Page 13

Chapter 13

Dex

D ex ran his hand through his hair, wishing he could be anywhere else tonight, but they needed more guys to guard the borders. Agmos had pretty much insisted he bulk up the ranks or else .

He didn’t want to think about why, or what would happen if he didn’t manage it to the demon’s liking.

Grabbing one of the shots from a waitress, he downed it and set the empty tube on another’s tray as he headed toward his usual table. The beat pulsed in his head and there was so much noise, so many moving bodies, it was easy to disconnect from reality.

There were two shifters standing at his table with George the bear and Larry the wolf. Those two shifters were some of his favorite goons, and it looked like George had found a girl for the night. Good for him.

“What can I do for you boys?” Dex asked, slamming a hand down on each shifter’s shoulder.

Then he grinned at George and finally got a good look at the girl next to him.

Dex felt the grin freeze on his face as Nova stared right back at him.

That blue eye haunted his dreams almost every night.

He felt them notice who he was looking at, and Dex knew he needed to say something— anything , but he couldn’t stop staring at her Jessica Rabbit hairstyle or the brutal runes across her chest like she was some kind of warrior.

What the fuck was she doing here, sitting at his table?

“Who’s this?” Dex purred, narrowing his eyes.

Nova didn’t react, she didn’t even blush. She acted like she’d never seen him before in her life.

Fuck, that purple lipstick looked wet and…

Dex put a stop to that thought immediately.

The bear turned to her and she smiled up at the shifter like he was the only thing in this world.

The sound of pain filtered through his senses and he instantly released the two shifters. He hadn’t even realized he’d hurt them.

“I’m Nova,” she said, leaning back against the booth like she had no idea what she’d gotten herself into.

Maybe she didn’t. Maybe she was just here because of George.

Dex hooked his thumbs in his suspenders and smirked. “I didn’t realize you had a girl, George.”

“We just met,” she admitted, laughing slightly.

George buried his face in her hair and Dex felt his teeth grind together as he watched.

He didn’t own her. She wasn’t his. Nova could do whatever the fuck she wanted with her free time.

But here she was, sitting in his booth with one of his guys, and throwing it in his fucking face.

“Is she your mate?” Dex asked.

Fuck. What if they were mates?

Larry was the first one who picked up on the fact that something was wrong. “Uh, it’s up to the lady to find out.”

Dex gripped the two new shifters before they could edge away and shoved them into the booth. He grabbed one of the chairs and spun it around, straddling it. He folded his arms over the back and turned his gaze on Nova.

“Well?”

She had the fucking audacity to arch an eyebrow at him with enough sass he wanted to get her on her knees. “I don’t take my scent charm off for anyone, sorry.”

Ah, so that’s what it was.

Dex’s grin widened. “You should leave then. I can’t have my guys fighting over you.”

Nova looked at George and then Larry, but neither of them would meet her eyes.

“Fair enough.” She made to move, and George was out of his seat so fast she blinked in surprise.

The bear wouldn’t even help her out and Dex enjoyed watching her scoot her way to the edge.

Nova stood and he finally got a good look at her.

Dex gripped the chair so hard he felt it splinter. “I apologize for the inconvenience, Nova, but you know how shifters can be about potential mates.”

“I do.”

He turned to face the four shifters in his booth, dismissing her completely. “If you’d like to stay for a bit, put anything you want on my tab.”

“The name?” she asked.

Dex felt his impulse control slip and he wanted to commit chaos at the implication she didn’t even know who he was. “Dex.”

He saw her adjust her low-cut leather pants in his peripheral, and Dex had to close his eyes before he gave in to the urge to mark that flawless skin.

“Thank you, Dex.”

His answering snarl only made her smile and he waved his hand, hoping it would piss her off enough she’d leave.

The sound of her walking away didn’t help either.

“What do you want?” he snapped at the two newcomers, ignoring the look Larry and George shared.

“Uh.”

“Look, if you think he’s too scary to work for, then you shouldn’t even be here,” Larry told them. “Dex is the one we answer to.”

Both shifters squared their shoulders. One of them didn’t really want to be there.

He tried to focus, but all he could think about was the sound of her boots and how distinct they were. Dex could hear the chains rattling on her body, charms tinkling in her ears, and he couldn’t stop listening.

His attention followed her all the way to the bar on this level where he heard the shirt she wore slide across the wood. “A purple haze, please.”

Nova didn’t put it on his tab though.

How the fuck had she even ended up at his table?

“Dex?”

“George, Larry, figure out if you want to deal with these assholes every day.” He stood and made a beeline for the bar.

Waitresses and patrons moved out of his way.

Nova, on the other hand, took her drink and started walking toward the stairs.

Her entire back was bare except for a single strap holding the two sides together. Dex let his eyes take in the tattoo down her spine and the way it matched the one on her forearm, shoulder, and chest. Why the ink made her ten times hotter, he didn’t know. It’s not like she wasn’t already fucking gorgeous.

She drained the drink, set the glass on a table, and grabbed onto the nearest guy, putting his hands on her waist as she started to dance.

Dex bit back the growl he felt rising in his throat and wrapped his hand around her arm.

“Hey, man, don’t touch her like that.”

He turned and let his inner monster show through his eyes.

The guy ran off and Dex dragged Nova with him, making sure she only saw his white fire. She didn’t pull away and he was honestly shocked when she let him shove her against a wall in the darkest corner he could find.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” he asked, mouth against her ear to make sure she could hear the growl in his voice that he could no longer hide.

“I wanted to dance,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Immediately, he released her, not trusting himself.

Nova gave him a smirk that only pissed him off more, but she hadn’t lied to him.

“Are you going to scare off every man I try to spend time with?” she asked, giving him that sass again. “‘Cause if you are, just tell me and I’ll leave, you big baby.”

He slammed his hands against the wall, trapping her beneath him. “What did you call me?”

This fucking witch was going to get herself killed with that attitude.

“I called you a baby,” she told him, enunciating every word. Then she pushed him hard enough he stepped back. “Come on, don’t be a coward. Ask me what you really want to know.”

His hands turned into fists and Dex breathed hard as he tried to keep his eyes normal and keep his shit under control. He couldn’t afford to slip up here where humans could see him.

“Are you sure about that?” Dex was torn between killing her or kissing her.

If Nova wanted to play these games, then she’d better be very fucking sure about what she was getting herself into.

There it was, a flicker of doubt.

He stalked forward, driving her back into the shadows she loved so much until all he could see was the brightness of her blue eye and the dark purple lipstick against her white skin. When her back hit the wall, he grabbed her waist and yanked her forward until he could feel her body against his.

“I asked if you were sure.” Dex couldn’t stop staring at those lips.

Her chin came up then. “I’m sure.”

Dex grinned at that. “Oh, good.” He leaned down and smelled her hair. Thanks to the scent charm, he picked up nothing, but it was soft as silk and it took everything he had not to bury his hands in it.

“Have you been thinking about me as much as I’ve been thinking about you?” he asked, making sure his lips brushed against her cheek.

The way she shivered nearly had him feral and desperate – something he’d never felt for anyone before. Dex didn’t know how to pull back with her this close. He couldn’t think straight and all he could see was her.

Nova’s hands came up and she gripped his suspenders. “Yes.” The way she tilted her head to give him better access to her neck made him lose it.

Dex raked his sharp teeth against that delicate skin, resisting the urge to mark her. He tightened his grip on her waist and she gasped, pressing into him.

Fuck, this was a bad idea.

He shoved her back into the wall and shifted his grip, so his hand was around her throat. “What are you doing here?” he demanded.

There was a flash of shock and hurt in her eyes that cut him far deeper than he expected it to. Then her eyes narrowed, and she looked absolutely furious. “It’s none of your fucking business.”

His grip tightened and suddenly he felt a knife pressed to his dick. Dex had to close his eyes before he took her right then and there.

“Keep better track of your knives,” she spat. The pointy end of the blade dug into his skin and he had to bite his lip to keep from groaning. “Now let me go.”

He thrust into that knife, making sure she felt how hard he was. It was fine, he’d heal.

Dex pressed his lips to her neck and then her cheek. “Make me.”

If she had the balls to go through with it, he’d fucking get down on his knees and beg her to marry him.

Dex wanted her to prove to him that she could take care of herself. In a place like this, a witch with as little power as she had would end up used and abused. He needed her to prove to him she could fight back.

The last thing he wanted was to find her in an alley, brutalized by outside shifters or vampires.

They stood like that for a long time, her breathing erratic and shaky as she held that knife to him. He could feel her indecision, but her hand was steady. Dex shifted so he held her chin instead. Pulling back, he eyed those full lips slick with purple like some kind of poisoned treat he couldn’t convince himself not to eat.

“Come on, do something about it,” he teased. “Or I might have to take advantage of this position.”

The knife disappeared and she shoved it back in his sheath, turning him on even more. “Ask me to dance or let me go.”

Dex couldn’t hide his surprise. “An ultimatum? Hm, I like this change in tactics.”

There was that blush he couldn’t get enough of.

“Dance with me, Nova.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and quirked that sassy eyebrow at him. “I said ask.”

Dex grabbed her hips and growled, letting his gloved fingers span her lower back to force her even closer. “I like when you tell me what to do.”

Nova’s hands rested on his shoulders and he could feel her shiver again. He wished he could figure out what she was thinking when that happened. Without the ability to scent her emotions, he felt completely blind.

“Will you dance with me?”

“No.” Then she ducked under his arm and he was so shocked he let her go.

Technically, there was no specification she had to agree to the question.

Dex grinned and followed after her, grabbing her arm gently this time. “Hey, before you go, can I show you something?”

She stopped and looked up at him, the uncertainty clear in her eyes. “If you promise me one thing.”

He gritted his teeth, not liking this new game. “I guess that depends on what it is.”

Nova nodded like she’d expected that answer. “You have to answer one question with the truth.”

Dex didn’t like the sound of that. What answer did she consider that valuable?

But as he inspected her from head to toe, he supposed she wasn’t the only one with questions.

“Okay, one question.”