Chapter Seven

Poe

When I received the notification from the app, I was on the phone with a skinwalker. A proclaimed skinwalker. Kind of like a shifter, but they weren't limited to only one other form. They could change their skin into any person or animal, and this one claimed he could even change his form into people who were no longer living.

Even though my vacation was still in effect, I had to do this.

"Is there any way you can come in today?" I asked. "I'm not sure where you are located."

He chuckled. The sound caused me to shudder. "I can be anywhere I want to—anytime I want to, female. A picture of where you'd like me to go would help. Text it to me, and I'll be there."

"Oh!" I jumped up from my desk chair, nearly toppling the thing over. "Okay. Give me thirty minutes to get settled. Is that okay, or do you need it to be now?"

Another dark laugh. "Thirty minutes sounds fine. And don't worry. There's no need to be frightened."

"I'm not—" I began, but he'd hung up the phone.

I raced to the studio and set up everything. A bolt of fear ran through me. I would be alone with him here and, for some reason, the fact scared me more than when I interviewed the vampire.

Taking a few minutes to calm myself before shooting him the picture, I checked the notification from the mating app.

What the…

I had a match. Almost 100 percent.

Two male demons. Friends. Wanting to share a female.

Holy shit.

I'd never interviewed a demon. Sure, I'd done some research when I specified my preferences on the app, but that led to a ton of religious references and myths which did me no good. If I was to be matched and possibly mated to one or two demons, then I needed the truth.

That was my purpose in pursuing my podcast. Telling the truth about the supernatural world instead of making assumptions based on tales and wild stories.

I steeled myself for disappointment but clicked on their profiles. Goddess, they were beautiful men. I had to admit, I'd given into the superstitions about demons and thought they would be horned and menacing to the eye. Maybe discolored or even disfigured in some way.

These men deserved a spot on the front of a men's magazine.

Hell, all of the men's magazines.

Any time now, Wolfy.

Shit. The text had come from the skinwalker. I'd gotten carried to fantasyland looking at the demons' pictures and forgotten my job.

Didn't know if that was a good or bad thing.

I promptly texted the skinwalker, Thaddeus, a picture of my studio. I was skeptical about all creatures and their gifts. Sure, I had the power to turn into a wolf at will, but teleportation? At least, that's where my mind went when he alluded to being able to be anywhere he wanted, anytime he wanted.

Maybe he simply owned a fast helicopter and my imagination needed to take a break once in a while.

I'd barely sent the text when a knock sounded on my door.

I jerked with fright.

There was no way.

I turned the knob on the door and in front of me was a tall, lean man with a smile on his face. My wolf's hackles raised, and she snarled a bit inside me. My line of work wasn't her favorite.

"Poe, I presume." His liquid voice slithered down my body, oily, and somehow made me feel drained and worn down. I wished I had called in someone to be with me during this interview. Or at least, someone safe to sit in the room with me.

"I am. Come in, Thaddeus. There's something I need you to sign before we begin."

The most important part of these interviews I did was have them sign a contract saying they would do me no harm during or after the interview. Of course, contracts meant nothing to some species, including humans, but it made me feel a little better.

"Should we begin?"

By the time the three-hour talk with Thaddeus was over, I was spent, emotionally and physically. It was one of the longest interviews I'd ever done. Thaddeus had done both bad and good things with his gift as he called it. Those were his words.

Impersonating another person, even with the best of intentions, didn't seem like a situation that would turn out well.

Thaddeus was proud of what he'd accomplished.

It wasn't very long before my attention was once again drawn to Grendel and Hemlock—the demons I was matched to. More than before, with the other matches, I was tempted to send the first message but I waited.

This time would be different.

If these two males wanted me, they could reach out first.

I was an independent, strong, beautiful wolf shifter female.

If two alphas or demon alphas, whatever they called themselves, wanted me, well, they could make the first move.