by Lynn Hagen
Deandre didn’t even care that they were watching a Disney movie. He’d tuned most of it out, concentrating more on how much he loved this routine Amir had going.
Amir smacked the back of his hand on Deandre’s chest. “Oh, watch this part. You’re gonna love it.”
Deandre grinned. It seemed these types of movies turned his mate into a kid. Amir’s hazel eyes shined as he bit his lip. Did the guy know just how gorgeous he was? Not just looks, either. His entire personality made him the complete package.
“You do realize the kids are asleep, right?”
Dahj was letting out tiny little snores, and Deandre was certain he had wet spots of drool on his pant leg.
“So?” Amir huffed. “It’s a really good movie. You got a problem with watching it?”
“Nope.” Deandre knew better than to say he would rather be watching some shit blowing up or a good fight scene. “I don’t mind a little girl empowerment movie. It makes me want to find a boat and a playful ocean.”
Amir rolled his eyes. “Fine, let’s put them to bed.”
Deandre lifted Dahj into his arms and waited for Amir to pull Flynn from the couch. They walked down the hallway, going their separate ways as Deandre tucked Dahj into bed. He kissed her forehead. “Good night, princess.”
After pulling the covers over her, he joined Amir in the living room where Deandre grabbed the remote. “My turn to pick a movie.”
“Caveman,” Amir grumbled but cuddled close. Deandre lifted his arm, and Amir tucked himself at his side.
Now this was how he liked watching the television. His mate close, manly shit rolling across the screen, even though he had to keep the volume low.
“How about this?”
When Amir didn’t answer him, Deandre looked down and chuckled. His mate was fast asleep.
Chapter Eight
Deandre must’ve dozed off, too. He woke and saw the screen saver on the television and had the worst crick in his back and neck. He shouldn’t have fallen asleep sitting up.
And Amir was sprawled out over the couch, his head tucked on Deandre’s lap. As quietly as he could and without too much jostling, he eased from under his mate and got up. Holy crap, his lower back hurt.
Deandre went to the kitchen and did a few stretches, trying to work the kinks out. He opened the door and stepped outside and watched as the clouds moved past the moon.
What time was it? Deandre patted his pockets and then remembered he’d left his phone on the coffee table.
“I feel something strange in the air tonight.”
Deandre didn’t bother to look. He knew Donny’s voice. “Strange how?” Deandre tried to focus but got nothing.
“Just a tingling sense.” Donny strode from the side of the house and joined Deandre at his side. He grinned. “I could be spending too much time around Cadeym. The guy’s full of electricity. Got my hairs on end and a strange vibe running through me.”
If there was one thing Deandre could say about Donnchadh, he was one cool cat. Even the way he spoke was slow and lazy. Not a drawl but easygoing. He could just imagine his friend talking that way to get into a guy’s pants.
“You feeling anyone around here?” Deandre scanned the area, but nothing jumped out at him. He’d never felt this protective before. Then again, he had a mate and two kids to look out for. Even if he and Amir were taking things slow, Deandre already considered them his family.
“Nah, I’m just in my own head tonight.” Donny tapped his temple with his fist. “Fucking Cadeym and his depressed mood is rubbing off on me. I’ll be fine.”
Donny started away, heading toward the side of the house. Deandre stood there and looked up at the sky, wishing he could take Amir and the kids back to his place.
It would be a lot safer there, but he wasn’t sure how Panahasi would react to having kids in the apartment building or how Amir would do his work from another realm.
He couldn’t ask Amir to give up being a therapist, not to live in a city the kids couldn’t even go out and explore. But Deandre drew his powers from the warrior building, so he would have to constantly visit there. It was a tight line he would have to walk, but Deandre knew he could do it. He could make a life with Amir if some adjustments were made.
He also still had the responsibility of protecting Serenity City. Fuck, it would be a tightrope walk, but Deandre was determined to make it work.
Why would fate give him someone if they couldn’t work things out?
“Why are your brows so furrowed?”
Amir’s voice nearly made Deandre jump. He looked down and saw his mate right next to him. “Thinking too hard.”
“Okay, lay it on me.” Amir patted his shoulder. “Tell me what’s got you so deep in thought. Since meeting you, I can finally say I’ve heard it all.”
Deandre could lay some shit on Amir’s shoulders that would make the guy go running and screaming. He wasn’t going to do that, though. He used Donny’s lines instead. “I’m just in my own head. I’ll be fine.”
“So that’s how it is?” Amir crossed his arms. “Just bottle everything up? That’s not very healthy, Deandre.”
“And I don’t want to lay any heavy shit on you. You want to take this slow, and me worrying about our future is lightning fast.” It wasn’t fast enough for Deandre. He’d lived thousands of years on his own, and finally having someone he could come home to filled him up and made his heart want to burst.
“I’ve been thinking about that.” Amir nodded. “You said you draw your power from where you live and that you’re a protector of your city. I have a life here, and taking the kids to your realm scares me.”
Deandre braced himself. He wasn’t sure where Amir was going with this, but he felt as if he was about to get sucker-punched in the heart, a blow to the senses Deandre might not recover from.
“And?”
“I have no clue,” Amir said. “Let’s just take this one thing at a time, okay? We’ll worry about tomorrow another day. First we have to clear up this voodoo crap, and I have to find another house.”
That didn’t set Deandre’s worries at ease. If anything, now he felt as though he had a balled knot in his gut, as if the other shoe would drop at any second.
He slid his arm around Amir’s shoulder. It felt good, felt right, and Deandre didn’t want that to change.
Within a split second Deandre sensed danger. He pivoted, slinging Amir toward the back door and brought his elbow up, catching the intruder with his elbow, slapping the stranger sideways, and kicking his foot out to take him down.
Then Deandre fully turned. He threw his arms out and lifted them high into the air, using his telekinesis to lift the intruder up and dangle him in the air.
“Goddamn it,” Deandre snarled, slinging the guy into the closest tree repeatedly before using his mental powers to draw the bastard close. “Why can’t any of you leave this fucking house alone? The scroll is gone. Panahasi has it. Tell all your buddies to go after Panahasi if they want it.”
Using his teleportation, Donny was at Deandre’s side in a flash. Cadeym rushed across the field until he was there, lightning bolts shooting out of his hands and into the ground.
“Vampire,” Donny said after he sniffed.
“I was just paid to retrieve it,” the vampire hollered. “Nobody told me the house was occupied.”
“Who paid you?” Deandre snarled.
“Some guy named Ari Gray.” The vampire kept wiggling around, trying to get his feet to touch the ground. “He never told me why he wanted the box, just that I needed to retrieve it for him.”
“The box is already gone,” Cadeym bit out. “Tell your friend to talk to the demon leader if he wants it.”
Deandre whipped his arm in a harsh motion, and the vampire flew so fast and far that Deandre wondered if he’d just killed the guy. The stranger went past the woods, flying over the trees… to wherever he may have landed.
“You should’ve let me fry him,” Cadeym argued. “What if he comes b
ack? Why would you even take that chance with your family?”
“He’s just a pawn,” Donny said. “Damn, I knew I felt something on the air. That’s what I get for second-guessing myself. You need to keep those soppy emotions to yourself, Cadeym. You got them dripping all over me and fucking with my mojo, and nobody fucks with my mojo.”
Deandre looked toward the house. Amir was in the doorway, clutching the frame, witnessing everything that had just happened. He hadn’t killed the vampire because he didn’t want Amir looking at him like a monster.
But if the fear in Amir’s eyes was anything to go by, that judgment had already been passed.
* * * *
“You knew he had powers, so there’s no need to freak out about this.” Amir paced his living room as Dahj and Flynn ate their breakfast in the kitchen. He was supposed to go into the office today, but after what had taken place last night, Amir hadn’t slept a wink.
Now he felt drained. He was going to have to have Zanny come over and watch the kids so he could get a few hours of shuteye, or he wouldn’t be in any shape to run behind his children.
This was why he needed to stay single. Ever since Deandre showed up, Amir’s life had been in chaos. He’d been sailing along perfectly fine, and now his road was so bumpy that he needed signs to direct him around the potholes.
“Ugh.” Amir dropped onto the sofa, sighing as he looked at the ceiling. “I don’t know what to do.”
Underneath the doubt and fear, the worry and agonizing over Deandre’s frightening life, Amir knew exactly what to do. Because never before had he felt this way, sadly, not even with Hasan, whom Amir had loved deeply.
Deandre brought out the passion in Amir, the fun, the comfortable quietness. Deandre was a warrior, but he was also a gentle giant who fit perfectly into Amir’s life. Cooking meals, watching Disney movies, carrying Dahj to bed, he was the kind of guy who would go above and beyond for Amir.
So he had powers? So he had scary friends? Amir didn’t want to fret over this anymore. Not when he’d gotten a taste of what it was like to have his warrior in his life.
Amir sat up and pulled his phone out, ready to call Deandre, when he heard Flynn start to cry. He jumped up and hurried into the kitchen. His stomach turned to ice. Amir lost the ability to breathe. A small squeak left his throat when he saw Flynn in the arms of a stranger.
He had Dahj by her shirt, and she looked ready to cry.
The stranger was nearly as tall as Deandre, and muscled, but not as thick as Amir’s warrior. His black hair hung to his shoulders, and he had malevolent brown eyes.
Red-hot rage filled Amir. He bared his teeth. “Let my children go.”
“Gladly.” The guy cocked his head. “You get that box for me and no harm will come to them.”
“I don’t have it.” Amir looked at the butcher block on the counter, contemplating if he could get to a knife before the stranger figured out what he was up to. “Some guy named Panahasi has it.”
The man tsked. “That’s too bad for you. It only makes your job that much harder.”
Amir took a step forward as Flynn held out his arms. “Let. Them. Go.”
“Or what, human? You gonna hurt a wolf shifter?”
There was no way Amir was going to let him take Dahj and Flynn out of the house. He would die keeping them safe. They were the very beat to his heart, his purpose for living.
“Call the tooth fairy,” Dahj said in a loud whisper. “He’ll kick the wolf’s butt.”
“Daddy!” Flynn cried, hot tears streaming down his cheeks. “Want Daddy!”
The ache in Amir’s chest was palpable. It squeezed his lungs tight as he tried to figure out what to do. The stranger was a wolf shifter and no doubt possessed strength Amir couldn’t match. But that didn’t matter to him. All that mattered was getting Flynn and Dahj out of his clutches.
“I know I’m running late,” Zanny said as she walked through the back door. I was just—” She came up short as Amir made his move.
“Grab Dahj!” Amir barreled into the brute as Zanny jerked forward and snatched Dahj away from the intruder. Amir circled a hand around Flynn and tore his toddler free, tossing Flynn toward Zanny.
Even if Flynn fell, he would be okay and safer on the floor than in the wolf’s arms.
The stranger belted Amir in his side. Pain exploded in Amir. He snarled, using his adrenaline to slug the intruder in his face. Then he spun, grabbing the hilt of a knife from the block, and jammed it into the guy’s ribs.
From the corner of his eye, Amir saw Zanny racing out the door with the kids. They were safe. Now Amir could concentrate on getting out of there, too.
He’d only engaged the wolf shifter long enough for his kids to get to safety, but he was no match for the guy. The stranger backhanded Amir, sending him sailing across the kitchen. He slammed into the wall and crashed to the floor.
Amir couldn’t breathe. One or more of his ribs had to be broken.
“When I’m done killing you, I’m going to kill those brats of yours.”
Amir’s arms wobbled as he tried to get up. Unbearable pain shot through him. He’d managed to get to his knees before the guy was on him. Amir shouted Deandre’s name before the bastard curled his hands around Amir’s throat and choked the very breath out of him.
A loud roar filled the room, vibrating through Amir.
The stranger was jerked backward and leveraged in the air.
Deandre.
Hot tears sprang to Amir’s eyes as he lay crumpled on the floor. He fought to breathe and feared the wolf shifter had damaged his windpipe.
With the stranger still dangling in the air, Deandre looked at Amir and paled. He pulled out his phone and dialed as Amir gasped for every breath. The room was going in and out of focus. He heard loud ringing in his ears, a buzzing in his head.
Then a tall, broad redhead filled Amir’s vision. He knelt next to Amir, hovering over him, as a single tear escaped his eye.
Amir felt something wet hit the back of his throat.
“Just rest.” The redhead gave him a soft smile. “It might take a second or two to help.”
Amir closed his eyes as the searing pain in his throat and side slowly started to ease. He heard what sounded like fighting, snarls, things breaking, and assumed Deandre was laying waste to the wolf shifter.
Good.
Amir wasn’t one to advocate violence. He always tried to find other solutions. But the wolf shifter had touched his children, had threatened them. He prayed Deandre tore the son of a bitch apart.
“How’re you feeling?” the redhead asked.
He had pretty jade-green eyes and an easy smile.
“Better.” At least it didn’t hurt to breathe. He didn’t feel as if he’d fallen from a great height and hit the ground. “I need to get to my kids.”
The redhead helped him to his feet. “They’re in the backyard.”
Why on earth would Zanny just go outside and not drive them away from there? “Deandre?”
“Right here.” He stepped into the kitchen, looking no worse for wear. “I had to take out the trash. Left Brett in the demon realm with Panahasi.”
Amir stood by the repaired basement door. Deandre looked as though he wasn’t sure what to do.
The redhead walked toward the living room, and Amir forgot to say thank you because he wasn’t sure if he should throw himself into Deandre’s arms, not when his warrior appeared hesitant.
“Donny and Cadeym are going to stick around. I have to go deal with Brett and track down the guy who sent him.” Deandre clenched his jaw and looked away. “I need to put a stop to this.”
Deandre walked away, and Amir wasn’t sure what to say or think. Was the demon sorry they’d mated? Was he having second thoughts about having a human family, thinking that maybe it was more trouble than it was worth?
Amir dropped onto a chair at the kitchen table, rubbing his chest, wondering if the pain he felt there would ever go away.
Chapter Nine
Deandre should’ve just pulled Amir into his arms. His mate had nearly died, and what had he done? Walked away. He wasn’t the most intelligent man when it came to relationships. A lot of it was still confusing to Deandre, but who would keep putting up with danger? Especially someone with children to protect.
His world kept crashing in on Amir, and Deandre couldn’t help but think his mate blamed him for most, if not all, of it. For fuck’s sake, Amir saw Deandre slamming a vampire against a tree, ready to kill the son of a bitch. Saw the raw hatred on Deandre’s face, the need to end the vampire’s life.
There were thousands of years of violence, bitterness, and hatred flowing through his veins. Deandre had been stupid to think all of that would just go away all because he’d found his mate.
Because he’d found a slice of happiness.
And even if Deandre didn’t feel like shit for his and Amir’s worlds colliding, how would they even make it work in two different realms? He couldn’t simply walk away from his duties. He’d been a fool to think otherwise, a fool to think he could maintain this kind of life and have a family, too.
Deandre made a frustrated sound at the back of his throat as he entered his apartment, which seemed emptier since Amir wasn’t there. He looked over at the windows, and hell, Deandre had never wanted to cry, not even during his messed-up childhood. But in that moment, tears stung his eyes before he looked away.
His bedroom brought him no comfort, either. Deandre stood there staring at his bed, thinking of how he’d made Amir his right there on those sheets.
Could a person feel as though they were dying even with a strong, steady heartbeat? Could the darkness close in on them, suffocating them, make them want to give up their will to live?
Deandre wanted to give up, shut down, and freeze time, freeze himself so the heartache didn’t feel so heavy. He slammed a fist against his chest, trying to loosen the tight knot buried there.