Page 39 of Black Bird

“What about other members? I never paid much attention. Are any of them married?” Just saying the word seemed strange. He never saw himself marrying anyone. Never even really thought about it, nor was it something he ever wanted. He generally loved the solitude.

“No, notmarried… I mean, I know a couple of them are mated.”

Mated …

That got his attention. Athan lowered his brows. “What do you meanmated?That’s a thing?” They drank again.

“Yeah. It’s not what you’re thinking, though. There’s a difference between siring somebody and mating somebody. Marking obviously leaves the traces, and if you turn them … well, you know. They’re like us. But if you’re lucky enough, you find a mate. That person would be just as drawn to you as you are to them. It’s like some unbreakable bond that links up that nobody can feel or detect except the two of you. From what I’ve come to understand, it’s rare. But as much as we’ve moved around the world, man … it doesn’t seem unlikely that members in the coven have found their mates.”

“Can a human be a mate?”

“I think so. I mean if it’s a part of your being I don’t think it would matter if you were human or not, would it? I certainly see that being a possibility.” Tony finished his drink and started washing his glass. Athan slowly sipped on his, staring down into it and swirling the contents as he got lost in thought. This was insanity. There was no fucking way this was true … was it? “You alright, chap?”

Athan glanced up, meeting Tony’s eyes as he dried off the glass and nodded again. “Yeah, I’m good.” He finished off the whiskey and slid the cup across the bar. “Keep this between us, will ya?” He leaned over, patting Tony’s shoulder and the wise bartender tipped his cap. “Thanks, Tony.”

“You got it.” Athan slid down from the bar, puffing on the last of his cigarette and striding toward the door. “Kane …” Tony called. He looked back over his shoulder. “It’s good to see you. I needed the company too.” He winked, and Athan jerked his head in reply, throwing up a couple of fingers as he left.

He was so fucked. Of course, the universe would throw this on him. Right now, of all times. When the coven was plotting against him, and working with a crooked-ass politician to scope out the girl that fate paired him with. How could this get any worse? His freedom seemed farther and farther away, and if Dahlia found out about Sarah …what would she do to her? Christ, it was so screwed up. He decided the best thing to do for now would be to lay low and get as much figured out on the sly as he could. He’d try to protect her through all of this. When Rhaena found out, she’d lose it. He found himself wishing he’d asked Tony for one more before he mounted his bike and peeled out.

When he unlocked the door to his apartment, he was glad to find it empty, save for the screeching bird that was begging to be let out of his cage. He didn’t want to see Rhaena right now. He didn’t want to see anyone else. That was, unless some tattooed, hazel-eyed heartbreakerknocked on his door tonight. Even then, all that would accomplish was how far he could push his self-control. He’d never touch her that way. Not until she knew the truth about what he’d done to her. If she wanted him after that, which he knew was highly unlikely, then and only then would he allow himself the pleasure.

“Hey, bud.” Athan soothed, letting Poe step onto his finger as he reached past the door to his cage. “I’m sorry … you’re gonna have to get used to the new shift, too. I’m not giving it up … even for you.” Poe cocked his head and ruffled his feathers, hopping onto Athan’s shoulder when he raised him to it. He walked to his room, fishing out the figurine wrapped in brown paper and the bird watched intently as he unraveled it. “Look at that. Now you’re immortal, too.” Athan mused, holding the figure up in front of them. He placed it in an empty spot on his bookshelf across from his bed and turned it at an angle. Whispers from behind him started firing up and he turned his attention to his dresser. Poe squawked as if he could hear them too.

Athan stepped near it, pulling open the top drawer and staring at the small box. He knew what was in it. He’d been avoiding even thinking about what he’d stolen from her. Whose remains were sitting in an old dresser in a shitty apartment. They didn’t belong here. They belonged around her neck. He lifted the lid and reached in, dangling the pendant on his fingers from the thin silver chain that suspended it. Poe shifted uncomfortably and made sputtering noises as the whispers grew louder. Athan’s phone started buzzing in his pocket. He dropped the necklace back into the box and shoved the drawer closed, reaching into his pocket to answer. It was an unknown number.

He slid the call button over. “Kane,” he answered. No one responded, although he could clearly hear soft snickering and glasses clinking in the background. “Hello?”

“I didn’t think this through,”a woman’s voice sounded on the other end.

He lowered his brows. “I’m sorry?”

“I wanted to talk to you, but now that you’ve answered …”She laughed and paused.“I have no fucking idea what to say.”

Athan turned sharp on his heel toward his bedroom window. “Sarah?”

“Yeah, it’s me. I’m sorry … I honestly don’t even know if I expected you to answer.”

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“Yeah! Yeah … I just—I don’t know what I’m doing here. I worked with Northwood all day today and now … I dunno. Now I found myself sitting at a bar by myself and I’m not really sure why I came.”

He had no idea what to say to this girl. They were both quiet for … shit, he didn’t even know how long, until he’d found himself in his living room perching Poe onto his stand. “Please tell me you’re not making my job harder and hanging out at a club full of naked goth kids.” Sarah busted out laughing.

“Dude, no. I wouldn’t go back there if somebody paid me. Honestly, I would be happy not to ever be on that side of town again. Wherever the fuck that is.”

“Where’s your friend?” he asked, shrugging off his jacket and pulling his cigarettes out of the pocket.

“Wren? I have no clue. Maybe still at work? I haven’t called her since she left this morning. She’s supposed to be going back home tonight, anyway. I’m flying solo tonight.”

Athan fired up a smoke. “You probably shouldn’t be. Not the safest thing you could do right now, you know.”

“I wonder if there’s someone who could come protect me?”

That fucking tug in his middle had him white knuckling the phone in his hand. “Northwood is probably off. Want her number?”

“You’re such a killjoy, detective.”

Athan chuckled through his nose. “I get that a lot.”

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