The next morning we held hands as we meandered our way around my manmade lake. Francois had spent many happy afternoons sunbathing on the banks and swimming in its depths. Today, turtles broke the surface, taking breaths before diving deep once again. A handful of fish rustled the smooth water, chasing prey or popping out to snatch a bug. It hadn’t just been a home for Franky, it’d been my sanctuary as well. It gave me a place to think, to get my damn evil impulses under control as I thought about my days.

Silence hovered between us, the tension in Sam unmistakable. He was still pissed that I hadn’t let him kick Berg’s ass. Nor had I let him banish the brownie from the house.

I bumped my shoulder against him. “Gonna stay mad all day?”

“All century,” he grumped.

“Naw, you like me too much.” I tilted my head back and smiled.

“Maybe,” he huffed. “One black eye. One.”

I chuckled. “No. Can’t do it. My other brownies ran off and I need them. Besides, you hired them for me, remember?”

“Didn’t know they’d bring a giant, hot guy with them,” he grumbled.

“You think he’s hot?” I waggled my eyebrows. “Does that mean I get to see a little man on man action?” I winked. “Kinky.”

“No, it was an observation. I get hard for one person,” he tugged and pulled me against him. Like always, my body molded to his, finding home amongst the hard planes of his body. “And that person is you.” Sam lowered his head, brushing his lips across mine in a soft, gentle kiss. “It will only ever be you.”

I hummed and let my eyes drift closed. “Good. I’d hate to hafta kill someone.”

Another kiss, a nibble of my lower lip. “On High doesn’t like you killing people.”

“Good thing Uncle Luc encourages it then.”

He merely shook his head and released me. “C’mon. Show me your land.”

My land. It was something I was proud of. Over the centuries, I’d always attempted to make a true home for myself, one that I could lovingly care for, and I’d finally done it.

I had a home. I wasn’t being shuttled off from papa to papa or being run off with fire and pitchforks any longer.

Home.

I repeated some of my story about Franky and his time with me, how I’d decided to turn my home into a small sanctuary for orphaned and injured gators by making my own lake.

“I put in a slab over here so I could sit and watch.” I pointed to the large square of concrete near the bank.

“Not a bench?”

“No, you know I like to sit and cuddle. They can’t crawl onto a bench.” The “duh” was implied.

“Caith, they’re dangerous animals.” His worry was unmistakable.

How cute.

“I’m more dangerous than they are.” I rolled my eyes.

“Caith…” More concern.

“Tell me, your Angel of Destruction gig, it’s dangerous, right? I mean, you’re a gel so it’s not like you actually die because you just get sent back to On High, but you can get hurt?” I glanced at him, eyebrows raised.

“Of course. Things can happen no matter how much you plan.”

“Right, well, same thing. My body may die, but it’s not like Uncle Luc won’t send me back. So even if one of them turns me into a snack, it’s all good.” Maybe. I hadn’t actually pushed Uncle Luc on that aspect of our agreement. I kinda assumed I’d only have to stay if I voluntarily visited Hell. It was something I’d have to ask him. Soon. Especially since the green-eyed baddies hadn’t been found.

“I still don’t like it.”

I shrugged and stepped back, leading him toward the slab. “You’ll see. They’re sweet once they quit trying to eat everything in sight. Some of them are missing a leg or an eye. Humans…” I fought the tears in my eyes. Demons didn’t cry, right? “Humans can be so cruel. The tween acts as if dems are the enemy, right? You should see them tremble when I speak to them, Sam. They come to the bar but stay away from me. Sure, it’s a place they can be themselves, but they don’t want to have anything to do with me. But the humans…” I shook my head, refusing to look at him. “They’re the monsters. Dems don’t take up pitchforks or fire or come after a helpless animal with a hatchet.”

“They’re not exactly helpless, Caith,” he murmured and I ignored him. He didn’t understand.

“No, I know they have teeth and they’re fast, but it’s not just gators. I’m talking about anything, everything. The trees, the bugs, the small animals, deadly snakes, and fierce lions. They take and destroy.” I shot him a rueful smile. “Sorry, that’s Papa Eron’s influence. You can’t be the daughter of Father Earth without caring for his gifts.”

He grinned. “What else have your fathers given you?”

“Well, I do the wolf thing and the love of nature thing. Then there’s my ready smile and mischief when I’m not trying to gut you with a knife. Hmm…” I paused. “Papa Leth taught me to kick ass though I think that was more for his peace of mind since I now can gut a man with a knife between heartbeats.” That had me grinning and remembering the first time I’d gone after that human male when he tried— I shied from the memory as it neared its end. “And Papa Finn, the unicorn, is supposed to be for purity.” I sighed and shook my head. “My soul is only occasionally pure. Other times, it mirrors Mom’s.”

“And your mom?”

I wrinkled my nose as I stepped onto the concrete platform. “Well, Mom…” I sighed and just released the truth. “Hatefire, ragefire, hellfire… Basically, if it pisses me off, it gets burnt to a crisp.”

I plopped onto the ground, ignoring the dirt that caked the hard surface. Sam did the same, but instead of leaving me to sit at his side, he plucked me from the ground and settled me between his spread thighs, my back to his front.

“That’s better.” He nuzzled my neck and I tilted my head to the side, giving him more space. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was a wolf scenting his mate. “Your mom… is that Chicago? What does everyone keep referring to?”

I winced. “About Chicago… You see, what had happened was…”

I found the guy I was fucking banging some other chick and then the hatefire rolled through me and then the hellfire came and then… Boom! The great Chicago fires of 1871.

The rustle and splash of water brought my attention back to the pond, and thankfully interrupted my explanation. How many chicks wanted to reveal that her anger killed an uncountable number of humans and tweens? Sure, the official record said it was three hundred, but I remembered the screams…

Ripples marred the pond’s surface, four disturbances sliding just out of sight as we approached.

“Caith?” A hint of worry filled his tone.

“It’s just the gals and Georges.”

“Georges? You got a thing for Frenchmen I need to know about?”

I nuzzled his arm, rubbing my scent on him while also attempting to reassure him I was his. “Once upon a time, maybe.” I tilted my head back. “Unless you wanna tell me you’re from France. Then yes, I’ve got a thing for Frenchmen.”

The first gator broke the surface, his dark body sliding from the water with ease and the other three females flanked him but held back. They trusted Georges and once he was done with his puppy-like snuggles, the others would come forward. No matter the stress of the day or the rage that rode my soul, these four always soothed me.

Now I could add Sam to that list.

“Hello, mon petit.” I held out my arms and spread my legs, giving Georges room to come forward.

“Petite? There is nothing small about him. He’s ten feet long and weighs over three hundred pounds.”

I grinned. “Right. Little. Just wait until he finishes growing and then Momma R and Jezebeth will—”

Do nothing because that’s when Georges opened his eyes fully and stared at me. They were eyes I’d stared into more times than I could count. They were midnight black, dark and mysterious to everyone but me. Gators were instinctual killers, deadly, dangerous, and some thought evil. But I knew evil and the reptiles were merely misunderstood. At least, that was before I met Georges’ gaze and didn’t see black. No, I saw green. Bright, sparkling, truly evil green.

I swallowed hard and my attention shot to the three females, noting their orbs were the same, lethal hue. “Get up, Sam.”

“Caith?”

Georges was only ten feet away then, close enough that a fierce rush would catch us both.

“Now, Sam.”

Sam stilled, his body freezing for a spare moment. “Oh, shit.”

Oh shit was right.

I saw the gator’s intent a split-second before he attacked. That instant gave me the opportunity to roll from Sam’s lap while also shoving the gel aside. Georges snapped at empty air as I jumped up, bouncing on the balls of my feet, watching the four animals.

Sam did the same, upright and watchful.

“What the fuck happened?”

“Hell if I know,” I grimly replied.

The ladies closed in on us, tails swishing, mouths parted as if ready to tear into me. And me only. They didn’t have eyes for Sam at all.

Fuck. I swallowed hard. They wanted me. Whoever pulled their puppet strings had them focusing on me and the four were now desperate for my blood.

“You need to get out of here,” I directed Sam, my gaze still on the gators. I took a step back and the four eased closer, obviously intent on me. “Now.”

“You think I’ll leave you like this?” He snorted, but I heard the nervous tension in his voice. “Think again.”

“I mean it. They want me. So you’re gonna flutter to the house and get me my tranq gun and a few darts.” Another step backward, another few inches separated Sam from danger.

“Caith…”

“If I take my attention off them, they’ll find a new target. Please, Sam. Please.”

“I’m not leaving you. Didn’t we just talk about the fact that if either of us die in the tween, we’ll still come back?”

“Right.” Another step. “You really think On High will release you a second time?”

“Of course.”

Yeah, well, I wished I had as much faith in Uncle Luc. I could really use those darts before it came down to me versus gator. It was one battle I didn’t want to win, or lose.

Sam flung a rock, smacking Georges in the head, drawing the attention of all four animals.

“What the fuck, Sam?”

The grin he flashed made me want to claw out his eyes. Stupid, stupid gel.

“I got ’em. Go grab what you need,” he murmured.

“You can’t hurt them, Sam. You know they’re not in their right mind. That’s why I want them on me,” I growled, hoping the sound got their attention.

But it didn’t. Nope. One thing did intrigue them though.

“Yo, Caith! Mom didn’t want me to tell you, but Dead Nettle called and he said he heard you hired us and wanted to wish you good luck.” Berg’s voice boomed over the lawn. “What the fuck’s up with that? He’s not gonna try and kick my ass, right? I don’t wanna hurt him.”

Bergamot was the new target, the four gators racing beyond Sam and me and heading straight for the over-sized brownie. Growls and snarls came from the group, sounds I’d never heard from animals, let alone gators.

From one breath to the next, they were halfway between the pond and Berg. Then they were a hundred feet away and then…

Sam disappeared from sight, spurring me into motion. I wasn’t about to let Sam or Berg turn into gator food. I waited for Sam to reappear beside the brownie, to take him from the area, but no, Bergamot remained alone.

“Run, Berg!” I hoped he heard my bellow.

The brownie’s eyes widened, attention flitting from me to the gators and back again. “You said they were—”

“Run, dammit!”

I’d said they were harmless, that they were sweet and misunderstood. That it was okay for the babes to play near the pond and even ride Georges. He loved the little ones. Loved carrying them and loved—

No.

“Unca Berggie…” Rose Bud tumbled from the house, her tiny legs carrying her across the grass.

No.

I increased my speed, fighting for energy and pulling on everything I could from Hell. I raced, coming even with the gators and finally pouncing on Georges. I rolled with the animal, hands reaching for his mouth while I wrapped my legs around his body. I crossed my fingers that my attack on the leader would draw the ladies’ attention and my plea was answered.

All three descended on me, snapping and bolting toward me, jaws coming close and teeth snaring bits of cloth and occasionally skin. They weren’t trying to kill me. At least, not right that second. I still had Georges in my grasp. Biting too deeply would hurt their male.

So, I’d hold on and wait for Sam to reappear. He’d come back and take out the girls and then—

“Caith!” Sam was back. Sam. Sam. Sam.

I didn’t spare him a glance, but the stinging scent of the sedative in the darts reached me. “Do it, Sam.”

The whistle and thump told me one was released and a solid body beside me slowly slumped. One down, three to go.

Through our struggles I’d somehow ended up belly to belly with the animal and Georges scraped my side, his claw-tipped legs digging deeply into my flesh. The ground was slick with my blood, the grass now painted red as my heart pushed more and more from my body. He wrenched his head left to right, swinging and trying to break my hold, but I sure as fuck wasn’t gonna allow that.

Another whistle, another thud. Two down.

The third was right behind that. So the girls were down and out.

That left me with Georges. One I could handle.

He continued to struggle against me, body flailing, and the familiar dull sounds of darts hitting home reached me.

One, two, three…

Georges still struggled.