Page 139 of Conflicted

“Hi.” Dimitri waved at us awkwardly as we stepped into the living room. “Thank you for coming.”

“Are all angels, or former angels, this polite?” Nox asked, his lips twitching.

“Nope,” Dagon said, going up to Dimitri and placing a smacking kiss on his cheek. “This fucker is usuallyanythingbut polite. Like I said though, he’s nervous.”

Dimitri looked at the ceiling, his mouth moving like he was counting backwards from ten. “Thanks for that, Dagon.”

“You’re welcome,” the demon sang. “Always here to help!”

I had to hide my smirk behind my hand, but from Dimitri’s wry smile, he’d caught it. “Yes, he’s always that irritating, but I love him anyway.”

“I get it,” I said, thumbing at Nox, who was helping Lucky to pour drinks. “Mine is just as bad. I swear, he’s only happy if he’s winding me up.”

“Or when I’m fucking you,” Nox called over from the makeshift bar area. “That makes me pretty happy too.”

Now I was the one closing my eyes and counting back from ten. When I opened them, Dimitri was smiling in understanding. “Want to find somewhere quiet to get this over and done with?”

Beers in hand, Dimitri led me into the garden. We sat at a small bistro table, taking two of the three chairs around it. “You know, I shouldn’t have been surprised that you had two mates.”

Dimitri looked at me quizzically. “Why’s that?”

I shrugged. “You’ve always had a big heart, Dimitri. All angels like to care and protect others, but you took it to awhole new level. I can’t imagine Dagon was always willing to let you be the caretaker.”

“He wasn’t.” Dimitri took a long slug of beer before continuing. “It was the source of most of our arguments, to be honest. I wanted to shelter and protect him, while he wanted to do the same with me.”

“I’m sorry that I was the cause of your other arguments.” I didn’t need him to tell me that; I knew it was true. “I deeply regret everything, Dimitri. If I could go back in time and do it all over again, I would choose differently in every situation. I never would’ve done anything to risk our friendship. Of everything, that’s what I’m most sorry about.”

Dimitri and I had grown up together. Trained together. Fought together. Died together. It was my stupidity that had ruined that bond we’d spent so long building.

“I forgave you for that a long time ago,” Dimitri said eventually. “It’s hard to hold on to that anger knowing it’s ended happily for me. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for asking you to help me save my mates so many times. I didn’t take into consideration how it might make you feel, seeing me with them.”

“It’s fine,” I said quickly. “Honestly, it’s fucking embarrassing for me to look back on, especially now I’m mated to Nox. What I felt for you isn’t even in the same universe as what I feel for him. No offence.”

“None taken.” Dimitri gave me a soft smile, one I hadn’t deserved from him in a very long time. “I’m happy that you’re happy, Micah.”

“Me too.” I twisted in my seat to see Nox watching us through the window. Not out of jealousy, but to make sure I was okay. I smiled at him. “At first, I thoughtfate had fucked up, but it hadn’t. Nox is my perfect counterpart in every way.”

My mate grinned at me, his gorgeous features seeming to light from within. Yeah, I was one lucky angel.

NOX

It was late by the time we left Dimitri’s house. Once he and Micah had cleared the air, they’d returned indoors to help Lucky load the table with dish after dish. Micah had also emphasised many,manytimes that Dimitri was welcome to visit the compound, and the other Seraphim, as often as he liked.

It was funny, but I didn’t feel a shred of jealousy as I watched my mate joke with Dimitri. How could I, when I had a front row seat to how much Micah loved me? To how he constantly sought me out, smiling when he found my eyes on him?

That angel loved me. Me, and only me. I didn’t need to feel jealous.

Apparently though, Micah hadn’t got the same message. He was pouting over the bear hug Dimitri had given me before we left to thank me for being there for Micah.

After letting him sulk for a moment more, I tucked him in tight under my arm. It was such a nice night that we’d decided to go for a walk before driving back to London.

“Why are you still annoyed about Dimitri hugging me? I’ll point out he also hugged you, as did LuckyandDagon.”

“Well, it was how long he took about it.” Micah sniffed. “There was no need for him to hug you like that.”

He’d lingered because he’d been thanking me, not for any nefarious reason. I kissed Micah’s temple. For some reason, Micah hating me being touched by the one he’d thought he was in love with for centuries was fucking adorable.

“Don’t be jealous, little angel. I only have one type now, and it’s you.”

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