Page 19

There was a heavy silence. Was Nightmare really considering it? Matty thought of that dark, fat cockhead with its strange petals, and he wanted it desperately. Just the tip would be enough. He’d be so full, even with that.

Matty’s alarm blared, breaking the quiet with an irritating chime.

Nightmare released his hold on Matty. “It’s time to meet the little chaos demon and his mate,” he said, his weight leaving Matty’s thighs in the next moment.

Matty tried his best not to pout. He really, really did.

He wasn’t successful.

The hotel room Ivan had gotten for Matty and Nightmare was incredibly nice. The kind with a separate living room area with multiple comfy chairs and a bathroom big enough for a party.

It also came with a solid door that required a real key and even had a deadbolt.

Which made it doubly alarming when that lock slid back by itself, the door bursting open without warning.

Matty and Nightmare had rinsed off and redressed in the time since Matty’s alarm had blared, but Matty still flinched at the surprise, ready to duck into a back corner of the room.

Nightmare laid a soothing hand on Matty’s shoulder. “The chaos demon has a way with locks,” he explained.

And he was right, of course. It wasn’t Dominico’s men or some burglar revealed in the hotel doorway.

It was Cooper and Chaos, the two of them wearing sort of matching outfits, both in baggy jeans and zip-up sweatshirts that differed only in color.

Cooper had a satchel across his chest, and they were holding hands.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Chaos reverted to his demon form, with stubby black horns and a lion’s tail and small, feathered wings. His hair was a strange, sparkly black today, but Matty had seen it all sorts of wild colors before.

Chaos’s yellow eyes gleamed as they landed on Matty and Nightmare. He released Cooper’s hand and threw up his arms. “Nightmare! It really is you! I thought Nix might be pranking me.” And he lunged forward.

Here was the thing.

Matty had met Cooper and Chaos several times before.

He liked them fine. Cooper was reserved but kind, and Chaos was…

unpredictable (to say the least) but clearly devoted to his human.

And even if Chaos was a little scary sometimes, Matty had decided from the beginning that he was firmly Team Demon.

Each one he’d met was better than most humans he’d known, and he was immensely grateful to be included in their small circle.

And yet, when Chaos came bouncing over, his arms held wide open to throw around Nightmare, Matty found himself stepping in front of him, a weird, barking protest leaving his mouth without permission. “ No .”

Chaos stopped just short of Matty, and all his enthusiasm dissipated in an instant, leaving behind an eerie, predatory stillness. He cocked his head, nostrils flaring. “What’s this?”

“Bracchus,” Cooper called, maybe in an attempt to bring his demon back to his side.

But Chaos’s gaze was fixed firmly on Matteo. “Nightmare is my friend,” he said softly. Dangerously.

Matty should back away now. He knew he should. Instead, he cleared his throat. “Yeah, um. I know.”

“I was going to give him a hug.”

“I saw.”

Chaos sniffed the air, little flecks of fire gleaming in his eyes. “Who knew Sascha’s little mouse was hiding such sharp teeth?” He snapped his own fanged set in Matty’s direction. “Do you really think they can rival mine?”

Matty was shaking now, aware he was leagues out of his depth, but somehow he stood his ground.

Nightmare was Matty’s demon. He’d basically said so himself.

And people couldn’t go around embracing him without warning.

It threw Matty off. It made him do crazy things, like stand up to a demon he knew for a fact had killed men twice Matty’s size.

Even if Matty might piss his pants before this confrontation was over.

Taloned fingers settled on Matty’s shoulders, warm and sharp and lovely. He was dragged gently to the side. “Thank you, sweet. I’ll take it from here.”

Nightmare stepped forward and lifted Chaos off the ground by his throat.

Cooper let out a distressed noise, shooting Matty a panicked look, but Matty could only shrug. Nightmare’s talons were pressing hard into Chaos’s skin, and it looked like they might puncture it.

Chaos’s lower lip pushed out into a pout, his feet dangling in the air. “Not the paralysis so soon,” he whined. “I only just got here.”

“You will not frighten Matteo,” Nightmare told him in his quiet rasp. “None of your threats or tricks.”

“But I have a gift for you.” Chaos’s gaze darted to Matty with a wink, and Matty jumped before he could stop himself. “For you both.”

At Chaos’s words, Cooper hurriedly reached into his satchel and pulled out a small, leather-bound book.

Nightmare’s shadows swarmed the thing, and Cooper yelped, dropping it. The shadows plucked it from the air before it could hit the ground, depositing it into Matty’s hands instead. Matty quickly clutched it to his chest, although he had no idea what he was holding.

“The Book,” Nightmare said, sounding surprised.

Well, that explained that.

Nightmare was still holding Chaos up by the throat, but his grip noticeably loosened, his talons no longer looking like they might slice through the little demon.

“I stole it from Ivan,” Chaos said with a manic little giggle, his grin as big as Matty had ever seen it, which was saying a lot. “Again.”

Matty caught Nightmare’s gaze and held it, unable to look away from that white gleam. They had the Book now. The one with the spell that would allow them to bond together.

Would they do it here? Now? Would Nightmare make Matty wait until Dominico was caught?

Quick as a blink, Chaos was out of Nightmare’s hold and back on the floor, his hand once again wrapped around Cooper’s. He was still grinning wide, like he hadn’t just threatened Matty and been threatened by Nightmare in turn.

“Did I do good?”