Page 6 of Dead

“You’re home early,” a voice said behind him. “I haven’t started dinner yet.”

Eilam looked over his shoulder. “I needed to get out of there before I destroyed something.”

Noah was silent a moment as he folded the want ads onto the counter. “Let me guess. A five foot nothing warlock piss you off? And now you’re looking for some poor piece of meat to tear apart and take vengeance on.”

Eilam closed the fridge and spun around. “He’s so gods-damned…” Eilam fisted his hands in the air. “Shit, where do I even start? Mule headed. Arrogant. Dismissive. Hateful. And lastly… blind to the truth.”

“You asked him about me again, didn’t you?”

Eilam let out a sigh before leaning back against the fridge. “There’s a dinner he’s planning where I will be a guest. All other guests are allowed to bring their mates or significant others. Guess who isn’t?”

“He won’t be able to deny us forever,” Noah said.

“You don’t understand how hard it is to be in his presence, knowing what I know and unable to touch him. Unable to share him with you.”

As Noah had never met the king face to face, he didn’t feel the overwhelming need to claim. Until they met, Eilam was the only one of them who experienced the torment.

“Do you think me knowing our mate is within reach and being denied is easy?” Noah asked as he took a step closer. “It’s not.”

“I didn’t mean it is,” Eilam said, reaching out to grab Noah and drag the male closer. He pressed his lips to his brother bear’s and instantly, most of the anger he felt faded. The rest of it shifted into the need for Noah. “I’m sorry. Forgive me?”

Noah reached up and brushed a few strands of Eilam’s hair from his eyes. “There’s nothing to forgive. I know it’s hard for you to see him and not be allowed to touch… likely harder than what I feel.”

“Thankfully I have you to come home to,” Eilam whispered.

“He has no one to turn to. In time, the need he feels will overwhelm him.” Noah frowned. “Though, I had expected him to break by now.”

“As had I,” Eilam said. He ran a palm over Noah’s chest. “Why don’t we go out tonight?”

“A break from my role as your cute little housewife?”

“I might have a better job for you,” Eilam said. Eilam had wanted Noah as a member of the king’s guard, but the king had denied it. When he’d been refused, they’d waited, knowing the king would eventually relent and Noah could move into the role. Weeks had turned into months, months that had left Noah climbing the walls.

And finally now job hunting.

“Oh? Do you have some investigative work I can do?” Noah had been occasionally working on the sly, helping to find information for Eilam. They’d had to be careful so no one would find out and share it with their monarch.

“The king has given me complete freedom to choose a new task force. Vampires have been growing in number, yet we see no sign of them on the terminal registers. We need to shut down all illegal portals into the city.”

“But you need to find them all first,” Noah said.

“Exactly,” Eilam said. “You up to the task?”

“If it keeps our mate safe, then absolutely,” Noah said.

“Good.” Eilam cupped Noah’s cheek. “I’m glad. Knowing you’re there running things will allow me to focus elsewhere.”

“Running things?”

Eilam met Noah’s smiling eyes. “Who better to lead the investigation than you?”

Noah’s smile grew. “I appreciate the vote of confidence, but I’m sure there are those better familiar with this city. We’ve only been here a few months.”

“Without your legwork these past months, I doubt I would’ve been half as effective as I have been. In that time, you’ve uncovered things about Midnight I would’ve never known and learned a great deal about this city. I owe you a great debt. And an even bigger one if you agree to lead this new team.”

Noah smiled. “Will I have a say in who you hire?”

“Of course,” Eilam said. “Though I do have a list of men I’d already vetted for the king’s guard that our king refused. Most of them are Midnight PD and appear to be stand-up guys—I’d like you to take a look at them.”

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