“Nia!” A dark-haired man yelled from the other end of the bar. “Long time no see, sugar. Damn, I’m about to clock off, and younowcome along.”
Sugar?
“Hey, Austin.” She waved back. “Been busy.”
At the smile in her voice, Lore fought the violent urge to plant his fist in the human’s face.
He made her smile. Unlike him.
The man took a step in their direction; his gaze shifted to Lore, and at his deathly stare, he paled and scurried off.
Nia glanced over her shoulder and frowned at him. “What did you do?”
“Nothing.”
Her expression remained unconvinced. “Stop, please.” She stomped off, leaving him behind.
Pulling the vicious emotion swamping him deep into his gut, Lore shadowed Nia to the back.
She stopped at the bar, and a human flung her a drunken smile. “Take my sh-seat, sh-sweetness. Let me get you a drink…” He blinked at Lore, who compelled him to get lost.
The man stumbled off. This time, she didn’t call him out.
“Zac, is Saia around?” Nia asked the bartender with an abrasive aura, a half-demon.
“Yeah, in the office. Your usual?” he asked, eyeing Lore coolly.
“No. Dirty martini, please.” She unbuttoned her coat, sat on the vacated stool, and drummed her fingers on the scratched wooden surface.
A moment later, the male set a conical glass in front of her. “You okay there, gorgeous? Glad to see the glamour’s gone.”
“Yeah. Me, too.” She picked up her drink and gulped it down. “Another, please.”
The bartender lifted an eyebrow. “Rough day?”
“Rough life,” she said under her breath, then louder, “Like you wouldn’t believe.”
“I feel you,” he murmured. “Been there. There’s Saia.” He nodded to his left.
Nia glanced back, and since he stood directly behind her, her gaze clashed with his. Her stare dropped to his mouth, then shot back up. The urge to pick her up and kiss her as he did last night took hold.
She lifted an eyebrow, seeming more relaxed. “Lore, sit. You’re looming and scaring the patrons. No, scratch that.” She cast him a taunting smirk. “They look ready to stormyou.”
Better her baiting than her tears.
“They won’t.” He stepped aside as her friend hurried over.
“Are you okay?” Saia hugged Nia. She glanced his way and gave him a quick smile. “Hi.”
He usually avoided interacting with humans, but this was Nia’s friend, so he nodded. Besides, Nia would likely call him out on it.
“Hey, Sai—darn!” Nia shook her head, then pressed a hand to her brow as if it hurt. “My mind’s roasted, and I forgot to introduce you. This is Lore, sent to protect little ol’ me.”
Heavens, that tormenting mouth of hers.
“Oh, good. More help is better. It means that pesky mosquito will be swatted soon,” she muttered, her dark eyes like daggers.“I don’t get how he’s managing to evade us. I mean, Riley and my brothers are formidable.”
Lore frowned. The male, Zayn, and even this female weren’t fully human. He recalled their parents at the cemetery. While the sire was human, their mother, her aura, though tightly shielded, possessed an ancient vibration… That of a goddess, if he wasn’t mistaken?—
