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“There you go, hon.” Denali pulled her out of the cardboard carrier and set her on the couch. “I put some food and water in your bowls. Doc gave me some meds for you to take, and you’re going to take all of them. Got it?”
Chloe purred as she rubbed herself against him then jumped off the couch and trotted away.
“I’m serious,” Denali called out. “You’re going to take your meds.”
He’d had her since she was a kitten, given to him by a close friend he’d lost. James had been someone Denali had checked in on from time to time, a kind old man who’d had a cat of his own. She’d had kittens, and James had given one to Denali for being such a nice guy.
Denali had told James that he didn’t owe him anything. He was just doing his job and duty checking on elderly residents of Midnight Falls, but James had insisted Denali take one of the kittens.
Unfortunately, James had suffered a fatal heart attack a year ago. Denali was still getting used to James not being around. He’d found good homes for James’s cat and the other kittens. Now Chloe was even more special to him, kind of like he had a piece of James with him.
After finishing his shift and heading back home, Denali went to his room to get ready for his date with Zayde. He put on his favorite jeans and a navy Henley, trying to make himself look as handsome as possible for Zayde. He finished off his look with his favorite boots.
Denali had told Dominic that he had a date with his mate. Too bad they couldn’t have their honeymoon period, but Zayde’s boss was human and knew nothing of the tradition in the preternatural world.
If his boss had been nonhuman, Zayde would have gotten two weeks off, with pay, so they could strengthen their bond. In other words, so they could have massive amounts of sex for fourteen days without interruption.
For now, Denali would take what he could get.
He went to the bathroom to do his hair and had grabbed the product he used to make his hair swoop back when the lights went out. Denali frowned as he looked around. Though the bathroom was bathed in darkness, he could see because he was a lion shifter, his senses heightened.
“You were there,” a disembodied voice said. “You watched my brother die.”
“I don’t know who you are, but you’re fucking with the wrong person,” Denali snarled. “Either show yourself or piss off.”
Then he saw it. A pair of floating eyes, the irises on fire. A demon. Denali spun, his hand flying toward the light switch, but he was too late. He felt himself falling, and then he landed on the ground, hitting it so hard the air was knocked out of him.
He knew this was going to happen, but he’d hit the lights in the bathroom too late to prevent the demon from taking him. He opened his eyes and saw he was on a mound of grass, a large black lake in front of him.
Denali pushed upward, making it to his knees. He rubbed his chest because, fuck, that had hurt. As he looked around, he saw a basketball court and the apartment building across from it. He knew exactly where he was.
The demon realm.
The apartment building belonged to the demon warriors. There was no entrance door. Panahasi had made it that way so no one could walk inside. A demon warrior had to escort you in through shadows.
Denali forced himself to his feet, ready to shout for Hondo, but something hard struck him in the back of the head, sending him flying back toward the ground. He had enough wherewithal to roll, avoiding another attack.
The demon who’d hit him was tall, almost six-nine. He had red skin, long black hair, and his irises were still filled with fire. He reached for Denali, but Denali once again rolled away. This time Denali went on the offense, lunging for the bastard.
The demon held up his hand, and Denali froze midway through his strike.
“Did you think defeating me would be so easy?” the demon asked.
“Buddy, I don’t even know you.” Denali struggled, but it was useless. The demon had him in his grip. Denali’s feet were barely touching the ground, and he couldn’t move his body.
“You, along with your filthy friends, summoned Hondo, who killed my brother.”
“Your brother shouldn’t have been in the human realm sucking souls out,” Denali snarled. “Let me go, you son of a bitch.”
The demon laughed, a dark and sinister sound. “I think I’ll have a bit of fun with you before I decide what to do with you.”
This was not good. When Denali tried to yell for Hondo, the demon waved his hand and Denali felt his throat tighten.
“No shouting for help,” he said. “This is between you and me.”
“Why me?” Denali asked when the invisible grip on his throat loosened. “There were others at the farmhouse. Why target me?” Not that Denali wanted the demon to go after his friends. “Too afraid to go after Hondo?”
The demon curled his lip. “I’d watch your mouth, lion, or I might silence you forever.”
