Page 80 of Demon's Desire

“Maybe we should have kept in touch with Pamala,” Ash muttered as the door shut behind them. “She might have better information.”

Dante pulled out his phone. “Pamala’s still in the city.”

Ash sniffed. “Didn’t you tell her to stay away from your mate?”

“Yes, and she has, but apparently, she’s dating Ollie’s coworker Ellie, and Ellie has been telling him all about it.”

Onyx had missed the drama with Pamala thanks to Luc’s curse knocking him unconscious. Apparently, she’d tried to kidnap Ollie to blackmail Dante into freeing her friends from Hell.

“You aren’t worried about her hanging around?” Ash asked.

Dante grimaced. “Ollie doesn’t seem bothered. Pamala hasn’t come near the salon, and we don’t have the right to tell her not to date Ollie’s friend.”

Ash looked displeased. At least Dante was more reasonable.

“I’ll ask Ollie where we can find Pamala. We can see if she’s heard anything about the bounty or demons hunting Luc.”

Onyx sighed as if he’d had the most trying day of his life. “You do that. I’m going to go.”

“Wait, I was hoping you’d go see Pamala.”

Why him? Onyx dropped his head back. “Come on, Dante. Leave me alone. I don’t want to talk to her.”

Ash’s brow quirked. “Have you got something better to do, like look after Nico?”

Onyx opened his mouth to snap at him, then realized Ash wasn’t teasing. There was no sneer to his tone, no hint of mocking in his face. He seemed genuinely interested.

Onyx couldn’t find words. Why was Ash looking at him so tenderly? Like he was happy.

“I can talk to Pamala if you need to go to The Herb Emporium,” Ash offered.

What the fuck was happening?

“No. I don’t need to go to The Herb Emporium,” Onyx snapped at last. “Why would I? It’s protected against Luc.”

Ash scowled. “Don’t you want to be close to Nico?”

He did, but how had Ash guessed? Oh, hell. Did Ash believe Luc and think Nico was his mate? Why did that send a wave of panic coursing through him?

“Pamala works at a boutique in the Arts District called Jaune,” Dante said, looking at his phone, seemingly oblivious to what Ash was saying.

Relief coursed through Onyx. “Ash can’t go to Jaune. They won’t let him in the door.”

Today, Ash wore scuffed jeans and a wrinkled T-shirt that he’d probably bought in a pack of three from a chain store. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but he’d stick out like a sore thumb in that quarter of the Arts District, and for once, no one would be starting because of his hulking form.

“I’ll have to go,” Onyx concluded.

Dante and Ash looked at him in shock.

“What? I’m not actually busy this afternoon. The gallery is closed.” And he didn’t want them aware of his longing to lurk on The Herb Emporium roof.

Onyx wasn’t ready for his brothers to know he’d found his mate.Hopedhe’d found his mate. Onyx couldn’t face the reality himself. He needed Nico more than life itself. It fucking scared him, and he had to work it out with Nico before he let his bumbling brothers in on what was happening.

Nothing could touch him and Nico. Not yet. Not while their bond remained fragile. Onyx could hardly let himself believe it. He kept reminding himself that nothing was confirmed. Not with one hundred percent certainty.

When Onyx was sure this thing between him and Nico wouldn’t break and destroy his life, then he’d admit it was real.

From the outside,Jaune looked about the same as it had the last time Onyx stopped in, despite that being close to a year ago.