Page 3 of My Demon Hunter (Hell Bent #2)

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A MIST OPPORTU N ITY

T he female smelled intoxicating.

As the Hunter, Mist relied heavily upon his sense of smell—both a blessing and a curse. A curse because foul smells were that much fouler to him, and for a creature from Hell, there were those in abundance. But it was a blessing too because when he smelled something delicious...

His eyes briefly shut with his next inhalation. There were no words to describe the pleasure.

She smelled sweet and fresh, like a field of flowers, but there was a dark undercurrent to her scent that stirred something primal inside of him. It was sharp and spicy, and so subtle he had to keep inhaling deeply just to get the faintest whiff of it.

He would have preferred to pin the small woman against the wall so she could not escape and bury his nose against her neck to breathe that aroma freely. Perhaps he would sink his teeth into that soft flesh to taste her, further increasing the sensory experience, and hold her still beneath him as a hunter preferred his prey to be.

He curbed the instinct, however. Eva’s “How to Human” lessons were fresh in his mind, but even without them, he knew that his urges would be considered inappropriate to the average human.

Instead, he attempted to seek a conversational topic to fill the silence growing between them as they walked. He knew humans liked to talk about the weather, but Eva told him to avoid bringing that up because it was “lame.” He also knew humans liked to complain about their jobs or their physical health, but Eva had told him not to do that either because it was “even lamer.” While he scrambled to remember something he could talk about, his companion saved him by speaking up first.

“So, do you live around here?”

He looked down at her. She was short, even for a human, and spoke with a subtle accent that suggested origins outside of North America. Her blond hair was piled in a messy bun atop her head, her eyes a pale green, and her features were delicate, with soft lips framed by round cheeks.

Most enticing of all, however, was her bountiful figure. The sight of her was like gazing upon a decadent feast. If ice cream would actually make her hips wider, he thought she should be making a determined effort to consume as much as possible.

“Yes,” he said before he made her uncomfortable by his prolonged silence. “My current dwelling is one block from the store in the opposite direction.”

“Oh.” She looked ahead. “Have you lived there long?”

“One and a half months.”

He sensed her wanting to ask where he’d lived before that, but in the end, she remained silent. He was glad. He wasn’t sure how to answer that question.

He wanted to ask her questions—he wanted to know everything about her—but he didn’t know if the things he wanted to know were normal topics or strange ones that Eva might deem inappropriate.

His goal was to appear as human as possible, and for that reason, he might have chosen to simply remain silent had he not sensed her discomfort.

She kept glancing up at him, and he could tell the silence was making her nervous. He supposed he hadn’t given her reason enough to trust him, and he worried that if he didn’t speak soon she might start to regret allowing him to accompany her to lair.

Her home , he mentally corrected. Humans lived in homes. Demons lived in lairs. He knew this.

He searched desperately for a safe topic of conversation. “You speak differently from others,” he finally said, deciding it was a harmless enough observation. “Do you originate from outside this city?”

She made a face. “Yes, actually. I’m surprised you picked up on it so fast. Most people tell me my accent isn’t that noticeable.”

“It isn’t.”

“I’m from Ireland. I moved here with my sister nine years ago.”

“Why did you move?”

There was a pause, long enough that he feared his question might have been too personal. “We wanted a fresh start,” she said finally.

He knew better than to ask her why that was, though he was very curious to learn. “I understand,” he said instead, because he did. He too would have liked a fresh start if that was an option available to him. He supposed his coming here was as close to that as he could get. A temporary fresh start. A pretend fresh start.

“What about you?” she asked. “How long have you been in Montreal?”

“One and a half months,” he replied, tensing in anticipation of her next question. He’d hoped he dodged this line of inquiry when she hadn’t probed further about his living situation, but alas.

“Oh, so you just got here then. Where did you live before?”

He debated how to reply. He didn’t want to lie to her, but he was also well aware he couldn’t tell her he’d been either hunting for rule breakers or hiding out in a dismal, dark cave in Paimon’s lair.

“I traveled often,” he eventually said. “For my... work.” He nodded to himself, satisfied at his response. Hunting was like a human’s job, wasn’t it?

But then she had to ask further questions. “Oh really? What kind of work?”

He glanced down at her. She was gazing up at him with an open, guileless expression, a soft smile on her face. She was genuinely curious about him. She truly had no idea what he was, not the slightest inkling that he was a soulless creature of Hell.

He found himself feeling guilty for the deception, though it wasn’t an emotion he was familiar with. He didn’t like the idea of lying to her, and simply avoiding the truth was, by default, a lie.

Still, he knew better than to reveal himself. He had no choice but to dig himself deeper into his pit of deceit. But how to explain his duty?

“I... retrieve things,” he said. “Lost things.”

Her features scrunched into a frown, and she opened her mouth. She was going to inquire further, he realized with some panic. His answer had confused her and now she would ask for clarification, and he would have to lie even more.

“Is your home on this block?” he asked quickly before she could respond, hoping against all hope that it would be enough to distract her.

“Oh!” She blinked, looking around at their surroundings. It was dark, but the glow of the streetlamp above illuminated her just enough for him to see a flush rise to her cheeks. “We actually walked past my house already.” She pressed a palm to her face. “I got caught up in the conversation and didn’t even notice. How embarrassing.”

She spun around and began retracing their steps, and he followed dutifully. He wanted to keep speaking with her, but he was afraid of her probing. She seemed very perceptive, and he hadn’t expected that. He needed to consult with Eva about how normal humans avoided personal questions.

She stopped again before they reached the end of the block, pointing up at a spiral staircase leading to a balcony with doors for the upper floor apartment entrances.

“This is me.” She smiled but avoided his eyes. He thought she might still be embarrassed about walking past her house, though he hoped she wasn’t. It seemed an honest enough mistake, and if anything, he was pleased that she had been so invested in his stilted speech that she’d forgotten her surroundings.

He studied her closely, analyzing her behavior. He sensed that she was somewhat shy and unsure of herself, but he couldn’t understand why. She appeared strong and capable, appealing in every way. Her scent, her bountiful figure, the rare shade of her eyes... In his opinion, she had more reason than most to be self-assured.

Perhaps it was him making her nervous? After all, he was just standing there staring at her. He chastised himself for his awkwardness. He really was inept at humans. Perhaps she was still afraid of him and was hoping for him to leave as soon as possible.

“I guess I’d better go up before my ice cream melts,” she said, lending credibility to his hypothesis.

He nodded, fighting to hide his disappointment. He may have bungled this endeavor thus far, but perhaps there was still some way for her to leave their interaction with a positive impression.

“You should eat as much of it as you want,” he said.

“What?”

“You should eat as much ice cream as you want.”

A surprised laugh burst out of her. “And why would I do that?”

“Because you like it. And because you are very small, and it wouldn’t be bad if it made you bigger.”

Her laughter died instantly, and she stared at him with a slightly open mouth.

He groaned inwardly. He’d made it worse again. He wanted to disappear. No, he wanted to fling himself off the edge of the Pit into the hungry mouths of the monsters below. He wished Eva was here to help him figure out what was and wasn’t appropriate to say.

“I will go,” he said in case she feared or detested him now, though it was the last thing he wanted to do. There were still so many things he wanted to know about her. She was by far the most interesting human he had encountered, and he couldn’t seem to stop breathing in her tantalizing scent. “Thank you for allowing me to escort you. I enjoyed the experience.”

He gave her a small bow and instantly regretted it. Humans didn’t bow anymore, did they? He didn’t think so; at least, not in this culture. Not to mention, bowing was a habit he had acquired over millennia of servitude, and he resented the symbol of his bondage.

He spun, ready to make a swift retreat to lick his wounds and reflect upon his spectacular failure.

“Wait,” she said before he could.

He turned back around.

“What’s your name?”

Did this mean she wasn’t afraid of him? “I am called Mist.”

“I— Oh. That’s an unusual name.”

“It’s a nickname.” He wasn’t going to offer his real name. If anything would give him away as not human, it was that. Unlike Asmodeus and his brothers, he would derive no pleasure from confusing her. “And you?”

“Lily.”

“Like the flower.”

She shrugged. “It’s a pretty common name.”

He inhaled another lungful of that heady aroma. “It suits you. Your scent is like flowers.”

Her eyes widened again, and he cursed inwardly. Perhaps that was also insulting? He ground his teeth. This was too difficult.

“Do you have a phone?” she blurted, and her cheeks turned scarlet once more.

He frowned. “No. Why? Do you need to call someone? Are you in danger?” He glared into the suddenly suspicious darkness, fighting back an instinctive growl.

“No, no. Nothing like that.” Her cheeks were flushed so deeply red, it almost didn’t appear natural. “Never mind. Have a good night, Mist. Thanks for walking me home.”

He sighed inwardly, feeling the sting of disappointment. He wanted to make her stay or create some opportunity to meet with her a second time, but she had clearly dismissed him. The interaction was over. He had lost his chance.

She offered another smile and headed up the staircase. He didn’t try to stop himself from watching the luscious mounds of roundness that comprised her ass. The flesh jiggled slightly with every step, and it was the most decadent sight he’d ever beheld. His mouth actually watered.

At the top of the stairs, she unlocked the third door on the left and disappeared inside, so Mist headed for his own place of residence. As he walked, he fought back a sense of regret at the thought that he might never breathe that scent or look into those light green eyes again.

When he reached his own building, he let himself into Eva and Asmodeus’s apartment and found things exactly as he’d left them. Eva lounged on the sofa watching a movie, and the rest of the house was quiet.

She looked over when he entered. “You’re back! With ice cream!”

“I purchased two flavors so you might choose which you prefer now and have more for later.”

He set the shopping bag on the couch and proceeded to remove his shirt so he could shift back into demon form. Stretching out his wings with a sigh of gratification, he flexed his claws and whipped his tail back and forth. How any demon could stand being in human form for prolonged periods was beyond him.

“You’re a genius!” Eva, used to his demon form by now, was too busy selecting her ice cream flavor to notice. She chose “Chocolate Therapy” and then held out the bag for him. “Thanks, Mist. You’re the best.”

“I will bring you a utensil.” He took the bag and put the extra carton in the freezer, returning with a spoon and sinking into the sofa beside her.

She immediately dug in. “So what took you so long? Not that I’m complaining.”

“I encountered a female.”

“Really?” Her silvery eyes lit up. “What happened?”

“I asked her which flavor you would prefer, and she told me to buy both.”

“I like the sound of this girl.”

“Then I got a third one for her because she said she liked chocolate.”

“That was nice of you.”

“I then offered to escort her home for safety, and she accepted.”

“Mist, you sweetheart, I didn’t know you had it in you.” Eva lowered her spoon and beamed at him. “I doubt Ash or his brothers would ever have thought to do something so nice. You’re really good at this human stuff.”

His mouth twisted. “I don’t know. She kept asking me questions I didn’t know how to answer, and I think she was afraid of me. It was all very confusing.”

“Why do you think she was afraid of you?”

“She seemed somewhat unsure of herself, and she kept staring at me with wide eyes.”

Eva snorted. “I don’t think that was fear, honey.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Have you seen yourself? You’re hot. She was probably attracted to you.”

Mist stared at her incredulously. Surely he wasn’t so ignorant of humans that he would have missed that? He narrowed his eyes, his mind quickly running over their entire interaction.

She hadn’t wanted him to walk her home, but then she’d changed her mind and decided to trust him with the knowledge of where she lived. She had told him her name when he asked. She had thanked him for buying her the ice cream. She had smiled at him and seemed curious about his life.

Was she attracted to him?

“I thought I frightened her,” he said weakly.

She reached over and patted him on the arm consolingly. “You’ll learn.” After scooping another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth and sighing with pleasure, she asked, “So I’m guessing you didn’t you get her number.”

“What number?”

“Her phone number. To call her?”

“No. Should I have?”

“Well, you can’t make plans to see her again if you don’t get her number, now can you?”

He stiffened. “She said goodbye. I didn’t realize that was an option.”

Eva consumed another spoonful of ice cream and shrugged. “Damn. A missed opportunity, I guess, but it’s probably for the best. It sounds like you need a bit more practice in public first before you think about going on an actual date with a girl. And we need to get you a phone.”

His shoulders slumped slightly, but he knew she was right. He hadn’t been prepared for Lily’s questions about his “work” and he still had no idea how he would have answered her if his attempted distraction hadn’t been successful.

“What is the importance of phones?” he asked. “Lily asked if I had one, and now you—”

“Wait. Lily is the girl you just met?”

He nodded.

“She asked if you had a phone? What did you say?”

“I said no. Because I don’t.”

Eva slapped a palm to her forehead. “Damn it, Mist! She was asking for your number! She wanted you to ask her out.”

His eyes widened. No. He refused to believe he had made such a colossal blunder as to misunderstand that interaction. He’d thought she was in danger. He’d been ready to kill whoever wanted to harm her. But she’d been trying to get him to ask her on a date.

He revisited his earlier urge to launch himself into the gaping maws of the gorath in Paimon’s Pit.

“Why wouldn’t she have just said that?” he said with a groan. “Humans are confounding. How is asking if I have a phone equivalent to planning a date?”

“We have more work to do than I thought. I can’t believe you let her get away.”

He growled, his tail snapping with frustration.

Eva’s expression turned sympathetic. “Don’t worry. I doubt we’ll have trouble finding other girls who are interested in you. We can get you another date.”

“But what if I want that particular human?”

She just shook her head. “Then you shouldn’t have blown her off when she asked for your number.”

Lily slumped on the sofa with her glass of wine and Ben & Jerry’s. Thankfully, the dep only sold the mini size, so she didn’t feel too gross eating right out of the carton.

Setting her laptop on the coffee table, she hit play on Hocus Pocus . She’d seen it a thousand times, of course, but it was her favorite movie. God help her if her sister ever found out how often she watched this particular film.

As if summoned by thoughts of Iris, Grimalkin jumped onto the sofa and curled into a ball on the cushion beside Lily as if he approved of her entertainment choices.

She glared at the black cat. “You would like this movie.”

He glared back, unimpressed. He was a jerk, but she’d always loved the lemon-yellow shade of his eyes against his pitch-black fur. Unfortunately, now it reminded her of another pair of eyes she had looked into tonight.

“Instead of asking for his number, I asked him if he had a phone. What kind of question is that? Everyone has a phone!” She snorted. “Well, everyone except him, apparently.”

Grimalkin looked offended by the tone of her voice.

“The worst part is, he had no clue what I was talking about. And did I explain myself? No, I just let him walk away. But seriously, who can’t take a hint that big? I feel like he would have figured it out if he was interested.”

She sighed and turned back to the movie without actually watching it. “It’s probably for the best, anyway. The dep is hardly the place to meet guys. I don’t know anything about him except that he’s gorgeous and nice enough to walk random girls home and buy ice cream for friends on their periods.” She groaned. “Who am I kidding? He’s perfect.”

Her phone rang, and she groaned again when she saw the call display. Pausing the movie, she shot a glare at Grimalkin. “Somehow this is your fault.”

She swiped to answer the call. “Iris. Hey.”

“Lil, are you coming? We’re getting started right away—”

“You know I’m not. I told you to stop inviting me.”

Iris huffed. “You should be here. It’s in our blood. It’s who we are.”

“It’s not who I am. I am who I choose to be, and that’s not what I choose.”

“I don’t see why you’re so against it. It’s our heritage, our—”

“We’ve had this argument a hundred times, Ris, and I’m not changing my mind. Just give it up already.”

Thank god her sister didn’t know she was watching Hocus Pocus while sitting beside a black cat. Then she’d never hear the end of it.

Iris sighed. “Fine, but I miss having you here, Lil.”

She hadn’t been to a coven meeting since they’d left Ireland nine years ago, but Iris always acted like she’d stopped going yesterday. “Sorry, but it’s not for me. I want a different life.”

“Just because Mam and Dad are g—”

“Please don’t bring that up right now.”

“Fine, I won’t. But I just don’t want you to throw this big part of yourself away because of the past. Mam wouldn’t want that for you. She’d want us to b—”

“I’m hanging up now.”

“All right, all right. Before you go, how’s Grimmie-poo?”

Lily glanced at her silently disapproving companion. “As grumpy as ever. When are you coming to get him?”

“In a couple of days. I need some time away from my house right now.”

Lily sighed. “Why don’t you just break up already?” Iris’s boyfriend was an asshole. While Lily tended to avoid social interactions of all kinds, her sister sought them out and often latched onto the worst type of people—especially men.

“That’s the thing. We did.”

She sat up straighter. “You did?”

“Yeah, and this time, I mean it. I’m done. I gave him three days to pack up his shit and move out. I’m staying with Suyin in the meantime. I wouldn’t put it past the bugger to steal Grim, which is why I asked you to take him.”

“Oh my god, Ris, that’s—” The best news she had heard in months. Hell, years. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“Because I knew what your reaction would be. I’m impressed you’re still holding it in.”

“Can I do it now?”

“Fine.” Iris blew out a breath. “Let me have it.”

“Good riddance!” She tried not to shout, but it was hard. “I never got what you saw in him. He was a bastard to me and all your friends, and you can do so much better. I never liked him from the day I met him. Sure, he was fit, but honestly, his personality was so crap it ruined anything appealing about him. Every time I saw him, I just wanted to kick him right between the legs. You have no idea how long I’ve been dying for you guys to break up.”

“You done?”

“I can keep going if you want.”

“I think you’ve made your point.”

“Are you... okay? And stuff?”

“I’m fine. It’s been over for a while, you know?”

Lily scoffed. “It was over before it began. He was never close to good enough for y—”

“Okay, Lil, I get it. We’re starting now, so I gotta go. Sure you don’t want to be here? Not even to support your poor, brokenhearted big sis?”

She rolled her eyes yet again. “I’ll never tell you what a bastard Antoine is again if you never ask me to come to another coven meeting again.”

“Touché.”

“And you’re not my big sis. You’re an hour older than me.”

“Hey, a lot can happen in an hour.”

“Not that much. Now go to your meeting. I have to get back to—” She stared at the movie, paused on Winifred Sanderson’s buck-toothed sneer. “Work.”

Iris snorted. “Yeah, okay. Have fun at ‘work.’ Make sure you get lots of ‘work’ done.”

“Thank you, I will,” she replied haughtily and hung up.