Her call had stirred me from the book I was reading. I had been pleased to feel her summons until the panic and fear hit me. I didn’t even set the book down. I simply let it fall as I went to her.
“Stop calling someone else’s name! Who the fuck is Leo?” The human was yelling at her.
Her soft, scared voice pulled at me. “Leo…”
“I heard you, my pretty Sarah.” A rage I hadn’t felt in centuries filled me. She was mine, and no one was allowed to hurt her but me.
“Who the fuck are you?” The human dared to demand from me. “She’s not your Sarah. She’s m—”
Lifting my hand, I flicked my wrist, sending power out toward the pathetic human to snap his neck, the body falling off the tailgate of the truck.
Her body slumped down in the truck. I spotted a phone I figured was hers, as it had glitter all over the case. I shoved it into my coat before moving the hair back from her face as I crouched down.
Tears stained her pretty white skin, and it made my rage burn all the hotter.
“My Poor little witch. I’ve got you now. It will all be all right.”
I flicked my fingers at the zip tie, burning it to ash, then picked her up into my arms as gently as possible. She wasn’t feather light but felt so fragile right now; I feared breaking her.
I carried her from the truck, then let her see what I had done and what I would do.
“He won’t hurt you or anyone ever again. His soul is mine now.”
I let the power flow through me freely, the rage taking form into pure magic.
I crushed the truck until it was only a small bundle of metal, then burned everything that would serve as a reminder.
A regular fire was not enough, so I burned it hotter, brighter until it was nearly the temperature of a new star; not even ash was left—just a scorch mark on the ground.
After I had burned it all, the smell of Sarah’s skin caught my attention. It had changed, and now that the fear was gone, I could smell it.
My hold on her tightened a fraction. “Strong drug mixture. I’m taking you with me until it passes out of your body.”
I felt her hands grip my shirt, and it stirred the instinct to protect her even more.
“My car… It’s still at the pizza place.” I knew why she told me, and she was trusting me to protect her, to hide the fact I’d just killed this human for hurting my witch.
“I’ll take care of it.” I took her to my home in the next moment, warning her that teleportation wouldn’t help with the state she was in.
I took her straight to my room and laid her on my bed.
With the moonlight bathing her skin, her naked body on my sheets, I wanted so badly to pleasure her.
But this wasn’t how this moment should have started, and I wouldn’t take her now. Not like this. I’d wait for when my sexy little witch could give consent when she wanted me as badly as I wanted her.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can. Stay here, don’t try to move.”
I couldn’t stop myself from touching her face. “Be strong, my little witch.”
I left before the temptation to kiss her won over my will.
I stood outside the pizza place for a bit and worked out my plan for how to make this all work.
Pushing up my sleeves, I cast my magic into a complicated illusion spell that would even be picked up by the cameras.
I formed the very truck I had just burned into a crisp, that pathetic male human driving, and Sarah sitting next to him. I wasn’t proud of what I did next, but it would keep her safe.
I worked the spell, so it played out to where the human parked near her car. She climbed out of the passenger seat, looking as if she’d just had some fun sex with him.
I had her walk around to the driver’s side, lean in, and kiss him as if he was the air she breathed.
Watching it made me angry enough that I almost broke the spell, but I reminded myself this was to keep her safe.
She waved to him and blew a kiss as she walked back to her car. I moved into the shadows alongside her vehicle. Meeting up with the illusion, I hid inside of my witch’s little form.
I had the human’s truck, with him inside, drive off only to vanish fully once out of sight of any humans.
Meanwhile, I climbed into Sarah’s car, keeping the illusion spell up to make me look like her, and drove it to her home.
Her dad came out of the house at the sound of her car pulling up.
“Hey, Sarah, well—” He froze when I stepped out. “Where in the hell is my daughter, Leo?” He was mad, but only to cover the worry in his voice. It made me smile.
“Don’t worry, my old friend. I have her safe. You knew she was meeting some human?”
Her father paled. “What’d he do?” I knew right then David hadn’t trusted him, which is why he’d asked me to meet Sarah today.
“You knew he was a danger to her.” A bit of anger slipped out of my tone. “You let her meet him anyway.” I took a step toward him, only to watch him throw up a hand to hold me off.
“I wasn’t sure, Leo. The boy acted oddly today, but they’ve been dating off and on for years. I had a bad feeling, but she’s old enough to make her own choices. I knew if you met her, you wouldn’t wait to bond with her.”
He dropped his hand and rubbed his face. “If I hadn’t sent you to her…”
David had run across me years before his child was born, before he’d even finished school, and we became friends, though he didn’t know the full story of why we met until much later.
“I stopped it, David. You should always trust your witchy gut. It’s never been wrong.”
David had invited me over not long after Sarah had been born to see his little girl. Well, when his lovely wife had been out shopping.
The moment I’d seen the child, I was drawn to her, her power. I’d told David as much, and we’d made the agreement then.
Over the years, I’d watched Sarah from a distance off and on. I hadn’t recognized the human boy, but then again, I didn’t stalk her daily. Simply stopped by the house when she was home to see her.
“I’m keeping her at my house until she’s fully recovered. Just tell Amy that Sarah is bonding with her demon. She’s safe and sound and will be home soon. Likely tomorrow or the day after…”
I rubbed my chin, thinking. “Go for the day after; we can always return early.”
David looked at me, worry on his face. “Why can’t she come home now, Leo?”
I sighed. “He drugged her. It’s why she called me to save her. She was unable to stop him. Her magic is being being disrupted by the drugs in her system, and it’s affecting her whole body.
“It needs to work its way out, and she will need to process her emotions. She may not want to talk about it, it’s likely best you pretend you have no idea about it, and we keep Amy in the dark.”
I watched my friend’s hands ball into fists. “I’ll kill him.” His words made me smile.
“I already did, David.”
I watched my friend, still in shock, looking at me as if I’d grown another head.
“I’m a demon, David. She’s mine now. No one gets to hurt her. Besides, his soul belongs in hell, and I have already sent it to a friend to suffer for the rest of existence.”
“I know you’re a demon. I just…”
I chuckled and walked up to my friend, proud of him for not backing up before I clapped him on the shoulder.
“You just didn’t realize how easily I would kill for her. Don’t worry, my friend, you picked the strongest guard dog for your daughter.
“I need to get back to her. Go be with your wife, my friend. Why not try to see if you can make another daughter, hmm?”
I left before David could utter another sound.
