“Close your eyes and pretend.” Reese started typing, but Diablo could tell his mate was flustered. His cheeks had pinkened, though Reese kept his focus on his work, as if actively avoiding looking at Diablo.

  “You’re absolutely no fun.” Diablo walked over to the sofa and dropped onto the cushions.

  “I’m sorry I’m not a barrel of laughs,” Reese said. “You’re here hiding out. It’s not my job to entertain you.”

  “Do you have to be so surly?”

  Reese sighed. “Look, I’m not thrilled that you’re here. It means trouble is once more at my doorstep. I have clients and an assistant I’d like to keep safe, and your presence threatens them.”

  Talk about a figurative slap to the face. Diablo knew being near anyone put that person at risk. Demons like Xylem wouldn’t care who got in his way. He’d eliminate them in a heartbeat just to get at Diablo. It wasn’t as if Diablo had asked for this life. He was massive in size, intimidating to most, and could fight with the best of them, but deep down, he really was that cuddle bunny Maggie had described him as. All Diablo wanted was to be left alone, but there were those out there who thought challenging a hellhound, even a half-breed, made them more of a man. As though besting Diablo would bolster their bragging rights.

  Diablo always set them straight, but he was so fucking tired of having to fight his way through life.

  Why couldn’t he live a peaceful existence like a lot of nonhumans? Why was he always being hunted?

  Reese sighed. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”

  “No, I get it,” Diablo said. “This isn’t your fight, and it’s not fair I’ve dragged you into this.”

  What he wouldn’t give to curl Reese into his arms and just hold him for five damn minutes. Diablo had never had anyone in his corner. Ever. True, Luke had taken him in, but Luke had no idea the trouble on Diablo’s heels. He was pretty sure Luke would try to keep him safe, but Luke was only human and didn’t stand a chance against a demon.

  It seemed Diablo was cursed to walk this life alone, even when his mate sat twenty feet away from him. Even if he wanted to tell Reese the truth, Diablo knew hellhounds were hated, and the last thing he wanted was for his mate to hate him, too.

  Chapter Three

  Reese felt like a real jerk as he sat there trying not to look Diablo’s way. He had a gorgeous, naked man in his office, and he’d acted like an asshole toward him. Not that Reese wanted to have sex with Diablo. At least that was what he kept telling himself. Diablo was in trouble, and Reese needed to have more empathy for the guy.

  “Why don’t you go upstairs so you don’t have to stay a dog all day?” he suggested. Diablo going upstairs would also give Reese a break from the temptation the man presented.

  There was just something about Diablo that called to Reese, though he didn’t understand what the feeling meant. Mates? Reese would have thought so, but he didn’t feel the pull—an overwhelming urge to be near one’s mate. Diablo also didn’t smell any kind of way to Reese. From what he knew, when a nonhuman found his or her mate, that mate had a special scent to them.

  Which Diablo did not.

  Attraction? That had to be it. There really was no denying just how stunning Diablo looked. That dark hair that went past his shoulders in soft waves, those stunning hazel eyes, and a body to die for… Any person with eyesight wouldn’t deny just how handsome the guy was.

  Reese really did need to cut the guy some slack. He couldn’t imagine having that kind of stress weighing on his shoulders. The flirting didn’t help, though.

  “Honestly, I need a drink. I’ll go upstairs to get my clothes, but after that I’m heading to Loose Lips.”

  “Do you think that a wise idea?” Reese asked. “You have demons after you. I think lying low is the smart thing to do.”

  Diablo chewed on the side of his lip while looking down at the floor, and then he shrugged. “I was never accused of being very smart.”

  He got up, cracked the office door open, then shifted. Reese stood and followed the guy. He could tell Diablo’s feelings were hurt, but what could Reese really do? It wasn’t his fight, and he had people he needed to look out for. Sure, he’d invited Diablo to stay, but the more he’d thought about the whole situation, the more uneasy Reese had become.

  There was also something very different about Diablo that Reese couldn’t put his finger on. Just a gut feeling that kept nagging at him.

  When they were in the back, Reese opened the door and let Diablo out into the exercise area. From there Diablo could use the steps that led to the balcony to get into the apartment.

  Reese watched Diablo climb the stairs, and for reasons he couldn’t understand, he wanted to call the guy back and comfort him.

  “Mrs. Templeton is waiting in exam room two,” Maggie said from behind him.

  With a deep sigh, Reese closed the door and got back to work.

  * * * *

  Diablo sat in a booth in Loose Lips, his back to the wall, as he watched customers come and go. He had an untouched glass of beer in front of him as he wavered on what to do. Reese already knew Diablo’s secret. Not all of it. Reese didn’t know that Diablo was part hellhound. He also didn’t know they were mates, thanks to the masking agent.

  Only, he’d been warned by the guy who’d sold it to him that it might wear off after a while. It could also have adverse effects. The guy hadn’t known what kind of effects, but Diablo had taken his chances. Now he sat there with a migraine as he thought about Reese.

  His mate had basically told him his time at the clinic was coming to an end. That meant Diablo would be back with Luke, but was he willing to risk Luke’s and Maynard’s lives now that Xylem knew he was in Willow Point?

  Maybe he needed to take the offense and hunt Xylem down. Take the fight to the demon and get this over with, because Diablo was sick and tired of hiding who he was. It was a pain in the ass and getting riskier by the minute.

  The waitress, Alisha, came by his table to ask if he needed anything else. That was a loaded question because Diablo needed so many things it wasn’t even funny. But he’d told her no, and she’d moved on.

  He needed Xylem off his back. He needed to tell Reese they were mates. He also needed to tell Reese he was part hellhound. He needed to come clean with Luke. He needed a miracle because he was so fucked with demons after him. Demons were born with gifts, powers that varied from one demon to the next.

  Xylem’s power was lightning. He’d shocked Diablo more times than he could count, and it wasn’t fucking fun.

  Diablo’s muscles locked in place when he saw Rochester stride into the bar. He was one of the demons after Diablo. Diablo wasn’t sure what powers Rochester had, and he wasn’t sticking around to find out.

  He eased out of his seat and headed toward the room with the pool tables. There was an exit toward the back of the room. Thankfully the place was semi crowded, helping Diablo to blend in.

  As much as a six-feet-five-inch guy could blend in. He dwarfed most of the people, but Diablo prayed he could get out unseen.

  The exit spilled him out into the graveled parking lot on the side of the building. It had grown dark since he’d gone inside the place. Diablo moved toward the back of the parking lot, hoping to blend into the shadows while he tried to escape.

  He gasped as he was propelled into the air then slammed back onto the ground. The gravel dug into his back as pain exploded all over. He tried to get to his feet, only to be lifted again and then once more slammed, this time against the brick building.

  Diablo looked around for the source of the telepathic assault.

  “Xylem is looking for you, mutt,” Rochester said as he drew closer. The guy was maybe two inches shorter than Diablo and had a voice that sounded sinister even when the demon wasn’t trying to intimidate people. His blond hair looked green under the florescent lighting, but his eyes cast a dark shadow as he smirked.

  “Xylem can go fuck himself,” Diablo snarled.

  Rochester lifted Diablo up without coming any closer then slammed him against a pickup truck. Diablo’s side was in agony as he crumpled to the ground. If Rochester kept using telepathy to throw him around, all of Diablo’s bones would be broken very quickly.

  “Fight me like a man.” Diablo spit on the ground because his face had hit the side of the truck. Blood spots hit the gravel when he’d spit. “Fists, not magic.”

  Rochester gave a bone-chilling laugh. “Not how this works, mutt. You’re going to pay for making me chase you down. Then I’m going to render you unconscious and take you to Xylem so I can collect my fee.”

  It hurt to fucking breathe as Diablo pushed to his feet. He wasn’t going to roll over and show his belly. He was going to try and fight Rochester. That was if he could get close enough.

  Diablo was lifted again, and he braced himself for the coming pain. Instead, he was instantly dropped. Diablo groaned and rolled over to find Merrick outside and Rochester on the ground.

  “Saw him follow you outside,” Merrick said. “You might want to get out of here before he comes to.”

  That was when Diablo noticed the baseball bat in one of Merrick’s hands.

  Diablo shoved to his feet, his entire body in pain. “Appreciate the save.”

  Merrick gave a simple nod. “Try to stay out of trouble.”

  It wasn’t as if Diablo went looking for trouble. He just had the worst luck possible. It was like he had a sign over his head that said he was part hellhound so come challenge him. He walked over to Rochester’s prone body, pulled his leg back, and kicked the shit out of the bastard.

  Merrick grinned. “Guess he had that coming.”

  Diablo gave a grunt before he walked down the street. He needed to shift and heal, but he wanted to make it back to Reese’s before he did that. Diablo would be too vulnerable out in the open. Not that being in his human form had helped. He should have never left the vet clinic.

  Also, if he shifted, he’d lose the clothes he had on, and since he didn’t have any spare clothing with him, Diablo opted to walk back to Reese’s in pain.

  God, when was he ever going to learn? He’d felt trapped at Reese’s because of the strain between them, so he’d left, only to get his ass handed to him.

  He walked more slowly than normal because of the agony he felt with every step. When he finally made it to the exercise area, Diablo stumbled, grabbing the railing to keep him on his feet.

  Reese came outside. Diablo so didn’t want to see him right now. The guy would probably lecture him about the stupidity of leaving the apartment.

  “Diablo, what happened?” Reese hurried over to him. “You look like hell.”

  “Thanks.” Diablo spit blood onto the grass because it was just to gross to swallow it. “Had a run-in with a pickup truck.”

  “Looks like the pickup won.” Reese came closer and grabbed Diablo’s chin, moving his head from side to side.

  Diablo yanked his head back and wished he hadn’t. The pain in his skull worsened. “I’m fine. I just need to shift.”

  “You don’t have to be so growly,” Reese huffed. “I’m only trying to help you.”

  “Trust me. You can’t fix what’s wrong with me.” Diablo pushed past Reese and climbed the steps, taking his time as he tried not to pass out. Rochester had truly fucked him up, and if it hadn’t been for Merrick, he would have taken Diablo to Xylem.

  All because Xylem had tried to treat Diablo like his little bitch and Diablo had scarred the mother fucker in return. Talk about sensitive egos.

  Something had to give. Diablo knew he couldn’t keep running. Sooner or later Xylem would corner him, and Diablo wasn’t sure he would survive. He might be a half-breed, not inheriting the ability to zap all happiness from others, but like all hellhounds, he had a black mark behind his ear that, if stabbed there, would cause him to burst into dust and be sent back to hell.

  A place he never wanted to go to again. He’d been born there, raised by an uncaring hellhound mother who’d ridiculed him for his weaknesses. Who’d turned her back when others wanted to make Diablo their omega.

  His father? Who the hell knew? The guy had taken off when Diablo’s mother was pregnant. They hadn’t been mates. His mother had told him that much. Some shifter she’d hooked up with in a moment of weakness. How a shifter had been able to stand a hellhound for too long was anyone’s guess, but Diablo had paid the price of their coupling ever since. He probably would have been better off if she’d killed him at birth. That would have saved Diablo a lifetime of pain. His scarred body was proof of his violent life, and Diablo was just tired. So tired of fighting, of running, of proving himself.

  When he reached Reese’s apartment, he undressed and shifted. He couldn’t even tell Reese they were mates. For one because of what he was but also because his mate would be sucked into that life. Reese was too kindhearted for Diablo to do that to him.

  * * * *

  Reese stood there at the bottom of the steps frozen. He barely breathed as he glanced up toward his back door. He knew Diablo was taking a masking agent to hide his scent, but it must have worn off.

  The guy smelled like a hellhound. Reese should have figured that out because Diablo was half Rottweiler. When he’d found out Diablo was a shifter, it should have dawned on him.

  A hellhound. Fuck.

  Worse, Reese had felt the pull. It had struck him in the chest like a sledgehammer. That overwhelming need to be near Diablo, to comfort him, to hold the man in his arms and protect him from the world.

  Diablo was his mate and he smelled like a bonfire by the ocean. Salty and smoky all rolled up in one intoxicating blend.

  Reese couldn’t seem to move. His thoughts were everywhere, moving so fast that his brain was having a hard time keeping up. The odd thing was Reese hadn’t felt as if all the happiness had drained out of him. Maybe that was because Diablo was a half-breed.

  And Diablo had demons after him.

  Reese needed to talk to Grey Matthews, his alpha. He had to let Grey know the trouble Diablo was in so the pack could help them. He just wasn’t sure he should divulge the fact that Diablo was half hellhound. That species was despised by everyone. It was possible that Diablo’s diluted bloodline made his temperament better than his brethren, but hellhounds were notorious for their viciousness. They preyed on their victims, draining their happiness before they taunted the person then killed them.

  Diablo wasn’t like that. Not that Reese knew of. He’d been treating Diablo for two years. In his dog form, but he’d never lashed out, and in his human form, he seemed docile, if that was the right word. No, more like laid back.

  And those scars… What kind of life had Diablo led? Reese had come from a good home with loving parents, though he’d seen his fair share of evil because he lived in the preternatural world. Reese could fight with the best of them. His father had made sure of that, teaching Reese how to fight but how to be fair, too.

  Now Reese stood there uncertain. A hellhound. Jesus. He scrubbed a hand over his head before he went back into the clinic. Maggie was at her desk, and the waiting area was empty.

  “Cancel the rest of my appointments for the day.”

  Maggie glanced up at him. “Is everything okay?”

  No, it wasn’t. “I just have to take care of something. Call our clients and reschedule them. Do the same for tomorrow.”

  “Dr. Freeman, you’re worrying me.” Maggie stood. She was so young, so innocent. Maggie was human, although she knew about their world. Even so, she was still so naïve.

  He gave her a warm smile. “Nothing at all to worry about. I just have things I need to handle. You can take tomorrow off, but please make sure you reschedule everyone before you leave.”

  “Okay.” She looked warily at him. “Let me know if I can help in any way.”

  He patted her on the hand and walked back outside, taking the steps up to his apartment. Diablo was on the living room floor, already asleep while his body healed itself.

  Reese sat and studied the massive dog. Diablo really was gorgeous, no matter his form. To anyone who wasn’t used to dealing with large animals, Diablo would be intimidating as hell. In truth, Reese was surprised Luke had approached Diablo. Luke was human, and Diablo was very big. It had taken nerves of steel, and some insanity, to untie the wounded dog and bring him in for care.

  Reese recalled the first time he’d seen Diablo. So skinny that his ribs were showing. Hair missing in places where his fresh scars were. Someone had tied him up and left him to die. It was also very hard to scar a shifter.

  Poor Diablo. Reese reached down and petted his soft fur. He was fully black, one paw in the back tan. His tail was long, like a German shepherd’s, but his facial features was all Rottweiler.

  Reese slid to the floor and rested his hand on his mate. Fuck, his mate. Reese was still trying to wrap his head around that. Mates were a rare find, and Reese’s had come with so much baggage. The sad thing was Reese didn’t know anything about the guy. He only knew what he saw and the little Diablo had told him. But it was clear Diablo had been abused. Reese just wanted to know for how long.

  He brushed his hand over Diablo’s head, vowing to himself right there that he would do whatever it took to keep his mate safe.

  With that thought in mind, Reese pulled his cell phone from his back pocket and called Grey. When his alpha answered, he explained what was going on, minus the fact that Diablo was part hellhound.

  “I’ll send some guys over to keep an eye on the place. Wow. Congratulations, Reese. I’m glad you found your mate.”

  “Thanks.” Reese wasn’t sure what to do. Diablo had to have known, and he’d hidden the fact. Why? Because he had demons after him? Because he was part hellhound? Reese guessed it was a bit of both that Diablo hadn’t said anything. But damn, he’d been caring for the dog for two years. Had Diablo been in hiding that long? Had he been afraid of saying anything to Reese for fear of getting him involved?