Levi squints at Zav’s comment but quickly grins in reply, showcasing pearly white, perfectly straight teeth. “Funny coming from the oversized mosquito.”
Zav gasps and holds a hand to his chest like an offended Victorian child. “Take it back!”
Valen scoffs and seems to momentarily forget about scolding me. “Whoever you are, you need to go. I will not have my mate in the same room as you.” His dark brows pull on his angelic features, and I resist the urge to smooth them out.
“Mate?” Levi snorts. “I don’t think so. The bond hasn’t been completed. But it does seem like it has you hanging on by a thread. Do you need to take a lap? Cool down?” the demon teases.
Valen’s chest begins to heave, and I know we’re seconds away from another WWE brawl.
A phone chimes, and I turn to see Zav pulling his out of his pocket. “I know where we’ll take him. I texted a friend at the hotel and he said we can throw this one”—he points toward Levi—“in a holding cell in the basement for the time being.”
Levi observes his lean fingers and wipes debris off his skin like they aren’t talking about locking him up. I catch Luna watching him out of the corner of my eye, but she coughs and looks away when she notices.
“Let’s go.” Zav makes to grab for Levi, who dodges before he can.
“Do not touch me, cockroach. My legs work fine.”
Zav wrenches open the door, and Valen ushers Levi from behind to escort him out. Before they can make it through the entryway, Luna yelps and Levi is wrenched back by an invisible force. A shimmering gold tether manifests in the air and floats daintily. The beginning of the glittering thread wraps around Levi’s wrist, and the other end … wraps around Luna’s.
“What the hell is this?!” Luna shrieks and tries to shake offthe thread. As quickly as it appeared, it vanishes with a few glowing orbs blinking out after. “Why am I tied to the blond behemoth?”
Levi eyes the thread with a smile and turns his wrist this way and that, trying to make it appear again. He yanks his wrist toward himself, and Luna is pulled forward in response. She makes a sound of shock and places a hand on his chest to steady herself.
“Seriously?” Zav tries to pull Levi away from Luna, but they only make it about six feet before they’re snapped together like a rubber band. “Well, this just got interesting.”
CHAPTER 43
VALEN
A vampire meetsus in the lobby of the hotel Zavier has brought us to. It’s the same one we came to after the events in the club. We left Celine and Ava behind, so it’s just us, the demon, and a reluctant Luna, who keeps eyeing her wrist like she’s debating cutting it off.
The vampire looks our motley group up and down, his top lip curling in distaste.
“Don’t spill any blood in my hotel. I mean it.” I think the statement is meant for all of us.
I’m not sure what Zavier told this guy before we showed up here, but he doesn’t seem surprised by the sight of a demon in his hotel. Then again, from what Zavier said on our way here, this is neutral ground, so demons might be a common occurrence.
It’s interesting watching others mill about the room and knowing they could be any supernatural species. Different colored auras float by as I scan the room and spot a few.
The vampire turns on his heel, and I assume we’re meant to follow. We pass by the elevator bay and turn down another hallway where there’s a private elevator he has to use a gold key card to access.
“Who are you?” I ask him.
He lifts a single black brow at me. “Greyson, but you can call me Grey.”
I can sense he’s old. Not as old as me, but much older than Zavier.
The group of us steps onto the elevator and Grey has to swipe the card again. The doors shut and some sort of cheery music that doesn’t fit the current mood begins to play.
The demon begins to hum along at the same time Zavier whistles the matching tune.
Zavier glowers at the demon and stops whistling. The demon—I refuse to call him by his name or nickname—grins at Zavier and hums even louder after that.
“I do so hate it when you drag me into your shit, Zavier,” Grey says in a lilting voice as the doors open. There’s a slight accent I can’t place, one like he’s lived in many places.
“Oh, please.” Zav pushes off the elevator wall and grabs ahold of the demon’s elbow as if the creature couldn’t easily shove him off. Something tells me the demon is getting a kick out of this whole thing, because I highly doubt we could’ve forced him here like we’d prefer to think. I’m strong, but he … might be stronger, as much as I hate to admit it. “You love my drama. It keeps you entertained.”
Grey gives a gruff sound in reply that I think might be a laugh.
