“Just hear me out.” Kane held up a hand. “If—” The tugging in his chest began, signaling a soul was being taken.
“So soon?” Hondo stared wide-eyed between the two. “It usually doesn’t happen this close together.”
Kane pushed away from the counter and headed toward the living room. The three men were kicked back talking as he entered. Snooke looked so relaxed, so at ease. He hated to disturb that.
“I have to go.” He pulled his mate from the sofa and hauled Snooke up against him. His fingers touched Snooke’s cheek. “I won’t be long.”
Snooke nodded, his eyes filled with fear as he released the frightened demon and followed Takeo from the house. Hondo stayed behind. He would protect what was his. What was Kane’s.
He wished they had cars here. It would make getting to where they needed to go faster, but for some unknown reason, Panahasi had forbidden them. They couldn’t use the shadows because they had to follow the pull, let it guide them. This couldn’t be done through a portal because they had no idea where they were going.
They ran down Broadview Avenue, Kane’s heart in his throat, his thoughts with his mate. He was anxious to get back to his shorty. With everything going on, being away, even for a short time, made his skin crawl from not having Snooke close to him.
Hondo could see someone on the ground as they neared the apartment building. Oh shit, it couldn’t be.
He could here Takeo curse beside him. Hondo dropped to a crouch as he lifted Torky’s eyelids. Was the demon a shell of his former self now? He tried to shake Torky, to rouse him from his unconsciousness.
Torky groaned, his hands drifting to his head as his eyes finally opened. “What my name?”
“Asshole,” Torky replied with a moan.
“It’s not him.” Kane helped the demon up, placing Torky’s back to the wall to steady him. “Who did this?”
Torky glared at him and knocked Kane’s hands away. “You’re a sick fuck. First you try to kill me and now you’re concerned. Piss off.”
Kane took a step back, wondering if Torky hit his head harder than they thought. “I wasn’t anywhere near you.”
“Well, it sure as shit looked like you.” Torky touched the back of his head and winced. “At least you fought fair.”
“What do you mean?”
“You didn’t freeze me and then beat the crap out of me.”
Kane’s mind began to churn. He thought of the Pancake House owner, but dismissed the thought. He didn’t have any abilities. Next he thought of the fake Rainerio. When he left, he had walked to the front of Snooke’s house instead of using the shadows to leave. And Deandre? Why would he carry a damn body down the street? They never did that in plain view of the public.
“He can’t duplicate our powers,” Kane said aloud.
Takeo studied Kane and then nodded. “It seems he can only transform into another.”
“A chameleon?” Torky asked as he stepped closer. “I thought they were a myth.”
“It may not be.” Kane rubbed the back of his neck as he looked around. “So who is getting their soul taken?”
He centered himself, trying to reconnect with the pull. A tugging started in his chest again as he and Takeo took off once more.
* * * *
Panahasi stepped into the human realm. He was greeted by Alpha Maverick. “Now what is it?” He remembered their first meeting, when the young half-demon, Taylor, had come into his powers. “Is it Taylor?”
“No.” The wolf-shifter leaned against his desk, his arms crossing over his chest. Panahasi admired the man. Not that he would admit that aloud. He got the impression Maverick would only rub it in every time they met if he did. “It’s about Taylor’s mom.”
“She’s locked away. No need for concern.” Panahasi walked over to the bookshelf and ran his fingers along the spines, impressed with the shifter’s collection. “Have you read these?”
The creaking of Maverick’s leather brought the leader’s attention back to the subject at hand. “What about her?”
The Alpha stood straight, his eyes locking onto Panahasi’s as he cocked his head to the side. “I think there is something you should know.”
* * * *
Snooke stared at Hondo as he walked out of the kitchen. The hairs on the back of his neck stood as the warrior took a seat in the chair. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but something was off about him.
“I’m going to make something to eat. You guys wanted to join me?” Snooke grabbed Chris’s and Dillon’s elbows, tugging at them as he rose from the couch.