Page 49 of How Not to Date a Demon

“This is the new wing,” Galen explained, and took her down another hall, leaving the quickly crowding corridor. All of the rooms in the new area were bare, without chairs or dead people living in nightmares.

Galen, excitedly talking about the recent expansion of the section they were touring, walked right past a room filled with several demons. Maeve was busy taking everything in, even them, so it didn’t fall on deaf ears when one of them sneered, “Goody-two-shoes Galen finally got his promotion. How long before he pops the question on some unsuspecting human?” That got him a round of chuckles from his buddies, and as Galen stopped to tell her about some fancy painting and whose blood it was painted in, she listened more to the group.

“Oh, he’s got to go for a nun. He needs someone else who’s got a stick up their ass.”

Her mouth dropped open. Galen had a stick up his ass?

Galen, who glanced over at her, and seeing her mouth hanging open, laughed. “I know! It’s pretty amazing, isn’t it?” he asked, staring up at the painting. Then he continued outlining plans for the area.

Okay. So maybe she could see it.

“No, you’ve got it all wrong,” a third voice chimed in. “He needs someone who’s going to take the stick out of his ass.”

Her brow furrowed as irritation sparked into anger. Galen was a dork, sure. But he was her dork. And wasn’t he everyone’s boss now? What assholes!

“Why are we still talking about this?” One of them groaned. “Who cares? Besides, I’d watch your mouth because rumor is, he’s visiting today.”

“Fucking hate that. Again?” someone complained.

Her cheeks turned red with irritation.

Galen babbled on about Hell, so without thinking, she leaned her head around the corner, their attention locking on her in an instant. “Yeah, he is, and this unsuspecting human doesn’t appreciate how you’re speaking about your fucking superior,” she spat.

Four pairs of eyes narrowed on her, the flap of their wings shuffling against their backs staining the silence.

“If you have a problem, you should bring it up with management, fuckface,” she added, cheeks burning with anger. And a little embarrassment, because in her moment of anger she may or may not have forgotten that these were demons, and she might have bitten off more than she could chew.

The closest one took a step toward her, but she bravely stood her ground. Not even a demon was going to intimidate her. Maeve parted her lips for one more retort, to really twist the knife deep, but his lips parted, and a growl tumbled out, and—

Something obscured her view, wrapping around her and pulling her back into a hard chest.

“That’s enough,” Galen barked, his voice vibrating against her back.

Maeve waited until Galen was finished chewing the group out, and even her cheeks were burning with shame once he got done. Jesus. No wonder the guy was the seventh whatever of the… whatevers. Maybe she should have paid closer attention.

Footsteps filled the room as the group shuffled silently past them, properly chastised.

When the last of them were gone, Maeve scraped a finger over the wing wrapped around her.

“Hey!” Galen warned, unfurling his wing and flapping it out before it closed up accordion style to hang at his back.

“I can’t believe you just took me under your wing like that. Literally.”

He rolled his eyes. “Well, someone had to shut you up before that asshole overreacted.”

She crossed her arms. “He deserved it.”

“Oh, of that I have no doubt,” Galen agreed. A moment later, he let out a sigh. “Listen, I know your immense rage could fuel a small country in the human realm—”

“I take that as a compliment,” she interjected.

“—but these are demons, not rednecks in the movie theater parking lot. And I’m in charge of you. Doesn’t look too good on my first day as Seventh Devil of the Seventh Region of Hell if my girlfriend goes around beating up lowly demons, does it?”

Maeve crossed her arms. “Couldn’t very well let them talk shit about the Seventh Devil of the Seventh Region of Hell, could I?”

“Don’t you make fun of me,” he warned, but met her gaze with a sparkle in those dark depths.

His soft gaze always made her melt in a puddle.