Chapter 10

Mated

Gloria was pleased that she had been asked to hunt shells with him. The last time he had gone, she'd felt left out even though she knew she hadn't been available. Bringing along the extra person just made her feel safer. She never considered the island dangerous, but things had changed, and now she did. Dori was wearing a holster, making her think of cowboy days. It would be cool to have a holster and the gun and know how to use it.

Abe and Dori were just wearing their guns. They weren't ready to use them. With the three of them hunting, they were getting many shells. Once they each had a bag full, the hunt would be over for the day. There had been a storm a couple of days ago, and the beach was just littered with shells of all kinds. It was the most difficult part of getting shells, but they had a dozen already.

"We don't seem to talk much," Dori observed.

"You seem to be gone a lot," Gloria pointed out.

"Not that often. We need to set up a girls' night with Steph and the others. There are more girls here now than there were," Dori said.

Abe was quiet and continued to work, but she was sure he was listening. It was true they were getting more girls added regularly. That's because the demons are looking for dates. Some men would be coming in to work at the restaurant and the hotel, but at least seventy percent of the employees would be women. Not all of them were single, and of the single ones, she was sure not all of them were looking. It was a great way to bring females in hoping the demons would find their perfect female.

That made her think about Abe and wonder if he was her perfect one. He certainly seemed to like it, and there was no doubt that he cared for her, and she cared for him. Was it enough to commit to letting him mate her? That was permanent and could not be undone. They had turned and were now heading back the way they had come but a little closer to the water. This time, what they found was unusual and horrific.

"Is that a real hand?" Dori wondered.

"I don't know because I'm not going to touch it. All I can say is it looks real or like one of those you buy at Halloween to scare people with," Gloria observed.

Abe pulled a sack out of his pocket, used it to pick up the hand, and dropped it in. "We'll find out soon enough. My bet is this thing is real. There is also probably a real body to go with it because it looks like something chewed it off," Abe concluded.

"What the hell is going on around here?" Dori asked.

"Maybe someone used this island for illegal activities, and now they want it back?" Gloria knew that was pretty close to the truth and as close as she could come without giving something away.

"Maybe we should hurry back now that we have body parts for the doctors to look at," Dori suggested.

Gloria felt better than ever that the two people she was with had guns and knew how to use them. She wanted to learn about using guns more than she had before. If she was honest, she'd always been a little afraid of them, especially since she heard there was a kickback when you pulled the trigger. With all the danger surrounding her, she didn't care anymore and wanted to learn. Abe had the hand in one bag and his shells in another as they headed back a lot faster than they had headed down.

She was surprised he didn't say a word when they entered the cafeteria door. Dori headed to her room, probably wondering what she had gotten into. Not that things like this couldn't happen anywhere, just that nothing like this had ever happened to her or Dori. Gloria stuck with Abe as he headed to the medical area. They went straight to Louis's office and were lucky to catch him sitting at his desk doing paperwork. He looked up questioningly.

"What can I help you with?"

Abe carefully laid the hand on his desk. "We were looking for shells when we came across a hand."

"I wondered what happened to that. One of the hands of the body that was located previously was missing. It looked like it had been chewed off, and I'm surprised that you found it in such good condition. It's good that you did because it can be alarming to people to just find hands lying around," Louis observed.

"So, you already have a dead body to go with this hand?" Abe said.

"Yes, it's the one that was discovered. It belongs to Smith."

Gloria had to admit that she was relieved. All they needed was body parts and bodies to start washing up on the beach in large numbers.

"I'm glad to hear that because I didn't know what to think," Abe admitted.

"I heard a demon was found alive on the beach," Louis stated.

"Yes, apparently, they intended to use him as a distraction, but they never got to that point," Abe explained.

"Are you worried that they're going to send more agents after us?" Louis wondered.

"I never thought they would send the first ones. Now I wonder if they'll send more, yes. Maybe we need to keep them busy, so they don't have time to come up with all these plots and plans," Abe declared.

They said goodbye and left the office. This time, they headed to Gloria's room. After they entered and he closed the door he turned to look at her. "Did that scare you?"

"It was pretty gruesome. You hear about the mob sending body parts to scare people. In some ways, Origin acts like a mob. I thought that they were dismantled, at least mostly. They seemed to have a lot of power left to take the actions they've been taking. What do you think you guys are going to do?" Gloria asked.

"Whatever it takes to get them to leave us alone."

Any possibility of romance seemed to have gone out the window. Abe said his goodbyes and headed back to work after making plans for them to meet for supper. Some gods had said that females liked excitement, but Gloria only seemed scared. It was probably true that she had not been around these kinds of situations before, and it might even be true that she never wanted to be again. Abe hoped it wasn't so serious that she didn't want to stay. He headed to the office, where he found Lu.

"We found a hand on the beach."

"I already know. Louis called and gave me information on it. It looks like a wild dog, or some similar animal chewed it off and buried it for later. The storm last night was not much, but it was enough to pull the sand off the hand. He tested it just to verify, and it is Smith's," Lu informed.

"That's good, right?"

"Yeah, at least we don't have any handless bodies walking or lying around. I do worry about those wild dogs because now they have a taste for people. We may have to go hunting for them."

"Some of the ladies may not agree," Abe observed.

"What they don't know…"

"You sure that's wise?"

"Probably not, but those dogs could hurt someone, and we have children here now," Lu offered.

"Maybe we should look at this in a different way. We could film the hunt and only use darts. Then we could either set the dogs up in a small area that is very secure, and people can come and see them, or if we don't want to keep them, we could auction them off."

"You might be onto something there. We have not done a film in a while. I might be able to get someone behind this."

Given a little time, Abe thought they might make a good plan out of it, and the film would make money. Maybe they could even have the fans vote to see what they thought should happen to the dogs. The only thing that was for sure was they couldn't be allowed to run loose with all the tourists that would be coming to the island. This might be something that could work for them, and maybe if they did have a wildlife preserve, the dogs would fit right in.

"Why don't we call Stef and Dev in and see what they say?" Lu asked.

"Why not? Maybe we could get started on this immediately and reduce the risk of an incident with the wild dogs," Abe agreed.

He wasn't sure how Lu had contacted Stef or Dev, but they were both in there within ten minutes.

"What's going on?" Stef asked.

"We had an interesting situation arise, and I thought we could turn this into something that might make money and increase the band's popularity."

"What was that?" Dev wondered.

"Abe, Gloria, and Dori went seashell hunting and found his severed hand on the ground. Louis checked it out and discovered it belonged to Smith, the agent that we found dead on the ground. The issue is that one of the wild dogs on the island bit it off. Several of the other ones took some bites out of the body, so our concern is now that they might have a taste for human flesh," Lu explained.

"How does that give us an interesting possibility?" Stef asked.

"We thought that we could go on a dog hunt. We're not going to kill them; we are only going to dart them so that they are safe to handle. Now, what if we film the entire thing? Once the dogs are caught, there are several choices in how we can deal with them. Maybe we can have our fans vote on what they feel is the best choice. They might even auction them off to others, like a zoo or wilderness preserve that would want them. There are so many possibilities, but that is not really my area of creativity. I thought you two could devise a really good plan." Lu leaned back, and he had a smug smile on his face.

"What do you think?" Stef turned to Devon.

"We need some safety gear while filming in case they attack. It could make an interesting action film. As far as the possibilities about what to do with the dogs, other than caging them, I have no clue," Dev replied.

"We'll meet with our whole crew and see what we come up with. That's some good thinking, Lu," Stef complimented.

Lu shot a look at Abe since it was his plan, but since Abe let it go, he said nothing either and just took his kiss and hug happily. Abe didn't care because he just wanted the situation dealt with. If they could make some money out of it, that would help all the demons, too. If they got ahead on their money, it would help the gods because they would send them some. It also wouldn't hurt to have people active all over the island so that no one could sneak in. Since those hunting would carry rifles, he didn't think safety would be an issue.

A week later, things were well in hand for the film about the wild dogs and how they could no longer call the island home. Abe and Gloria were in a small room on the facility's lowest level, and he was teaching her to shoot. Finally, he'd gotten her over her fear of the gun, which stood between her and her ability to hit any target whatsoever. Now she was doing much better. Eventually, he thought she would be a good shot. He was also teaching her how to take care of her gun and how important it was to keep it clean and dry.

"I think I'm beginning to catch on," Gloria admitted.

He thought so, too. Gloria had been her own worst enemy. Right after she said, she hit a bullseye, he patted her on her back. Abe was a crack shot, but it wasn't a fair comparison since he had been allowed to use guns since he had been a young demon. They had all been under close supervision, but one decent guard allowed them to play around with the guns, but only in the practice room. Eventually, he got caught sleeping on the job, and they never saw him again.

By then, all those demons he was in charge of were very good shots. He had not really differentiated between the gods and the demons, and he'd always tried to be nice. It was unfortunate for him and them that he'd been a little too lax, and it had caught up with him. Origin was often hard on some and yet too easy on others. They seemed to appreciate those who were cruel and sadistic regardless of how careless or worthless they were. Abe had never understood it, and in time, he thought that had probably led to their downfall.

"I think it's lunchtime. My stomach is growling," Gloria admitted.

"Let's go. You've improved so much. You deserve a dessert," Abe chuckled.

Gloria loved dessert but often gave it up, saying she was afraid to gain weight. Abe, on the other hand, refused to give up his dessert, and Gloria would watch as he ate it. It was hard not to get what you wanted, and that made his mind go to the fact that he was ready to mate, but Gloria was not. He could only hope it wouldn't be long before she decided to go all in with him. The cafeteria was packed, and they couldn't have hit at the worst time. They got in line, and there was no doubt it would take a while to work all the way around. Once they got their plates and drinks, it might be a good idea to sit elsewhere instead of trying to find seats in this crowd.

They ended up in the room where the band usually played. Unsurprisingly, other people were there, like his bandmates and the camera crew.

"Why does the cafeteria seem so overloaded for this meal?" Abe asked.

"Usually, a few demons straggle in early and a few late. Right now, everyone wants to gossip about all the excitement on the island," Lu explained.

"You mean the body, the capture, the new demon, and the hand?" Gloria asked.

"No, that's old news. I'm talking about the hunting video. Everyone has heard about it, and some demons may be picked to be in it, so it has caused quite the stir," Lu offered.

"How did they learn about it so soon, and who said there would be extras?" Abe asked.

"I might have mentioned it to one or two demons, and the word spread like crazy. Who knew that everyone would want to be in it? We will have to devise a way to pick those who will be in it, and since everyone is so interested in being in these films, we probably need to make more of them," Lu admitted.

"We already make a music video for each song," Zepar pointed out.

"That's true, but only a small number of demons are usually in them," Lu noted.

"Are you telling me they all want to be in the videos now?" Xap asked.

"It seems like now that they realize that their body parts won't be an issue and that they will be made-up and look cool, most of them do want to be in a video," Lu answered.

"How are you going to manage that?" Abe asked.

"Whoever is chosen for the hunt will be dressed like a wild pack of pirates. Only a few will be shooting. The others will just be along for the ride. We'll have themed videos in which the other demons will be extras. Our fans will enjoy the opportunity to see what some of the other demons look like," Stef explained.

Abe had to admit it was exciting to get the other guys involved in something they would enjoy. Even those who had severe injuries would be able to be involved in some way because of the makeup and the costumes. They probably should target those to get in these films as often as possible. They had finally gotten to the point where they could get out on the beach at certain times, but now they might lose that because of all the guests that would be wandering around once everything was opened up. He knew from experience that putting up a huge fence and calling something private was like a beacon to certain people.

It was one of the drawbacks of getting the business going. Risa was helping those that she could. Several had been able to move upstairs and only visited downstairs instead of living there. Six demons so far were now living as close to normal lives as a demon could. They held some kind of job, traveled with the band, and went on missions. For them, it was like a dream come true. Those missing ears now had ears that worked, and those with missing eyes could now see better than anyone else.

For someone who had joined them under a cloud of suspicion, she had become a much-loved member of demon society. Three more demons would be undergoing surgeries to assist their ability to move about, see, hear, or, in one case, speak. Dante was a demon who had his tongue cut out for research purposes, of course. It did not grow back, but Risa had been having some luck at getting certain parts to start to grow with the assistance of nanonets. Dante needed his tongue, his tail, one arm, and one leg. The evils of Origin knew no bounds.

Abe started thinking that this might be really good for those demons who were not able to get out around people because of their limitations and the way that they looked. Maybe those were the ones who should get prioritized in these films.

"I think the demons that live downstairs should be prioritized in these projects. Maybe 50/50, and I'm sure the other demons would agree since those downstairs never get to do anything or go outside. On a massive hunt, we should be able to use a lot of demons because we can have some running the dogs towards the hunters. The camera crew can catch those doing that in all directions while catching the hunters taking down the dogs," Abe suggested.

"That is a great idea. Many demons can be used that way. We can even have outtakes to have an extra tape to sell or give away," Stef explained. "We will need to start right away because some of the demons downstairs will need to be outfitted with special equipment so that they can get around and look piratey," Stef offered.

"Piratey? Is that even a word?" Lu asked.

"It is now," Stef replied.

"What will I need?" Dori asked.

"We will have to send them to you one at a time so that you can take measurements or whatever it is you need to do to get the magic going," Stef admitted.

"Can we start today? I don't want to be the hang up when it's time to get this going," Dori explained.

He knew it wasn't going to be that easy. Some of the demons were extremely shy and concerned about the way others looked at them. Having parts cut off of you tended to do that. They needed to start by getting some volunteers among the demons downstairs. Upstairs was no difficulty, and they could wait until it was time to shoot the video. Dante was the first to come in, and they encouraged him. Abe was surprised that he had come so easily. Hopefully, things were better for the ones downstairs now. Maybe they were coming to terms with the life available because of all the work Risa had done to help their brothers.

Abe had been told that Dante was next on the list for the Super parts, which the demons downstairs called them. They were life-changing, but some things could be done for them before they got their new parts to help them feel like part of the group. Many of the others began to slip out to give Dori the chance to work with Dante alone. He would need something that helped him get around better. A patch over his missing eye would probably be the easiest solution for now. Since everyone knew pirates were brutal, his ear would be left as it was.

It was time for him to go and have supper with Gloria. Maybe things would pick up now that a little time had passed, and new things were happening. He looked around to ensure she wasn't in the room and found she had left. When he hit the cafeteria, he saw Gloria sitting at their table, where she had gotten them food and drinks. Abe wasn't sure how to feel about that because that was usually his job. Was she showing him that she didn't really need him? Or maybe she was just being helpful and didn't know how long he would be downstairs as plans were being made.

"I got your food for you," Gloria observed.

"Yes, I see that. Thank you. Tell me what you think about the video?"

"It's exciting and will give me things to do between the music videos. I feel it will end up being a music video, too. I can just imagine you guys singing about being on the hunt with your pirate gang."

"That's a good idea. I think I could work with that and develop a really good song. All the guys in the video could help sing the chorus. Thank you for that. Would you like to help write it?" Abe asked.

"I don't know how to read or write music."

"I'm just talking about the words. Most of us get the words first, and then we put it to the beat. It might surprise you, but Lu can't read music and has never bothered to learn. Half the guys can't, but they have rhythm and can take the words and make a beat."

"You're joking." Gloria accused.

"I am not. I'm not the best at it, but some of us had to learn to put out the songs on paper. Demons just have a natural talent, and they don't need to have written sheets of music. Lu flat out refuses to learn it. We've thought about hiring someone to teach us all how to do it."

"That's amazing. You guys are so talented, and you don't even need sheets of music to go by when you play."

"Don't tell anyone. They may be disappointed in the band."

"I had a grandpa like that. He could play anything by ear but couldn't read or write a word of music. I guess he was a great grandpa. My grandma told me he was Indian."

"Like Win?" Abe asked.

"Maybe some of the same blood, but nothing like Win. They said he was mean as a snake. He also wasn't as pretty as Win."

"You think Win is pretty?"

"Everyone thinks Win is pretty," Gloria confirmed.

Abe didn't deny it; he thought he was pretty, too. He would never admit it, and he would certainly never tell Win. He had little doubt that Win would not appreciate it. Win had gotten angered in the past when his looks were given feminine compliments.

"If you say so," Abe offered.

"Don't be that way. I think you're very handsome."

That was a preferred term for a male and made him feel much better.

"How handsome do you think I am? Handsome enough to take me to your room?"

"Yes, you're that handsome."

He hurried her through supper, and then they headed to her room. "I want to ask you if you will mate me."

"I understand what mate means in certain books, but how does it compare to marry?" Gloria asked.

"Mating means so much more. We will be together forever. You will mean everything to me, and I will do anything to make you happy."

"That is beautiful. Would we have a marriage ceremony too?"

"We will tie ourselves together in any way that you want."

"Then I will say yes. You will be mine, and I will be yours forever."

Abe noticed that a tear trickled down one side of her face. He hoped that meant she was happy because he knew he was. This was what he had wanted since he had seen her. He worried because he thought no one else would ever be right for him, and he would never be able to claim her. It was time, and he led her to the bedroom, where they both began to take off their clothing.

Abe moved to her, appreciating her beautiful body, and pulled her into his arms, kissing her with great passion. He ached with need, need for her and only her. It was time to claim his mate, and his gums already itched with the need to give her all he had. Placing her on the bed, he moved over her, resting his weight on his arms as he positioned himself between her legs. He could smell the need that she felt, and it was like perfume in the air. It only fed his need, and he couldn't wait any longer.

They were both ready. "I need you inside me right now," Gloria whispered.

Who was he to argue? That was exactly where he wanted to be. He was already in position between her legs, so he slid his cock into her warm moist heat and pressed inside. Nothing could feel as good as this. Abe started out slowly and gently. He picked up speed, moving in harder and faster a little at a time until he pounded into her. His tongue slid over the spot where her neck and children joined, preparing it for his bite. If he was not careful, he would lose control, and he knew they were both close to their climax.

The time was right, and his fangs were out. He drove them into Gloria's neck and released his mating venom. There were two kinds of sex, and if the female was not his perfect mate, the venom released would not bond them. It would only give them some additional pleasure, which his partners always welcomed. Gloria was his perfect mate, and this venom would not only bomb them, but it would give her incredible pleasure.

She moaned as his fangs hit her neck, but then the pleasure took hold. Gloria went into a frenzy, trying to get him to make her harder quicker and plan more. The scent of need was unbelievable, and he would do everything to satisfy that need. They called it a mating frenzy, and that was what it was. It had happened a few times even when they were still at Origin. Mostly with female scientists playing with the demons. Origin usually put down the females, but often, the demons died afterward. Not right away, it was like they just faded away and had no reason to live anymore.

Gloria and Abe were going at it like two wild beasts. Pleasure rolled through them, and they couldn't get enough of each other. As wonderful as it felt, he didn't think any two beings could keep up with this indefinitely. Eventually, they were exhausted and fell asleep in each other's arms. When he woke up, he looked at his woman, who was still sleeping, and knew it would be a while before she woke. He tried to think back on how it had been with Stef or Risa, but they had just stayed in their rooms and not come out, so it was hard to say. That was probably what Gloria would do. So, he would bring her back some food after he had breakfast. He had no doubt that she would need it.

He took a long look at her before he left the room. He could see that she was sweating and completely knocked out. Yes, he would return with food. After she ate, he would help her take a cool shower if she needed it. Lu said that Stef had started running at a higher temperature than he had after mating. Maybe that was why Gloria was so hot. It would take her a while to adjust. Abe turned and left. When he got to the cafeteria, he just got his food and sat alone at the table eating. When he finished, he got a tray and returned to Gloria's room. Abe admitted that he was glad no one had stopped him because he didn't feel like talking or doing anything else except getting to his mate to assist her through whatever changes she might go through.