Making Demons Purr (Flushed and Fevered Book 2) (3 page)

“Hey, where’d you go?” Ariel grinned and nudged her. “We were just wondering how Thorn would look in assless chaps.”

Sera let her train of thought go. Tonight was about fun. “Sorry.”

Ariel laid a hand on her shoulder and gave the muscles a squeeze. “Don’t you dare get all dopey over Arthur. He’s an ass. It’s so his loss.”

Donna nodded. “I wanted to say something when you were still with him, but you were so happy. I thought I was imagining things, but then I heard it wasn’t just me…”

Sera clenched her jaw. “D, just spit it out.”

Donna licked her lips. “Well…he did make a pass at me. I threatened to castrate him with a butter knife and he backed off…but still, you’re like a sister to me. I’m sorry I kept my mouth shut. It didn’t help that your mother told me to keep things under a tight lid. I just…I’m sorry, hon.”

Sera pressed her lips together and counted to ten before she could speak. Her own mother knew? Had there had been others? What else had she missed with Arthur? Tears burned her eyes. The room was too hot. There were too many people. Did they all know? Were they pitying her? Was that why they had invited her in the first place?

“That bastard,” Sera whispered. “Why was he even with me?”

Donna enveloped her in a hug that only served to make her feel even more claustrophobic. “Don’t hit me, but I think he was trying to play hard to get with Dina Kristia. Wanted her to think he was off the market, so if he did come after her she’d feel all flattered. Dina is a Grade-A bitch of no nonsense. She wouldn’t fall for that shit. And she didn’t.”

Sera pulled out of Donna’s embrace. Tears fell, even as she tried to blink them away. Her heart ached at being made a fool of. Her feline wanted to retreat and turn this new bit of news over, examine and accept it in the darkness and safety of home, but she’d be damned if she hid under the covers now. No, her mother and Arthur wouldn’t take her ability to have fun from her. She’d deal with them later. Tonight, fun was all that mattered.

“Hey, it’s OK. You know now, so no going back to that piece of slime. And besides, I doubt Carver or Thornton would allow him to get too close.” Ariel tilted her head toward the punch bowl again.

Sera peeked over and spotted the two demons staring at her. Her skin flushed and she felt suddenly self-conscious about how tight her clothing was. The twin gazes made her fidget. Shifting from one foot to the other, she ducked her head and took in her costume. She moved her hands over the tight, black mermaid skirt and then brushed imaginary dust from the black corset with floral edging. When she glanced over at the two men again, their stares were still on her. She readjusted her lacy, butterfly-shaped mask and hoped it looked OK.

Ariel gave her forearm a light smack. “Stop that. You look gorgeous.” Ariel turned away and Sera watched her scan the room.

“You stop looking for Zak and I’ll stop fidgeting.” Sera knew it wasn’t true. Her fingers adjusted the hem of her corset as if they had a mind of their own. Nervous energy filled her. It was as if she’d downed a few shots of espresso before coming to the party.

Ariel bobbed her head. “Not looking for him. Looking for the bathroom. I’ve had far too much wine and nature is calling.”

Sera relaxed. Ever since Zak had abandoned Ariel as his familiar she’d been watching for him around every corner. “Let’s go find it. I can go get some air. It’s too stuffy in here and I need some time alone.”

Donna pursed her lips. “Too stuffy, or you just want the demon duo to chase you?”

Sera rolled her eyes. “Air. Come on, Ariel.”

Twin stares followed her as she left the main room.

Chapter Three

Carver watched Sera leave the room. His heart hammered against his rib cage and need burned through his veins. He could feel the desire to claim start to consume him. He tightened his grip on his glass as he scented the air, searching for her unique perfume. The delicate aroma of sunlight and roses drifted toward him with a tang of arousal that lit him up from the inside out. The urge to follow her, find her, and fuck her filled his gut as his dick lengthened and hardened even more. His palms tingled and his back throbbed as his wings threatened to break free. If he wasn’t careful he’d turn completely red, an indication that the demon side of his nature had taken control. He would know he had lost control completely if his fire magic manifested and his wings broke through the skin.

If it happened, he doubted anyone would be too alarmed. His demonic wings were made up of red-and-black feathers on a frame of bones that looked as though they’d been roasted in a fire. But everyone would think it was part of some show the owners of the house had organized for Samhain. They’d probably just applaud. But he refused to be a sideshow for anyone, and he didn’t want to scare Sera away either.

It had been too long since he’d indulged fully in his desires. His free hand clenched into a fist. Sharp pinpricks of pain erupted in his skin as his fingernails dug into his palm. Find her. Fuck her. Claim her. Those imperatives circled his brain like water going down a drain.

He began to go after Sera, but a hand on his arm stopped him. With a growl he turned around to face whoever it was who dared touch him.

His best friend, Thornton, shook his head. “Give her some space. She looked upset.”

Carver couldn’t deny that. “Probably something to do with that Arthur asshole. You did send him far away, correct?”

Thornton gave him a dark smile. “Very far away. He’s not dead or dealing with taskmaster demons, though. I think they sent him to LA or something.”

Carver nodded. “Good. He deserves it for using her like that. Good thing Dina didn’t like him. Why he’s so lusted after in the feline shifter community I don’t even know. He’s not even that wealthy or handsome.”

Thorn shrugged. “It’s because he’s a pureblood shifter. His line hasn’t been tainted by a mixing of the species.” Disgust filled his face until Carver thought Thorn would throw up.

Carver shuddered. “They sound like the demonic hierarchy, too ancient and stuck in their ways. Idiots.” He hated all the talk of keeping things uncorrupted. Whenever he returned home to visit his family he had to listen to that nonsense. It was always about being the best or the oldest house, about being able to trace your line back to the Morning Star himself. Never mind that the original demon never cared much for purity himself.

“And yet you fit into that ideal, my friend.” Thornton raised his glass at him in a toast and saluted him.

Carver shuddered. “And? Doesn’t mean anything in the long run. Demonesses nowadays don’t care who they fuck. They’re no longer restricted to demons like ye olde days. We can be with who we want to be with. Besides, aren’t you from the oldest house, my friend? Lucifer’s such and such and such?”

“So? Doesn’t matter with my archangel father. Anyway, let’s get to the point. You want Sera.” Thorn’s face was completely impassive.

“
Want
can’t even begin to describe my desire for Sera. She is perfection made flesh.” A flash of heat burst in Carver’s body, and the change tried to find a foothold once more. Even his fire magic burned to come out and play. He could only imagine what Thorn was going through. One look at his friend’s pale face told the story. There was a tightness in his mouth and around his eyes that told of Thorn’s own war within.

“Look at you being poetic. I’ve never seen you so smitten before. I do have to admit I feel the same way. Now if she would be willing to allow us to share her…” Thorn looked away but Carver didn’t miss the blatant yearning in his eyes.

Carver’s face flushed with heat. It was the norm among demon kind to share their mates. Each para community had their own customs in this regard. Among lynx shifters, you had no choice but to share; fox shifters tended to be born as twins or triplets, and you had to accept all the siblings or none. But demons were different. With every generation fewer females were born. They had to either share their women or die out.

During Carver’s first sexual experience, Thorn had been there with him to calm him down and help him focus on the woman instead of his own nerves. His best friend was like a brother to him. It felt natural for him to be there, helping him to bring as much pleasure to their chosen partner as possible. He hoped Sera could understand that, but he didn’t want to feel as if he was giving her away or selling her to his best friend for sex. She would have complete say in everything they did. Their Sera should know she was loved and appreciated and that they desired every inch of her. With Arthur out of the picture it was time for her to know it.

He couldn’t keep waiting, fantasizing that she’d take the initiative and come to them. It was now or never. A quick scan of the room showed she hadn’t returned, but that her friend, the lynx shifter, had.

“I’m going to go find her. I don’t like her being alone at this party. The punch might as well be all alcohol for all the shit they’re pouring in there.” He watched as yet another person came up to the pale pink liquid and poured in more cheap gin. Disgust filled him. If you were going to spike the punch why use the crap stuff? The mere sight of the low quality alcohol offended his demon sensibilities. So what if demons were the snobs of the paranormal world? There was something to be said for excellence.

“Go. I don’t want to ruin my Samhain with having to pull you off someone for dumping another bottle of shit gin into the mix. Nor do I want to have to deal with the sheriff and bail you out. I’d like to enjoy my holiday, thank you very much. I’ll find you when you’ve cornered our quarry.”

Thorn moved off to disappear in the crowd. Carver had no illusions that his friend would follow him after a few seconds. Thorn hated crowds as much as he did. It was a wonder he hadn’t started a fight by now. He was probably afraid to ruin his costume—whatever he was supposed to be. “Leather-clad something” was all he seemed to have come up with.

Carver took in a cleansing breath and let it out. The change had stalled for now but it would get worse before it got better. It wouldn’t do to scare her. All he needed was to sink his throbbing cock into Sera’s tight wet heat and he’d be right as rain.

Once he felt the stillness settle on him, he wove around people, ignoring the women who called out to him. His target was set and nothing short of a bomb would keep him from getting to her. The deeper into the throng he dove the angrier he became. Too many fucking people, too many scents diluting hers, and too much distance between them.

Find, fuck, claim
. The words returned, only louder. Desire and anger drove his steps. As he brushed against the people at the party he could feel their needs and wants slip into his mind like silk. All it took was a touch and he knew what it would take for them to sell their souls. Carver hated that part of his nature and ignored it. He focused on tracking Sera.

Underneath the sweat, the
mélange
of perfumes, the confusion of pheromones and hormones—underneath it all he found the natural perfume that haunted his imaginings, his nighttime fantasies and wet dreams. He narrowed down his focus, weeding out all the other aromas to find hers. He used his demon sight to find her aura, a bright, vibrant trail of purples, reds, yellows, oranges, shot through with threads of black energy. It stood out like a sun among all the other dulled hues.

Her aura contained more than just her mood; it allowed him to read her. Her sexual desire became clearer as he approached, as well as her sadness and disappointment. The demon screamed in his head, a wild screeching cry. He would wipe every last trace of that asshole from her memory.

It had eaten away at him, knowing she was connected to Arthur, that asshat of an ex. Once he saw an opening he’d sent Thorn in. His best friend had gotten Arthur alone and given him an ultimatum: break up with Sera or become hellhound chow. The little coward had shit his pants and promised to leave her.

Carver hadn’t wanted to cause her pain but she deserved so much more than that piece of shit. The bastard had been using her to make another woman jealous. He was not worthy of her love.

Things grew even worse when Carver and Thorn had brought the issue up with her mother, who had known what Arthur was doing the whole time and let it happen. It had taken everything in him not use his demonic powers to compel her to leave town without a word, or to open up a portal to a distant planet and send her hurtling through it.

But no, they would let Sera’s mother stay in the picture, for Sera’s sake. Eventually the truth would come out and they would be there to pick up the pieces. How it would affect her leap, her black panther community, would be up to her.

Carver drew comfort from the way Sera had set up her life. Pride filled him as he turned over all her accomplishments. Very few shifters left their respective communities and thrived in their ventures. Sera had a job, her own home, and friends who loved her. What more could you want in life? Well…true mates who would fulfill her heart’s desire in a hot second. Carver believed, without a doubt, that he and Thorn were the mates she needed, if only she would let them in and give them a chance.

Carver made his way out of the main hall where the party was being held and into the darker, quieter part of the house. He stretched out his senses to find out if there was anyone nearby besides himself and Sera. A few people were moving on the periphery, but no one close enough to disturb them. They would have privacy.

Should he tell her about the meeting with her mother? Carver didn’t want to start things off with Sera on a lie by omission. She had turned both him and Thorn down flat. In Francine’s world, men who owned and operated a mere coffee house were not worth her time. He doubted Sera felt that way, but it had given him pause. There was more hanging on tonight than just sex. If she accepted them both, it told him that she could look beyond appearances to what mattered. He and Thorn were men who would love, fight, and die for her if need be.

As Carver followed her aura and scent, he allowed his mind to turn over the possibilities of what could happen. One thing was for sure—sex was on the menu. Maybe in the morning they could talk. For now he needed to make sure she would be open to the both of them. Her trail led him to the back of the house, toward the sun-room.