by Lynn Hagen
“I’ll get that.” Aiden got up and opened the front door. Rudy craned his neck but didn’t see anyone there. Then he heard a motor start up before it decreased in noise, as though the vehicle was driving away.
What on earth?
Setting his cup aside, Rudy joined Aiden at the door. His jaw dropped when he saw just how many boxes were stacked on the front porch.
“What’s all this?”
“Just help me get them inside.”
Rudy helped Aiden carry everything to the dining room. There had to be over a dozen nice-sized boxes and even more smaller ones.
“Help me open them,” Aiden said.
Curious, Rudy did as Aiden asked. Most of the boxes were filled with clothes. One had small boxes of shoes in them, and another held a laptop.
“Did you get bored and go on a shopping spree?” Rudy teased.
Aiden winked. “They’re all for you.”
Rudy stood there shocked beyond words. Not only were there tons of jeans, jogging pants, pajamas, and shirts, but there was also underwear, socks, and a few sets of thermals. He also now owned two sets of boots and a few sneakers.
One box held personal body care, like shampoo, razors, a toothbrush, and so on.
Rudy looked at Aiden as he pulled the laptop from its case. Tears stung his eyes as he threw himself into Aiden’s arms. “I don’t know what to say.”
It felt like Christmas, and if it was, it was the nicest one Rudy had ever had.
Aiden curled his arms around Rudy. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, sweetheart.”
“But this had to cost a lot of money.” Rudy wiped at his eyes as he pulled back to stare up at Aiden’s gorgeous face. “I don’t know how I’m ever going to pay you back.”
Aiden gave a tiny growl. “You don’t pay me back for the things I get you. And come tomorrow, we’re starting your first lesson on how to drive.”
“Have I told you that I loved you?”
Aiden chuckled. “Yeah, but I love hearing those words every time you say them.”
“I love you.” Rudy turned and stared at all the things piled on the table. He felt giddy. He had his very first computer and couldn’t wait to crack that bad boy open.
“Let’s get all this stuff put away,” Aiden said. They carried everything to the bedroom. Then they folded some clothes and stuffed them into drawers while hanging others.
Rudy sat on the bed, folded his legs, and opened his laptop like he’d just opened a chest with shiny treasure inside.
* * * *
While Rudy set up his new laptop, Aiden stepped out the back door and looked around. He didn’t feel Gavril’s immense power, but he couldn’t ignore the niggling in the back of his mind. Something felt…off.
Law Santiago shifted and approached Aiden. “Everything cool inside?”
Aiden couldn’t help but smile as he thought about the look on Rudy’s face when he’d said all those things were for him. He saw now that spoiling Rudy would be so much fun, and he was glad he’d ordered those things in the first place. His mate deserved so much more than the world had given him.
“So far,” Aiden said. “How’re things out here?”
Law leaned against the house. The guy was around Aiden’s height, six feet five inches, with pretty gray eyes. He also had a hairy body that Aiden was sure Law’s mate admired, but damn, had the guy ever heard of wax treatments?
“No sign of any angels,” Law said. “I still can’t believe they’re real. My abuela used to pray to them all the time when I was a little peritto. I thought she was insane to think they truly existed.” He gave a soft chuckle. “If she were still alive, I would owe her an apology.”
“I didn’t believe in them either,” Aiden admitted.
“I heard about what happened to your familia. I’m truly sorry for your loss.” Law looked at the two wolves walking not too far from them. “At times my brothers get on my last nerve, but I can’t imagine my life without them.”
His loss was the last thing Aiden wanted to think about. He wasn’t ready to expose his feelings to Law, or anyone else, for that matter. “I’m still trying to figure out why Gavril came to my house,” he said. “He’s an ornery son of a bitch, and I used a cattle prod on him—”
“No shit.” Law’s eyes crinkled as he laughed. “You zapped an angel?”
Aiden grinned. “And dumped his naked ass in the woods.” He sobered. “But Gavril kept coming back, as though he didn’t know where else to go. And he has a shitload of scars on his body. I just wish I knew his backstory so I knew if he was the bad guy or not.”
Law tapped Aiden’s chest with his hand. “What does your heart tell you?”
Aiden shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“You know,” Law said. “Deep down, you know.”
The wolf shifter was right. Deep down Aiden’s gut told him Gavril wasn’t the villain Preston made him out to be. But he kept flip-flopping with his opinion. And that indecision gave him pause.
“I didn’t get a chance to thank you guys for helping me out,” Aiden said. “I don’t know too many guys who would travel two hundred miles to help out someone they barely know.”
“Chauncey says you’re good people, so that’s all we needed to know." Law grinned. “Besides, it’s been a while since we’ve blown some shit up.”
Aiden narrowed his eyes. “Don’t blow cabin up. I’m rather fond of it.”
“No promises.” Law chuckled. “Tryck can be a little overzealous when it comes to using his bazooka. He believes fire is the solution to everything.” He squinted at Aiden. “Fire might be destructive, but it also clears away the old, allowing for the new.”
“Buddy, you have one fucked-up way of looking at things.”
“You’re not the first person to tell me that.” Law stretched, his muscles popping. “I need to get back to my patrol. Let me know if there is anything you need.”
Before Law shifted, they heard Rudy scream Aiden’s name.
* * * *
Deputy Malik Burrows couldn’t get that angel off his mind. Gavril was all Malik had thought about for the past two days. He’d even told his mate about the angel, and Emilio had been stunned they existed.
He knew how his mate felt. Malik had gone to Mrs. Webb’s, though taking down her complaint had been useless now that he knew angels were real.
But Malik wanted to know more. It seemed Aiden and Rudy had been in trouble, and he couldn’t stop himself when he turned his car around and headed toward Aiden’s cabin.
He just wanted to reassure himself that the two were no longer in danger. That was what he kept telling himself as he drove. He was an officer of the law, and it was his sworn duty to keep the residents of Maple Grove safe.
Malik jerked the wheel and nearly crashed when Gavril “popped” into the passenger seat of his patrol car. “Jesus fucking Christ! Give a guy some warning.”
Thankfully Gavril was dressed. He was slouched in the passenger seat, a bottle of whisky in his hand. When he turned his head and looked at Malik, Malik’s breath caught. His irises looked like a nebula—beautiful swirling colors with shooting stars.
“Why’re you in my car?” Malik asked as he pulled his attention back to the road. “I thought you said I could go to hell.”
“I need your help.” Gavril looked as though uttering that sentence had killed him. “If Preston gets his hands on me, the world just might end.”
“That’s a pretty heavy statement.”
Gavril shrugged as he looked out the side window. “Maybe not end, but I’m not going down without a fight. And if we do fight, Maple Grove just might be wiped off the map.” His jaw clenched. “I’m not letting him get his hands on me again.”
“Why exactly is he after you?” Malik remembered Rudy saying that name. The human had said that Preston was looking for Gavril.
“He thinks I’m a traitor.” Gavril took a long swig of his whiskey then hissed. “Preston and his followers think that just because
I have a mind of my own, that I don’t walk the line, I should be punished.”
Why did Malik think things went deeper than that? He gasped when Gavril’s clothes disappeared. The guy’s body was littered with horrific scars. Some of those scars were long and jagged, as though a knife had been used.
“Every single one of them hurt,” Gavril murmured as his scars vanished and his clothes reappeared. He turned to look at Malik. “You have to keep Aiden and Rudy safe. If Preston gets his hands on them, they’ll wish for death long before Preston gives it to them.”
Malik nodded seconds before Gavril disappeared. He wasn’t sure he wanted to get involved now that he had a better understanding of what was going on. But he couldn’t let the bear shifter or the human fall into Preston’s hands.
He pressed his foot heavily into the gas pedal, determined to get to Aiden’s before Preston showed up. What he would do if confronted by the angel was anyone’s guess.
Chapter Ten
“What do you mean you can’t connect to the internet?” Rudy snarled at the laptop. He thought the setup would be a piece of cake, but he was seconds away from throwing the dumb computer across the bedroom.
He got up from the bed, ready to go find Aiden so his mate could help him with his stupid laptop when Rudy felt an electrical charge in the air that made the hairs on his arm stand on end.
Rudy tried to run to the bedroom door, but Preston appeared in front of him, a deep scowl on his face. He grabbed Rudy by his arm and yanked him backward just as Rudy screamed for Aiden.
“That’s right. Bring your mate to me,” Preston said against Rudy’s ear. “That’s exactly what I want you to do.”
“Fuck you!” Rudy tried to elbow Preston, but the angel dodged the blow and delivered one of his own. He slammed his fist into Rudy’s head, making him see stars.
The bedroom door burst open. Not only was Aiden standing there, but three very naked men were as well. Aiden snarled as he advanced toward them. “Let. Him. Go.”
“Not until you deliver Gavril to me,” Preston said. “I’m tired of waiting. Now maybe you’ll have the proper incentive. You’ll get your human back just as soon as I have Gavril.”
Rudy struggled in the angel’s hold, but his attempt was futile against such a powerful being. The room faded, and Rudy became nauseous and dizzy. He thought for sure he would vomit, but he managed to swallow down the bile as a dusty, dilapidated room appeared.
Preston let him go. “Try to escape and you’ll regret it.”
Rudy ran for the door. It was a really dumb move since Preston stood by it, but he had to try. The angel didn’t stop him, which should’ve been a warning sign, but Rudy ignored that fact and grabbed the handle.
He was shocked so hard he flew to the floor, his entire body tingling painfully. He lay there trying to catch his breath while he prayed the pain subsided.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Preston vanished.
Slowly, Rudy pushed to his feet, tiny aftershocks buzzing through his body. He squinted against the dimness, wondering where he was. The windows were boarded up, and there was furniture in the room, but so much dust was layered on top that he guessed the place hadn’t been used in a very long time.
He shivered as he passed hanging cobwebs that seemed to cover everything. Tears tried to surface, but Rudy refused to cry. He would make it back to Aiden.
Just as soon as he figured out how to get out of there. He walked to one of the boarded windows and reached his hand out but pulled it back, fearing he would be shocked. The first time had hurt like hell, and Rudy didn’t want a repeat.
Still, Rudy had to know. He reached out again, and when his fingers were half an inch from the boards, he felt an electrical current. He let his hand drop. Using the windows as a means to escape was out of the question.
He walked through the abandoned house, trying to find a means of escape, anything that would help him, but he saw nothing that would allow him to get out of there.
The hairs on his arm stood on end. Was Preston returning? Was the angel coming back to torture him? He searched for some kind of weapon, but aside from some dusty plates on the counter, he couldn’t find anything he could use.
Rudy scented the air when he smelled cigarette smoke. He snarled as he spun around and found Gavril right behind him. The bastard had on clothes, but he was still holding that damned bottle and still smoking.
“You!” Rudy bared his teeth. “This is all your fault!”
“Calm down, grasshopper.” Gavril set the bottle on the counter. “I’ve come to rescue you.”
Rudy snorted. “How are you gonna rescue me? Look at you. You’re drunk. What’re you gonna do, blow your breath on the back door and knock it down?”
Gavril tapped the top of the bottle. “This ain’t just-just alcohol. It’s a way to mask my-my presence.”
Rudy rolled his eyes. “Sober up first, and then you can help me get out of here.” He looked around the kitchen. “Where am I?”
Gavril slid down to the floor and pressed his back against the lower cupboards. He snapped his fingers, and the bottle went from resting on the counter to being clutched in his hands.
“At least you have enough powers to stay drunk.” Rudy looked at the kitchen chair and grimaced. He tried to blow the dust away, but he had no such luck. His attempt to clean the dust off th chair failing, he sat and crossed his arms. “Do you have enough powers to get us past Preston’s alarm system?”
Rudy gave an exasperated grunt when Gavril leaned sideways and passed out. It looked as though he would have to count on himself in order to get out of this mess because Gavril was of no help whatsoever.
With a sigh, Rudy joined Gavril on the floor and let the angel’s head rest on his lap as he thought about Aiden. Rudy missed his mate badly and was desperate to get back to him. He’d never thought he could love someone as much as he loved his bear shifter. His chest actually ached to be held in Aiden’s arms.
Rudy looked down at Gavril. The angel needed a swift kick in his pants, but he also needed help, and as much as Rudy wished he’d never laid eyes on the cranky prick, he wasn’t going to let Preston get his hands on Gavril.
Not until he knew Gavril’s full story. And unless Gavril turned out to be some coldblooded killer, Rudy would try his damnedest to keep Gavril safe.
But who was going to keep Rudy safe if Preston returned? That was a damn good question.
* * * *
“It’s time to call in the heavy,” Deputy Malik Burrows said as he stood outside Aiden’s front door. “Gavril appeared in my cruiser while I was on my way over here. He warned that if he and Preston fought, Maple Grove might get wiped off the map.”
Aiden didn’t care about any of that. All he wanted was to get Rudy back. He didn’t want to think what would happen to his mate while in Preston’s hands. His bear was snarling like crazy, anxious to get their mate back in their arms.
“The heavy what?” he asked Malik.
“I really hate when you do that,” Tryck said from behind him.
Aiden turned and looked back inside the house. Not only were the Santiago brothers standing there, but so was Panahasi.
Aiden groaned. He hadn’t wanted to get the Ultionem involved. He and the demon leader weren’t on the best of terms, not since the night Aiden’s family had died. He’d blamed Panahasi for not stopping the crazed demon in the first place. If Panahasi had caught Zebe, Aiden’s family would’ve never died.
And he’d said as much that night, plus so much more. He was shocked Panahasi would even show to help him.
Aiden curled his upper lip. “What’re you doing here?”
“Aiden,” Malik said in a low voice. “Watch your tone.”
“Why?” He spun to glare at Malik. “This is the help you give me? Someone who couldn’t even stop one lousy demon before that demon slaughtered my family?”
Malik’s eyes rounded. “I didn’t know.”
“And that doesn’t matter right now,�
�� Law said. “Whatever beef you two have needs to be set aside so Panahasi can locate your mate.”
The demon leader simply stood there studying Aiden. As badly as Aiden wanted to tell Panahasi to go to hell, Law was right. His first priority was getting Rudy back. After that, Panahasi could go fuck himself.
Aiden glared at the demon leader. “Try not to screw this one up.”
Walking back inside the house, Aiden refused to look Panahasi’s way. He still held a lot of resentment inside him, even though a small voice in Aiden’s head knew Panahasi and his demon warriors had tried their best to take Zebe down. Aiden’s family wasn’t the only people the demon had killed before his life was ended.
Aiden had taken great pleasure in killing Zebe, but that hadn’t brought his parents or his sisters back. The demon’s death hadn’t filled the hole that their absence had created.
Seeing Panahasi was like reliving that night all over again. The pain felt crippling, but Aiden managed to shove it down as he thought about Rudy and what his mate must be going through.
Reluctantly, Aiden filled Panahasi in on what was going on.
One of the demon leader’s brows arched. “So, the angels have finally decided to show themselves.”
Aiden gritted his teeth. “You knew they existed?”
“Yes, but they’ve rarely stepped foot on earth. Something drastic must have happened for Gavril to come here.”
“And I don’t give a crap what’s going on with them. I just want my mate back and for them to leave us alone.”
Panahasi gave a slow nod.
Pure rage rolled through Aiden. It took all his restraint not to lash out at him. “Just tell me where Rudy is and I’ll go rescue him myself. I know what kind of anguish your help brings.”
Panahasi waved his hand and a map appeared on the coffee table. “X marks the spot.” He eyed Aiden for a moment longer, and if Aiden wasn’t mistaken, there was regret in Panahasi’s whiskey-colored eyes. “I’ll deal with Preston myself.”
