Page 110 of Unbound By Shadows
She quickly glanced at Kevin, who was chatting near the stage. “I’m not… he’s—”
The cowboy cut her off with a laugh. “Come on now. I know for damn sure it’s not that pipsqueak you’re selling trinkets for.”
She swallowed. “What makes you think I have a mate?”
“Lady, you’ve got demon glittering all over you. Down to your aura. You’ve been claimed. And quite thoroughly,” he said with a wink.
Selene’s face heated.
“Aw shucks, I didn’t mean to be so crude. I’ve just never met a human mated to a demon before. I’ve always wondered if it was possible. Hoped it was, to be honest.”
"You canseehis claim on me?"
"Clear as day.”
Hal’s words buzzed through Selene like an electric current. She bit her lip as sadness, regret, confusion, yearning, and deep heartache tightened in her chest.
Suddenly, the area around them fell dark, as though a light bulb directly above them winked out. All at once, it became difficult to see anyone else. Shadows cloaked the two of them.
“What in tarnation—” Hal said. A cluster of black shadows swarmed above them then curled around Selene’s shoulders like a shawl. Her mouth opened in surprise while Hal chuckled. “Ah, I see. Now that’s a rare trick! You must have learned that from your fella.”
Hot tears pricked at Selene’s eyes. The dark shapes seemed topick up on her emotions and pulsed more strongly. They chilled her skin, but their presence was comforting.
Is your mate here, he had asked.
You’ve been claimed.
Her experience in Aureliawasreal; she didn’t have to fool herself anymore. All the anxieties she had about her ability to separate fact from fiction were swept away. Hal and the shadows weren’t a hallucination, which meant Sam wasn’t either.
Relief hit her along with a wave of longing for her demon so strong she sagged in her seat. Selene wiped her eyes then waved the shadows away. Hal was watching her with concern.
"Hey, why the sad face? Has your mate been cruel to you?” He punched a fist into his palm. “Where is he? I’ll straighten him out.”
“He isn’t here,” she said quietly. “We’re… separated.”
Pulling up a chair, he said, "Did y'all have a quarrel?"
“It’s complicated.”
“Can’t be all that bad, can it?”
“I don’t know,” she sniffed. "I'm not even sure he's alive."
"Of course, he is. I wouldn't be able to see his claim if he wasn't."
"Really?” she said, feeling as though a great weight had lifted from her chest. “I’m glad to hear that.”
“Is that all that’s troubling you?” Hal asked.
“Yes. No. It's more than that. He…he had some plans that I didn’t agree with. And said some things—” She shook her head, remembering how Sam had used his strength to intimidate her in the cave. How could she love a man who acted that way? It was ridiculous to cry over someone who wanted to claim her like a piece of meat.
“Anything I can do to help?” Hal asked.
She considered the demon. Even in the dim bar lighting, she could see the rim of red around Hal’s hazel irises. If anyone could help her translate the mysteries of demon matehood, it was this guy. “May I ask you a question?”
"Of course,” he said.
"What does it mean for a demon to call you his mate? To claim you?"
