25. Rami
Rami
Ethan had no need to be nervous. He might not have known it, but this room was guaranteed. I’d made one phone call to Dahlia, telling her my mate needed somewhere safe to stay, and she’d immediately agreed.
I hated that I couldn’t just tell Ethan this and remove his anxiety. Knowing him though, he’d probably still be worried about making a good impression.
I stepped into the house after Ethan, introducing him to the three demons one at a time.
Darius shook his hand briefly, offering him a tentative smile before stepping back into the shadows.
Dahlia gave him a quick hug, lamenting how thin he felt under her grip.
Quill, meanwhile, shoved his bowl at me then hugged Ethan like he was a long-lost family member, not someone he was meeting for the first time.
I was about to intercede on Ethan’s behalf, slightly concerned about how red he was turning, when Quill finally let him go. He held him at arm’s length, an infectious grin on his face. “We’re going to be great friends. Trust me, I know these things.”
“Only if he doesn’t eat cereal,” Dahlia drawled, her eyes meeting Ethan’s. “If you do, prepare to keep it padlocked and in your room at all times.”
Quill looked outraged. “I would never touch any of Ethan’s stuff. Don’t put him off moving in before he’s even seen the place.”
Dahlia was about to respond, but Darius stopped her by stepping forwards again. “Ignore them, Ethan. If you do move in here, you might want to invest in earplugs, because they argue literally all the time.”
“We do not!”
My lips twitched. That would’ve been more convincing if they hadn’t said it in stereo before immediately continuing to argue.
I shot an anxious glance at Ethan. Moving in here was the safest option for him, what with Gloria and that fucking vampire Damien sniffing around. This house was warded by every member of the Seraphim, plus all the demons in their circle. No one would be able to get past it all.
And even if they did? Well, they’d have to get through the combined skills of Dahlia, Darius, and Quill before getting to Ethan. That was before we even took the proximity of the compound into consideration. The entire unit would descend as soon as anyone dared cross the wards.
My anxiety eased at the bemused expression on Ethan’s face. He was looking at Quill and Dahlia almost fondly. Like it was taking him back to a different time. A different place.
I was willing to bet that location was approximately seventy-five miles south of here.
Darius nodded at the stairs. “Want to see the room first? There are two, but Jeremiah’s old room is by far the best, so that’s the one I’m going to show you.”
“Sounds great.” Ethan glanced back at me, like he was checking I was going with him. That did things to my heart. Things I liked very much.
Going on instinct, I slid my hand into his. “From what I remember, this room is gorgeous.”
“Typical of Jeremiah to pick the best one and then move out,” Darius grumbled as we walked up the creaky steps. “Git.”
“Why didn’t one of you take it after he left?” Ethan asked curiously.
“We’re creatures of habit,” Darius said, stopping in front of a door. “I’m often away for stretches of time, as is Dahlia, so we don’t really give a shit about where we sleep. Plus, this place is a million miles better than where we used to live.”
“Where was that?”
Darius raised a brow at me and I shook my head minutely. No, Ethan didn’t know about our world. Not yet, anyway.
“Far away from here,” he said, smiling tightly at Ethan. Then, before my mate could ask more questions, Darius opened the door. “Here. Let me know what you think.”
Ethan’s small gasp of surprise reassured me that this was the right decision. Still holding my hand, he led me into the large room, bathed in light from the generous windows. “Wow, this is loads bigger than I expected.”
“As you can see, it’s fully furnished,” Darius said. “But anything else you need, I’m sure we can get for you.”
“I’m not sure what else I might need,” Ethan said, looking slightly dazed as he strolled around the room. “Everything looks amazing. New, even.”
That was probably because it was. Nothing like an army of angels and demons and an unlimited budget to get everything in place. They’d had a little over ninety minutes, but they’d all come through. Just as I’d known they would.
As well as a king-sized bed covered in brand-new linens, there was a chest of drawers, a wardrobe, a small desk, and even a love seat. Someone, probably Sam, had even added some softer touches, including lamps, blankets, and several throw pillows.
Ethan probably would’ve been fine with using what Jeremiah had in here, but it truly hadn’t been a lot. And, after our many conversations over the past few days, I knew Dave thought of their shared furniture as his as he’d purchased most of it. Ethan was expecting to start from scratch.
I was expecting him to never have to ‘make do’ again.
“Yeah, Jeremiah moved out really early,” Darius lied smoothly—a skill all supes had. “That’s why it looks unlived in. Practically was. All the bedding’s clean though.”
“Thank you,” Ethan said, his voice strangled. “Fuck, you’re all so nice.”
Pity flashed across Darius’s face, and I knew exactly what he was thinking. Ethan being surprised by basic human kindness wasn’t something any of us liked. “You’re welcome.”
“This is such a beautiful room,” Ethan said wistfully. “Are you sure the figure Dahlia gave Rami is right?”
I gave Darius a warning look, but it wasn’t needed.
He didn’t reveal that they hadn’t given a figure at all.
Sam had looked up the local rates and cut it in three, insisting if we went any lower that Ethan would become too suspicious.
“It is. We’re looking for the right person, not to make money.
Whoever moves in needs to feel comfortable around us… especially with Quill.”
“I explained about him,” I said quietly, keeping my voice too low for Quill to hear from downstairs, even with his supe ears. “Ethan’s up to date.”
Ethan nodded. “Yeah. I’m happy to keep him company when I’m not working, so long as he actually wants me here.”
Relief flashed over Darius’s face. “Thank you. Having someone comfortable with Quill’s…situation is the most important requirement we’re looking for.”
“I’m more than comfortable,” Ethan reassured him. “He seems like a great bloke, cereal addiction aside.”
Darius chuckled, his shoulders easing. “Dahlia was right though, you really are safer keeping your cereal in your room.”
“I’ll probably be stealing him away for breakfast a few mornings a week anyway,” I said. “Give him some time to get to know the others.”
I’d already cleared it with Micah. Taking him to the compound wasn’t as big a risk as it had been before our little trip away.
Ferry had visited at Micah’s request, adding wards that made it impossible for Gloria to cross, and Nate had created some sort of cloaking software to stop Gloria accessing any CCTV cameras around the compound.
Even Sebastian had reluctantly agreed to help, undertaking a survey of our systems and making sure no one could hack them.
Darius and Dahlia were also involved, having agreed to guard the perimeter while Ethan ate with us.
Didn’t make it risk free, but it reduced the odds of Gloria learning Ethan had been there at all.
Ethan whirled to face me. “Really?”
“Really. And I promise everyone will keep their clothes on this time.”
Darius snorted. “The twins?”
“Love that you didn’t need any information other than that they were nude.” Ethan grinned.
“Never do with those two,” Darius muttered before straightening up. “I’ll leave you two to have a look at the room on your own. Just come on down when you’re ready and we can have a chat. There’s an en-suite through there too, so make sure to check that out.”
He disappeared, moving a little too fast for a human, but Ethan didn’t seem to notice. He was too busy opening the door Darius had indicated and gasping. “Oh my god, this is lush. There’s no way I can be this lucky.”
“Maybe your luck is changing.” I slid up behind him, bracketing his hips with my hands as he rested back against me. “Feels like mine is too.”
Ethan sighed, snuggling closer to me. For all our talk of friendship, there was no denying how much we were both in this. He couldn’t refrain from touching me any more than I could him. “I like that. This could be the start of something new. Something great.”
I knew he wasn’t just talking about the room.
I kissed his temple. “I promise you that it is. The start of the greatest journey.”
One that would end with us as mates. A small part of me couldn’t wait.
But a much larger part of me was content to just enjoy the journey.
When we got back downstairs, Ethan and the others fell into easy conversation.
Dahlia asked him about his work, expressing a keen interest in seeing his photography.
He then entered into a long debate with Quill about the taste difference between branded and non-branded cereal.
They both had very strong opinions on the topic, launching into an argument about Coco Pops.
Darius didn’t contribute much—he never did—but he was listening closely. From the small smile on his face, he felt as good about Ethan moving in as I did.
Make no mistake, I’d rather have had Ethan move in with me, but I hadn’t been lying earlier about not wanting to rush him. Ethan and I had all the time in the world.
And what he needed more than anything was more friends.
I suspected that spending time here, with these three demons, would be better for him than anything else.
“I have one final question,” Quill said solemnly, his hands wrapped around an almost finished cup of tea. “And I’m afraid your answer will determine whether the room is yours.”
Ethan and I both stiffened. Him, out of nerves, and me because I would literally kill Quill if he took this away from Ethan now.
The demon threw me a wink, too fast for Ethan to notice, and I relaxed.