Ra thought about the drop of blood he’d left for Kirill, and how he’d made sure to rub his hands over the alley wall he’d been hiding by. “Not physically close, no. But I left clues I’m sure they’ll find. The thing is,” he appealed to Paulie directly, “I didn’t mean to upset you, but I don’t understand why you didn’t tell me your suspicions before I went there. Wes, Cass, and I worked out the alpha and the vamp must’ve been fated or have some connection. But the vamps hadn’t told Cass anything and the alpha didn’t know why he was in town, he just was.”
“He would’ve been feeling the mate pull.” Paulie wasn’t as visibly upset anymore, but he left his head resting on Zeus’s shoulder. “Those two intersected a few times when Arvyn was in town, they’d just never actually met.”
“You are probably right, and that does explain why Arvyn felt he couldn’t leave, but we didn’t know any of that.” Ra sighed. “So, we went to question the wolves following Arvyn, and found out that they’d been hired by that Yakov to basically drive Arvyn out of town. We took care of them, but Arvyn overheard us talking, and learned Kirill was locked up. He was on his way to break his mate out of the coven, by himself, when he was set on by three further mercenaries who were trying to kill him. I saw him – I saw the light bathing Arvyn even in the dark alley, but I already knew he was fated for Kirill.”
“And you,” Zeus said quietly. “If you zapped Kirill to Arvyn, then you must have seen his light too.”
“I did, I definitely did, although I made sure neither man actually saw me.” Ra appealed to his old friend. “Can’t you see how much easier things would’ve been if I’d been warned about all this before I went there? All I could think was that I’d be like a spare wheel. Kirill knew about Arvyn and all he wanted was to get to him. Arvyn was prepared to take on a whole coven full of vampires just to free a mate he hadn’t even met. Neither one of them had even considered I might be in the picture too. I couldn’t get in the middle of a situation like that. It was so damn romantic, and so typically paranormal.”
“Zeus warned me repeatedly, there was only so much I could do or say. The non-interference law doesn’t apply as much to me as it does to you, but it still applies. I felt sure if you could just all be in the same place together… You should’ve stayed and revealed yourself.” Paulie pushed himself up from Zeus’s chest as Egan stirred. “You gods always over think things. I’m sure that’s why the Fates have been giving you immortals paranormal mates. At least then one side of the equation will trust their instincts and won’t second guess every action.”
“You still should’ve warned me,” Ra insisted, although he suspected Paulie was right.
“Then I would’ve been directly interfering and it’s not as though I knew how you’d feel having two mates. Face it, with the Egyptians record on violence against the gay community in modern times, how was I to know you’d even accept two male mates.”
Ra bowed his head. “I would never deny a gift from the Fates, not when I’ve been alone so long. What people do, mortals… I have no control over that. The Fates brought these men into my life for a reason and I wouldn’t question that.”
“Well, I didn’t know that.” It was Paulie’s turn to look embarrassed. “I know you’ve never said anything against me and Zeus or any of the other same-sex pairings across the pantheons. But I couldn’t be sure. I figured, if you could all be in the same place, Arvyn would’ve made the connection even if Kirill didn’t. And you would’ve known because your two mates would’ve been lit up for you to see. But no. You decided to be all noble instead and just left the two men you were fated for.”
Paulie picked up Egan who was getting restless, holding him close. The way a bottle appeared in his hand was proof the demigod was coming into his powers nicely. “Besides, you’d have gone if I’d asked anyway. Zeus said you’re always bored. You have to admit, this has shaken you up a bit and that’s not a bad thing.”
You’re not wrong about that either. The only problem was Ra wasn’t quite sure what his next move should be.
Chapter Six
The initial suggestions from Cass and Wesley involved shifting (Arvyn), a quick trip to an all-night store for clean clothes (Kirill) and then to a diner for food, which all four men needed. It was late – Arvyn guessed at least three in the morning and while he felt a lot healthier thanks to his shift, now his wolf had scented Kirill with his own nose, all Arvyn could think about was finding out who their third was, so they could get down to the serious business of claiming each other. He didn’t feel right about claiming Kirill until their third was found and the vibe he was getting from Kirill suggested he felt the same way.
“We’re cleanish, healed, and fed. Who’s our other mate?” Arvyn asked bluntly as soon as their plates were cleared, and the four men were supping coffee. “Why did he leave the way he did?”
“I think he left you initially to save me,” Kirill said quietly. “But yes, I want to know why the being didn’t come back. Didn’t he recognize who we were to him? Is that because of what he is? Does he always go around randomly saving vampires locked in cells, and if it is something he does all the time, then why the hell did he say he would come back and why the hell did he leave me a drop of blood that doesn’t belong to Arvyn?”
“Ah.” Cass looked at Wesley, who shook his head.
“You know more about that lot than I do. You might as well tell them.”
“It’s not like I know much more than you,” Cass protested. “I mean, I’ve worked under Hades pretty much all my life, and I’ve seen Zeus a few times, but…”
“Hang on a minute.” Arvyn held up his hand. “I recognize those names at least. Are you trying to tell us our third is an ancient Greek god?”
Wesley shook his head again. “Not an ancient Greek god, no. An ancient Egyptian one.”
Arvyn struggled to fit who he’d seen briefly, with his image of what a god might look like. “That little guy? The one in jeans? The one who was walking when you came running to save me? He’s an ancient Egyptian god?”
“You’ve seen him,” Kirill asked urgently.
“Briefly mate, briefly, and I have to admit, I wasn’t paying attention. I didn’t scent him until I checked the alley where he’d been after he’d gone.” Arvyn cursed himself for that now. “I was in pain, I’d heard about you and all my instincts were honed towards finding somewhere to shift, and then finding a way to get you free.”
“It’s okay, beloved.” Kirill nodded and Arvyn appreciated the hand he suddenly felt on his thigh. “So, who are we talking about here?” He asked Cass and Wes. “I don’t know gods, obviously, but I’ve heard of Osiris… Seth… there’s Horus… Anubis... and er… Thoth. That’s about all I can think of and surely our third is not one of them. Is he a lesser god perhaps?”
“You didn’t mention Ra on your list,” Cass noted.