Page 14 of Demon Touched (The Demon Syndicate #2)

Nova

D ex slammed into the ground, wings spread wide, and the soft bounce as he adjusted for her weight was impressive.

Nova stumbled away from Dex the second her feet touched solid ground. Her hands were shaking, and she grabbed onto a tree to keep from falling on her face. She most definitely should not have teased him about flying so slow.

The trees towered over her and she took a deep breath of the clean air, pushing her sunglasses back up on her nose.

She didn’t think she was ever going to get used to flying.

“Thank you,” she managed. “I can walk from here.”

“Oh, I’m not going anywhere.”

Nova glanced back and saw him grinning with his hands in his pockets. Snow crunched under his boots as he walked toward her and Nova glared when she saw that stubborn expression on his face.

Ever since she’d woken up that morning to find his arm and wing over her, she’d been in a mood.

Waking up with someone, fuck even just sleeping with them in the same bed, was something she didn’t do.

Nova had always been the one to wait for the other one to fall asleep before leaving, but Dex had stayed with her just like she’d asked. He’d warded her apartment and then watched over her while she rested.

After waking up, she’d spent way too much time staring at him as he slept, dying to touch the feathers so dark they reminded her of her shadows, but she’d settled for the weight that kept her warm even without the heater on.

Never in her fucking life had she felt…cherished, and at the same time protected, but not in the way that made her hate most men.

Somehow, she knew Dex would never step in unless she needed him too.

And now she had to deal with her parents and whatever the fallout from that would be.

If Nova were honest with herself, she wasn’t ready to be alone, because if what Krista said was true…

Everyone she loved and trusted had lied to her.

“My parents don’t even know I’m coming,” she finally said. “I doubt bringing you along is going to help.”

Dex studied the forest and gave her an insolent shrug. “I took the day off, so I’m staying. What are you going to do about it?”

Nova rolled her eyes. “Fine, if you’re really ready to meet my parents, feel free.”

Yanking her coat tighter around her, she fixed her beanie and shivered in the Montana cold. This forest had some of her worst and best memories.

Training in the winter had been brutal, but she’d survived. It was also her favorite place to play.

Nova checked her coordinates on her watch and found North.

“I’m not here to meet your parents,” Dex told her, wings stretching wide before he whipped them in. They disappeared and she blinked, wondering how that worked. “I’m here to make sure you can leave the second you want to.”

She studied him and wondered why this man was in her life. It made no sense to her and the way he was…

Before she’d met him, she’d thought there was no way a person like him could actually exist.

Sure, Dex was weird and a little unstable, but the way he was always there for her, no matter what, was chipping away at every defense mechanism she had.

Everything about him eased all the doubts that this might be a bad idea, and Nova was afraid of that the most. Between who and what he was, and who and what she was…they had a long, bumpy road to get through.

If they both survived, it would be a miracle.

“Try not to kill anyone,” she muttered, taking out a knife. Without hesitation she cut the small bit of exposed skin at her wrist. Nova ignored his snarl and dipped a finger in the blood. “And please don’t let them see your eyes. What you are is none of their business.”

Drawing a rune on his forearm, she sighed. This was going to be rough, no matter what happened.

“Blood magic?” he asked, inspecting the mark.

“It’ll keep the wards from killing you,” she explained. “Well, from trying to.”

Nova slapped a bandage with healing magic over the wound and tried not to think about the mark still on her stomach.

The wound had healed more than she’d expected it to, but the black fractals were still on her skin and the pain was bad enough she felt cranky.

Without a word, she turned and headed toward the property.

Touching the scent charm in her pocket, she considered putting it on.

She glanced back at Dex who raised an eyebrow at her in question. Nova tried to look at him objectively and maybe see what her parents would see.

The black pants and boots were tight and gave off bad boy vibes they definitely wouldn’t like, but he was wearing a grey hoody over his T-shirt and nothing else because the cold didn’t bother him the same way it did her.

Overall, he looked pretty normal except for all the jewelry in his ears and on his fingers as well as the slit eyebrow.

Unfortunately, nothing could hide his size or the power that radiated from him.

“Something wrong?” he asked.

Nova considered her scent charm again. If she didn’t wear it, her dad would know, and she wasn’t ready for that conversation.

“I need to put this on,” she said as she pulled out the charm.

Instantly he glared at it. “Why? Your family knows what you smell like.”

“And if I don’t, they’ll know you do.”

Understanding flickered in his eyes. Dex stepped closer and his hoodie brushed against her jacket. “It would probably be crude if they all knew you wanted me.”

Nova felt the blush on her cheeks and glared up at him. “If that’s what you want to believe.”

“I can smell it right now,” he said, voice rumbling as he bent his head to kiss her cheek. “I’ve smelled it all fucking day.”

She tried to move back a step and his hands were suddenly on her hips.

Fuck, Dex moved so fast .

“I can’t stop thinking about how you’d taste,” he whispered in her ear.

Nova shoved him, slipping the scent charm through one of her earrings. “What’s wrong with you?”

The more time they spent together, the harder it was to remember why she wanted to go slow, but Nova knew why.

It was because of him .

This asshole was going to make her fall in love with him, and she was trying to put that off for as long as possible.

“Maybe you should wear a scent charm then.” Nova offered him one and waited.

Dex gave her a lopsided grin, showing off his sharp canines. “Sure, whatever you want babe.”

“Don’t call me that.”

Dex took the charm from her and put it in one of his earrings, the same side as hers. “Would honey be better?”

“No.” Nova stomped through the snow toward the property and tried to ignore him.

Why did everything he do make her want to melt? It was so frustrating.

“What about baby?”

“I’m no one’s baby,” she snapped. “Why can’t you just use my name?”

Dex chuckled, sticking close.

Thankfully she wasn’t too worried about him in the forest. Even if he got lost, he could just fly to the closest town or city, but they were about to reach the first defense line.

Nova stuck to the trail, glancing back every once in a while to make sure he didn’t wander off.

“So, how are you going to introduce me?” Dex asked.

“As my friend.” Dex stepped a little too far to the left and she spun around, yanking him closer. “Step exactly where I step.”

He raised his eyebrow at her. “Traps?”

“Something like that.” Nova led the way, keeping her eyes out for the marks on the trees.

“Why are there traps?” he asked.

Nova kept walking, wondering how the fuck she was going to explain this. “It’s not just traps.” She stopped and imagined the greeting she was about to receive. “Maybe—maybe you should wait until I come back for you.”

“Why?” Dex wrapped his hands around her waist from behind and she closed her eyes, wishing it could always be this easy.

But even now it was a lie. They were in a forest she’d nearly died in a few times. Every step could kill her or him.

Nova had no idea what he could actually withstand and that scared her more than anything.

“You’re not going to like it,” she admitted. “It would be safer if you left.”

His deep growl vibrated through her and she leaned back into him, loving the way it felt.

“Just spit it out already.”

“My father doesn’t know I’m coming, and this forest is rigged with traps and spells. I don’t want you to get hurt, and I don’t want you to kill my father.”

His grip on her tightened, but he was careful of her stomach. “Why would I want to kill him?”

Nova sighed. “Just promise me you won’t.”

Dex kissed her neck softly, a sharp contrast to the growl she could feel rumbling in his chest even if she couldn’t hear it anymore. “Fine, I promise.”

Well, that was something.

“Alright, don’t touch anything until we cross the next line and don’t stray from my steps.” Nova squeezed his hands once and then moved.

She kept her eyes and ears peeled, avoiding the triggers and traps just like she’d done all her life. Then Nova paused on the edge of the forest and crouched down, inspecting the wide expanse of empty land between her and the house.

Everything looked normal, but that didn’t mean anything.

Using her purple eye, she double checked the booby traps and the line where the wards began. Those weren’t what she was worried about though. Her father liked to play too much and even if it was her or one of her cousins…

They all had to earn access to the house.

Nova looked back at Dex. “Stay here, I’ll signal when it’s safe. Remember your promise and don’t interfere.” She pointed at the perfect white snow. “If you can’t see every single trap, don’t come after me. What’s going to happen—this is normal for us.”

His eyes flashed and she saw the silver fire for a brief moment before it disappeared. “If I don’t kill anyone, do I get to call you babe?”

“ No ,” she hissed, wanting to push him over and laugh at the same time.

“I’ll settle for girlfriend then.”

Nova rolled her eyes, but she was smiling no matter how much she didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. “I’ll think about it.”

Then she took off running, ignoring the stitch in her side.

It wasn’t that she thought Dex couldn’t handle this part.

Dodging the traps, and jumping over the others, she took her favorite route through the minefield. Her father came out of the house then, no doubt hearing the alarm that triggered every time it sensed movement.

This was the part she was worried about.

Nova sped up, using every bit of her hunter speed she could.

If she crossed the line before he got his gun up, he wouldn’t try to shoot her. All she’d have to do was take him down and not worry about a bullet wound if she didn’t dodge fast enough.

Ears perked, she heard when he pulled back the hammer.

So, he’d gone with the rifle. That would actually work in her favor.

Almost there.

The sound of him firing made the entire clearing ring, and she dropped, sliding across the line. The ward didn’t instantly kill her because it recognized her blood.

Nova pushed up with one hand, getting to her feet.

Only one more shot left.

Her dad aimed again, and she ran straight at him. His grin reminded her why everyone thought they were fucking insane.

Because she was grinning too.

He fired and she dodged with a perfectly timed roll. Nova knocked the rifle up, swept his legs out from underneath him, and caught the gun before it could hit the ground. One flip and she had it aimed right at his forehead.

“You need to reload for that to work,” her father chuckled. “But you’re getting faster.”

Then he rolled and she swung the rifle like a bat, clocking him right at the knees.

“Would you two knock it off already?” her mom snapped from inside. “I swear to the Fates, I think one of you is going to kill the other every time you do this.”

Nova checked the rifle to see there was another shot inside, just like she knew there would be. “Hard to lie when I know how much it’s supposed to weigh,” she told him, tossing the rifle back. “But nice try.”

“What are you doing home?” her dad asked.

Glancing over her shoulder, she whistled once and nodded. “I brought a friend. Please don’t kill him.”

Dex walked out of the forest with his hands in his pockets like he didn’t give a single fuck about any of this. Nova watched carefully as he followed the same path she had and then stepped over the ward like it was nothing.

Her dad glared at her, knowing why Dex was still standing and not charred to bits.

“A friend?” her mom asked as she came out of the house. “You’ve never brought a friend home before—oh.”

Nova turned to face Dex, hoping no one would see the blush on her face. “This is Dex. Dex, these are my parents, Adelaide and Glenn Jones.”

“Nice to meet you,” Dex said, not bothering to shake their hands.

Instantly the tension rose.

He eyed her from head to toe like he expected to see blood. “If I’d known how much fun that was going to be, I would have joined.”

“You can go back and try again,” her dad said, shouldering the rifle.

“I actually came because I have some questions,” Nova said, taking off her sunglasses and stepping into the house.

“As do I,” her dad muttered.

Dex just grinned at him and flashed those canines.

“Goodness,” her mother whispered, linking arms with Nova. “I see why you like him. He’s very pretty.”

It hurt to take a step away, but it was better to just rip off the Band-Aid.

Nova looked at Dex, and then her parents, wishing she’d thought this part through. If she asked about it with him standing there, they’d know just how much she trusted him.

Was she ready for that?

Dex gave her a look that practically dared her to ask him to leave.

She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. “Why is there a binding spell tattooed on my back?”