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DANTE

“I think I scared him off,” Dante grumbled to Ash as they flew over Shearwater Landing, the city lights twinkling below them.

They’d left Ollie and Harper at their apartment after dinner and were headed home. It felt wrong to fly away from Ollie, every wing stroke taking extra effort. But what else could Dante do?

“Scared is a bit dramatic,” Ash called over his shoulder.

Dante focused on beating his wings, not bothering to disagree. Maybe he hadn’t scared Ollie, but something had happened. Ollie had seemed less happy at the end of the night than he had at the start.

Dante had attempted to be engaging. Was it not enough? Maybe he seemed boring to a bright young man like Ollie.

Ash and Dante landed on the deck attached to Dante’s large clifftop home overlooking the city and the ocean. It sat in the middle of a nature reserve, the whole building protected by an illusion to prevent humans from discovering it and by powerful spells to keep other magical beings out .

Dante opened one of the massive sliding glass doors and walked inside, tucking his wings against his back.

His muscles relaxed as the familiar scent of wood and leather filled his nose.

He loved his home. He’d had it designed to accommodate him in his full demon form, but his affection for the place was more than practical.

He’d dreamed of having his mate here one day and had kept everything minimalistic so his mate could put his touch on the place.

It was a building block, ready to be molded to fit him and his mate as they made their life together. He and Ollie.

Dante wandered to the open-plan kitchen and pulled out his candy drawer, craving chocolate. He selected two of his favorite bars.

“Would you like some blood with that?” Ash asked as he opened the fridge.

Demons had to drink blood to maintain their immortality in the Human Realm. Eating human food wasn’t necessary, but Dante enjoyed it, especially anything sweet.

“Sure, thanks.” He ate his first chocolate bar in three bites.

Ash poured bagged blood into two mugs and popped them in the microwave.

Dante bought blood from a vampire-run organization that sourced it from donors aware of magic. It was a much easier setup than when demons had first arrived and had to hypnotize unsuspecting humans to drink from them.

Ash handed Dante a mug. “You didn’t scare Ollie off.”

Dante set the mug aside and had a bite of his second bar. “Then why didn’t it seem like he wanted to talk to me?”

Ash’s brow creased. “He was stealing glances at you all night. And you two talked plenty.”

Dante finished the chocolate. “I suppose you’re right. I’m probably overthinking it, but it’s hard not to when all I want to do is pull him close and never let him go. ”

Ash gripped Dante’s shoulder. “I know. I felt that way too. At least you aren’t in denial about your feelings.”

“Maybe my feelings are the problem. What if Ollie doesn’t sense the connection?” At first, it seemed like he had, then by the end of the night, Dante wondered if he’d imagined Ollie’s interest.

“It’s harder to feel the bond when you don’t know mates exist,” Ash reminded him. “These things are more subtle for humans, but the way Ollie looked at you tells me he felt something. Did you get his phone number? You can take him out on a date and let the connection grow.”

Dante’s cheeks heated. “I didn’t get his number, but even if I had, it’s not like I know how to date.”

He’d never participated in modern dating. A century ago, he’d given up all physical intimacy to wait for his mate, no longer interested in satisfying his carnal desires with more than his hand.

“Spend time with him. Dating isn’t much more complicated than that.” Ash patted Dante’s shoulder, then drained his mug. “He seemed interested to me. Maybe hesitant, but that’s not bad. Harper hated me after our one-night stand. If we figured it out, so will you.”

Dante pushed away fantasies of finding his mate and instantly having a cemented bond. No one but a demon would want to move that fast.

Ash and Harper’s bond had grown naturally. There wasn’t an on-off switch. The connection—magical and emotional—would build over time.

Dante could be patient as his and Ollie’s bond blossomed. What was a little more waiting? Besides, this was a journey for him and Ollie to go on together. Why skip to fully bonded when they could enjoy getting there ?

What did Ollie like? What did he dream about? What made him sad, and what brought him joy? Dante had to know it all.

He pulled a third candy bar out of the drawer.

“Drink your blood.” Ash slid the mug closer to him. “Don’t let your senses overwhelm you around Ollie. The last thing you need is to drop your fangs if he gets a little too friendly.”

“Yeah, okay.” Dante sipped the blood, hoping the mug hid the renewed flame in his cheeks. His insides twisted, skin heating until moisture prickled at the back of his neck.

He imagined Ollie touching him, kissing him, or— damnation —having sex with him, their bodies twined together.

Dante wanted it all now.

He was ready. But Ollie wasn’t, and that was more important than indulging his baser instincts.

“I’m going to check on the birds.” Dante set his empty mug in the sink. “Want to come?”

“Sure.” Ash flexed his white-tipped black wings and untied his shirt from his belt, discarding it on the counter.

Dante did the same. There was no point in bringing needless clothes when flying around invisible.

It was a beautiful summer night, a sea breeze cutting through the warm air as crickets sang. Dante and Ash took to the air from the deck, flying around the cliff. They hugged the side of the sheer drop as Dante inspected the shearwaters nested for the night on their various perches.

A few untucked their beaks and opened their eyes as Dante and Ash flew passed. His birds always sensed his presence, whether he was visible or not. It was similar to how he and Ash could see each other when no one else could.

All seemed quiet around the cliff, so Dante headed north along the coast, not ready to return home.

Some of his birds had been killed recently.

It might have been Lucifer. None had died since the Devil retreated to the Realm of the Damned, but Dante was keeping an eye on things.

How the birds died was still a mystery, and killing them didn’t fit with Luc’s other activities, no matter how Dante tried to parse Luc’s motivations.

Dante, Ash, and Onyx—Lucifer’s younger brother—escaped the Realm of the Damned two hundred years ago, and when Luc finally followed them to the Human Realm last month, they’d been prepared for him to try and drag them back. But he hadn’t gone straight for an attack as expected.

Capturing his Hounds had to be Luc’s goal. But why had Luc stalked Ash and Harper around the city? Dante hated to admit it, but Luc had had the upper hand. Why waste it?

That wasn’t like him.

Missing their chance to imprison the backstabbing swine was a blow, but not when weighed against saving Harper.

They’d get Luc. He’d come back to the Human Realm, and now that Dante knew Luc could disguise himself in the magic he’d stolen from him, Ash, and Onyx, Luc wouldn’t be able to use the same trick twice.

But there was no ignoring the unease of not knowing what the Devil would do next.