Chapter Twenty-One

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Prowling towards Leticia, the feline peeled back its upper lip, baring its venom-tipped fangs. It snapped its teeth, and she flinched.

“Oh no, there’s no way you’re getting near me with those teeth.” Leticia pushed off the wall. “You’re one scary-looking bitch, I’ll give you that. You’ll also be a dead scary-looking bitch when I’m done with you.” She flicked her hand, and power slashed out like a knife. The feline moved fast, avoiding the blow. Porcelain shattered as the scalpel-sharp energy sliced right through the empty mug.

The feline sneered at her poor effort but didn’t retaliate. It wanted to play with its prey a little before it killed this bitch who had sent Devon back to a time in her life that had almost destroyed her. Oh, the female would pay for that.

Control and power were important things to her—the demon could sense it. So it would show her just how much weaker she was than the feline; would take away the control she needed; would make her feel a terror so thick she could choke on it, just as Devon once had.

Backing away, Leticia made an exasperated sound in the back of her throat. She flicked out her hand again. The feline ducked, and the curtain rod behind it clanged to the wooden floor as the power severed it.

Leticia’s fingers retracted like claws. “For fuck’s sake!”

She struck out again and again. Wicked fast, the feline ducked and dodged, evading each one. Glass splintered as pictures fell to the floor. The coffee table toppled after one leg was shaved off. The sofa dipped after it was almost sliced in two. Each time the harbinger missed, the feline would sneer or let out a chuff of disgust.

Still, Leticia redoubled her efforts. Items fell, crashed, shattered, and snapped. But the feline remained untouched.

It sniffed at her and twitched its tail, communicating how very unimpressed it was. The harbinger’s heart was pounding hard and fast now with a fear that the feline delighted in. The scent of said fear was wafting from her like the sweetest perfume, making satisfaction unfurl in the demon’s belly.

Licking her lips, she looked to Eric for the briefest moment, as if to ask him for help, but he was still engaged in a struggle with Finn. “Will you just fucking die!” Leticia flicked her hand hard, and a wave of sharp power slightly scoured the feline’s flank, shaving off fur but not cutting into flesh.

The demon bared its fangs and scratched at the floor with its paw. It sent Leticia a telepathic image of herself lying dead in a puddle of her own blood. Then it pounced.

Leticia backpedaled fast and skirted the sofa, placing it between them as if it would protect her. The feline chuffed in disdain at her cowardice.

A loud cry of sheer agony burst out of Finn. The hellcat looked to see the male clutching at a heavily bleeding chest wound. Devon pushed to the surface, worried for him; urging the demon to help—

A blazing pain sliced the feline’s ear, almost ripping it off. Redhot fury surged through its veins. It leaped on top of the sofa and roared, letting out a thin stream of fire that rippled along the rug and licked up Leticia’s pants, chewing the material.

She squealed in shock. A wave of Leticia’s hand put out the flames, but the feline could smell charred flesh, knew it had scored a hit.

Cheeks flushed with anger, eyes bright with fear, Leticia tossed a series of hellfire orbs in quick succession—one, two, three. The first two missed. The third slammed into the feline’s shoulder; it was like being bit by a boiling hot rock, and it made the demon awkwardly slide off the sofa. It landed on its feet, hissing at the burn on its shoulder.

Ignoring the pain, the demon leaped over the sofa and roared again, directing more flames at its prey. But Leticia had already scrambled backwards and put distance between them. Still, the fire licked at her bare arm.

She screamed as the searing heat scorched her, making blisters pebble her flesh. “You fucking—”

The feline dived at Leticia, knocking her flat on her back. She held the feline’s head in place with both hands, screaming as it clawed at her belly; ripping, burning, and charring her skin with its flaming paws. The smell of her blood and terror only spurred it on.

It shook its head hard, trying to break free of her grip so it could sink its teeth into her throat, but she held it firm. The feline kept on shredding her stomach with its claws, slicing it open and tearing at her insides until its paws were slick with her blood.

Her screams faded, her eyes clouded, her grip weakened … and the demon sank its hard-as-steel, razor-sharp teeth into her throat and yanked, ripping it out.

“Fuck, no!”

Something heavy careened into the demon’s flank, sending it skidding along the floor. Seeing Eric bent over Leticia, the demon righted itself and bared its blood-stained fangs at him.

Eric’s fists clenched as he turned to the feline, his eyes blazing. “You fucking killed her.”

The feline’s head whipped to the side as a psychic blow slammed into its head, almost dazing it. With a chuff, the demon gave its head a little shake, clearing its cloudy vision … and saw that every bit of glass from the floor was hovering in the air. A muscle in Eric’s cheek jumped, and then the pieces of glass rocketed toward the feline and sank into its skin.

The feline bucked with a roar of agony as pricks of pain stabbed its head, flanks, neck, legs, and paws. The shards sank deep, one even went down its ear. The larger pieces were wedged into the feline’s skin, but there was nothing the demon could do to pull them out. Blood soaked its—

A psychic blow to its spine made its legs crumple, and the feline landed on its stomach. Then Eric was straddling its back, pummeling it with fists that felt like slabs of granite, driving the pieces of glass deeper—so deep some scraped bone and pierced organs.

“Fucking, fucking, fucking bitch!” He yanked out a large chunk of glass from the feline’s paw, making it roar. “She was mine.” He stabbed the glass deep into the feline’s neck. Roughly pulled it out. Stabbed it again. And again. And again. And again.

Curling his arm around the feline’s head, he wrenched it back and pressed the sharp piece of glass to its throat. “She wanted to slit this right open, you know. That’s how she wanted you to die, so that’s what’s gonna happen.”

The feline roared fire into his face. Screaming, he dropped the glass and fell back. The demon righted itself, turned—

Eric was snatched from the floor by some unseen force and flung at the wall. A familiar guttural growl split the air just as a large hellhound launched its body at Eric, its veins glowing as if filled with liquid fire.

Breaths sawing in and out of its body, scratching at its dry throat, the feline watched with grim satisfaction as its mate mauled and mangled the other male, chomping through bone, digging out organs, and tearing off limbs. It butchered Eric just as it had butchered Lockwood, even stripping the skin from his face.

Then, chest heaving, muscles quivering, the hellhound turned to the feline, who only stared right back at it. Tiny red embers danced around the hound’s body as it stalked toward the feline, sniffing and rumbling.

“We need to get the glass out,” Knox said.

“I can do it with my telekinesis,” said Levi. “But it’s gonna hurt the hellcat, so Tanner’s hound had best make sure its mate doesn’t go for my throat.”

Then it was like a vacuum was aimed at the feline, ripping every bit of glass right out of its body. It roared, legs trembling. And then the hound was there, licking the feline’s wounds.

“Sorry, but it’s just plain weird seeing a hellhound tend to a hellcat like that,” stated Levi. “Plain. Weird.”

“Hopefully Devon can explain what happened here later,” said Knox. “First, we’d better call in some people to clean this place up. And someone needs to check on Finn—he seems to be out cold, and he’s in a bad state.”

*

It was the feel of fingers playing with her hair that woke her. Lying flat on her stomach, Devon forced her heavy eyelids open. Tanner was sitting beside her on the mattress, toying with the ends of the clump of curls in his hand.

As if he felt her eyes on him, he looked down at her. A warm, lazy smile softened his mouth. “Hey, kitten. Nice to see you awake.” He bent over and pressed a lingering kiss to her temple.

“Hey,” she breathed. It was all she managed to get out. God, she was dog-tired. She could only guess that he’d brought her to bed, since she didn’t remember much after shifting back to her own form. The mix of psychic exhaustion, blood loss, and the adrenaline crash had knocked her clean out.

“Brought you coffee. Think you’ve got enough energy to sit up and drink it?”

“No,” she pretty much grunted. Okay, fine, she just didn’t want to get up yet. “But I can prop myself up on my elbows.” Devon went to push herself upwards, but then she winced as she felt the pull of several injuries.

Tanner softly cursed. “You need to move slow or you might reopen some of those wounds. It pisses me off that I can only heal injuries I inflict.”

Devon carefully propped herself up on her elbows and then gratefully took the mug he handed her. She took a sip and almost groaned with happiness. He made damn good coffee. After a few more sips, she asked, “Was I out a while?”

“Six hours straight,” he replied, lying on his side and planting his elbow on the pillow. “You started fussing a few minutes ago—you always do that about ten minutes before you wake up.”

“You watch me sleep?”

“Sometimes.” He slid his hand up her bare spine and hooked it around her nape. “You purr in your sleep. It’s cute. I like it.”

She grunted again and took another sip of her drink. He didn’t natter away while she finished her coffee; he gave her a few minutes to shake off her usual morning mood. But he also didn’t give her any space. He burrowed closer, tracing her skin with his fingers, snaking his hands over her, and pressing kisses here and here—careful never to touch her injuries.

Normally, she’d grumpily bat his hand away until she’d had a chance to properly wake. Today, she allowed it, because she sensed he needed this. Needed to touch her and reassure himself that she was fine.

“I’m sorry I didn’t get to you sooner.”

She frowned at the dumb, gruffly spoken apology. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

“I should have gotten here sooner,” Tanner insisted, feeling his chest tighten as he remembered the state her feline had been in when he arrived—patches of her fur were soaked in blood, her unique eyes were dull with pain, and pieces of glass were sticking out of her like porcupine quills. “I would if I could have done.” He told her what happened at the hotel, and her face paled.

“You were almost blown up by a bomb?”

He massaged her nape and soothed, “I’m here, I’m fine, same as you.”

“That’s not the point. You could have fucking died. Shit.”

He rested his forehead against hers. “You have no idea how horrible it was to be unable to reach you when I knew you were in danger.” The guilt, panic, and fear hadn’t yet left him. It was only the sight of her there—alive and well—that kept him calm.

“You’d have felt that I was in danger sooner if it wasn’t for Leticia’s incantor-friend. She used magick on me and Finn …” Devon’s eyes widened. “Shit, how is he?”

Hesitating to answer, Tanner stroked her hair. “I’m sorry, kitten, it’s not looking good. Eric savaged him. But Finn has doctors from his lair working on him. Spencer promised to keep me updated.”

She swallowed. “I should have helped him instead of toying with Leticia. I didn’t realize Eric was that strong—I thought Finn could take him.”

“Of course you’d assume that—Finn’s a goddamn Prime, for God’s sake. Don’t be stupidly feeling guilty.” He took the empty mug from her hands and set it on the nightstand. “Want to tell me what happened earlier?” he asked, skimming his hand down her arm. “You don’t have to yet if you don’t feel like talking about it.”

She took a deep breath. “Well, Finn came to visit …”

Tanner listened intently as she gave him the full story. His stomach twisted tighter and tighter with each word she spoke. “Fuck.” He pressed his lips to her head, exhaling hard out of his nose. “Should’ve stayed with you.”

She grabbed his wrist. “No, you shouldn’t have. You’re a sentinel, it’s your—”

“You’re more important to me than a fucking position, kitten.”

Her breath seemed to catch in her throat, and she bit her lip. “You couldn’t have known what would happen when you left. You thought I was safe. I should have been safe. Everything that happened was because of Leticia, not because you weren’t here. Besides, you got here in time to deal with Eric.”

His eyes flared. “The fucking asshole died too easily.”

“Your hound butchered him.”

“He deserved worse. I swear, my vision went red when I got to the apartment and saw him stabbing your feline. My hound lost its fucking mind and took over before I had a chance to fight the shift. That pissed me off, because I wanted to kill the son of a bitch myself.”

“Don’t start mentally kicking your ass. I’m okay. You’re okay. That’s what matters.”

He massaged her head, digging his fingers into her scalp just hard enough to feel good. “Fuck, I love you.”

Devon’s heart slammed against her ribs, and she felt her nose prickle. “Yeah?” It was a shaky question.

He smiled. “Yeah.”

“Good. I love you right back.” He kissed her, licking into her mouth, demanding a response. She gave it to him, moaning as he took her mouth in a soft, deep, drugging kiss that made her toes curl.

Then her phone rang.

Pulling back, he sighed. “I’ve been fielding calls from people, telling them you’d call them back when you were awake. Gertie has called eight times. I assured her that you’re okay, but she’s worried about you. I think she’ll need to hear your voice before she believes you’re truly fine.”

“I’ll return the calls after you’ve made me come.”

He smiled. “Later. Some of your wounds are still a little raw. Don’t pout,” he added, chuckling. “Come on, let me feed you and then you can make your calls. My guess is some of those people, especially your parents, will want to see you. After they’ve all gone, I’ll put you to bed and make you come with my fingers and mouth before I fuck you. Deal?”

She pursed her lips. “Works for me.”