly regretted my decision and pulled my blanket tighter to me, still standing. “Are you here to try to kill me? Maybe you were tricking my dad all along, and this was just a way to get to me and steal my soul?”
