CHAPTER SEVEN

Gage advanced slowly, letting his claws rip from his fingertips. The guy smelled human. Well, mostly. But he didn’t have the stench of death about him, and usually, that scent came quickly once the heart stopped beating.

He put his hand out on the guy’s chest. No heartbeat. That should have meant the fellow was dead. But with the supernaturals, should didn’t really apply so much.

Then the one she’d called Curtis sucked in a sharp breath. His eyes flew open, and beneath Gage’s hand, his heart started to beat once more.

Son of a bitch.

Gage had never seen anything quite like that.

Then the guy’s head and neck snapped back in place.

“Oh, my God.” Kayla’s whisper.

“Not quite,” the guy said, and his eyes—the eyes that still held Gage’s, changed. The blue color faded until only black remained. “But I have heard that demons are distantly related to angels, so who the hell really knows?”

Demons.

And that’s exactly what Gage was staring at.

Curtis glanced at Gage’s hands. “I really hope you aren’t planning to use those claws on me. Especially since I was gonna help you out.”

“You’re a demon?” Kayla asked. She was back on her feet now. “What the hell? A demon hunter at my side and a shifter for a boss? Are there any humans other than me and Jonah in this place?”

Curtis shrugged. “Probably.” He lifted a brow at Gage. “Uh, those claws?”

Gage backed off, for the moment.

Curtis took another deep breath. “Thanks. I’d prefer to die only once today.”

“Only you didn’t die!” Kayla snapped back. “Dammit, I was crying over you.”

“And that was really sweet,” Curtis said instantly. “I was touched that you cared—”

She tried to grab him through the cage bars.

He leapt away and jumped quickly to his feet. “I had to play dead. Okay? What? You think I was gonna take him on? I’m a low-level demon. He’s a shifter. If he’d found out what I actually was, the guy would have just sliced off my head.”

That was a fast way to kill a demon.

“Broken bones . . .” Curtis sighed. “I’ve always had a special knack for healing them. Guess that’s my talent. But there’s no coming back once you actually lose your head.”

Not for any supernatural. Beheading would pretty much kill them all.

“I was just waiting for Lyle to clear out,” Curtis said, voice reeking of sincerity as he faced Kayla. “I had to be sure he was gone, then I was going to let you know I was all right. I was just about to move when he pushed open the door.”

“Get. Me. Out.” Kayla gritted. Her cheeks were flushed. Her eyes sharp, golden glass.

Curtis yanked his keys from his pocket and fumbled to free her. The second that door opened, the guy tried to scurry back. Too late.

Kayla slugged him. Damn. That was a powerful right hook. Good thing the guy could heal so fast. “Don’t ever make me think you’re dead again!”

“Ow! Shit, I was trying to help!” Curtis rubbed his jaw. “I was waitin’ for the coast to clear, then I was gonna help you get out.”

“And you still will,” Gage told him. He didn’t know what the demon was doing working there as a hunter, and right then, he didn’t give a shit. He just wanted to get Kayla out of that place.

He had to hurry up and go check in on his pack. Once they were secure, and once he’d destroyed the fool who’d betrayed him to Lyle, then he could come back and bring this compound to the ground.

Curtis nodded. “Right. I-I still will.”

“We need transportation,” Gage said. Number one priority. They were in the middle of the desert. They needed a fast ride, one that wouldn’t be traced.

“Got one.” Curtis nodded and rocked forward on his heels. “But I’m going with you.”

Like he wanted another hunter riding shotgun.

Before he could refuse, Kayla nodded. Her eyes met Gage’s. “If he stays, he really will be dead.”

She kept acting like he was supposed to care about the hunters. But . . . fine. Gage pointed at the guy. “Demon, I don’t trust you.”

“Fair enough,” Curtis said instantly. The demon was sweating. “I don’t trust wolves either. One just tried to kill me.”

The demon was a dick.

Curtis grinned. “Want to know why I’m a hunter?”

“Because you’re a screwed up demon?” Gage tossed back as he scanned the area. No cameras in the room. No audio surveillance. Good. They were clear. Let’s haul ass.

“Because two years ago, a wolf shifter killed my mother. A shifter I’ve spent months tracking.”

The guy was staring at him a little too intently. “I didn’t kill your mother.” He hadn’t killed a demon in at least three years, not two. And he sure hadn’t killed any women.

He had a rule about that.

“She wasn’t a demon. She was human.” Sadness whispered through Curtis’s words.

So the guy wasn’t a full demon. A hybrid. That explained the human scent that clung to him—and that had to be the reason why he’d managed to fool Lyle.

Gage had an enhanced sense of smell, even among wolves. But Lyle—that guy might not have been able to pick up on the slight difference in Curtis’s scent.

Lucky for the demon or else he would have gotten a broken neck much, much sooner.