His beloved’s hand was like a branding iron on Kirill’s chest. “Your kind don’t recognize their mate by scent. And if you couldn’t see this person then you couldn’t feel an attraction there either. There was something else, wasn’t there?”
“I thought I was going mad by this point.” Kirill dropped his eyes. For all his years, for all his power, he’d never been so confused in his life. “A single drop of blood just appeared, as if by magic, and it had to have been magic because it was hovering in the air right in front of my face.”
“You found me through my blood.” The wolf - damn Kirill had to find out what his beloved’s name was - but his beloved coaxed Kirill’s chin up, the eyes meeting his clear and full of compassion. “You tasted this blood, I take it. This being is your beloved too?”
Kirill nodded. “I knew then, as I knew when I tasted yours, just one drop and… But then he sent me here and you’re in my arms… and all I know is this being is truly powerful, but he’s meant for us. I don’t even know what type of paranormal he is.”
“These men didn’t become statues on their own. I have a clue. Wait right here a minute.” The wolf patted his chest and walked away, his form disappearing into the shadows further down the alley.
“Arvyn, we don’t have much more time…” The demon called out urgently.
At least I know his name now.
“I just need a minute.” Kirill’s sharp ears caught the sound of sniffing, and then Arvyn charged back, his eyes blazing. But instead of coming near him, he stormed over to the demon guarding the mercenary statues. “Who is he? Who is the mysterious one who you call ‘my Lord’? The one who wouldn’t show his face.” The slap on the demon’s chest barely moved the bigger man.
“We need to get out of here.” The other wolf shifter came over, wrapping his arm around his demon mate’s waist. “Cass can get rid of these bad guys, but we all need to eat, and you need to shift Arvyn – you think I can’t smell the blood and pain you’re in?”
“Who. Is. He?”
Kirill loved that his beloved had a persistent streak, but the talk of blood and pain in connection with the stunning man pierced his brain with a laser focus. “Arvyn,” he tested the name on his tongue and found he liked it. “Arvyn, beloved, these men are right. This is not the place. If Yakov finds me missing, and these guys don’t report back to him, he’ll come looking.”
“I thought you’re the coven master? Can’t you just slap him, or overrule him or something?” But Arvyn turned to him, and that was enough for Kirill to cross the distance between them.
“I am, and I can,” Kirill said firmly, “and believe me, Yakov’s head will be rolling on the ground before another day is over. But we’ll meet them on our terms, from a position of strength… not like this, and not until you’ve shifted and healed. I need you strong beside me, beloved.”
Taking a chance, Kirill wrapped his arm around Arvyn’s waist, pleased that the wolf leaned into him. Looking over at the demon and his wolf mate, Kirill waved his free hand at the three statues. “You two appear to have more experience with these matters than we do. What do you suggest we do now?”
Chapter Five
Unwilling to face Seth’s bad attitude, Ra decided against going back to his realm, and headed for Zeus and Paulie’s earth home instead. The domestic scene - Paulie and Zeus curled up on their large couch, a sleeping Egan on a pile of cushions on the floor beside them - did nothing to ease the ache in his heart Ra had felt since he’d translocated the vampire to his wolfen beloved, but it gave him hope.
Deciding to be respectful for once, he did knock on the front door, even though Ra knew Zeus would’ve already sensed his presence. “It’s only me,” he said, entering the warm home. “I have a gift for Egan.” He magicked up a tiny pair of sneakers based on a pair he’d seen famous sportspeople raved about. “A celebration of his first steps.”
“Ra.” Paulie looked genuinely pleased to see him. “Come in and sit down. Did you have a chance to find Cass and Wesley yet?”
“You have been a naughty little demigod, haven’t you?” Ra did as he was told, settling into a large single seater couch and resting the small shoes by Egan’s cushions.
“I don’t know what you mean. Would you like some tea, or do you prefer coffee?” The red on Paulie’s cheeks was cute. While he’d grown in confidence from when Ra first met him, and even more so since Egan’s birth, the tiger shifter couldn’t lie with a straight face.
“No, you sit there. I can conjure my own refreshments.” Ra looked across at Zeus who had a knowing smirk on his face. “Did watching Egan’s first steps wear you out that badly? So badly you didn’t have time to check your computers? You must be getting truly old, if you couldn’t manage the half a dozen steps it’d take you to get to your office.”
“Seventy-four steps.” Zeus faked yawned. “Did you ever stop to think that I was helping you, because I know how bored you get doing nothing on that realm of yours? Most of your people live on this plane, and with only Seth for company… well, we all know anything would be more fun than dealing with him all day.”
“That’s the excuse you’re going with?” Ra arched an eyebrow in Zeus’s direction. “You and Hades run the little operation with Cass and Wes – surely one of you…”
“We both have new young that keep us very busy.” The look Zeus gave his sleeping son was fond and changed the older god’s whole persona. “You love to be among mortals. The work the demon and the wolf shifter do is vitally important…”
“Not to mention it allows you to stick your nose into mortal affairs without upsetting the Fates,” Ra interrupted drily. He didn’t miss Zeus’s worried glance at the ceiling.
“Paranormals don’t have the same access to resources that other mortals do. Their very nature means they aren’t likely to access law enforcement, or counselling services, and our little team are only sent after truly innocent beings who are in dire need of help.”
Leaning back in his chair, Ra conjured himself a cup of Death Wish coffee. The rich brew had a heavenly scent. “Quite a change of thinking for you, being all caring about paranormals when you used to avoid them like the plague.”
“Paulie changed me.” Zeus hugged his mate close. “I’m not ashamed of admitting to change. I think it shows what a well-rounded god I can be, instead of only one or two dimensional, and you know, you know the work Cass and Wes do truly helps paranormals in need when they have no one else to turn to.”
Paulie’s face was getting redder by the minute, but he ducked his head when Ra caught his eye. The question was there. Ra could see it on the young demigod’s face, and while Ra wanted nothing more than to talk about his own revelations over the past few hours, he couldn’t resist teasing a little more.
“You’re right, yes. Cass and Wes mentioned that – the fact you only send them in to help innocent paranormals who’ve got themselves into situations they can’t handle. Those with innocent souls,” Ra glanced at Paulie, “those who don’t have the strength or power to deal with abusive or painful situations.”