Demi
There weren’t any cars available for twenty minutes, and I was too impatient to wait, so we ended up walking back to my house the way we came, only this time we couldn’t stop touching and kissing each other. Each touch drove me a little crazier than the last.
“I can’t wait to get you in a bed and spend the rest of the night worshiping your body.” He moaned in between kisses. The rough scrape of his beard caused my nipples to pebble against his chest.
I broke our kiss. “What is that sound?” I asked, stretching on my tiptoes to see into the alley.
“I think someone needs help,” Xander replied before his gaze darkened.
He ran down the alley like a man possessed. I ran after him, struggling to keep up with his larger strides.
He finally stopped behind a group of five guys I recognized from our supernatural community. They seemed to be surrounding a group of smaller children, taunting them. When the ringleader of the older group spoke, I realized it was Jeremy, a witch from a neighboring coven.
“Not so tough now, are you, without your demon parents.” Jeremy circled the children.
The oldest child in the demon group pushed the smaller kids behind him, and my heart broke thinking about him taking care of the little ones when he was probably only ten years old himself.
“Why don’t you pick on someone your own size,” Xander called to Jeremy.
Jeremy swung his gaze to Xander’s. “What do we have here? A demon without his powers? Come on, guys, let’s take care of this dumbass before we torture the little demons.”
Jeremy and his goons lurched at Xander—each lunging for a different body part. Xander was like a giant jungle cat as he sidestepped each one of their attempts to knock him down.
I stepped out of the shadows, rage coursing through my body. How dare Jeremy and his friends take advantage of a group of powerless children.
I held my anger in check and ran to the children. “My name is Demi, and I will help you get out of here. Do you trust me?”
“You’re Demi?” the oldest demon boy asked.
“Um, yes.” I blinked.
The little boy’s shoulders relaxed. “We were on our way to find you. You’re famous in the Underworld. Our parents told us if we ever find ourselves in trouble when we are in the Living Realm to go to you because you are one of us, and you will help us.”
His faith in me took me aback. “Okay. First off, everyone hold hands. We are going to run to that garbage dumpster over there and wait for Xander to win the fight.”
Even though it wasn’t a fair fight with five against one, Xander seemed to be holding his own, if not winning the fight. But I needed to make sure he won.
Once the children were safely behind the metal dumpster, I turned back to the children and said, “Stay right here. I’m going to help Xander.”
All the kids nodded in agreement except the smallest one. “Of course, you will help Xander. He’s your husband,” she said, her eyes taking on an eerie glow.
Her declaration caught me off guard, and I took a step back. Why would she say that?
“She’s a seer,” the oldest demon said with a shrug.
“And you read minds,” I said to him. His only response was a sly smile.
“But how can you still have your powers.” My mind whirled at the thought.
“They’re not our active powers,” he explained.
Of course. Why didn’t I think of that? Hope had the power of premonition and would have been able to use it still. That was another reason Drax had to take her out of the equation.
I glanced back at Xander. There was only Jeremy and one of his friends still standing. I watched Jeremy distract Xander as his friend crept behind him with a garbage can.
I saw red, and I immediately charged the guy with the garbage can, hitting him in the stomach with my shoulder, causing him to fall backward. The garbage can landed on top of his head, knocking him out. His body crashed to the ground with a thud. At the same time, Xander landed one last punch to Jeremy’s jaw. Jeremy collapsed on contact, his head rolling to the side when it hit the ground.
Xander’s eyes snapped to mine. “Good girl.” His growly voice was only loud enough for my ears. I smiled at his praise, and my heart did another flip-flop.
A chorus of little voices shouting congratulations on saving them reached our ears.
“What are we going to do with them?” He jerked his head to our little cheering section.
I looked at the little demon children and then back at Xander. “They’re coming home with us.”