Chapter 42
AVA
As quickly as the intruder is in front of Luna, he’s thrown up against the wall. The movement is a blur. A boom sounds that feels as if it rattles the room. A few frames I have hung on the walls fall off.
Pom Pom, having had enough, yips in fear and darts into the bedroom.
I hope he didn’t run across broken glass with his little paws.
An animalistic snarl echoes through the space, and I watch as the unknown man is thrown against the other wall so quickly I can barely track it. A huge body-shaped dent is left behind.
That’s going to be hard to explain to the landlord.
Celine, Luna, and I scramble to huddle together over in the corner.
I squint, trying to focus on what’s happening since they’re moving so quickly.
A familiar dark-haired vampire has the mystery man pinned up against the wall, one hand fisted in his black shirt and his forearm locked against his throat threateningly.
There’s a dangerous gleam in Valen’s eyes I’ve never seen before and his fangs have punctured his lip, causing blood to dribble down his chin. He looks downright feral.
“Who the fuck are you?” Valen roars in fury. “Why is a demon here?”
The blond man looks like he’s enjoying what’s happening. A taunting smirk pulls at his lips and his golden eyes crinkle at the edges in amusement. He doesn’t respond and simply stares back at Valen.
A sudden breeze next to us has Celine and me jumping. Luna doesn’t. Probably because she sensed our new arrival. Zavier pulls Celine into him, and a displeased sound rumbles in his chest. He runs his hands over her and sniffs her, probably searching for injuries.
“You are in a heap of trouble, Celine,” Zav warns and she eyes him warily but melts into his touch. He doesn’t pull out her first name unless it’s serious. Casting her eyes down, she frowns.
She’s shaking and I can tell what happened spooked her. It did me too, but I forgot about her residual trauma from being held captive. Guilt wiggles its way into my chest, because I put her in danger once more, even though I was trying to prevent it in the first place.
“Do not make me repeat myself,” Valen threatens, getting right in the man’s face. “Who are you and how did you get here, demon scum?”
Finally, the horned man rolls his eyes and shoves Valen off.
We all watch with wide eyes, Valen included, as the newcomer wipes dust off his shirt and rearranges his clothes.
Smoothing a hand through his pale blond hair, he sighs like he’s bored and didn’t just move an ancient vampire like it was nothing.
“If it’ll get you to stop wrinkling my shirt, I’ll answer,” the man goads.
The deep timbre of his voice would have me shivering if I wasn’t already obsessed with another supernatural in the room.
He adjusts a few silver rings that line his fingers sporadically.
“Leviathan, but I prefer to be called Levi. Demon scum is rather offensive, don’t you think?
And don’t even consider”—he holds up a single tattooed finger—“laying a hand on me again. I let you get away with that because you took me by surprise. You won’t be so lucky next time. ”
His gaze wanders lazily around the room until it lands on Luna.
Golden orbs flare as he watches her with an intensity that crackles through the air like a physical thing.
I swear his hair flashes pink, but that’s ridiculous.
It must be the light or my mind playing tricks, because when I blink, it’s the same pale blond it was when he showed up.
“As for why I’m here, search no further than the pink-haired one.” His eyes slide over to me briefly, and I stiffen under their weight. It’s not long before he’s staring at Luna again and she’s looking back inquisitively.
“Do not look at her.” Valen seems to recover from his shock and stands in the man’s—Levi’s—sightline, cutting off his view of me.
Levi tsks and rights the couch from where it fell forward onto the floor during their fight. Once back in working order, he perches on the corner cushion and crosses his long legs. It helps slightly to not have him towering over us, but his energy is still intense.
“What do you mean Ava’s the reason you’re here?” Valen asks, and I sense Zavier looking at me from the side.
“She summoned me.” Levi shrugs. He sets his elbow on the arm of the couch and rests his head on his fist. “It’s a good thing she did, because I’ve just found something very important.” He continues to track Luna’s movements as she sits on one of the stools warily.
When Luna moves her hand to swipe a strand of hair away, I see shimmering air around her wrist.
The fuck?
“Ava,” Valen growls and I stiffen before ducking behind Luna.
Zavier and Celine watch me, and I shake my head at them not to give me away.
“Do you think I cannot see you?” Valen whispers and I see him peeking around Luna at me.
“Fuck,” I mutter and step out from behind her.
Looking over at Levi, I see he’s standing once more and advancing on us. Valen zips in front of him with a hand hovering above his chest. Before he can make contact, Levi gives him a withering glare.
Now that I’m paying attention, I can see Levi’s shirt is open almost down to his belly button, revealing a chiseled torso with tattoos littering it.
They appear to be celestial in nature and in no particular pattern.
Glancing at his arms where the sleeves are rolled up, I see tattoos stamped there and down to his hands as well. His body is a patchwork of ink.
“Stay where you are. Demons are the last creatures I trust,” Valen grates out and Levi smiles but holds his hands up in a peaceful gesture.
“Why did you call me your wife?” Luna glares at him from her seat, the novelty of the imposing figure wearing off.
Levi doesn’t respond but gives her some serious bedroom eyes.
“Okay, buster, calm the fuck down,” Zav interjects. He’s always been protective of Luna and I’m sure his instincts are flaring right now. “Leave Luna alone, and why do you have horns? You look like a coat rack.”
Levi squints at Zav’s comment but quickly grins in reply, showcasing pearly white, perfectly straight teeth. “Funny coming from the oversized mosquito.”
Zav gasps and holds a hand to his chest like an offended Victorian child. “Take it back!”
Valen scoffs and seems to momentarily forget about scolding me. “Whoever you are, you need to go. I will not have my mate in the same room as you.” His dark brows pull on his angelic features, and I resist the urge to smooth them out.
“Mate?” Levi snorts. “I don’t think so. The bond hasn’t been completed. But it does seem like it has you hanging on by a thread. Do you need to take a lap? Cool down?” the demon teases.
Valen’s chest begins to heave, and I know we’re seconds away from another WWE brawl.
A phone chimes, and I turn to see Zav pulling his out of his pocket. “I know where we’ll take him. I texted a friend at the hotel and he said we can throw this one”—he points toward Levi—“in a holding cell in the basement for the time being.”
Levi observes his lean fingers and wipes debris off his skin like they aren’t talking about locking him up. I catch Luna watching him out of the corner of my eye, but she coughs and looks away when she notices.
“Let’s go.” Zav makes to grab for Levi, who dodges before he can.
“Do not touch me, cockroach. My legs work fine.”
Zav wrenches open the door, and Valen ushers Levi from behind to escort him out.
Before they can make it through the entryway, Luna yelps and Levi is wrenched back by an invisible force.
A shimmering gold tether manifests in the air and floats daintily.
The beginning of the glittering thread wraps around Levi’s wrist, and the other end … wraps around Luna’s.
“What the hell is this?!” Luna shrieks and tries to shake off the thread. As quickly as it appeared, it vanishes with a few glowing orbs blinking out after. “Why am I tied to the blond behemoth?”
Levi eyes the thread with a smile and turns his wrist this way and that, trying to make it appear again. He yanks his wrist toward himself, and Luna is pulled forward in response. She makes a sound of shock and places a hand on his chest to steady herself.
“Seriously?” Zav tries to pull Levi away from Luna, but they only make it about six feet before they’re snapped together like a rubber band. “Well, this just got interesting.”