Chapter 1
River
T
his had to be the most awkward family dinner I’d ever attended, and I’d dated some men without pets that met my parents before I realized I didn’t need their pets snitching to know they weren’t for me. I’d mentally prepared myself for my father being some sort of Hell creature. I wasn’t quite prepared for him looking exactly like me and finding out he was Hell royalty. What exactly did that make me as his illegitimate daughter?
He put his hand over mine. I didn’t know him at all, but it instantly set me at ease.
“I should explain some family history and Hell to you. We spread all this misinformation about it in the various realms for a good reason. Aside from this recent takeover nonsense a few dukes tried to orchestrate, we have very low crime compared to the other realms, and we just want to be left alone. Witches and warlocks have caused all sorts of issues summoning minor demons and killing them if they won’t cooperate. We don’t want them gatecrashing Hell too.”
“But you sent Charley and Finn here,” I said, blinking in confusion.
“Ah, yes. Charley and Finn. We do take outsiders in if they’ve been claimed by a demon or have proven themselves. There was a deal with the Fae a long time ago where they acquired Hell real estate. Charley ended up in prison with one of our dukes. Amduscias could have walked out of there at any time, but he fell in love with a Vampire. It turns out they were all just sitting around waiting for fate to bring them a woman who was meant to save Hell and the Fae realm.
“Charley was with them in that awful prison. She helped remove dreadful curses, and I like that witch. She’s a little twisted, and she fits right in. Finn was a hired gun to kill the kings of Hell during the takeover, but they didn’t know he had an honor code about who he does and doesn’t kill. When he found out the kings weren’t awful and it was the men who hired him that were in the wrong, he helped us end the takeover. Some tree demons might have helped with that.
“There are several witches and covens in Hell, but I’ve gotten to know Charley and Finn, and they are the only ones I trust with my daughter.”
“Well, the big protective dad thing is all well and good, but where have you been my entire life?”
“Ignorant to your existence. Even though I’m a duke, they only allow demons to realm travel with permission of the kings. I think you’ve figured out one of our gifts is talking to animals. Zepar, the demon who tried to overthrow Hell, had been permitted to live topside because he was causing trouble in our realm. Your mother bought what she thought was a cute puppy from him.
“I was sent to retrieve that puppy as it was actually a Hellhound, and humans aren’t equipped to own one. I went to visit with your mother. The little Hellhound was quite enamored of her and didn’t want to leave. It would have been sweet if she was a normal dog, but your mother put a pink collar on a Hellhound and gave her a teddy bear.
“She could have ruined the Hellhound and gotten her house burned down, but I was just so charmed she had tamed one like that. We ended up staying up all night talking, and we made love on the couch. We took all the precautions we needed so that a baby wouldn’t be born. I was extra careful because I knew in the morning I would have to disappear and bring that Hellhound home.”
I started choking on my wine.
“You mean you fucked my mom and stole her dog?”
Pavlina delicately put a piece of steak in her mouth.
“You haven’t seen Demeter’s pet in action. He did a kindness taking that dog. If it had been a normal pup, I’d eat him for you.”
“Zepar was a total shit, River,” Barbatos said. “That Hellhound was way too young to be away from her mother. When she got to the teenaged stage of being a Hellhound, she would have had tantrums and burned things. I took the puppy and yelled at Zepar. I left her a note with my phone number because I really liked her. I guess she was so mad I took her puppy she never called when she found out she was pregnant. I never heard