21. Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-One
Zeke
Nervous. That was what this feeling was. Not something I’d experienced many times, but now, I was as nervous as a groom on his wedding night.
I’d stripped, going slowly. How would he react to seeing me in demon form?
He seemed to be taking it all well now he’d had a chance to calm down, but I was reluctant to reveal myself to him in case he bolted again.
He stood by the door, waiting. It was now or never.
Unlike the last few times, I took my time to bring forth my wings, tail, and horns, but once the process had started, there was no going back.
As my wings unfurled, I shook myself, allowing them to splay out. I flapped them, and a rush of wind ruffled his hair.
He widened his eyes, a look of awe on his face. Maybe this wouldn’t go as bad as I’d feared.
Next came my horns. He winced at that, but it wasn’t as painful as it might seem. Same with the tail. The tail I detested.
“Weren’t you taller before?”
Unlike some demons, I could control parts of my transformation. Shifting into him didn’t mean I utilised all my enhancements.
But for Rory’s benefit, I shifted completely, growing in stature and bulk. Not quite Hulk standards, but my demeanour had terrified many I’d been in battle with.
However, standing here in my demon form, waiting for something to happen, seemed alien to me. I didn’t shift for the hell of it. There was always a reason.
The reason now was for Rory to take his fill.
He stepped towards me, an unreadable expression on his face. Was he scared? Intimidated?
No, neither of those things. He was awestruck as he gazed upon me, feasting his eyes on every muscle. He circled me and stood in front of me. His eyes were level with my chest as he trailed a finger down my abs. I jumped at the light touch.
“Take these off too.” He pinged the waistband of my boxers. “I want to see it all.”
I did as he asked, and true to form, my cock hardened, the head of it nudging my stomach. In demon form, I was touching twelve inches, probably more, and my balls hung heavy between my legs.
He licked his lips and wiped a dribble of saliva from his chin. Yeah, take a good look.
“Can I touch?”
I nodded, thinking he meant my dick, but with care and reverence, he stroked my feathers. They shimmered in response. His touch was soft.
“Can you fly?” He stroked them gently.
“For miles if I need to.”
“Ever taken a passenger?” Did he want to fly with me?
“On occasion.”
He kept on tracing his fingers over my feathers. At least he hadn’t run and seemed to take it in his stride. It was more than I could have hoped for. Many had run before now, but he’d stayed, and I had to be hopeful it was a good sign.
“Do the horns hurt? Are they hard or soft? And this tail…”
He took it in his hands and stroked it. Never in my life had I been happier to have it. His touch sent shocks straight to my dick, and while he played with the tail, copious amounts of fluid leaked from its head. Demons produced a lot of pre-cum so sex would be easier.
Would we ever get there? I had no clue, but I sensed his arousal. Gone was the anger, replaced by curiosity and desire. He reeked of it.
He released my tail and trailed his hand along my thigh, dangerously close to my balls.
“You have to know what you’re doing to me, Rory. Don’t play games.”
He laughed, a light sound. Not at all like the derisive laughter I’d heard earlier. “I think you owe me this.”
He continued his exploration, grazing his fingers over my body. It tingled with electricity and anticipation, but he avoided the one place I was dying for him to investigate.
I shivered, and he stepped back, this time eyeing my erection.
“Is it always that big? I thought you were well endowed before, but this. This is the next level. How do you even have sex with it?”
“You’d be surprised.” Hopefully, we were getting past the shock of him being my mate, and that at some point we could go back to how we’d been before.
It was a lot to take in, and he’d taken the news better than I’d ever imagined he would. Admittedly, I’d foreseen a different way for him to find out, but it was done now, and as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t turn back time.
And now Cher was in my head, singing that well-known tune. Thanks for that.
I huffed out a laugh, and he tilted his head. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. Just a passing thought.”
“Tell me. I want to know what goes on in that mind of yours. I’ve seen your body. Now I want to know you, Zeke. What makes you tick? What makes you think you’d be a suitable mate? Not that I’m contemplating it, but call me curious.”
“I thought I couldn’t turn back time.”
“And then you thought of Cher, and fuck you, the song’s now stuck in my head too.”
We both laughed, then stopped, unspoken words flitting between us.
See? Same wavelength. As much as he tried to deny it, and I was sure he would, we had a connection. A connection we could nurture. I was sure of it.
He smiled and turned away.
“Get dressed, Zeke. We have a villa to tidy up.”
And just like that, the inspection was over. I’d wondered where it would go, and it was far better than I’d hoped.
I redressed and met him in the bedroom as he picked items up off the floor.
“What happened here?” I gathered my clothes and dumped them on the bed.
“It was like this when I returned. Someone knows we’re here, and they were looking for something.”
“Likely Ernesto. Before the demons ran, they admitted it was him who sent them. He knew where we were all along. Although why he’d trash the place, I have no idea.”
“Shits and giggles? I don’t know either. He already has my most precious possession. I have nothing else he could want.”
“Jewellery? Something of Mia’s?”
“No, all her possessions are stored in a safety deposit box in a bank. No one has access to it except me. When Carlotta is older, she can take her pick. The rest stays with me. But there’s not much. A few pieces that hold sentimental value more than anything. Nothing of any great value.”
“Then why do this other than to piss you off?”
“Does he know you’re a demon?”
I shook my head. “He didn’t, and I would have liked to keep it that way, but his men will have relayed that information to him already. They ran like the cowards they were, with their tails between their legs. Literally.”
“Talking of tails.” He looked at me, his eyebrow raised.
“What about it?”
“Have you ever, you know, used it?”
“For sex, you mean?”
“Maybe? Yes. Yes, that’s what I want to know. I’m just interested. Jeez.”
The fact that he’d apparently come to terms with this whole thing as easily as he had was confusing, but he probably had his reasons. First, though, his question.
“I’ve used it once or twice. It can come in handy, especially when you have a couple of holes you want to fill.”
“Oh… ohhhh. I can imagine that’s quite the thing, then.”
As much as I disliked it, my tail was as sensual as my dick, and using it as a dildo could be exhilarating for both partners. Would I like to use it on Rory?
Absolutely. While his mouth would be full of my cock, I’d happily fuck his arse with my tail. The thought of it, the image of it, was something I’d pictured before. Who knew? If all went well, it was a fantasy we could play out together.
He squirmed, and it wasn’t difficult to see the effect that thought was having on him too.
But I was getting ahead of myself. We still had to talk about the mating and whether it was something he’d consider. There were ramifications, but weren’t there always?
We’d need to discuss several of them at length, like the one that would give him almost eternal life. He’d live as long as I did, and with a daughter, that might not be something he’d want to do. He’d outlive her by many, many years.
We continued to tidy, sweeping up glass and righting furniture until the villa looked as good as when we moved in. We’d barely been here two days, and the shit had already hit the fan.
“Do you think Carlotta knows we’re here? Would he have told her?”
We sat with a coffee, all talk of the mating forgotten for the moment.
“It’s possible. I could ask Isador if you’d like?”
“Would you mind? I’m worried. What did he want me for? Did they say?”
“Unfortunately not. But it won’t be good news. I guarantee that.”
He sipped his coffee while I called Isadora.
“Ernesto is livid.”
“What? No hello, how are you?” I joked.
“You hurt his best men,” she said nonchalantly.
“If they were the best he could do, I have nothing to worry about. They were amateurs, much like the ones he sent to kidnap Carlotta. The man is all talk. But tell me. What does he want with Rory?”
“It’s not good, Zeke. The plan was for them to get rid of him. Not bring him to Ernesto. He figures if something happens to Rory, Carlotta will have no choice but to stay with him here in the villa.”
I slammed my hand on the table, rattling the coffee cups on their saucers.
“He’d best fucking watch himself. I’ll kill him if he tries to do anything to Rory.”
I looked over at him. He placed his cup on the table, his face as white as a sheet. No one would hurt him. I’d make sure of that.
“They went to your villa first, but I’m not sure how they found you in the village. A tracker, maybe? Would he have had a chance to plant one?”
I didn’t know, but it was possible. He certainly had the funds to do what the fuck he wanted.
We should head back to London. That would be the safest thing to do for Rory, but I knew deep down he’d never leave Carlotta here. Not after what had happened today.
“Let me know as soon as you hear anything. We need to be prepared. Failing that, I’ll come kill the fucker myself.”
“He has Dante on his side.”
“Dante is on no one’s side but his own. If it doesn’t benefit him, he won’t care, and anyway, he and I have history.”
“Not good, though, is it? Just be prepared for a fight.”
I ended the call and filled Rory in on what she’d said. The moment I suggested returning to London, he lost his shit.
“No. I’ll not leave her here.”
“I knew you wouldn’t, but I need to give you options.”
By now, it was getting late. I was tired, and I was sure Rory was too. It’d been a long, awkward day, but at least now my secret was out in the open.
No more hiding who I was, and as for the mating? Well, I’d have to see what happened.
“Drink up. We should get some sleep. Who knows what’ll happen tomorrow? I don’t think Ernesto will stop. He might not have got what he wanted today, but he’s not the sort of man to back down or give up.”
“Please. I lived with the man for many years. I know exactly who I’m dealing with, and if he thinks he’s getting away with this, he has another think coming. He has my daughter. I’m not giving her up without a fight.”
“That’s my boy. But you need to be ready for anything. My senses will keep us safe so you can sleep.”
He opened his mouth, no doubt to protest, but closed it again and retreated to the bedroom.
I followed, unsure whether I should join him or take the other room.
“It’d be best for you to sleep here. If anything happens, we don’t want any delays.”
We took turns in the bathroom, but instead of stripping completely, Rory climbed into bed, wearing a fresh pair of underwear and a T-shirt. Not wishing to push my luck, I did the same.
With the lights off, bright moonlight streamed through the windows, and if the situation wasn’t so dire, it could have been a beautifully romantic evening.
For fuck’s sake, Mal would have a field day and would no doubt laugh his bollocks off at me. I’d turned into a lovesick puppy.
“I’m scared, Zeke.” Rory’s voice hitched. “I’m scared for my daughter. What if he succeeds with his plan?”
“Hey, come here.” He scooted over and snuggled into my side, my arm around his shoulders. “He won’t win. I guarantee that. I won’t let him take you from Carlotta.” No way was I letting Ernesto take him from me either.
“What about this Dante? He sounds like he could be someone to be reckoned with.”
If only he knew who Dante was, he’d be right to be scared, but I knew him. Mal knew him. Maybe a call to my brother was in order, if only to fill him in. He could put in a good word with Dante and prevent this bastard from threatening not only my mate’s life but his daughter’s too.
“I’ll speak to my brother tomorrow, and we’ll get this sorted once and for all. Get some sleep.” I kissed the top of his head.
He sighed. “I trust you, Zeke. Don’t make me regret it.”
Eventually, his breathing evened out, and he slept. But I watched every hour pass, vigilant in case anything happened during the night.
He barely moved throughout the night, only fidgeting as daylight broke, sunlight slowly making an appearance and chasing away the dawn.
My mind hadn’t stopped. Playing through scenarios, both good and bad. This needed to end today, one way or the other.
Hopefully, Rory was ready for the consequences because either way, someone was going to get hurt.