X barked a laugh and gave her a quick kiss.
Diesel playfully covered his eyes. “X and PDA? Isn’t that the first sign of the apocalypse?”
“That’s Diesel,” X replied. “He’s a special fruit. Helen, his mate, is the Order’s physician.”
The beautiful blonde smiled. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
“Yo, Dies. Where’s Pax at?” X asked.
“He’s just out blowing off some steam. He’ll be back for duty.”
“Do you have duty tonight, my male?”
Xavier looked down at his female and the look on her face turned his mouth to sawdust. “Yes, Troy and I are on duty.”
“Oh, then maybe you could teach me how to make the tea after dinner,” Evy suggested.
“Thank you,” he mouthed while Rose leaned over to pour Helen more water.
She smiled and gave him a thumbs-up.
As dinner wound down, the boss walked down to their end of the table and handed her a white pastry box. “I’m Reyn. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“He’s the boss,” X said.
Reyn rolled his eyes.
“Oh, you didn’t have to.” She undid the tape and opened the lid. “Mochi. My favorite dessert. Thank you so much.”
Reyn smiled. “It’s from the males. Welcome.”
Mary came in with two more boxes for the rest of the table. Dimitri unfastened one. “Rose, meet Mary, our famous chef.”
“Dinner was delicious, Mary. Thank you.”
“Well, I only do two cuisines. American and Japanese. Geoffrey and I have worked for the Ivanov family for almost eighty years. We went to Japan with Dimitri’s father while we worked for him. I picked up on a few things.”
“Geoffrey runs the house. He does everything around here but cook, so if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Rose couldn’t imagine she’d ever need anything again after such a welcome. She was still wiping her eyes as she went into the small kitchen with Evy.
The young female was breathtaking, with the first signs of her pregnancy just starting to show in her face, and her long, dark lustrous hair. Or maybe that’s just what a seer looked like.
“What do we need? I’ll sneak into the big pantry and find it. It’s a little hellish in there after meals.”
They heard pots and pans being abused in the big kitchen across the way and they both giggled.
“Just ginger root and some brown sugar.”
Evy smiled. “Okay. Be right back.”
The female vanished and Rose jumped. That was silly. Of course she could gleam. From what she could tell, Evy had more k’ul than even her mate did.
She materialized a moment or two later. “I thought it’d be safer. Is this right?”
Evy held up a few ounces of ginger root and handed it to her.
“Perfect. Now we’re going to use brown sugar, but honey works just fine, too. Whichever you prefer due to your pregnancy. I would skip the white sugar though. We all get enough of that. So, we’ll start by peeling the ginger, and then we’ll cut it into very fine slices.”
“How do you say ginger tea in Japanese?”
“You say, Shoga yu.”
Evy licked her lips. “Shoga yu.”
“Perfect.”
They were working on the cutting board when Evy suddenly turned to her and said, “You were alive during World War II?”
Rose looked up in shock. “I’m sorry?”
“Oh, my God. I’m still new to the whole Seer thing. Sometimes things just pop out.”
Rose grabbed a paper towel and sat down on a kitchen stool.
“I’m so sorry I invaded your privacy. Please, forgive me.”
Rose dabbed her eyes and tried to smile. “There’s nothing to forgive. You just startled me, that’s all.”
“I saw you as a little girl. You were sitting at a table with a newspaper on it and I saw the date. That’s all, I promise.”
“That would have been breakfast. My grandfather always read the paper. Could you see him?”
Evy shook her head.
“So, this year will be my seventy-fifth birthday.”
“Wow. You look like you’re at least half that. I was human before I became the Seer, so I’m still learning a lot about shifters.”
She picked the knife back up and continued to slice the ginger. “Well, at seventy-five I’m about middle-age.”
“No one knows how long I’ll live, or Troy either. And our offspring will be half and half. It’s the same for Maya. Nobody knows.”
“So, it’s all a bit of a mystery. Oh, that looks great, Evy. I think we have enough.” She filled the tea pot with water and put it on the stove.
Evy wiped the cutting board and nodded. “Pretty much.”
Rose suddenly exhaled. “Do all the females get nervous when their males go out on duty?”
“It’s harder at first. I don’t think we ever get totally used to it, but it gets better. And the other females here are great support. I kind of cheat, though. I read Troy’s future so I know he’ll be alright. I dunno if that’s good or bad, but I figure there have to be a few perks to this job.”
Rose laughed. “Absolutely.”
“In fact, Rose let me give you a gift to make up for what I did.”
The female suddenly looked a bit skittish. “Let me read X’s night for you. Then you won’t need to worry. I was going to read Troy’s anyway. I won’t read anything else, I promise.”
“Well, alright. I guess it couldn’t hurt.”
Evy smiled. “Let me take your hand.”
Rose laid her hand in hers and the Seer’s ring came to life. The usual heat hit the back of Evy’s eyes as she watched the night’s events move forward in rapid succession. And then images of Rose appeared again. Evy tried to break the connection, but it was too strong. Finally, she let go on a deep inhale.
“Evy, are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I felt a bit claustrophobic all of a sudden. I think it’s all the heat from the main kitchen.” She smiled. “The males will be just fine tonight.”
Rose led her to the stool and helped her sit down. “You’re sure you’re okay?”
She nodded. “I’m positive.”
The kettle went off and Rose went to get it. Evy watched her as she searched for a tea pot to use. She wondered if she should mention what she’d seen. This was a big part of the female’s past. She was sure X and Rose would have talked about it, right?
“Once the hot water is in the tea pot you can add the ginger. Let it steep for ten to fifteen minutes. Then pour it and add some brown sugar to taste.”
Once the tea was ready they each sat down with a cup in the little dining room. They chatted about how things worked at the compound and where everything was. But Evy couldn’t get the vision out of her mind. Sometimes being the Seer just plain sucked.
Seth walked down the hallway at the warehouse with his usual envelope of cash in hand. He had already skimmed some off the top, of course. Hopefully, it was enough. The longer they stayed, the more rent he paid and the less cash he could stash away. Out of nowhere, his hearing picked up voices on the next floor up. That was weird. They didn’t really use it for anything. He backtracked and quietly made his way up the stairs.
“So, what the fuck are you telling me? Seth has been taking cash from the payoffs?”
Batiste. Fuck. He froze on the top step. A voice he didn’t recognize answered.
“I am telling you precisely that. Victrixa discovered your little business and instead of destroying you, she sent me with this little tidbit of information in hopes you may trust her enough to join the fold. Be grateful, Batiste. If you had done this to me, you would be at the bottom of the Charles by now.”
“And what if I decide to decline your generous offer?”
“What do you think? Listen to me. Victrixa sees that what you have built here could be a tremendous asset. Instead of killing you and takin
g it, along with the rogues that are rightfully hers, she has generously offered to join forces. Now, do we need to waste any more time here?”
“No, I suppose we do not.”
“Excellent. Then you may hand me one of those cigars and we can discuss terms.”
Seth turned and bolted down the stairs. He knew immediately that he had only hours to live. He had to make it back to the apartment to get Grace. As he ran across the parking lot he gave a couple of guards a quick thumbs up just before he heard their phones go off. Aw, Christ. Make that minutes.
Pax walked next to Diesel as a Green Line train shot down the middle of the street. His instincts were telling him this was the night James would find Seth. Would he kill him? That would destroy the male. He’d rather have him pussy out. Then he could just handle it himself. James would hate him for it for any number of reasons, but better him than himself. He’d lived with that kind of self-loathing for years. He didn’t want the male condemned to that.
“Where were you again?”
Pax ran his hand through his hair. “I dunno. Nebraska maybe?”
“Well, you missed out on meeting Rose.”
“Don’t you mean the Japanese?”
“The Japanese was just a perk. But now that you mention it, we did get these little ice cream dessert things called mochi. Man, we gotta find out where in town Geoffrey found those.”
Pax put his hands in the pockets of his leather coat. Ah, Dies and his food. Some things never change. “Probably Trader Joe’s. You know how Geoffrey loves the hell outta that place.”
“Hey, why are we here anyway?”
“What, like we never patrol Allston?”
“Come on, Pax. It’s not on the schedule for days. Hold up. Are we here to check up on James?”
“Correction. I’m here to check up on James. I think he’s got a lead on Seth.”
“You’re gonna do it alone?”
“Sorry, partner, but unless you have a new power I don’t know about.”
Diesel spit out his gum. “You’re going in cloaked.”
“I can’t get close enough any other way. X and Troy are in Roxbury. There’s a den they wanna check out and they could use the extra hand. We Gucci?”
“Yeah, we’re good. I’ll see you at home. Be careful, my brother.”
Diesel gleamed out and Pax hung a right. Man, that run did him good. His head hadn’t been this clear or focused in weeks. He started up the hill and noticed a woman unloading groceries from her car. Then he passed some local guy walking his dog. Thank fuck. He had yet to use a female body and he wasn’t sure he was looking forward to it. He waited until he passed him, then took on his form. He heard the sound of snow crackling under boots and his senses picked up on a rogue seconds later. He put his back to the side of a house and sat tight. Finally, the rogue came into view, and if he wasn’t mistaken, the motherfucker matched Troy’s description perfectly. He didn’t dare get any closer, so he stayed one building down and watched Seth cut between two houses while he watched for James.
James materialized a few feet behind Seth. His old friend sensed him, but not quickly enough. He started to turn around, but James pulled the rogue’s arms behind his back and slammed him into the siding.
Seth was able to turn his face just enough to see him. “James. Fuck. What the hell are you doing, man?”
“You knew I couldn’t let you keep killing. It was just a matter of time before I’d find you.”
“Look, man, you gotta let me go. Batiste is after me and I need to get a friend to safety before he finds me.”
“Friend, huh? Blond hair and big blue eyes by any chance?”
Seth railed back against him, but James kept him subdued. “What did you do to her? If you as much as touch Grace, I’ll fucking end you. She’s a good girl. She hasn’t done anything wrong.”
“I hate to break this to you, but your good girl is a bit more of a spaz than you thought. She’s been leaving bodies all over town.”
He could see the shock on Seth’s face. What d’ya know. He’d really had no idea.
“No. No way. Not Grace. Please just let me get her out of there. Please, James. Then you can do whatever you want with me.”
James didn’t bother to tell his old friend that he’d killed her not twenty minutes before while she was draining her latest meal of k’ul. He shook his head. “I can’t do that, Seth. You aren’t the ones we protect.”
The look on the rogue’s face changed and, for a moment, it was as if James was looking at his old friend again. All at once it came to him. Fear. It had softened the hardness of Seth’s features, humanizing him. But if he pushed past it he could still see the dead look in the rogue’s eyes. The eyes of the bastard who had kidnapped and stabbed Evy. He owed this to Troy who had stepped aside to give him this chance. He would not falter. He slid his knife from its sheath.
“Don’t be afraid,” he said quietly.
He gripped the hilt of his long knife and ran it through Seth’s neck. The headless body he held turned to sand in his hand and fell through his fingers. He squatted next to the pillar on the ground, closed his eyes, and said a quiet prayer to the Goddess. Then he gleamed out.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Pax watched as James left the scene. He followed him back to the compound and materialized in the main foyer. He picked up on SE and Richard in the pool room and poked his head in. “Have either of you seen James?”
“Nope,” Richard answered.
Suddenly, the lights started to flicker. There was an odd buzzing sound before the whole floor went dark, then came back on.
SE looked around. “What the…?”
Then, out of nowhere, the wide screen bit it. Hard.
James. Pax half ran, half gleamed up the staircase to the brother’s door. He could sense him, but his energy was way off. He gleamed inside, his eyes adjusting instantly. There was a slight flicker of green in the far corner just as his hearing picked up on rapid breathing. He moved in that direction and knelt down in front of the brother. He was shaking, his whole body convulsing, his head tucked under his hands like there were shells going off.
“James.”
“What have I done? What have I done?”
Pax leaned forward and wrapped his arms around him, bracing him against each quake. The male’s face was wet against his neck and he reached down and wiped his tears.
James grabbed the sides of his head, clawing at his skin. “Make it stop.”
“Shhh.” Pax took him by the wrists and brought him to his chest.
Another tremor rocked his body as he held on to Pax for dear life. “Oh, God.”
He wasn’t sure how long it went on. Over and over they racked his body for what seemed like hours. He must have finally drifted off because he awoke to find them on the bed, his head on Pax’s lap. It was still dark outside. The male was propped up against the headboard, his hand in James’s hair, methodically pulling the sticky styling crap off the ends. His eyes were closed and James stayed quiet, not wanting to ruin it. Other than when they sparred, the two of them rarely ever shared this kind of physical space. In the intimacy of the moment, James forgot himself and reached up to touch the male’s face. A hand touched his and he regretted what he’d done immediately—prepared for what would most certainly be more rejection. But Pax didn’t push it away. James sat partway up and looked into his camzah’s soft brown eyes.
“James.” Pax whispered as his lips brushed lightly along James’s jaw, his temple, his cheek.
Please, he prayed.
Then it happened. At last, Pax captured his mouth with his soft, full lips, the sweetness of the male’s taste mixing with the salt from his own dried tears. Oh, God. He’d wanted this for so long, imagined what it might be like over and over. And right now he needed the connection so badly he ached. For a moment, Pax pulled back and looked into his face, golden eyes ablaze, so he knew when the next kiss came it wasn’t going to be anything like the first.
And that w
as so fine by him.
Pax took him firmly by the sides of his neck and kissed him with hot desperation. As the big male took command, James’s whole body woke up, his cock jumping like it was volunteering to be next in line.
When their tongues met, James accidentally shocked Pax slightly with his piercing. It was totally unintentional and he felt his face flush. But when the sound of Pax’s moan hit his ears, he did it again—this time with more power behind it. The brother growled against his mouth and in moments, James’s T-shirt was on its way over his head. The heat of Pax’s mouth seared his skin as the male pressed his lips to his neck and chest. James started to work the buttons on the guy’s shirt, but he was too distracted to undo the damn things. The brother took hold of the material and popped them straight down the front before pushing his powerful torso forward so that their bare chests collided. James ran his hands along the soft skin covering the warrior’s sleek muscles. What started out as a few gentle kisses turned into a rush to touch and taste. Their kisses were frantic, put off for far too long. So many feelings had been ignored, so many impulses suppressed. Alone together in the darkness of his room, they couldn’t hold back.
Without warning, Pax took him by the shoulders and flipped him on his back, his legs sprawled in his black leather pants. The male dropped kisses on his abs, before putting his legs together and pulling the leathers straight off.
Pax’s eyes latched on to his sex with a glow that looked like they could replace Boston’s entire power grid single-handedly.
“That’s what I want,” he drawled. And damn if the male didn’t lick his lips before he slipped his hands under James’s ass and pulled him forward, opening and taking him all the way into that warm, wet mouth.
“Fuck,” James bit out, his hips jutting right off the bed. He was going to come. He slid slightly sideways, not sure exactly what the procedure was. But Pax wasn’t having any of that. He put his hand on James’s pelvis, locking him into place. James shouted, finishing instantly, his eyes heavy lidded as he watched Pax take wave after wave of him down his throat. All the while those golden eyes were looking straight into his. When Pax had pretty much sucked him dry, and maybe even taken a few brain cells along the way, he moved up alongside him. His camzah leaned over him and kissed him long and slow with a softness and reverence James could never have imagined existed. Pax let himself collapse on top of him and they erupted into a fit of giggles.
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