Demon, Guardian, The Fallen, Oh My mates! Esmerelda's Story

Chapter Seven

Unknown’s POV

I walked into the coffee shop that was run by an interesting little human. She was definitely someone's grandmother with the wrinkles that adorned her flesh. She had nothing the day she met me. Her life had practically ended when her husband had run off with her sister. It was a tragic past that I found interesting. Especially when this human didn’t want revenge and she didn’t wish them ill. She wished them happiness.

The only thing she wished for was to open up this coffee shop. Being generous that day and because she intrigued me and I wanted to know more, I helped her by granting her wish. No, I am not some genie who can grant wishes. I am much more than that. I am a Demon. I have magic just as a witch except I don’t have the ‘laws’ that they have to follow. Hell is my domain, but I hated it. All the death and decay. Don’t get me started on the heat. Ugh!

I digress. I came in today to grab my fix for my addiction. I hadn’t known what coffee was until Diedra showed me. She mixed up some special concoction she called a caramel macchiato or something like that. I took one sip and I was hooked. I reasoned that she would do well with her coffee shop idea. “Hey Az. The usual?” Homer, one of the barista’s that works for Diedra asked.

I nodded and he went straight to work on it. In no time at all my coffee was ready, and as always I didn’t need to pay for it. Though I always slipped a $20 bill into the tip jars. It was just paper. It meant nothing to me like it did to these humans. I took a seat in the back to watch the people around me.

I have been on this earth now for two years. I was sent here on a mission to find and kill the Witch Queen who was still a child. I had my own plans in mind. I haven’t even searched for the child I was supposed to find. I immediately destroyed the witches who had summoned me the moment my claws touched this realm. I am not some lowly demon to be controlled. They should have known that.

I enjoy this realm and the people in it far more than I do Hell. As I continue to watch the people around me I notice a young girl roughly eighteen walking across the street. She looks towards the coffee shop and pauses for a minute before she looks into her bag before a large smile breaks out on her face.

I couldn’t stop staring. She was the most beautiful creature I have had the pleasure of laying my eyes on. I felt my inner beast stirring. That hasn’t happened in a while. He wasn’t as keen on this realm as I was. Nobody would take the time to get to know him, so he is a bit jaded. He became more restless the moment she started to walk into the shop. As the bell tinkled signalling her entrance my world stopped.

You hear about it all the time about wolves and vampires finding their soulmates, but you don’t hear about a demon finding theirs. So little in fact it has become a myth to us demons especially those who have been around as long as I have. Mates just don’t happen to us. Then again not many demons leave Hell so they wouldn’t find them if they weren’t a demon themselves. So for mine to just walk in like it was nothing life changing was absolutely ridiculous.

I couldn’t stop watching her. The moment she walked in the door she stopped in her tracks and subtly sniffed the air. I watched as her eyes swirled like the Aurora Borealis. Then she shook her head, gave the coffee shop a quick once over, completely avoided my section and then walked up to the counter as if nothing had happened. I felt a smirk curl at my lips. Game on, baby.

I continued to watch her as she ordered her drink and waited patiently for it to be made. I need to time this perfectly. I wait until she has her cup in hand and as she is walking my way I get up and snap my fingers quietly and stool slips out in front of her tripping her. As she falls forward, I quickly catch her in my arms, ignoring as her hot beverage spilled all over my shirt. I didn’t even feel it over the sensation of having her in my arms.

“Oh my goddess. I am so sorry! My foot caught on something.” She said automatically as I helped steady her on her own feet. The moment she looked up and saw the coffee on my shirt her face turned a deep shade of red. “Oh Goddess. I spilled my coffee all over you. Here let me help.” She looked around before she nodded and started to do a soft chant. Not really surprised that my mate was a witch, I wouldn’t expect many demons to be matched with humans. They are too superstitious with their religions to realize that demons have feelings too. There are good and bad in every species.

In seconds my shirt was now dry and stain free. I smiled and said, “Thank you. Let me replace your coffee. It is the least I can do for you, saving me a trip to the drycleaners.” I said, raising my brow at her.

She blushed again but to my surprise she turned me down, “I couldn’t possibly. It was my fault for spilling my coffee on you in the first place, but I will let you take me out to lunch so we can get to know each other better.” She had looked down as she began telling me I was taking her to lunch. She said the last sentence in a low whisper that I was lucky to hear being a supernatural being and all.

I smirked. The shy little minx. “I would like that. I’m Asmodeous, but people call me Az for short.” I held my hand out to her.

I watched as she tentatively placed her hand in my palm as she said, “Esmerelda. My friends and family call me either Esme or Izzy.” She was being shy again. Usually I didn’t like the shy, meek behavior of some females, but my mate acting shy and meek in my presence was endearing. Something about her name nagged at me though. Something familiar. I gave my head a mental shake and snapped myself back to the here and now.

We leave the coffee shop walking side by side just chatting about nothing and everything. She talks a lot about her family. It seems she comes from a large one. I can relate, my family is also vast and large, though mine is not as happy and close as hers is. We were raised to outdo one another. To be the best of the worst. I played my father’s cruel game for a long time. That is how I got the reputation I have. It wasn’t until the day I was brought to this realm I changed sides. It had been looming for centuries in the back of my mind. The little things I noticed about my father and his games. I stopped playing by his rules and now I live by my own rules.

As we settled down in a cafe that had some of the best food in this small town she seemed to be deep in thought. I couldn’t help my curiosity and asked, “Penny for your thoughts?”

She blinked a bit startled and gave a small laugh before saying, “It’s nothing. I was just trying to figure out what this feeling is. I feel like I have known you my whole life. I thought with the scent and these feelings meant you were my mate, but when we touched I didn’t feel the sparks. I just don’t understand. I have never heard of anything like this before. I wish I could ask my mother, but she isn’t around right now.” She sounded so sad talking about her mother. Something must have happened to her recently.

I was shocked that she didn’t realize we were mates. She sounded so disappointed and as soon as I was about to tell her the truth a shadow descended upon us and I had to look up. In front of me was a mountain of a man. His arms were crossed over his massive chest. His arms were corded with hardened muscles. His presence unnerved me a bit. Not in a creepy bad sort of way. More like there is more to this than meets the eye in a good eerie way.

Esmerelda noticed and her eyes widened in shock. Her posture stiffened and she adopted a stubborn set to her jaw. Whoever this man was, she knew him. The man's mouth was set in a straight line for just a moment as he stared at Esmerelda. Then it turned up in the corner as he said, “Esme, you know you can’t hide from me. Running away isn’t going to solve your problems. Especially before you could scent your mate.” A low growl came from his chest.

Esmerelda stiffened even more as I watched her eyes do that same glow earlier. She glared at the man and said, “Go away Timby. I am doing what Mom asked of me. So you can go and report back to our fathers that I am perfectly fine on my own.” She crossed her arms and turned her face in the opposite direction. She clearly was finished with this conversation.

“Sir, maybe you should leave.” I stated politely. If what I gathered from my mate this man was her brother. I need to be friendly to her family if I want to have a good start with my mate, but I also need to take her side and let her know she is the important one.

He turned his sharp gaze at me and something familiar flashed in his eyes, but was gone just as quickly. What the hell was that? Before I could ponder too much he spoke in a chilling voice, “Who the f**k are you?” I could clearly see that this male didn’t like me at all near his sister. Well too f*****g bad. I am here to stay.

“I’m her…” I was about to tell him I was her mate, but she interrupted me.

“None of your damn business Timby. If you haven’t forgotten I am not some young teenage girl anymore. I am eighteen now and I can find my fated mate, or chosen, and there is nothing you can do about it! I am on a date with Az and I don’t appreciate my brother interrupting like some overprotective father. It’s creepy, honestly.” Esmerelda said calmly. It was like the calm before the storm. Her stare was fierce and I am not ashamed to admit that I was a little turned on by her defiance.

He just stared at her, and I was like the i***t that I am and just stood there moving my head side to side during their verbal volley match. It looked as if they were at a stand still when finally he sighed and sagged his shoulders. “Sorry Izzy. You scared me when you just disappeared. You know I’m always supposed to be with you now. I am your guardian. It is my job to protect you.” He tried to ruffle her hair but she smacked his hand away and stuck her tongue out at him.

I had to bite back my irritation at her showing her tongue to another man, but the sexiness of the act left me speechless. Hot damn! I lucked out in the mate department. Now to just get her to realize we are mates. I sit back and quietly watch the siblings as a plan slowly forms in my mind. If she can’t sense that I am her mate, I will just have to make her fall in love with me the old fashioned way.