Chapter 1

1

R ush Scott sat in Sam's Coffee Place, waiting for the demon who claimed to be his mate. After a long talk with his brother, Sax and his mate, Jim, Rush had moved to Salutem with his twins. Rush had a job there now; he worked part-time at Barrett's Law Offices. Exciting it wasn't, but it paid a decent wage.

He'd put his life on hold when he'd searched for his brother, Saxon, and left home with his twins. Sax had taken him in, provided a home, and Rush had learned to be a dad to his babies, who had been two months old at the time.

His parents were religious fruitcakes. Sax had left as soon as he could. Being gay was against everything their parents believed in, so when Rush had woken up one day to find Sax gone, he hadn't been surprised. He loved his parents and had wanted to make it work. He'd even gone along with the girl they'd chosen, had children because they'd wanted it.

It was the twins' arrival that made Rush realize he had to leave. There was no chance in hell his babies were going to be raised by his parents. To be indoctrinated in the same religious ideology they were buried in. The girlfriend had disappeared. Rush had never been sure she hadn't been paid, but as soon as he had enough money, he'd packed up everything he could and left.

Morefield Village was a nice place to raise his daughters—except for the people who hunted shifters. He'd seen what Sax and his mate, Jim, had gone through, seen other shifters suffer. The night of the attack —and being forced to hide with his babies in the community center —had scared him. And then he had met a demon.

Raydon.

His mate.

That night had changed the direction of his life, and now he had a job in Salutem. He could have commuted, but he had the twins to think about, so he found a nice little apartment for them and moved. Plus, Raydon worked in Salutem. It made sense to him to move.

So here he was, living in a nice town, not far from his brother. A new start. A fresh start. And a mate he knew next to nothing about. He had no idea about demons. No idea what they liked or disliked. No idea how his mate felt about Rush's daughters. It didn't matter to him that they were mates. If Raydon said no to the girls, then Rush would tell him to fuck off and walk away. Mate be damned. His girls were his life, and no one could take their place.

A strange sensation worked its way up his spine, and he glanced out of the window and saw him. Raydon. Tall, with long legs that ate up the ground as he walked, his mate crossed the road and headed to the entrance of the shop. His short dark hair curled around his head, and when he stepped inside, the chatter in the shop noticeably decreased.

Raydon appeared not to notice until a woman Rush didn't know—and there were many people he didn't know in Salutem—stood and touched Raydon's arm.

"I wanted to thank you for all your help. I know you didn't have to be here, but you kept us safe. I have friends in Morefield, and they told me how you defended the community center they were in when we were all attacked."

He looked down at her, listening to what she said, then smiled and nodded his head. "Thank you. Women and children should not be harmed. When I was asked, I didn't hesitate to help."

"I also heard you found your mate." Raydon glanced up at Rush, then nodded. The woman looked over at him, and Rush ducked his head. "I'm happy you did."

Raydon thanked her again, then placed his order, and a minute later sat opposite Rush. Rush could see people in the shop watching, and he wanted a hole to open up beneath him so he could crawl away. "Hey," he murmured.

"Hello. How are you? How was your move here?"

Thank god for easy conversation starters. "The move was good. Sax and Jim helped, and everyone here has been nice to us."

"Your daughters have settled?"

"They have. I'm sure they miss Sax and Jim, but so far, they've adjusted well. It helps that Sax lives nearby, so we can visit." Rush picked up his cup and asked, "How are you finding Salutem?"

"I like it here. The residents are friendly. I help at Morefield Village too. They are nice as well. They are looking into training some of the new shifters to help with security."

"That's good. I miss my friends, but we're not far away, and I wanted this job and…" Rush shrugged. "You."

"I appreciate you moving here. Maybe one day I will show you where I used to live."

"Will I survive?"

Raydon furrowed his brow. "Ah, I see. It is like it is here, so you would be fine."

"Don't you guys live longer than us?" Once he was gone, Raydon could very well move on to someone else.

"Demons do live longer, but we are fewer in number. Once we mate, you will live as long as I will."

Rush's lips parted. "What about my family? My girls?"

"You would watch them grow."

"And die?" Rush put his cup down on the table. "Would I? Because I don't know if I could do that."

"I see."

"That's it?"

"What more can I say? There are only a handful of demon and non-demon matings. I don't have all the answers. I only know you will live as long as I do. I'm uncertain if that would somehow be passed on to your daughters."

"So, I would mate with you and then have to watch them die?" Rush shook his head. "I can't do that. I'm sorry."

"I understand. I will investigate this and let you know. As I said, I simply don't know."

"If it won't, then we're not happening. I'm sorry." Rush saw the second Raydon's face went blank. All emotion disappeared. He nodded, stood, then left. And Rush let him. He couldn't do it. He couldn't be with someone if it meant at some point in the future, he would have to watch his girls grow old and die while he remained young and fit. It was supposed to be the other way around. The parent first, not the child.

A chair scraped the floor, and Rush looked over to see eyes watching him. He glanced away and sucked his bottom lip into his mouth, biting it, his mind going over what Raydon had told him.

"It will all work out. You wouldn't have a mate if it meant losing those you hold close." Rush didn't acknowledge the words or who had spoken them; he stood and left the coffee shop instead. Live without his girls was a no-go. Non-negotiable. He would rather live without his mate than watch his girls wither away.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Rush walked over to the parking area and got into his car. He sat, hands on the steering wheel, and stared out of the windshield, focusing on nothing at all. His mind kept replaying what Raydon had said. On repeat.

The idea of living a far longer life was appealing. Weren't humans always looking for ways to extend life and to live that life healthy until the very end? Under normal circumstances, Rush would say, sign me up please, but at the expense of his girls? No chance.

And that left him in an awkward position. He could find a man or woman and live his life the best he could, raise his girls, maybe have more kids. But Raydon? He only had one mate. Sure, he could probably settle for someone else, but what would that cost him, and could Rush do that to him? His poor fucked-up head hurt thinking about it.

There was no denying he found Raydon attractive. He could feel something, a need to be close to him. Maybe. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. All he knew was he wanted to see Raydon, make sure he was happy. It had to be the mate bond. Though they hadn't mated, he could feel it. That sensation tugging at him. Was this how Alex felt? And Cyan?

Closing his eyes, he felt them itch and burn, and he blinked, ignoring the tear that slipped out and rolled down his cheek. He barely knew the demon, and he felt like this? How would he feel if they had sex and mated and their… Nope. Not going there. It wasn't going to happen, so there.

Raydon jogged across the street and went into the mayor's office. No doubt he was being called in for a meeting. That short glimpse had Rush tightening his hands on the steering wheel. He had said no, but for how long? How long could he stay away when all he wanted to do was walk over and tell Raydon he'd made a mistake.

He was so fucked.