The ears on their heads were mostly pointed upward like wolves’, although a few of them flapped...like puppy ears are wont to do. They had long snouts, and the hounds whose lips were pulled back displayed a set of intimidating teeth. Those fangs could easily measure the length of my forearm.
“So?” Azazel’s question jerked me out of my observation. “Which one do you like?”
“Um.” I grimaced and let my gaze rove over the beasts bounding around the pen. “I still need a minute.”
Out of all the hounds, one repeatedly caught my eye. Maybe it was the way it tried to eat dirt. Or how it tripped over its paws. Or seemed startled by its own tail. All of its six ears flopped wildly around its heads, giving it an endearingly disheveled-looking appearance, what with quite a few of those ears seeming to be permanently stuck turned inside out and showing the pink inner part.
“That one.” I pointed at the beast.
Azazel stilled, then stiffly faced me with his arms folded in front of his chest. “You jest.”
“It looks adorable, as far as four-hundred-pound predators go.”
“The deciding factor shouldn’t be cuteness,” he replied. “As your guard, it needs to be sharp. This one looks like its favorite pastime is running into walls.”
“Hael.” I turned to the other demon, who’d joined us again, standing unobtrusively a few feet away. I waved at the hound in question. “Is this one protective?”
Hael came to attention, hands clasped behind his back. “Yes. She has no trouble tearing apart whatever threat faces her, and she responds swiftly in training to protect her handler.” The demon paused, then added hesitantly, “She’s just...a bit special in other situations.”
Azazel raised a brow. “You mean dumb.”
Hael grimaced. “More like clumsy, my lord.”
Oh, I could relate to that. “Yes. Her.” I pointed at Ms. Clumsy.
Azazel glared at Hael. “Will she make an adequate guard? I need her to be focused and obedient—to her.” He nodded at me.
“She’s attentive to commands.” Hael inclined his head. “We should try a meeting to see if she’s a good fit for…your….”
A beat of awkward silence as Hael’s uncertainty about my status hung in the air.
“Pet,” I said into the tension, and smiled.
I wasn’t looking at Azazel, yet I felt the singeing heat of his focus on me, its weight heavy and pressing.
“Pet,” my demon husband repeated, his voice a rough rumble. His attention shifted to Hael again. “Set up the meeting.”
“Right away, my lord.” Hael left with a bow.
“What?” I asked after a moment.
Azazel had been staring at me with an inscrutable expression, the silence between us weighted. Now he simply shook his head in non-answer to my question, as Hael called the hounds back inside from the door on the opposite side of the enclosure.
All except Ms. Clumsy.
She tried to jog after the others, tripped over her own legs and face-planted in the dirt. With all three of her faces.
Beside me, Azazel pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
Hael whistled low, and the hellhound scrambled to a stand, then sat at attention. The demon gave a sign to Azazel.
“Come,” my skeptical spouse said and opened a gate on our side, waving me through.
Gingerly, I entered the pen, my heart thundering.
“I’m right behind you.” Azazel laid a hand on my lower back.
“Oh, good.” I swallowed. “So she’ll have to chew through me to get to you.”
His power stroked along my spine, his low laugh filling my mind.
“What’s her name?” he asked Hael.
“Vengeance.”
I snorted.
Hael shot me a dark look.
“Sorry,” I muttered. “It’s a good name. A strong name. Fierce. Well-chosen.” I gave the demon a thumbs-up. “A beastly name, a—”
Azazel’s hand covered my mouth. “Who are her parents?”
“Rage and Devastation.”
“Hm.” Azazel’s voice was thoughtful. “That’s a good bloodline.”
Hael preened.
“Let’s see it, then.” Azazel removed his hand from my mouth, moved it to my shoulder and squeezed. “Call her.”
I cleared my throat. “I feel like I need to point out that I’m not the most authoritative person. I don’t do well giving commands, I mean.”
“Really?” Azazel’s voice dripped with amusement. “Could have fooled me.”
I narrowed my eyes, which was totally lost on Azazel, of course, since I faced away from him.
Hael, on the other hand, looked distinctly confused.
“All right, then,” I muttered, squared my shoulders, stood up straight, and firmed my voice. “Vengeance. Come here.”
All six floppy ears flopped adorably around as the hound swiveled her heads toward me. I slapped my thigh.
Tongues lolling out, Vengeance loped over to me. I had a second of terror-frozen