3. Anders
ANDERS
I need my mate. My whole body is on fire. I can’t think and I can’t be more than a few feet from her and not want to tell the whole world apart to find her, take her, claim her.
That’s the only damn reason that I’d be sitting here in this cafe among the humans that my father wants to destroy. Laughter and clinking dishes grates on my nerves like the worst kind of torture. My jaw is killing me from gritting my teeth and I’m seconds from decimating every damn loud one of humans in this loud place.
I just want to sit in peace and sip my dark espresso brew, stare at my gorgeous mate and wonder how long I can be this close to heaven and not have my master figure out what’s going on. Hell, for all I know he already knows and he’s seconds from taking her and ensuring that I never free myself from him.
For years, I’ve fought and struggled to get free from him. I’ve done what he’s asked. Every damn time. But I do it in my own way, in my own time and it pissed the lord of the underworld off so bad that I know he’s considering punishing me badly.
But how? I’m a demon. There’s nothing he can do to me that he hasn’t already done. My parents being the main temptation when he first took me.
He promised me over and over again that he’d set them free. I mean, they weren’t the best of people but they weren’t that bad. And the hell that he put them through just to make a point with me was bone-chilling. He destroyed my humanity. Any little bit that was left. I thought it was gone for good. Until I saw her.
Then I knew that if I could get away from him, I’d do it for her. I needed a plan. But what? He is always three steps ahead of me. Ahead of anybody.
I need help. I need her. My mind spins out of control and I growl under my breath, hissing when I see her standing there and her soft, light eyes turn towards me, smiling shyly.
She’s so innocent. So pure and sweet.
I shudder to think what hell would make of an angel like her, so pure and simple. So perfectly innocent.
Hell loves nothing more than breaking good people. Demons, humans, shifters, doesn’t matter. If you’ve got a weakness, the devil’s got you by the short hairs and he’s gonna play a symphony on your bones and take your soul…just for fun.
Soft and light. Floral and sweet tickles my senses, my mouth watering like I’m starving to death. She smiles at me, her pale blue eyes shimmering with happiness. “I’m done soon. You want to come see my place.”
I should tell her no. Should keep my distance and let her go. But if there’s one thing I’m not, it’s good. I have no intention of letting any time with her go to waste. I’m gonna win her over. I’m gonna claim her and then I’m gonna keep her and find a way to get the devil off my back. A way to play the odds and get my freedom to love who I want. My fated mate. The one who’s meant to be mine. My soulmate.
“I would love to see your place.”
“Do you have a place in town?” She asks.
I shake my head and smile. “No. I’ve just arrived. Barely had time to take care of a few things that my boss wanted done.” Not that I’ve completed it or even care at this point in time.
I’ve got my own plans and I don’t care about the Devil’s desires right now.
Fuck him. I’m gonna take what I can, heaven help the devil if he attempts to get in my way.
She finished up her shift and grabs her purse and sweater. I stand and help her into the pretty pink garment. I glance over and see our reflection in the mirror. My dark hands on the pale pink shoulders of her sweater, her pale skin against my dark. Her light hair gleaming like a beacon in the night. My own dark hair and dark eyes pulling the light in, claiming it and destroying it. My eyes glow with an otherworldly fury, flames licking at my pupils. I can see the talons of my hand and it looks wrong on her softness.
I’m the antithesis of every lovely, perfect part of her. I hope to heaven I don’t destroy her when I take her, because there’s just no stopping me. I can’t walk away from her. I can’t picture the little girl I knew for such a short period of time. She’s been abolished by this older version and I will never forget her.
I hold out my hand and she happily takes it, her pale blue eyes so lovely they rival the blue skies of the mountains around us. The tall peaks thrust up around us, reminding of the rocky bowels of hell.
Light and dark, heaven and hell. This place is the very picture of all that I’m fighting to keep.
Saar passes by us and his eyes widen, his dark brows lifting. He shakes his head and sighs.
Warlocks. Can’t fool the fuckers with a little bit of magic like you can humans.
But I ignore him and follow my destiny.
She opens the door and hesitates. “Are you sure that you want to come in? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
I choke on laugh. If she only knew.
“I want to see your place. You’re not pushing me, Angel. Show me your home, show me your world.”
She smiles and pulls me inside. Closing the door, she hangs up her things and then stands there, unsure. “Would you like the tour or…?”
“I want to tour your lovely body, Angel. Unless that is not what you want.”
She bites her soft, pale pink lips and then smirks at me. “I want you, Anders. I forgot how much I missed you and finding you like this, when I’m starting my new life here….it seems like fate.” She moves closer and her little hand touches my shoulder lightly. She shivers and her pure blue eyes close.
“You have no idea, mate.”
Her eyes open and widen. “What did you call me?”
“Mate. I cannot kiss you or touch you until you understand what you are to me, what you’ll always mean to me.”
“Mate? I’ve heard the men around here call their women mates. It seems strange. Why aren’t they calling them wives or girlfriends? Why mates?”
“You don’t understand where you’ve landed do you, little one?”
I move closer and my hand touches her soft cheek so gently that her eyes close. Pure fire burns along my fingertips, turning her skin into glowing embers. I slip my fingers down her soft curves. Her mouth opens on a gasp and she stares at her arm. “What are you doing to me and why do you drive me so crazy?”
“I’m your mate. You want me. You want me to claim you for all eternity. But I want you to understand what you’re becoming if you give yourself to me, Angel. I’m not what you think I am.”
I deliberately let the glamour shift and her eyes widen, horrified. I know exactly what she sees. Red skin, dark as hell eyes and a fiery maw. Horns so long that they curve around to the back of my head. My hands end in dark black talons and they curve around her soft, pure white skin.
“What are you, Anders?”
“I’m a demon. And you are my mate.”
Her lip curls and my heart sinks in my chest. “I’m a demon’s mate? Why? Did I do something wrong? Am I being punished?”
“No. A fated mate is a gift. No matter who or what they are. I will never hurt you, never cheat on you, never leave you alone. Shifters are loyal to their mate forever and so are demons.”
She doesn’t look convinced and I sigh and back away from her, letting my fingers drop to my side. “If you want me to leave I will. I know this is a lot. But there’s kind of a time crunch so I wanted you to know.”
“What did you mean about this town? What is…?”
“This is a shifter town. All of the people in this town are some kind of paranormal. I’ve seen some ghosts and some others here. But mostly there are shifter families here. Even the sheriff is a shifter.”
“I should go and let you think about what I’ve told you, Angel. I don’t want to pressure you. Forever is a long time and a life with a demon as a mate is not without its risks and rewards.”
She steps closer and her gentle fingers touch my bicep, my muscle twitching under her fingers. “Can’t you stay?”
I sigh and shove my fingers into my hair, tunneling through until I tug and pull at it. “I can’t promise that I won’t try and pressure you. I’m not a good guy, Angel. I’m the very worst sort and I’m damn sure that I don’t deserve such as you. But it’s because I’m a bastard that I’m going to forget about that and still try to have you. Still take whatever you freely give.”
She eyes me, her teeth sinking into her lower lip. “You say claiming. What does that mean?”
“It means that I burn you with my essence, Angel. You will wear my brand for the rest of your life. When we become one, our breath mates, our entire being becomes one. Our hearts will beat as one. Our minds will become able to talk to each other and the fates will meld our souls. You will live as long as me. You will never be human again.”
Her pale eyes widen and I see the unsure way she taps her fingers on her lush hips. “You don’t need to decide tonight.” Although the sooner I can make her mine, the safer she’ll be.
“Can we make love without you claiming me?”
My belly sinks to the floor. “Of course. But I saw the look on your face, Angel. You were scared. You are afraid of what I really look like. And when I make love to you, you will see my soul whether I claim you or not. I can’t hide from you.”
Her dainty little chin lifts. “I’m not scared of what you look like. I’m scared that you’re not going to be happy with me. I’m nobody special. I saw your soul and you are special. You’re unique and perfect just the way you are. Your dark eyes are deeper than the ocean and your body is so…well, you look like a bodybuilder under all that you’re hiding. I’m not. I’m just soft. Squishy.”
I move to her and shake my head. “You’re perfect. You can’t be anything but perfect to me. I see you. I see all of you.”
Her blue eyes look up at me. “Can you make love to me, Anders? I’ve never been with a man and I can’t help but think that’s because I was waiting for you. It’s always been you.”
“It will always be you, mate. I can wait to claim you.” I hope, I add to myself. I know I’m a bastard but hopefully I can resist the pull to have her as my own for eternity.
“Then take me. For now. Make me feel what it feels to be owned by a demon.”
“Oh,” I smirk. “That I can do, mate. That I can do.”