Page 43 of Dancing With Demons

“Ten whole seconds?” Bruno gasped. “We’ll get it done, boss. We’ll make her beg to bond with you, we swear.”

A sound only I could hear drew my attention down.

Pulling out the mirror, I took one look, and almost put my fist through the glass. I may not know the word for the expression on my pet’s face, but I did know the emotion that welled in me as she smiled upon that sneaky rodent, and he dared to bask in it—gazing upon her with bright innocence that thinly veiled his cold calculation.

“And after you’re done with Hunter and the sister...” Sparks crackled on my skin and between my horns—fed by a steady, streaming supply of hatred. “Do something about that Others’ spawn.”

“Yes, boss,” Pravat, Kazuya, and Bruno said at once—taking off running.

Again, their eagerness sickened me. “Clueless, fucking morons. Worthless sloth sluts. You have no idea of what I’ve found,” I murmured, wiping away a smudge that dared to mar her face. “Everyone in this scorched, barren wasteland is hellhound-hideous. It’s all fish gills, dirty hoofs, drooling maws, bug eyes, and glamours. Even the famously beautiful fae lose their appeal real fucking fast when they’re molting so much in bed, you’re basically fucking on the bottom of a birdcage.

“But you...” The corner of my lips quirked up with her—unable to hold back the infection she spread at the mere sight of her smile. “You are something that I once believed only two people in all of hell could be—

“Beautiful.”

That worthless mutt, two-faced rodent, and sadistic half horse flashed through my mind.

“And I’m not letting any of you ruin my new toy before I’ve played with it.”

All Caught Up

I LAUGHED. “HATE TO break it to you, sweetheart, but I have no unfilled wishes. All that I want is mine, and now...” The deliciousness of her dumbfounded shock gave me a semi. “So are you.

“So,” I said, crooking my finger to beckon her closer. “Let us get down to the true terms of this arrangement.

“Strip.”

“What?” she cried, lurching back.

“You heard me very well,” I breezed, leaning back in the chair. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Color bloomed in her cheeks. “Repeat this, you bastard!” Snatching a bookend from the nook, she flung it at my head with surprising strength for a weakling mortal.

It bounced harmlessly off my left horn and rolled across the carpet. “All finished throwing things now, pet? Good. Now take off your clothes.”

“I’m not taking off anything!” she pointlessly screeched. “You disgusting, shitbrained piece of garbage! Was this your plan the whole time?!” I wondered if she noticed her eyes were filling with tears. “You wanted this to happen! You wanted me to—” A frozen look stole over her face. “To make a deal with you when I was my most desperate. Because I’d give you anything you wanted.”

I shrugged. “Well, if that was my plan, it doesn’t seem to be working. Because I’ve told you twice now to take your clothes off and you still haven’t done it.”

Not sure what part of my reply she didn’t like, because the rage in her eyes swelled into an inferno—crumpling her forehead and twisting her perfect lips.

It was utterly adorable. Like an angry little chipmunk demon.

No wonder everyone loves me more when I’m mad.

“Your plan didn’t work at all,” she gritted. “I don’t care about any bond. I don’t care about this stupid tattoo. Go ahead and send all the excruciating pain down the bond that you want—I promise you it won’t make a difference.

“I’ve buried both of my parents, cried by my comatose sister’s bedside for two months, lost her to a horde of kidnapping demons, fought my way into hell to rescue her, and then watched my psychopathic demon mother plunge a knife into her chest,” she belted out. “I’ve experienced all the soul-breaking pain that a person can. Certainly more than you, pretty boy!”

“Pretty boy?” I muttered, a tad offended. My looks could not be described by such a small word as pretty.

“So give it your fucking worst.” She slammed her hands down on either side of me, glaring into my eyes. “You won’t break me.”

Looking into that chipmunk face, I burst out laughing. “Oh, gods, thank you so much for saying that. It makes this part so much sweeter.”

“This part?” She inched back. “What do you—?”

I snapped my fingers, and the door flung open.