Demetrius (18 page)

“Gentlemen.” Demetrius inclined his head.

Biggie gave him a handshake and slapped his back. Mercury grunted his greeting.

Demetrius introduced them to Callista, giving no explanation of why she was there. He’d weave an excuse in later and hope they didn’t ask too many questions. The males eyed him speculatively as he pulled out a chair for her to sit, then took the chair next to her after moving it closer so they were almost touching.

“Are we being recorded?” He sensed Mercury’s mate, the security expert, on the other side of the glass.

“Always.” Mercury answered.

“We’re still looking into our findings of how Sigma operated. It’s no surprise they were doing things, using powers, we had no experience with.”

“We had firsthand experience,” Biggie broke in, “in a bad way, but we didn’t understand it.”

“We’re a little late to the party, but we’re going to catch up. That’s why I asked to meet with both of you. Tell me about your mating bonds.”

Callista’s gaze roamed between the males. If she was nervous being alone in a room full of testosterone after her sheltered life, she wasn’t showing it. He sensed curiosity more than anything.

“What about ’em?” Mercury remained impassive. Demetrius knew the males would protect their family over helping him.

“Your mate bound herself to Madame G, yet I felt the evil bitch’s rage when she broke free.” Her tantrums had been epic when he worked undercover with Sigma. “Same with you, Biggie. You were mighty hard to find after you reunited with your wife.”

Biggie glared at him. “You fucking found us, though.”

Demetrius gave a nod. It hadn’t been easy, but it’d had to be done. Biggie could still be bitter at times, but Demetrius helped him and his family find a place in their new world disorder when many would’ve demanded them all to be put down. So he didn’t feel any remorse for the man.

“The theory is one bond overrides the other,” Biggie relented.

“It couldn’t be that simple,” Callista blurted.

Mercury grinned, the silver swirling in his eyes. “It was fun trying.” His expression sobered. “Until the mating bond solidified. We thought we were losing our son.”

“Did you?” Callista asked because she cared, not to gather information. Demetrius was grateful for that.

There was the grin again. “No. Once the taint bled out, both were fine.”

“Ours was a little more complicated.” Biggie stepped away from the wall and took a seat next to Mercury. “You know, since we’re not shifter or vampire. We did the whole shifter thing and it affected Ana, but it was like we needed a blood swap to completely override the hold Sigma had on my soul. I don’t know what freaky-deaky shit vampires do to mate, but…”

“Our ritual isn’t much different than shifters, only we don’t need to make a special knife to swap blood. We’re born with the hardware.”

Mercury nudged Biggie. “He really
is
a dick.”

“Told you,” Biggie replied. His chin jutted toward Callista. “What’s the story?”

“She’s from an old family with strong bloodlines. I’ve requested her assistance looking into this matter.” Demetrius resisted pulling her in close to avoid being scrutinized by the two across from them.

“Uh-huh.” Biggie’s tone said he knew Demetrius wasn’t telling him everything. “Whatever. Just know, the bonded one will get severely anemic once a new bond is in place. The taint has to leave somehow. And it don’t feel good.”

Mercury grunted in agreement. “Dani thought she was dying.”

Biggie nodded, his eyes going blank. “I wanted to fucking die. It hurts, man. But I’d have suffered ten times that pain to be free.”

“And you are free?” Callista sat forward earnestly.

Both males tilted their head, studying her.

“Yeah, I was free even before Alex beheaded that monster,” Biggie replied.

“But did you have any constraints before that?” Callista asked Demetrius’ next question. “Like, if you did anything that went against…the agreement…of the bond, you’d die. Like, automatically.”

Biggie seemed perplexed. “We could’ve been killed at her command. But automatic? Nah. I never saw anyone just drop dead.”

Mercury shifted, his arms still crossed on his massive chest. “Any chance you’re going share what’s going on?”

To her credit, Callista didn’t react, or appear evasive.

Demetrius answered, “I already told you.”

“Uh-huh,” Mercury echoed Biggie’s earlier answer.

“Freemont wasn’t the only Sigma chapter plagued by weird happenings. We’ll learn everything they were doing.” Demetrius rose, holding his hand out for Callista.

Both males watched, their eyes dancing back and forth between them. Demetrius didn’t care. He hated keeping the women he loved most in life a secret.

Whoa.

He did
not
use that word. She might be his true mate, but did he know her well enough to say he loved her?

Chapter Twenty

After they flashed back to the entrance of Demetrius’ compound, Callista was stricken with the
what nows?

Demetrius seemed convinced she was his true mate. And yes, she was attracted to him. Extremely. They were explosive in bed and her breath quickened whenever she thought of going all the way with the ravishing male. They knew each other’s bodies as intimately as one could. To have him moving in her while she could look deep into his eyes seemed so much deeper. They should at least be able to experience that level of intimacy before they bonded their lives together.

There was also the issue that she wouldn’t be free. She’d be trading one bond for another, a bond she’d had since eight
freaking
years old.

Lost in thought, letting worry get the best of her, she hadn’t realized they were already at the door of his apartment.

He ushered her in, closed the door, and spun her to face him. “Callista.” Cupping her face, he gave her a sweet kiss, a gesture she didn’t equate with him.

“Idon’tknowifIcandothis,” she blurted.

“I understand. We don’t know if you’d survive.”

“Yeah.” Her eyes dropped from his.

Pulling back with a questioning frown, he asked, “That’s not what’s bothering you, is it?”

Closing her eyes briefly, she opened them to meet his pale greens. “It is. But…”

He stepped back. “But it’s me.”

“No. Yes. How can we be certain we’re true mates?”

“
I’m
certain. Aren’t you? I thought you felt what I felt.”

She couldn’t bring herself to meet his hurt gaze. “I do. You’re you, swooping in to save me like you saved our people, protecting me like you protect your sister. You’re larger than life, like a drug I can’t huff enough. Bonding means eternity for both of us. You’ve lived so much longer than me. I haven’t even had a chance to figure out who I am. I’ll be going from Edgar’s daughter, to Draken’s tool, to your mate. I need to discover who I am first.”

His silence cut through her to the heart. She risked looking up at him and the butterflies he gave her lamented at the stricken look on his face.

“Are you saying that when we free you from Draken, you’d rather take the masking drugs instead of mating? So, you know, you don’t have to be tied to me and you can…be with others.”

Her lips pulled down in an immediate frown. That didn’t sound like something she’d want to do. Or want him to do. She knew he felt like he was being rejected, even like she’d used him. “Dem—”

Someone pounded at the door.

“D, we have a problem,” Rourke called. “The staff of one of the prime families called us. There’s an altercation.”

“Take Bishop. I need to meet with the Synod.” Demetrius looked like he was trying hard not to shout at Rourke for the interruption.

“No, D. You need to go.”

“What the fuck for?” Demetrius snapped.

“It’s your parents.”

Demetrius whipped open the front door. “What kind of altercation?”

“I don’t know.” Rourke always looked grave, but this was serious. “From what I heard on the other end of the line, it’s what we’ve been dealing with.”

Demetrius looked at her. “Fuck.” He looked back at Rourke. “Fuck! I can’t leave her here, not after Draken waltzed right in.”

“Take Bishop. I can guard her,” Rourke offered.

Demetrius snarled, baring his fangs. Callista didn’t prefer being away from Demetrius either, but Rourke didn’t intimidate her like he did others. He should, but he didn’t.

“I can go with,” she offered.

Rourke shook his head. “It’s probably a trap, meant to either draw you to them, or draw Demetrius away from you.”

Oh. “Go, Demetrius. Scurn will be here. Give me a vial of that fluid you lit Draken on fire with, and a lighter.”

“And a fire extinguisher.” Rourke handed her a small glass vial like the one she’d seen him use. “It’s basically lighter fluid, but you won’t find many flammable liquids laying around. Vampires hate that shit.”

Not all of them. When winter arrived, a fireplace was much better than freezing her ass off, with the added benefit that she no longer had the rabid fear of fire many other vampires had.

“I’m sorry your family got involved.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for, princess. The demons are hitting prime families, and with me and Isabelle, my parents are used to being targets. They can protect themselves.”

Tension burdened his voice. He feared for their safety. She’d never met them, but she feared for them as well.

He gave instructions to Scurn and left with Rourke.

Giving the burly, stolid Scurn a hesitant smile, she was about to close the door when she heard a “
psst
.”

“Lady Devereux,” Scurn rumbled in warning.

Calli saw Isabelle peeking out of her apartment.

“I get to choose,” the female hissed at him.

That was the second time Calli heard Isabelle say that to the guard. She raised a questioning brow to Scurn, but he only shrugged.

The pale green eye that Calli could see held a faint glow, like it was backlit by candlelight. “Where the air blows.”

“I’m sorry, what?” The poor, mad female.

Isabelle moved her head so the other eye peered out. “There’s always a way.”

Calli paused. Fragmented conversations didn’t bother her like it seemed to bother Demetrius. The elderly residents sometimes got confused or dementia had a firm hold on their minds. She could follow some of the oddest conversations. And right now, Calli wouldn’t mind a conversation that didn’t involve who she should or could have sex with.

“Isabelle, would you like company?”

Scurn shifted, uncomfortable hearing Calli offer. She didn’t know why, it’d be only one door to watch if they hung out together. Maybe because where Calli went, danger followed.

Isabelle switched eyes, studying her. Calli had no idea why she wouldn’t open the door farther and just face her.

“No. You need to be where you need to be.” The door slammed shut so hard Calli jumped.

She glanced at Scurn who stared stonily at the closed door.

Well, today turned out shitty.

***

Demetrius and Rourke reformed in the closet of his old room in his parents’ house.

They both stood still, listening for any commotion, voices,
something
. Demetrius took a deep breath and scented a faint tang of sulfur in the air. He nodded to Rourke. The male opened the closet door, his favorite gun, a Desert Eagle, raised. Draken might heal quickly from normal bullets, but even the demon would need a few extra seconds after getting hit with one of Rourke’s rounds.

Demetrius pulled out his Glock. He’d have to meet with Creed and come up with a weapon more suitable for demon hunting. A bad feeling that this was only the beginning floated through him, that there’d be more humanoid demons strolling earth.

He really needed to inform the Synod about the threat facing vampires, and possibly all the races.

Rourke drifted soundlessly to the other side of the room while Demetrius stayed on his side. The two had worked together for many years, could clear a building in seconds without having to say a word to each other.

Demetrius paused at the door before pulling it open. He hadn’t lived here for decades, not since he’d been a teenager sent off to prep school, but it sure helped knowing his way around when clearing the place.

Gliding out of the bedroom, he was surrounded by the scents of his parents. Underneath the familiar smells was a subtle curling of other vampire scents, and that ever present tang of sulfur Demetrius attributed to demons.

Draken was in the house.

Demetrius led, Rourke protected his back. Steadily he worked toward his parents’ night chamber. Morning was approaching and it made sense that’s where they were attacked.