Chapter Thirty-Two

Dev clutched the girl to his chest as he ran towards the pack house. Bare feet crunching through the fallen leaves as he moved through the woods.


He knew that it was a mistake, he shouldn’t have taken her from that creature’s lair. He knew that he couldn’t leave her there. Not with the way the thin shirt covered the various bruises that stained her skin or the way that the room had been perfumed with the scent of her desperation.


Slowing down to a jog as the pack house came to view, he looked down at her barely conscious face. Her smell filling his lungs. Making his mouth water and his wolf perk up. This wasn’t the best time for this.


He knew that he was doomed, that they would be hunted. But she was his mate. He couldn’t leave her there. Couldn’t let her get hurt by Nash, he’d heard plenty of rumors about the sadistic dragon. Seen the carnage he’d left in his wake.


She cracked open a black eye, looking up at him through her thick lashes as she licked her cracked lips with a dry tongue.


“Who, who are-”


“Dev, my name is Dev.” Dev said, cutting her off. He knew that he would do everything in his power to protect her. No matter what, or who would be hunting them after today. “I’m taking you some place safe.”


Her eyes drifted closed as she pressed herself against his chest.




***


Shifting the bags in his hands as he made his way up the porch, Stolas couldn’t help the excitement he felt. Moving one of the bags to his other hand, he brought his fist up to tap on the thick oak door. Bouncing on his toes as he smiled to himself.


Waiting for someone to open it he looked towards the trees that surrounded the house. He’d spent far too much time in those trees and he was glad to be in his human form, knocking on the door.


The door creaked open and a soft groan filled his ears.


“How can I help you, Stolas?” Drake asked as the wolf stepped back, allowing him to enter the packhouse.


“I’m here to fix Annie and Candy breakfast.” Stolas held up the bags as he walked into the house, pushing the door closed behind him.


“Is this going to be a regular thing?”


“I hope so.” Stolas replied as he followed Drake towards the kitchen. The hallway was filled with the bright morning sunlight, he could hear children watching cartoons in another room.


“Do I need to warn you away from them?” Drake asked, looking over his shoulder. “Would it do any good?”


“You can if you want to, but I don’t think I’d be able to stay away even if I wanted to.”


“You hurt them and I’ll break you.” Drake said, his expression deadpan as he watched Stolas sit the bags on the counter.


“Drake,” Abby said as she walked into the room, her hair tousled with sleep and the morning’s activities. The plaid robe that she wore swallowed her, cuffed at the sleeves. “Stolas, what are you doing here?”


Stolas looked over at her as she moved to Drake, watching as she wrapped her arms around his waist. He started pulling things out of the bag, setting them on the counter. “I’m here to have breakfast with Annie and Candy.”


“Is it a for real thing?” Abby asked, stepping away from Drake and closer to the demon. “Or like a demon-kinky thing? I don’t want you hurting Annie… Or Candy.” She added, thinking about what Eli had told her.


“Not a demon-kink thing.” Stolas said with a chuckle, as he turned towards the cabinet looking for a cutting board. “I like them.”


“Like-like?”


“Like Sam likes you.” Stolas smiled as he found the board, grabbing it along with a knife from the butchers block.


“So, like-like. Good, because you maybe a demon, but if you hurt my sister and her mate, they’ll never find your body.” As Abby looked up at him with her hands on her hips, Stolas could understand why Sam was so drawn to her. He quirked an eyebrow up, trying to fight back his smile.


“I get it.” he said, unable to hold back his smile any longer.


“With that, we’ll leave you to your breakfast date.” Drake said, his eyes glued to Abby. Stolas had a moment where he wondered if Abby knew how her display of protectiveness had affected the alpha.


“We will?” Abby asked, looking up at her mate.


Stolas watched the look that passed between them, watched her eyes widen as she shivered. The bagel held in his hand as he brought it to the cutting board.


“We will,” Abby repeated, her words breathless, and Stolas knew that he wouldn’t be seeing them anytime soon as he watched Annie’s twin pull her mate from the room.


Humming as he sliced the bagel. Stolas couldn’t hold back the grin as he realized he was fixing breakfast for his girls. Or at least he hoped they would be his.


He left the cutting board and knife on the counter as he moved to the stove. Searching for a pan, he had a plan and even though he wasn’t familiar with this kitchen, he was going to fix them one hell of a breakfast.


Dessert already on his mind as he went to work. Turning the burner on as he oiled the pan, cracking a brown egg and dumping its contents onto the hot surface.


Candy walked into the kitchen, her hand linked with Annie’s and he felt the butterflies come to life in his stomach. He was glad that he’d chosen to dress causal in a pair of dark jeans and Clevania t-shirt. Annie was in a flowing tunic style top with leggings, her hair pulled into a high ponytail showing off the claiming mark on her neck. She was glowing and he didn’t know if it was from the mark or from pregnancy.


“Annie, you look lovely.” He said, watching the way a blush moved over the tops of her cheeks as she looked down. His eyes moved to Candy, taking in the hot pink running shorts and tank top she had thrown on. The thin strip of flesh that showed at her waist made him wonder how soft her skin would feel under his fingertips.


His eyes met her’s and his smile widened. On her neck there was a mark. Same as Annie’s, he would feel it. Was drawn to them more so than he had been yesterday.


“Good morning, Candy.” He said, grabbing the sliced bagels off of the counter and putting them into the toaster.


Candy didn’t say anything as she helped Annie on to one of the barstools that sat beside the island so she could watch the devil cooking. She was silent as she moved to the coffee maker.


“What can we do to help?” Annie asked, tracing her fingers on the countertop.


Stolas smiled to himself, “Candy’s already got the coffee, why don’t you sit back and relax?”


Candy let out a grunt as she filled the well with grinds and pressed the button. Tapping her fingers as she watched the dark liquid drip.


“Not a morning person?” He asked with a chuckle and she shot a glare at him.


“I think she needs the coffee to people.” Annie said.


The laugh that slipped from Stolas’ lips had Candy grumbling and Annie covering her mouth as she fought down her own giggle.