Page 4 of Galen

“I won’t.”

I spread my wings and took off into the sky. The wind rustled through my feathers, and I breathed a relieved sigh at the freedom of being high in the air. The slight moment of joy faded as I recalled that sad look in my brother’s eyes.

I knew exactly where he intended to go.

The club offered me a much-needed distraction and gave me an outlet to release some sexual tension. I barely even remembered the man’s face after I fucked him in the back room of the club and took off back into the night.

Faces didn’t matter anyway. It wasn’t like I planned to see any of the men I fucked again. They were nothing but a way to pass the time. And as an immortal, I had an infinite amount of time.

I passed through the magical barrier around our property, flew over dark water, then dropped down on the steps of the front porch of the mansion.

Raiden and Castor were playing pool in the game room. The sound of the billiard balls clashing together startled Gray, who was napping on the chaise lounge near the window. He sleepily mumbled at them before pulling the blanket over his head and curling into a little ball.

“Alastair and I found more shades by the dock.”

“Close to where Daman and I found them earlier, then,” Castor said, bending forward to line up a shot. His medium-length fire-engine-red hair complemented his alabaster skin. Silver studs lined the curve of both his ears, and his right nostril was pierced, along with his left eyebrow.

“Yes.” I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms as I watched them play. “Alastair said crates for an auction house came in recently. He thinks the shades are after something that was inside them.”

“Like what?” Raiden asked, chalking the top of his pool stick before pocketing a stripe. A piece of beef jerky stuck from the corner of his mouth.

I shrugged. “Don’t know. Could be another cursed object like last time.”

Several years ago, an amulet had been found at an archeology site. It had been used in ancient times to spread fear and chaos instead of protecting against it. Demons had been drawn to the negative energy and swarmed to the area, feeding off people’s fears. We’d had to retrieve the cursed object and destroy it.

“Oh.” Castor perked up at that. “I bet an amulet would fetch a nice penny.”

“You have enough money.”

“You can never have enough.” Castor winked at me.

Suppressing a sigh, I went over and picked up Gray from the couch, cradling him in my arms. He linked his hands behind my neck and nuzzled into my chest as I carried him to his bedroom on the second floor. Once he was tucked into bed, I went to my room and stepped out onto the balcony.

The storm had cleared, taking all the clouds with it. I stared up at the sea of glimmering stars, my mind far away. I remembered an orchard and the small home that sat beside it. Remembered dark brown eyes and bronze skin that warmed mine as our bodies entwined.

I chased the memory away.

The past was too painful.

Alastair didn’t return until the early hours of the morning. The sun had already risen when I sensed him enter the veil around our land. He headed straight for his bedroom and locked himself inside, saying not a word to anyone.

That type of pain?

It was why I kept my distance from humans and only used them for sex.

Anything more only brought sorrow.

Chapter Two

Simon

This is why I hate dating, I thought as I sat across from Brandon, a guy I met on a dating app.

In his profile, he said he wanted a “real connection”and someone he could “laugh and be himself with.”

Well, as I caught him staring at the waiter’s ass for the sixth time in a span of twenty minutes, I’d wager he was nothing but a pig in disguise. And that “real connection”he supposedly wanted?

He could shove it up his ass.