Page 11 of Conflicted

“Are we done?” The angel’s voice was as melodic as the rest of him. He was standing perfectly still, yet the air around him seemed disturbed, like his power was so great there was no hope of him fully leashing it. “I can show you more.”

“That won’t be necessary.” I extended my hand for him to shake. “Very impressive. I’m Micah.”

“I know.” His golden eyes twinkled as they swept over the rest of the Seraphim. “Everyone knows who you are.”

“Yet we don’t know you,” Ezekiel drawled from my side. I jumped slightly before the ache hit again. How long would it take for me to stop expecting to hear Dimitri’s voice as my second instead of Ezekiel’s? “Or do we? I have to confess, you look familiar.”

The angel smiled, giving a small nod. “I’m Noah. You might have seen me after the battle in Hell. I was at the fault line portal as you journeyed back through.”

I didn’t remember him, but I barely remembered anything about leaving Hell, too preoccupied by the word that refused to stop chasing me.

Mate. Mate. Mate.

I swallowed, crossing my arms over my chest like it might stop my heart betraying me. “You helped defend it?”

“No, the credit lies with a vampire and a mage. They were the ones who held the line, I merely aided them at the very end.”

“He permanently executed fifty demons with a single blast of power,” Benji said flatly, spinning a pen on the table. “If he hadn’t done so, both the vampire and mage would’ve lost their immortality.”

I had no idea how Benji knew that, but I’d learned a long time ago to not question him. If he said something was so, then that was the way it was. “Very impressive.”

Noah’s smile was strained. “It was nothing.”

I tapped my fingers against my arm. Powerful, yet humble. Excellent qualities in an arch, and a necessary requirement for the Seraphim. For any new members, that was. The twins and Rami brought too much arrogance already. The last thing I wanted was to add any more to the mix. “Why the Seraphim?”

“You’re the best.” His gaze swept over the curious faces behind the table. “And I’ve seen how you are together.You’re a team. Loyal, fierce, protective. Who wouldn’t want to be part of that?”

Rami, ever the flirt, leaned forward with a wolfish grin. “Oh, we can be fierce alright, especially in the bedroom.”

I tensed, feeling Ezekiel do the same beside me. Noah seemed perfect, but the last thing we needed was another clusterfuck like the one Dimitri and I had given the team. We’d never even been together, but my unrequited feelings had caused enough problems on their own.

Noah gave Rami an indulgent grin. “Oh, sweetie, I’d break you. As fun as that might be for me, I don’t shit where I eat. No offence.”

“None taken,” Rami said, nodding in respect. “I like your style. Besides, I’m waiting for my mate.”

“Aren’t we all,” Theo muttered.

“Not me,” Breann said, gazing adoringly at Grace. “I already found mine.”

Grace blushed while the rest of us rolled our eyes. They’d been mated for centuries, but Breann never missed an opportunity to remind us of their happiness. And Grace? She always blushed like it was the first time she was receiving Breann’s attention.

A face I’d tried so hard to forget floated through my mind. Not everyone was so lucky with their mates.

I forced my mind back to the current conversation. “Why are you leaving Juniper?”

“It’s just time for a change.”

It was so fast. Almost too fast to catch, but I saw it. Maybe I recognised it because I also had experience with the feelings he was trying to hide.

Pain. Heartbreak. Longing.

He smiled widely to cover it up—not that it was needed. I doubted any of the others had noticed. I was gladI had though. Suddenly I didn’t just want Noah on my unit, I needed him. If I could help him escape the agony that had dogged me for centuries, then that’s what I was going to do.

I extended my hand to Noah, ignoring the shocked inhale from Ezekiel. “Welcome to the Seraphim.”

2

Nox

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