Page 15

Chapter 15

Dex

H e wanted to argue with her, but she was right and that only made him angrier.

It triggered his chaos cravings and Dex was giving her a sharp grin before he’d picked up on the shift. “As much as I’d like to call you a good girl, I don’t think you’d like it very much.”

Another blush, but he’d ticked her off.

Good.

All the questions in the world, and she chose to ask why he was angry. This witch was so fucking confusing and she had the fucking gall to say he was hot and cold?

“What would you do in this situation?” he asked her, licking the lipstick off his finger. It tasted like blackberries. “What if you were up here with someone else and not me? Tell me what you’d do.”

Something in her changed, and it made him practically purr in appreciation.

“What’s the game, Dex, I get away and you leave me alone?”

He slipped his hands in his pockets and took a deep breath. If he wasn’t careful, his demon side would trigger his angel side and the result of that was never pretty. “What prize do you want?”

Conflicted emotions flickered in her eyes, and he understood completely.

Dex should never have put his fucking hands on her. Nova was an addiction he couldn’t afford to have, but every time she moved, all he could see was the flawless skin over her abs, unmarked and untouched.

The girl worked out hard, and he wanted to see what she could do. On top of him, under him – whatever she’d agree to.

But considering his position in the syndicate…

There was a reason he kept a distance from everybody and everything except Agmos.

“Could we be friends?” she asked.

That was the very last thing he’d thought she’d ask for. Dex felt all his rage stutter and he’d never felt it do that. It never stopped until he found release, one way or another – blood, cum, it was all the same to his demon.

“If you manage to escape me and disappear into the night while I’m hunting you, you want us to be friends?” he asked for clarification.

Her pupils dilated at the word ‘hunt’ and he nearly pounced on her right then and there.

“Yeah, we can text, hang out, whatever. I just moved here.” Nova shrugged. “I don’t have any friends.”

He wanted to ask why nothing else, but honestly, Dex didn’t care. He didn’t have friends either.

Could he do this? Could he hang out with her and just be friends? “Don’t fall in love with me, you just might get obsessed,” he teased.

Dex tried not to think about the fact that he’d be the one falling for her – the one who couldn’t get her out of his head.

Nova nodded once in agreement. “I’ll agree if you promise to keep anything physical between us platonic.”

Oh, this was going to fucking kill him.

Considering the woman before him, he knew though that having her as a friend was better than nothing. “We’re going to just pretend there’s no attraction between us at all then?”

“Yes.”

This was going to be torture, but he didn’t exactly hate pain. “I’ll be your friend, if you win. If I catch you, I’ll still be your friend, but you text me every time you go out at night so I can make sure you’re safe.”

The irritation in her eyes softened and she gave him that quirky half-smile he couldn’t get enough of. It made him want to play, to push her boundaries until she was forced to submit to him or put him in his fucking place.

Preferably with her stepping on his throat.

“All right,” Nova agreed. “Promise me you didn’t lock the door.”

“I promise.” Dex would watch the footage later, but he was pretty sure it was just jammed.

“Okay, you’re a lovely bear shifter who led me up here to woo me into a good fuck.”

Dex had to close his eyes when she said that word. It was dirty and delicious and if he wasn’t careful, she’d see exactly what he was.

“I decided I wasn’t interested in going all the way, so I got up to leave,” Nova told him, setting the scene. “And now the door is locked. I’m afraid.”

Her heart was actually pounding, and he felt it trigger his desire to hunt her even though he couldn’t smell fear. Fuck . What was she trying to do to him? Did she want him to slam her to the ground right then and there?

“Come and get me, Dex.”

Holy shit, she sounded excited.

A tiny pulse of power and the doorknob was blasted off the door. She ripped it open and ran.

He looked up at the moon and grinned.

Dex had no plans to give her a head start, but she’d specifically said a bear shifter, so he’d tailor his hunt to that speed and strength instead of his true potential. He ran after her and immediately growled in frustration.

There wasn’t a single scent.

But he could hear her boots even if he couldn’t see her.

Nova was already on the main floor, running for the back. Smart girl.

Dex was careful not to use his true speed, and careful not to let any of the humans see him. It slowed him down, and he focused on her boots.

The sound of her disabling the fire alarm from the emergency exit in record time had him picking up the pace. Nova pushed through and he burst out of the club just as she turned a corner.

Dex followed her and he stopped dead when he saw her hop on a motorcycle. The roar of the engine actually had him even more hot and bothered which he hadn’t thought possible.

She didn’t put on the helmet or her jacket, which meant if she got into an accident, she’d end up fucked.

Witches didn’t have shifter healing.

It took all his control not to fly after her. Bear shifters could run fast, but he’d likely be seen.

Dex ran to his bike and slammed his helmet on as he zeroed in on the sound of her bike. It would be difficult for her to hide the sound of that unless she used her magic. But he had to admit, he was already impressed.

The girl could ride, and she’d barely used her magic which meant she still had some if there was a showdown. He knew those tats weren’t just for the aesthetic.

Following after her, he broke about twenty laws to catch up to her. He grinned when he saw her glance over her shoulder and spot him. Nova saluted him before making a sharp right.

They raced down the streets together and Dex honestly couldn’t remember the last time he’d had this much fun. The last thing he’d expected was to actually have shit in common with the super-hot witch.

She made another turn and suddenly he realized they were at the edge of the city and the street was dark.

Unnaturally dark.

And he couldn’t hear her engine.

Before he knew what was going on, she stepped out of the inky darkness with purple fire in her left hand. She mouthed one word and he instantly braced himself.

Sorry .

The purple fire blasted at his front tire, not him.

Dex had never been in an accident before, but he knew how to control his body. The bike flew end over end and his back hit the pavement. He rolled up to his feet, ignoring the road rash on his back.

He was more pissed about his shirt than he was about the pain.

Standing in the dark street, he listened but heard nothing. She’d disappeared again and must have silenced the bike with magic.

For a witch without much power, she was fucking resourceful.

That one blast had been most of her magic if he was right, but whatever she had that allowed her to manipulate darkness was something else completely.

Dex lifted his hand and focused on the streetlights, forcing them to drown out her unnatural darkness.

There was no trace of her anywhere. She and the bike were gone.

Without her scent, he couldn’t hunt her, and he had no idea where she lived. As a normal-ass bear shifter, he couldn’t follow her. He wasn’t sure if a locator spell would work on her. And even if it did, he didn’t have a single thing of hers to use as a focus.

Touché, little witch.

Dex pulled out his phone, selected her contact info, and started a new message.

Congrats on your victory

He hit send and considered how the fuck he was supposed to be friends with someone.

When was the last time he’d just hung out with another person who didn’t also work with or for him?

Dex had promised to be her friend, but even that was something he was hesitant about. Yes, he wanted to fuck her brains out until she begged him to stop, but a one-night stand, or a few of them was one thing.

A relationship of any kind could put a target on her back, even if it was just friendship, not to mention Agmos if he ever found out.

But she seemed bound and determined to put a target there herself.

What was something friends even did?

Want to come watch the new season of Attack on Titan with me tomorrow?

He chewed on his lip and wondered if he was barking up the wrong tree. Fuck, Dex had no idea what she was even into.

He’d suggest a ride, but his bike was fucked, and he needed to get a new one.

Screw it.

Dex hit send.

Then he went and grabbed his bike, picking it up and carrying it over to the sidewalk. He’d deal with it later. Dex needed to fly after tonight. There was nothing to fuck and nothing to kill and he really didn’t want to create more problems for himself.

He was due for a release anyway.

The lights went dark again with a wave of his hand and he let his wings burst from his back like a dog from the pound. The weight of them eased something deep inside and Dex felt like he could finally breathe without worrying he’d hurt someone.

Peace settled over him and he fully extended them. The black feathers blended into the night and he cracked his neck, ignoring the red feathers at the bottom. The reminder of his mother wouldn’t help him relax.

His phone chimed and he looked to see Nova had actually replied.

I don’t really watch TV, but if you’re willing to watch it from the beginning, I’d be glad to. Your place?

Dex grinned. He’d never been able to introduce anyone to anime before and he was actually kind of excited to corrupt her. He typed the time and place and then tucked his phone into his pocket.

Maybe this would be fine. Maybe they’d be better friends than lovers.

Fuck if he knew, honestly.

It wasn’t like he had anything to compare it to. Agmos hadn’t let him have real friends or a significant other growing up.

Dex launched into the sky, wrapping an illusion around him so no one would be able to see him, and settled in for a long flight. He was pretty sure it would take all night to get the feel of her against him out of his head.

If ever.