“I never stopped thinking about you. Not a single day went by that I didn’t imagine what things might have been like had I not turned my back on you.”
“And?” she whispered. “Is it a reality you think you could manage?”
She felt his chest rumble in a chuckle. “At the time, it was frightening. Now, I know I would give anything for that second chance.”
It was a sweet moment, but Lyra thought it was just the sex talking, and he didn’t mean any of the things he said. But like she always thought, time ought to tell. She coughed.
“How is it possible that the demons are here? That they attacked my father? What could they want?”
He flinched as though he was surprised by the sudden change of subject. But he was willing to discuss it. “I thought they were all dead, years ago. From what I know, they had all died out. Most of them were hunted down.”
“If that’s the case, how are they back?”
“Apparently, some went into hiding,” he guessed. “Demons are good at that. They could stay hidden for thousands of years. I won’t be surprised if that’s what happened here. They were in hiding, grooming, growing their powers, plotting their return.”
“So why now? And why Orson? Why Adam? Do you think it has any special meaning?”
Even if he thought so, he knew anything he said would make her worry. “I don’t think so, really. They probably want you to think so. Demons love to joke around like this, but I don’t think there’s any form of a personal vendetta at play here. Unless your father did something particular to piss them off…did he?”
“Nothing that I know of. Before now, demons were even more of a myth. We never had cause to worry over them. So no, he was never much of a troublemaker. I’m just worried that Adam is troubled by this too. I’ll kill them if I ever lay my hands on one.”
He scoffed. “Me too. It won’t be easy, though. If they’ve been hiding, then they’ve grown stronger. Underestimating them would be just as lethal as they are.
“Why do you think they came back now?” she asked again, as though she was unsatisfied with his first answer.
“To wreak havoc? It’s all they’re known for. They’re back to wreak havoc on the paranormal community and they’ll find whoever they can—werewolf, dragons, any kind of shifter—and drain their powers, growing in strength.”
It sent an instant chill through her. The thought made her stomach churn painfully. “Do you think they’ve targeted my father, or worse, Adam?”
“I wish I knew the answer to that,” Levi said. A chilly silence followed.
Lyra couldn’t fight away the thought that Adam was in trouble. She didn’t mind so much for her father; he was an Alpha and could always take care of himself. But Adam was only a boy. What happened if he was all alone and they attacked? What would he do? And she wasn’t delusional enough to think that she could be around him every minute, so it scared the shit out of her.
“Hey, it’s going to be fine,” Levi said, sensing her worry. “Listen to me, I’ll do everything within my power to protect him. As long as I’m here, nothing is going to happen. And your father is Alpha, you have the support of the whole pack. Nothing is going to happen to our son, I promise.”
She nodded, pushing her hair out of her face and kissing him on the cheeks. “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do if anything ever happened to him. I’d lose my mind.”
“So you do know what you would do.”
She rolled her eyes at him and he smiled and held her hand. Levi tried to act like he wasn’t bothered about the demons, even though deep down the very thought of their existence and resurfacing frightened him. There was a war coming and whether or not they wanted it, they had to be prepared for it. Even little Adam. But Adam was a strong boy, he knew from the time he had spent training with him. He was stronger than Lyra gave him credit for, and Levi was proud to be his father.
Even though he hadn’t been there in the early years of his life, he wanted to be there for him now. He wanted to take care of his son, and Lyra too. He had said it a million times by now, but he was desperately sorry for the past, and if this was his way of proving that he was capable of protecting them, then he would rise to the challenge with gladness.
“Shouldn’t you get going? It’s getting late.”
“Says a creature of the night.”
She smiled. “You should. I don’t think it’s safe now to be moving around the neighborhood at night what with demons on the loose.”
“Sometimes I think you forget who I am,” he said, and his eyes flashed golden. Sometimes, before he transformed, they were grey.
“I know who you are, and I know how strong you are. But I also think you have a brain for a reason, so use it.”
“You’re going to pay for that.”
“Oh, I bet.”
She watched him dress up, curled up in bed underneath the duvet. He looked so handsome in a natural glow, his body extra toned.