“He’s right, you know,” a man said as he sat on Yanis’ free side.
He turned to look at the man. “I don’t think I know you.”
“I’m Blair, council enforcer. And Ira’s right, you should take your man out and spoil him a bit. Even I’ve heard what happened to him, and my bet is that he needs time off as much as you do.”
“Do you even know who my mate is?”
“Adan. Right?”
“Yeah, okay, so you know him.”
“I didn’t mean to intrude. Sorry.” Blair started to get up, but Yanis shook his head.
“Stay. We were going to watch superheroes, whatever that means.”
“You know, red spandex, capes,” Ira said as he used the remote to start the movie.
Blair sat back down, but he couldn’t seem to be able to keep his mouth shut for long. “So, you never said what your name was.”
“Yanis.”
“I’ve never seen you around here.”
“I’ve never seen you either.”
“That’s because I don’t usually live here. I’m a Komodo dragon, so I used to live with the snakes.”
“And why are you here?”
“Your buddy here is teaching me how to shift only parts of my body.” He stayed silent for a few minutes, then asked, “Ira, how are things going with Darin?”
“Uh, fine. What about you? Did you talk with the guy Darin told you about?”
“Benjamin. Yeah, I talked to him.”
“And?”
“We went out the other day.” Blair wiggled his eyebrows. “I don’t kiss and tell, but it went well.”
Ira grinned. “So you did kiss him.”
“Maybe. Maybe it was something more. Let’s just say he was as affection starved as I was.”
“Sex starved, you mean.”
Blair shrugged. Yanis had lost interest in the movie. He wasn’t one for TV in the first place, and he found Blair more interesting. “Do you like working for the council?” Yanis asked.
“Why, you want to give it a try?” Blair asked.
“No. Just wondering.” Technically, Yanis already worked for the council, but no one knew that.
“It’s fine. I get to travel a bit around the country, meet people, stuff like that.”
“And you get to fight.”
Blair chuckled. “Not much, no. I know it sounds weird, but I’ve only had to fight a handful of times. We mostly visit shifter groups, talk to them, explain about the council. Sure, there are some alphas less than pleased to see us, but for now they mostly behave. I think Dominic surprised a lot of people when he created the council, and the number of shifters who just want to live their lives in peace is high. They like the fact that someone will help them if they need it, and that the council won’t ask for anything in return.”
“Nothing too bad, then.”
“No. I wouldn’t have been sent here if there was. They can spare me, and it’s a nice change.”
“Oh? Don’t you like living with the snakes?”
Blair shrugged. “It’s fine, I guess, but they tend to be more serious and a bit cold.” He gently kicked Ira’s leg over Yanis’. “Except this guy here, but then he hasn’t lived with other snakes in a while, huh?”
“So you like living here?”
“Yeah. Why, you don’t?”
Yanis smiled. “I love it. Well, it’s a bit too crowded for my tastes, but it’s also nice to have people around. I’m a lion shifter, so we’re used to having a pride, people who support us. It wasn’t the same in Gillham.”
The door opened and Adan peeked in. “Hey, guys, want to come have some lunch? Delevan cooked.”
Yanis stretched on the couch. “Sure, give us five?”
“I’ll be in the kitchen.”
Adan closed the door again and Blair whistled. “That your mate?”
“Yeah.”
“Lucky man.”
“I know.” And Yanis did. He might moan about the fact that he and Adan didn’t spend much time together, especially not quality time—and Yanis wasn’t thinking about sex—but the time they did get to spend together was wonderful. Adan could be very sarcastic when he wanted to, and funny. He was also passionate about things Yanis wouldn’t have thought Adan would like, like bird watching and art. They were getting to know each other, and maybe not having sex yet wasn’t such a bad thing if it meant they had the time to do that.
Yanis led the way to the kitchen. Adan was setting the table while Delevan was still working at the stove. Ira had left to go fetch Shad and Gabriel, and Yanis took the napkins from the drawer and put them on the table.
Blair hovered near, looking a bit out of place. “Can I do something to help?”
Delevan’s head snapped toward Blair. “Who are you?”
Blair blinked and looked at Delevan. “Blair Stanley.”
Delevan put down his wooden spoon and cleaned his hands on a kitchen towel. He narrowed his eyes at Blair. “You’re not a pride member.”
“Not exactly, no. I’m a council enforcer. I’m here to work with Ira.”
Blair took a step forward, then another, and Delevan walked backward. Adan straightened next to Yanis and looked at the two men, his eyes wide. Yanis leaned forward and whispered, “Is one of them the mole?”
“No,” Adan whispered back.
“But you can feel something.”
“Yeah, but it’s not hate.”
“So I won’t have to separate them?”
Adan smirked. “Depends on why you think you should.”
“What do you feel?” Yanis asked as he looked back at Delevan and Blair. They were standing a lot closer now, and blinking at each other, all traces of Delevan’s bitchiness gone. It was actually funny to see them like that.
“Uh, guys? Everything okay?”
Blair turned to look at Yanis. “I think so. Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
“I’m dead.”
Yanis frowned. “What? Why? What’s wrong?”
Delevan didn’t even answer. He just kept on staring at Blair, his head cocked to the side like a puppy.
Blair blinked again and said in a slightly trembling voice, “He’s my mate. I’m his mate. Shit, Dominic’s going to kill me.”
* * * *
Adan laughed. How could he not when Blair, who’d been the poster child for big, brawly men just a few seconds before, now looked scared to death.
Blair scowled. “Oh, I’m glad you find this funny. Remind me not to invite you to my funeral.”
“What funeral?” Nysys asked as he came in.
Adan laughed harder, because if Blair had thought things were messed up before, now that Nysys was there, they could only get worse.
“Mine,” Blair told him. He still wasn’t moving away from in front of Delevan, and Delevan wasn’t making any move either.
“Why?” Nysys paled and his eyes widened. “Are you sick? Are you dying? You can’t die!” He paused and cocked his head. “Who are you, anyway?”
Adan had to hold himself up against the counter. Tears ran down his cheeks as he laughed, and he couldn’t seem to be able to stop. The fact that he could feel Blair’s annoyance and Nysys’ confusion, not to mention Delevan’s surprise, didn’t help.
“Why is he laughing like that?” Nysys asked, looking at Adan.
Yanis put a hand on Adan’s shoulder. “I think the situation is a bit too much for him.”
“What do you mean? He thinks funerals are funny?”
How could Adan stop laughing when they went on like that?
“No, he doesn’t. He just thinks that the motive why Blair thinks he’s going to need one is funny.”
“What is it? And who’s Blair anyway?”
“Blair is an enforcer who’s staying here for a bit.” Yanis looked at Blair and Delevan, who were still standing close together, yet not touching. “I’d tell him if, I were you,” Yanis told them. “
He’s going to find out anyway, and if you don’t tell him he’s just going to hound you until you spill the beans. Believe me, you don’t want him popping into your bedroom at midnight while you’re about to get down and dirty with your mate.”
“I wouldn’t do that,” Nysys said.
Adan snorted, finally able to breathe. “Sure, you wouldn’t.”
“Oh, I definitely would shimmer in their rooms in the middle of the night, but how could I stop them from boinking with their mates if they don’t have one? Or is Blair mated?”
“Blair is right here,” Blair groused. “And he happens to have a mate, although he’s not sure boinking is on the list of things to do just yet. Or ever.”
“And why is Blair talking about himself in third person?” Nysys lowered his voice. “Is he okay? Did he take too many hits on the head?”
“He’s fine. He just had a revelation.”
Nysys eyed Blair. “He did? What was it?”
Delevan finally seemed to come back to life. He reached out and hooked a hand behind Blair’s neck, pulled him close, and kissed him. They were about the same height, which meant they were both freaking tall, and they were hot together. Adan couldn’t look away, at least not until Nysys screeched in his ear.
“Oh my God, they’re mates?”
“Yeah.”
“Oooh, now I see why Blair thinks there’ll be a funeral. I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes.”
Adan eyed the kissing couple. Blair had wrapped both arms around Delevan’s waist and had pulled him closer, until there was no space left between them. They were kissing like their lives depended on it, and Adan swallowed when he saw a hint of tongues.
“Wait, scratch that,” Nysys breathed out. “Right now, I’d really like to be in his shoes. Or in Delevan’s. Damn, they’re hot.”
The contrast between them was incredible. Delevan was blond, his hair hanging in front of his eyes, his skin pale. Blair’s hair was black and his skin was a dark tawny beige, and Delevan was lithe where Blair was bulky.
“Damn,” Nysys muttered, and Adan nodded.
“You want me to leave?” Yanis asked, laughter in his voice.
Adan shook his head. “No, but you can’t deny that’s hot.”
“What he said,” Nysys said, still looking.
Yanis cleared his throat, and when that didn’t get the reaction he wanted from Blair and Delevan, he tried banging a pan on the counter. Still nothing.
Nysys held up a hand. “Let me try. Even though it’s a pity. I think I could come just by watching them.”
Adan grimaced. “TMI, man.”
Nysys rolled his eyes. “Watch.” He looked at Blair and Delevan, cleared his throat, then said loudly, “Hey, Dominic. You want lunch?”
Blair sprang away from Delevan. Delevan blinked, his arms still raised. “What the fuck?”
Blair looked around, looking like a deer in the headlights. “Dominic?”
Nysys laughed. “He’s not here. Yet. But he usually comes down for lunch, so you might want to put some space between you and Delevan instead of trying to suck his tonsils out, just in case.”
Delevan huffed and crossed his arms on his chest. “You’re afraid of my father?”
“Who isn’t?” Blair asked.
“Me. Ani.”
“You’re family.”
“Nysys. Keenan.”
“That’s because we honestly don’t care what he thinks,” Nysys explained. “My mate is rich as fuck, so I don’t actually need Dominic to survive, and Keenan’s like family, too.”
Delevan scowled. “You’re not helping.”
“I wasn’t trying to.”
Adan shook his head and gestured at the table. “Come on, guys. Everything’s going to be cold if we don’t eat.”
He helped Delevan prepare the plates and hand them out. He could feel Delevan wanted to leave, to go talk with Blair, and Adan would have guessed it even without his super vampy power. Delevan almost vibrated in anticipation, and things didn’t get better when Dominic and Ani came in.
Dominic sat at the table while Ani got two more plates ready, and they all settled to eat. Everyone was silent, and Adan could feel the tension pouring from Blair and Delevan. Nysys was amused, and Ani worried.
The door opened again and Ira and Shad came in. “Hey, everyone. Is there still space for us?”
They all shuffled a bit, but the kitchen table was big, so it wasn’t a problem. Ira sat next to Blair and frowned, but he didn’t say anything. Silence fell again.
Adan wasn’t sure how long it lasted, but he felt Dominic make a decision right before he put his fork down. “All right, can someone tell me what’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Blair blurted out. He snapped his mouth shut and stared at his plate.
Nysys snorted. “Yeah, right.”
Dominic tapped his fingers on the table. “I’m waiting.”
“Blair is my mate,” Delevan said, and everyone turned to look at him. Blair looked like he wanted to hide under the table. Dominic was gaping, something Adan didn’t think anyone had ever seen, so of course Nysys had to point it out.
“I’ve never seen Dominic speechless,” he whispered loudly enough that everyone heard him. Adan wanted to tell him he had to work on his whisper, because he didn’t seem to grasp the concept, but before he could Dominic stood up, his chair screeching on the floor as it moved.
Blair looked up, his eyes wide, and Delevan rose from his chair. He took a somewhat defensive stance behind Blair as Dominic walked around the table and got closer. Everyone held their breath, but Dominic just grabbed Delevan and hugged him tight. He whispered something, and Adan reached out with his power. Dominic was incredibly happy, relieved, and proud. Nothing else.
Adan looked at Blair and smiled at him, hoping it would be enough to make Blair understand everything was all right. Not that Blair knew about Adan’s power, but Adan still wanted him to know he had someone on his side.
Delevan and Dominic separated and Dominic clasped Blair’s shoulder. Blair blanched, but he still got up and turned to face Dominic. Adan felt fear, but also determination. When Dominic leaned forward and gave Blair a bear hug, Adan felt surprise and shock.
Nysys started clapping and everyone in the room relaxed. “Can we eat now?” Nysys asked once he was done. “I’m starving.”
* * * *
Yanis’ phone rang as they were cleaning up the kitchen. He took it out and his lips stretched in a smile.
“You’re happy. Should I be worried?” Adan asked as he gathered the dirty napkins from the table.
“It’s my mother.”
Yanis walked out onto the porch and leaned against the wall before answering. “Hey, Mom.”
“It’s been three weeks, Yanis.”
Yanis resisted the urge to laugh. “I know, sorry. I should have called, but a lot of stuff happened and I forgot.”
“Oh? And what’s more important than calling your mother?”
Yanis heard the tease in her voice and answered in tone. “Oh, you know. Cleaning the fireplaces, firing the help, baking. The usual.”
Yanis’ mom snorted. “Firing the help. As if you’d ever hire help in the first place. Come on, tell me. What was it?”
“I know I should have called you sooner.”
“You already said that.”
“I just wanted to be sure you knew I was aware of that.”
“Yanis.”
“I just really didn’t have the time.”
“Yanis! What have you been up to that you’re afraid to tell me?”
Yanis took a deep breath. “Imetmymateandwemovedintogether.”
His mom was silent for a moment, then, “What did you say?”
“Mom...”
“No, because I thought I heard the word mate in there, but I’m sure my favorite son would never have met his mate and forgot to tell me about it.”
“Mom...”
> “That’s not what you said, right?”
Yanis sighed. There was no way out of it. “Yeah, that’s what I said.”
“And the second part?”
“We moved in together.”
Yanis could hear his mother slowly breathing on the other side of the phone, as if she was trying to calm herself before she exploded. He didn’t think she was angry, but it didn’t mean she wouldn’t explode, and that never ended well.
“So you met your mate and moved in with him—and I’m assuming it’s a him—without thinking it would be a good idea to tell me?”
“No, no, Mom. I wanted to tell you, but Adan wasn’t well in the beginning, so I was worried, and then we found out something about him and we’ve been trying to deal with that as well as we could since then. It’s only been a couple weeks. I would have called you.”
“Yes, I know that. You probably would have waited until you couldn’t avoid it anymore.”
“I really didn’t mean to.”
Yanis’ mom sighed. “Tell me.”
“Adan’s been in the lab like I was, but they didn’t do the same things to him. They mixed his DNA with something, and don’t ask me what because I can’t tell you on the phone, and in reaction Adan retreated into his own mind and stayed there until I got to him. He was like in a catatonic state, but no one knew it was on purpose. He was wasting away, so his doctor tried to find his mate.”
“And you are,” Yanis’ mother whispered.
“Yeah. Adan started coming out of his mind when I first met him, and now he’s just like you and me, only with a little something we don’t have. He’s still learning to deal with it, and his doctor wanted us to be close, so they gave me a room that was big enough.”
“I take it you’re not in Gillham anymore.”
“No. I moved to Whitedell.”
“Okay. What’s the closest airport?”
“Mom, you should probably wait a bit before coming, you know, to let Adan get better.” Yanis was very aware he was using Adan to keep his mother away, but he didn’t care much. He knew she cared, but he didn’t want her to come there until the mole was gone.
“Nonsense. If he’s really that sick, I’ll sit with him. If he’s not—”
Adan Page 9
