A chill ran the length of her spine. She’d have to tell the city court she’d bonded.
If she didn’t give too many details and said her mate wasn’t local then they wouldn’t realize. Bonding was rare anyway and she’d never heard of anyone bonding with a demon. Ever.
In fact, if anyone had mentioned the idea even a week ago, she’d have laughed at them. Now though, with the bonding marks on his palm and him displaying all the possessiveness of a bonded male already… there was no other explanation for it.
Reluctantly, she eased away from him. A loud growl from her stomach signaled other needs and without a word the pair headed for the door.
“You gonna last until we reach my place or do we need to stop for… um, drive through?” Tiny asked as they emerged from the double doors at the front of the building and into the night. On instinct Cass took a deep breath, letting the cool air filter over her tongue, tasting it awash with scents. She could tell a group of humans had passed this way not long ago. Female, heavy on the perfume and hairspray. Girls’ night out.
Cass’s lips quirked in amusement as she searched for the right term to use.
“Drive through would be perfect.” Better than stalking the girls’ night out group.
Besides, Cass preferred male donors, which wasn’t such a good idea with a newly bonded male in tow. Possessive would be the understatement of the year. Bonded males had been known to half kill another male for even looking at their mate. She dreaded to think what one would do seeing his woman sink fang into another guy’s neck. “There’s a blood bank just outside the city limits I can use.”
A chuckle escaped her at his startled look. “Surprised? Oh, we’re all organized around here. Hunters can have trouble getting time to feed, so rather than have us rush a feeding and potentially brutalize a donor, we can pick up blood pack --” She cut off mid-sentence as three figures materialized out of the darkness around them. “What the hell?”
The figures took on a more defined shape as she watched. Within seconds shadow became substance which turned into texture and color until three men stood in front of them. In business suits and clean cut, they reminded Cass of lawyers. Apart from the smell of fire and brimstone surrounding them, this impression was reinforced when one of them stepped forwards and offered a card.
“Good evening. I trust we’re interrupting something,” he said, smoothly offering Cass the card when Tiny waved it away. Curious, she took it. There was no logo, no fancy design someone with far too much education and a tendency to talk about complementary colors and “white space” had slaved over for hours. No, this card was plain and simple. Just three lines of text which read: Josiah Jhinks & Sons
Legal Representatives
House of Telosa
“You’re lawyers? Demon lawyers?”
The guy who’d given her the card inclined his head and offered a small professional smile. “I’m afraid so, Miss…”
“None of your business,” Tiny broke in, an unmistakable edge of threat in his voice as he glared at the three men. “Your business is with me, not with her. You can let her go.”
Cass gasped in surprise as he shoved her behind him with a rough hand. Rough she could do. In bed it was kinky. Being pushed about out of it wasn’t. She opened her mouth to tell him she’d fight her own battles, but stopped as something tugged at her memory. She looked down at the card in her hand again.
Telosa.
There was something familiar about the name, something she should be remembering. Her brow furrowed as she rooted through her memory. A year or so ago, there had been something in the press about a missing prince, and there had been a picture. Cass blinked and looked up at Tiny. He didn’t look the same. The gorgeous long hair had been shaved off and the ring through his brow was new but…
“You’re the missing prince.”
Tiny ran a hand over his head, his expression bleak. “Fuck, Cass, you shouldn’t have said that.”
The demon lawyer smiled. “If you would both please step this way.”
* * *
“Why didn’t you tell me you were a prince?” Cass whispered as they were marched down corridor after corridor, each more impressive than the last. Cass felt like she’d stepped into a history book. It was quite easy to forget they were in hell rather than a European palace other than the heat.
It was as hot as a sauna, and within seconds of stepping out of the magic circle they’d been brought through, Cass’s thin shirt had cleaved to her back. It made her feel hot and grubby, especially as no one else seemed to be bothered.
A small muscle jumped in Tiny -- no, Seren’s jaw as they turned another corner.
Cass rolled the name around in her mind a little. She’d have to get used to it. It was strange, knowing his real name after thinking of him as Tiny since she’d met him.
This corridor was different from the others. Not a thoroughfare, it ended in double doors higher than three men, dwarfing the guards on either side. A tremor of fear crawled up Cassia’s spine. Nothing good was going to happen on the other side of those doors.
“I was in hiding. Not much point being in hiding if you’re going to tell everyone who you are, is there?”
“But --” She’d been going to say “we’re bonded,” but at that moment, the doors in front of them opened and cut off her response. A tall man -- another demon -- stepped through. Unlike Seren and the lawyers, who were at least doing half a job of concealing their true natures, this man made no effort to hide his demon heritage.
Skin the color of molten copper stretched over a heavily muscled frame. Blue eyes blazed in the middle of an impossibly handsome face complete with two small horns set on his forehead.
“Ah, Prince Seren, so good of you to join us.” His tone was smarmy and condescending. Cass eyed him with distaste, deciding she wouldn’t turn her back on this one any time soon. It would be full of knives if she did. She’d seen enough of his type in the vampire courts.
“Lord Zarek. The pleasure, as always, is all yours.” Tiny’s reply was dry and implacable, the subtle insult wrapped up in a polite smile, his dislike for the other demon clear.
Zarek beamed wider, as though winding people up was his favorite pastime, and transferred his attention to Cassia. “You brought your little pet. Excellent. Things have been so dull around here. An execution will really liven things up.”
“Huh? What? Execution?” Oh shit, that didn’t sound good. “Tiny, what’s he on about?” she demanded, as they were shunted none too gently into the hall after Zarek.
Tiny didn’t answer, which worried Cass. He just reached for her hand, which worried her even more. Walking ahead of them, Zarek threw a smile over his shoulder.
“Lover-boy didn’t tell you? Tsk, tsk, Seren, that’s naughty of you. It’s illegal to bond a member of the royal family without the king’s permission and to do so is --”
“Punishable by death.”
The deep voice was unmistakable. Tiny’s heart sank in his chest as he turned to face his father. As always, Lakai looked little older than Tiny did himself. In fact, the two men could have been brothers except for the fact Lakai sported two small horns.
Quite understated for a demon but there, nonetheless, and truthfully, the man was as twisted as demons came. Lakai the Corrupt, they called him, Tiny’s revered father.
“That’s your dad?” The surprise in Cassia’s voice matched the stunned look on her face as she stared at the lounging figure on the throne. Tiny nodded, lips compressing as he noticed her expression. She shouldn’t be looking at any other man but him and definitely not his damn father! Not like that. Never like that.
She was his, end of story. Jealousy rose hard and fast, almost choking him before he got it under control. But it was too late; already Lakai’s eyes had filled with interest as they swept over the slender vampire.
“Although, if you’ve brought a treat to share with the court, Seren, we might be persuaded to forgive you,” he drawled lazily, propping his chin on one hand as he watched the two. “And she is very pretty; she’ll be entertaining to watch as she services the lords. A vampire, though… we might have to de-fang her first -- just to be on the safe side.”
“Touch her and you’re a dead demon,” Tiny snarled before the words were fully out of his father’s mouth. Beside him Cass paled, a small sound of fear escaping her which wrenched his heartstrings. He knew enough about vampires to know the threat of rape was nothing at all to the threat of de-fanging. She might survive rape, even here, but losing her fangs would be a death sentence.
“Ohhh, baby boy grew some balls.” Lakai laughed, contempt for his son evident as he pushed off from the throne and sauntered down the dais steps. Tiny’s lip started to curl, but with effort he kept it in check. All he wanted to do was rip his dad’s arms off and tear his eyes out for looking at Cass that way, but here and now? It would be suicide.
“You’d better believe it. You and me, old man, in the ring.” Tiny jerked his head towards the challenge ring set to one side of the throne room. Nearly every civilized race, paranormal race that was, operated on some sort of challenge culture and the demon courts were no different. Dried blood from the last fight still decorated the circle carved into the stone.
“Oh, no. Me and her in the ring, now that could be fun,” Lakai countered, circling the two of them and snarling at Zarek when he didn’t hop out of the way fast enough. That was the thing with the demon monarch. He was as changeable as the weather and just as foul at times. At the moment, he appeared to be amused so long as he was getting his own way. However, he was getting Cassia over Tiny’s dead body, so his dad’s good mood was going to disappear fast.
“Not a chance, Pops. Me or no one.”
Lakai shrugged one shoulder, his movements filled with an elegance Tiny had always avoided emulating. In fact, he tried to be as different as possible from his father in all ways. Yeah, sexually he could be a twisted bastard, but he wasn’t a patch on good old daddy here.
“You see, now I have a problem.” The amusement which had colored the demon king’s voice a moment ago was gone as he walked back around them, completing his circle and turning to look directly at them. The expression on his face was hard, his eyes unforgiving.
Without asking, Tiny knew they’d stopped dealing with Lakai the man and were now dealing with his Majesty, King Lakai Di Jeran Telosa, King of the Seven Hells.
“My word here is law, and your female has broken the law, made a fool of me.
So tell me, can I allow that to go unpunished?
“No!” he answered his own question before Tiny could open his mouth, the reply short and barked, making not just Cassia but some of the assembled courtiers jump as well. “I bloody well cannot. If I did, then it would be anarchy. Everyone would think they could defy me. Hell would descend into the chaos it already balances on the edge of. So your female must be suitably punished. It is the law.”
The two demons locked eyes, king and prince, father and son. Tiny knew he had to tread carefully. He couldn’t lose this. Cassia’s life was at stake. “No. No one touches her. She did not know the law.”