Chapter Three #2
The bus slowed, the driver calling out through the door, “Hey! Are you okay? Scared the shit outta me.”
All Tanner could do was nod, his body shaking so hard he couldn’t form words.
After checking again to make sure he didn’t need help, the driver continued on his route.
Strangely enough, his rescuer hadn’t said a word, his grip tightening somewhat the moment the driver started speaking to him.
Also weird was how he was simultaneously attracted to and repelled by the guy.
“I-I need to sit down,” Tanner croaked out.
“Would you like to go back inside?”
Tanner looked up and met the eyes of his rescuer.
“Yeah.” Job. “Wait, no. I have to get to work.” His headache came rushing back hardcore.
Tanner rubbed his forehead. “Thanks so much for that, though.” He chuckled.
“You have some serious skills. But I really do need to get to work.” Tanner sighed. “However, that was my bus.”
“Let me call you an Uber,” the man offered.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that.” Tanner chuckled again.
“I think saving my life was enough for one day.” Something about this guy was making him crazy.
The inner battle between blowing off his responsibilities and hanging with him instead was at war with the other part that was giving stranger-danger vibes. “I’m sorry, what’s your name?”
The corner of the man’s mouth lifted in a slight smile. Damn. Now those are the kind of lips I’d love to have roaming over my naked body. A sharp stabbing pain hit him right between the eyes, and he winced.
“Ronen.” He clasped Tanner’s shoulder. Sadly, Ronen yanked his hand away. “What’s wrong? Did you hit your head when you fell?”
“I didn’t fall. Someone pushed me.”
Ronen gasped. “I wondered…”
Tanner snapped up his head. “Did you see what they looked like? Maybe I should call the police.”
He really didn’t have time for this. While he was pretty reliable overall, something about being late for this particular job terrified him.
Ronen eyes narrowed, and his jaw clenched. “I was on the other side of the road. All I saw was you flying through the air, the bus bearing down and…” Ronen shuddered. “I wish I could be of more help.”
“You know what? I’m good.” Tanner shrugged. “A few scrapes and having the crap scared out of me later, and I’m fine. I seriously have to get to work.”
Ronen gave a quick nod. “Understood. If it would make you feel more comfortable, I can wait here until the Uber arrives.”
Tanner swallowed hard. Just because his attacker had left didn’t mean they wouldn’t come back when they spotted him standing around, all alone by the curb.
“Now that you mention it, that would be cool.” He offered Ronen a smile. “Thanks.”
They made small talk while they waited, although Tanner did most of the talking. He still wasn’t sure what to make of Ronen, or of the effect he was having on him.
“…Which is why I decided on Miami. It’s a good school, and it's close enough to home that I can regularly visit my mom. I’m her only family nearby since Dad took off right after we moved here. Everyone else is up in South Dakota.” Tanner chuckled. ”Freezing their asses off.”
Ronen held his gaze as he rambled on about the basic details of his life.
The way he stared at him was like Tanner was reciting beautiful poetry.
Not that he had time to pursue romance, but he’d hate to say goodbye to tall, dark, and gorgeous forever.
He’d always assumed that really hot guys were stuck-up jerks, but Ronen seemed like the opposite of that.
Maybe something low-key. Safe. After all, enjoying a bit of eye candy wasn’t such a big deal.
Right as the Uber pulled up, a moment of panic hit him. It was now or never if he ever planned on seeing Ronen again. Ronen had already opened the door for him, but Tanner paused before climbing inside.
“So, um, I hate to run off like this after everything you did for me.” Tanner licked his lips. “And I don’t know what your schedule is like. But maybe we could grab lunch or dinner sometime?” Tanner smiled. “My treat.”
Ronen paused, and Tanner prepared himself to curl up into a ball of rejected embarrassment.
“I’d like that.” Ronen reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and retrieved his phone. “Here. You can add your number to my contacts.”
After they’d exchanged info and endured the driver drumming his fingers on the steering wheel and clearing his throat several times, they said their goodbyes. Before he could stop himself, he turned around to check if Ronen was still watching. He whipped his head forward again.
Yup. Ronen was staring all right.
Ronen couldn’t tear his eyes away as the Uber drove off. His heart hammered, his fingers trembling slightly as he slipped his phone back into his jacket pocket.
Mate.
The word had crashed into his consciousness the moment he’d wrapped his arms around Tanner as he fell. Every instinct in his body had roared to life, recognizing what his mind could barely comprehend. This was why Michael had sent him here—not only to find an informant, but to discover his destiny.
This beautiful man is meant to be mine.
Tall and lanky, with tousled brown hair, angular features, and wide hazel eyes, Tanner was his to protect and care for. Yet, something was off in the way Ronen had imagined it would be like meeting his mate.
Instead of Tanner reacting to him with the spark of instant connection, he’d seemed to be experiencing some sort of inner battle.
It was as if he was drawn to Ronen but holding back at the same time.
Could Tanner be at greater risk of infection by the rogue filth, or would his half-angel status protect him?
He had no idea. He wasn’t aware of any other situation in which a Nephilim was working with the other side, even unknowingly.
However, he’d almost blown his cover. When Michael gave him this assignment, he expected to observe the human from a distance, maybe engineer a casual meeting. Instead, he’d used his enhanced speed to save the kid’s life in full view of anyone who might be watching.
And who had tried to kill Tanner? Had their team already been made by the rogue demons, and were they trying to eliminate the one who could reveal all their darkest secrets?
His stomach twisted, his mind at war with itself. Everything inside him screamed to prioritize Tanner’s safety over anything else, to protect this human who must also be Nephilim—the mate who was destined to be his.
Ronen dragged his fingers through his hair. Nothing made sense. He had almost a hundred kills to go before his mate would be revealed. Still, that’s what he and Cassiel had been discussing right before the shadows came crawling back to the lair.
“Fuck.” He clenched his fists. No way could he go back to the Miami lair or wait for his next task.
Determined to defend his mate against whatever evil forces might be clouding his spirit, he sent a telepathic message to Cassiel, informing her he was heading to the rogue facility.
For all he knew, that rat bastard Samir had tipped off the rogues about Tanner.
After retreating to a nearby cluster of bushes and palm trees, Ronen shifted to his gargoyle form and shot into the sky. His clothing and everything he carried waited for him on another plane until he needed them again. All that mattered now was making it to the facility before Tanner did.
He hadn’t made it very far before Cassiel’s angry voice burst into his head.
“Dude. You’re supposed to be tracking that Tanner guy in the wild. Not when he’s at Nexus. That’s not even me being a buzzkill. The great and powerful Michael will have my butt if you don’t follow his orders.”
“I know, I know. But something wild happened. Tanner’s my mate, and it’s unlikely that Michael didn’t know.”
“You’re shitting me,” Cassiel growled. “Information we could’ve used yesterday!”
“I don’t think that’s how it works.”
For centuries, no gargoyle had been aware of their mate until the heavens decreed it.
“Whatever. Okay, carry on. I’ll let Victor and Samir know you’ll be hovering near the facility. You’ll be able to sense if your mate is in trouble, so don’t compromise their infiltration mission unless you have no other option. Got it?”
“Yeah. Got it.”
Hopefully, Tanner would make it through the night without another attempt on his life. Otherwise, no orders from Cassiel or anyone else would stop him from defending his mate.