Page 5

Ezekiel had tended to Danny, and Malachi was relieved when Zeke told him he was not only completely healed but also had a remarkable resiliency. The implication was obvious. The ancestor from whom Danny descended was a powerful being.

“That guy was cool.”

Danny stretched his arms over his head. “You said he’s a healer, but he’s also a gargoyle, right?”

“Yes. He’s been by my side in many battles. I also consider him a friend.”

Malachi sat down in the chair next to the bed that Ezekiel had just vacated.

He wasn’t sure how close he should get to Danny yet.

Their connection was so intense, and triggering Danny’s heat didn’t seem like a great idea under the circumstances.

Not when they could be attacked at any moment. Even though Gideon was dead, that didn’t mean there weren’t other traitors waiting for their chance.

The thought tied his stomach in knots.

Never would he have thought to question the loyalty of his closest allies.

Zeke, Dante, Cassiel, even Ronen.

They were above reproach, always had been. But damn. Having his mate was messing with the chemicals in his brain or something.

“Why are you so quiet?”

Danny regarded him with a furrowed brow. “Is something wrong?”

His jaw dropped, and he straightened against the pillows. “Am I doomed? Is that what Zeke told you, that I can’t be saved?”

“What? No! Zeke says you’re in remarkably good health.”

Malachi reached over and clasped Danny’s hand without thinking. The jolt was immediate, and Danny’s eyes widened.

“Whoa.”

He chuckled shakily. “It gets more potent every time.”

He waggled his eyebrows with a mischievous smile. “Why don’t we take the edge off. Now that I’ve been given the all clear, wanna smash?”

Malachi drew his eyebrows together. “Did you want me to teach you how to fight?”

Danny’s jaw went slack before he snapped it shut. “Ancient gargoyle. Right.”

He let out a light laugh. “Keep forgetting. Sometimes my dick insists on taking charge and poof. Goodbye coherent thoughts.”

“Sorry.”

He wished he’d been paying better attention to modern humans. It had been at least fifty years since the last time he’d pursued a man to let off some steam. He’d barely understood that guy either. “It might take us time to understand each other’s customs and sayings, but I’m sure as your Nephilim awakens, it will be easier.”

Danny pulled away from him and crossed his arms. “Do I have to do that right away?”

“Do what?”

He gave a small shrug. “Be angelic. No one’s ever accused me of that before, believe me. I was hoping we could at least have some fun first before we have to be all perfect and godly.”

Malachi’s shoulders dropped. He was so unprepared to help his mate understand what was happening to him. His focus had been on nothing but guarding the lair, following orders, fighting for the cause. Learning how to integrate his mate into their new life together was something he’d assumed was still far off. He’d only recently cracked a hundred kills. Gideon came to mind.

A hundred and one.

“Danny, I’m afraid I haven’t done a very good job of defining our relationship. I think what you mean by godly is that we won’t be intimate or have time to enjoy ourselves. To have our own life and family. But that’s not the case at all.”

Danny’s eyebrows shot up. “Did you just use the F word?”

Malachi scrubbed his face with one hand. “Could I ask a favor? I’m not too familiar with many of the human slang words and phrases. Maybe ask me things more directly?”

“You’re so cute. Of course.”

Danny patted his arm, then shook his hand as if he’d been zapped. “Ooh, shocking. Anyway, I’d like to say first that I’m glad to hear that intimacy is definitely on the table, but when you say family…”

He tapped his chin with one finger. “Are gargoyles allowed to adopt? And would we be adopting a gargoyle or…”

He waved a hand around. “Never mind. That’s ridiculous. You’re right about being direct. So what do you mean by us having a family?”

Malachi cleared his throat. He probably shouldn’t have let that part slip. But shouldn’t he tell Danny everything? It didn’t seem fair if he didn’t. Still… Malachi groaned. He couldn’t proceed without backup.

“Hold that thought. I’ll go check and see if your food is ready, then after you eat, we can get into all the details.”

Malachi rose, tempering his urge to race from the room.

“Oh-kay.”

Danny grunted. “Should I be worried?”

“No, no. Not at all.”

Malachi smiled, hoping to reassure his mate that everything was absolutely fine. “It’s just that I know you’re hungry, and if your dinner is ready, I don’t want it to get cold.”

“Sure.”

Danny smirked. “Since I’m famished, I’ll let your obvious deflection attempt slide.”

“Everything’s fine.”

He tried smiling again, but was certain he probably appeared more ghoulish than jovial.

Danny pointed a finger at him and swirled it around. “Dude. That face? Not helping.”

Malachi swallowed hard. “I’ll be right back.”

Before Danny could respond, Malachi raced out of the bedroom, then quickly made his way down the stairs.

Dante had already left with Amir and the kids, and Ezekiel would be heading home to Archer soon, but the remaining Slayers would stay.

They were all needed to keep the compound protected now that Danny was safe.

He burst into the dining room where they’d all met the night before.

Ezekiel and Ronen were chatting, the casual and relaxed scene a welcome sight after all the chaos of the past couple of days.

“When is Michael arriving to be briefed on the mission?”

he blurted. “Shouldn’t he be here by now? I’m guessing he’ll want to speak with Danny as soon as possible.”

They both gaped at him as if he’d just declared he’d grown a second head.

“Since when are you so eager to see Michael?”

Ezekiel set down his cup of coffee. “Usually, you're the first to grumble when he shows up unannounced.”

Ronen nodded. “Yeah, and he’s not scheduled to arrive until tomorrow morning. He’s finishing up some business with Lucifer regarding the traitor situation.”

Malachi ran a hand through his hair. “I need him here right now. Danny’s asking questions I don't know how to answer.”

Ezekiel raised an eyebrow. “Such as?”

“Family.”

Heat rose in Malachi’s cheeks. “He asked about family. I mentioned it without thinking, and now he’s asking if we can adopt.”

Ezekiel snort-coughed. “Ah. So you haven’t told him about the heat cycle? Or the fact that he could get pregnant?”

His eyes twinkled with amusement. “Talk about diving into the deep end.”

“If that’s a euphemism, I’m not amused.”

Malachi groaned. “No, I haven’t said a word. I’m not even sure how to begin that conversation. 'Oh, by the way, not only are you part angel, but you can also carry children’. He’s already overwhelmed enough as it is.”

Ronen chuckled. “And here I thought you were the smooth one.”

“I’ve never claimed to be smooth.”

Malachi pursed his lips as he paced the length of the dining table. “I'm a warrior. Not a relationship counselor.”

“Well, you'd better figure it out fast.”

Ezekiel chuckled. “Because your mate is about to experience his first heat. I sensed it while healing him. By the time Michael gets here, he’ll probably be pregnant already.”

Malachi jabbed a finger at his friend. “That’s not funny. Come on, man. I’m floundering here.”

Ezekiel sighed. “Relax, Mal. Just breathe, you’ve got this.”

He furrowed his brow. “What about everything else? How are the injuries doing? I can do another session with you on your chest. That was a vicious gash.”

Malachi pinched the bridge of his nose. “Thank you, but physically I’m excellent. Emotionally? Not so much.”

“Excuse me!”

Danny’s voice carried into the dining room from the front of the house. “What’s a Nephilim have to do around here to get fed?”

Ezekiel and Ronen laughed while Malachi buried his head in his hands.

“Time to take care of business,”

said Ezekiel. “Poor little angel is horny and hungry.”

“So you’re not going to help?”

Malachi huffed.

Ezekiel reclined against the back of the mahogany chair. “Nope. This is between you and your mate. What better way to deepen your bond and build trust? He won’t want to hear something so personal from anyone else.”

Malachi let out a long sigh. “I suppose you’re right.”

Danny appeared at the threshold of the dining room. “Phew. I thought Mal got cold feet and left me all alone. This place is huge. I’m lost already.”

He slapped a hand to his mouth. “Am I interrupting important gargoyle business?”

Ezekeil chuckled. “No, Danny. We were just telling Mal that there’s a platter of roasted chicken, sliced fruit, and cheese already made up for you both.”

Ezekiel directed his next comment to Malachi. “That way, you can share a private meal in your room.”

“Nice,”

said Danny with a smile. “I don’t suppose there are any cookies? I’m feeling very carby for some reason.”

Ezekiel rubbed his chin. “Would date bars suffice?”

Danny scrunched his nose. “My Nana used to love those things.”

He stuck a finger in his open mouth and made a gagging sound. “Not even any chocolate?”

Ezekiel snapped his fingers. “Actually, yes. One of the Slayers who flew in from the Middle East last week brought several bars of Dubai chocolate with him. I believe there’s some left.”

Danny placed his hands on his hips. “You’re joking. Don’t tell me he’s a TikTok influencer. My sister is, and she makes my skin crawl.”

Malachi wished he knew what everyone was talking about. “Umm, is that a yes on the chocolate? I can get everything and bring it upstairs for you.”

Danny drew closer and leaned against him, running his palm up and down Malachi’s arm. “Isn’t he the sweetest? Yes, gorgeous. I’ve never tried the stuff, but it has the word chocolate in it, so I’m in.”

“I’ll grab everything.”

Malachi’s skin tingled where Danny touched him, each point of contact sending warmth through his veins. He could sense the beginning of Danny’s heat—a subtle change in his scent that filled with hunger for something other than food.

Ezekiel caught his eye and gave him a knowing smirk. “The tray's in the kitchen. Don’t forget the chocolate.”

“Thanks.”

Malachi reluctantly pulled away from Danny. “I'll just be a minute.”

“I’ll help,”

Danny offered, following him. “Four hands are better than two, right?”

As they entered the kitchen, Danny let out a low whistle. “Damn. This place is like a five-star restaurant. Who owns this mansion anyway?”

“Michael.”

Malachi opened the large stainless steel French door refrigerator and located the tray laden with food. “He maintains properties like this all over the world. Places where we can gather safely, protected by ancient wards and modern security.”

Danny hopped onto the counter, swinging his legs. “Archangel real estate portfolio. Now that's a flex. Do all angels have fat bank accounts?”

Malachi smiled, finding Danny’s irreverence oddly refreshing. “The Divine Spark provides what’s needed for the mission. Michael’s been accumulating resources for millennia.”

“Millennia,”

Danny repeated, as if testing the word. “That's such a trip. You’re all so, like, ancient.”

He tilted his head, studying Malachi. “How old are you exactly?”

Malachi hesitated, setting the tray on the island counter. “Does it matter?”

“I mean, I'm not dating you for your 401k, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Danny grinned. “Just curious if I’m hooking up with a senior citizen gargoyle.”

Malachi cleared his throat.”Let’s just say I’ve lived through most of recorded history.”

Danny’s jaw dropped. “No way.”

He stuck out his bottom lip, his expression falling. “Wow. I’m going to seem super boring if you’ve experienced all of human history.”

Malachi set down the plates he’d removed from the overhead cabinet and rushed to Danny’s side.

“Never.

You could never be boring to me. The places I’ve been, men I’ve dallied with, events I’ve witnessed, or battles I’ve fought - nothing compares to the thrill of being with you.”

He brushed the back of his hand across Danny’s smooth cheek. “I’ve never experienced such depth of feeling before you. How could I possibly find you boring?”

Danny stared at him wide-eyed and licked his lips. “I…uh, wow. No one’s ever said anything so nice to me before. Do you really mean it?”

The vulnerability in Danny’s voice made Malachi’s heart ache. “I will never lie to you, dearest. I’m your rock, your sanctuary.”

Danny’s face flushed, and Malachi thought they should probably get back to the privacy of their room sooner rather than later.

“Let’s take this upstairs,”

Malachi suggested, picking up the tray. “We can talk some more while we eat. You can ask me whatever questions you want.”

“Like the family thing?”

Danny popped a grape into his mouth, his blue eyes never leaving Malachi’s face.

“Yes, like that.”

Danny hopped off the counter. “Good. My spidey senses tell me that one’s gonna be a doozy.”

Malachi held in a sigh. “Is that a television reference?”

“Close. Movie.”

Danny walked in front of him, his little round ass swaying from side to side as he made his way to the stairs.

Malachi’s cock swelled. He never watched television or movies, but this was a show he could enjoy all day.