“How is it, then?”
Adan closed his eyes and hung his head, like he was trying to remember. “I’ve felt hate before, when I was in the lab. The other shifters hated the scientists and the guards, and some of the guards hated us. It tasted the same, but this was so much stronger, like whoever it is hates everyone in the dining room. It’s very strong.”
“I might have an explanation for that,” someone said from behind Yanis, startling him.
He looked back, his gaze meeting Dominic’s. “You do?”
“Why don’t we go to my office? Unless Adan needs Jared.”
“No, I’m fine. It was just too much.”
Yanis couldn’t deny Adan looked good, normal. Still, he stayed close as they followed Dominic to his office, just in case. Dominic closed the door behind Yanis and pointed at the couch on the right of the room rather than at the chair in front of his desk. “Do you want something to drink? Or to eat, since you didn’t have time to do it downstairs.”
Adan shook his head, but his stomach growled. Yanis pressed his lips together, because the last thing they needed right now was Adan to get angry with him for laughing.
Adan blushed and patted his stomach. “I could eat.”
Dominic grinned. “I’ll call Nate and ask him to come up with a plate for you.”
“Oh, I can go downstairs.”
“He needs to be here anyway.”
Dominic made his phone call then sat in front of Adan. He looked at Yanis. “How are you finding yourself here?”
“Fine. Everyone’s nice.”
“Except Keenan and Nysys,” Adan added.
Dominic chuckled. “They take some time to get used to.”
“They shimmered into our room just after we had sex!”
Yanis didn’t blush, but he did feel a bit uncomfortable. Dominic just laughed. “Yes, I know they do that. I’ve tried to stop them, but short of putting one of the Glass Company’s collars on Nysys, there’s nothing I can do.”
“Have you tried talking to them?”
“Of course I have. I think they’re the only ones who aren’t afraid of me one bit.”
Someone knocked on the door and Dominic called out, “Come in.”
Ani came in first, followed by Nate. They were both holding big trays and they put them down on the coffee table. They each held full plates and silverware, and Ani went to a cabinet and took out napkins and glasses while Nate opened a cupboard, revealing a small fridge. He took out a bottle of water and put it on the table with everything else.
Everyone took plates and started eating, and they were silent for a while, but Yanis was becoming impatient. He swallowed his mouthful of chicken and cleaned his mouth. “Why are we all here?”
“We could wait until we’re done eating,” Adan said. Yanis knew he didn’t want to talk about what had happened, but they both knew they had to.
“The sooner you tell them, the sooner this can be over.”
Adan sighed and put his plate on his thighs. “Fine. You all know I’m part empathic vampire now, right?” he looked at Dominic, Ani, and Nate and they all nodded at him. “That means I can sense emotions, and I feed on them, although not always. From what Jared and Emery have said, I don’t have to feed as often as a full-blooded vampire does because I have a human and a shifter part too. Anyway, even when I don’t need to feed, I can still feel emotions, and, well, there was someone in the dining room that was feeling something very strong.”
“What was it?” Dominic asked, his meal forgotten.
“Hate.”
“And you’re saying it was particularly strong?”
“Yes. I’m not sure how good I am at this yet, but compared to everything I’ve felt since I woke up this way, it was very strong.”
“So someone in the room hates someone else.”
Adan put his plate on the table and linked his fingers. “It’s more than that. It’s like whoever it was hated everyone, unless something very bad happened between two of the people there. It could be, I guess. It depends on people and how they react to things.”
Dominic and Nate looked at each other and Yanis put his plate down. He could tell something was going to happen, and he was pretty sure he wasn’t going to like it.
Dominic nodded and Nate put his fork down. He looked at Adan and Yanis and started talking. “We found out there’s a mole in the pride a few months ago.”
“A mole?” Yanis asked.
“Yes. We don’t know who it is, or who he works for exactly, but we suspect it’s for the hunters.”
“You mean the humans killing shifters?”
“Yes. They’re targeting mostly small and weak groups of shifters, and it’s obvious they know exactly where to hit.”
Yanis nodded. “They have an insider.”
“Yes. We’re sure of this thanks to Shad, Darin’s brother. It’s a long story, but someone tried to push him to betray us, and we found out about the mole after that.”
“And you have no idea who it is?”
“No. We’ve been trying to shorten the list of possible people, but it’s hard. Whoever it is, he’s very smart, and he’s careful as to where he takes his information and what he does with it. We weren’t sure why they were doing it, but since you say you felt hate, well, it makes the fact that we have a hunter pretty obvious.”
“So it’s one of the human members?” Adan asked.
“It could be, but we don’t want to rule anyone out. All the humans here are mated, so at the least their mates would know something was off. Unless they’re helping.”
That would mean two moles, and damn it, Yanis had known he wouldn’t like this conversation. “What can we do?”
“We need to shorten our list, and we were hoping Adan might help,” Dominic said.
Yanis already knew Adan would say yes. They’d been talking about how much he wanted to find a way to thank the pride, and he was the only one who could really do something. Yanis hated it, and he promised himself he’d follow his mate like a shadow until the mole was found.
“What do you want me to do?”
“I need you to talk to everyone here, in small groups.”
“You want me to use the mole’s emotions to pinpoint who it is.”
“Yes.”
“I’m not sure it can work. Everyone feels the same emotions, and I can’t know why they’re feeling them.”
“But I doubt a lot of pride members have such strong hatred for anyone here.”
“I’ll try.”
“That’s all I ask for.” Dominic looked at Ani, then back at Adan. “There was something else I wanted to ask you.”
“Yes?”
“Have you already thought about what you’re going to do now that you’re back?”
Adan looked at Yanis and smiled. “Some.”
Dominic chuckled. “I was thinking of a more professional answer.”
“No, not yet.”
“I’d like you to work for the council.”
Adan’s eyes went wide, and Yanis sighed. He knew Adan had rare abilities and that he could be very useful, but he was scared he’d lose his mate. “I want to be his bodyguard,” he told Dominic.
“What are you talking about?” Adan asked.
Yanis put his plate down and took Adan’s hand. “Working for the council isn’t going to be very safe.”
“Yanis is right. I want you to sit at council meetings and at the meetings between the council and other shifters,” Dominic answered. “Having your input could be invaluable.”
“I’ll do it,” Adan said, just like Yanis had predicted.
Chapter Five
When Adan woke up, Yanis was gone—again. It was almost like Yanis did it on purpose, and Adan wanted to know why. Yanis had said he was used to getting up early, but was that really the only reason? And why on earth did Adan doubt his mate already?
Adan pulled the blankets over his head and closed h
is eyes. They weren’t mated—they hadn’t had the opportunity yet. There was always someone who interrupted them, be it on the phone or knocking on their door. Not that Adan thought Yanis would dump him or anything, but Yanis was treating him like spun glass, and Adan didn’t like it.
He was fine, and he wasn’t scared of the mole—much. He’d been walking around the house for a week now, talking to people and getting to know them, and Yanis had been with him the entire time, hovering behind Adan’s back like the bodyguard he now was. Sometimes Adan had the feeling Yanis viewed him more like a charge than his mate, and it bugged him. He wasn’t an innocent virgin flower, and he didn’t want to be treated like one, not when he could have wild monkey sex with his mate instead.
Adan sighed and pushed the covers back. He got up and showered, and when he got back in the bedroom, wearing only a towel, Yanis was there, sweaty and panting. Adan arched a brow at him. “Have you been having fun without me?”
“Depends. Do you like running?”
“Umm, no.”
“Then I haven’t.”
Adan felt a little awkward standing almost naked in front of his dressed mate. He knew he should drop the towel and dress, and who cared if Yanis saw him. They were mates, so he was bound to see Adan’s ass sooner or later. Besides, Jared, Adrian, and Noem had seen Adan naked more than enough times.
It had been different, though. Jared and the others were only doctors. Yanis was the man Adan would spend the rest of his life with, and right now, he was staring at Adan’s chest, his face still flushed from the run, beads of sweat rolling down his neck.
Adan looked at Yanis and unhooked the towel. It fell on the floor and Yanis’ gaze slid down to Adan’s dick. He wasn’t hard yet, but it wouldn’t take long, not if Yanis continued to look at Adan like that.
Yanis took a step forward, then another. He reached out for Adan.
Someone knocked on the door.
Yanis twirled around and Adan scrambled to put his towel back where it covered him. “Yes?” Yanis asked.
“It’s Ira.”
Adan rolled his eyes while Yanis answered, “What is it?”
“Do you want to come downstairs for a bit? Maybe watch a movie?”
They hadn’t told anyone about what Adan had agreed to do for Dominic, and that Yanis was now his bodyguard, so for now, they were both just hanging around the house, seemingly without anything to do.
Yanis looked at Adan as he answered, “I don’t know.”
“Go, Yanis. He’s your best friend,” Adan told him.
“I should stay with you.”
“I’m sure I can manage being on my own for a few hours. Go spend time with Ira. You can gossip.”
“We don’t gossip.”
“Of course you do. Come on, tell him you’ll go. I might even come by in a little while.”
Yanis gave Adan a glance and called out, “Ira’”
“Yeah?”
“Give me ten minutes to shower and I’ll come down.”
“Great. I’ll be in the living room downstairs.”
Adan heard him walk away. He was still clutching his towel at his waist, and he wished he could dump the thing and jump his mate. “Do you think we’ll ever be able to mate, or even just have sex? I want to have sex. I miss it.”
Yanis laughed and walked closer. He pulled Adan into his arms, and Adan let the towel go. There was something erotic about him being naked while Yanis was dressed and smelled of sweat and man, and Adan wrapped his arms around Yanis’ neck.
Yanis looked down at him and smiled. “I’m sure we will. You miss sex, huh?”
“Yeah. It’s been so long I’m not even sure I remember how it works.”
“You seemed to remember plenty the other day.”
“That was an eternity ago.”
“I wouldn’t call a week an eternity, but okay.” Yanis leaned down and kissed Adan.
The kiss was way too short for Adan’s taste, and he didn’t want to let go of Yanis. Yanis noticed it—how could he not when Adan was hanging from his neck?—and laughed again. “How about tonight?”
“You want to have sex tonight?”
“Why not?”
“Oh, I’m more than okay with that idea, I just hope Nysys won’t decide to shimmer in at midnight, or that someone won’t come knocking as soon as we disappear in here.”
“They do seem to have a knack at stopping us from doing anything more than kissing.”
“We should take a room in a hotel and leave our cell phones here. That way no one will be able to find us.”
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea. We need to be reachable.”
Adan sighed and pressed his forehead against Yanis’ shoulder. “I know. I just really want to spend some time with you, and I don’t mean time hunting the mole or sleeping.”
Yanis rubbed the back of Adan’s neck. “I know. I’ll think of something.”
They kissed again, but Yanis had to go shower. Adan let him go and dressed. He might as well go to the kitchen and have breakfast, or rather an early lunch, since it was almost eleven.
The house was mostly silent. Everyone who had a job outside the house was away, and the ones who didn’t were hard at work in their offices. Adan was surprised to find someone in the kitchen when he got there, but he smiled at Delevan, who was cooking something. “That smells good.”
Adan wasn’t sure what to think about Delevan. He hadn’t talked to him much yet, but the few times he had Delevan had been grouchy. Adan unleashed his power and let it reach Delevan. Adan was getting better at not being felt when he looked for people’s emotions, but some were more sensitive than others were. Delevan had to be one of those, because he scratched his chest, but he didn’t say anything about it.
“Thanks.”
“Is it lunch?”
Delevan nodded and added herbs in the pan. “Yeah.”
“I thought lunch was everyone on their own?”
“It is, but I like to cook. Helps me relax.”
Adan delved deeper and examined what he found. Delevan was sad and a bit down. His emotions were tinged with something bland Adan couldn’t identify, but it was far from the hate he was looking for. He couldn’t be a hundred percent sure, but he didn’t think Delevan was the mole. “Can I sit?”
“Sure.”
They both fell silent. Adan still felt awkward with most people in the house, but then even though he’d technically lived there for a year, it had really only been a few weeks. Most people hadn’t known him before then, even though they knew he was in the infirmary.
Adan wanted to make friends, but he wasn’t sure he remembered how. He tapped his fingers on the counter, looked around the room, but the silence became heavier. Delevan’s sadness seemed to follow that trend and it became stronger. Adan didn’t like it.
“You’re Dominic’s son?” he asked to break the silence.
A flash of pleasure, at what Adan didn’t know, passed through Delevan’s emotions. “Yeah.”
“That’s...” Good? Adan wasn’t sure what to say to it, and he was relieved to see Delevan smile.
“It’s cool. I didn’t know he was my dad until a year ago.”
“Oh?”
Sadness, and willfulness. Pride, happiness, a touch of anger. Adan was pretty sure Delevan wasn’t the mole. He would have reacted differently at the mention of Dominic if he had been, son or not.
“Yeah. My mom never told me my father was still alive. Well, I’m not sure she knew where he was, but she did know who he was. She should have told me.”
“But you found him.”
“Yeah.”
“And now you’re happy.”
Delevan’s emotions were tinged with sadness again, but he nodded. “Yeah. I’m happy.”
Adan didn’t believe that for one second.
* * * *
Yanis flopped on the couch. “What are we watching?”
“Superheroe
s?” Ira asked, the remote already in his hand.
“Yeah, whatever.”
Ira arched a brow. “Something wrong?”
“Nah.”
“Come on, man. You can tell me.”
“It’s not a problem, just an inconvenience.” Ira stared until Yanis gave in. “Fine. Me and Adan haven’t had sex yet, not full on sex anyway.”
“I know you’re not mated. I was wondering why. Is he—does he have problems? Because of what happened to him?”
“What?”
Ira waved a little with his hand. “You know. Did they do something to him in the lab?”
“Yeah, they did, but nothing sexual.”
“Why haven’t you had sex yet, then? He wants to wait?”
“No, neither of us do, but every time we try to get at it, someone interrupts us.” Yanis gave Ira a pointed glare.
It took Ira a few seconds to understand, then he laughed. “I didn’t know I was interrupting something. Jayden told me you’d just come back in from your run.”
“I had. Things were just starting to look up.”
“Damn, sorry. But don’t you sleep in the same bed?”
“Yeah, but he’s still recuperating. He’s exhausted at night.” That much was true. It looked like Adan’s vampire power took a lot out of him, especially since he was using it so much. He was also still recovering from a year spent in his mind. He hadn’t eaten much during that time, and had spent most of the time in a bed, so his body was still getting used to being active.
“Organize something for him.”
“Like what? He suggested a hotel, but I don’t know if it’s a good idea.”
“Why not? Does he want to have sex with you?”
“Yeah.”
“So what’s the problem? Book a room, buy champagne and chocolate, and spend a night away from everyone. I get it, you know. I don’t mind living here, but it’s very crowded. There’s always someone around, and it doesn’t make quickies easy.”
“I don’t want to have a quickie.”
“Exactly, so book a room.”
The thought was appealing. Yanis could have Adan for himself for one night, maybe two. They could eat dinner, just the two of them, go back to their room and take their time.
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