Noem

by Catherine Lievens

  Noem wanted to believe he’d be able to change Kay’s mind, but he didn’t want to fool himself. He’d only get hurt.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Noem jerked and almost fell from the bed in his haste to turn. Aeron was standing by the infirmary entrance, and Noem frowned. “I work here. What are you doing here? Are you hurt? Do you need help?”

  Aeron hesitated before coming in. He closed the door behind himself and slowly walked up to Noem. He was frowning as well, but that wasn’t anything new. Aeron wasn’t exactly a joyful guy, but Noem wasn’t surprised, not with his history.

  “I’m not hurt,” Aeron finally said, and while Noem was relieved to hear that, it didn’t give him more clues as to why Aeron was in the infirmary.

  “Were you looking for Jared?”

  “No.”

  Noem huffed and shuffled on the bed until he could sit with his legs crossed. He pointed at the spot he’d freed. “Sit down.”

  Aeron’s lips twitched in an almost smile. “Bossy.”

  “You know me.”

  To Noem’s surprise, Aeron obeyed. He jumped up and let his feet dangle off the bed. He looked at them as he swung them, and Noem was more and more curious.

  “So, are you going to tell me what’s up with you?” Noem asked after Aeron had been silent for a while.

  “I guess I should.”

  “No, you shouldn’t, not if you don’t want to.”

  Aeron rolled his eyes. “Don’t be an idiot. I want to.”

  “Yeah?”

  Noem had been hurt that Aeron hadn’t told him he was half werewolf. Aeron hadn’t told anyone, not even the members of their small Nix group, but still. Noem considered Aeron kind of his best friend, even though they’d hardly seen each other since Aeron had moved away. He understood why Aeron had, but that didn’t mean he liked it.

  “Yeah. It’s just, well. It’s making my life hard, especially on top of the werewolf thing.”

  Noem reached out and took Aeron’s hand in his. “You do know that I don’t care about you being a werewolf, right? None of us do. We didn’t have a problem with Cerris being one, and we don’t have a problem with you either.”

  “Maybe not with that, but what about the fact that my mate is a hunter?”

  Oh. That explained why Aeron was there, and told Noem who the Nix mate was. “I can’t say I thought of you when Jared said Jericho was here because he was a Nix’s mate.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because you spend so little time here. I guess I should have realized, since you were at the battle.”

  Aeron shrugged. “I never actually went close to him, not until he was here. I noticed him while we were fighting, and I wanted to go to him, but I was... conflicted.”

  “I’d say.”

  “He’s still my mate. I know it won’t be easy, but I won’t give up on him, not until I know I’ve done all I can.”

  Aeron’s words made Noem think about Kay. Was he giving up too easily? He didn’t want to be hurt, but maybe he needed to be, at least a bit. If it meant having Kay and being with him, maybe he should, no matter how hard and unpleasant it might be.

  “He’s going to hurt you,” he told Aeron.

  “I know.”

  “And you’re going to let him?”

  Aeron smiled. “I am. I already know what he’s going to say, especially after he finds out I’m a werewolf. I’m probably going to hate him for a while, but he’s my mate.”

  Noem and Aeron’s situation were similar, at least in some ways. Both Kay and Jericho obviously had problems with shifters. The difference was that Aeron wasn’t giving up before at least trying.

  Noem sighed. “I met my mate.” There, he’d said it aloud. Benjamin had known, but he wasn’t a close friend, so it was different. Besides, it wasn’t like Noem had actually told him, so this was the first time he said it aloud.

  “Yeah?”

  Noem eyed Aeron. “Why aren’t you jumping all over me and congratulating me?”

  “Because I’m not Nysys.” They both chuckled. “Because it’s obvious you’re not too happy about it.”

  “It’s not that I’m not happy.”

  “What is it then?”

  “I don’t think he wants me.”

  Aeron kicked his shoes off and turned to face Noem. He crossed his legs to mirror Noem’s position and stared at him until Noem felt the need to squirm.

  “What happened?” Aeron finally asked.

  “He doesn’t know we’re mates. I didn’t tell him because he said he doesn’t like shifters and doesn’t understand the mate thing.”

  Aeron arched a brow. “I’m curious to know how the two of you got to that conversation.”

  “It’s kind of a long story. Well, it’s not, not really, but it feels like it.”

  “I have all the time in the world.”

  “Don’t you want to see Jericho?”

  Aeron’s brows rose on his forehead. “Jericho?”

  “That’s your mate’s name.”

  “How do you know?”

  “He woke up, both yesterday and today, but today he actually stayed awake and we were able to talk to him.”

  Aeron grimaced. “Of course I missed it.”

  “I didn’t know about you, or I’d have called you.”

  Aeron waved. “It’s fine. The only ones who knew are Dominic and Jared. I want to keep it on the down low for a while. People are still reeling about the fact that I’m a werewolf. I don’t want to add to the list of reasons why they should hate me.”

  “No one hates you.”

  Aeron snorted. “Even my tribe hated me.”

  Noem hit Aeron’s knee. “We’re your tribe, and we don’t hate you. We might not fully understand why you decided to keep it a secret from us, but it doesn’t mean you’re not our friend anymore. You’ll always be our friend.”

  “Even if my mate is a hunter?”

  “Yes. You’re not him, and if fate decided he was your mate, then there’s a good reason for that. We’ll give him a chance.”

  Aeron slowly nodded. “You know this goes for you too, right? I don’t know who your mate is, but there has to be a reason why he’s your mate.”

  Noem sighed. “I know. It’s just hard to understand right now.”

  “Come on, tell me about him.”

  So Noem did.

  * * * *

  “I should probably go home,” Kay said.

  Troy looked up from Aaron, who was sucking on his bottle. “You can stay.”

  Kay pointedly looked around the bedroom. “I’m not sleeping in the crib with Aaron. Or with you and Emery. Ugh. I don’t even want to think about that.”

  Troy looked like he wanted to throw something at Kay’s head. “There are more than enough guestrooms in the house.”

  “And no one would have a problem with me staying?”

  “No one would probably notice, especially if you have to be up early.”

  Kay was torn. He wanted to say yes, because it was already past midnight, but he wasn’t sure he’d be comfortable. He might have decided to give shifters a chance, but that didn’t mean it was easy, and it was so new that he hadn’t even tested it on anyone he didn’t love. He’d briefly seen Emery when he’d brought Aaron to spend some time with Troy after his nap, but Emery hadn’t stayed. Kay was pretty sure he was lurking around, waiting for Kay to leave.

  “I don’t know, Troy.”

  Troy rolled his eyes. He moved the bottle away from Aaron and propped him against his shoulder. Once he’d burped him, he got up and opened the bedroom door. Sure enough, Emery was there, hovering in the hallway.

  He looked up when the door opened and grimaced, but Troy ignored his expression and thrust Aaron in his arms. “I’m going to show Kay to a guest room,” he said.

  “Oh, he’s staying the night. Such joy.”

  Troy slapped Emery’s arm. “Don’t be a smartass. H
e said he was going to try, and that means you have to try, too. I want my mate and my best friend to at least get along.”

  Emery sighed and Kay was sure he was going to say no, but instead he looked up at Troy and smiled. “For you, I’d do anything. Even try to be Kay’s friend.”

  There was so much love in Emery’s eyes that Kay couldn’t deny that was the reason why he was with Troy, even if he’d wanted to. They were mates, of course, but they also loved each other. He still had a hard time wrapping his mind around mates and what mating implied, but maybe it wasn’t the evil he’d thought it was.

  Kay stopped next to Emery on his way out and pressed a kiss to Aaron’s forehead. When he looked at Emery, Emery arched a brow at him, and Kay resisted the urge to blurt out something rude. Instead, he nodded and said, “Good night, and thanks for giving me time to talk with Troy.”

  Emery’s brows rose high on his forehead, and he nodded. “Right. You’re welcome, I guess.”

  That was obviously the best Kay would get from him, so he stepped away. Troy looked like he wanted to say something, but instead he smiled and shook his head. When he started walking down the hallway, Kay followed him.

  “Thank you,” Troy said once they were out of sight of Emery.

  “For what?”

  “For trying.”

  Kay pushed his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “I told you I would.”

  “I wasn’t sure you’d be able to actually do it. I know how stubborn you are.”

  Kay couldn’t deny it. “When I make a decision, I stick by it.”

  “True. Do you want to go downstairs to get something to eat or drink before you go to bed?”

  “I wouldn’t mind a snack.”

  Kay was surprised to hear the TV on when they got downstairs. He’d thought everyone would be in bed, but with that many people living in the house, he guessed some probably had night shifts, and some were night owls.

  The kitchen light was on, and Kay groaned when he saw who was there. He didn’t really know Nysys well, but what little he did know made him want to run the other way, especially when he saw the evil glint in Nysys’ eyes. His tongue poked out of the side of his mouth as he focused on whatever he was doing. Kay was afraid to ask, so he kept his mouth shut.

  Nysys looked up when they came in, and he didn’t even look guilty. Troy cocked his head, but he apparently decided not to ask. He strode to the fridge and opened it. “There’s left over chicken, or cake.”

  Kay eyed Nysys. “I guess Oreos are out.”

  Nysys snickered and put down the tube of toothpaste. “Unless you like minty fresh Oreos, yes.”

  “I’ll have cake, thanks. How can you ruin cookies that way?”

  “These aren’t just cookies.”

  “Oh?”

  Nysys’ grin widened. “They’re Nicky’s cookies. His name is on the box.”

  Kay was afraid to ask, but he couldn’t help himself. He blamed his job for that. “And why would that make the cookies different?”

  “Because only Nicky will eat them. Well, and maybe Benji, but I can’t do anything about that.”

  “What did Nicky do to you?” What crime was horrible enough to earn toothpaste Oreos?

  “He shackled me. I couldn’t shimmer anywhere for days!”

  The clink of ceramic against stone made Kay look down, and he smiled in thanks at Troy, who sat beside him with his own plate full of cake.

  “You know he had a good reason to do that,” Troy pointed out.

  “No, he didn’t.”

  “He told you to stay away from his room and you didn’t.”

  Nysys threw his hands in the air. “I never do! No one else has anything to say about it.”

  “Uh, I do,” Kay said. “Don’t come into my room please.”

  Nysys arched a brow. “Why would I? You don’t live here.”

  “No, but I’m going to spend the night, and I don’t want to wake up to you staring at me while I sleep or something like that.”

  Nysys’ eyes lit up. “Oooh, that’s a good idea. I’ll add it to my list.”

  “Your list?”

  “Of pranks. After what Nicky did, he’s going to pay for a long time.”

  “That scares me and makes me want to go home right now.”

  Nysys finished spreading toothpaste on the Oreos while Kay and Troy ate. “Why are you so nice?” he suddenly asked, startling Kay.

  “What do you mean?”

  Troy snickered and Nysys rolled his eyes. “Really? Come on, man. You’re usually an asshole. I’ve talked to you only a few times, but I already know that. But now, you’re not. You’re almost nice.”

  “Almost?”

  Nysys nodded and pushed a strand of pink hair behind his ear. “Don’t push it. You’re not exactly loveable just yet, and let me tell you, you’ll have a lot of work to do before you manage that.”

  Kay should have probably been offended, but he couldn’t bring himself to be. Nysys was being honest.

  “So, are you going to move in?” Nysys asked as he started putting the Oreos back in their box.

  Kay frowned. “Why would I?”

  “Eh. I don’t know. You’re Troy’s best friend and you know about us, so why not?”

  Kay thought about his new apartment. He’d moved in more than six months earlier, but he still hadn’t emptied most of his boxes. He hadn’t done anything to make the place really his, and he knew it was about time he did.

  The difference between his boring and half-empty apartment and the mansion, always so full of people and expensively decorated, was obvious, and he wasn’t sure whether it made him feel uncomfortable or want to move in. He didn’t know if he’d be able to live with all those people, though, especially since he wasn’t comfortable with shifters just yet.

  “Hey, maybe you have a mate. Then you could move in,” Nysys said. Kay snorted, and Nysys looked up. “What?”

  “I don’t have a mate.”

  “Oh? And who says so?”

  “Me.”

  Troy laughed. “It’s not like you have a choice. If you have a mate, then you have one.”

  Kay didn’t like the idea. He might understand better how mating worked now, but he wanted to choose the man he’d spend the rest of his life with. Of course, that might be hard, since he spent most of his time either at the station or in his empty apartment. Maybe he should stop coming to the mansion, just in case, but that would mean not seeing Aaron. It wasn’t like Troy could take him for a walk, not with his wings.

  “Nah. I can’t have a mate,” Kay said, because both Troy and Nysys were obviously waiting for an answer.

  For some reason, Nysys smiled widely. He pointed at Kay’s face. “You, my friend, definitely have a mate somewhere. I’m ready to bet everything I own he even lives in this house.”

  Kay was suddenly scared, because something told him Nysys was right.

  * * * *

  Noem rubbed his eyes and shuffled along the hallway. He could already smell coffee and bacon, and his stomach rumbled.

  He and Aeron had talked until late, then Aeron had gone back home. Noem hadn’t been able to fall asleep right away, and now he longed for coffee, or a bed. Or maybe both of them. He needed to talk to Jared, though, because his boss would expect a report on what had happened during the night with Jericho. The report wouldn’t be long, or difficult. Jericho had stayed asleep the entire time, even when Aeron had sat next to him on the bed.

  Noem had left them alone for a while, and when Aeron had come out, he’d checked on Jericho again. He’d still been asleep, and Aeron had been worried, but Noem had reassured him everything was fine. He wasn’t sure everything would continue to be fine when Jericho woke up, but now that he knew Jericho was Aeron’s mate, he’d make more of an effort to talk to him. They’d end up being in each other’s life sooner or later, no matter how much Noem might dislike the man.

  He actually didn’t have anything aga
inst Jericho, except for the fact that he was a hunter. Noem didn’t know Jericho the man, though, and he really believed what he’d told Aeron the night before. If fate had given Jericho to Aeron as a mate, there had to be a good reason, and Jericho couldn’t be a bad man.

  “Coffee brought you out of your cavern?” Nysys asked when Noem entered the kitchen.

  Noem groaned and made grabby hands at the mug Nysys was holding. Nysys rolled his eyes and handed it to Noem, who took a sip and grimaced. He gave the mug back. “Just how much sugar and cream is in that?”

  Nysys looked at what could pass for coffee if one didn’t have taste buds. “It’s really cream with a touch of coffee.”

  “That’s disgusting.”

  Keenan snickered from his place by the counter. He grabbed another mug and filled it with black gold before handing it to Noem, and this time when Noem sipped at it, he groaned in delight. “This is coffee,” he said, climbing onto one of the stools at the counter and watching Nysys and Keenan get breakfast ready. He was surprised to see Nysys there.

  “Why are you already awake? I thought you only came out with the darkness or something.”

  Nysys slumped into the stool in front of Noem on the other side of the counter. “No, that’s vampires, or at least I think so. I can’t believe I haven’t met a vampire yet. I’ve been living here forever, and there are always tons of people around, but no vamps.”

  “Isn’t that a good thing? I mean, wouldn’t a vampire try to eat us or something?”

  Nysys arched a brow. “You really need that coffee, huh?”

  Noem was pretty sure there was an insult somewhere in Nysys’ words, but he didn’t feel up to thinking about it yet, so he continued sipping on his coffee until he felt marginally more human. He toyed with one of the holes in his sweatpants, still puzzled over the fact that Nysys was already awake and talking. That didn’t happen often. In fact, it never happened, not if Nysys had anything to say about it, and when it did, Nysys was a bitch for the entire day.

  Noem squinted. “Are you going to bug all of us for the rest of the day because you had to get up at ass o’clock in the morning? Why did you have to anyway? Council business?”