Let’s get out of here.” All pure-bred demons had rough voices that sounded like their vocal chords had been mangled; after the night they’d had, Nick sounded like he’d been eating gravel all day.
Adare owed him one for this. He backed out of the driveway, turning the vehicle toward the mountains. “Nicolaj Veis, please meet Grace Cooper. My…mate.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Nick slid to the side to better study Grace from the back seat. “Although you are a surprise. Adare? Why do you keep so many secrets?” The question in his eyes was more than obvious. How could Adare go on their mission the following day when he had a mate?
She twisted even more to face him. “It’s nice to meet you, as well. I’m not really Adare’s mate.”
Nick rubbed his smoothly shaven chin. “Okay.” He glanced from one to the other. “Proposed mates?”
Adare sighed. “No. We mated.” He glanced in the rearview mirror. “Can’t you sense it?” Normally the mating bond was easily discerned by other immortals, but what did he know?
Nick studied Grace. “Well, kind of, but it’s not as strong as I would’ve assumed.”
“We didn’t really mate,” Grace said, a slight pink flushing her cheekbones. “I was in a coma, about to die, and Adare bit me and marked me. No…well, ah, sex.”
Nick’s eyebrows shot straight up. “You can’t mate without sex.”
“We did,” Adare said, ending the conversation. The fact that Grace was special, one of the three Keys who were destined to destroy evil, would remain a secret, even from his old friend. Adare believed that was why the mating had taken hold without a physical union. Speaking of which, the woman should be acting grateful and not like a pain in his ass right now. He had enough going on.
Grace rolled her eyes. “Are you a hybrid, too?”
Adare bit back irritation. She had lived in the immortal world for nearly five years, and she couldn’t tell a pure-bred demon when she saw one?
“No,” Nick said, smiling. “I’m all demon. You can tell from the blond hair and black eyes, as well as the weird voice.” He jerked his head toward Adare. “Although I understand your question. Even hybrids usually take on the dominant aspects of only one species, except for your Highlander here. He’s unique.”
Whatever. Adare had the black hair of a vampire and the pure black eyes of a demon; sometimes, he felt his two halves fighting each other. Which was odd, considering both species were predators. “Nick? I apologize for taking you away from your family vacation. I owe you one.” When the king had called saying his computer techs had discovered a possible Key in Colorado, he’d called in Nick as backup. Adare didn’t need backup, but when King Kayrs meddled, he went all the way with it. Adare had agreed; he couldn’t afford to have the king all up in his business with the mission into Kurjan territory happening soon.
“No problem,” Nick said, almost cheerfully. “This has been entertaining. Also, it’s getting late. Why don’t you two stay in our extra room at the condo for the night? Apparently you have some things to talk about.”
“No, thank you,” Grace immediately said. “I need to be on my way.”
Adare took a turn up the mountain road. He had to get some things straight with Grace before he died, and no doubt Nick’s stronghold was well secured and far away from any humans. “We appreciate it, Nick. We apparently do have much to discuss.”
* * * *
This night could not get any more embarrassing. The idea that she’d been fooled by some moron who wore fake vampire contacts would haunt Grace forever. She’d love to call her sister and get a laugh out of it, but then she’d have to tell Faith everything, and she couldn’t do that. Faith had nearly gotten killed trying to save Grace before—it was time Grace stood on her own feet and stopped relying on her older sister so much.
Nick’s condo was more like a spacious lodge than a typical mountain cabin. Warm and welcoming lights spilled out of a multitude of windows in a hand-sewn log building that faced the back side of an imposing ski mountain.
Grace followed Nick up the shoveled front walk to the double wooden door, her camera equipment slung safely over her shoulder.
Nick used a keypad to unlock the door and moved inside, turning left immediately into a dining room where three females sat playing poker with real money all over the