by Lynn Hagen
“Don’t ever leave me again,” Ari said with tears in his voice. “I felt like I’d died with you gone.”
Gavril buried his face into Ari’s neck, smelling his scent, and feeling Ari’s skin against his own chest. “It was out of my hands, Ari.”
“I know.” Ari kissed the side of Gavril’s face. “I know.”
Gavril moved his left hand down between their bodies, tracing his fingers over Ari’s hard cock. His mate jerked and whimpered as Gavril fisted Ari’s shaft and stroked the heated flesh. It was like silk over steel in the palm of his hand.
“Faster,” Gavril moaned. “Move faster.”
Ari lifted his ass and dropped down, over and over again, slicing his fingernails into Gavril’s chest. With a deep snarl, Gavril flipped them over, pistoning into Ari’s ass as his wings shot out and he sank his fangs into Ari’s shoulder.
“Gavril!” Ari bucked and writhed as his ass clamped down hard on Gavril’s cock. An eruption of cum shot from Ari’s dick. The scent of his release triggered Gavril’s. He pulled his fangs free, threw his head back, and shouted.
That was it. Gavril was completely wiped out. He eased from Ari’s body and dropped to the floor, closing his eyes. He wouldn’t sleep, but he would rest for as long as he needed to.
When Ari scooted close, Gavril curled an arm over his mate and sighed in contentment. The necklace was off, he had his wings back, and now all Gavril had to do was hunt Hadad down. He was going to slap the necklace on the bastard and destroy the key.
Chapter Nine
The following morning they were at the clinic. The snow was melting due to the higher temperatures, and Rocky had made a muddy entrance into the house before they’d left for work.
He was now resting on his pallet in Ari’s office, fast asleep. Gavril waited until Ari was busy on his computer before he slipped from the room and headed toward the front. He was positive it had been Tessa who’d given him the key, and he wanted answers.
The waiting room was empty. So far that morning things were slow, which gave him enough time to interrogate the receptionist. He’d sworn she was human, and not too many beings could pull a fast one on him.
Tessa was seated behind her desk, her red hair in an upswept style, with red tendrils that looked like snakes hanging loosely around her face. Her button nose was crinkled as she scrolled through something on her cell phone.
As he leaned against the wall, Gavril studied her from the hallway entrance and thought about every single interaction they’d had. Tessa had been flirty and funny, but nothing in her behavior suggested she wasn’t what she seemed.
But Gavril couldn’t get that disembodied voice out of his head. He was damn near positive it belonged to her. And if it had been Tessa who’d helped him, he wanted to know what she was, because his mate trusted her and Ari was around her all day.
Gavril was so engrossed with trying to figure her out that he hadn’t heard Ari’s approach. His mate stood beside Gavril with his arms crossed. “Are you trying to replace me with a younger, different gender model?”
“Huh?” Gavril turned and dipped his brows.
“You’re studying Tessa awfully hard,” Ari pointed out as he looked her way. “She is beautiful.”
“That’s not what I was doing,” Gavril said.
“But you don’t deny her beauty.”
“Well, no. She is stunning.”
“Stunning enough to stand here and watch her,” Ari said fiercely before he turned on his heel and headed down the hallway.
What just happened? Gavril looked over his shoulder at Tessa. She was looking his way, her red brows drawn down.
With an exasperated grunt, Gavril walked to Ari’s office and found his mate seated behind his desk. He wasn’t working. He sat there staring off into space.
“What’re you thinking about?” Gavril closed the door and crossed the room, sitting in the chair in front of the desk.
“How many ways I can castrate you.” Ari gave Gavril a sideway glance that was filled with anger. “I hear Aiden has a useful cattle prod.”
A phantom jolt of electricity shot through Gavril at the memory of Aiden using that damn thing on him. “Why are you contemplating hurting me?”
Ari sat forward, a horrified look in his eyes. “I wasn’t really planning on hurting you. I would never bring you any pain.” He looked down at his hands, which he’d placed on his desk. “Why were you watching Tessa?”
As if he’d been struck over the head with clarity, Gavril realized his mate was jealous. He wanted to smile that Ari cared that much about him but feared Ari would go through with one of his threats if Gavril sat there with a shit-eating grin on his face.
Keeping his smile smothered, he explained to Ari what had happened the night before while Ari had slept on the couch.
“You really think it was her?” Ari asked as he slid his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “But how? Moose told me that Nurse Betty and Tessa were human. I seriously doubt he would make that kind of mistake.”
“That’s what I was trying to figure out before you got all jealous.” Gavril finally let his smile show.
Ari didn’t seem impressed at Gavril’s grin. “You’ve had plenty of time to tell me about Tessa before now.”
“And miss this?” Gavril asked. “The look of jealousy is becoming on you.”
Ari picked up a pencil out of the holder and lobbed it at Gavril’s head. “Consider yourself lucky I’m human or I might have eaten her.”
Gavril grimaced.
“So why don’t you just ask her?” Ari stood and headed for the door with determined strides. Gavril thought about stopping his mate, but Ari seemed resolute, and Gavril didn’t want to be on the receiving end of his mate’s wrath again.
They stopped at Tessa’s desk. She was typing on her keyboard with manicured fingers, seeming engrossed in her work. When she looked up, she gave them a curious stare. “Do you guys need something?”
Ari opened his mouth then closed it when someone staggered into the waiting area. A guy, who looked in his early twenties, was holding his side. He pressed his other hand against the wall then collapsed.
Their interrogation would have to wait.
Gavril lifted the stranger from the floor and carried him to the first exam room.
Ari looked up at him. “He’s unconscious, and I’d rather not waste time trying to figure out what’s wrong with him.”
With a nod, Gavril pressed his hand against the guy’s chest. A soft glow emanated from his fingers.
Ari gasped. “I’ve never seen you do this before.” He waved at Gavril’s hand. “What exactly are you doing?”
Gavril pursed his lips and tilted his head. “I guess the best way to explain it would be to say I’m doing a full-body scan.”
Ari looked impressed as Gavril examined every inch of the guy. “His appendix.”
“I would normally recommend sending a patient with this kind of emergency to Falls Bend. It’s the next town over, and their hospital is big and impressive, but I don’t think we have the time. Do we?”
“Can you do the surgery here?” Gavril asked then lowered his voice. “Or do you want me to simply heal him?”
“How would I explain his miraculous recovery?” Ari asked. “That would be nice, but I don’t need word getting around that I’m some kind of miracle worker.” He waved at the guy. “Bring him to the back. I have a small surgery suite there.”
Ari removed the appendix in time. Gavril had been tempted to “assist,” but one reproachful look from Ari kept Gavril from using any angelic intervention.
The day went by in a blur after that, and by the time things had settled down, Tessa had left for the day. They stayed at the clinic overnight to keep an eye on Jason Cordan. Gavril had supplied the name since Jason hadn’t had any ID on him. Maybe he’d used his powers to discover who the man was, but that had been the extent of his help.
Not entirely. Gavril had used them again to clear out exam room one and
conjured a soft bed for them to sleep in, Rocky curled between them.
* * * *
Ari and Gavril walked arm in arm back to Ari’s house after an evening of Taco Tuesday with Moose and Grayson.
“I still can’t believe he can eat that much.” Ari laughed. “I swear Moose has a bottomless stomach!”
“He’s a growing boy.” Gavril winked, repeating Moose’s words.
Ari shook his head. “He’s lucky he’s a shifter, or he’d weigh a thousand pounds by now.”
Gavril hadn’t liked the idea of walking back to Ari’s, but the evening had grown warm enough, and Ari insisted on walking off his food. Gavril had the necklace in his pocket, just in case Hadad appeared. He kept looking around, keeping an eye on their surroundings as they walked and talked.
“I know this isn’t safe, but thank you.” Ari squeezed Gavril’s arm. “There’s just something about an evening walk that centers me.”
Gavril pressed a kiss to Ari’s temple, willing to do anything to make his mate happy. The snow was all but gone, the ground wet from it melting, and small rivulets of water streamed past them on the street, making a sound that reminded Gavril of a small babbling brook.
Gavril had conjured a very warm coat for Ari to wear, even if the temperature was above normal. Ari wouldn’t get sick now that they were mated, but he could get cold, and Gavril couldn’t have that.
Ari slid his hand into Gavril’s and entwined their fingers. This was the first time Gavril had ever held hands in public. It was nice, and he loved the feel of Ari’s fingers curled around his.
A slight breeze blew past them as the clouds moved slowly by, covering then uncovering the full moon.
“So, I wanted to talk to you about something,” Ari said as they turned right at the corner. “Since you’re at my house full time now, can I assume this is official and you’ve moved in?” Ari hurriedly added, “I’ve just heard you say ‘Ari’s house’ more than once, and I want you to call it home. You know, like right now we’re walking home, not to my house.”
Gavril hadn’t given the matter a single thought. He was used to just existing. He’d never had a place to call his own. Gavril had never thought of that kind of life. He’d seen many humans do it, creating a life together, but Gavril hadn’t thought that was possible for him.
“I’m not sure.” Gavril looked down at Ari. “I think you’d get sick of my surly ass at some point and kick me out.”
Ari gazed at him with trepidation in his pale blue eyes. “Is that a prediction?”
Gavril spread his arms. “Am I carrying a crystal ball?” He laughed. “I was just teasing you. Lighten up.”
“I never thought I’d see the day when we reversed our roles,” Ari said. “It wasn’t too long ago that I was telling you to lighten up. Maybe not in those precise words, mind you.”
They both laughed like idiots as they finished their walk home. Warmth spread through Gavril at that word. He stood in front of their white one-story home with red trim and smiled. The driveway reached all the way to the back, and there was a wooden privacy fence that surrounded the backyard.
This two-thousand-square-foot home was perfect.
Just as he turned the knob, Gavril’s skin prickled. The sensation wasn’t followed by the feeling of immense power. It might not be Hadad, but something was close by.
A clacking sound drew Gavril’s attention to the driveway. A dark, enormous shadow appeared as the clacking sound continued. Something was getting closer.
“Go inside,” Gavril said under his breath to Ari.
“What is it?” Ari whispered without moving. He clung to Gavril’s arm, his fingers squeezing tight.
First the snout appeared. It was high off the ground, telling Gavril that whatever was attached to the snout was gigantic. Next the head moved into sight.
The head of a dark gray dire wolf.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
They were monstrous in size, with canines the length of a saber-toothed tiger’s, and had glowing green eyes. They were known to be ferocious, extremely aggressive, and were very intelligent.
They were brought back from the grave to hunt those someone had targeted. Only the person who brought them back could control them, and they didn’t stop hunting until their intended target was dead.
They could be killed, though. Only by beheading. Not even tearing their hearts out would stop them. Then again their hearts didn’t beat because they were dead.
But Gavril would try. He had no doubt this was Hadad’s doing, another one of his sick games. He was more than likely hoping the wolf would kill Ari in the battle.
Gavril manifested his swords but not before shoving Ari inside the house. He also created a protective shield so the neighbors wouldn’t see the fight.
“Come and get some, you ugly bitch,” Gavril snarled as he wielded his swords.
The dire wolf bared her canines, saliva dripping from her mouth. She took a step toward him, her long nails tapping against the ground. Her glowing green eyes narrowed as she pulled her muzzle back and her ears went flat.
Contrary to what he’d said, she was quite beautiful. Gavril hadn’t seen one of her kind in centuries. According to lore, her kind had gone extinct. But again, she’d been called from the grave to do someone’s bidding.
Gavril refused to think of the different ways he’d pay Hadad back for this. At the moment, he had to pour all his concentration into making sure she didn’t bite his head clean off. He wouldn’t die, but regrowing a head hurt too badly. Gavril should know. Preston had cut his off, twice.
The dire wolf moved closer to the living room window, yelped, then jumped back. Panahasi’s spell was keeping her from getting inside the house.
But that only seemed to piss her off. She snapped and snarled at the window, and Gavril’s had a sinking, gut-wrenching feeling that she hadn’t come for him.
She was there for Ari.
Hadad had summoned her to kill Ari. Gavril felt as though he’d be sick. Dire wolves never gave up until they’d completed their kill. If Gavril didn’t behead her, she would never stop coming after his mate.
Part of him wished Hadad had bargained with a hellhound instead. Then again, hellhounds steered clear of angels. Gavril’s pantheon was the only kind that could kill them without having to strike the black mark behind their ear. A spoken hymn in their angelic voice wouldn’t send them back to the bowels of hell.
It would obliterate them.
Gavril rolled his shoulders and took on a fighting stance, ready to tear up the town in order to kill her. “Fresh meat,” he taunted, but she wouldn’t take the bait. She kept snapping at the invisible barrier, trying to work out how to get past it.
When she spun and rushed toward the backyard, Gavril ran after her. She stepped over the wooden fence with no problem and walked into the backyard.
Gavril heard Rocky barking from inside the kitchen, safe behind the patio door. When he flashed into the yard, he saw the wolf’s nose too damn close to the glass. Rocky kept barking but was backing away.
Raising his arm, Gavril struck, slicing her hind leg and leaving behind a bloodless gash. She ignored him and was now head-butting the invisible barrier and giving a half-whimper, half-snarl when the barrier electrified her.
Gavril spread his wings and flew upward, raising both arms this time. He’d shot downward, ready to remove her head, when the dire wolf jerked backward seconds before the blades struck.
Now he had her attention.
She opened her wide mouth and tried to snap her jaws, but Gavril zipped out of the way in time. No matter what maneuver he used, no matter what tactic he came up with, she was one step ahead, avoiding his blades.
As much as Gavril didn’t want to—as much as he really hated to—he threw his head back and shouted Panahasi’s name. There was no way he would be able to defeat this creature without help.
The demon leader appeared out of thin air. He stood at her hind leg and had to move quickly to escape b
eing crushed when she backed up.
Panahasi’s eyes widened then narrowed. “She was summoned to destroy you?”
Gavril landed on the ground, tucking his wings behind him, while keeping an eye on the dire wolf. “No, she was summoned to kill my mate. I think this is a new game for Hadad, a new way to make me suffer.”
Panahasi cursed. He was the only ancient being Gavril could think of to help him send her back to her grave. Gavril could have done it…eventually. But at what cost?
Right before Gavril’s eyes, Panahasi burst into his true form. His talons were as sharp as the finest blades and grew until they were twelve inches long. A row of deadly teeth emerged, and his skin turned crimson as a tail grew four feet in length. Horns burst from his scalp, his body contorting into the likes of which few had ever seen. Gavril knew that Panahasi was Life, his genetic makeup containing every creature ever born.
Including dire wolves.
Then, with wide eyes, Gavril watched Panahasi grow until he met the wolf’s height. The wolf took a step back, eyeing Panahasi warily.
The demon leader started speaking in a language not even Gavril understood. She snarled, and so did Panahasi.
It was the most frightening sight Gavril had ever seen, and that was saying something.
Panahasi grabbed her by the throat and continued speaking in his foreign tongue. She whimpered and tucked her tail. Then Panahasi petted her head and spoke soft and soothingly to her.
Gavril was awestruck.
Panahasi looked down at him, and when the demon leader spoke, despite his long fangs, Gavril understood him. “She used to run in a pack. I just showed her who the alpha was between us.”
Gavril didn’t want to think about a pack of dire wolves. He wasn’t sure he could’ve defeated just one. “But is she still going to come after Ari?”
That was Gavril’s only concern.
“No. I’m sending her back to her grave. And I’m going to make sure no one can summon her again.”