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“Who the hell are you?” Denali asked.
“I am Kalin. The brother of Ernan, the one you watched die.”
Denali hadn’t gotten the soul-sucking demon’s name before Hondo killed him. He hadn’t cared. “I was just doing my job,” Denali said. “Ernan had sucked the soul out of an innocent human woman.”
“Yes, it was your duty,” Kalin spat. “But it does not take away my hurt. My brother was my only family.”
The demon withdrew his hand, and Denali fell to the ground. He’d shoved to his feet, ready for another attack, when the demon backed up. That wasn’t what Denali had expected.
“He was lost,” Kalin said. “I tried to reach Ernan, but he wouldn’t listen to me.”
Denali saw the raw pain in Kalin’s fiery eyes. Despite the danger he was in, Denali felt a pang of sympathy for Kalin. Losing a family member was devastating no matter the circumstances. He knew the pain all too well himself. But he couldn’t let it cloud his judgment, not when his life was on the line.
“I’m sorry for your loss, but taking revenge on me isn’t the answer,” Denali said, trying to reason with the demon. “I didn’t ask Hondo to kill your brother. Ernan’s own actions led to his demise.”
Kalin snarled, his eyes blazing brighter. “You and your kind are all the same. Think you can just come in and do whatever you want. You’re not invincible, shifter.”
Denali knew he needed to think fast. His lion was a formidable opponent, but he was up against a demon who had centuries of experience and power. One wrong move and he could end up dead.
“What do you want?” Denali asked, hoping to buy some time. “You can’t just keep me here forever. I have a life to go back to.”
He had a mate to get back to. Denali would be damned if he stood Zayde up again.
Kalin smirked. “You’re right. I don’t want to kill you just yet. That would be too easy. I want to make you suffer, like you made me suffer.”
With a flick of his wrist, Kalin summoned a whip made of fire. He lashed it through the air, the whip striking Denali in his ribs. The heat from it seared Denali’s skin, causing him to grit his teeth in pain. He could feel the skin on his side blistering, and he knew he had to get out of there.
Where in the fuck was everyone? They were on a main street. There should have been people walking by, but the street was deserted.
Kalin lashed the whip again, and Denali fell to his knees, shouting as the pain ripped through him.
Then the demon backed away. “This is far from over.”
Kalin vanished right before Denali’s eyes. Then he heard thundering footsteps. Seconds later, Phoenix, the redheaded demon warrior, was kneeling over Denali. “Who was that?”
Denali wasn’t sure he would even be able to talk. The pain was too intense.
“Hold still,” Phoenix said. He ripped Denali’s shirt off and then leaned over him. A single tear fell from the warrior’s eye. Nothing happened.
Phoenix frowned. “You’re not healing.”
That was just Denali’s luck. “What do you mean?”
“I mean my tear should have healed your wounds. They’re still raw and bleeding.” He lifted Denali from the ground, which wasn’t an easy feat considering Denali weighed a ton. Phoenix carried him to the apartment building, and the next thing Denali knew, they were going through darkness.
When he could finally see light, he was outside a door. Phoenix pushed it open and laid Denali on the couch.
Denali rolled to his uninjured side, growling at how painful it was to move. He had to find out who Kalin was and the extent of his powers. The demon had said this wasn’t over, and Denali believed him.
Denali wasn’t sure how much time passed, but he sensed someone behind him. He tried to get up to defend himself, but fuck, he felt as helpless as a kitten.
“Relax,” someone said, his voice rich and deep. Then the person moved around the couch, and Denali was stunned to see a tall demon with whiskey-colored eyes and dark hair that reached his shoulders. Panahasi, the demon leader.
Denali usually dwarfed a lot of people at six-three, but Panahasi put Denali’s height to shame. “Phoenix tells me his tears aren’t healing you.”
Denali gritted his teeth from the pain. “That about sums it up.”
“What is your name, lion?”
