Page 109 of What The Hex (The Family Spells)
“I only apply those sorta names to the folks who earn ‘em. And you earned yours, demon shithead.”
Hex grit his teeth but said nothing. In his own way, Caine was trying. I had a feeling that if the two of them were able to push past their initial dislike of one another, that they’d be thick as thieves.
Caine’s brother Abel appeared from the back, buttoning up his shirt—also flannel—and smoking a cigarette in a very un-Hallmark Christmas movie like way. He was younger by about three years and full werewolf; he and Caine had different fathers.
“What the hell is your ugly face doing here?” he asked with a bright grin, his gaze traveling from Caine to me. “Not you, o’ course. You get prettier every time I see you.”
“Compliments are one thing, but you’re startin’ to piss me off,” Caine drawled, resting an elbow on the counter and leaning in toward his brother. They were similar enough in their coloring, but Caine was far more handsome than Abel. The latter had a small, slightly pinched nose and thin lips that he only partially made up for with his cocky swagger.
“I know these two.” Abel pointed at Argent and Spectre, blatantly ignoring the growling threat in Caine’s voice. “But who the fuck are these guys?” He sniffed and then snorted, reaching up to rub at his nose. “Demons, at that. Mama will not be happy to have demon guests.”
Caine and I exchanged a look before glancing over at Hex.
While Monster was the more, uh, disturbing of the two with his aphrodisiac-laden skin (to which none of the werewolves would be immune), his copper eyes, and his shadow wings, Hex was the one who was here to stay.
“This is …” Caine swallowed like he was in pain and closed his eyes for a moment while Hex frowned. “This is my ….” Another deep swallow. He opened his eyes to stare at Abel who had a single brow cocked, his blue eyes wide with waiting.
“Well?”
“My new soulmate.” Caine spit the words out like they were acidic and then just stood there while his brother gaped, looking from Hex to me to Caine. And then he threw his head back and howled with laughter, much like his brother often did. “You think that’s funny, you prick?”
“Mama is gonna have a conniption when she hears about this. A demon mate? That’s too much, Caine.” Abel snorted again and gave Hex a curious once-over while the half-demon stood there with his eyes narrowed, the twins’ leashes tangled around his legs.
“Bet you’re thinking that wedding with Violet wasn’t all bad, eh?” I whispered and managed to procure a small smile from him.
“Between holiday get-togethers with toxic, estranged family members and a blood ritual to bind me to a demon cabal’s princess? It’s a fifty-fifty toss-up at this point.” Hex kept his voice low and leaned in so that his mouth was near my ear. Didn’t much help with the whole wet panties and pebbled nipples portion of my day.
How could I possibly be horny amongst all of this chaos?
“And this guy? He your mate, too?” Abel asked, nodding his chin in Monster’s direction.
“He most certainly is not,” Argent ground out as Spectre sighed and offered me up a look of shared sympathy. “He’s here to assist with a job for the coven and nothing more.”
“Uh-huh,” Abel droned, mouth slightly agape. He blinked a few times and scrubbed a hand over his face, likely feeling the effects of having Monster so close by. If you’d never experienced it before, it was overwhelming. Shit, it was overwhelming anyway. I wasn’t the only person who’d had to chug slug slime coffee recently. I’d caught Spectre and Caine both with mugs just this morning. Leopard slug slime coffee this time, as opposed to my preferred banana variety. Believe it or not, the tastes between slug species varied. “Well, you better get checked-in and get over to the house. Mama made a turkey.” Abel turned around and procured some keys—real ones, not plastic cards—and tossed them onto the counter in front of us. “She’s been blowing up my phone for hours asking where you are.”
“If you tell her about Hex before I do,” Caine snarled as he leaned in even closer to his brother. “Then I’ll tell her you’re napping in the office again. You know she hates that.”
Abel snorted and shook his head.
“Get the fuck outta here,” he said, leaning over to look at the two wolf pups on the floor. “And if you can, get ‘em to shift forms before you see Mama.”
“Fat chance o’ that happening,” Caine grumbled, taking one of the leashes from Hex so he could untangle the man’s legs. He hefted Ophelia up into his arms and up the stairs we went.
Monster had a room to himself.
