Demi Read online

“Oh, you don’t have to tell me. It’s not like I really want to know what you were up to before meeting me, but it’s the first thing that came to mind when I looked for something to talk about. And I guess I’ll find out sooner or later.”

  The smile they exchanged was heavy with hope and the awareness that they’d both declared they wanted to give it a try, even if in a roundabout way. Then Reed looked at his hands and grimaced. “There’s something you should know before we go any further.”

  “Fuck. Are you married?”

  “What?”

  “Forget I asked. Please, tell me if you feel I should know.”

  Demi watched as feelings passed on Reed’s face. First amusement, then worry, and nervousness. He imagined various scenarios, but when Reed finally talked, it wasn’t anything Demi had expected.

  “I’m... not well.”

  Demi took a few seconds to digest the news, but his mind was already crowding with questions. He asked only the most important one, though. “Is it bad?”

  “It’s nothing physical. That’s fine, I mean, physically I’m fine. But I’ve spent time in the labs—gosh, do you even know about those? I didn’t come back completely sane. That’s what I meant. There.”

  Reed was cute when he was flustered, but Demi didn’t like the reason why he was. He scooted closer, keeping his focus on Reed, and when Reed didn’t move away, Demi reached out and grabbed the hand that was still fidgeting nervously on the comforter. “I know a bit about the labs. I’ve spent some time with Duncan and Derick since Noah met them, so I know what they are. Can you...” How could he say it without appearing insensitive?

  “Can you tell me what you meant when you said you’re sick?”

  “Gentry said it’s a mild form of PTSD. I have bad days and good ones, I get angry pretty fast and snap at people. I can go from normal to happy to angry in a few minutes on a bad day. I also... sometimes I get flashbacks. Not often, but I do, and I have nightmares.”

  Reed’s hand tightened around Demi’s, almost to the point of pain. “We’re working on it. Gentry says I can get better, and I have since I started talking with him, but... it’s hard, and I know it’s hard to have to live with me, so I won’t hold it against you if you decide you can’t.”

  Demi had to think before answering. He didn’t want to look like he wasn’t taking it seriously, but he also wanted to make Reed understand that it didn’t mean it would be easy for him. “I don’t know much about PTSD, but I’ll learn. And I’ll do my best to stay by your side. I can’t promise you I won’t... need space, sometimes. I can’t promise I won’t be hurt if you snap. But I can promise I’ll do my best to help you through it, and that I won’t leave you alone.”

  Reed’s eyes were shiny when he looked at Demi. “How can you promise that if you don’t know me?”

  “Like you said, I’m your mate. You’re perfect for me, and damn if I’m going to let this opportunity slip from my fingers for that.”

  “It won’t be easy.”

  Demi shrugged. “Nothing in life is. And I’m extremely stubborn.”

  * * * *

  They’d been talking for about an hour when Reed realized Demi hadn’t answered his first question. “Hey, you still haven’t told me what a Steduna demon is.”

  “You know how the swirls on my skin are light green but Noah’s are dark blue?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Every type of demon has a different color. The darker they are, the stronger the demon’s power is, and the higher he or she is on our social scale.”

  “So Noah’s stronger than you?”

  “Exactly. My power is limited to plants. I can help them grow healthy, find and kill bugs, things like that, but that’s all.”

  “What about Noah? I’ve never seen him doing anything weird.”

  Demi’s expression became thoughtful. “He’s still young. Our powers don’t really have a set time to appear, but usually the weaker they are the sooner they do. Noah’s almost at the top of our power scale, so it’s taking him a bit longer, but I think he’s starting to get there.”

  “Oh. That’s... good?”

  Demi laughed. “You don’t sound too convinced of that.”

  Reed smiled ruefully. “That’s because I have no idea what I’m dealing with. You talk about powers and stuff, but it’s very abstract to me, you know?”

  “I’ll show you.”

  “Show me what?”

  “What I can do. I asked Kameron if I could take care of the paths around here. You can come with me sometimes, and I’ll show you how I help the plants. If you want to, of course.”

  “That... yeah, sure. Just tell me when.” Reed was surprised that it actually sounded like a nice thing to do. He usually didn’t really like to be outside in his human form, but spending time with Demi and seeing what he could do sounded interesting and just... nice.

  There was a knock at the door and Demi yelled, “Come in!”

  Duncan poked his head through the opening. “Dinner’s ready, guys.”

  “Oh, thanks. Give us a minute.”

  “Sure.” Duncan was smiling widely for some reason known only to him, but Reed couldn’t help but feel it had to do with Demi and him. After all, he felt the need to smile just as widely. He just wasn’t giving in to the compulsion. He didn’t want to appear too eager and scare Demi away.

  Dinner was stew and boiled potatoes. Noah looked insanely proud of having been able to cook it on his own, even though stew wasn’t that hard to cook.

  “So, guys,” Noah started, and Reed just knew he was about to stick his nose in their lives. “How did it go?”

  “How did what go?” Demi asked before spearing a potato piece and eating it.

  “Your chat? What do you think of each other?”

  “Mmm, I can tell you what I think of you if you want. You’re a nosy little—”

  “Is that your covert way to tell me I should keep my nose out of your relationship? You know how that went the last time I did. No offense, Reed,” Noah added almost as an afterthought.

  “It’s okay. I know about Larsen too, if it’s him you’re talking about.”

  “That guy is such an ass!”

  “Can we maybe not talk about him during dinner? Or ever, really?” Demi asked.

  “Okay, not talking about your asshole ex in front of your new boyfriend,” Noah answered.

  The piece of meat Reed swallowed just then got stuck in his throat when he made a strangled noise at Noah’s words. He coughed, his eyes tearing up, and a helpful hand patted his back. “I’m fine, I’m fine.” He turned on his chair to face his helper, not the least bit surprised when he saw it was Demi.

  “You sure?” Demi asked with worry.

  “Yeah, yeah.” Reed took a sip of water and blinked the tears away from his eyes. Demi reached out and wiped the tears on Reed’s left cheek with his thumb. Time felt suspended as they looked in each other’s eyes and Reed could’ve sworn he saw Demi start leaning toward him, maybe to kiss him.

  Then the fact that they were still in Duncan and Noah’s kitchen, sitting with them at the table, reached his brain and Reed leaned away. He saw the disappointed glance Demi gave him, so he smiled at his mate and stroked Demi’s hand. It was still on Reed’s face, but Demi let it fall right after it.

  Reed turned back to his meal, carefully avoiding looking at either Duncan or Noah. He looked everywhere else instead and noticed it was snowing again. Going back home wasn’t going to be fun, and he should probably hurry. “I think I should go.”

  “Oh. Why?” Noah asked.

  “It’s snowing.”

  “You can stay here if you want,” Duncan suggested, a sly smile on his face.

  “But we have only one guest room and Demi... oh. Oh!” Realization downed in Noah’s eyes.

  Reed tapped his fingers on the table. “I don’t know. I wouldn’t want to impose.”

  “Oh, you’re not.”

  “Wh
ere would I sleep, though?” Reed already knew what Noah and Duncan were trying to do, of course, but it didn’t mean he had to give in if he wasn’t comfortable with it. And if he was honest with himself, he didn’t know if he was. So he hoped Noah would say he could have the couch.

  “You could sleep with Demi. The bed is big enough.”

  “Or you can take the couch,” Duncan added. “I’m sure it’ll be comfortable enough if we add enough pillows and blankets. Really, you’ll be the warmest in the house, since you’ll have the fireplace.”

  Reed looked sideways at Demi. He wanted to take the couch, but would his mate take it like a rejection? Reed just wasn’t sure he was ready for Demi to watch him go through one of his nightmares. Really, he should go back home, but he wanted to stay and talk with Demi some more too much to say no.

  “I’ll take the couch if it’s okay.”

  Noah’s eager face fell a bit, but Demi didn’t look fazed. He smiled at Reed and pushed his plate away. “I’m full.”

  He got up and started putting the plates in the sink, but Duncan stopped him. “Why don’t you go in the living room with Reed? You can talk some more.”

  “But we didn’t do anything to help. We can at least clean up.”

  “Nope. You’re both guests.”

  “I’m not really a guest, Duncan. I’m going to live here for a while,” Demi insisted.

  “Since it’s your first night, you get a free pass. You can help tomorrow.” Duncan’s voice didn’t leave any room for Demi to insist.

  “All right. We’ll be in the living room, then.”

  “You can grab pillows and blankets from the hallway closet,” Noah told him. “You can help Reed make his bed.”

  “Sure.”

  When they stepped in the hallway, though, Demi went the other way. He entered his room and came out moments later with a pair of soft pants and a long sleeved T-shirt. He handed both to Reed and turned to the closet, opening it and ruffling through its contents.

  Reed looked at the clothes in his hands. “Uh, what should I do with these?”

  “You can wear them tonight. You’ll be more comfortable than in jeans.”

  “Oh, it’s not a problem.”

  “I insist.” Demi looked over his shoulder and grinned. “Besides, I kind of like the idea of you in my clothes. Weird, huh?”

  Reed grinned back. “Not really. I like the idea of you in my clothes just as much, although I’m not sure they’d fit you, at least in length. I’m short.”

  Demi leaned away from the closet, his arms full of colorful blankets, a pillow on top of the pile. “Is one pillow enough?”

  “Yes.”

  Demi closed the closet with a foot and headed to the living room. “And you’re not short. Just smaller than me.”

  “Yeah. Like I said, short.”

  Demi chuckled and shook his head. He dumped his load on the couch and gently stroked his knuckles on Reed’s cheek. “How tall are you? You can’t be less than five foot nine.”

  “Ten, actually.”

  “See, not short. I’m only six foot, you know.”

  “I don’t think we’ll ever agree on this.”

  “I think you’re the perfect height. See, I can do this without any problems, because you’re neither too tall nor too short.”

  “Do what?”

  Demi leaned in and pressed their lips together. “This,” he said, his lips moving against Reed’s as he talked.

  Reed smiled in the kiss and leaned closer, his arms still full of clothes. The kiss was short and only a press of lips, but it was enough for him to smile so much it almost hurt. It had been a while since he’d had anything to make him so happy. His mate had known exactly what Reed needed without having to ask—intimate contact, but not too much, not yet. Demi really seemed to be perfect for Reed.

  * * * *

  Demi blinked his eyes open and stretched under the comforter. He looked at the clock and groaned. It was only six AM. He usually got up at this hour, but he was on vacation, damn it. He should be able to sleep at least until eight.

  He rolled to his side and tried to get back to sleep, but after a while he gave up. The house was still silent and he decided to get breakfast ready. It would be a way to thank Noah and Duncan for taking him in, and to show Reed Demi cared.

  Demi didn’t have a lot of people to care for—his father, Noah, Duncan, and now Reed. He knew he wasn’t the most affectionate of people. He very rarely hugged, kissed even less, and he usually kept his emotions close to his heart. He was like his dad that way, so the only person who really challenged him emotionally was Noah, but he was used to it.

  Noah was happy enough with a hug every so often. As long as he could use Demi as a sounding board for his problems and his art, he was good, and Demi was happy. He did have to talk about how he felt sometimes, but Noah’s life had taken a drastic curve when he’d met Duncan, and it had resulted in him talking less to Demi.

  Demi was happy for him, but it had made him feel a little lonely sometimes. The problem was, he was quiet and didn’t have the time to make friends. And after the Larsen debacle, he’d been honestly scared about even trying. He couldn’t stand that level of drama in his life.

  Reed, though. He seemed different. He hadn’t pushed Demi to say more than what Demi was okay with telling him. He’d accepted when Demi had skirted around some of his questions without getting offended. He hadn’t touched Demi, although Demi wasn’t sure whether that meant he understood Demi wasn’t a touchy feely kind of guy or that he himself didn’t like to be touched.

  There was a lot Demi still had to discover about the man who was his mate. They’d only talked a handful of hours, after all.

  And Demi couldn’t wait.

  He finally left the warm cocoon of his bed and hurriedly pulled on thick socks and a sweater. He peeked into the living room, but couldn’t see much more than a bundle of blanket topped with wild brown hair, so he left Reed to his sleep and made his way to the kitchen.

  The fridge was full and Demi had no problems deciding what he’d cook. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, everything drowned in coffee. It was what he was used to eating in the morning, because he needed his strength. His job was physical, and it ended only in the late afternoon.

  He was about to crack the eggs in the pan when a loud thump came from the living room, followed by muffled calls. Demi didn’t know what was happening, but he figured it couldn’t hurt for him to peek in.

  He was glad he’d made that decision when he looked in the living room. The bundle of blankets was gone from the couch and Demi could see it peeking from somewhere under the coffee table. Reed had clearly fallen, and Demi wasn’t sure whether he was awake or not.

  The muffled sounds he’d heard were distressed calls from Reed. Demi crossed the living room and pushed the coffee table away to be able to get to Reed.

  Reed was still tangled in the blankets, even if he obviously was trying to get out of them. He was clutching at the fabric and pushing it away from his chest, and he was doing it while still asleep. He’d managed to tear the collar of the T-shirt Demi had given him the night before and there were scratches on his sweaty skin.

  “No, please. I can’t...”

  Demi bit his lower lip. Should he wake Reed up?

  “No! Leave me alone!”

  Demi leaned forward and moved the coffee table away. He grabbed Reed’s wrist before he could hurt himself more than he already had, and Reed thrashed in his hold. He tried to pull his hands to his chest, mewling in distress and repeating, “No... no!”

  Demi pressed both of Reed’s wrists in one of his hands and cupped his cheek with the other. “Reed, hey, Reed. It’s me. It’s Demi.”

  Reed didn’t wake. If anything, he was trying even harder to get away, and Demi was getting desperate to find a way to wake his mate up. His mate...

  Demi quickly went over what he knew of shifters. They recognized their mates by scent, and from
stuff Noah had told him, it also calmed them.

  Demi released Reed and quickly pulled off his sweater and the T-shirt he was wearing under it. He pressed his body over Reed’s, trapping his hands between their bodies and hoping this would be enough for Reed to wake up.

  Reed was still moving, trying to push Demi away, but Demi persisted and pressed his neck against Reed’s face. Reed sobbed, and it was like a switch had been flipped. His body slowly relaxed as he took in Demi’s scent.

  Demi let go of Reed’s wrists but kept his hands close just in case, and tried to wake his mate up again. “Reed? It’s me. Uh, it’s Demi. Can you open your eyes for me?”

  “What are you doing on top of me?” Reed’s voice was coarse, but it was music to Demi’s ears.

  He rolled off his mate and hissed when his naked back hit the cold parquet floor. Reed sat up and looked at him, his eyes widening as he took in Demi’s state of undress. Demi’s tail switched nervously and he reached for his T-shirt, but a hand on his chest stopped him. “Who... I did this to you.”

  Demi frowned and looked down. He hadn’t noticed it, but there were scratches on his chest. Most were superficial, but two were oozing a few drops of blood.

  Reed snatched his hand away as if it’d been burned and tried to get up, but he was so tangled in the blankets he couldn’t manage to put his feet under himself. Demi took the opportunity to try to calm him.

  It was obvious Reed was blaming himself for hurting Demi, and it was the last thing Demi wanted. He quickly pulled his clothes back on and reached for Reed. He was careful, because he didn’t want Reed to feel trapped, but he still pulled his mate closer and into his lap.

  Reed’s eyes were wide with remorse and panic. Demi clamped a hand on Reed’s hip to keep him in place and kissed his forehead. It was enough to startle Reed out of his panicked state.

  “Take a deep breath, come on,” Demi chided him.

  It took Reed a few heartbeats to follow Demi’s instructions. Demi shifted him so that they were back to front and hugged him close. “Come on, breathe with me. You’re fine, I’m fine, everyone’s fine. Come on.”

  Demi felt Reed relax against his chest. It was slow, but finally he was slumped against Demi, his head down and his fingers wringing together. “I’m sorry.”