12

Dove

"Ow," I groaned, reaching up to my head as I backed away and stared up at the boulder who had stopped me.

It wasn't a boulder. It was a handsome grinning man. His shaggy blond hair partially covered his surprised gray eyes. His hands steadied my shoulders, his mouth opening to speak.

"Sir." One of the bouncers by the door strode forward, reaching for me.

The mysterious blond man glanced over at the bouncer, jerking his head back toward the door. The massive bouncer nodded, returning to his guard position without exchanging another word between them.

"Sorry." I gasped for breath after the run, keeping an eye out down the alley.

A cambion—half demon, half human—in a skimpy outfit exited the door, lighting up a cigarette as she leaned against the wall. I stilled. The man in front of me looked directly at her. Cambions were a common type of demon, Tier II or III, depending on their lineage. Most had never been to Hell.

The man in front of me could see the demon, which meant he wasn't human.

I had bigger problems than a club that housed stray demons. When I glanced back down the alley, a figure in the distance stomped my way. Vince. "I need to hide," I told the man desperately.

His expression hardened, cocking his head toward the entrance. The guards opened the door as he approached. Music pulsed from within as he guided me through the narrow hallway of strung-out club-hoppers to a staircase blocked by yet another large bouncer who unhooked a red rope.

"After you," he said, gesturing up the stairs. I wondered if I would have been safer outside. The mysterious man smiled warmly. "I assure you that you are free to leave at any time."

I went up the stairs, finding a private bar that was empty other than the bartender. A large glass window took up an entire wall, showing the club in full swing down below. The man pulled out a chair, gesturing for me to sit and taking the barstool next to it. The bartender passed over a glass with ice cubes and a dark amber liquid and a sparkling pink drink.

"I'm Damon, by the way," the man said, pushing the glass to me.

I took a sip. It tasted of strawberries, and something warm and a bit spicy that I couldn't place. But it was absolutely delicious. It took all my effort to set the drink down and not chug its entire contents right there. Maybe that's why Holy Foxes avoided sugar.

"So this is your form of entertainment?" I joked, gesturing out the glass window to the floor below where scantily clad supernaturals weaved through the customers.

"People have needs that they will pay handsomely to fulfill."

My phone buzzed in my pocket. Kairos . He wouldn't be happy if he found out I'd sneaked away to hunt demons. I had thought he was too overprotective for his own good, but after the incident with Vince...

"Your Fated, I presume?" I nodded and he continued, "Who exactly were you running from? And why aren't you with your Fated for protection? It's not safe in Lethe, especially for such an inexperienced little fox. There are dark forces at work, especially after the sun sets."

I beamed, "You mean like the Lord of Nightmares? He's more like a Batman villain than a real criminal, don't you think?"

Damon's lips raised into a smirk. "Not all evil looks like a demon. Some evil looks exactly like us. Like the one you were running from. Who was that?"

His teeth skimmed over his bottom lip, drawing my eyes before I remembered to look the other way.

His eyebrows raised curiously as I took too long to respond. I dodged the question. "What is this place?"

He took a sip of his own drink. "A bar, a club, whatever it needs to be. Shouldn't you be heading back to the academy? It's late."

For some reason, I kept quiet and shrugged. There are things that shouldn't be shared with strangers. Especially ones who ordered huge bodyguards around and had access to special rooms in exclusive clubs.

I reached for the drink before thinking better of it and glancing toward the staircase down. I forced my hand away from the black marble bar, twisting my fingers together on my lap.

"You don't like it?" he asked, a twinge of hurt. His sultry tone drove my eyes back to him.

"I shouldn't drink," I said simply. "It's late, like you said."

"And you don't trust me." His mouth twitched upward. "That's a good thing. Smart girl."

The phone was ringing again. This time it was Enko and the time was closing in on eight o'clock, Damon's eyes glanced at my phone before I stuffed it into my pocket. "I have to go. Thanks for the drink. And the rescue."

"You're welcome anytime, Dove."

I headed down the stairs, while Damon remained sitting at the bar, staring out the glass at the club down below where dancers gyrated in little more than skimpy sparkles to cover their private bits.

A guard escorted me past a fresh group of clubbers to the door. Outside, the two guards remained in their positions, both turning to the side to make space for me to pass through the entry.

I pulled my hood up, keeping an eye out for Vince. I focused on the destination as I traversed through the city. I tried to not look suspicious, but when I got into the forest, I broke into a run.

When I jumped the fence at the edge of the campus, my foot wobbled as I prepared to jump down. My pants caught on the sharp metal, ripping the fabric as I fell forward, causing me to dangle upside-down precariously. I scrunched my body upward, trying to lift myself back up to unhook the fabric. When I freed myself, my shoulder hit hard onto the ground and a gaping hole ripped through one of my pant legs.

I continued my run toward the academy, only slowing when I was close enough to catch my breath outside the dorm. Inside, Enko and Kairos sported expressions of fury and concern.

"Where have you been? Why haven't you answered your phone?" Kairos asked. "And what happened to your pants?"

I shrugged as I slipped past them into the dorm, glancing down at the shredded denim.

Kairos continued, "Did you go to Lethe? After we told you how dangerous it was? You could have been hurt. Injured. Killed . Do you understand how serious this is? You don't have anything to prove to us, Dove."

I considered briefly—very briefly—telling him what had happened with Vince, but I didn't want to prove him right that I shouldn't have gone out into the city alone. I didn't want them to think I was a puny incapable fox like Seven did.

He turned to Enko as though looking for support.

"I'm fine. I've been on my own for a long time. You don't need to worry about me."

My two Fated mates watched me as I grabbed some clean pajamas and hid behind the unlockable bathroom door. As I let the steamy water of the shower rain upon me, staring up at the ceiling, a dark thought occurred, my heart skipping a beat.

How had Damon known my name?