Page 2 of Edge of Darkness

“There is definitely some benefit to traveling by a portal,” Connie said.

“Yes, well, I much prefer the normal standard of transportation—planes, trains, or automobiles.”

Connie snickered, and Hudson fondly rolled his eyes. Both Connie and Kage were well aware Hudson did not particularly care for portals.

Kage and his kind, daemons, were nicknamed shadow demons for a reason—they could use the shadows to create a portal and travel to any place in the world. Daemons could also manipulate the shadows to do their bidding, and wasn’t that just terrifying?

The leader, or Elder, of the Daemons of San DeLain was Hudson’s best friend and business partner, Kage Dargan, and he had recently found his mate, Austin.

Hudson would never admit it to a living soul, but he was a little bit—just the tiniest bit, mind you—jealous. Kage had his happily ever after. Hudson wasn’t sure he would get his. In fact, if he were a betting man, he’d say he wouldn’t.

Connie kept the conversation going as they left the city and headed toward Hudson’s compound. Hudson could admit to himself that he had missed Connie’s company.

“So anyway, I told Torres that he was just being ridiculous. It wasn’tmyfault he got killed while playing his video game. He should’ve been paying attention to—”

“Uh, I hate to interrupt, but we may have a situation,” Wilson called from the driver’s seat. “There’s this asshole coming up behind us really fast. I don’t like how he’s not moving out of our lane. Shit. I think he's—Oh Gaura, he’s going to—”

Hudson barely had time for the words to register before they were rear-ended. He and Connie were thrown forward, then slammed back, thanks to their seat belts. His neck screamed, and a metallic taste filled his mouth. He must have bitten his damn tongue.

“What the hell?” Connie yelled, scrabbling for purchase as the car fishtailed.

“Hold on!” Wilson bellowed, fighting the steering wheel. “Fucking hold on, he’s coming again!”

Hudson’s Mercedes was hit once more, metal grinding against metal.

“Those fuckers!” Wilson swore. “Son of a bitch! We’re being attacked! They just used the pit maneuver!”

Hudson’s vision suddenly sharpened, and he blinked, his vision readjusting. Everything stood out in stark contrast in the dark interior of the vehicle now.

“I’m losing it!” Wilson cried desperately.

The Mercedes spun completely around, and the smell of burning rubber hit Hudson like a ton of bricks. Brakes squealed as the light from the headlights, trees, and smoke from the tires sped past them in a crazy, twirling mass.

Then suddenly everything was upside down. His body lifted off the seat, the seat belt biting into his shoulder and chest. His arms flailed around him. Then, a few seconds later, he was slammed back down as they flipped right side up.

But then they flipped again.

Someone was cussing. There was roaring. The car finally came to a stop, but they were hanging upside down in their seat belts. He desperately shoved his hair out of his face, and his gums tingled as his canines dropped.

Connie’s anger soaked the vehicle, but there was also an underlying edge of fear to it. That pumped Hudson’s adrenaline higher. Whoever had made Connie react in such a way was going to die a slow death by his hand.

Even though the windshield was a cobweb of cracks, Hudson saw the other vehicle, nothing more than a flash of black, as it pulled in front of them and stopped.

Hudson snarled at it.

“You okay, Hudson?” Connie fought to unbuckle his seat belt. “Fucking hell, we’re upside down.”

“Yes. You?”Breathe.Hudson needed to breathe for just a second. He’d slammed his head against the car window pretty good as they’d flipped.

“I’m good.” Connie squinted at Hudson. “Oh no, you’re bleeding!”

Even in the dim lighting, Hudson could see that Connie’s eyes had changed to those of his dragon—the irises were a golden-red sunburst of color with black slitted pupils, like a cat… or lizard.

Wilson groaned from the driver’s seat.

Connie finally managed to unbuckle his seat belt and dropped to the roof of the car. He crouched there.

Hudson was sure his eyes had transformed too. “I bit my tongue, that’s all.” Hudson unbuckled and fell into a crouch next to Connie. “Wilson? You okay?”

---