With one last frustrated growl, I hold on tight to my dragon and blink us away.
Chapter Thirteen
VALENTINO
When we drop back into my living room, I exhale with relief. Montrose slumps against me as if the experience drained him.
“Are you okay?”
“Sure,” he says, but his voice is soft. “I’ve made myself the target of the most dangerous demon in existence. What could be wrong?”
My dragon roars protectively inside me, my throat burning with unspent flames that I desperately want to aim at anyone who would dare come near Montrose.
“Are you sure it’s Maggard?” I know I’m grasping at straws here, but I would give all the scales off my back for him to tell me that he’s pissed off dozens of other, far less terrifying demons.
“If it’s not, then it’s one hell of a coincidence,” Montrose mutters, a dark look flickering over his face as he exhales slowly.
“Yeah.” I drag my hand through my hair, racking my brains for what to do. “You’ll be safe here.”
“Really, Tino? How’s that? You think Maggard can’t get into your compound? I waltzed right up to your door, and trust me, he won’t bother to knock.”
His tense energy swirls around me, hitting me like sharp pebbles caught in a storm. My dragon rumbles with displeasure, and neither one of us likes seeing Montrose unhappy.
“No one can get inside my hoard room. Not even a demon. If worse comes to worst, I’ll take you there.”
He huffs, crossing his arms over his chest.
“What?”
“Nothing.” He kicks his shoes against my floor, his mood dark now. All the vibrant sexual energy that normally flows from him is noticeably absent, replaced with a black cloud.
“We can get you new clothes. I know it doesn’t replace everything, but?—”
“I don’t know what to do now, Tino.” His voice trembles. “I don’t want to die.”
“Hey.” I step forward, reaching for his hand. “You’re not gonna die.”
“You can’t promise me that. Unfortunately, all of us are at risk until Maggard is satisfied. Spoiler, he’s never satisfied.” He pulls his hand away, putting distance between us that makes my dragon whimper and push forward. “You should put your brother in hiding. Deep hiding. Maybe your witch can do something to prevent Maggard and his men from catching his scent.” Montrose shivers, his true form flashing briefly as he shakes his head.
“Yeah, okay, but what about you?”
He shrugs. “What about me? I live in fear, looking over my shoulder for eternity. This is the consequence of my choices.”
I want to object and tell him what he did was good and selfless, but he’s right. He broke the demon code and there are consequences for that. But as long as I’m breathing, there’s no way I’m going to let anyone lay a hand on him. I grind my teeth and my chest swells with a sense of determination.
A foreign and unexpected thought swirls through my mind before landing in my chest and tugging at my heart. Before I can stop it, the words are out of my mouth.
“I want to show you something.”
He lifts his head, his expression perking up a bit. “What’s that, dragon?”
Extending my arm towards him, I hold my hand out, and he takes it, a slight smile tugging at his lips. “Come on.”
I lead him up the stairs and down the hall. My dragon is practically tripping over his own feet with excitement, but I’m confused as fuck. The hoard room was for a worst-case scenario, but I guess my need for a private sanctuary is overridden by my need to see Montrose happy again.
Pausing in front of the double doors—black metal, secured with a keypad entry—I brace myself for my dragon’s expected response. Montrose tilts his head, studying the out-of-place decor in the midst of my Parisian aesthetic. I punch in the code, flinching as the mechanisms click and unlock.
As predicted, my dragon is going wild now, thrashing and trying desperately to see Montrose, who’s still behind me. Exhaling slowly, I shiver as scales ripple across my flesh.
