“Aba? It’s me—” she called out, running up the side stairs. Nik shut the door and followed her up to a dim landing.
A grunt and a curse erupted then cut off. A tall, lean male shuffled from one of the rooms, his aura lightly scraping Nik’s psyche. An Otium. A spark of red flashed briefly in the male’s wary stare, then his gaze settled on Shadow and softened. “Shadow… It’s so good to see you.”
“You, too.” She hugged the old demon, then reached back, grasped Nik’s hand, and drew him close. “Nik, this is Aba. Aba, my mate, Nik.”
Nik gave a curt nod, and the demon responded in kind, still a little guarded. He inclined his head toward the door he’d exited. “He’s there.”
Nik tailed Shadow into a darkened bedroom. The lights from the garage below threw a faint glow in the room through the undraped window. It did little to brighten the gloom. But he could clearly see the tall, gaunt male silhouetted there, hunched over, one hand clenching the windowsill. Knuckles chalk white. Even the knobby bones on his spine stood out.
“Nate?”
He angled his head slowly as if it were too heavy. “You shouldn’t have come here, Shadow.”
“So, I’m just supposed to stay away when I heard you’re badly hurt—oh, God,” she whispered as she drew closer.
The demon stiffened as she touched his arm. Nik had to remind himself she saw this male as a brother. No, not full demon. Despite the dark energy vibrating off him, a strain of hishumanaura seeped through his demonic one. Hell, many Otiums mated with humans and bore young. But whoever he’d tangled with had meant business. The claw marks on his back weren’t healing.
“Nate?” Shadow grabbed his forearm, forcing him to face her. “What happened?”
His expression hardened. “Nothing. Just a scratch—”
“Really?” Shadow snapped, but the hurt inside her wrung Nik’s heart. “You’re gored on your back and stomach, burned on your chest, and you saynothing?”
Glowing tawny eyes shot past her, settling on Nik. “Who the hell is he?” Nate growled, not answering her.
“I’m her mate,” Nik said, tone cold.
Nate narrowed his eyes. “Well, if you had to get one,” he said to Shadow, “Then I guess he’ll do. Hope all the tatts mean he’s as dangerous as he looks, immortal or not.”
Nik blended his fists, dead sure now that this male liked her more than he let on.
“You changed her and left her to fend on her own,” Nik demanded.
Nate cast him a flat stare. “She did well enough. She got you.”
Teeth grinding, Nik took a step forward.
“Nik, no!” Shadow darted between them, keeping him back. “It’s not his fault. I left.” She slipped her arms around the rat-bastard, making Nik want to punch him just for that alone. She led him to the bed, and he dropped down like a flopping sandbag.
“Why do you care about him?” Nik demanded of his mate. Yeah, he was a possessive bastard, but this male got in his craw. “Because he saved you?”
“Yes, that, and because I know he’s not a cold jerk, even if he’s being a real butthead right now. Let me get the first aid kit—”
“No need to baby me, Shadow. I’ll heal soon enough.”
At his drawled dismissal, she bit her lip, looking helplessly at Nik.
Damn ass.Don’t force him, moró,he telepathed her, reeling in his irritation.It’s his choice.
Her soft mouth flattened.He’s so stubborn.
The male’s dark eyebrow lifted, and he gave Nik a tight-lipped, taunting smile. “What exactly are you?”
“Nik’s one of the Guardians of this realm,” Shadow answered.
“A Guardian, eh?” He cocked an eyebrow. “Good for you.”
But something intense flickered in his eyes and vanished as fast before Nik could decipher it, leaving a cold mask behind. Nate lurched from the bed, the bloodied towel sliding from his abs, revealing the circular burn on his chest amidst the tatt there, like someone had stamped him. No sounds of pain, but he had to be drowning in it because those wounds were demon inflicted. Nik ought to know.
