Chapter Nine
Ekon
Ekon felt Mao’s discomfort as if it was his own at confessing the reason he was here.
Ekon had shared part of why he was there, and his brows furrowed at explaining the rest. What were the Thalassa brothers playing at?
He didn’t think it was a set up. No. They were all about protecting the assassins and other shifters not as fortunate as them.
So why had Todd not mentioned this other plan?
More to the point why hadn’t Alexi said anything?
Alexi hadn’t known where he was going, only Marvin and Todd.
That could explain why he’d not mentioned it?
How did the council become involved? Was it Ben’s connection to Mao? Did Mao know what the council’s plans were? He didn’t like how that left him feeling—uneasy.
He watched the flames lick at the wood fire Mao tended to as he left Ekon to his thoughts. He liked that about Mao; he didn’t appear to need to push for answers. Talk to fill the silence. Fate had given him a prize it seemed.
Coming to a decision, he rested his elbows on his knees, shifting a little to find a more comfortable place on the ground for his aching ass. The reminder of what they’d done before talking made heat fill his cheeks. “There might be some miscommunication between the brothers.”
Mao, holding a branch above the fire, frowned. “How so?”
“Todd Thalassas knows I’m here, and he wants me to,”—he pointed to the bunker doorway that remained open—“scan records for him with a handmade scanner that connects directly to his computer.” He left off about the use of magic, unsure exactly how it would work with what was buzzing freely under his skin.
There was so much to process about the differences, Ekon wasn’t sure where to start with himself.
It was easier to focus on the hunk that added his own magic to Ekon. And Ekon didn’t see any point in not being truthful. He had nothing to hide from this man. How he understood this—felt it along with the magic—he couldn’t explain it fully after having only met him a few hours before. It just was.
Mate. He is our eternal.
You don’t need to tell me, Ekon pointed out sarcastically to his animal who had an awful lot of smug satisfaction.
Trust never came easy for him—how could it when he’d been stolen in the night by monsters—and Ekon could count on both hands those he trusted implicitly. It seemed he had just added his mate to the list.
Mao ran a hand through silky looking curls, his eyes narrowing.
Only Ekon was distracted by how the filtered sunlight cast shadows over the bulging biceps and flexing chest, highlighting his attributes.
The strength he’d experienced while Mao held him.
He wasn’t light, and he shivered at being manhandled so easily in other positions.
It gave Ekon other ideas on how to spend the rest of their time getting to know each other. Talking wasn’t involved.
“Miscommunication, I’d say massive FUBAR.” Mao shook his dark curls.
It took a second to notice Mao was talking and for it to register what he’d said.
The knowing look and smirk Mao aimed at him said he hadn’t missed Ekon’s heated stare or look of confusion while he caught up with the conversation.
“I gave Todd my word I’d scan as many records as I can.
” Ekon never went back on his word, and a mate wouldn’t change that.
His jaw tightened at how he didn’t know Mao well enough to judge if he’d ask him to change his mind and let him blow up the records.
“I’m picking up your unease. Is this about why you’re here? About us being at cross purposes?”
The silky smooth voice held no hint to his thoughts as did his expression.
Ekon was a trained observer and noticed the tension across Mao’s shoulders and the tick at the side of his left eye.
“Yes. I can’t let you blow up the records until I’ve achieved my goal.
” It really was that simple, and that complicated things with claiming Mao if he disagreed.
“How many records are there?”
Ekon’s deep laughter rustled off the trees as he stood fluidly, uncaring his feet and chest remained bare with the appreciative glance he received.
“Come on, I’ll show you.” He swaggered off in the direction of the bunker, knowing the moment Mao decided to follow.
His lips tugged into a smile that remained until he stepped back into the bunker and got a blast of magic so intense it rocked him back on his feet.
“Whoa, there.” Mao’s large, warm hands steadied him. “What was that?”
It took a second to find his voice with the magic coursing through him.
It was welcoming. It licked over his exposed skin making it buzz with power.
It gave him an… invincibility. “The magic welcoming me,” he finally murmured, walking past his stuff that remained just inside the door.
Ekon glanced at where the shadowy figure had become ash, only there was no sign of anything to reveal what had happened.
He ran a hand over his skin feeling weirded out that he wore a dead man—inside me!
“I can feel residual magic, except that could just be coming from you.” Mao came across as thoughtful, his bare chest pressed to Ekon’s back, his hands remaining on Ekon’s upper arms.
Ekon’s body reacted to the close proximity and the magic, they were quite the aphrodisiac.
He didn’t want to be distracted—he did—just he also wanted to explore the cavern stretching before him.
Sex had never really been a priority before, and Ekon didn’t know what to do with that.
Now work, he knew what to do about that.
He forced himself to step away from the delicious man and walk down the passageway. The farther down the corridor, the place illuminated and the records numbers on the edges glowed. His eyes widened as he went, Mao following quietly behind him.
“Can you see the glowing numbers,” he questioned with uncertainty.
“Yes.” Mao came closer, his body close enough for Ekon to feel the warmth radiating from him and scent the sex they’d shared. “Do you know what they mean?”
He paused at the knowledge he had that wasn’t his.
“Birth and death dates. The keeper knows the moment life comes into this world and when it leaves.” Ekon experienced the ache of pain felt long ago.
His eyes sheened with tears. “He didn’t understand the changes to shifters—to me, so the dates on those files are a combination of the day the changes happened to us. ”
His eyes glowed with magic as he reached out and touched a file.
His mind working faster than a computer as it registered who the file belonged to and that the shifter had died an unnatural death.
He snatched his hand away and tucked it under his arm pit, the sensations too much when he felt… everything.
Mao, as if he understood, wrapped those powerful arms around him and gently squeezed him close. His nose brushed Ekon’s ear, and a shiver ran through him. “How can I help you?”
That was the big question. Ekon had no clue right then how to answer when everything was so new. He looked sideways and said the first thing that came to mind. “Help me scan the files. You hold them while I scan.” At least then he wasn’t going to be blasted with magic and old memories. He hoped.
“I can do that,” he murmured softly. “I suggest we set up camp first.” He glanced around, those dark eyes shrewd and assessing. “But not in here. You need some separation.”
Ekon wasn’t sure about the separation part when it made his gut churn with anxiety. Until he figured whether that was his or the shadow man inside him, he agreed. “If we camp just outside the entrance, then no one can sneak past us.”
“Agreed.”
Mao didn’t let go, and Ekon’s lips twitched with amusement. “You might wanna let go because walking like this will be a little tricky.”
A sexy, possessive growl made the hairs on his neck stand up. His cougar purred its pleasure at the possessive sound. “I don’t think that’s necessary.”
He’d barely finished when Ekon was spun around and hiked up as if he weighed no more than a tiny child. Mao’s grin was all teeth and challenge. “See.” He stalked back out of the bunker with Ekon, who released a noise that came out more like a giggle.
He blushed with mortification as Mao nuzzled into the side of his neck where his mate's claim was. Ekon’s blood fired with need, and he groaned, hands reaching to slide around Mao’s neck.
The plan for camp set up could wait, he had more pressing things to deal with.
Such as kissing his mate. Getting his trousers off.
Oh, and yes, sliding that fat cock back into his ass.
Yes.
That was a much better list of priorities.