39. Sam
39
Sam
T he day of Gloria’s deadline dawned, bringing with it a fresh chill to the air. It didn’t help that we were outside, with nothing between us and the elements. The Seraphim stood around me in a loose ring, Nox with them. They were facing the end of the drive, where they’d predicted Gloria would appear.
I kept wracking my brain for what she’d said during the last meeting, but I couldn’t catch it. I knew it was important. I knew it.
But the information floated just out of reach. Close enough to taunt me, but too far to reach.
I’d told the Seraphim there was something I was missing, something I couldn’t remember. Micah had tried to reassure me by telling me they had every avenue covered, that she couldn’t throw anything at them that they hadn’t already anticipated.
It wasn’t enough to calm the tension in me, or to stop the itch in my brain screaming at me to remember .
I wasn’t the only one who was tense. All evidence of the joking and teasing unit was gone, leaving hardened soldiers in its place. Armed to the teeth, feet grounded, they watched the gate. How I could have ever thought they were anything other than warriors was beyond me.
We’d been waiting for an hour already, but there was no sign of her. “Maybe she’s not coming.”
“We’re not that lucky,” Zeke said. He stood in the centre of the circle with me, his shoulder brushing mine. Like the others, his wings were on display. I couldn’t stop glancing at them. He’d let me touch them earlier, and they were softest texture I’d ever felt. I wanted to rub my face all over them before having Zeke wrap them around me. “Are you sure you’re warm enough?”
“Yes.” I held up my arms to show him my thermals for the tenth time. “I’m fine, Zeke. The last thing I need today is to feel weighed down.”
“I hate that you’re even out here. You should be in the compound. Behind many doors and even more wards.”
Benji spoke, not taking his eyes off the gate. “You know it’s necessary, Ezekiel. If Sam’s indoors, we can’t prove he’s mated to you. And it’s better if he’s out here with all of us. It’s easier to keep him safe.”
Zeke grunted but didn’t argue. I slid my arm through his. “It’s going to be okay. We’re mated. That’s what she wanted.”
“No, what she wanted was to find a reason to put us down,” Zeke said darkly. “This won’t end today.”
“It won’t.” Micah rolled his shoulders, the movement making his wings rise and fall. “But we’ll be prepared for whatever bullshit she comes up with next.”
“Can’t wait until we can execute her and be done with it,” Rami said. “Bitch has it coming.”
“We need to build a case,” Micah reminded them all. “When the time is right, that’s when we’ll strike.”
Nox pulled his phone out, a grim smile in place as he read whatever was on the screen. “They’re here.”
A relieved murmur went through the angels. I leaned close to Zeke. “Who’s here?”
“Our insurance plan,” Zeke explained quietly. “Nox put out a call to his old housemates.”
“Are they demons too?”
“Yes, and definitely not as polite as Nox.”
“Aw.” Nox looked up from his phone and touched his chest mockingly. “You think I’m polite. I’m flattered.”
“I said not as polite,” Zeke growled back. “There’s a difference.”
Micah ignored the exchange, his attention on his mate. “How many?”
“Three. No”—Nox’s eyes widened as he glanced back at his phone—“make that four.”
Micah’s brows shot up. “What?”
Nox’s gaze flicked around the circle before he answered. “Jeremiah is back.”
“Fuck.” Micah blew out a breath, glancing at everyone as well. “Well that’s going to throw a spanner in the works.”
Apparently I wasn’t the only one confused. Nate raised a hand. “Um, why? Who’s Jeremiah and why is it bad that he’s coming?”
“It’s not bad as such,” Nox said hesitantly. “It’s just…”
“Oh my god,” Theo groaned when Nox fell silent. “You’re killing us, dude. Spill the tea.”
Noah rolled his eyes. “Spill the tea?! Theo, you need to get off TikTok.”
“Maybe we should tell them,” Micah said to Nox. “It’s not fair to keep it from them, whoever it is.”
I glanced at Zeke questioningly, but he shrugged, just as in the dark as I was.
“Okay.” Nox took a deep breath. “We think one of you is Jeremiah’s fated mate.”
There was a long pause, and then all Hell broke loose.
“ How do you know? ”
“ Who? ”
“ Wait, you’ve kept this quiet all along? ”
“ What the fuck? ”
The cacophony had me slapping my hands over my ears. From the corner of my eye, I saw Benji wincing too.
Zeke gave a sharp whistle, glaring at them all. “Maybe if you all shut the fuck up, Nox and Micah can give us some answers.”
They fell silent, all eyes turning to Nox.
He shifted uncomfortably. “A few weeks back, Jeremiah came with the others to the house, but as soon as he saw it, he refused to enter. He took off and hasn’t come back since.”
“So?” Rami said. “That doesn’t mean he has a mate here.”
“He could see the house,” Nox said. “Before Micah lifted the wards.”
A ripple of understanding and shock went through the Seraphim, bypassing me entirely. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“You can only see past the gates, so the drive and the house, if you’ve either had the wards lifted for you, or if your mate is a member of the Seraphim,” Zeke explained quietly.
“Hang on,” Noah said. “Did Jeremiah know this?”
Micah exchanged a look with Nox before speaking carefully. “We believe so. He asked if we’d already lifted the wards and, when Nox confirmed I hadn’t, he suddenly took off.”
“So, at the very least, he suspects his mate lives here,” Noah said, his delicate features arranged in a frown. “And his response was to fuck off somewhere far away?”
Silence lingered for a beat before Nate spoke. “Well, whoever his mate is, I feel sorry for him. Fancy knowing they’re that close to you and running away. You’re supposed to run to your mate, not from them.”
“Hang on.” Rami scratched his head. “Jeremiah…didn’t we all meet him at?—”
We didn’t get to hear the end of that sentence. Every head snapped suddenly towards the gate.
Standing there, out of nowhere, was Gloria.
“Good morning.” Her lilting voice sent shivers down my spine. I shrank closer to Zeke. “Quite the committee you’ve brought to this meeting.”
“I could say the same to you,” Micah said, his tone even. I leaned to the side, my eyes widening at the sight of the heavily armed angels that stood on either side of Gloria. There had to be twenty, at least. “I wasn’t aware you travelled with an entourage. You certainly didn’t the last time you paid us a visit.”
Gloria’s beatific smile didn’t falter. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”
“I’m sure you do,” Zeke growled. “After all, how else do you explain how my mate was compelled?”
Gloria’s eyes narrowed, the slightest hint of annoyance before she hid it once more. “What are you accusing me of, Ezekiel? I can assure you, I know nothing about how the human became compelled. Perhaps one of your unit did it. I imagine several of them have their sights set on him. He is quite pretty for a human, I suppose.”
It wasn’t only Zeke who stiffened at that, but the entire unit. Her implication was obvious, as was her intent. She was testing the unit for weaknesses, trying to find one she could exploit.
“Unlike you, I have complete faith in my unit,” Micah said, the chill in his voice making me shiver. “None of them would dare influence Sam the way you did. They respect his bond with Ezekiel. They wouldn’t dream of trying to part them.”
Gloria’s hand fluttered over her chest. “And you believe I would? I thought better of you, Micah. Stooping to low tricks like this is?—”
“It was your mark on the wards,” Benji cut her off bluntly. “You can’t deny it. It was confirmed by a son of Lucifer who has expertise in this area.”
Gloria’s pleasant demeanour slipped. “A son of Lucifer,” she spat. “I see your time of consorting with demons is far from over.”
Micah growled, but calmed when Nox squeezed his shoulder. It was he who addressed Gloria now. “We’re above petty prejudices here, Gloria. It fosters a more cooperative environment. Perhaps you should try it sometime.”
She didn’t even acknowledge that he’d spoken, instead focusing on me. “This is all irrelevant. I’m here today with a singular intent. Micah, you have an unmated human living on the compound. He is to be dealt with.”
Even though I knew they had no intention of handing me over, a trickle of fear went down my spine.
“Your deadline was met,” Micah said, lifting his chin defiantly. “Ezekiel and Sam are mated.”
Gloria’s lips thinned. “And you think that excuses the fact you had an unmated human in your home for so long? Who knows what information he might’ve leaked to the world.”
Micah smiled sardonically. “Nate?”
The silver-haired twin stepped forwards, his gaze deadly even as he smiled. “Yes, boss?”
“Has any confidential information pertaining to the supernatural world left the compound via any of Sam’s devices?”
“Nope,” Nate said cheerfully. “As you know, I monitor all information that comes in and out of the compound. We’ve had no security alerts from Sam, or anyone else for that matter.”
Fuuuuck. Did that mean Nate had seen the porn links my client sent me?
From the subtle wink he fired my way, I was going to assume the answer to that was yes.
“Sorry,” Zeke whispered with a wince. “Totally forgot to give you a heads-up on that one.”
I squeezed his hand, sending calming vibes along the bond. I was fine with it, especially if it got us out of this mess.
Gloria’s face pinched in, her smile returning as she hit on another idea. Micah had warned me this would happen, but watching it play out was fascinating.
At least, it would have been, if she weren’t hell-bent on killing me.
Or should that be heaven-bent?
“How do I know the human hasn’t been coerced into the match?” Gloria said. “When I spoke to him a few days ago, he was very much against it.”
“You—” Zeke took an angry step forwards, but I flung out an arm to stop him. Her words had started to unlock something in my mind. The thing I’d forgotten. What was it? What was it?
“I can’t have humans being coerced.” Gloria sighed, mock sorrow on her face. “I think it’s best if I question Sam.”
Everyone went rigid. This was what they’d been most afraid of. Fury rolled along the bond from Zeke as several other hands drifted towards where their weapons were strapped.
Micah spoke through gritted teeth. “Benji?”
“Human mates may not be separated from their supernatural counterparts unless grand treason is suspected,” Benji rattled off. “Section sixteen of the holy texts, paragraph two, line seven.”
Gloria smiled condescendingly. “Coercing a human into a mating bond is grand treason, Benjamin. Perhaps you should study your book of laws a little closer.”
I glanced at Benji, expecting to see the same fury that was rolling over the rest of them. But no, if anything, Benji seemed more settled, a small smile playing over his lips. If we’d been in any other situation, I’d have thought he was…amused.
“It’s only grand treason if the human believes he was coerced.” Benji didn’t take his eyes off Gloria as he addressed me. “Sam, were you coerced?”
I cleared my throat, lifting my chin and making myself meet her horrible eyes. “I was not. I accepted the bond willingly, readily, and happily. I’m delighted to be Zeke’s mate. The only coercion that occurred was when you tried to compel me into leaving him.”
If Gloria was surprised at me blatantly calling her out, she didn’t show it. However, pride licked along the bond from Zeke.
“Well there’s nothing to be done,” Gloria said, sighing dramatically. I noted she didn’t deny compelling me. “So long as he truly is your mate, then we will consider the matter finished.”
Fear and fury mingled in the bond, as Zeke fought to keep his cool. “What proof do you need? He’s my mate. You can tell we’re bonded.”
“Not from this distance,” Gloria said. From the growl that ripped from the twins, I knew she was lying. “Seeing as you won’t allow me onto your grounds, Sam will need to come to me.”
Zeke’s rage was a living thing now. I could feel it in the bond. A monster desperate to be unleashed. I tried to pull it back. To calm Zeke. To soothe him.
But he was slipping out of my reach.
“No,” Micah said, subtly stepping in front of me. “You can assess Ezekiel instead. Sam stays here.”
“Are you refusing a direct order again, Micah? Do you not remember what happened last time?”
Micah bared his teeth in a lethal grin. “I believe it ended with me walking out of your court, my mate unharmed at my side.”
Zeke was still seething. His muscles were locked as he prepared to launch himself at a second’s notice. “Sam is not stepping over that boundary without me.”
Gloria’s smile slipped into something deadly. “If he does not, we will take it as an act of rebellion.”
“Careful, Gloria,” Micah said warningly. “Such threats should not be thrown around lightly.”
“It’s not a threat.” Gloria’s smile widened. “It’s a promise.”
Zeke’s temper roared, a storm about to be unleashed.
Remember. My brain was screaming at me. Remember.
“Well?” Gloria’s voice was ringing with triumph. “I’m waiting.”
I took a step forward and Zeke snarled, throwing an arm up to stop me. “No, Sam. No fucking way.”
“She’s threatening to go to war over me,” I hissed.
“She’s threatened far worse in the past,” Nox muttered.
Nate and Theo drew closer to me, one on either side. “She can take you over our dead bodies.”
Yeah, that was what I was afraid of.
‘ They’re all going to die, and it’s your fault. ’
Gloria sighed dramatically. “Enough of this posturing. Human, you have thirty seconds to step over here, or we will take it as a declaration of war against Heaven and God herself.”
Zeke’s fury was a living thing, rolling under his skin. I’d never felt anything like it before. Grabbing his chin, I forced him to look at me. “Zeke, it’s going to be okay.”
He didn’t respond. He was slipping out of my reach, his temper consuming him.
Micah seemed to notice, turning in alarm. “Sam, take a step to the side.”
“No,” Zeke roared. Lightning crackled around his hands, making me flinch.
“Ezekiel, you’re losing control,” Micah spoke carefully, his palms raised like he was trying to calm a wild animal. “Don’t do this. Don’t let her win. If you cross into that place, there’s no telling what will happen, who you will hurt.”
The memory slammed into me, so fast it made me dizzy. Gloria’s smirk as she patted the side of my face.
“ Even if he does persuade you to mate with him, it won’t matter. Ezekiel’s temper has been dancing along the edge of control for millennia. It wouldn’t take much to push him beyond the limits. If I threaten you enough, he’ll lose control of his power, executing everyone around him. Including you. What a tidy solution for taking care of the Seraphim, don’t you think? ”
This was what Gloria wanted.
She didn’t care about me at all. She just wanted to make Zeke lose control.
Which, from the hatred and rage rolling through the bond, he was very close to doing.
Suddenly, I knew what I had to do. “Zeke, stop.”
“What’s the holdup?” Gloria trilled, cutting into any lengthy explanations. “Ten seconds and counting.”
Fuck. “Nate, Theo, she didn’t say anything about you coming, right?”
The twins wore matching evil grins as they drew their swords.
With no more time to explain, I grabbed Zeke’s face in both my hands. “Zeke, take a lap. You hear me? Take. A. Lap.”
Then I turned. For the first time, I was walking towards danger instead of away from it.
For Zeke.