Page 10 of The Blood Shadows

“Nox is not letting him out of his sight and currently they are holed up in his apartment.” The Master smiled knowing the couple were enjoying their time together and being holed up was not a hardship at present.

"I want you and Samuel to investigate the shooting. Nox was unable to get the name of the man who attacked Ian in the alley, but the name Ward Sinclair came to him. He's not the attacker but is connected in some way. Get me everythingyou can because none of us wants to deal with Nox Samara if something happens to his beloved." The Master made the situation clear.

"I doubt the city would survive," Fane commented gravely.

“Exactly.”

“Someone is protecting him.” She stated that as soon as he picked up the call,

“Who, who is protecting him?” Ron shot back.

“Is he suspicious? Has he acquired a bodyguard?” She wanted to shift the blame for failure onto Ron.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” He wasn’t taking it.

"Call Sinclair to arrange a meeting. This is unacceptable." She heard from her sources that the drive-by had ended in death for the two shooters, and Ian was completely unharmed.

"There's no need to call him again. He's useless. I don't know where you found him, but he was not worth my five thousand." Ron paused for a few seconds and then devised a plan. "We're going to have to get our hands dirty and do this ourselves. Their failures are adding up, and pretty soon, the police are going to notice and get involved."

"Nothing has been reported. Whoever is protecting Ian hasn't involved the police, and I don't think Ian has a clue that we're trying to kill him."

Ron laughed. “Blissfully ignorant as always.”

“No, not ignorant just too trusting.” She said and laughed along with Ron. “You may be right we need to oversee thisourselves. I’ll catch a flight and be there this afternoon. Pick me up at the airport, I’ll let you know the time and we will put something together. I’m tired of waiting it’s time we finished this.”

Ian lay in Nox’s arms and had never before felt so safe and so protected. After they'd made love, Ian experienced his mind opening, and what Nox called the awareness overtook him. He saw the world of the supernatural; it was everywhere. Things that had given him pause in the past now made sense with this new perspective.

The things that were said last night promised fidelity and forever and it all rang very true the awakening showed him reality and true intent and all of Nox’s words were true. He wasn’t sure how this all happened, but he had never felt happier or more secure in his life.

Nox was exactly what he claimed to be, a supernatural being half vampire and half demon. Ian could see both of them he’d noticed it before in Nox’s eyes, the hard lines of his face and in the way he moved. But Ian had put it down as being simply interesting and extremely fit. He could see it now in all its clarity and Nox was a gorgeous man the vampire and the demon were all Nox, and he was falling very hard for the man.

"I love you, Ian," Nox said and pulled Ian tightly into the circle of his arms. Those loving and warm eyes searched Ian's face and then placed a hard kiss on Ian's tender lips. "You taste divine."

"You are amazing, and I can't believe that so much was happening around me, and I never knew it. This awakening you gave me is mind blowing in the extreme but I think I’m starting to get used to it and crazy enough it all makes sense.Life is so much more understandable now that I have access to the secrets.” Ian laughed softly and tunneled his fingers through Nox’s soft black hair and pulled him closer.

Ian looked deep into his eyes seeing the depth of their connection reflected there and feeling the bond that now existed between them. “I can feel you Nox. I can see into your heart and your mind. You are absolutely awesome.” Ian kissed him lightly on the lips and then on the forehead and then nuzzled into his welcoming embrace. “I could stay like this forever.” He whispered.

Nox had not expected such a surge of emotions to encompass him at the completion of their bond. It was something that tore through him, shredding his reserve and laying him bare to his forever lover. In any other situation, he would feel the need to kill everyone involved, but in this situation, all he wanted was for his lover to kiss him and love him and never stop smiling at him.

The bond was special and selective, there would never be another in his life like Ian and he could not have asked for a better partner than Ian Mathews. Now that Nox had access to Ian’s thoughts and emotions he found that he loved him even more.

He loved him for his strength, intelligence, practical and sensible approach to life, and his openness to accepting someone like Nox. The pull was helping but as the Master had explained, if the ability to love someone wasn’t already present then the pull would be useless. Attraction had to be present before Fate could make the relationship happen.

“We are bonded, and I will be by your side for the rest of our days and beyond if I can arrange it.” Nox had connectionseven in the next world and he would certainly do whatever necessary to keep Ian close, but he wouldn’t go into that right now. Ian had a lot to process but his heart was willing and that was all that was required. They would get into the details of Nox’s life and associations at a later time.

“Are you hungry, sweetheart?" Nox used the endearment with ease.

“No, dinner last night was wonderful and filling.” The comment on last nights dinner date brought back the memory of the shooting and Nox felt his beloved begin to tense up.

“Dinner was good, and you were fantastic.” Nox kissed the side of Ian’s head and once again gathered him close in his arms. “I love how easy it is for you to be around me. Humans normally are put off by my presence it's the demon element that they sense and find concerning. That first night, you were not put off by me. You did not fear me. You stood with me without issue, and I was intrigued by you. I followed you, and I am so glad that I did."

"That sounds really sexy." Ian laughed, and the tension eased.

“You are the sexy one my love.” Nox continued with endearments, and he found them easy and natural when describing his perfect love. He was about to extol further on the many attributes of his beloved when his cell went off.

He did not release Ian but rather reached over to the bedside table and grabbed his phone and answered. “Nox here.” It was Master Rose and what he had to say was not a surprise.

“There’s a hit out on your beloved.” He began and Nox felt his insides turn to ice. “We discovered Ward Sinclair was the middleman and he has been eliminated. He hired the mugger in the alley and he hired the two shooters from last night.”

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