Chapter Sixteen

Unexpected Fake Aunt Flow.

"Human females are strange." ~ Gage

Katy blinked against the bright sunlight as they exited the New Orleans airport. She fished out her phone and pressed on Lola's contact info, ready to hit the call button.

Gage shook his head when he noticed. "Best not to call. We don't know who could be listening." His arm settled around her shoulders as they headed for the taxi stand.

Katy nodded. "I'll just shoot her a text." Her thumbs moved deftly over the screen.

Katy: Eagle has landed. Bringing a special guest to the rendezvous point. You might want to warn your crew so no one attacks.

As the cab navigated the busy streets, Katy's phone buzzed with Lola's reply.

Lola: Roger that. Delayed departure due to unexpected fake Aunt Flow making a fake appearance. My mate and Nico have been sent on a mission to find clothes for Flow. The rest of us are dockside keeping your seats warm.

Despite her fatigue, Katy had to smother a laugh. Trust Lola to come up with the most ridiculous excuse to stall the bayou trip. Though she was immensely relieved their friends had not set out before they arrived. They needed to be sure that Nico wasn't in league with the Kingdom of Chaos.

Gage instructed the driver to head for the downtown harbor area. His sharp gaze vigilantly scanned their surroundings for threats. In the seat beside Katy, Zeena sat tensely, face turned away from the windows. Being back in her domain must have been nerve-wracking, especially since she'd been in hiding from her mate.

Katy reached over and patted Zeena's knee. "It's going to be okay. I feel it in my bones. That's something my grandmother used to say. And she said, if it was ‘in her bones,' that meant the matter was settled."

Zeena turned and looked at her. "Why are you so kind to me? I treated you with cruelty, allowed my mate to hold you captive, and yet you try to make me feel at ease when you should be angry at me."

Katy nodded and then shrugged. "Are any of us perfect? We all make mistakes. You think I've been kind to every customer that came in to No Name Pizza? Nope." Katy shook her head. "There were days when I gave attitude to even the nicest patrons simply because I was having a bad day. So show me a person in this world who hasn't made butthole decisions, and I'll give them a medal. Otherwise, we're all on a level playing field."

Zeena stared at her for at least thirty seconds and then blew out a breath. "All right." She clasped her hands in her lap. "If you're willing to give me a second chance, I'd be stupid to turn it away. So thank you."

"Absolutely." Something flowed through her that made her feel warm, not temperature wise, but just cozy and accepting. She turned to look at Gage and saw pride shining in his eyes as he stared at her. Katy mouthed the words, "Thank you," to him. He simply leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple. She soaked in the affection like a dried sponge.

The taxi ride passed in stiff silence until they reached a ramshackle pier, directions courtesy of a text from Callon. Katy peered anxiously at the figures clustered around the ancient boat. She recognized Bane's form, but there was another male and female she didn't know. Her eyes bounced all around, looking for Lola. Movement on her left drew her eyes, and she finally saw her best friend. Lola was lying on a bench that looked like it was about to collapse. They had made it in time. Even though she'd had confirmation from Lola, Katy still hadn't been able to relax until she saw her friend with her own eyes.

As soon as the taxi halted, Katy literally climbed across Gage's lap and burst from the cab, nearly falling forward. Thankfully, her mate had a firm grasp on her waist and didn't let her face-plant. When she was upright and stable, he released her, and she raced down the dock, heedless of Gage's startled rumble behind her. She had eyes only for the small redheaded figure on the deathtrap bench, watching their approach.

"Lola!" Katy shouted joyously, throwing her arms open.

Her best friend let out a delighted squeal, sprang up from the bench she'd been sprawled on, and sprinted to meet her. They collided in a fierce hug that nearly sent them both toppling over. Katy clung tightly, laughter mixing with relieved tears. It felt like forever since she had seen Lola, though barely a week had passed. So much had changed, but the comfort of her friend's embrace remained the same.

When they finally detached, Lola's excited babbling washed over Katy. "You're here! I can't believe my period trick actually worked. I mean, I was running out of ideas?—"

"I find that hard to believe," Katy challenged. "You are never one short on ideas."

They finally settled down, and Katy glanced around. "Where's Maddie?"

Lola scrunched up her face. "She may or may not be on a field trip with Roan."

Katy's eyes widened. "Is he still alive?"

"Don't know." Lola shrugged. "But since we haven't heard from her, I'm going with yes. He probably confiscated her phone. He's a little bit of a —"

"Tyrant?" Katy cut in.

Lola nodded. "I was going to say control freak, but we can go with tyrant." Then her eyes widened.

Katy started to ask what was wrong when she felt an arm come around her waist and pull her firmly against a hard chest.

"Could you please refrain from jumping from a moving vehicle and running across open areas before I've deemed them safe?" Gage's voice was gruff in her ear.

"So it's not just Callon?"

Katy shook her head, still held by the steel band that was her mate's arm. "If you're talking about the need to stick you in a bubble and treat you like you're a crystal glass, then no, it's not just Callon." Katy frowned. "Speaking of Callon… Where is the big lion?"

Lola's phone rang before she could answer. She grinned mischievously as she hit the answer key and then put it on speakerphone. "Hey." She sounded breathless.

"Why do you sound like you've been running?" Callon's deep voice came through the speaker. "Where have you been running? Are you safe? Where are my parents?"

"If you'd chill your ass out and give her a second to answer one of your questions, you might not destroy any more boxes of feminine products." Nico's voice came through the speaker as well.

Katy's brow rose as she looked at her best friend. "You really do have two guys buying you products for Aunt Flow?"

Lola grinned. "I'm a genius, I know."

"You can't put that box back on the shelf, you Neanderthal," Nico said. "You bust it, you buy it. Don't you know about shopping etiquette?"

Katy smirked. "Shopping etiquette? I don't even think I know shopping etiquette."

"Is that Katy?" Callon completely ignored his shopping partner. "Is Gage with her?"

"No," Katy answered. "I left him behind."

"Really?" Callon sounded confused.

"No, again." Katy snorted. "Do you really think he would let me leave him behind anywhere?"

"Fair enough." Callon sounded a little less alarmed than he had initially. There was a sound of something hitting the ground.

"You can't just throw those on the floor," Nico snapped. "And we agreed to get her one of everything since they don't have her usual brand."

Lola covered her mouth as she burst out laughing.

Katy held up her hand and gave her a high five. "You're my hero."

"She doesn't need the damn pads," Callon told the shaman.

"So she's a tampon-only kind of female?"

"Visata save me." They heard Callon mutter through the phone. "I really dislike discussing my mate's female business. Sazzi, don't ever use this as your way of stalling again."

"I make no promises," Lola quickly answered.

"Stalling?" Nico sounded very confused.

"I tried to tell you that something felt off." Another male voice came through the phone.

"That's Raphael, the demon," Lola explained.

Katy's brow rose. "You have two men and a demon buying you feminine products?" Katy realized what she'd just said and then grabbed Lola's hand. "A demon?"

Lola rocked back on her heels. "What can I say? I'm just that good."

Gage's chuckle vibrated against Katy's back. "I can't believe Callon allowed two other males to join him on the shopping trip."

"I did this for you and your female," Callon growled.

"And we really appreciate it," Katy quickly told him. "I'm still stuck on the demon."

"Most females are." Raphael's voice came through again.

"He's an incubus demon." Lola's eyebrows jumped up and down suggestively.

"Ohhh."

"No," Gage gritted out. "Not ohhh. There will be no ‘ohhhs' when talking about the demon."

Katy snorted but decided to cut her mate some slack.

"We're headed back," Callon said.

"So we're not buying any of this?" Nico sounded very put out.

"You can buy it for your future mate and wow her with how proficient you are at feminine product knowledge," Raphael offered.

"He's funny," Katy said.

Gage growled, and it was not a human sounding growl. "No. He's not."

Katy patted his arm. "My bad. He's totally not funny. Not even a little."

"Did you bring the former queen with you?"

"I came, Lion Prince." Zeena's voice sounded as regal as she looked in her long, green, flowing dress. All she needed was a crown, and no one would doubt that she was royalty of some kind.

"Female, stay out of trouble for ten minutes," Callon said, and then the call ended.

"Did he just tell me to behave?" Lola stared at the phone in her hand.

"They can't help it," Zeena told her, slipping hands into some hidden pockets of her dress. "Damarian males are protective."

"To the point of ridiculousness," another female joined the conversation.

"Katy." Lola held her hand out toward the woman. "This is Lyra, Prima of the Kingdom of Claws and Callon's mother. And the handsome man next to her is her mate and the Prime."

"It's very nice to meet you." Katy bowed her head at the pair.

"And of course, you know Bane," Lola pointed to the panther who had his arms folded across his chest as he leaned against a light pole.

"Good to see you again, Bane."

Bane simply inclined his head to her.

Katy's eyes narrowed suddenly as she realized someone very important was missing. "Where's Otto?"

Everyone turned to Lyra. She looked into a large purse hanging off her shoulder. After digging around for a minute, she looked back up and shook her head. "He's not in here."

Katy giggled. "He's been riding around in your purse?"

"Yes," Lyra answered.

They all turned to see a short figure sprinting awkwardly down the wooden boards toward them, his baggy clothes flapping. As he drew closer, Katy broke into a wide grin. "Otto!" Gage released his hold on her. She glanced at him and gave him a thankful smile.

The little lizard man skidded to a halt in front of her, grabbing her attention. He was breathing heavily. "My Katy! I gift you." He proudly held up a handful of threaded bracelets.

Katy knelt so she was at his eye level. "These are lovely. Thank you." She dutifully offered her wrist so he could tie on a bracelet. His small, clawed hands worked with surprising dexterity to knot the strands.

Glancing over, Katy noticed Lola already wore several of Otto's gifts on her own wrists. She moved her gaze up to Lola's face. Lola shrugged as if she didn't really understand the purpose of the gift, either.

When Otto had secured the last bracelet in place, Katy smiled fondly. "I really missed your goofy face."

He blinked large, round eyes at her. "Duh. Otto miss his Katy Girl, too." His bluntness drew a laugh from her.

"Not all yours," Gage spoke up, though his voice didn't sound threatening. It actually held amusement. Otto waved a hand at her mate as if he weren't concerned in the least that the huge Dire Wolf could eat him for a snack. Literally.

Impulsively, Katy pulled the little lizard dude into a gentle hug. He tensed briefly before giving her a few soft pats on the back. As she released him, Otto scampered quickly over to climb up Bane's large frame and perch upon his broad shoulders.

Bane angled a look up at his new passenger but made no move to dislodge Otto. Katy hid a smile. Clearly, they had all bonded some during this strange journey. It seemed Otto was able to win over even the stoic males of the bunch.

She rose and stumbled a bit, feeling all the blood rush to her feet. Gage caught her.

"Katy," Lola exclaimed, as she leaned forward to try to help.

Gage took her chin in his hand and turned her to look up at him. The worried look in his eyes made her gut clench. She needed more of his blood. She was getting worse. The length of time between necessary feedings was growing shorter.

"Where's a restroom?" Gage never took his eyes from her face.

"There's one around the corner." Lola pointed. "Though Callon sort of destroyed it."

"You're going to tell me about that later," Katy told Lola as Gage scooped her up and began walking in the opposite direction. "This won't take long," she said to the group, but unwilling to share what was about to happen. It was too intimate.

"It's not their business," Gage muttered.

Katy noticed that Bane had a hand on Otto's foot as if to hold him in place, and the lizard's mouth was moving. Otto looked like he wanted to come after her. Katy shook her head at him, hoping he'd understand. His small shoulders slumped forward, but he nodded back to her.

"Let's make it quick," Katy told her mate.

He set her down on her feet and cupped her face, a small smile on his handsome face. "You're the one who likes to drag it out."

Her face heated with a blush as she smacked his chest. "That may be, but it's rude to point it out."

Gage pushed the door open. "It's also rude to rush your male when he's trying to take care of you."

Katy rolled her eyes at his innuendo and then took stock of the interior of the bathroom. "D-a-a-a-m-m-n-n. What did Callon and Lola do in here?"

"I have a few ideas," Gage said suggestively.

Katy sighed. "Doesn't even matter the species, all men are the same."

Ten minutes later, Katy felt much better, and they rejoined the group. Callon and two other males had returned. Both of the newcomers were handsome, and odd, in different ways.

"Katy,"—Callon smiled--"it's good to see you looking well."

"You do look good," Lola agreed. "Better than you did when you got here."

"Are we ready to go?" Gage interrupted the moment that made her feel awkward. His hand wrapped around hers as he waited for an answer. There seemed to be a tenseness that hadn't been there before they'd stepped away.

"I'm not getting on a boat with these two until they prove they're not in league with the Kingdom of Chaos." Zeena pulled her shoulders back and raised her chin in challenge.

Nico's silver eyes widened, and the swirling within increased. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Wolfgang and Tallula asking me when they'd be getting their promised females from the Kingdom of Venom," Zeena answered.

Nico looked as if he'd been punched in the gut. "When did you see them?"

"Just a few days ago." Zeena placed her hands on her hips. "I was in the Las Vegas branch of the Chaos Kingdom, and they bumped into me in one of the casinos. Imagine my shock when they asked to speak with me alone, and that is what they said. So? Are you a part of their sick schemes?"

Nico's eyes hardened as he clenched his jaw. "I don't answer to you. You are the queen of nothing, and I won't stand here and be treated like I'm guilty of something so sickening."

"She is not the queen," a masculine voice spoke up, "but I am King, and your friend. For the sake of this mission, just answer her."

Katy's eyes widened, and all heads turned. She saw a man and woman standing behind them, and she had no idea when they'd arrived. "Is everyone else seeing the beautiful couple that are wearing snake crowns on their heads?"

"We do," Lola said. "You're not going crazy."

"Talbot." Nico's voice changed drastically as he addressed the man. "Rose, royalty looks good on you."

Apparently, this was the new king of the Kingdom of Venom. The demure female on Talbot's arm blushed and dropped her eyes. Her pink lips turned up in a small smile. "Thank you, Nico. It's good to see you."

"Not too good," Talbot said, gently.

"Good grief," Katy muttered. "It's like a damn disease."

Gage squeezed her hand. "Behave."

"That's not a word in my extensive vocabulary."

"Will you allow me to put everyone's worries at ease?" Talbot asked Nico.

The shaman didn't look pleased but finally nodded. "You might as well read Raphael as well. They won't trust him either because he's my friend."

The pair walked over to where Talbot and Rose stood. Talbot looked at Zeena. "Will this be enough proof?"

Zeena gave a curt nod. "I am glad it's you who is taking his place, Talbot." Katy could see genuine care in Zeena's eyes. "You've always had a kind soul."

Talbot inclined his head to her and then placed his hand on Nico's bare wrist. He held the gaze of the shaman, and after a good thirty seconds, Talbot released Nico.

"He has no ill intentions," Talbot said.

Katy raised an eyebrow. "How can you know that?"

"Visata has gifted me with the ability to see into the mind of a person when I touch them," the new Venom King explained. "I cannot read their mind, but I can feel their emotions and, if they're strong enough, even their intentions."

"Mmkay, just to be clear"—Katy pointed at him—"your dermis will never touch my dermis."

Lola scrunched up her nose. "When you put it like that, it sounds so dirty."

"I agree." Gage grunted. "Don't talk about your dermises together."

"That sounded even worse." Callon sounded offended on behalf of Gage.

"Can we please stay focused?" Zeena scolded.

Katy nodded. "My bad. I'm easily distracted."

Talbot ignored the entire exchange as he focused on Raphael. "You will be a little harder, so I will need to ask you questions regarding the situation."

"Why will he be harder?"

Katy was glad Lola was as inquisitive as her, so she wasn't the only one getting dirty looks from the impatient shifters.

"Because he's a demon. Essentially, all his intentions are evil," Talbot explained, without any of the annoyance that was on Gage's and Callon's faces.

"Not all." Nico's tone was sharp.

The incubus smirked, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Just don't ask me anything that has to do with the females present." Raphael looked at Rose. "Yours included. I'd like to keep my head attached to my body."

"Maybe don't be so honest out loud then," Katy offered.

Talbot gently pushed his mate slightly behind him as he took Raphael's offered wrist. "Have you had any contact with the king and or queen of the Kingdom of Chaos?" Talbot asked the demon.

"No."

"Have you had any recent dealings with Azure, the former king of the Kingdom of Venom?"

"No."

"Do you plan to have dealings with him?"

"Yes."

Talbot hissed.

Raphael lifted his chin, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "I plan to kill him … or applaud the one who does."

Zeena sucked in a sharp breath but said nothing. She simply stared at Raphael.

The Venom King tilted his head, his slitted eyes narrowing. "Why do you want him dead? Why does a demon care for the affairs of the Damarians?"

Raphael slipped his free hand into the pocket of his slacks. Not exactly bayou attire, Katy noted, and he lifted his chin as he looked at Talbot. "It is well known that Azure acquired dancers for his clubs. And in the beginning, how he acquired them was through honest dealings, and the females had a choice. But he got greedy. And since incubi tend to be greedy as well, he began working with some of my kind. They, of course, could easily coerce females to work for Azure. Women become addicted to us."

Katy bit her bottom lip as her hands curled into fists. She did not like where this story was going.

"I helped him briefly." Raphael shrugged. "But I never cared for Azure's personality. Sorry, Zeena, but he's a dick."

Zeena pursed her lips as she folded her arms across her chest. "I wish I could disagree with you."

"But," Raphael continued, "before I got out completely, I met a female."

"Oh snap," Lola muttered.

"I concur," Katy whispered, her eyes still focused on the demon.

"I realize that you Damarians like to think yourselves experts on all things demon." Raphael gave them a sharp smile. "But you are far from the experts you claim to be. Demons, too, can have mates. It is very rare. But it happens. And considering our nature, you can imagine how possessive we are of the one that is ours and ours alone."

Nico rested a hand on the incubus's shoulder and gave it a visible squeeze. His handsome features seemed severe as he frowned while watching Raphael.

"I told Azure this woman was mine. A female that he'd decided would become an animi by the power of his voodoo priestess and her dark magic. He told me I could have her when I found a replacement," Raphael bit out through sharp teeth. "When I returned with the female that would take my mate's place, I found the Kingdom of Venom mansion burned."

"Oh no." Katy shook her head as her stomach twisted, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.

Talbot's face contorted in pain as he continued to hold Raphael's wrist, making Katy wonder if he actually felt what the demon had.

"My mate was one of the women who died in the fire. If he'd given her to me when I'd asked, she wouldn't have been there. At first, I blamed Gage"—he turned and looked at Katy's mate—"but Nico reminded me of who was truly to blame."

Lola spoke up. "Why didn't you go after him on your own?"

Raphael cut his eyes to Nico before answering. "Because I am not an ancient royal shifter. Azure may be a complete jackass, but he's a powerful jackass. And I am not a fool."

Katy almost pointed out that working for Azure would totally refute that statement, but the pain he must have felt when he realized his mate was dead was still heavy on his shoulders, so she kept her sharp tongue in place.

"He tells the truth." Talbot released the demon's wrist.

Zeena inclined her head to the Venom King. "I accept your findings. And Raphael"—she looked at the demon—"I am very sorry for your loss."

Katy saw the pain in Raphael's eyes, and she wondered if it was wrong to feel bad for a demon.

"Not to intrude on the moment," a gruff-looking man said from beside the rickety boat, "but, daylight's wasting, folks. We shoving off or what?"

That spurred everyone into motion. Their odd company filed onto the boat. Otto had settled himself regally at the bow, his head swiveling and his eyes taking in everything. As the dock fell away, Katy moved to stand beside Gage at the railing. Silently, they watched the bayou drift by, tangled trees leaning close as if to snatch unwary travelers. She shivered.

"This place feels alive," Katy murmured uneasily.

Lola stood on her other side and shook her head. "I was getting the exact opposite feeling. The deeper we go, the more this place oozes death vibes."