Page 18

Chapter 18

Storm

Storm woke up before Nathan the next morning, and after a few moments of admiring the man’s sleep-lax muscles, he rolled out of bed to make breakfast. He left Nathan, sprawled out on his stomach with the sheet crumpled around his hips, and padded downstairs to cook breakfast. He had no idea if Nathan would be hungover from the hex pill, but he figured food couldn’t be a bad thing.

Scrambled eggs and pancakes later, he stacked everything on a rarely used tray and carried it upstairs to find Nathan sprawled out on his back this time, one hand knuckling the sleep from his eye.

“Wh’ time is it?” he mumbled.

Storm checked his watch. “Just after ten.”

Nathan groaned.

“How are you feeling?”

Nathan paused, assessing. “Physically, fine. Not even sore, which is weird. Emotionally? I’m a little embarrassed.”

Storm chuckled. “Why? Here, sit up.”

“Why? What—oh.” Nathan sat up, crossing his legs under him so Storm could set the tray in front of him. “You made me breakfast.”

“Yeah.” He sat down beside him, taking his chin and guiding his face up so Storm could get a good look. He looked surprisingly well-rested for how late they’d stayed up, but his cheeks flushed with pink the longer Storm looked at him. “So, tell me why you’re embarrassed.”

Nathan lowered his eyes. “I was just so— needy last night. Not just here with you, but at the bar, in front of Alex and Talon. I could not stop touching you.”

“In your defense, Alex was the same way with Talon.”

If possible, Nathan’s face darkened further. “I’m not sure that’s better.”

“It means he’s probably as embarrassed as you are right now.”

Nathan huffed. “I just—I’ve never felt like that before. Does it feel like that to drink your blood?”

Storm shook his head. “Alex wouldn’t have reacted to the drug like that if that was the case.”

Nathan picked up his fork and speared at a piece of egg. “Right.”

“Do you… remember everything clearly?” Storm desperately wanted to ask if he’d meant everything he said while they fucked, but he wouldn’t push if Nathan couldn’t remember.

The blush might become a permanent fixture at this rate. Nathan nodded, shoveling egg into his mouth and avoiding Storm’s eye.

“And… did you mean everything you said?”

Nathan plucked at the sheet that barely covered his lap. He nodded again.

Relief and triumph swept through Storm at equal paces. He made a choked noise that drew Nathan’s attention, then leaned in and kissed Nathan’s bare shoulder, cradling his face with his free hand. He worked his way up his neck, across his flaming cheek, and kissed his eggy mouth.

“I love you too, sunshine. You know that, right?”

“I mean, I-I thought so, but you didn’t exactly say it last night. Not in so many words.”

“Oh goddammit, I really do suck at this stuff,” Storm said, reeling Nathan in for another kiss, and another, and another. “I do, I love you so much. I didn’t know what it felt like until you came along. It drives me wild. You’re all I can think about, all I can focus on. All I want, forever. Do you really want my blood?”

Nathan’s nose scrunched. “Maybe. I don’t know how I feel about drinking blood.”

“It doesn’t have to be right this minute,” Storm promised, unable to take his hands off Nathan even when he leaned over to keep eating. “I’m just glad you’re considering it.”

Nathan nodded. “I’ve seen how this goes. I saw what happened to Alex and Luke. I… I want to solve this case. Once I’m sure the guild is safe from these possessors, I’ll leave. Disappear like Ira did, so we can be together.”

Storm blew out a breath. “I’m so happy to hear you say that, sunshine. But what about your house? They know where you live, don’t they?”

Nathan grimaced. “Yeah, they do. It’s listed on my paperwork with the guild. I can let it go; it’s just a house.”

“No.” Storm didn’t want him to give up the home he’d worked for. “You keep it. You can stay here for now, but keep the house. One day we’ll move into it together, when it’s safe.”

Nathan’s face twisted. “What if it’s never safe? There’s no way the guild will let us live in peace.”

Storm shrugged one shoulder. “Ira seems to think things will be better one day. Besides, Sloan can’t live forever. If you take my blood, one way or another, we’ll be free of them one day.”

Nathan softened, pushing the plate away and curling up against Storm’s side. “I’m glad I met you.”

Storm kissed the top of his head. “Me, too. Life would be so empty without you.”

* * *

Later that afternoon, they picked up food and headed toward the Rink. They didn’t really talk, but Storm sensed that something in their relationship had shifted. They were solid in a way they hadn’t been before. It didn’t matter that they hadn’t known each other all that long. They both understood that this was real, it was important, and it couldn’t be denied.

It left Storm feeling settled in a way he’d never experienced before. Like he’d been content before but never truly happy. He couldn’t wait for a time when Nathan no longer had to put on his guild ring and go to HQ. It wasn’t safe there for someone who loved a demon, and he wouldn’t rest until Nathan was free of them.

Just like last night, Nathan sat in the middle seat of Storm’s truck, their legs lined up from hip to knee. Storm rested one hand on Nathan’s thigh, delighted by the warmth of his skin through the denim. Bags of Chinese takeout sat in the floorboard on Nathan’s other side.

When they came to a stop at a red light, Storm turned his head, lips brushing Nathan’s ear. “Tell me you love me.”

Nathan shivered, leaning harder against his side. “I love you.”

“Tell me you want me.”

“I always want you,” Nathan whispered, turning his head to capture his lips.

Nathan’s phone rang, and they reluctantly parted. Storm turned to watch the light as Nathan answered.

“Hello?”

“ Captain Accardi, good afternoon. I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time. I saw on the schedule that this is your day off, so I thought it might be a good time to contact you .”

“Hi, Doctor Maxwell. It’s a fine time. What can I do for you?”

“ Oh, I’m calling because I tested that black pill you gave me. It had traces of sulfur, human bone, salt, wormwood and cedar. It looks like you were right; these pills are like miniature hex bags. I can only assume that if one ingests enough of them, the ingredients will accumulate in the body and allow a demon to take possession. ”

“Holy shit,” Nathan whispered. Louder, he asked, “Thank you for letting me know, Doc. Have you spoken with Commander Sloan yet?”

“ I have. He was… not as receptive as I would’ve liked. ”

Nathan paused, and Storm glanced over at his uncertain frown. “What do you mean?”

“ He insisted that you were helping with some ploy of the traitors’. I’m afraid he won’t listen to anything regarding these pills .”

“Even now that we have proof they’re causing the possessions?”

“ I can speak with him again later, try to make him see reason .”

“I… I don’t know if you should.”

Storm heard Maxwell’s sigh through the tinny speaker. “ I’ve done things I’m not proud of at this guild’s behest in the past, Captain. This time, people are dying. Someone needs to speak up. ”

Storm was dying to know what the doctor was talking about, and based on Nathan’s shocked look, he felt the same. Instead, he shook himself and said, “Okay. Just be careful. Don’t push too hard. I’m… I’m working with those ‘traitors’ to find the source of the pills now. I’ll do what I can out here to put a stop to it.”

“ Good. Do what you can, and I’ll do the same. Good luck, Captain. God be with you. ”

“And with you.”

Nathan hung up and blew out a breath. “Okay. Looks like he confirmed what we already knew. Those pills are what’s killing people. Lilith is helping the distributor. We just need to find out where they’re coming from.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Storm promised, squeezing his leg.