FORTY SIX

Word Count: 2063

~Tove

I let out a contented sigh, resting my head against Keo's chest.

I've never experienced such bliss. I'm in my mates room, in his bed and in his arms. Nothing can harm me while I'm in here.

"Why don't we just stay in bed and never get up," Keo muses, gently playing with my hair.

A smile stretches across my face. "That sounds nice."

Relm, my mother, the other Demon's are far away issues right now. They can be dealt with later.

Keo's eyes shift over my naked body that is stretched out over his sheets. "I just want to lay here and stare at you all day."

"That isn't very polite," I tease.

He grins, flipping me over. He leans down, kissing me once, twice. My toes curl, enjoying the feeling of his hand smoothing down my body.

"We may have already passed polite," he murmurs against my skin, kissing down to my neck. Chills flutter across my skin. Everywhere he touches me, kisses me feels awakened. It's a feeling I want to chase forever.

The only problem is, as selfish as I want to be today, there is a cold reminder surfacing in the back of my mind that Demon's are still in danger, and every day I wait, there is a chance another falls victim to a hunter.

"But actually...what are we going to do now?" I ask breathlessly.

Keo pulls back a little, dark hair raining down over his eyes. "Nothing. Today we just relax and enjoy each other."

"What about-"

He sweeps down, pressing his lips against mine. Any protest is suffocated by his kiss, and I don't mind, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Today is about my mate."

I giggle as he kisses his way past my neck, between my breasts and to my stomach. He pauses between my legs, a devious smile plastered across his face.

Just as Keo goes to lower his head, a hideously sharp knock sounds at the bedroom door.

Keo sighs. "Seriously."

"Put your clothes on. We need to talk," a feminine voice yells through the door. I blink, hearing the footsteps disappear back down the hallway.

"Is that Wren?"

Keo stands, rubbing his face. I tug the sheets over my body as he slides a shirt on.

"Unfortunately." He sifts his fingers through his hair, doing his best to tidy it after I raked mine through it only hours earlier. "If she is here, something bad happened."

A cold pit opens up in my stomach, sucking all my joy from earlier into it.

We quickly get changed and make our way downstairs. Both of us share a long look before walking into the sitting room, both disappointed at the quiet day that has been ripped from us.

Sure enough, Wren lounges on one of the large leather couches, feet resting on the coffee table.

"Well, you both look that picture of sex," she muses, eyebrow raised as her eyes examine us keenly.

I flush, smoothing my hair back. Is it that obvious?

"Whatever that means." Keo looks at me, seeking to see what is so different about us that she noticed. "What happened, Wren?"

Wren's initial amusement wavers, then disappears completely.

"We found her...Tove's mother."

My blood chills. They did it, they found her. My mother, who has been killing Demon's for years has been found, and considering the darkening expression on Keo's face, is about to experience the consequences for her heinous actions.

"Where is she?" Keo questions.

"Territory One. She will be meeting with the Noble's, looking for new work.. We need to work fast as she will be on the move very soon," she explains.

I look down at my hands, swallowing thickly. Over the past four years my mother would often visit Territory One for that exact reason. I remember being saddened that she would never come visit me while she was there.

Eventually I gave up on caring.

When I glance back up, Keo is staring at me, an unreadable look in his eyes. He knows what haunts me.

"What are we going to do?" I ask.

Wren rubs the back of her neck. "It depends. We need to speak to her first, to understand her motivations."

"I can tell you...she hates Demon's, she always had," I tell her. My mother never kept that from me. In fact, she actively tried to indoctrinate me into thinking the same.

Thankfully I never truly hated Demon's, otherwise Keo and I wouldn't be in the good place that we are now.

"We also need to know who else is involved in her operation. It can't just be her," Keo adds, smoothing a hand over his face.

He's frustrated. Tired. He really could have used that day alone.

"We should use Tove to lure her in," Wren says, motioning at me.

My eyes widen. I haven't spoken to my mother in years. I ran into her once a while ago, but she was cold and distant and never once bothered to come see my apartment.

If she sees me now, the same will happen.

I press my hand to my chest. "Me?"

"You're her daughter. It's perfect." Unsurprisingly, Wren only has one thing on her mind, and that is liberating as many Demon's as she can by stopping my mother, and also getting revenge.

The problem is, my mother is a difficult woman. Her and I don't exactly have a normal mother daughter relationship.

"What if she hurts her?" Keo cuts in.

Wren rolls her eyes. "She won't, they are related."

"Trust me, to my mother that means nothing," I tell her anxiously.

I don't actually believe my mother would kill me, but she may do something unpredictable and harsh if she thinks I'm working with Demon's.

"Well today it gets to mean something." Wren leans forward, pinning me with her gaze. "Unless of course, you would rather stay here and have sex with your mate and keep many Demon's at risk."

My stomach flips, an uncomfortable feeling settling in. She's right, I'm being selfish.

"Wren..." Keo starts.

"Of course not. I'll do it," I cut in. What other choice do I have? I can put up with my mother for a bit and then she can be punished for everything she has done with Demon's.

Keo turns to me, ignoring Wren's sharp, irritated stare.

"You should think about this," he says softly.

"I don't need to. I've spoken to her before, and if I pretend that I had a bad experience with a Demon, I can convince her that I want to learn how to become a hunter like her," I offer.

Wren perks up, clapping her hands together. "Love it, it's perfect."

It is perfect. My mother has no reason to want to talk to me, but if I tell her I'm finally bending to her rule and want to be a hunter like her, she will reach out. She may even decide she wants to finally be a mother to me.

Wren stands, pushing Keo's shoulder. "Keo...this is a good idea."

My mate seems convinced. He's deep in thought, a concerned frown creasing his brow.

From now on, I cannot possibly doubt Keo's willingness to put me before his agenda. As important as saving the Demon's has always been to him, he's putting me first.

"I know," he breathes.

"Then wipe that stuffy look off your face," Wren snaps. She looks like a dog leaning over its food bowl, moments away from getting exactly what it has been waiting for.

"I can just find where she is staying and get her."

"She's a hunter. What if she hurts you?" I cut in. My mother won't kill me, but there is every chance she will kill Keo.

In fact, I bet he is her biggest target.

"She won't so much as touch me, Tove," Keo says darkly. He doesn't have to elaborate. No one is a threat to him.

"So many things can go wrong, and we don't know where she is staying. We get Tove to 'run' into her, and they set up a time to meet properly. Then we strike," Wren says simply, unbothered by Keo's unwillingness to proceed with this mission.

I shake my shoulders. I'm going to see my mother again.

"Are you sure you can handle this?" Keo asks.

He isn't being mean, nor does he think I'm incapable of pulling this off. He's concerned that we are pushing my boundaries, crossing a line.

"Of course I can," I assure him.

Wren grins, pleased with the plan. She heads out the living room door, and before I can follow her, Keo grabs my arm.

"Tove..." he starts.

"I can handle it, Keo. I promise," I assure him.

He closes his eyes for a moment, drawing in a deep breath. He knows this is what needs to be done, whether I want to do it or not.

So, we head to Territory One and wait out in one of Keo's many safehouses for the exact time my mother is going to be in an easily accessible place.

Wren has had a human sympathetic to the Demon's plight tailing my mother for some time now. She is going to be meeting with a few of the Noble's, which means I have to bump into her before she can get there.

And I have to do it before the Noble's sense we are here.

Wren transports me onto a familiar street that isn't too far from my old apartment. She vanishes before a word is uttered, shoving a bag of groceries into my hand so I don't look out of place.

She can't linger. My mother will sense her.

Summoning some courage, I stalk off down the street, keeping my eye out for my mother. I haven't seen her since that time with Keo, and frankly I'm nervous.

What if she sees right through me?

After only a few steps, she comes into view. She walks fast, weaving past people, gaze trained straight ahead.

I quickly lower my gaze, my hood pulled over my head. I don't want her to see me too quickly, or she may try to evade me.

So I walk until her feet come into my view. I veer toward her, my shoulder smacking into hers.

"Oh, my bad," I mumble, pulling my head up and my hood back.

She pins me with a cold stare until realisation breaches her calm expression. She can't forget my face. Not when she looks so much like me.

I hope when she looks in the mirror she is haunted by the fact that we have the exact same eyes.

"Daughter," she says flatly.

I don't smile, but I force my features to appear a little warmer. "Well, this is good timing."

"Is it?" She sounds apprehensive. She has no reason to distrust me, or to think I'm working with Demon's, but she may be wary about me reaching out to her when she doesn't want anything to do with me.

"I've been meaning to reach out. I wasn't sure how to contact you." I rub the back of my neck. I don't have to act uncomfortable. It comes naturally around her.

"Is there something you want to discuss?" Her eyes keep darting over my shoulder. She wants to get out of this conversation.

"Can we meet to talk? It's important." I stress the word important. I can't have her brushing me off.

She sighs. "I'm very busy."

"Seriously? After all these years being out of my life, you're not going to take an hour to talk to your daughter?" I snap.

She freezes, her lips parting slightly in shock. She's not used to me being harsh. I got so tired of her vacancy that I just pretended like she didn't exist, instead of confronting her about how useless of a mother she was.

"Fine. Meet me at the restaurant at the corner of this street by five. Don't be late," she snaps.

Anything I want to say to her gets caught in my throat as she brushes past me, heading off down the street. I watch her walk away.

She doesn't turn back.

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