Mistle Tie Me (Shifting Hearts Dating App Book 1) Read online

  “Oh, I think I've found just what I'm looking for.” He cocked his head to one side, his tousled white blond hair falling across his forehead. His nostrils widened as if he'd caught the scent of something and a slow smile curved his lips upward.

  His gaze burned into her and Demi felt her knees grow weak. His tone aroused and infuriated her. She had to admit she found perverse pleasure in his challenge. The jackass clearly did not know who he was talking to.

  And he certainly had no right to stand there looking so virile, so utterly edible and cocksure of himself.

  “You do, do you? I ought to teach you some manners, pretty boy.”

  A spark lit in the stranger's eyes. “Oh, lady. Now that would be the icing on the cake.”

  With a flick of her wrist, she centered her hand on his torso and let her essence crawl into him. She heard his quick intake of breath and Demi basked in the knowledge of her power.

  Her dormant senses revitalized and she let fly with only a small measure of her influence: Life. Death. The seasons. All were at her command.

  She watched his brazen expression fade into one of astonishment and disbelief.

  His youth flickered. It trickled out of him like the changing of the seasons and was replaced by the shriveled husk of a man long since dead.

  Mr. Handsome staggered but she caught him, supporting his weight. Demi pulled him close and pressed her lips against his.

  “Life.”

  Virility spiraled through his body, bringing him back to normal.

  With a shake of his head, he stared at her, baffled. “Wow, Cupcake. You really pack a punch.”

  A scream of frustration rose from her lips and she stomped away. He still had the nerve to be flip with her?

  After that?

  She had to walk away before she did something rash, like turning him into permanent beef jerky.

  What's with these asshole guys?

  "That's it." Demi promptly disengaged herself from his grip. Giving him a curt nod of farewell, she hurried to catch up with the line.

  Bastard.

  Who the blazes did he think he was?

  She should just reduce him to a pile of ash, but she kind of liked the guy. He had balls enough to stand up to her, and that was more than most people had. That, in her mind, made him interesting.

  She wove through the crowd and before she knew it, she was through the door and inside the club. Rhoda was nowhere to be found.

  What she did see made her eyes almost roll back in her head. Men, women, and shades strolled about in a semi-dressed state.

  Women in shimmery holiday dresses danced in cages as the lights flickered and strobed.

  Christmas trees with white lights and silver and black decorations and greenery decked the room, making the otherwise dungeon look of the place appear festive and Demi couldn’t help but be impressed.

  The scent of brimstone and too many bodies, both living and dead, assaulted her nostrils. The throng of people moved and pulsed to the techno-pop holiday music that vibrated through the room. It was electrifying.

  Staggering to the wall, Demi sighed. How would she ever find her daughter here? Would she even want to?

  Wobbling on the too high boots, she straightened herself. A shade floated by, offering her pomegranate seeds.

  "No, thank you," she said through tight lips. She was not some fool to be tricked into the Underworld. At the thought, she flinched.

  Persephone.

  She needed to see her for just a moment and she could give up this ridiculous charade. She was not a twenty something human with a death wish and a micro skirt, even if she did look like it.

  The shade nodded and skittered away, to try claiming unsuspecting playmates for his master elsewhere.

  The slime.

  Chapter Five

  “Are you sure about this, Sylvia?” Paige frowned, her normally spontaneous nature a bit subdued by the locale.

  “It’s fine, Paige. ”

  Sylvia patted her on the arm. “Goddess powers, remember? We can check on our clients, and be out of here before anyone notices we’ve crashed their Christmas party.”

  “Not to be a party pooper, but don’t you have to be...oh, I don’t know…dead to hang out in the Underworld?” Paige glanced around nervously at the line of people waiting to get inside.

  “Do I look dead?” Sylvia blinked and rolled her eyes. “Look, Hades runs the club, but it’s kind of a gateway sort of place. Piss him off, and well, it’s not pretty.”

  “Won’t he be annoyed when he sees Demi?”

  “You and I have to make sure he doesn’t.”

  “How do we do that?”

  “That’s where goddess powers come into play.” Sylvia gazed at the crowd. He was here somewhere. She could feel it. The perfect match for a lonely goddess. All she had to do was reach out and find him.

  It was a risk, coming here. She really didn’t want to run into a certain incubus from her past, but it couldn’t be helped. Demi’s friend had reached out with a real concern and she was going to do her best to fix it. It was her suggestion for Rhoda to bring her here of all places. Now she just had to narrow things down a bit.

  “What are you doing?” Paige nibbled her lip, looking around nervously.

  “Why are you worried? You go to more clubs than I do.” Sylvia winked at the bouncer and they passed inside.

  Some connections were still worth having, apparently.

  “Well, my club isn’t, you know, full of demons or whatever.” Paige protested.

  Sylvia’s lips slid up in a provocative grin. “And you know this how?”

  Her friend huffed out a breath and clamped her mouth shut.

  Point one for her.

  She kept scanning the crowd until she found the heart light she was looking for. He was strong. And able. Proud, but not too much of an asshole. Yes. There.

  The polar bear shifter. Oh, he was a handsome one. Demi was going to fall for him like a face plant on a brick wall.

  And it looked like he’d already seen her.

  Sylvia grinned. “Well, this isn’t going to be hard at all.”

  “What?” Paige craned her neck to see where Sylvia was looking. “You know, if we had that app, we wouldn’t need to go trolling around in the Underworld.”

  Sylvia rolled her eyes. Some things just had to happen the old fashioned way. With a little goddess intervention.

  Bringing her hand to her lips, she threw a kiss toward Demi and with equal intent, sent one to the armored bear. He would need to be strong with this one. But if he had already survived in his dealings with Hades, he had done better than most.

  “Just watch. Things are about to get good.”

  Chapter Six

  She was fucking fantastic. Nick ran his fingers through his hair and tried in vain to get his beast under control. From the moment when he first scented her in line to the second she stumbled into him, he was hooked.

  Mate.

  “Yeah, buddy. I know,” He mumbled to his bear, not quite sure what he was supposed to do about it.

  The terms of his infraction were clear. He had to stay in the Underworld until he found someone that loved him unconditionally.

  And after that—interaction, or whatever that was—he didn’t know whether he was coming or going or whether he should just slam his head into the doorframe.

  “Get your hands off me, asshole.”

  Her voice woke his bear and he swiveled back in the direction he’d just come from, his eyes narrowed.

  Lawrence. The prick.

  If it was some sort of run of the mill club asshole, then Nick wouldn’t have worried about her. The woman could hold her own, that much was for certain. But a reckless incubus with a penchant for trying to get into unwilling panties set his teeth entirely on edge.

  “Come on, baby. That skirt is more than just an invitation.”

  A growl sounded low in Nick’s belly as he realized the female was in distress. His instincts took over, and he was o
n his way before the thought even registered.

  “Put me down, or so help me…”

  “Get out of the lady’s space, sir.” Jessup moved into place, his youthful face warring between fear and forcefulness.

  Shit.

  You didn’t show fear. Jessup knew that. But then again, he hadn’t had to deal with much more than an inebriated naiad and an overexcited satyr.

  He was going to have to step in.

  A crowd of onlookers had formed, eager to see a bit of blood in the water, even if it was the holidays.

  “Okay, folks. Show’s over. Go back to what you were doing.” Nick stalked over, giving Jessup the backup he needed.

  “Hey, buddy. Mind your own fucking business. I was just talking to the lady.”

  “With your hands, Lawrence? We talked about this. Last week, wasn’t it?”

  “Look at her. She’s asking for it.”

  “How many drinks have you had tonight? Cause I’m thinking you’re asking to be removed from the premises if you don’t step back. Now.”

  “I don’t need you to fight my battles.” The fiery cupcake in the Santa getup was pissed.

  “See? She likes it.” The drunk started to slide his free hand beneath her skirt and Nick saw red.

  Stop him. Our mate.

  The shift from man to bear was seamless. One moment he was standing in his leathers talking to the asshole and the next he had him sprawled on the ground under his massive paw.

  His armor was a welcome weight on his body and he barely had time to register its presence. In all the time he’d spent in the Underworld, his armor had been confiscated by Charon until such a time as the terms of his service were completed.

  Confusion momentarily clouded his mind, but when the incubus beneath his paw didn’t cease his irritating babbling, his attention snapped back to the douchecanoe in question.

  “This is a club. Women come here to get laid. What the hell is the point of a bouncer, anyway?”

  His band of warrior bears allowed no disrespect to mates. He roared and the fuckface screamed, sending even more fuel to his already raging fury.

  “You will leave. Now.”

  “Oh…a talking bear. How special. What’d they do, snag you off the newest HBO special?”

  It was true. Not many could speak in their shifted forms. He knew of no other species that could do so. But to insult his skill and the woman intended to be his mate in the same breath was inexcusable.

  Nick pressed harder, and lowered his face so he could meet Lawrence’s eyes.

  “You dishonor the female with your unwanted advances. She is under our protection here.”

  “I can eat.” Lawrence whined.

  “Not the unwilling.” Nick’s reply was deep, his gravely voice carrying through the club. “You taste those with sin on their tongue. Only those. Now, get out. If I see you here again, blood will spill. And it won’t be mine.”

  The female gasped, her eyes wide. But as their gazes connected, he felt something stir deep within him.

  Protect. Defend.

  Mate.

  The first was a given. The second was something they would have to work toward. He wasn’t into marking strange women at clubs and carrying them off before they changed their mind.

  In short, he wasn’t Lawrence. Any mate of his would walk an equal path, whether she was a she bear or not.

  He raised his paw, freeing the fool before he changed his mind.

  Jessup had the drunk up and out in moments and the crowd went wild, cheering like what had just happened was part of the show.

  Oh yeah. The armored polar bear saving the luscious damsel, all for the good of the club.

  They could keep their illusion. He knew the truth. And when he dared to look into the woman’s eyes, he saw himself reflected back.

  Chapter Seven

  Demi felt dirty where the other guy touched her. Like whatever bad feelings she’d ever had were tasted and savored, and that made her want to just throw up.

  Was that an incubus?

  The bear had been right. There was a place for them, no doubt. But only for those willing to give Hades part of their soul for a moment of pleasure. Taking sustenance against her will was wrong and she would take it up with her son-in-law when she saw him again.

  Well, she thought wryly, when she wasn’t decked out like a naughty Mrs. Santa, anyway.

  The incubus, Lawrence, would find himself a shade. If such a thing was possible for a creature of that ilk.

  She rubbed her arms and watched the bear deal with him, her senses reeling at the connection she felt when she peered into his all too human eyes. He seemed so familiar somehow.

  An armored polar bear. Here.

  She’d heard myths about their existence in the great north, but she had never cared to venture that far to find out, preferring instead to tend to her gardens and her greenery closer to home.

  Well, and to her daughter.

  The other bouncer scraped the incubus off the floor, hauling him toward the entrance of the club. The crowd cheered, then the moment passed leaving her in attendance to the bear.

  It should have made her afraid. But instead, his very presence shook the filth of the encounter from her and left her feeling safe and protected.

  “You saved me.”

  “It’s my job, lady.” His form shimmered and shifted in front of her, and in place of the bear stood the cocky, leather wearing Mr. Handsome from the line outside.

  “You!”

  “Me. At your service, it seems.” He ran his fingers through his tousled snow white hair, a devilish smile turning up the corners of his mouth.

  A virulent retort perched on the edge of her lips, but she shook it off, remembering what it was he had just done for her.

  “You okay, Cupcake? Cat got your tongue?”

  That did it.

  “No. As a matter of fact. But that incubus almost did.” Demi shivered, the chill of what had almost happened creeping back into her. What would have happened if he had fed on her? She was a goddess, but not immune to someone tearing at her soul.

  His eyes softened and his smile thinned. “You’re here under my protection.”

  “I don’t need protection.” The retort was out before she could stop it, an angry flush of heat spreading across her cheeks.

  The mask helped, no doubt, to conceal it, but all she wanted to do was tear it off.

  “Is that right?” He arched an eyebrow, a sardonic expression of disbelief crossing his features.

  Oh, goddess. She really was going to have to thank him properly.

  Whoots and laughter brought her attention from the hunk of a man in front of her to something happening a little distance away. It was hard to tell with the sea of people all around them, but as the crowd parted, what she saw brought her up short.

  A parade of leather clad partygoers danced through the center of the room. At the tag end of the proceedings was none other than her Persephone. Rigged from head to toe in a tight, cranberry red leather bra and form fitting, midnight black leather pants that blended into magnificently high boots, she wielded a long single tailed whip at the unfortunate man in front of her.

  The music paused long enough for Demi to hear the whip connect with the man's flesh and his agonized wail. He wore a barely decent leather mini brief and a fine crimson line appeared on his back.

  “What do we say, Hades? I don't think I heard you right?” Persephone arched one finely shaped eyebrow and frowned.

  “Yes, Mistress. I'm sorry, Mistress. My actions were inappropriate and I deserve any punishment my Mistress deems to give me.” Hades lowered his head to the ground and kissed the toe of her boot.

  “I thought so. Tomorrow is another day, but tonight you wear my collar.” She bent down and fastened a black leather studded collar around the King of the Underworld's neck. Securing a leash to the silver hoop on the collar, she gave it a firm tug.

  Hades groaned, his delight in his Mistress’ handling obvious to a
ll who watched.

  Persephone reached down and placed a kiss on top of her husband’s head.

  “And you’ll keep wearing it until I say otherwise. Now, crawl. I want to see you grovel under my feet while I sit on the throne.”

  “Well, I'll be damned.” Demi stared.

  Chapter Eight

  “He looks good like that. Don’t you think, Cupcake?”

  The female sighed and tore her gaze away from the couple. “My name isn't Cupcake.”

  “I never thought it was. Want to get a coffee, or maybe clean my clock again? I think I still have a hard on from that little flick of the wrist thing you did back there.”

  “I suppose I should say the same for you. A bear? And an armored one at that?” Her gaze caught his and the punch of it hit him right in the groin.

  “Yeah. About that.” Cameron made his way over from behind the bar.

  “Hey, Cameron.”

  “What’s with the armor, Nick? I thought Charon had that locked up until you got someone to actually fall in love with you?”

  Nick grit his teeth as he waited for it to sink in that he wasn’t alone.

  “Oh, shit.” Cameron blinked, a slow grin sliding over his face as he took in the female. “Hi there. I’m Cameron, the bartender. And you are?”

  “Demi. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “So how do you know Nick?”

  “Don’t you have some glasses to wash?” Nick ground out, and Demi laughed.

  “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

  “Mmm. A story for another time. Gotcha. Have fun you two.” Cameron stifled a smile and hurried back to a crowd of festive partygoers.

  “Well, that was interesting.” Demi murmured.

  “Yeah.” He didn’t know what to say. Shifters fell hard. He knew that first hand. But what he didn’t know anything about was the mate bond. He’d never felt anything like it and the only thing he wanted to do was find a quiet corner and explore the curves beneath the sexy Santa getup.

  But this wasn’t exactly a shifter bond. He still didn’t know what she was, only that power hummed through her, drawing him like a magnet.