Dante (Paranormal Council Enforcers #17)

Chapter 1

Dante

“All right,” Atticus said. “We know there are approximately five demons running between the realms, but there could be more. We’ve all been here before. We know what to do and how to go about accomplishing it.”

“How?” Augustus asked. “Do we enter the same way we did from the demon realm? I’ve never tried and never really wanted to.”

I took a step closer to Augustus and nodded. “Same,” I said. “How do we make sure we get back here?” Atticus made a face, which told me what I’d suspected as his words confirmed it.

“I can’t say for certain that things will work the same.

We’re going into an unknown at this point.

It’s been centuries since any of us have been where we’re going.

I would have to assume that because we have all been blocked from entering the demon realm without the goddess’s assistance, when we try to return to a realm, our magic will bring us here.

Especially since we now have her magic and not our creator’s. ”

“There’s no guarantees though,” I said.

Atticus shook his head. “Take an hour and do what you need to do, see whoever you need to say goodbye to. Be back here then, and we’ll enter together.”

Warwick and Damien both disappeared immediately. I couldn’t say that I blamed them. They both had mates to see. Warwick had babies. I looked at Atticus, but he disappeared after giving us a curt nod. That left me with Augustus.

“You going to go see him?”

I sighed. “I don’t know why I would.”

Augustus pushed on my shoulder. “Because he’s your mate? Why haven’t you made a move? Do you honestly not want him?”

I thought about that for a fraction of a moment and shrugged in answer. “That’s not it,” I said. “You know I failed him. I couldn’t protect him or the others. I tried, but look at what happened to them.”

Augustus growled. “You did what you could at the time. Yes, we are hellhounds, but you didn’t have your powers. You were just one beast against many. With weapons.” Augustus sighed. “And you did save him. More than once. You watched over them.”

I shook my head. “He is not for me. He will eventually be given a new mate. One who has not ever failed him.”

I didn’t see the smack coming because I was looking off in the other direction, but Augustus whacked me good on the back of the head. When I glared at him, he raised an eyebrow at me. I sighed.

“Fine. I will go see him. But that is all.”

“Good,” Augustus said. “I’ll come along. I would love a pastry or two before we leave. We both know how things are going to be once we enter that space.”

I admitted defeat. I knew Augustus was only coming in order to make sure I actually went through with going to the bakery to see Banner. I nodded slowly and started walking.

“How long do you think it will take?” I asked, trying to make conversation on our way to the bakery.

I was not looking forward to visiting between the realms again.

It wasn’t quite as terrible as the demon realm, but it was unnerving in a completely different way.

Whereas the demon realm was insufferably hot and loud, when you were between the realms, it was the opposite.

It was stark cold and eerily silent. There was absolutely no noise whatsoever.

None. Even when we were in what we referred to as a Nexus, any noise that would come from us seemed to simply not translate into anything audible.

No breathing, panting, barking, no demon’s screams. Nothing.

“The trip to the bakery? Maybe five minutes to get there with the speed you’re walking.”

I scowled at Augustus. “Not what I meant, and you know it.”

“The trip into the Nexus? I’m not sure. Could be a day, could be weeks.”

Augustus and I both seemed to shiver at that thought.

We’d been there before. Together even. But we’d never experienced it from this realm.

What it did to this side of things. We knew that when demons were in the Nexus and hellhounds were chasing them, there was a horrendous noise in the demon realm.

I hadn’t realized that it came through in this one as well. Well, in a way, of sorts.

“You should talk to him,” Augustus said as we finally approached the bakery.

“About what? How is he now feeling about my inability to save them?” I shook my head. “He’d do better to find someone else for his mate. I should be sure to bring that up to the fates next time we have a meeting with them.”

I heard growling beside me again but ignored it as I reached for the door to the bakery.

The usual lineup was there, and it only took seconds for me to zero in on Banner.

He was smiling at whoever he was talking to and helping.

His smile was gorgeous, like the rest of him, but I knew he deserved someone who hadn’t failed to get him out of those cages.

I got in line, thinking I’d get Tate as the next one to help me, but was really surprised when it was Banner.

He finished with whoever he was helping and then looked to me with a smile pasted on his face.

It dimmed just a bit, but he still smiled.

“Hello. How can I help you?” Banner asked.

I nodded. “Can I get a pair of those coffee cinnamon rolls? And a vanilla latte?”

Banner’s smile grew. “Do you really like those cinnamon rolls?”

I nodded. “Yeah, they’re my favorite, and I’ve never tasted anything like them before.”

“I’m…” Banner nodded. “That’s good to hear. Lewis doesn’t know if he should keep them or not because they’re not the traditional cinnamon rolls that everyone seems to want.”

“That’s sad to hear.”

Banner nodded again before he handed me a small box.

Then he handed me a cup, and I nodded my head once in thanks.

“I appreciate it,” I added, because why not.

I knew that Augustus was standing not six inches from me and was hearing every single word between us.

I had to admit, I was a bit shocked—not only had we actually talked, but Banner hadn’t openly glared at me.

Banner followed me to the register, and when he gave me the total, I handed him my card.

“Coal, huh? Dante Coal?”

“Yeah. None of us had last names, so we all just picked something. It seemed fitting.”

“How so?”

I shrugged. “I’m a hellhound. There’s a lot of sulfur and coal where I come from. There’s a lot of messy, dark things about me.”

Banner’s mouth opened a bit before he handed me back my card.

I took it and the receipt he passed me, and after putting a generous tip on there for him, I picked up my purchases and gave him a curt nod before I turned and left.

I waited outside for Augustus, who came out shortly after I did.

Whereas I had a small box and coffee, he had a massive one in one hand as well as a coffee.

“Hungry or something?”

Augustus glared at me. “I heard every word. Why couldn’t you be…I don’t know…friendly?”

I was confused. “That was friendly. I talked to him. What more was I supposed to do? You wanted me to talk to him. I did.”

Augustus sighed. “You just might be hopeless.” He walked off, leaving me there wondering what I’d done wrong.

I had nothing, so I shook my head and walked off, following Augustus at a slower pace.

I wanted to eat my coffee cinnamon rolls and drink my latte before we left.

I didn’t know what to expect, and although the rest of the pack seemed as if they had come around to me being among them, I still tended to shy away from spending much time with the rest outside of runs or work things.

I knew Warwick didn’t necessarily like me all that much, and Damien and Atticus were both really wrapped up in their own mates.

I glanced back at the bakery one last time, telling myself it would be the final time I saw Banner.

I was surprised he’d talked to me at all.

Any previous attempts to check up on him, he’d been withdrawn and had once even told me to leave him alone.

I’d done what I could to respect that boundary, but I’d made the mistake of confiding in Augustus about the possibility of Banner being my mate.

Now, he wouldn’t let things go despite me telling him that Banner simply didn’t want anything to do with me, and rightly so.

I looked down at the box in my hand and suddenly no longer had a desire for them.

Augustus had walked off, and I wasn’t sure where exactly I should go, so I popped myself back home.

I lived in single enforcer housing, someplace far nicer than anywhere I’d ever lived before.

It had the basic furniture that had come with it—we were all given the option to have it furnished or not, and since I didn’t have anything, I was happy with their furniture.

Maybe I should have spent some time updating things though. I looked around the place, and although it was functional, that was about the extent of it. I didn’t have people over except Augustus, and he didn’t care what the place looked like.

I set the box and my coffee on the table and then went to the couch and sat down.

There wasn’t much to do before we left for our assignment.

We didn’t need to pack anything, as it couldn’t go through with us anyway.

Once we were in the Nexus, we would be in our beast forms, and it wasn’t like we needed shampoo or a toothbrush.

I leaned back and closed my eyes, wondering how long our assignment would take.

I’d tracked many demons and other hellhounds in the Nexus before, but I had zero concept of time then.

It didn’t matter. I had been doing what my master and creator had ordered, and that was it.

That was where I’d first met Augustus. We weren’t originally in the same pack, but when we’d met in the Nexus, we seemed to form some sort of bond, and once we returned to our realm, we just gravitated toward one another.