Free Claimed by Light by Reese Monroe Page A

survive losing someone she cared about again.
    And Dru was her Companion—her Shomrei sister; a connection with a Mate was infinitely more intense, and that scared the shit out of her.
    They pounded down the sidewalk in the dark. The frigid Colorado air bit like tiny razors through Halena’s thin shirt. Addison must be freezing her ass off with that micromini and tank top. She looked like she belonged on Hooker Street.
    “Left just past that building.” Halena patted the girl’s back. “Black SUV.”
    Within minutes they were in the vehicle, and Halena cranked up the heat. “You knew Jace was a demon the entire time you were hanging out with him?”
    Tears streamed over the girl’s cheeks, and she shook so much it might have registered on the Richter scale in Minnesota.
    “I had to. I— Slade—” Sobs choked off the words. Her shoulders shook, and she pressed her hands to her face. “Is he dead? Is he”—she drew in a hiccuped breath—“a demon?”
    “No. No. He’s fine. Just relax.” What did Halena know about taking care of a freaking-out girl in the middle of having a meltdown? She steered the vehicle out of the parking spot and navigated a few turns until she found Main Street.
    “Come on, kid. Focus. Do you know how to work this GPS thing?” Yeah, distract her. Maybe that’d help. “We need to get out of here.”
    Addison sniffled and wiped away the tears. “You really saw my brother? He’s okay? He’s not a—?”
    “Type in this address.” Halena handed the girl her phone with the contact address highlighted.
    “That’s in Arizona.” Addison took the phone from her.
    “Exactly. Find me the fastest route.”
    The girl started clicking the GPS on the dashboard, and Halena was thankful for the silence so she could get a minute to think. Addison was the reason Slade was in this demon mess. He’d been saving this girl’s ass, and now she was putting it back on the line to save him.
    Votar owned Slade. That had to be evident when he didn’t escape with Halena. He could have, but didn’t. He knew that’d be Addison’s death sentence. So why were Votar’s demons still after Addison?
    Then again, Justin’s Mate, Yvonne, had sold her soul to save someone and come out of that okay. Of course she couldn’t touch anyone except Justin without vaporizing them. Plus she was one of the seven Artifacts needed for Lucifer’s downfall.
    Maybe Slade and Addison were somehow connected to the Artifacts.
    “There. It’s in.” Addison sat back. “Thanks.”
    Halena gave her a sideways look.
    “I needed that distraction.” She scrubbed her face. “I’m so freaking out right now.”
    “Well, stop it. I don’t want to have to hit you to snap you out of it.” Like I’d ever do that.
    “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” She tilted her head toward Halena. “Is Slade in Arizona? Is he really okay?”
    “First, tell me what you were doing with über demon Jace?”
    “Looking for Slade.”
    Halena dug out Jace’s wallet from her pocket. “By lifting this? Please .”
    “I wasn’t sure where to start. I was desperate.”
    “You’re lucky I got there when I did.”
    “What’s a Shomrei?”
    “Opposite of demon, lucky for you.” Halena steered the SUV onto the interstate and hit the button for cruise control. “Now, you better start telling me everything.”
    “I got an email from Slade the other day.” More tears. “Saying good-bye.”
    “Wait. Recently?”
    “Yeah. A few days ago.”
    Not possible; Halena had his computer a few days ago, and even if it was prior to her escape from the demon compound, Slade hadn’t been near his computer.
    Oh…unless it had a scheduler option to send at a later date.
    “I put two and two together. I knew the demons wouldn’t have let me walk away from that hotel room without getting something in return.” Addison clutched the door handle. “But Slade… I’d called him. He never showed. Then…he disappeared. You may think I’m an