Ten
Eshim
I was going to explode with excitement, but since I didn't want to splatter Jerry's porch with demon bits, I controlled myself. Lux would tell me I was being dramatic— "Demons don't explode, Eshim!" —but this moment deserved a bit of dramaticism.
I was about to have my first date with my mate. I didn't think I'd ever been so excited for a date. Hell, I couldn't even remember when I'd last gone on one.
When you lived in a realm with only twenty-three other people—some of whom weren't even attracted to you—it didn't take long to 'get to know each other' before you jumped into bed with them. I'd hooked up with many of the demons I'd lived with, though it'd rarely involved emotions.
Back when demons were first created, some smart asshole had thought it would be a good idea to put a spell on us so we wouldn't recognize our mates to make sure we would be completely focused on doing our jobs. Then centuries passed, we were retired, and at some point, people—demons and soul collectors alike—forgot about the spell.
It was only after we came to the human realm that one of the soul collectors accidentally removed the spell from one of the others and we discovered its existence. Then, he went around removing the spell from all of us so we could find our mates.
Since then, Ryk, Star, Nico—who were mated to each other and a human—as well as Calux, Fressia, and had found their mates. Azazel had already been dating his mate for a few years now, who'd summoned him the old-fashioned way before everything happened.
Two demons—Elva and Kali, the rainbow and the goth queen, as we liked to call them—were mated to each other.
And then there was me. Standing on my mate's doorstep and ruminating over the recent past instead of knocking.
The door opened just as I raised my hand, and we both jumped.
"Oh! Hey, Eshim," Jerry greeted, pushing his hair behind his ears. His hair was loose, and framed his face in soft waves that I really wanted to run my fingers through.
"Hey, Jerry. Here," I said, thrusting the bag of takeout at him. Then I jerked it back and held out my other hand with the flowers. That was what I'd wanted to give him.
Get it together, Eshim.
Jerry smiled as he took the flowers from me, amusement shining in his eyes. "Thank you, these are beautiful."
"So are you," I blurted before I could think about it, and Jerry's eyes widened before he snorted.
"Sweet talker. Come on in before Tom decides to take a walk."
As if Tom had heard—and understood—him, he raced toward the door. I stepped inside, and Jerry shut the door moments before the dog could make his escape. I'd looked up his breed after I first met him, and read up on Welsh corgis just in case Jerry ever asked me to take care of him. Which was a good thing because Jerry sometimes brought him to work with him.
"Here, I'll put the food in the kitchen. We can eat in a while unless you're hungry?"
I shook my head as I handed over the food, then said, "The food will stay warm, so you can just put it on the counter or something."
Jerry blinked, then glanced down at the food. "It will?"
"Yep. Magic can be used in many ways."
"Huh," he said, which told me nothing about how he felt about the whole thing. "Take a seat. I'll be right back."
Jerry disappeared through a doorway, presumably into the kitchen, and I took a moment to look around.
The living room was cozy, with a short hallway from the front door where you could take off your shoes and put your coat away that opened into a warm room with soft orange walls and a real fireplace on one wall. A large window faced the front of the house with a bench seat in front of it that had a pillow and some blankets on it. A reading spot, maybe? There were a few dog toys on the floor near the bench, and I wondered if Tom had claimed the spot as his. It was optimal for people-watching.
There was a big couch in the center of the room, deep enough for two people to cuddle comfortably in. My mind instantly filled with images of Jerry and me curled up together on the couch with the lights turned low and a movie playing on his large flatscreen.
A few potted plants sat in the corners, and the walls were covered in framed pictures, mostly of Jerry, Archer, and Kat, but there were a few recent ones that included Gunner, Lux, and even Fressia.
This wasn't just a house. It felt like a home.
I'd just settled on the couch—near the center so Jerry would have to sit close to me—when Jerry returned, and joined me, Tom at his heels. He picked up the dog and plopped him in his lap, where Tom settled comfortably as if he was a housecat.
"You have a beautiful home," I said, and Jerry smiled.
"Thank you."
"Did you do the interior?" I asked curiously, and his eyes went a little wide.
"Yeah. Good guess."
I smiled. "It wasn't a guess so much as...I recognized your style? It has a certain warmth, a homey feeling that I associate with you."
Jerry's lips parted, as if he was surprised by my assessment, and then he turned his gaze to Tom, who'd gone belly-up on his lap. Jerry rubbed Tom's belly and hid behind his curtain of hair, and I was tempted once again to reach out and touch. Was it as soft and silky as it looked?
"Ah, thank you." Then Jerry seemed to shake himself, and glanced up at me, his green eyes bright. "Do you want to watch a movie now?"
I'd have been happy to keep talking with him, but I sensed he needed some time to breathe and get comfortable, so I nodded.
Smiling, he picked up the remote, and I snuck a little closer to him as he fiddled with it. The warmth of his body soaked into mine, and I hummed under my breath. Who needed Afterworld when you could have this?
Jerry
Eshim was so close. If I leaned sideway even a little, our arms would press together. He was big too, bigger than me. Sure, he was only a few inches taller, but he was far more ripped. I wondered what it would feel like to be held down by that strong body. Then I wondered what it would feel like to hold him down, knowing he could push me away at any point but wouldn't. I wasn't sure which idea I liked better.
Now that I'd had some time to think about everything I found out yesterday—and had it really been just yesterday?—I couldn't help wondering what his true form was like. Would it be scary? Or was there a possibility I would find it...interesting?
I had hooked up with my share of people, and while I'd never been with anyone supernatural—as far as I knew—there was such a thing as animated porn, and I might've watched a few of them.
"Jerry?"
I almost dropped the remote when I jumped, and Eshim placed a warm, big hand on my thigh.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he murmured, and I glanced at him to find him watching me with blue eyes full of concern.
"I got lost in thought," I admitted sheepishly, before biting my lip. "Can I ask you something?"
Eshim blinked, then tilted his head, his expression part curious, part hopeful. "You can ask me anything you want, and I'll do my best to answer."
Smiling, I nodded, then fidgeted with the remote. "What do you, ah, look like?"
He gave me a confused look, then seemed to realize what I was asking. "Um, I'm taller, around seven feet, and my skin has a grayish tinge. Not sickly, more like a cool, bluish gray? And I have horns that look like a crescent moon lying on my head. They're white, and kind of sharp. Oh, and I have four arms."
My mouth had fallen open at some point during his description, but it snapped shut at that. Four arms? He had four arms?
Suddenly, an image of what it would feel like to have four hands on me all at once filled my head, and I shivered.
"You don't ever have to look at it," he murmured, and I frowned.
"Huh?"
"I can imagine you find it scary," he said, face full of understanding, "and that's okay. I won't shift in front of you."
"No, that's not—" I shook my head. I did not want to make him feel self-conscious about his true self. I'd seen Lux's, and judging by Gunner's familiarity with him, I had to assume he spent more time at home in his true form.
I wondered if Eshim did the same. If this human form was more like a bodysuit to him than an actual part of him. That had to be uncomfortable, right?
Turning to face him, I placed my hand on his arm, squeezing slightly. Fuck. Was he just as muscular in his true form? Because that was hot.
"It doesn't sound scary—I promise. I would like to see your true form."
Eshim sucked in a breath, the surprise clear on his face. "Now?"
Well, I hadn't meant that, but I couldn't find it in myself to say no, so I gave a reluctant nod instead.
He swallowed hard, then said, "Okay. But if you're uncomfortable or scared, just say the word and I'll shift back. I'll still be me, and I won't hurt you. Ever."
The vehemence in his voice had me nodding instantly, and he watched me for a long moment before getting to his feet.
The movie I'd been about to start was all but forgotten, and I dropped the remote on the couch and turned to give him my full attention.
He took a few steps back until he stood near the doorway that led to the front door, and then stopped.
I watched him with bated breath as he exhaled, his form flickered, and suddenly, there he was.
Eshim, in his true form.
His description had been spot on, including the crescent moon on his head. The central curved part of the crescent was attached to the top of his head, his blond hair hiding the exact spot, and two sharp curved horns stuck out on either side.
His ears were slightly pointy, and while his eyes were the same, if a touch bigger, his facial structure was clearly not human. His eyes were a little further apart, his nose a little wider, his lips full and plush.
I took one look at his arms and swallowed hard. Fuck, to be wrapped up in them...
Standing up without a thought, I stepped closer to him until I had to crane my neck to meet his eyes and we were in touching distance. He stood stock-still, as if afraid of spooking me.
Curious, I walked around his side to peer at his arms. The first set was exactly like a human's, joined at the shoulders with a full range of motion. But the second set—which was a little longer than the first—joined his torso below and behind the first set. He could only raise the second set up if the first one was already up, but other than that, the two sets of arms were nearly identical.
Returning to his front, I reached out and touched his upper arm, then squeezed. There was no give. Holy fuck.
"Jerry?"
I glanced up, met his worried gaze, and smiled.
Then I took his hand in mine, the right one from his first set of arms, and pressed a kiss against the back of it. I couldn't get over how big he was, and how sexy I found his size and strength.
"Thank you for letting me see your true form."
Eshim blinked, then smiled widely, and even his sharp-as-fuck teeth couldn't stop me from smiling back. Because even if his true form was unfamiliar, that smile wasn't.