Page 79 of Demon's Heart
“Thank you,” Dante said much more graciously.
“Yes, and we thank you to not send hunters after us,” Ash added.
Nico raised a brow. “Treat your mates right, and I won’t have to.”
Ash gave Nico a chilling grin, orange fire flashing in his eyes. “Don’t worry about us. We’ll treat our mates like kings, and if you’re on Harper and Ollie’s side as much as you say, and you keep our secret, there won’t be any issues from us. It’s Onyx you’ll have to worry about.”
“Who’s Onyx?”
“The third Hound. He won’t forgive you if you give us away, and he doesn’t have a mate to keep him in check.”
“I won’t talk.” The first hint of fear filled Nico’s face. “Now, can we be done with all the threats? You could actually get to know me instead of wasting time with intimidation. Then you might trust me.”
“Why don’t we all get coffee?” Harper seized the opportunity to change the subject. “We can put our fangs away and relax”—he threw an arm around Ash—“more friends is a good thing. I mean, if you trust my judgment, you know I’m right.”
Ash grunted in affirmation, his gaze turning soft.
“That’s an excellent idea,” Dante agreed. “Isn’t there a coffee shop you like nearby?”
“We aren’t going to Seaside Coffee,” Ollie blurted out. “Dex can’t get involved in any of this.” There was no need to screw upanything else today, and bringing demons to Dex’s work felt like tempting fate.
Nico checked the time on a clock hanging behind the counter. “I don’t know about you, but I could use something stronger than coffee. The Breeze should be open. It’s not far.”
“Is that the bar you told me about?” Harper turned excitedly to Ash. “Yeah, let’s go. Come on.” He threw Ollie a grin as he tugged on Ash’s arm.
Ollie forced a return smile. “I think I could use a drink too.”
It might not help him process being the impossibly rare exception to an ancient demon’s near-failed, two-thousand-year-long search for his fated mate, but it sure as hell couldn’t hurt.
22
DANTE
Dante carrieddrinks to a booth at the back of the bar. The Breeze was dark and cool for a summer evening, the décor dated and seeming largely unchanged from thirty years ago, but the shady atmosphere was refreshing rather than unpleasant.
He passed a few people clustered around tables, some playing cards. Nico seemed familiar with the bar staff and a few of the customers, like he came here often.
“I’ve got two beers and a bourbon.” Dante set the drinks on the table, passing the beers to Ollie and Harper.
Nico reached for the bourbon. “Thank you.”
Dante gave him a nod as he scooted in next to Ollie.
“You don’t want a drink?” his mate asked.
“I don’t enjoy the taste of alcohol.” Dante caught Ash’s eye. “And it has no effect on the likes of us.”
Ollie’s brow furrowed. “But it still affects me, even though I’m immortal?”
Nico choked on his bourbon, and Harper patted his back. “Sorry, don’t mind me.” Nico cleared his throat, mutteringimmortal.
Ollie sipped his beer, squirming in his seat.
Dante wished they were alone so he could check in. He didn’t need to feel Ollie through the bond to know he was getting overwhelmed.
“It’s not immortality that makes demons immune to alcohol. It’s the strong magic in our blood. The bond didn’t turn you into a demon, even though it gave you some of my abilities. We aren’t quite the same.”
“Makes sense when you put it that way.” Ollie had another swig of his drink.
