Page 35 of Wicked (Dark Delights #5)

Isaac

“So how does this work?” Isaac asked once everyone had arrived.

“We patrol in teams of two, usually,” Nathan said. “Ira’s been getting some training, but he doesn’t patrol very often with us. Whichever one of us stays behind trains him and the recruits.” He gestured to the Alvarez siblings, sitting over on the sofa with school textbooks in their laps.

“What’s their deal, anyway?” Isaac asked.

Nathan shrugged. “They were here when Ira, Luke, and Alex found the Rink. According to them, they used to come here to get away from their dad, who’s…

less than stellar, we’ll say. Rather than kick them to the curb and leave them to their own devices, the others offered them a place here.

They could come here and hang out whenever they want, take part in the training, even become demon hunters like us, if they want.

In exchange, they’ve helped with some of the remodeling, and some of their family are in construction, so they’ve been able to help get us some deals on repairs. They’re good kids. ”

“Never really thought you guys would get organized enough to have recruits ,” Isaac said. “I mean, I thought you had just left the guild. I didn’t know you were out here building something new.”

Nathan smiled faintly. “Yeah. I certainly didn’t expect any of this, either. But it works for us. We’re equals here. No one gives orders.”

“Do you think that’ll always be the case?” Isaac asked. “Do you think the Sentinels will grow to the point that you’ll need more rigid checks and balances eventually?”

Nathan tilted his head thoughtfully. “I think that’s a question for Ira. I don’t know. Maybe. But we don’t want to do things the way the guild does, so whatever it looks like in the future, it’ll be something different.”

They fetched some weapons from the training area. Excitement buzzed under Isaac’s skin. He hadn’t held a blade since the day he ran from the guild, and he’d missed it. Hunting centered him. He was looking forward to this.

A familiar body lined up against his back, and an arm curled around his shoulder to flatten against his chest, drawing him more firmly against Shadrach’s body. Isaac looked up, smiling at him through the reflection of the mirrored wall in front of them.

“Did they explain the dangers of this patrol to you?” Shadrach asked, casting Nathan a pointed look.

Nathan inclined his head. “I was going to, yes.”

“I’ve been hunting before,” Isaac said, turning his head. “I know the dangers.”

“Not those dangers, killer,” Shadrach said.

“The monsters are a typical concern, yes, and the paladins are also probably looking for you. You should be well-informed before you go so you aren’t caught by surprise.

Or maybe I should just come with you.” He leaned in, his teeth possessively nipping Isaac’s neck.

Isaac snorted out a laugh. “You aren’t seriously that worried, are you? I can’t imagine you marching through a cemetery with us.”

Shadrach affected a pout. “I could patrol.”

“You don’t want to patrol.”

Nathan held up one hand, fingers spread, to indicate that Isaac had five minutes before it was time to go, and then slipped away from them.

“I could,” Shadrach replied, ignoring Nathan’s departure. “If it was just you and me. I imagine we could have a lot of fun stalking through the darkness together, searching for prey to carve into.”

Isaac shivered.

“You like the idea of that, don’t you? Goddamn, you’re perfect,” Shadrach said, dipping his voice down to a molten purr that curled directly into Isaac’s ear.

“But do you know what I’d like better? Stalking you .

Setting you loose somewhere totally deserted, giving you a five minute head-start, and tracking you down.

Imagine running through a graveyard knowing I was the one hunting you .

Imagine knowing how good it would be once I finally caught you.

How high you’d feel on adrenaline with the grass and dirt beneath you as I pushed inside. ”

He could imagine it so easily, and it was definitely something they were going to explore later. But for now, he groaned. “I have to patrol ,” he said, letting his head fall back on Shadrach’s shoulder. “I can’t believe you’d do this to me right before I’m supposed to leave.”

Shadrach chortled, nuzzling the side of Isaac’s head. “I’m a demon, lover. Torturing you is in my wheelhouse. Luckily for you, that torture comes with a side of pleasure.”

Isaac wasn’t the only one he was torturing, though. Shadrach’s hard length was obvious against his ass. It was reassuring to know the demon wanted him just as badly, and the fantasy he’d concocted in Isaac’s head turned him on just as much.

Overwhelmed with fondness, he turned his head and captured Shadrach’s mouth. A subvocal rumble left Shadrach, feeling more like a purr against Isaac’s back. It reminded him of contentment, of quiet moments wrapped naked in soft sheets.

“Ah, young love,” someone said, and Isaac turned his head to see half of the room watching them. Shadrach didn’t turn, lifting his head to press his lips above Isaac’s ear.

“There’s nothing young about Shadrach, little bird,” Talon drawled, draping one arm around Alex’s neck. “He’s actually older than me.”

Alex shot him a wide-eyed look. “Wait, really? You’re the younger brother in this equation?”

“You know we’re not really related, right?” Talon asked.

“Yeah, I know. But you act like brothers. Complete with the bitching.”

“Bitching?” Talon repeated, faux-indignantly, and dove toward Alex’s neck. A peal of laughter escaped Alex as he tried to get away.

“See?” Shadrach murmured. “Sickening. They’re always like this.”

“Are we any better?” Isaac asked, something hopeful taking root in his gut.

Shadrach pulled back just far enough to level a soft smile at him. “In our own way, no, probably not. We’re not sickening, though.”

“Beg to differ!” Talon called from across the room.

“Shut up!” Shadrach shouted back.

“Bitching,” Alex stage-whispered.

“Time to go, Morrow,” Nathan said then, casting Storm a warm look and giving him a quick kiss before heading to the door.

“You sure you don’t want me to come?” Shadrach asked.

Isaac turned around, securing the sword to his back. “Are you really that worried?”

“There are halflings afoot.”

“I’m insulted that you think I can’t handle a few halflings.”

Shadrach growled in frustration. “I know you can , killer, that was never in question. I just…” Something like despair filled his eyes.

Isaac understood then. This was the first time since Isaac returned that they would be separated. Just a few days ago, Shadrach wasn’t sure whether he would see Isaac again. Enemies were closing in from all sides, and the threats were very real, no matter how good a fighter Isaac was.

“I’ll be okay,” he promised. “I have your blood. Nate will watch my back. We can call if we run into trouble. And besides, haven’t they been patrolling like this for months now? And they’ve been fine.”

“The night you came back, Alex and Luke were attacked by halflings and stumbled in here with multiple broken bones,” Shadrach deadpanned.

Well, that sounded like a fight worth having, and his intrigue must have been evident on his face, because Shadrach shot him an exasperated look .

“That sounds fun to you? Really?”

“I can’t help that the threat of injury doesn’t have much weight now that I have your blood,” Isaac said dismissively. “I already know what it’s like to heal broken bones, remember? You two broke my arm.”

Shadrach winced. “Did I ever apologize for that?”

“Not in so many words.” Isaac kissed him. “Make it up to me later. Time to kill stuff now.”

Reluctantly, Shadrach let him go. He was almost to the door, where Nathan waited, when Storm stepped in front of him. A head taller than Isaac and built like a freight train, he struck an intimidating figure, but Isaac wasn’t one to be cowed.

“Talon doesn’t trust you, and I’m not sure I do, either,” he said, folding his muscular arms across his broad chest.

A comment about Storm not thinking for himself was on the tip of Isaac’s tongue.

And then Storm’s red eyes softened with worry. “But Nate trusts you enough to patrol with you. Watch his back. Don’t let him get hurt.”

Over Storm’s shoulder, Nathan smiled fondly at the back of Storm’s head.

“I will,” he promised. “You have my word.”

Storm inclined his head. “I guess we’ll see how much that’s actually worth.”

A spike of irritation went through him, but he probably deserved that. He pursed his lips, unwilling to rise to the bait, and gave Storm an agreeable nod as he moved around him to meet Nathan at the door.

Finally, they stepped out into the warm night air. They were patrolling the area nearby, so they left the cars where they were and fell into step toward the street beyond the parking lot.

“Sorry about Storm,” Nathan said as they left the Rink’s parking lot behind. “He worries. My getting shot during the battle at HQ reminded him how fragile humans can be, and I think having someone to worry about is still an unfamiliar experience to him. He means well.”

Isaac remembered that. He’d been standing in the crowd of paladins, watching the demons and their human lovers inch away from the site of the battle.

Two of them—Wolf and Malachi, he knew now—had been wielding guns to keep the paladins at bay.

Guns they’d just been using on the possessed humans to keep the demons from escaping their broken bodies.

And among them, Nathan had torn off his ring and thrown it to the rubble, bleeding from a stomach wound they were all certain would kill him.

“Did you have his blood in you at that time?” It was the only thing that made sense.