Balor (Balor’s Saints MC #1)

Chapter One

Balor

Adjusting my leather jacket, I stepped into the clubhouse, letting the door swing shut behind me. Casual attire suited my alter ego -- jeans, a plain T-shirt, and the jacket that was more than just a piece of clothing. It was a symbol.

The low hum of conversation filled the room, mingling with the scent of leather and beer. The clubhouse had an air of camaraderie, the kind that came from shared secrets and mutual respect. Balor’s Saints MC -- my club. My men. Even if they didn’t realize it yet.

I nodded to someone across the room, my gaze sweeping over the familiar faces. Collin lounged on the couch, his eyes fixed on the TV screen. The crime drama playing out seemed a bit too close to home. I’d heard the whispers when he’d come to town. Seen the warrant myself. He’d seemed genuine when he’d said the crime had been justified. Still. I liked to make sure he wasn’t killing anyone while he was here.

I’d built this club gradually, but the idea had come to me about twenty years ago. Maybe slightly longer, or shorter. As long as I’d been alive, forget days blurring together. Entire years did. Collin had joined us about five years ago. I knew for a human that was a decent amount of time. For the rest of us, it was barely a blip on our radar. None of these men had known one another before I’d brought them into the club, and they hadn’t all moved to town even close to the same timeframe. But somehow, we worked well together, even though we all had a darker side, including the human. My club brothers weren’t saints -- despite our club name -- but we didn’t harm the innocent.

I took in the sharp angles of his face, the pale blue eyes that seemed to not miss a thing. I didn’t think anything in the room escaped his notice. Collin was always watchful. I’d wondered if it was because of the life he’d led running from the law, or if it was something else. Right now, he seemed at ease. His dark hair was short, the faintest hint of a five-o’clock shadow along his jaw. He didn’t bother to look my way as I crossed the room to take a seat beside him.

I watched Clay and Jackson play a game of darts. My gaze moved to the TV. I didn’t need to look at Collin for what I had planned. I doubted he’d even realize what I was doing. My magick slid along my skin, like the soft caress of a lover. I let it slither out, searching. When it brushed against Collin’s thoughts, I felt the familiar tingle in my fingertips. He didn’t even flinch. No indication he knew what I’d done. I’d gotten better at being subtle. No images of blood or fear. I did see a few images of him fucking one of the strippers down the road. I wouldn’t deny it made my dick hard. I’d never claimed to be a saint. Even my club brothers didn’t know how true that was.

“Show any good?” I nodded to the TV.

He snorted. “It’s crap. But it’s better than nothing.”

The low hum of the TV nearly drowned out the sound of the darts hitting the board. Someone had turned off the lights in the front of the building, and shadows crept along the walls in the great room.

Collin shifted on the couch. “Didn’t expect to see you tonight.”

I offered a faint smile. “Had some business in town. Thought I’d stop by, have a drink with my club brothers.”

Clay pulled a dart free from the board a few feet away. I watched as the muscles in his back bunched under his shirt. He threw the dart, and I heard the thud as it hit the target.

“Not bad,” Jackson Mays said. He pulled his own darts free and stepped back.

Jackson’s gaze lingered on me for a moment, and I saw his eyes darken. Not with lust. No. The necromancer didn’t want to fuck me. He wanted to pull me apart and see what made me tick. I’d have to watch him. I’d never admit it, but I didn’t know everything he could do. I’d need to look into his kind a bit more, see how much of a threat he could be. Another thing I’d been putting off. It wasn’t like Jackson hadn’t been here for about a decade already. Then again, there was a chance I wouldn’t be able to dig up much, regardless of which contacts I used. He seemed like the type who knew how to keep his secrets buried.

His raven hair was neatly trimmed, his clothing immaculate. I’d noticed he preferred darker colors, and today was no different. The shirt and jeans he wore were black, even his boots.

“Think you can do better?” Clay asked.

“I can try.” Jackson’s tone remained calm and measured.

Clay threw his last dart and joined us, grabbing a beer from the fridge before he settled into a chair. “You’ve got to be cheating. There’s no way you’d consistently win against me, not when my reflexes are better.”

“Just lucky.” Jackson’s lips twitched.

Ben, who’d been sitting at the table, looked up from his phone. He seemed to look right through me. His dark hair was mussed as if he’d run his fingers through it repeatedly, and a perpetual smirk played on his lips. I could see the appeal he’d have for a lot of people. He had a roguish charm and oozed danger. His looks and confidence didn’t hurt either, but I knew better than to assume he was harmless – danger radiated in the way he carried himself, but the others didn’t seem the least bit concerned about him.

I’d heard a little about him before he joined the club nearly twelve years ago. Not enough to satisfy my curiosity. He kept to himself a lot. I’d considered trying to read his thoughts but worried it might scare him off. I’d wait it out. If he was a threat, we’d figure it out sooner or later. I’d hoped it would be later. I liked him, and I knew the others did too.

He stood and made his way over to us. His movements were almost ethereal in their grace. There was something intimate about it, and it made me understand why so many people offered up their necks to him, or any other veins he wanted to sink his fangs into.

“This is what we’ve come to? Watching bad TV because we’re too lazy to find the remote?” he asked.

I chuckled. “It’s not so bad. Beats staring at a wall.” These men were my brothers, not by blood but by choice. And yet I lied to them every fucking day. If they ever found out… No, it wouldn’t do me any good to go down that road. Not until I had to. Sooner or later, my identity would come out. Nothing remained a secret forever.

Clay took a swig of his beer. “Heard some weird things going on in town. You hear anything?”

I shrugged. “I hear a lot of things. Some of them might even be true.”

Ben snorted. “You’d think people would have better things to do than gossip.”

“Humans have always gossiped,” I said. “It’s in their nature. But supernaturals are even worse.”

Collin leaned back, stretching his legs out. “So, what’s the word on the street, then?”

I let my gaze drift over him. “I hear there’s a human in town who likes to play house with a bunch of supernaturals. As in keeping them like pets.”

Jackson’s eyes darkened, and I wondered if he’d be seeking out that person and liberating the enslaved people. Our people. There weren’t a lot of humans in this town, not compared to the number of supernatural beings, but the ones we did have didn’t typically cause trouble. But this person was new and clearly didn’t know the rules yet.

“Know what else I heard recently?” I leaned back, my posture relaxed. “Seems a woman in town has been hiding dozens of cats in her home, and it’s taken this long for anyone to notice. Could be why the town has a sudden rat problem. All the feral beasties are off the streets.”

Ben’s lips twitched. “Hadn’t heard that one.”

“Ran into a pixie the other day. Didn’t realize the damn thing was stealing people’s laundry. You’d think she’d find something better to do than take women’s panties and bras off the line,” Clay said.

Ben snorted. “Sounds like a deviant.”

Clay shook his head. “Nope. Just a lonely creature who didn’t realize she scared them. She thought they’d left the things for her to take. Didn’t have the heart to tell her otherwise. I did mention she should leave some flowers or something in trade. Might be why people have been finding bouquets on their porches.”

While I did call the club together to discuss big issues on a regular basis, we never got a chance to swap fun stories like this. At least, not as often as we should. I enjoyed times like these, and it always helped me feel closer to them.

“Speaking of pixies… Want to hear about the pixie who tried to make my bike her pet?” Collin asked.

I eyed him. “Your bike?”

“Damn thing was sitting on the seat, trying to talk to it. She insisted my bike was some sort of giant insect. She wanted to know if it would let her tame it. I didn’t have the heart to tell her it was a motorcycle. So, I let her talk to the thing while I went into the store. When I came back out, she was still jabbering away.”

Ben barked out a laugh. “And did your bike talk back?”

“Not this time.” Collin grinned. “I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. She seemed so damn determined to make friends with the thing.”

Jackson smirked. “I’ve heard pixies can be a little strange. Never would have thought one would want to talk to a motorcycle, though.”

“This one was harmless. I’m more concerned with the ones who aren’t. Had a run-in with one a few months back. She’d been trying to use her magick to make people do things for her. I’d heard she’d gotten run off, but I’m not sure how credible that source was. Just because I haven’t seen her doesn’t mean she isn’t around.”

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “You think she’s still close by?”

“Could be.” Collin shrugged. “Don’t know why she’d have left the area. Not unless someone forced her out. I’d heard she’d pissed off a few people.”

“I’ll ask around. See if anyone has seen her,” I said.

“Seem to remember a pixie bringing cookies to the house the other day. Haven’t figured out why, but I wasn’t going to turn down free cookies,” Clay said.

Ben smirked. “Maybe she wanted to thank you.”

“Or maybe she was buttering you up.” Jackson grinned as he headed to the fridge. “Don’t think I don’t know about the way the women in town have taken to you.”

The men laughed, and Jackson tossed me a beer. “Figured you could use that.”

Maybe I could. I twisted the cap off and took a long pull. Whatever Collin had done to make this necromancer comfortable around him must have been impressive. Jackson’s kind weren’t known for being easygoing. Most were standoffish.

“I hear there’s a new shop opening on Main Street,” I said. “Something about a woman opening a bakery.”

“I’d heard that too,” Ben said. “Wonder if she’ll have fresh bread.”

“Women in this town seem to be multiplying,” Clay said. “Hadn’t noticed as many before.”

“They’ve been here. They’re just more willing to come out now. I’d heard they’d had some trouble a while back. Seems to have settled down,” I said. “I don’t like trouble in my town.”

Ben’s lips quirked slightly. “Your town?”

I shrugged. “Darkwood is mine. Ours. Whatever.”

“Why don’t we know about the issue they had?” Clay asked.

“It resolved itself, so I didn’t see the point in bringing it up. It’s not like we meet every day, and it wasn’t a big enough deal to call everyone in.”

“I’m glad we’re getting more women. Been a while since I was on a date,” Collin said. “Most run the other way when they realize I’m wanted for murder. How about you, Luke?”

It had taken me a while to answer to the name Luke. My alter ego. It had been twenty years roughly, but now I responded with ease. “Took a woman to a fancy dinner once. Thought it would impress her. Didn’t realize she was more of a burger and fries type of girl. She didn’t even know what half the shit was on the menu. I felt like a fucking idiot. Ended up leaving the restaurant and going to a diner. We had a good laugh over it.”

“Pretty sure we’ve all done something like that,” Jackson said, leaning back and propping his feet up. “I know I have. Thought for sure I’d end up with a black eye after one date.”

Ben chuckled. “I’d have paid to see that.”

Jackson flipped him off. “Next time, asshole.”

“Town’s growing. More than just women too. The human population has been increasing,” Clay said. “Even hired a human doctor recently.”

I glanced at Collin. “That so?”

Being Balor Hades, of course, I already knew. But I always had to be careful about what I said or how much I shared. These men might know I kept a close eye on the town, but they didn’t realize I ran the place, and I wanted to keep it that way for now.

“Heard he had a run-in with one of our brothers. The human,” Clay said, giving the man in question a pointed look.

Collin’s lips twitched. “Not much of a run-in. I’d been out in the woods and got a little turned around. He offered me a ride back here.”

I leaned back. “That right?”

Collin nodded. “Seemed like a nice guy. Most people wouldn’t have offered a stranger a ride. Of course, if he’d known I was a killer, he might have kept driving.”

“Human doctor, huh?” I asked.

“Did you know most of the human men here in town have human mates?” Clay asked. “Doc probably does too.”

I tilted my head. “That right?”

“Reckon it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. Not sure I’d want one of my own,” Clay said.

I eyed him a moment. “Why’s that?”

“Humans are fragile. There’s a reason we’re told not to mate with them.” Clay looked at Collin. “Even if some of them can be useful.”

I didn’t like the way Clay stared at Collin. I knew the man didn’t like humans, and I had a feeling he’d have taken out Collin if he’d been given a chance. It was only because I’d brought him here that he’d been left alone. I didn’t know what about the human had drawn me to him. I knew only that he was mine to protect, a part of this town. My town. I’d have killed every last man in my club to protect Collin.

“You have a problem with the man, you can take it up with me.” I didn’t give a fuck if Collin had killed someone. He’d said there was more to the story.

We kept talking, everyone swapping stories. It had been a while since we’d had a night like this one. Each of us kept busy with our own shit. While we called this Balor’s Saints MC and had a clubhouse, we didn’t function the way the human motorcycle clubs did. We came here to hang out or blow off steam, but we each had our own homes away from here. Or at least I wasn’t here frequently. Ruling over Darkwood from behind the scenes kept me busier than the others. It wouldn’t surprise me if they hung out frequently. I mostly stopped by when there was something we needed to handle, and then the occasional drop-in, like now.

I’d observed other clubs outside of Darkwood, ones full of humans. They did a lot together, and also had things better organized, with officers, prospects, and more rules than I even wanted to think about. In the strictest sense, we weren’t really a motorcycle club. Not like most people would think. More like my personal group of vigilantes, who helped keep things running smoothly around here. Of course, they either didn’t realize that or were ignoring the fact.

“You want to hear about the damn gremlins?” Clay asked.

“ Gremlins ?” I groaned.

He nodded. “First time I’d seen them in the area. Doubt it’s the last. Little troublemakers were trying to tear apart a car. Ripped the engine to shreds. They’re lucky the owner didn’t catch them or he’d have had gremlin for dinner. Not sure what species the man is, but he’d have made short work of them.”

Jackson let out a low whistle. “Glad that wasn’t my car. I’d have slaughtered them, then brought them back to life and made them obey my every command.”

And I had no doubt he would have, too.

“Damn things somehow got into my house and ate a hole in my favorite shirt,” Clay said. “Think they noticed me watching them.”

“Should have let them try to eat your pants. I’d have paid to see that,” Ben said.

Clay snorted. “Bet you would have.”

Ben hadn’t made it a secret that in his rather long life, he’d been with both men and women. Although, he said he preferred females, I hadn’t seen him with anyone since he’d moved to town.

I leaned back and cracked a joke, feeling the smile stretch across my face. From the way the others responded, I knew it was genuine. Clinking of beer bottles filled the air. The taste of the beer was warm on my tongue, and I took a deep breath, enjoying the scent of leather and pine tar soap.

“Wait until you hear about the time I accidentally kissed a fae,” Clay said. “Fuckers can be tricky.”

Collin and Jackson laughed, and I noticed Collin’s head was tipped back against the couch. His eyes were closed, but the smile on his lips said he was enjoying himself. Jackson leaned forward, dark eyes gleaming as he waited to hear the rest of the story. Ben turned his phone off and slid it into his pocket before facing Clay.

“You kissed a fae?” Ben asked.

Clay’s lips twitched. “Yes. I didn’t know what she was. Swore she was a changeling. She’d been following me around for months, and I’d dared her to prove she wasn’t a changeling. Next thing I know, she’s in my space and taunting me. I did the only thing I could think of to get her to shut up.”

“You kissed her,” Ben said. “Did she shut up?”

“Oh, she shut up all right. Then she started making plans. I didn’t know it at the time, but kissing a fae is the same as accepting them as your mate for a year. Took her an hour to convince me to go home with her. Bitch had my bag packed before I even agreed.”

“You didn’t go,” I said. No way. He’d have never let a fae push him around like that.

Clay grinned. “Oh, I went. And I stayed. But I was pissed off about it. Took some time for her to get me to understand things.”

Collin chuckled softly. “Sounds like you had your hands full.”

“Yeah. I did. Didn’t help that she came with a kid already in the picture.”

Jackson leaned in a little. “You had an insta-family?”

“That I did. For a year. Once the time was up, she packed my shit again and tossed me out on my ass.” His smile faded a little. “I liked having a family, though.”

Ben shook his head. “I’d say you’re making that shit up, but I know you’re not.”

“Why would I make it up?”

The night wore on, the clubhouse growing quieter as some of the others drifted off to their homes. While they wandered away, each smiling and still feeling the warmth of our brotherhood, the weight of my responsibilities settled back on my shoulders. I had a town to protect.

And secrets to keep.

I stepped outside and took a deep breath. The cool night air made me miss the warmth from inside. I glanced back and saw the light spilling through the windows. It wasn’t a castle, but it had felt like one tonight. The moonlight cast long shadows on the ground, adding to the gothic feel of the evening.

I walked down the road, my mind racing. I’d have to come back and see the men again. I struggled to keep up with how much time passed, but for now, I had to make sure no one threatened Darkwood. The club brothers didn’t know about my other side, and I needed to keep it that way. For now.

I knew I’d circle around to my mansion. Didn’t have a choice. It was the one place I felt like myself. That I didn’t have to hide who I was. I walked through the front door and paused. The entire place felt empty. Cold. The light from the moon spilled through the windows, casting a ghostly glow over everything. It made the place feel eerie. Haunted.

I couldn’t keep living like I had been. I needed to be around people. The time I’d spent with the club brothers tonight had proven that. But I didn’t know how to get what I wanted without giving away my secrets. I supposed I’d have to find a way. Or I’d spend the rest of my days alone.

Or living a lie. I didn’t want to be Luke for the rest of my days.