I flash the hell-beast my biggest, brightest smile, hoping I strike the perfect balance between deadly and friendly.
“Well, hello. It’s Louie, right? I thought I was aware of all the underborne in this area, but it appears I’ve not had the pleasure of meeting you yet. My name is Ezra Aster. I own the bookshop in town.”
She’s either going to speak … or go straight for my throat.
When the hellhound relaxes enough to sit, she cuts me with an intense glare. A soft “woof” jumps from her throat, which makes me chuckle.
Oh, she thinks I’m an idiot. How quaint.
“Now, now, Louie. I think we’re past that, don’t you? Shall we stop playing this ridiculous game? I see you, hellhound. Beentracking me since your mistress got home, haven’t you? I’m trying to be civil here, which is an entirely foreign concept to me, by the way. I am willing to be patient, but only to a point. I wish to speak with you about passage into your home.”
Maybe if I act humble, she’ll play nice.
What? I can do humble when I feel like it.
Which is almost never.
Still, I’d prefer to keep all my flesh intact today.
Aurora, for reasons I’ve yet to understand, adores this creature.
That’s reason enough to hold my hand.
It doesn’t mean I won’t offer violence. Only that I won’t act on it.
“Shall we talk, or shall we bleed?”
A grin splits my face, razor-edge teeth gleaming as I step forward.
Louie quickly calculates her chances—she is rather small for a hellhound—and snorts before responding in a strong Cockney accent.
“Alright, asshole. What d’ya want with Aurora?”
Well. That’s new.
I’ve never spoken to a hellhound before. I figured they just growled and ripped out throats.
This night keeps getting stranger.
And I find myself … delighted.
“Louie, dear, I would love to answer your question, but I have one for you first, if I may. My imagination is running wild with this one. Why the hell are you playing house pet for a human? That’s beneath a hellhound. Almost embarrassing. What happened? Get kicked out of Hell? Pissed off the wrong demon? I only ask because I’ve met hellhounds before. They were fierce warriors, absolutely deadly in battle. And yet hereyou are, being fed kibble, living in a warm home, and snuggling up to a human.”
Yes, I’m testing the limits of Louie’s patience. Her playing it cool doesn’t help me understand her motives or her strength.
“Listen, you condescending prick. You have no fucking clue what you just walked into. You can talk down to me all you want, but my position is of the highest honor. I was born to be with and protect Aury. I know your itty-bitty primordial dick is telling you to get close to my mistress. Something about her, eh? Gets under the skin, doesn’t she? So, I will say this once and only once—because you don’t know any fucking better. Stay away from her … or you’ll answer to something a hell of a lot worse than me.”
Louie growls and bears her own razor-sharp teeth, as a growl of my own bubbles up from the back of my throat.
Evidently, this is some sort of supernatural pissing contest, and I refuse to be upstaged by a filthy mutt.
“You think you have me figured out, do you? You’ve caught my scent. You know I’m not human. But tell me, little puppy, what have you really learned? Do you have any idea what you’re dealing with?”
My voice remains even and calm, but inside I’m raging. The audacity of this dumb mutt is overwhelming.
Louie sighs dramatically. “You’re just another horny piece of shit trying to weasel your way into Aurora’s knickers. Bloody typical. You’re not the first, and you won’t be the last. Now fuck off before I really get pissed.”
She’s got it so fucking wrong.
