Page 67 of Bond of Passion

“I think I’d have remembered killing one of the rarest demons in Sheoul.”

“Sorry, dude. Too soon?” Lore sipped from his mug. “I’d never even seen a Neebless before her. They look a lot like Neethul.”

The coffee went sour in Tavin’s mouth. Lore had just hit on one of Tavin’s roadblocks. He was falling for Deja, no doubt. But in a way, she was like Gristlen’s shadow. A darker version of the female he’d loved with all his heart.

In other ways, she was unique. Harder. Less formal. Less sad. Where Gristlen had been introverted and sheltered, Deja seemed more open and quick to laugh. And she loved her job and friends.

He got that. Because his life had really just started since he got away from the assassin world and started working at the hospital. He had a real life now. With a real mate.

He just had to wonder how long either would last.

* * * *

Deja was so grateful for good friends. They’d packed a set of scrubs, pajamas, underwear, and both comfy and sexy clothes, giving her a choice of outfits. Plus, they’d sent makeup, jewelry, and four pairs of shoes.

She hadn’t really had friends growing up. The Neethul believed in having one good friend, someone as trustworthy as family, but never more than that. Gristlen had only ever had one friend, a female named Venge, who had moved away when Gristlen was eight. She’d never had another, and now she had three besties, as humans called them. Plus, new friends at the hospital.

Friends were the best.

Ronnie had called as Deja was getting out of the shower, and Deja had listened to an earful as Ronnie went mother Sora demon on her. Worried about her safety and wondering when she’d be back to work at the hospital. Word had gotten around about Tavin’s incident, and apparently, Deja was something of a hero for saving him.

Ronnie thought it was romantic that he’d saved her from the exploding patient, and then she’d saved him from a gang of demons bent on revenge.

If Ronnie only knew.

But how was she supposed to tell her friend that she herself was bent on revenge, let alone that she’d just bonded with him for life?

Her shower hadn’t helped her sort things out in her head at all. And her call with Ronnie, while it had lifted her spirits and made her thankful for the support, had made her feel like a jerk for lying.

On top of everything else, she had to be careful with her emotions. Tavin had said that strong emotion could transmit through the bond, but she didn’t know where the line between strong and not strong was. She couldn’t feel anything from Tavin right now except a trickle of anxiousness now and then. He was stressed.

They both were.

Wondering how she was going to fix this entire mess, she dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a blue button-down blouse that Ronnie said matched her eyes. Once she finished with her makeup and hair, she headed for the kitchen, but voices stopped her in the hall.

“Like your new Neebless mate?” Sounded like Lore.

“Like that.” Definitely Tavin.

“She is hot.” Yep, Lore.

There was a slight pause before Tavin spoke again. “It’ll be fun to get to know her.” Pause. “In a way, it feels like I already do.”

“Maybe you killed her once.”

Deja nearly choked on her saliva. Tavin’s irritation streamed in through the bond, making her heart pound.

“I think I’d have remembered killing one of the rarest demons in Sheoul.”

“Sorry, dude. Too soon?” Lore didn’t sound very sorry to Deja, but Tavin’s irritation melted away. “I’d never even seen a Neebless before her. They look a lot like Neethul.”

Silence stretched. All Deja could hear was the pulse in her ears.

“They do.” Tavin’s voice held a note of…was that disappointment? Whatever it was, it wasn’t strong enough to come through the bond. “You ever play D&D? The Neebless remind me of drow elves.”

“The droware evil, though. More like the Neethul. I’ve never met a fuckingNeeth who wasn’t a hardcore evil bastard,” Lore said.

Deja moved closer to the kitchen, not wanting to be accused of eavesdropping, but they still didn’t see her standing in the entryway.