Demon Kissed - Katie May Page 0,53

okay? Was that my shoe?”

“Bowling shoe, I think,” Zolroth says, studying his hand like it’s a science experiment. “I think one of the metal grommets on the laces might be a bit sharp.”

“I can grab you a bandage—”

“No!” His hand closes over my wrist, and he tugs me back down to my seat.

“What? Why?”

Zolroth’s eyes study mine, and again, I see the red. This time, it flames out from the center and makes his eyes look like magma struggling to break through the surface.

That palpable tension between us grows again when I take his hand to inspect it. I avoid his intense eyes, because right now, I feel like doing something incredibly stupid. I feel like leaning up and kissing him.

But that would ruin everything.

Zolroth’s just here to help me. He’s here to help me and leave. He’s so incredibly out of my league. I’d just embarrass myself. Besides, I want William, right?

Right?!?

Existential crisis here!

Still, I can’t help tracing my fingers over his hand, inspecting the tiny cut there. It’s fascinating how his skin is so soft but the bones are so big compared to mine and that he still feels so strong. His hand could probably almost wrap around my neck, and that thought is both terrifying and exciting. “I think you’ll live. Are you sure you don’t want a Band-Aid?”

He shakes his head. “No. Demons…aren’t supposed to get hurt.”

My eyes fly up to his. “What?”

“It’s rare…almost impossible for us to get hurt.”

I furrow my eyebrows, and he explains further, speaking slowly, almost hesitantly. “The only way we can really be hurt is…if we’re close to our Center.”

I lean in. “You mean that she-demon who attacked you the other night?” I hiss.

“What? No. A female demon didn’t attack us. Some random guys did. Humans, I think, but they were gone before we turned around, so—”

“Well, what the hell is a Center?” I ask, burning with curiosity.

“It’s…for lack of a better term, our mate,” he returns, his eyes steadily holding mine.

I clench down on his injured finger without realizing it as blackness takes over my vision for a second. As soon as I recognize I might be hurting him, I release his hand. “Sor-sorry! Did I hurt you?”

On the outside, I’m all concern, but on the inside, I’m reeling. I’m full of a thousand and one questions about this.

Demons have mates? And what does he mean by “our?” Demons share mates? And this mate is close?

I’ll kill her.

Not a proportionate response, Katrina. There’s no reason to be murdery…yet.

My eyes scan the bowling alley suspiciously, searching for a stupid-ass demon woman who’s making Zolroth get hurt somehow. But I don’t see one. In fact, I don’t see Janie and William. Oh, wait. I spot them ordering a pizza at the counter.

I wonder if Janie’s the Center. She seems like a demon.

Zolroth starts chuckling, and I realize I just spoke aloud.

His hands wrap around mine and lift them. He places a gentle kiss on the back of my knuckles that makes my heart flop into a girlish faint.

“You’re cute. But Janie is definitely not our Center.”

My eyes flicker from Zolroth over to the other demons, who are glancing furtively in our direction whenever they aren’t bowling.

“Yes, our,” Zolroth answers my unspoken question.

So, they all share a single mate? Oh, poor demon woman. The guys are just trying to help me, and they wear me out with the constant attention, stalking, and ridiculousness. How much worse would it be for her? Still, though, we’re talking mates, and with demons, I’m guessing it’s not a stretch to call it a soulmate? I don’t really know.

I file that question away for later. I’ll start with something easier.

“But if this Center is your mate…why are you wasting your time with me?” I’m genuinely confused. “Who cares about a summoning spell when your mate is out there?”

Zolroth drops my hands and harshly shoves off his loafers before putting on the bowling shoes, aggressively tying them. “Most demons never want to find their Centers. Those that do…” He trails off and shakes his head.

Not want to find their mate? Pity, like a coin dropped in a lake, ripples through my stomach. What a sad existence. “Why not?”

“Because if a demon is near their Center, an angel can kill them.”

17

This fake first date has suddenly gone from light-hearted to scary in a matter of minutes. I shoot up from my seat, fear for Zolroth taking the lead. “Well then, we’ve got to get you out of here.” I go