Loch & Key (Miracle: Salvation Isle #7)

14. CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 14

Admittedly, he hadn’t known what to expect from Terrence, but Aban hadn’t really thought he’d accept the offer to speak with Saber, Edrick, and Kirill in less than thirty minutes. If anything, it should have proven to him not to judge anyone based on what he’d seen.

Based on Terrence’s eagerness to move forward, it was obvious he hadn’t been as happy living as a hermit as it had appeared. Then again, Aban should have already known that when he hadn’t exactly been happy living the same way.

He typically scoffed when someone used to tell him there was a difference between being alone and being lonely. For years, he’d preferred to live with no one else around. But things had changed, and that was before he met his mate. Now that he had, Aban had to admit he hated every second he was separated from Nessim.

True, it wasn’t quite the same type of loneliness, but he also couldn’t deny that he was happy his longtime friend was finally willing to get back out into the world. But that was up to Saber and the crew at that point. Aban had done all he could to convince Terrence to meet with them. That was plenty.

Now, he just needed to get back home to the man he loved. With Nessim in mind, he raced across the winds to return to Miracle. It had been where most of the survivors had moved and where his mate had felt he’d needed to be.

That Nessim was caring and kind warmed Aban from deep inside his core. Admittedly, Aban hadn’t been technically a part of the Council, but he’d always been available to help, and he’d made certain they’d known that. Mostly. Okay, so when he said that, it hadn’t pertained to him having already left home to fly over the oceans. Still, even if they hadn’t called him, he’d always been looking for issues, which was how he’d found the recent batch of shifter prisoners.

He had barely been held for forty-eight hours, yet it was impossible to deny he’d been traumatized. The truth was, even though he’d assumed the Council would come for him and those he was imprisoned with him, there had been no guarantee that would happen.

At least he knew they’d been informed where he had been taken. None of the others had even known that. As far as the others were concerned, no one even knew they were missing, much less chained and forced to work to exhaustion.

The sight of Miracle had Aban pushing even faster to get close to his mate. Except…It was more than just wanting to be near him; it was about Nessim needing to be there. Was that even a thing?

Not having a clue, he slightly shifted his wings to the south in order to land in Miracle. No, not just Miracle. His entire body vibrated with the basic need to hold the one person in the world he loved more than anyone else.

His feathers ruffled, he wasn’t drawn to the Alpha Manor where he’d left Nessim. Instead, he headed for a small grove just to the west of the entire town. That didn’t make him feel any better. He might—technically—be a fairly powerful Alpha albatross, but even he knew he was no match for Edrick, who—at that moment—he wanted to tear apart for not keeping Aban’s mate safe.

The fear that wrapped around him with his mate’s scent was too much. He cawed loudly in warning. There was a sense of relief when he heard Edrick and his entire inner circles’ roars of displeasure and Saber’s. By the time he’d arrived, the other shifters were there, ready to pounce if needed.

Closing his wings, Aban shifted and landed right next to his mate, not caring in the least that he was completely naked. Based on the pink that crept up Nessim’s neck and into his cheeks, he’d noticed and was embarrassed.

In some ways, that had Aban feeling better. From his experience, most people who felt embarrassed were family. Stupid? Probably, but then again, he had little experience with any of it.

“Mate,” he said as he kissed Nessim’s temple. “Want to introduce me?” Naked or not, he wasn’t about to allow whoever was before them, who appeared to be trying to intimidate Nessim, continue. His mate was the most important person in his life, and Aban would fight everyone who tried to make Nessim feel like he wasn’t good enough.

That he could feel the heat from his mate’s cheeks only made Nessim more adorable. Since he was certain Nessim wouldn’t appreciate hearing that, Aban was completely prepared to take that thought to his grave.

The elbow that lightly jabbed into his ribs told him he hadn’t hidden as well as he’d hoped. What he wasn’t certain was whether it was regarding what he’d said or the fact that he was still naked.

Typically, shifters didn’t care about being without clothes, but based on Nessim being mythical, it was entirely possible he was. That said, Aban didn’t care. He was there for his mate, even if it meant showing all his parts to Nessim’s family. No one, not even his mate’s family, was allowed to cause Nessim stress.

“I’m Nessim’s mate, Aban,” he said as he stretched out his hand to one of Nessim’s family to introduce himself.

Apparently, none of them felt the need. His sweet mate pointed to the slightly older female, who appeared more surprised than upset. “This is my Aunt Diantha.”

It pained him that Nessim had seemed hesitant to introduce him. But when he glanced at that gorgeous face, he found it impossible to miss the way he stared hard at the man standing next to his aunt. Was that the asshat his mate had been afraid of?

Sure enough, it had only taken his aunt introducing her son for Nessim to tense to the point of shattering. “I’m so happy to meet you,” Nessim’s aunt said. “This is my oldest, Artemon. Technically, he takes after his father, who is a seal, but he still holds our heritage in his veins.”

The moment she’d said those words, Aban knew he loved her. It wasn’t so much that she was trying to discredit her own kids, but she was also making certain Aban knew Nessim was loved.

Even though he hadn’t thought for a second his mate could actually have been more tense, he’d been wrong. The arm he’d had around Nessim the moment he’d arrived felt his mate stiffen to the point Aban feared he might shatter.

It killed him to know his mate felt like that might have been true. There wasn’t one thing Aban wouldn’t have done to ensure Nessim knew he was safe—not just from the outside world but from his own family, if that was what it took for him to relax.

“I got you,” he whispered into his mate’s ear so even the surrounding shifters couldn’t hear. “Acknowledged. Mind telling me what any of you are doing here?”

It was entirely possible they lived there, but that they were confronting Nessim outside of town had Aban on edge. Based on how his mate and the others there had tensed up, he was right to assume it wasn’t good.

“You don’t need to hear anything they have to say,” he told his mate. “More importantly, I want to get to know every damn inch of your body tonight. We might have consummated our union last night, but I have yet to devour your entire body.”

Damn, if Nessim’s neck and cheeks didn’t get even hotter. Hell, every fiber of his being wanted nothing more than to be connected to Nessim.

Something he was completely prepared to make happen. Relatives or not.