Free Emerald Eyes by Julia Talbot

green eyes finally open and focused on him. Only him. “There you are. Hey.”
    “Hey. I was lost.”
    “Is this where I say ‘and now you’re found’, or it that inappropriate?”
    Yves snickered. “A little, yeah. Why are we wet?”
    “It was bath time.”
    “Bath time with company. Goodie.”
    “Ignore them. There’s just me.” He took Yves’ mouth in a kiss, pushing his tongue in, knowing his kitty would fight back.
    He got a low growl, a deep, weirdly happy sound. Yes. Nothing existed but them, their need to connect. To reinforce the bond.
    “Let’s move them.” Jonny’s voice was soft, nearly gentle. “Quickly Deke.”
    “You bet.” Deke touched him, but Reuben felt no urge to growl or defend.
    He lifted Yves, who wrapped both legs around him, undulating against him. Fuck, yes.
    “Good. Come on, I’ll help. There’s food, water. It’s going to be weird for him. Who knows how long the demon’s been in there, squatting?”
    What an awful image. Reuben blocked it out. Jonny and the horned dude could deal with demons. He was here for Yves, and he yielded to Deke’s gentle prodding, moving out of the room and toward the elevator.
    “No,” the Malachi guy murmured. “In case of demonic possession, use the stairs.”
    “Oh for fuck’s sake, can’t you put him back in whatever box you let him out of?” Deke’s growl was prodigious.
    “I think it was a lamp,” Jonny said.
    Reuben wanted to growl, too and tell them all to shut up. Now. Instead, he moved faster, trotting down the stairs.
    They were all going down like a train of incredibly freakish creatures -- one wet hound, a naked feverish kitty, a growling wolf, a blind panther, a vampire, and one... whatever that other guy was. It was like that St. Ives poem...
    Kasey met them at the door to the room. “It’s all set. Just the two of them, right, Boss?”
    “Just the two of them.” Jonny stared him down. “I’ll come for you when it’s safe. Understand?”
    “I do.” He understood, all right. They were about to get their asses locked in a dungeon, even if it was cushy. He’d always liked the green room, with its cabinets full of toys and the restraints and all.
    Still, dungeon.
    “You can just leave me in here...”
    “Don’t be stupid,” Reuben snapped. “We have to keep you safe, and I’m right here.” He stepped into the room, and the door slammed behind them.
    Yves stiffened, a worried look crossing his face.
    “No.” He barked the word out. “Look at me. Just me.”
    Bright green eyes fastened on his. “Something’s wrong.”
    “We’re gonna fix it.” He had to believe that. Had to. Otherwise, they’d never beat this thing.
    “I... I can’t...” Yves stood, began to pace.
    No. If that too-hot body was going to do anything it wasn’t going to be pacing. Reuben reached out with one hand and reeled Yves back in. “Do you need me to tie you up?”
    “For what?”
    The heat was fading, dissipating like it had never been there. So much better. He just had to keep it going.
    “So you stop trying to run away from me. I have plans for your ass.”
    “What? We were... we were working, right? The spell?”
    No way. No thinking about the magic.
    “You were having demon issues.” He pinched that sweet, tight ass. “I think we need to take a break and fuck.”
    “You’re insane.”
    It was possible, but he intended to keep Yves sane however he had to do it.
    Reuben grinned, feeling very big bad wolf. “Must be, to mate with a cat and end up with Jonny as my in-law.”
    “Cats and wolves don’t mate.”
    Still, Yves didn’t say they weren’t mates. Reuben knew they were, knew it deep down in his wolf soul, so he didn’t bother to argue.
    It didn’t matter. What was true was true.
    He really needed to get out of his soaked clothes. Yves was bare still, but Reuben had gently steamed in his pants and shirt.
    He stripped down, and Yves began to pace again, exploring the room and he swore he could see the