His Choice Read Free

“How is it I’ve never had one of these before?”
    Hunter snorted. “Are you even old enough in the human realm?”
    “Shit, I forgot about that,” Balin said as he reached out to take it back.
    Fawkes raised a brow. “I’m a demon and almost twenty-one. I have more to worry about than those few months.”
    Ambrose just shook his head and sighed. “I’m not in the mood to deal with human politics. I’ve seen enough of it in my time.”
    “That would be a long time, right honey?” Balin teased.
    “You’ll pay for that later,” Ambrose growled.
    The two males’ eyes darkened and Fawkes had a feeling he’d be using some earplugs later that night to block out any noise from the master bedroom.
    Fawkes watched the others make their fajitas and copied them, using extra salsa like Balin since apparently demons liked it hot. The spices mingled on his tongue and he washed it down with his beer, wondering how the hell he’d got here.
    “What’s wrong, Fawkes?” Jamie asked.
    “Nothing really,” he lied.
    She narrowed her eyes and he laughed softly. “I don’t know what I’m doing. I left my dad’s chamber without really thinking about the consequences.” The table got quiet at the thought of what must have happened in the chamber, but he didn’t elaborate. He didn’t need to, considering what each person at the table had been through on their own.
    “I know when you left hell before, Balin, you all gave me the opportunity to leave if I needed to, but I didn’t know if I was ready. I don’t know what I’m doing.”
    “Do you want to take souls?” Balin asked point blank. “Do you want to end human lives because that’s how you think demons should live?”
    “No. I don’t want to kill anyone who doesn’t deserve it.”
    “You’ve answered your own question then,” Ambrose added. “You're confused because you've been on the path that's easy and paved with your father's intentions. I know that isn't the one you want. It might kill you, but you’d have been lost to us and yourself if you’d taken the other path. You’re here for a reason, Fawkes.”
    Fawkes swallowed hard and looked at his half eaten plate. “What do I do?”
    Jamie reached out and gripped his hand. “Stay with us. We’ll help you anyway you can. You have years, Fawkes, years to find your mate.”
    “You won’t be in the same position I was in either,” Balin added. “You won’t be forced to go back to hell. Lucifer has no place in the human realm, no matter how hard he tries. You can travel to the other realms as well, at least most of them, and look for your mate.”
    Fawkes snorted. “So spend my whole life searching for someone who might not exist?”
    Balin narrowed his eyes. “At least you’ll have the option unlike others.”
    Fawkes nodded, remembering that Balin’s father had forced him to stay in hell until he’d lost enough energy that he hadn’t been able to go to the other realms to search for his mate.
    “Enjoy life, Fawkes,” Hunter said, surprising Fawkes that the wolf would speak of enjoyment when he hadn’t any before he’d met Becca. “Don’t take the time you have for granted. You’ll have years to find her. Fate will provide, you have to believe in that.”
    “It looks like I’ve made my choice,” Fawkes whispered, knowing he’d made his choice the moment he’d left hell in the first place.
    Jamie squeezed his hand. “You’ve decided to be good. That’s okay, Fawkes. We’ll help you live.”
    Fawkes looked at the people who had welcomed him without reservations and blinked hard. He might have made one choice, but that didn’t mean there weren’t others to come. He still had to find the one woman for him, the one that could create the mating bond and provide enough energy that he wouldn’t fade away.
    The idea of fading away though paled in comparison to what he’d have to do if he chose souls over the humanity that he wanted to emulate.
    He’d taken the first step. Now