Demons (Darkness #4)(7)

“Yes.”

“You need to act mature and professional. Can you do that?”

Not a chance. “Absolutely.”

We pulled up to the front of the mansion, only a faint glow seeping from the front windows. Jonas slammed the gear shift into park and opened the door. “Alright, let’s go.”

Ten minutes later, we arrived at the room my link told me Stefan occupied. Jonas stepped forward and pulled open the door. I got an impatient thumb jerk from him, telling me to enter. As I crossed the threshold; the world fell away. All I could focus on were those intelligent, dark eyes, looking at me out of that earth-shatteringly handsome face. My stomach exploded in butterflies as my chest tugged, wanting to close the distance and touch him. The emotion through the link held the same longing, the same single-minded focus as Stefan paid homage to me entering the room.

In the beginning, this would irritate people to no end, no one understanding why everything ground to a halt so we could share a moment meeting our other half. After Stefan scared the crap out of a few people for interrupting, or I accidentally zapped them with magic, they all got the hint. It only lasted about thirty seconds, but in that time, nothing existed in the world but each other.

“And they’re back,” Charles said as I exhaled, taking in the scene.

Stefan stood near the far wall, holding a sheet of paper with that sexy muscular arm. His rippled body stood in repose, in the middle of some business meeting that must have to do with our journey in a few weeks, because all of the top army guys and gals, including my new adopted dad and his staring side-kick, were present. Stefan’s slacks fit him oh-so-right, showing off that defined butt and his strong thighs. A dress shirt strained across his enormous width of shoulders and hinted at his mouthwatering pecs. Those washboard abs were hidden, but I salivated knowing they were there.

“Having a hot flash?” Charles asked with a smirk, the only one allowed to back talk to me in Stefan’s presence.

Charles had been through serious crap on my behalf—he’d earned it.

“Sorry, where were we?” I swung my gaze around the crowded room.

“We were discussing the needs of the clan in our absence,” Stefan said smoothly, eyes devouring me instead of going back to his paper.

I cleared my throat and noticed an intense stare from Jonas. Oh yeah. Lead.

“Well, we might need to put that on hold. We found something.” I just barely left off the uncertain, “is that okay?”

Stefan’s eyes cleared of heat. Anxiety crept back into the link, having disappeared when I arrived in one piece. “What is it?”

I quickly ran through what we found at the warehouse, watching carefully as Stefan’s face got grimmer and grimmer with some emotion he was trying desperately to suppress. The link warred with shock and fear and determination. When I finished, more than a few people, including Dominicous, were subtly glancing at him.

“You contained it?” Stefan asked in a low voice.

I nodded. “But we need to get rid of it somehow.”

Determination took over the link as his jaw set. “You stay here. I’ll deal with it.”

“She has to remove her charm,” Jonas said in as small of a voice as I’d ever heard him use.

Stefan’s gaze skewered Jonas.

“Orange was containing it,” I rushed in quickly, knowing Stefan didn’t want me anywhere near that monster, and also knowing the decision came from a man in love, not a leader. Nothing would undermine me faster than if Stefan tried to put Baby in the corner.

“If it escaped orange power, then Jonas wouldn’t be any good, since he is also orange. It’s my job, Stefan.” I straightened my back against that scorching, dominating stare. My warning butt tingle sounded, screaming at me to flee. Still I stood my ground, nearly letting terrified chuckles escape my throat to let the tension out of my body.

That intense, black-eyed gaze retracted before he grudgingly nodded. I took a silent breath, trying to ignore the sweat dripping down my back.

“Let’s go.” Stefan moved across the room. “Jonas, assemble a team. Charles—”

Stefan cut off, his eyes flicking to me. Jonas was staring again.

Oh yeah. Lead.

“Charles, get Adnan,” I jumpstarted. “You two are mine so Stefan can use Jonas.”

Stefan gave me the briefest of nods, indicating I did the right thing. Thank god.

“You’re going to take a juvenile for protection?” Claudia, a red power with a mean right hook, came as close to a snicker as was possible for it not to be a challenge.

I stared her down, trying to get my gaze to shock into her like Stefan’s always did. Condescension stared back.

“You’ll challenge him to a duel tomorrow,” I noted smoothly. “We’ll see how you hold up against a juvenile. I will personally tell you you’re right if you win. Now,” my gaze swept the room, “let’s get going. That thing was too smug for my taste.”

Chapter 2

“What did Jonas have to say?” Toa asked in his silky tone as he drifted in beside Dominicous.

Dominicous slowed his pace, allowing Stefan and Sasha to lead their fierce-eyed warriors out of the mansion. If he kept to the front, his position would dictate his leadership. Stefan was barely keeping his subservience in check as it was; if Dominicous took control of a situation as dire as this, the younger male would challenge for sure. And while usually that wouldn’t be a huge deal—Dominicous able to quell most upstarts easily—he wasn’t entirely positive he would come out the victor. Even if he did, however, he didn’t want to leave his adopted daughter without her future mate. A challenge needed to be prevented at all costs.