Chapter Sixteen

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Walking out of his bedroom area the next morning, Teague found Larkin using her fingertip to trace the swirly patterns that were ingrained on the doors of his china cabinet. Her gaze slid to him, pure black, and he realized her demon had taken the wheel.

“I want this,” it told him.

Smiling, he crossed to the entity. “Well, you can’t have it.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s mine, and I intend to keep it.”

“But I want it.” The childlike statement was flatly spoken yet rang with a sense of self-entitlement that amused his demon.

“I have something for you.” Teague returned to his bedroom and walked to the chest of drawers. He grabbed a jewelry box from a particular drawer and then made his way back to the demon. “Here.”

Its eyes twinkling with interest, it took the box and opened it. Delight rapidly replaced the intrigue in its gaze. “You kept your word,” it said, tracing the gold chain that was a feminized version of his own.

“I don’t break my promises.”

The entity took the piece of jewelry from the box and clipped it on.

“Like it?”

“Yes.” It skimmed its fingertip over the part of the brand that peeked out of its tee shirt. “I also like this.”

“So do I.” A little too much.

“As does Larkin.” The demon splayed its hands on his chest with a hum. “I want to carve her name into your skin.”

He couldn’t lie, the utter seriousness of that statement weirded him out almost as much as it tickled him. “That won’t be happening.”

“I would make sure the blade was clean.”

“You know, funnily enough, whether or not I’d get an infection wasn’t my main concern.” He took its hand. “Come on, my little sadist. You can officially meet my clan.” He led the demon outside and down the wagon steps.

Slade, Archer, Tucker, and Gideon were gathered around the firepit while Leo and Saxon lounged in the deck chairs. All were talking, drinking, and eating breakfast.

Teague and Larkin had eaten an hour ago, since they’d woken early. And fucked like there was no tomorrow. “Everyone,” he began, “this is Larkin’s demon, as you can see.”

The males looked up and gave it wary nods. Well, her entity had quite a reputation.

The dogs swarmed it, sniffing at its hands and circling it while its black gaze eyed them closely.

The demon then looked up at Teague. “I like the shape of their skulls.”

Jesus.“You’re not killing the dogs.”

“I would make it quick.”

He tugged on its hand and pulled it toward the firepit. “Stop trying to freak me out; it’s working.”

The entity giggled.

Archer shuddered, almost spilling his coffee. “Jesus, that sound,” he mouthed.

“I know,” Teague mouthed back, sitting down on a log beside Tucker. The rest of the clan seemed similarly creeped out by the damn giggle.

Larkin’s demon sat on Teague’s other side and slowly swept its eerie gaze along their surroundings, exploring every inch.

Tucker cleared his throat, his attention on the harpy. “I think I speak for all of my clan when I say that—”

“Don’t,” Saxon told him, lifting a slice of bacon as if to ward off the comment. “You’re likely the only one thinking whatever it is.”

Tucker arched a brow. “So no one else is thinking that we never expected to meet Larkin’s demon, let alone her?”

Leo spooned some fruit loops. “Well, I’m thinking it now.”

“I like their feathers,” her entity announced, watching two of the ravens perched on a tree branch.

Teague narrowed his eyes. “You’re not killing the ravens.”

It pursed its lips. “I suspect I could de-feather them without killing them.”

“You’re not stealing their feathers either.”

“But they are so shiny.”

Tucker bent down, grabbed a stray feather from the ground, and then reached across Teague to hand it to the entity. “Here.”

It smiled. “Thank you, small man.”

Saxon burst out laughing.

“I’m not short.” Tucker bit harder into his slice of toast than necessary.

Watching the demon happily pocket the feather, Teague asked, “You’re really going to keep that?”

“Yes.” Its gaze abruptly turned inward, and its head twitched to the side. “Larkin wants to surface now. You and I will talk again later.” Then it retreated.

Larkin double-blinked at him, her eyes now gray-green. “You shouldn’t have bought it a gift. It’ll expect more.”

Teague shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t mind.” He thought he might enjoy spoiling it.

“Don’t take this the wrong way,” Archer said to her, setting an empty cup on the ground, “but your demon is creepy as hell.”

She flapped a hand. “No offense taken.”

“Would it really kill the dogs?” Gideon asked.

“Only if they hurt it,” she replied. “So don’t let them hurt it.”

Leo rested his bowl between his spread thighs on the chair. “Off the subject . . . We’re out of black salt. Someone needs to buy more.”

“I’ll pick some up from the Underground before my race,” offered Teague.

Larkin looked at him. “What time does your race start?”

“Noon. Why, you planning on being there?”

“I might as well go cheer you on.” She gave a nonchalant shrug. “A girlfriend would do that.”

“You’re better than me at this pretend dating thing.”

“Teague, I’m better than you at a lot of things.”

He full-on smiled. “That was wonderfully bitchy.”

“I mastered bitchiness as a kid.” She glanced at each face. “Did you all know one another before joining the Wild Hunt?”

“Teague and I did,” said Saxon. “We grew up in the same town.”

She tilted her head. “What’s hell like?” she asked no one in particular.

“Very different from here.” Slade took a swig of what was likely liquor-laced coffee. “There’s lots of barren land, lots of desert, lots of perpetual warzones. There are some kingdoms where peace mostly reigns, but there’s still plenty of fighting and drinking and mayhem there.”

“The town where Saxon and I grew up was in the middle of nowhere,” Teague told her. “It was like something you’d see in a Western movie. People settled most things with violence. Fights were always to the death.” He shrugged. “It’s just the way of life there.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that. Tell me about Ronin.”

“He’s a dick,” said Archer.

Larkin twisted her mouth. “I was really hoping for a little more detail.”

Teague stretched out his legs. “He’s eight years older than me. Strong. Powerful. Motivated. And his loathing for me is a twisted, infinite, obsessive thing.”

“A lot of it stems from resentment,” Leo chipped in.

Larkin looked at Teague. “You’re living proof that his father cheated on his mother.”

“Yes, and he didn’t have the luxury of pretending I don’t exist. Our town was very small. It wasn’t possible for him and his mom to completely avoid me and mine.” A part of Teague had felt bad for them. “Every time his mother laid eyes on me, pain would flash across her face. He saw it. Hated it. Hated me for it.”

“Not his father, though,” said Saxon. “Ronin never blamed Soren for her pain. He blamed Teague’s mom; focused all his spite and scorn on both her and Teague.”

It was as if Ronin hadn’t been able to allow himself to think badly of his father, so he’d projected all his negative feelings onto Teague and his mother. “He idolized Soren. The old bastard was once a commander within the Dark Host. A highly decorated and well-respected commander. Ronin was extremely proud of that. But I was his reminder that his hero wasn’t quite so perfect.”

Saxon rested his empty plate on one thigh. “Soren had originally tried joining the Wild Hunt, but he was never accepted. I guess he thought he could live it through his son, because he pushed Ronin to apply to join; began training him when he was just a kid. I don’t know if Ronin truly wanted it for himself or if he caved under the pressure to walk that path, but he pursued it all the same.”

Teague nodded. “Every time a scout from the Dark Host turned up to watch one of the hellhorse races that took place in our town, you can bet your ass that Ronin ensured he took part.”

“I’m guessing you also took part in them,” said Larkin.

Teague had rarely sat out races. “I also always beat him.”

“That’s part of Ronin’s issue with Teague,” said Saxon. “Jealousy. Soren had literally nothing at all to do with Teague, but the asshole liked to take credit for his speed and strength and grit—he would brag to his buddies at the tavern that his blood would always make a man strong. Dumb shit like that.

“More, Soren would try motivating Ronin by taunting him that his ‘little bastard brother’ was showing him up. But using Teague as a measuring stick did nothing other than feed Ronin’s hate for him.”

“That hate hit new heights when a Dark Host scout recruited me for the Wild Hunt,” said Teague. “Ronin took it real badly. Pitched a fit the likes of which you’ve never seen.”

Saxon’s mouth curved. “It was quite a sight to behold.”

“To Ronin’s credit, he didn’t throw up his hands and accept defeat.” Teague had thought he might. “He chose to instead sign up to be a general soldier within the Dark Host. Over the years, he bounced from unit to unit and worked his way up—which takes a lot longer than you might think. Promotions aren’t given easily. But he wasn’t content with that. He wanted to be part of the Wild Hunt. And he apparently got what he wanted after I retired.”

“How soon after you retired?” she asked.

Puffing out a breath, Teague shook his head. “I have no idea. Ronin might have been assigned the position immediately after I left, or other demons could have filled it before him. Typically, units serve for centuries. But that length of time might well have passed for Ronin. For me, it’s been over sixty years since my retirement. But, as I’m sure you already know, the times of the various realms aren’t in sync. It’s possible that, to him, I left hell only yesterday.”

Pausing, Teague gave a slight shrug. “Whatever the case, he feels motivated to use his position of authority to have me killed. The Master of the Hunt can direct shadowkin.”

Larkin frowned. “Won’t his superiors be a little pissed about it?”

“They will if they learn of it, yes.” It would seem that they hadn’t yet done so. “Retired hunters are respected. For someone to think to repay their service by having them assassinated . . . He’d lose his position for sure.”

Larkin looked away for a moment, pensive. “If he spent so damn long fighting to get that role, why would he risk throwing it away like this? I know he hates you, but would that really be enough to make him do such a thing?”

It was Slade who answered, “We’re not so sure. It seems senseless to us, but maybe not to Ronin. Is there anyone on this Earth who you hate with every cell in your body?”

She bit her lip. “There are people I’d happily see dead, but I guess that’s not quite the same thing.”

“Ronin has detested Teague since the moment of the guy’s conception,” said Slade. “And he has lived a very long time. Centuries upon centuries. Imagine spending so long a time investing such a level of hate in another person—it would become imprinted in your system. It would root itself deep and spread like an infection. You’d never be able to get it out, no matter what you did.”

Leo nodded. “Ronin might have always had his eye on becoming Master of the Wild Hunt, but remember that it was never really his ambition. It was Soren’s. And that probably hit him square in the face when he stepped into the position and didn’t feel the satisfaction he thought he’d feel.”

“And we have to take into account that hell is a place where dark emotion reigns,” said Teague. “To take a person’s life is no big thing there. Depending on the circumstance, you may be punished. But then you may not. My point is that murder isn’t the huge deal that it is here. It’s often a way that someone settles their emotions. Like therapy. Duels to the death are far from uncommon.”

Larkin hummed. “I’m surprised he never challenged you, then.”

“He came close to it a few times when we were young, but he never went through with it. He knew I’d kill him, so he allowed people to talk him out of it.” Ronin was a good fighter, but not that good.

“But you’re sure he’ll come here to take you out himself?” she asked.

“He won’t agree to a one-on-one.” Teague paused as Barron came to sit beside him. Stroking the dog, he went on, “He’ll likely turn up with his entire unit, or maybe a group of mercenaries. Whatever the case, he’ll have plenty of backup. But we’ll deal with them in the exact fashion I told you last night.”

“And I’ll be participating in the exact way I told you last night,” she tacked on.

Tucker blinked. “You’re gonna fight with us?”

Larkin frowned, quite frankly affronted that he’d assume differently. It was as if being part of such an inclusive group for so long meant they didn’t expect others to have their back. “Of course.”

Gideon grinned. “Awesome. Can you really shoot hell-ice?”

She dipped her chin.

“But not high-powered hell-ice, right?” asked Archer. “I mean, the chips you shot Teague with didn’t hurt him bad.”

Only because she hadn’t wanted them to. And at close range, they were deadly. “Don’t worry, I’ll be far from a weak link.”

“She isn’t wrong.” Teague cast her a hard look. “She is, however, gonna be damn fucking careful not to get killed.”

Larkin shot him a raised brow. “The only reckless one of the two of us is you.”

His brow creased. “I’m not reckless.”

“You purposely poke at a harpy on a daily basis. How is that anything but reckless?”

He looked away from her. “I don’t like it when you make good points.”

Gideon chuckled. “You’re like two kids in a toy box.”

“Sandbox,” Archer corrected.

Gideon’s brow furrowed. “What?”

“You mean sandbox,” said Archer.

“No, I meant toy box.”

“Then you’re just stupid.”

Gideon jerked back, almost falling off the log. “Hey!”

“It’s all that alcohol.” Archer gave him a superior look. “It’s eating at your brain.”

Gideon spluttered. “Those mushrooms won’t be doing good stuff to yours.”

“They give me clarity.”

“They make you high.”

“It’s the same thing.”

As the two males fell into an argument, Larkin turned to Teague and said, “I like your clan. I mean, they’re weird, but I like them.”

A smile wrenched at Teague’s mouth. “Yeah, so do I.”

A short time later, everyone was gathering their dishware and retreating to their wagons. Once she and Teague grabbed their things, they returned outside and made their way to his bike. She watched as he pulled on his gear and then mounted it.

“We might as well ride to the Underground at the same time,” he said. “Where’s your car?”

“I didn’t drive here. I flew.” She planned to take her harpy eagle form again and—

“Then I guess you’d better hop on.”

Shock slapped her. “Hop on?”

“Yeah.” He removed his helmet and gave it to her. “Put this on.”

“Wait, your demon’s good with me riding on the back of your bike?”

“More than.”

Warmth built in her chest and then spread through her like thick honey. She swallowed. “Well. Okay, then.”

She clung tight to his body as he drove them to the Underground. Many times she’d wondered what it would be like. Now she knew. Thrilling. Exciting. Invigorating.

Once in the Underground, they headed straight to a particular store where black salt could be purchased. It was run by two of Levi’s friends, Ella and Mia. Both were incantors, meaning they were demons who could use magick.

The store sold a whole lot of stuff, most of which were either enchanted in some way or could be used when practicing magic.

Teague grabbed a few tins of black salt from a particular shelf, and they then made their way to the counter.

Behind it, Ella looked up from her e-reader and flashed them a smile. The leggy redhead was seriously pretty with her inky-blue eyes and rich ruby-red hair. “Hey, you two. So the rumors that you guys are an item are very much true.”

“How are you?” Larkin asked.

“Great, thank you.” She rang up Teague’s purchases and then bagged them. As she placed said bag on the counter, her eyes drifted to something behind them. She frowned, blinking hard.

Larkin tracked her gaze and saw several males gathered outside. “You know the Black Saints?” she asked Ella.

The redhead’s brow furrowed. “I’ve heard of them. They’re fallen angels who formed an MC, right?”

Larkin nodded.

Ella’s gaze again darted to them, and her forehead creased.

“Everything okay?”

Ella returned her attention to Larkin, her frown smoothing away. “Yeah. Yeah. It’s just, for a minute there, I thought I recognized the guy in the middle of the group.”

“That’s Viper, the president of the club,” Teague told her.

“Huh.” Ella gave her head a fast shake. “Anyway, you two have a great day. And Teague, I do hope you’ll one day tell me why one little clan would need so much black salt.”

He smiled. “Maybe one day.”

She softly snorted. “Liar. You’ll tell me shit, just like always.”

He chuckled and turned for the door.

Larkin gave Ella a nod. “See you around.” She then followed Teague out of the store.

The Black Saints instantly looked their way. The president tipped his chin at them, his mouth bowing up. “Teague, I was gonna find you at some point today. You and I should talk.”

Larkin narrowed her eyes. There was no veiled threat in the guy’s voice, no trace of hostility or dislike. And yet, her protective instincts rose. “Is there a problem?”

Viper looked at her, seeming surprised by her question. “No problem. I just need a few minutes of his time.”

“I’ve got a race coming up shortly,” Teague told him. “Come find me afterwards.”

“Will do.”

As Larkin turned to leave, she noticed Viper cast a look at Ella through the window. Her instincts stirred. Something about his eyes at that moment, about the way he looked at the incantor . . . It wasn’t the way a man would look at a stranger.

Huh. Weird. She made a mental note to revisit the topic of Viper with Ella at a later date. Right now, Larkin had a few things to do. More specifically . . . “I’m going to pop into Urban Ink to check on the girls. I’ll make my way to the stadium afterward.”

“You want to show them the brand,” Teague guessed.

She lifted one shoulder. “Maybe.”

Amusement gleamed in his eyes. “You like the thought of your brothers finding out second hand, because it’ll get them all riled up,” he correctly surmised. “I really am a super bad influence on you.”

She rolled her eyes at the delight in his voice. “I’ll see you soon. Good luck with your race.” With that, they parted ways.

Roughly ten minutes later, she was strolling into Urban Ink . . . just in time to watch Anaïs karate-chop Levi in the throat with a baby book, hard. The reaper sucked in a breath, rearing back. He coughed like a chain-smoker, shoving her into Tanner’s arms.

While the hellhound admonished his daughter as he strived to pry the book from her hands, Piper patted the back of a still-coughing Levi. She was also doing her best not to laugh. Harper, Khloë, and Raini were making no such effort. Even Knox was smiling.

Flushing, a sheepish Devon offered Levi a smile of apology. “Anaïs didn’t mean to hurt you, she doesn’t know her own strength yet, she was just playing—”

“Save it,” Levi bit out. “Don’t you dare laugh, Piper, it isn’t funny.” He coughed again, which only made his mate turn away, her shoulders shaking with a silent chuckle.

Grinning, Larkin crossed to the group. “That was one hell of a karate-chop.”

Harper knuckled away a tear. “I know, she hit him like a pro.”

“She didn’t do it on purpose,” Devon insisted, but everyone just cast the hellcat a disbelieving look.

Larkin swept her gaze over the males as she said, “I didn’t expect to see you all here.”

“We decided to stop by on our way to the rodeo show,” said Tanner.

Devon rounded on him. “You’re taking our daughter to a rodeo show? You want her to watch people get flung around by wild bulls? Seriously?”

He lifted his shoulders. “It always lulls her straight to sleep.”

The hellcat’s jaw dropped. “You’ve taken her before? How many times?”

Tanner cleared his throat. “Once. Maybe twice. Okay, six or seven times. But it’s hard to make her fall asleep. My opinion? Whatever works.” He turned to the rest of the group. “Am I right? We do what we must when . . . Is that what I think it is?” He leaned toward Larkin, trying to get a closer look at the parts of the brand that her tee failed to hide.

“Is what, what?” asked Harper, sliding closer to her.

“If you think it’s a brand, yes,” Larkin told Tanner.

Devon’s eyes went wide as she fairly shoved her friends aside to get a better look. “Oh my God, oh my God!”

Khloë came out from behind the desk and skirted the two males who’d been blocking her view. “I want to see, I want to see.” The imp’s brows shot up when Larkin pulled aside her collar a little to expose more of the brand. “Is that a hoof print?”

“Yup,” replied Larkin.

Raini hummed. “Well, now.”

Piper nodded. “Teague’s demon likes to make a statement.”

“Mine is no better, so . . . ” Larkin looked at Knox, Tanner, and Levi, finding them both staring at what little they could see of the brand. All three looked surprised, but not in a bad way. That was a relief, because if they had started to complain or anything she’d have been pissed.

Knox’s gaze lifted to hers. “As his demon branded you and you’re seemingly fine with it, I take it that your fake relationship somehow became real.”

Larkin’s lips parted.

“Which means my sneaky plan worked.” Smirking, Khloë nudged Piper. “Told you it would.”

Larkin spluttered. “Plan? What plan?”

Looking rather pleased with herself, Khloë folded her arms. “Remember the oaths I made Teague take? I did that to avoid ending up in a situation where he hurt one of my friends by making them feel used or something. But I would never have minded if he was serious about them. And I could see that he was totally into you. I could also see that it wasn’t a one-way street. I wanted you guys to have a shot at building something. You suit in a way that wouldn’t be obvious to people who don’t truly know him.

“But he avoids relationships like he’s allergic to them for a few reasons. He was never going to break that habit easily. So when Piper was like ‘oh, Larkin, use Teague as your fake boyfriend’, I saw an opportunity. I figured a case of forced proximity would make him cave. When he broke his word to me, I knew then that it was more than just sex for him. That brand shows that the same applies to his demon.”

For long moments, Larkin just stared at her, shocked. “I should have seen that you were plotting something—I mean, it’s not like that’s not usual for you. But I didn’t see it.”

“Neither did I.” Frowning, Harper looked from Devon to Raini. “Did either of you?”

They shook their heads, looking equally unhappy about it.

“How come you told Piper but not us?” demanded Raini.

Khloë gave an aloof shrug, her lips pursed. “I didn’t feel like it.”

Her mouth tightening, Harper set a hand on her hip. “You didn’t feel like it?”

“No,” replied Khloë, letting her arms slip to her sides. “And it wasn’t like you needed to know or anything.”

“It would have been nice for us to have known, though,” Devon clipped.

Khloë’s forehead wrinkled. “Why would you think I care about what you’d find nice? It’s like you—stop hissing at me!”

As Raini worked to soothed Devon, Levi turned to fully face Larkin. “Knox kept telling me that you and Teague were just acting, but for a while there I thought it might be real. You played me well.”

“I was annoyed about the matchmaking,” she explained. “I wanted you all to get off my case.”

He sighed. “Yeah, I get it. So, Khloë’s plan really worked? You and Teague are an actual couple now?”

“Yes.” Larkin bit her lip. “But he doesn’t know that yet, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell him.”

Levi laughed. “How can he not know that you’re a couple?”

“He thinks it’s all pretend.”

Tanner gave her a skeptical look. “I doubt it.”

Khloë snorted. “Teague has no idea what a relationship is. It’s very possible it hasn’t hit him yet that he’s smack bam in the middle of one. He’ll cotton on to it soon enough.”

Piper materialized at Larkin’s side. “How does your demon feel about all this?”

Larkin couldn’t help but smile. “It’s perfectly content.”

“Are you going to request that he join your lair?” Khloë asked her, her expression uneasy. “He might do it for you. But it would make him unhappy.”

Larkin already knew the latter. “I have no intention of asking that of him. Nor do I have any intention of leaving my lair to be a stray like him. I don’t see how either of those things could affect us. It’s not like we answer to different Primes. He doesn’t have one. He doesn’t answer to anyone. His clan has no leader.”

Pausing, she turned to Knox. “I will only ever answer to you, you’ll always have my unswerving loyalty, but . . . my loyalty will first and foremost be to Teague.”

Knox nodded. “As it should be. And it doesn’t concern me, if that’s your worry. I don’t believe that Teague would ever ask you to betray your lair. I won’t insist that he join, or that you leave. I only ask that you still keep certain things to yourself. Being loyal to someone doesn’t mean you need to share the secrets of others with them.”

She knew exactly what secrets he was most interested in keeping quiet—the majority were related to Asher. “I would never share someone else’s secrets without their expressed permission. Lair business will always be lair business, not Teague’s. By the same token, his clan business will always be clan business, not yours.”

Knox inclined his head. “Fair enough.”

Levi crossed his arms over his broad chest. “You know he might try to exit this relationship once he realizes you maneuvered him into one, right?”

Her entity snorted. “He can try. It would come to nothing. My demon won’t let him go anywhere.”

“It formed an attachment to him?” asked Raini.

“Oh, yeah.” A very strong one. It was the first time her demon had ever truly connected with anyone. “It intends to keep him. So do I. He’ll get used to it.”

Devon grinned. “I love how you quite simply decided you’d keep him. Like he’s a hat you found on the floor. And now he’s committed to you for life but has no clue. It’s just great.”

“Typical harpy—you’re all collectors,” Tanner teased.

“Personally, I don’t envision him trying to walk away,” said Piper.

“Neither do I,” Larkin told her. “He gave me a ride to the Underground on his bike this morning.”

Levi’s brows hiked up. “Then I’m no longer skeptical, because that is no minor act for a hellhorse.”

Khloë gave an excited nod. “It means that he and his demon trust you with their lives. That’s huge.”

“Yep,” agreed Raini. “He’s totally caught in your web. I can’t wait for the moment where he realizes he’s been shepherded into a relationship. I hope I’m there to witness it. If not, I’m going to want every detail.”

Larkin chuckled. “Maybe I’ll be kind enough to relay them, maybe not.” Ignoring Raini’s groan of complaint, she added, “Right, I’m off. Teague’s racing soon. I’m going to grab myself a spot near the finish line, which means getting there early.”

“Tell him we said congrats.” Piper shrugged. “It’s a given that he’ll win.”

“I’ll tell him. See you all later.”