Page 6 of April's Fool (Northarbor Coven Book 2)

A Chance Meeting

Damon

As confident as I came across, okay, arrogant, I was nervous to meet Cody’s new mate and his father. It seemed impossible that Cody would find the other side of himself as well as a life partner and the parent that he hadn’t known about all in the space of a day, but he’d done just that. He had unlocked his demon side and then bonded to Quill, or Toth. It was all going to take a while to get used to.

I needed to get my friend alone and get all the juicy gossip about what it was like to be mated to a demon. Was the demon versatile in bed? Cody, like me, preferred to top, so I couldn’t imagine him being happy with a partner long term that didn’t appreciate that side of him.

“Are you sure you don’t want me there as backup?” Parker’s concern shone through his usually calm demeanor.

“I’m sure. It’s just Cody and his family.”

“With everything that’s happening, I just have a bad feeling. That message—“

“Don’t worry about it.” I had to cut that train of thought off. “My guess is that it’s just a newbie hacker trying to freak us out.” I dismissed the feeling in my gut.

“Still, I don’t like it. I’ll stay close by in case you need me.”

“Parks... I’ll be fine. Go home and try to figure out this mess. Get me all you have on Austin. We need a plan to deal with him.”

“Okay. I’ve got it.” He hugged me close and let me leave the car. “Check in,” he yelled before pulling away from the curb.

Out of habit, I scoped out the restaurant that Cody had named as our meeting place. I checked the entrance and exits, looking for weaknesses in the security I could exploit if necessary.

Once I was happy, I leaned against the building, waiting and trying to blend in with the crowd. I people watched, making up stories about those that passed me. Ever since I was a kid, I’d made up tales to keep me entertained. I didn’t trust easily and people were always wary around me, so I’d never had many friends. Parker sticking around as long as he had was a bit of a mystery to me.

Soon, I noticed a group approaching. There, sandwiched between his mate and who I assumed was his father, was my friend. Cody was practically glowing with happiness, and he was wearing one of the suits I’d had made for him!

“Hey, sweetness. Who are all these handsome men?” I called out. When he got close, I pulled him into a tight embrace, grateful that he was there and safe where I could see him. “I missed you, cutie. All okay?”

Cody assured me he was fine. I could hear his joy as he introduced me to his mate, Toth, aka Quill. Seeing his human guise slip for that of a demon had been terrifying for a second, until I’d seen them look at each other. I knew Cody was safe with Toth.

I also hugged Toth, making sure he knew how precious our Cody was.

The remaining pair were stunning to look at. The one called Mori looked like his son. Cody and Mori had the same brown hair, though Mori had strands of gold and bronze through his. They both had chocolate brown eyes.

I shook hands with Mori, a strange buzzing feeling going through my body at the contact. The demon fixed his gaze on me, questioning something I couldn’t answer. I briefly lost focus on what was said.

“Guard? Are you important in the demon realm?” I asked, looking between the two men. Gregoris was frowning at me. Was I standing too close to his charge? I put some distance between us. Mori still stared until he registered what I’d asked .

“A little.” He blushed! Goddamn, he was beautiful with the flush on his high cheekbones. I knew incubi were meant to be attractive by design. It helped them feed, but this one drew me in. Guess I knew why I liked Cody so much. They had been there, his incubus genes, just buried.

“A little? Care to expand on that?”

Cody begged me to leave it, but I found I couldn’t give him that, when normally I would give him the world if he asked. It also set alarm bells ringing that this father of his was important enough to have a guard and Cody was cagey about answering why. “Is he mafia or something, sweetness? I don’t want you getting into danger.” If he was, I would get us out of there. I’d prepared an exit route. I didn’t care that the demons had magic, I’d have them knocked out cold before they could hit me with a hex.

Then Mori laughed. He had the audacity to laugh! Just when my mind was coming up with all these scenarios and forming a game plan. “No, nothing like that! I just didn’t want to embarrass my son. He’s still getting over the idea himself.”

I looked at Cody, confused. By his wince and Toth’s side eye, I could tell some of my annoyance was showing through the normal social mask I put in place.

“I’m a prince. So is Cody now. My family have agreed to that. They just have to meet him to put in the final approval,” Mori continued, blissfully unaware of how close he had come to harm. A frown tugged on my brow and Mori must have seen it as he quickly added, “Which they will. His horns are magnificent. His wings will carry him far once he learns to fly. He is a fine demon and I’m proud to call him my son.”

Cody hugged his father, and I decided the demon could live for another day since he was making my friend so happy.

Toth was looking at his phone strangely throughout the meal. Every time it rang and he either silenced it or ignored it, he pulled my attention. It kept me too distracted to figure out what Mori’s angle was. Did Mori truly just want to be in Cody’s life? Or was there more to it? I didn’t know all that had happened and why he hadn’t been with Cody as he grew up, but his love for his child was clear. I felt a prickle of jealousy that I refused to look at.

When I realized it was Basil calling Toth, using magic to do so, I shared my frustration with my friend’s new mate over the situation. Magic was a grade A pain in the ass, and not the good kinky kind that I could get behind .

We were in the middle of discussing how Mori could help Toth break the contract with his master when Toth vanished. Summoned out from among us.

Cody freaked out, which was totally understandable, so I went to comfort him. Taking my place and earning a glare, Mori took his son in his arms to soothe him. I hated that I’d been replaced as comfort to Cody, but then I was also confused by the prickle of irritation I felt towards Cody for getting so much of Mori’s attention. A stupid and irrational chain of emotions.

I had to push it aside for my friend. We needed to find Toth for him, but Cody’s bond was still too new for him to summon Toth out from under Basil. We needed more to work on.

With Toth’s phone left with us, there was nothing for Parker to trace, leaving me more frustrated. The one silver lining was at least Cody got to find out who owned his mate. The voicemails were the perfect evidence for the coven, who Cody called. They brought in reinforcements with other shifters from Sweetwater, a pack that Parker hadn’t considered because of their past.

I’d never met Basil, but I’d already decided what I was going to do with him. “He’s quite dead when I catch him,” I voiced those thoughts to the assembled group .

There was some useless muttering about a trial, which I ignored. Basil would find a way to escape. Tricky witch types like him always did. One witch suggested letting me have Basil once he answered their questions. That I could get behind. It earned me a glare from Mori. I really didn’t get what his problem was. Surely he wanted me to be friendly with Cody’s other friends.

Gregoris was pretty useful, if a bit stiff, and he showed Cody how to use his mate bond with Toth to find him. We would bring the fight to Basil.

When Cody let out his horns and pointed ears, I couldn’t help but brush my fingers over one point, gaining a firm rebuke from Mori in return. He even slapped my hand! How was I supposed to know that they were a no touch zone? Though the idea of touching Mori’s created a delightful shiver. I wondered, briefly, if pinching an ear would feel like a kick in the balls. He deserved one after the bruise he gave me.

Finally, after some back and forth over healing me, Cody summoned Toth’s pet, from my suggestion I might add. I nearly fell on my ass! That thing, the hellcat was as big as a tiger. She, I assumed it was a girl, seemed to love Cody. I could hear her purrs over the exclamations of the others with us. He cooed to her like she was a tiny kitten and not a massive, ferocious looking beast. The pair looked at each other before Cody looked at us with hope shining in his eyes. “Found him.”

We took a few precious moments to figure out who would travel together. Cody was sent with the pack alpha and his head enforcer. The car was too small for me with the shifters and the hellcat.

“You’re with us,” Mori barked as he and Gregoris led the way to another vehicle.

“There’s no space,” I pointed out as I reached it. It would be a tight squeeze with all of us. “I’ll ride with the witches.”

“No.” The word was final. Mori had lost all the softness that he exuded when Cody was around.

I turned, leaning against the car and laid a hand on Mori’s arm in a flirty gesture, a smile stretching across my face in contrast to my bitter sounding words. “What’s your problem with me?”

Mori leaned in, so close that I could feel the warmth of his body and his breath ghosted over my lips. I thought for one precious second that he was about to kiss me. My gut swam with butterflies, a sweat broke out in my palms where I was still clutching Mori.

“Where should I start, hitman? You were sent to kill my only child. Then, for whatever reason, you decided to protect him, but you failed. You let a demon close to him. ”

My breath stopped in my throat, my lungs seizing at the menace in his tone. “If his witch goddess hadn’t blessed him, he would be dead and it would be your fault.”

Your fault.

The words rang in my head as I slumped against the car, my legs unable to hold me up.

“Then there is the matter of you being in love with my son,” Mori fired the last shot. I saw a brief flash of what looked like pain in his eyes before he turned his face away from me and put some distance between us. I drew in some much needed air, my head swimming.

I gaped. Reaching for him, I caught his hand. His skin was warm next to mine. The chill of the January air had seeped into my bones. Or rather, Mori’s words had cut me so deeply I felt exposed, naked. “No,” I protested. It sounded weak to my own ears. More firmly, I said, “I love him, but I’m not in love with him.”

Mori’s dark demon eyes met mine. He studied my face. “One of the most honest things you’ve said.” He leaned in closer. This time, my body reacted. Prickling awareness of his proximity lit up my nerve endings and my cock twitched. Mori smelled divine, wood smoke and jasmine, and something else I wanted to get more of.

Leaning closer, I caught his whispered words. “I’m going to keep a very close eye on you.”