Page 11 of Wreaking Havoc (Demon Bound #1)

10

Kai

K ai waited patiently while Sascha readied himself for bed in the bathroom. He’d told Kai it would be a minute, mumbling something to himself about not letting hot demons interfere with his skincare routine any longer.

Kai was too pleased Sascha still thought him attractive to concern himself with the rest of that statement.

When Sascha came out of the bathroom, smelling fresh and faintly botanical, with soft leggings replacing his stiff trousers, Kai was already in human form under the covers. He patted the bed invitingly, grinning at Sascha’s pouty scowl.

He was a little surprised when, after crawling in, Sascha immediately latched himself to Kai’s side, throwing his arm over Kai’s chest and his leg over Kai’s hip.

“No talking,” Sascha mumbled, his breath cool on Kai’s skin. “And pet my hair.”

Kai obliged immediately, running the silken strands through his fingers as Sascha determinedly closed his eyes and somehow seemed to pretend Kai was not there, even as Kai held him tightly.

So Kai held the human in his arms, breathing in and out deeply, coaxing Sascha into the same steady rhythm as he sipped gently at the anger simmering under the surface.

Perhaps Sascha didn’t want to admit to his own rage, but Kai could feel it, turning the soul piece in his chest hot and prickly. It was delicious—rage always was, rich and spicy—but the emotion clearly unsettled Sascha, so Kai drank steadily until that heat dampened and Sascha slumbered in truth, his breaths deepening as he let go of consciousness.

Kai remained awake. He had much to consider, not the least of which was the conundrum of the bargain between them. They now had a name for Sascha’s enemies and a general location—it surely wouldn’t be too difficult to find them. And once found, Kai would rip them apart as easily as breathing.

But doing so would complete the contract, and Kai would be sent back to the demon realm. Back to what was supposed to be his home. And what had once meant freedom—in those long centuries waiting in the Void—now seemed some sort of divine punishment.

Kai would be sent back, unable to return. The piece of Sascha’s soul in his chest would join the rest of his bargain fragments, stagnant and buried. He would no longer be able to taste it, to explore its dark pockets and hidden corners.

It was intolerable to even think about.

Kai had grown attached to the piece inside his chest, as he had to the man in his arms. Something about Sascha grounded him, soothed an itch he’d known his entire existence. If Sascha had been in the demon realm, perhaps Kai never would have entered himself in the Book in the first place.

Kai wanted to keep him. Him and his delicious soul.

But the only way to keep them both would be a permanent bond. A mating bond. And that would be madness to consider with a human.

And yet…

Now that Kai had tasted Sascha—not just his soul, but the pleasure they could have between the two of them—now that he’d felt that eager mouth on him…

What would Kai really be returning to in the demon realm? Power and glory? Perhaps. But no family, no mate match. There was the chance he’d find one eventually, but whoever he found, they wouldn’t be like Sascha—soft and sweet and small enough to tuck into his chest. Or full of the same complex human emotions: his hot and bitter anger, the sour tinge of sadness that encased the inherent sweetness of his soul.

Sascha stirred in his sleep, and Kai tightened his hold, pulling him closer to his chest. Kai had to maintain his human form to fit properly in the bed. It was slightly uncomfortable—akin to wearing ill-fitted clothing for too long—but it was worth it to hold Sascha like this. To feel this press of him against Kai, so trusting that he’d sleep in his presence.

No, whoever Kai found wouldn’t make him horrible, weak coffee and demand he take out his cock for them to admire. They wouldn’t demand anything, not with the prestige Kai would hold, returning after a completed contract.

Kai’s cock twitched at the memory of their time on the beach. For one so small, Sascha had taken more of him than Kai would have expected. He was a sensual creature, clearly, enthusiastic and unrestrained when he gave in to desire.

Kai had never had a mouth on him before like that. It wasn’t wise, with a mouthful of sharp teeth, and demons didn’t fuck each other in human form. What else would Sascha teach him, if he stayed?

Kai fell asleep pondering the possibilities.

He woke to a new weight on him—during the night, Sascha had draped himself further over Kai until his torso was almost fully on top of him. He had his arms folded under his chin on top of Kai’s chest and was studying his tattoos.

“You’re awake, pup?”

“Oh.” Sascha blinked up at him, a sheepish smile gracing his lips. “Did I wake you? Sorry, you’re just…really warm. It’s nice.” His voice had a husky tinge to it after a night of rest.

Kai peered back down at him. Sascha’s cheeks were flushed with sleep, and there were creases on his face from his pillow, his white-blond hair sticking out in all different directions. The sass he seemed to wear like armor was missing in the early morning, as was his surly mood from the night before.

He looked unbelievably delicious.

Kai grabbed him by the hips and settled him more completely on top of him, Sascha’s morning erection pressing against Kai’s own hard length. “You can take as much of my heat as you want, zaychik.”

“Oh.” Sascha shifted against him, then paused, like he hadn’t meant to do it. “That’s very…accommodating of you.”

Kai grinned at him. “Would you say it’s sweet of me?”

“Stop.” Sascha’s sleepy flush darkened, and he tucked his head into Kai’s neck. “I can’t handle your flirting right now,” he mumbled against Kai’s skin. “Are you like this with all your bargains?”

“No,” Kai answered honestly.

There was a long moment of silence, and then Sascha turned his head, so his next words were clear. “You said there were four of you left in the Void. Are they all like you?”

“No, we are different types of demons. Different clans. I come from warriors. The other three have different specialties.”

“Hm.” Sascha raised his head. “What kind of demon would I be?”

Kai stroked his hand along Sascha’s back. “There are no demons like you, Sascha.”

A flash of hurt crossed Sascha’s face, like Kai had wounded him with his words. But he hadn’t meant it as an insult. Sascha would be eaten alive in the demon realm, but that was part of his appeal. Soft, sweet, sulky.

Only the human world could have produced such a creature.

Sascha frowned down at the hands he had folded on Kai’s chest. “Because I’m weak, you mean.”

“You’re not weak,” Kai told him firmly. “You may not be as physically strong as some, but you’re fierce. Not everyone can harness a demon. It takes inner strength to form a contract.”

Sascha’s frown deepened. “It didn’t feel like much.”

Kai kept up his steady strokes along Sascha’s back. “That’s because we’re very compatible.”

“We are?”

“Mm.” Kai couldn’t resist sliding Sascha against his length once again.

Sascha squirmed against him, then narrowed his eyes. “Are you just saying that because you’re horny?”

“No.” Now it was Kai’s turn to frown. “Your soul piece fits very nicely within me, as I’ve said. As your body fits so nicely against mine.”

“Uh-huh,” Sascha said skeptically. “That sounds like horny thinking to me.”

Kai’s frown turned into a grin. “I’ve been holding you all night. It’s been a very tempting arrangement.”

Sascha rocked once against him, almost absent-mindedly. “You insisted.”

“I did.” Kai lowered his voice. “Take out your cock, Sascha. Press it against mine.”

Sascha arched a brow. “Bossy.”

But he did as Kai asked. Kai hadn’t gotten a good look the day before, but Sascha’s cock was a lovely sight, with its pink skin and ruddy tip. Its smaller size looked obscene next to Kai’s girth, which was substantial, even in human form. “Stroke us,” Kai ordered.

Sascha tried, one elbow digging into Kai’s chest as he wrapped a hand around both of them. But he had trouble keeping them together. “My hand’s too small,” he complained.

“Mm.” Kai hummed his agreement. Why was that so enticing? He knocked Sascha’s hand away, grabbing them both, using his natural lubricant to ease the glide. This position was much better than the one the day before because he could see Sascha’s face, see the way his eyes began to grow glassy, his lips parting, the flush on his cheeks spreading down to his neck.

Until Sascha dropped his head down with a gasp, mouthing at Kai’s skin.

Kai wanted that mouth elsewhere.

“Kiss me,” he demanded.

Sascha raised his head expectantly, and Kai craned his neck to reach, pressing against soft lips. Sascha whined, his hips jerking as he tried to deepen it. “You’re too tall.”

“You like how tall I am,” Kai told him, darting out his tongue to lick along Sascha’s lips. “Even more so in my demon form.”

“Who says?”

“The way you look at me says.”

Sascha dropped his head down, pressing cool kisses to Kai’s chest again. Kai sped up his strokes, desperate now for both of them to reach their release.

It didn’t take long, and when they’d both emptied themselves onto Kai’s stomach, Sascha rolled off to the side, flushed and panting. Kai wanted to tuck him back against himself, but he was filthy, so he rose from the bed.

Even after Kai had cleaned himself with a towel from the bathroom, cleaning Sascha gently as well and tucking him away in his leggings, Sascha remained flushed and panting, sprawled out in the bed.

Kai frowned down at him. “Are you all right?” Was the human’s stamina really so poor?

Sascha threw an arm over his eyes. “’M okay. Just getting sick maybe.”

Panic tightened Kai’s chest. “ What ?”

Sascha waved his free hand in the air weakly. “I didn’t play around in the dirt enough as a kid, I guess. I get sick easily. I’d say it’s from being out in the cold yesterday, but that’s not actually a thing.”

Sascha was sick. It was perhaps the most terrifying thing Kai had ever heard. He could protect against soldiers, mobsters, swords, guns—he could do nothing for illness.

Not without a bond.

“What do I do?” he asked.

Sascha sighed. “Nothing. I just need to rest, I think. Drink plenty of water, all that jazz.”

But as the day progressed, rest and fluids were useless. Sascha grew weaker and more lethargic, switching between sweat and chills and coughing halfheartedly. When Kai stroked his forehead, his skin no longer felt cool. It matched Kai’s own temperature, and Kai knew enough to know a human shouldn’t be that hot.

It was unacceptable, all of it. Kai had seen illness take too many men in the human realm. Often after a battle it was the fever that killed, not the wounds themselves. Kai had once joked to the incubus that pestilence did half his work for him.

What was he supposed to do now?

He didn’t know how to reach a modern-day healer, and even if he did, he wouldn’t trust one.

And Sascha wouldn’t tell him what steps to take. When roused, he batted at Kai irritably, telling him to leave off.

By the end of the day, when Kai woken him yet again to sip at some water, he glowered feebly at him. “Just turn the TV on and leave me to die,” he moaned, closing his eyes resolutely.

Leave him to die ? Kai would not. He could not.

He needed someone with knowledge of humans, knowledge of Sascha. He had said he’d gotten ill as a child. Clearly the illness had never taken him, if he was still here.

Kai searched and found Sascha’s little pocket phone. He held it up to Sascha’s sleeping face as he’d seen Sascha do to unlock it for use. He searched through it, cursing his overlarge fingers, but eventually found what he was looking for.

He pressed the contact and held his breath through the phone’s little song, relieved when a deep voice answered.

Kai wasted no time. “Your brother is dying,” he told them. “Come for him.”