Kissing the Demon (Seoksoo)

Joshua

Had I woken up this morning expecting to meet my soulmate?

Fuck no.

Hell, until a few weeks ago, I hadn't even believed soulmates existed. And the idea that one was out there, waiting for me to find him? Well, I'd taken that knowledge, folded it up small, put it into a teeny tiny box, and shoved it deep down inside. Both humanity and the supernatural community had many fabulous specimens waiting to show me a good time. There wasn't one iota of me that fancied giving that up. After a few centuries of living my life according to the will of others, the thought of fate choosing my partner for the rest of eternity?

Hard pass.

And I'd been perfectly fine with that...until thirty seconds ago.

Fresh off a thrilling day with an excitable werewolf who had stamina to die for, I'd had the sudden urge to drop in on my brother, Vernon, on my way home. Given how many times I'd recently walked in on him and his boyfriend sans clothing, I started hollering as soon as I hit the stairs.

There'd been an itch at the base of my spine, a sense of...something about to happen. A pull urging me up those stairs and into the room beyond. I hadn't paid much attention to it though. Why would I? I'd no idea my whole life was about to change.

"What smells so good? Honestly, I'm starving. I didn't eat yesterday because I was too busy riding the most gorgeous specimen..."

My voice trailed off as I entered the room and saw him.

In that instant, I knew nothing would be the same again.

I stopped in my tracks, all thoughts of anything other than him eddying away. With biceps straining the sleeves of his white T-shirt and a mouth-watering tuft of hair peeking out from the V of said top, the stranger was every inch my usual type. And my, didn't he have some inches to him. His height and build could rival Seungcheol's...which was saying something. His thick stomach made me want to nuzzle it while his tanned skin begged for an introduction to my tongue. By the time I'd catalogued his strong, stubbled jawline, golden hair falling in disarray, and eyes that were a swirl of brown and green, my cock was hard as a rock.

But it wasn't his looks that had me freezing on the spot. I had confidence in spades, and with any other man, I would already be working him out of the door and into my bed.

No, it was my instincts screaming at me that this man was mine. A fact I couldn't even begin to comprehend. Even with the knowledge that fate might have other plans, I had zero desire to find a mate. But I couldn't deny my instincts, and based on the way the guy gaped at me, he wasn't unaffected either.

It couldn't be. There was no way.

Those thoughts almost worked...until he touched me. Until he spoke. I couldn't even tell you what he said, but the second that Welsh burr rolled over me, I knew I was fucked. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that this man was the reason fate led me to Wales and then Southampton. His large hand swallowed mine, his skin cool against the heat burning through me. My demon came roaring to the surface, urging me to claim him. To mark him.

I didn't even know his name.

Staring into his eyes, I stuttered an introduction as my soul broke apart and reshaped itself around this stranger. Time slowed, every molecule centred on where his skin met mine. Everything I'd ever known was called into question.

I didn't like it one bit.

Vernon's boyfriend, Seungkwan, spoke, and I snapped back to reality. "Joshua, are you okay?"

Okay? I was so many lightyears away from okay that I'd need a fucking telescope to see it.

"Good. I mean...I'm good. Yep. Just remembered...I need to..."