A Demon King Called Kerak (Mated To The Human #6)

Chapter 1

Chapter

One

Reid

He was back. His black gaze followed Reid as he moved from one patron to the next. It was fairly busy for midday, the rain keeping many prospectors from being out at their claims.

The man with the black eyes had been there every day for a week, just sitting at the end of the bar, sipping on the most expensive whiskey the saloon carried. He didn’t say much, but somehow, Reid could feel his attention, his presence from the moment he stepped through the door.

“Thanks, Reid,” Bill—a newer regular—said when Reid set his glass in front of him.

Giving him a nod, Reid went back toward the black-eyed man. “Can I get you anything else?”

“No, thank you, Reid.” His voice felt as dark as his gaze, somehow soft and razor sharp at the same time. If Reid knew nothing else about the man, he knew he wasn’t like anyone he’d ever met.

“Can I ask your name, sir?” Reid wasn’t sure where his bravery came from. “It’s just…you’ve been here fairly often, and I try to make a habit of greeting my regular customers by name.”

The man extended his hand across the bar. “Kerak.”

Not sure if that was his given name or his surname, Reid accepted his hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Kerak.”

Kerak smiled. “The pleasure is mine, I assure you.”

Heat rushed into Reid’s cheeks. He cleared his throat and took his hand back. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

“I will. Thank you, Reid.”

“So, this is where my little brother’s run off to.” A voice from the doorway called.

Reid didn’t know at first who the man was talking to, but when he looked at Kerak, none of the warmth that had been present a moment ago was anywhere to be found.

Kerak met his stare with a look loaded with more emotion than Reid could begin to understand before a too-large smile split Kerak’s face and he turned away.

“Selin. I didn’t run off anywhere. Just needed a drink.”

Selin didn’t say anything. He took one step, then another, slow enough that Reid wondered if he always had such a flair for the dramatic.

With every step, though, the air in the room shifted.

Became stifling. Heavy. Prickles ran up Reid’s arms. Before he realized it, he’d taken a step back and bumped into the counter behind him. It wasn’t far enough. He wanted to run.

Selin stepped up to the bar beside Kerak, barely glancing at his brother before turning his stare on Reid.

He looked nothing like Kerak. Selin was pale with long reddish hair, a sharp nose, and the most shocking blue-green eyes Reid had ever seen.

In the dim of the saloon, they seemed to glow with their own inner light.

“And who’s this scrawny creature?”

Kerak glanced Reid’s way, looking bored and not at all like the friendly face he’d been only moments ago. “The barkeep. You want a drink?”

Selin looked Reid up and down. “Perhaps some other time.” He finally turned to Kerak. “Come. Lenette has found us some entertainment for the evening.”

Kerak nodded and downed the rest of his whiskey. When Selin had turned away, Kerak gave Reid a small apologetic smile before he followed Selin out into the rain.

Somehow, weeks passed with Reid barely noticing. Between the celebrated arrival of Wild Bill Hitchcock and his sudden death, the camp had been more turbulent than ever. And growing. It felt as if new faces appeared in the saloon every day.

One face remained constant, though.

“Would you mind if I walked with you?” Kerak asked as Reid stepped out into the still dark morning.

The saloon had been boisterous the night before—card games, drinking, and music.

The patrons finally tired themselves out and retired or passed out right where they sat.

That was his boss’s problem, though. It was time for Reid to go home to the room he rented on the edge of town.

“Of course, sir,” Reid said, a little startled to find Kerak waiting on the meager boards that served as the saloon’s porch.

“Kerak. Please call me Kerak.” He was dressed in the same fine dark pants and shirt he always wore and somehow seemed unbothered by the muggy air.

Beside him, Reid felt like a mess. He was sweating as he had been all day, sure he smelled something awful, and there were various stains on his clothes from spilled beer and liquor.

Reid nodded, while he still had the same flutter in his stomach he often had in the other man’s presence. “Didn’t see you at the bar tonight.”

Kerak smiled. “Did you miss me?” Before Reid could think of a suitable answer, Kerak continued. “My brother was in a gaming mood so we spent most of the evening at the gambling hall.”

A chill ran up Reid’s spine. He’d only met Kerak’s brother the one time. It had been enough. He’d been grateful every night Kerak was in the saloon that the brother didn’t show up.

“Did you win?”

“Some.”

Reid could feel Kerak’s gaze on the side of his face but kept his eyes forward.

“Although I admit, I’m not much for gambling.” Kerak cleared his throat. “How was your evening?”

“Oh, fine. A little boring to be honest.”

When Kerak chuckled, Reid found himself smiling, too.