Chapter 13

A fter that little revelation, Tori passed out.

She always did have a dramatic flare , I think to myself as I watch her sleep. She would find the fact that I was watching her sleep hilarious. I can almost hear her calling me a creepy peeping Tom.

We're back at the Moon River compound now, as we had deemed it safer than the Long Claw gym. Being in the centre of the city makes it easy to access, but also makes it more difficult to hide things, like carrying an unconscious woman without attracting attention. The Moon River compound is in the middle of the woods and well-guarded, so there is less chance of prying eyes discovering something they shouldn't.

It'd been difficult getting Tori back here. Max and Ben's protective instincts had been riding them hard, and they wouldn't let me anywhere near her for some time, especially when my guys turned up to assist. Eventually, I convinced them to help me move her, and we managed to get her back here.

Now, she's safely in one of the spacious meeting rooms, stretched out on one of the comfortable sofas, her head resting in Max's lap as he runs his hands through her curly hair. His eyes watch the corners of the room suspiciously, like his enemies are hiding there. Ben is sitting at the other end of the couch with Tori's legs resting in his lap, his adoring gaze never once leaving her face as he waits for her to wake. Curled up on the floor in his bear form is Jake. From what Alpha Philips told me, he's been in his bear form since I saw him earlier, and they haven't been able to coax out his human side. They had to tranquilize him to transport him here, and I know there had been some murmurs about not letting him in the room with Tori while he was in his bear form. Killian had stepped in then, explaining that a mated pair would never harm their mate, it would be like harming themselves, and separating them would only make things worse.

Standing at the window, I stare into the room, still sure what I'm seeing is a dream. Knowing she's back here and safe is just starting to hit me. Tori was dead, she died in my arms, I saw it, so how is it possible that she's here? She's obviously something other now, but she's still Tori, right?

Turning, I smile as I see my guys on the sofas in the communal area. Alex and Seb are fast asleep, leaning against each other. A grouchy-looking Killian is trying to stay awake, but I can see his heavy eyes closing, only to startle awake a moment later. His gaze lands on me, then the pattern to repeats every few seconds. Garett stands next to me, his eyes locked on his brothers, his body stiff with tension. Slipping my hand into his, my eyes fall on Tori again and I shake my head, my calm starting to slip.

"How's this possible?" My words are whispered, but Eric hears them and pushes away from the wall he's been leaning against. He hasn't said a word since I first saw Tori, giving me space as I processed, but I need answers. Turning to face him, I see he's watching Tori with a frown.

"Tori must've been part demon," he concludes, pulling his eyes from my sleeping friend and stepping closer as he feels my distress down our bond.

"What do you mean, must've been? Can't you sense this sort of thing?" My frustration and confusion are easy to hear, and I wince, realising I'm taking it out on Eric. "Sorry, I just…I'm so confused."

Brushing away my apology, he steps even closer, pressing up against my side, and rests his forehead against mine. His hand rubs soothing circles against my back. "Don't apologise. You're right—usually, yes, I would be able to sense if someone was a demon. But one of her parents must have been a death demon."

I rub my brow to ease the ache that's settled there as I try to work through my thoughts. What the hell is a death demon? Weren't they all involved in death one way or another? "I don't understand," I admit with a sigh, my eyes landing once again on my sleeping best friend. The friend that, until an hour ago, I believed dead.

"Death demons look like me and you, but they collect the souls of the dead. You've probably heard of them as reapers." Eric's tone has taken on that of a teacher as he explains, as if he isn't talking about my best friend.

"As in the Grim Reaper?" The exclamation is out of my mouth before I can stop it as I spin around to face him, startling the others awake in the process.

"I thought reapers were a myth," Garett murmurs, rubbing his hand across his face as he tries to chase away his exhaustion. I can tell he's happy that his brothers have found their mate, but finding out that said mate is a death demon is worrying him. I'm not so worried about them, I know Tori would never harm them, but I have very little knowledge on demons and I've never even heard of death demons before.

"There haven't been any for hundreds of years. The thing with death demons is that their powers don't fully come in until they die. Their human side has to die for the demon to be born. Tori is a completely different matter, since she was a witch. She already had magic. Did she ever show skills that were unusual for a witch to possess?" Listening to his explanation makes something within me click, and I think back to her summoning hellhounds and how the other witches tended to shun her. It all made so much more sense now.

"So, she did die? They did kill her?" My words are quiet, void of emotion as an inky rage starts to build up within me.

"Yes, the human part of her died, and then the demon side was born." Like a phoenix rising from the ashes.

Shaking my head again, I look over at Tori's sleeping form. "What does this mean? Is she still the same Tori?"

"Will she be dangerous?" Killian asks, pushing up from the couch, fully involved in the conversation now that the question of my safety has come up.

Sighing, Eric shrugs. "This is new to me, I've never met a death demon, especially not one who was part witch. I didn't even know that was possible. I was born a demon, this is all I've ever known." Looking over at her, he tilts his head to the side as he considers something. "I've known of a few half demons coming into their powers though, and helped them adapt. She'll need to learn how to control her powers, sate her new appetites."

An unhappy grumble comes from the male next to me. "Appetites? What do you mean? Will my brothers be safe?" Garett inquires with a frown.

"Well, demons don't eat food to feed…" Suddenly feeling awkward, Eric shrugs, avoiding my bear's piercing gaze. "Your brothers will help anchor her, they will help her regain control and feed her…other appetites." My eyebrows shoot up in surprise. I know exactly what he means by that, but apparently, not everyone else does.

"What the hell does that mean?" Garett demands, seeming to fill the space as he gets frustrated. Placing my hand on his chest, I murmur softly to help calm his bear, and while he doesn't look at me, I can feel him relax a little under my palm.

"Demons have a rather high sex drive. If they can help curb that, then it will help her overcome the urge to satisfy her other needs." I can only guess that since Tori is a death demon, her ‘other urges' will involve death.

"Wait, is she the one who was behind the death of the ASP agents? You said it felt like a baby demon was behind the power surges." I don't mention the odd feelings Seb has been throwing out recently, but I know he wouldn't be able to kill those agents though. But this new Tori?

Grim faced, Eric nods. "Her power signature matches the one found on the bodies. She probably doesn't even remember doing it, her demon would have been fully in control, acting purely on instinct."

Shuddering, I take a step away from everyone, suddenly feeling crowded. My gaze once again falls on my sleeping best friend. Looking at her, you would never know she's anything other than human. "I feel like this is some sort of fucked-up dream, and any moment, I'm going to wake up."

Seb pushes up from the couch, walks over to my side, and wraps his arms around me before pulling me into his chest. "You've got your best friend back, that's good, right?"

I hide my face, burying it into his chest. "Do I? Is she still the Tori that I knew and loved?"

"Isn't it better that you get that chance at all?" Seb counters softly, and I know he's right, feeling guilt eating at my insides. I just started to accept that she's gone, and then she comes back, but she isn't who I thought she was. Sighing, I pull away and look up at him, his usual grin absent.

"When did you get so smart? It's…just difficult to get my head around," I divulge, but I know I don't really need to explain it to him. Seb would never judge me.

I look around the room, seeing the guys leaning against the walls, yawning, and I glance down at my watch and let out a curse. It's almost two in the morning. We had been out all night, not to mention that we met up with ASP this morning. No wonder we're all exhausted .

"Come on, guys, we all need some sleep," I suggest, and they all nod in agreement. I watch as my three wolves all head towards the door, then turn and see Garett making himself comfortable on the couch facing the window on the room Tori and his brothers are in. "You coming?" I ask with a small, knowing smile.

As he shakes his head, I walk over and kiss him goodnight, running my hands through his hair as I pull away. "No, I want to stay, make sure they're okay," he replies, squeezing my hand before I start to leave the building, wishing him a sweet dreams as I leave.

Following behind the guys, I notice as Eric breaks off from the others, heading towards the building he now calls his own. Frowning, I send a thought down the bond to Killian, telling him not to wait up, and from the sleepy feeling of agreement he sends in return, I know he won't be waiting up for me for too long.

Eric's house isn't far from where I live in the medical building. As the pack's doctor, he wanted to be close in case of any emergencies, but hadn't moved in with me or the other guys yet.

I'm sure he's heard me following him, I haven't made any effort to hide the sounds of my footsteps, but he makes no indication of it or slows his steps. Reaching the small porch to his house, he climbs the stairs and finally turns to face me. His face is guarded, like he's about to deliver bad news. My steps falter and a frown crosses my face at his expression.

"Eric?" My voice is quiet as an irrational fear twists through my mind that Tori is better suited to him, that he's going to tell me he's leaving.

"I'm sorry." His response makes me feel sick, but I won't let him see that.

"What for?" My question is curt, my body vibrating with tension as I wait for his answer. His face falls, and he takes a small step away from me, like he's expecting a bad reaction from me. I've never seen Eric act this way, and it's confusing me. What exactly is going on here?

"I know this isn't the life you wanted for Tori, to be a demon like me, but I promise I'll try and help her in every way I can," he states with his doctor's voice, and I wait for him to give me the bad news. There's always bad news when he uses that tone.

"Thank you, I appreciate that," I respond, still standing at the bottom of his porch steps. Eric waits, as if expecting me to say something else, and a soft frown crosses his face when it doesn't come.

"So," he starts, and I brace myself for his rejection. "You're not bothered that Tori's a demon?"

Wow, okay, not what I was expecting him to say. I pause for a second and think about his question. "Look, it's not what I expected, but I have a chance to have Tori in my life again. That's something I hadn't thought possible. I know things are going to be different, but I'm going to make the most of it," I reply honestly. I have no idea what Tori's future is going to be like now, or if she will even still be the Tori I knew, but I'll be damned if I'm going to abandon her now when she needs me the most.

Eric smiles, his face warming as he takes a small step towards me. "You're a good friend. I know many people that would turn away a demon, even if it had been someone they knew and loved before."

"She's family," I say with a shrug, as if it's as simple as that, and truthfully, it is that simple. She was the first person to see me for who I was when I arrived here, to look past my hard exterior. She didn't turn her back on me then, and I won't do that to her now.

Shaking his head, Eric smiles at me as I start walking up the porch steps towards him.

"You're amazing." His smile is still there, but I can hear a hint of awe in his voice that makes me feel uncomfortable. Shrugging, I take the last few steps between us until only a few inches separates us. I turn away and lean against the porch railing, looking out into the woods that surround us.

"I thought you were going to tell me you couldn't be with me anymore." The admission makes my cheeks flush when I realise I sound like a teenager. It's not like Eric and I had even taken steps towards that type of relationship yet, but for some reason, his next response feels like it's really important.

"What? What gave you that idea?" I can feel him turn towards me at his exclamation, his eyes boring into the side of my face, but I refuse to turn around, keeping my eyes locked on to the trees. "Is that why you looked so uncomfortable?" His question has me shrugging nonchalantly.

"Well, now that Tori is here and she's the same as you… She's so beautiful and powerful," I murmur, like the words aren't tearing me up as I speak them.

"She is powerful," he agrees, his hand landing on my shoulder as he spins me around to face him. He places a gentle hand on my chin to bring my gaze up to meet his. "But I don't have a bond with her, I have a bond with you ." His blue eyes start to glow with his power, and my skin tingles as he runs his hand up and down my arm. Little sparks of electricity leap from his fingers onto my skin. "It's you I want, and not just because some mystical bond is telling me to."

"Is it possible to reject the bond?" My voice is breathless as I speak, my body tingling with the promise of his power.

"Yes, it's not pleasant, but it is possible," Eric answers, and I can see his focus narrow on my flushed face before his eyes drop to my neck, where he can undoubtedly see my pulse pounding under my skin.

I don't know if it's the stress of the day or the shock of finding Tori, but I need physical comfort, to feel someone holding me. Turning from the woods, I face Eric, taking a final step towards him and closing the gap between up. I raise my arms and drape them over his shoulders, my chest pressing against his. His eyes heat with desire, and I feel another wave of his power roll over me.

"I don't know if this is a good idea. My demon is close to the surface tonight, I don't know how much I can control him if we…" He trails off, his eyes falling to my lips .

"You won't hurt me." My voice is sure and certain, but he snorts at my words.

"Ari, I'm a pain demon." His face twists as he speaks, but I can still see the desire in his eyes.

"I trust you."

For a fraction of a second, I think he's going to turn me away, but he surges forward, melding our lips together with a soft groan, his hands pulling me close. Like a woman drowning, I return his kisses, the desire and need building up until it's like a roaring fire beneath my skin. We've been denying our feelings and lust for each other for so long that it's like we have finally broken the dam, and the more I touch him, the more I need him. It's been building within me since I discovered that we had a bond. Sure, I've always thought he was good-looking and he may have entered my fantasies, but I never thought he was an option for me.

Pulling away, Eric holds me at arm's length, his eyes glowing blue with the power of his demon. "If we keep going, I'm not going to be able to stop, my demon won't let me."

"Don't stop," I whisper with a shudder of pleasure.

This seems to break his control, and he pulls me into his arms again. At some point, we move into the house and make it upstairs, a tangle of limbs as shoes and clothes are stripped off. Reaching the doorway to his room, I pull away and cross the threshold, staring at the neatly made bed.

Standing in just my underwear, I can feel as he steps behind me. The heat of his body reaches mine as he steps closer, the little hairs on my skin standing on end as I feel the crackle of his power touch me.

"Don't move," he instructs, his voice deep, and I know his demon is taking control right now. A single finger touches the back of my neck and slowly drags down the length of my spine. With me facing away from him, I have no idea what he's doing behind me, and that turns me on all the more as his nails drag along my flesh. His large, warm hands come to my shoulders, his nails scraping down until he reaches the strap to my bra, slicing it open with a claw. The bra falls away and exposes my full breasts. An animalistic groan leaves his lips as he presses himself against my back, kissing along the length of my neck as his hands slide around to cup my breasts. My head falls back, and a breathy moan leaves my lips as he gently bites down on my shoulders, the slight prick of pain only turning me on more.

Suddenly, he steps away from me, and I feel the loss of his touch tear through me as a keening sound tries to work its way up my throat.

"Lay on the bed," he commands, and I turn my head to look over my shoulder, quirking an eyebrow at him. I've never followed orders well, but seeing the little smirk on his lips and glowing eyes makes me shiver with pleasure. He hasn't changed into his demon form, but his nails and teeth look sharper, and the most telling sign he's close to losing control is his glowing eyes and strong waves of power that keep washing over me.

Deciding to do as I'm told, I walk over to the edge of his large, king-sized bed, crawling up onto all fours as I make my way to the headboard, fully aware of his eyes on my ass as I move. Making sure my movements are exaggerated, I pull up the pillows before turning around and settling myself at the top of the bed, crossing my ankles as I smirk at him, waiting for his next move.

Stalking towards me, Eric undoes the leather belt that's holding up his denim jeans and wraps the belt around his fist before pulling the length of it, as if testing its strength before placing the belt on the bed. At some point, he lost his shirt—most likely it's been discarded with the other clothing and shoes on the way to the bedroom—so I'm able to watch his abs bunch up as he leans down to slide off his jeans. Eric isn't the most muscular of my men, but you can tell from the definition of his six-pack that he works out. He stands at the end of the bed in only his boxers, then climbs up and crawls towards me, looking every inch the predator hunting for his next meal .

As he reaches me, I lean forward to press a kiss to his lips, but he stops me with a hand on my shoulder, pressing me back down onto the bed. Hovering over me, he leans down, and I get the kiss I wanted before he pulls back, biting down on my lower lips before he begins kissing a trail down my chin to my neck and then down to my breasts. He settles himself over me and snakes one hand up to my breast, his fingers finding my nipple, twisting and pinching it into a stiff peak. His touch is almost painful as little sparks of his power flutter against my skin. His mouth descends on my other nipple, his tongue flicking over the sensitive nub. Before long, my skin starts to get overly sensitive, but before I even finish my thought, Eric is pulling away, moving down my body and grasping my underwear with his fingers, pulling them down as he moves. His nails gently scrape down my legs as he removes them, the pressure almost at the point of pain, but he always pulls away just as I think the feeling is too much.

He settles between my legs and pushes them apart, his glowing eyes staring appreciatively before he lowers his head to my core, pressing kisses to the inside of my thighs as he works his way up. I can't hold back the contented sigh as he kisses my clit, his tongue flicking against it in a fast motion. My hands fist the bedsheets to keep myself from reaching out to Eric—to stop him or encourage him, I'm not sure. The movement causes Eric to look up from between my legs, his eyes narrowing as he licks his lips.

"Don't move." It's easy to hear the order for what it is, his voice firm and authoritative. The rebellious voice in me says I never usually do what I'm told, so why start now, especially when I already followed his earlier command? However when he presses his mouth back to my clit, flicking it with his tongue, the will to fight leaves me, my bones turning to jelly as pleasure runs through me.

A gasp of pleasure escapes me as he slides a finger inside before curling it up, flicking that sweet spot before pulling it out slowly. He continues this with excruciating slowness, causing a growl to leave my lips as he laughs.

"Greedy," he admonishes, but slides in a second finger, alternating between kissing, licking, and nibbling at my clit. The building pressure is driving me crazy, Eric's administrations to my body slow and teasing. Another growl leaves my lips, my wolf close to the surface, and I raise my hand to my breast. Pulling away, Eric tuts, his face disappointed, but his eyes are alight with excitement.

"I told you to stay still," he scolds, his hands going to my hips and flipping me on the bed. His hands grab my arms, and he wraps his belt around my wrists.

"You don't want to do that," I warn, but he just chuckles as he tightens the leather around my arms. Feeling him step away, I test my new bindings. They're tight and firm, but not tight enough that it's cutting off circulation.

"Yes, I really do. I did warn you." His voice deepens as I feel another wave of his demon power. Something about it stirs my wolf. I'm not sure if it's because of his demon magic or if it's because we have a bond, but it's making her restless and I can feel her pacing beneath my skin.

I feel him position himself and know he's going to enter me from behind. I've done doggy style before, but for some reason, my wolf wants to be on top, to see the demon that's about to claim her as his, pushing my dominant side to the surface. With a growl, I access that supernatural strength and pull at my bindings. In one sharp move, I break the belt around my wrists, knowing that if I was human or even a lower-level wolf, I wouldn't have been able to do this, or at least not without hurting myself.

Spinning around, I grab him by the shoulders and twist, throwing us both onto the bed with me landing on top of him. I can see my glowing eyes reflected in his, so I know my wolf is close.

Eric briefly looks shocked before a grin appears on his face. "Oh, so we're going to play it that way?" His eyes dance with mischief as his arms tangle with mine, then he locks his legs around me so our bodies are pressed together before flipping us over and pressing his lips to mine as his hands skim my body. Moving my hands to his back, I run my nails down his bare skin, enjoying the shudder that runs through him as his kiss deepens. His hand moves down between us as he positions himself and slides into me in one smooth move, both of us groaning as he fills me completely. Pulling back, he rolls his hips as he moves within me, his eyes on mine as a wave of his power washes over me. I should be used to his power by now, but this feels different, and each time he pounds into me, my skin tingles. But it's more than that, like electricity is dancing along my skin, and I look down at my arm, half expecting to see little blue sparks, but it looks normal.

"Eyes on me," he calls out, and my eyes snap to his. Not because he demanded it, but to narrow my gaze at him for thinking he can order me around. I open my mouth to comment, but just at that moment, he picks up his pace and the little zapping on my skin increases with his movements, almost to the point of pain, but not quite enough for me to shout out.

Wrapping my arms around him again, I throw my weight and spin us so I'm pinning him to the bed, my wolf pleased that we are once again in charge. For the moment at least. Eric just grins and reaches his hands back, grabbing on to the headboard as I start rocking my hips, pressing my hands onto his chest as I move over him. Soon enough, his grin drops and we're both panting as we near our releases. Need builds within us, and the sting of the electricity running along my body almost becomes too much, but as I throw back my head and my orgasm hits, the sparks only heighten my pleasure. Eric follows quickly after, shuddering below me.

Panting, I push up from Eric's chest and laugh at his sleepy smile as I climb off him, walking over to the bathroom to clean up. While I would just love to fall into bed and cuddle up, I'm all sticky and I know I won't be able to sleep until I do.

After I've done what I need to in the bathroom, I face myself in the mirror, splashing my face with cool water before glancing at my reflection again. I feel different, but I don't look any different. Then I realise why I feel odd. A weird fluttering in the back of my head makes me frown. I reach up, trying to find it, until I realise that it's inside my head. Closing my eyes, I look inside myself and follow the fluttering until I find what feels like a ball of energy. I inspect it, expecting it to hurt, to zap me like Eric's powers usually do, but I find it welcomes me, and a warm feeling and a sense of Eric's personality fills me.

"It's the bond," he says behind me. He moved silently, so I should've been surprised, but I wasn't. I felt him walking towards me, like a little compass within me directing me straight to his whereabouts. Turning to look at him, I run my gaze over his body, noting sadly he's wearing underwear now, but that doesn't stop me from ogling his chest, making me aroused again. Eric must feel my confusion because he laughs, then holds out his arm to me.

"That's also the bond," he informs me with a grin, and I can already see his cock hardening through the thin material of his boxers. "Come to bed, mate."