VALENTINO
I can feelthe tug of the binding spell pulling a little tighter with every mile that grows between Montrose and me. I didn’t notice it earlier, but there’s a whisper of emotion that seeps through the invisible thread between us too. When he first left, there was a tight feeling of cautious annoyance, but it’s slowly warming up and relaxing. My lips twitch with a smile as I look blankly in the general direction of the city where they’re headed, even though there’s nothing but Lord’s living room wall in my line of sight right now. I know Lake can be a bit much, but I can see them becoming fast friends. Dempsey and Dray too. I think Montrose will like them if he gives them a chance. Why I care about how the demon gets along with my brothers’ mates is beyond me, but my dragon purrs with satisfaction anyway.
“Tino.” Arson’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts.
“Sorry, what was that?” I tear my gaze away from the wall and return it to my brothers, seated around me.
Mac is looking pale and gaunt with worry, and Lord, Hemingway, Nico, and Arson are all varying degrees of tense and murderous. A flicker of amusement crosses Arson’s face.
“I was just saying that I don’t think we can trust Montrose, and the smartest option is to take him out now while he’s not expecting it.”
Before he can even blink, I’m out of my chair and across the room, roaring as I leap at my brother. My dragon rushes to the surface, but I can’t blame my reaction solely on the beast. Even with my human eyes, I’m seeing red as Arson barks out a laugh and dodges out of my path by rolling off the couch just as I’m about to land.
“Stop fucking with him,” Lord says mildly.
“What? I was just checking. I think we can all agree I confirmed a theory.” He gets up and dusts himself off while I drag in a few deep, smoke flavored breaths in an attempt to calm myself.
“What theory?” I ask through gritted teeth.
“Can we focus?” Mac practically screeches, pulling his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around himself. “I don’t want to be a demon skin suit, okay? Please.”
My youngest brother’s fear is like a bucket of ice water on the inferno of protective rage inside of me. Nico is sitting closest to Mac, and at his near-hysterical tone, he scoots even closer, putting a comforting arm around our little brother’s shoulders.
“The only one who’s going to end up as a skin suit around here is Maggard,” Nico growls.
“He’s right. We’re not letting a demon or anyone else lay a hand on you,” Hemingway assures him. “We’ve got Dahlia on her way over to strengthen the wards. She said she can add some more demon-specific protections to the property too.”
“What will that mean for Montrose?” I ask, rubbing my chest against the surge of worry that has no place when the pretty demon has been nothing but trouble so far.
“She said the binding spell will override the wards, so you’re good,” Hem says.
“Okay, so Maggard won’t be able to get in.” I pace in front of the couch where Arson is seated again, rubbing my stubbled jaw as I grasp helplessly for a plan, any plan, to protect Mac. “But we can’t just keep Mac here for all eternity. Something tells me Maggard isn’t going to cool off with time.”
“We’re still looking for a more… permanent solution,” Lord answers. “Dempsey says he has some texts he can check, and Dahlia put out feelers to her contacts for anyone with information about Maggard. No demon is invincible. We just need to find his weakness.”
I grunt and keep pacing. That’s all well and good, but the problem is, while we sit around here with our thumbs up our asses hoping to figure out Maggard’s weakness, he already knows mine. The demonic wail Montrose let out when he found his things destroyed still echoes in my ears and deep inside my chest. If Maggard gets his hands on Montrose…
I stop in my tracks, my whole body tensing at the thought as flames burn their way up my throat.
“I’ll give them a few days, but if neither of them can come up with anything solid, I’m taking matters into my own hands.”
“What does that even mean?” Arson asks. “You’re going to go to the demon realm, puff up your chest at Maggard, and tell him to leave us alone?”
“If I have to.” I growl again, my teeth clenching so hard it makes my jaw ache. “I’ll do anything to keep him safe.”
“Mac?” Arson asks, his lips twisting into another taunting smile.
I rear back and frown, rubbing my chest again.
“Of course, Mac,” I mutter. I’m not about to admit that for half a second I forgot Mac was in danger too. All my dragon can think about is protecting Montrose. By any means necessary.
Chapter Fifteen
MONTROSE
Three hours and five shops later, I plop onto an outdoor bench surrounded by my bags of purchases and a plucky little mortal who has grown on me. I didn’t expect to have so much in common with the man, but his taste in fashion is impeccable, and he understood how much I love to play with the so-called gender norms that humans have constructed.
The wolf pouted through the entire trip but did give in and buy new boots and a few shirts for his mate. The sweet, bookish one, Dempsey, well he’s a ball of sunshine I never knew I needed. He spent the whole time peppering me with questions while cross checking some kind of dusty book in his possession. He did let Lake put some gloss on him at one of the beauty stores we went to though.
