Page 4

Chapter 4

Storm

Nathan Accardi was radiant. Storm would’ve been embarrassed by the thought if anyone else could’ve heard it. He wasn’t like the others, okay? He didn’t have any interest in a human, but he could barely focus on the conversation, too busy drinking in Nathan’s sun-tanned skin, his slate-gray eyes, the way his clever fingers fidgeted with the cardboard cup clutched between them. His oak-brown hair was cut in the usual high and tight military style that most of the paladins seemed to favor, and his handsome, angular face was cleanly shaven. He wanted to bite that sharp jaw with his teeth , force his head back to watch that nervous throat bob.

Nathan’s rare smiles were like a dose of refreshing, cool darkness. Storm didn’t care that the sun prickled his skin uncomfortably. He only lamented that he couldn’t take his sunglasses off to see him properly. He’d planned to give the paladin an earful for choosing to meet at noon, but somehow his anger had dissolved when he actually sat down across from him.

When Nathan excused himself to the restroom as the meeting drew to a close, Storm waited a few moments and then followed him. The hallway beside the kitchen was mercifully windowless and dark. He stopped outside the men’s room, listening to the sounds within. He didn’t truly suspect Nathan of treachery after having spoken candidly with the man, but it was better to cover his bases. Blind trust was stupid, and Nathan was still working for the guild. He’d promised Talon that he wouldn’t fall for any tricks.

But all he heard from within was the flushing of the toilet, followed by running water and then the rustle of paper towels.

The door opened, and Nathan stepped out before he saw Storm, nearly running right into him. A quiet sound of alarm left him as the door swung shut behind him.

Storm pushed his sunglasses up onto his head. For the first time, he got an unhindered look at the human. His high cheekbones, his bow-shaped lips. The honey-sweet scent of his skin mixed with the bitter coffee flavor he’d been drinking, and Storm found himself pressing closer, angling his head down to inhale more of it greedily. Nathan backed away, and Storm followed, penning him in against the door.

Nathan was tall. There weren’t many who were close to Storm’s height, but Nathan’s eyes were level with his mouth. One broad hand pressed against Storm’s chest, but it lacked strength. Nathan wasn’t actually trying to push him away.

“What are you doing?” he breathed.

What was he doing? Just because the human was nice to look at and smelled divine didn’t mean Storm could take what he wanted.

But he’s mine , an insistent little voice said in the back of his head.

“Fuck,” Storm murmured. This was so stupid. He’d watched the others fall for their humans. It wasn’t supposed to happen to him .

Nathan’s eyes widened slightly at the rough sound of his voice, but he didn’t move. His throat bobbed, and Storm couldn’t resist, trailing his fingers, feather-light, up and down the sun-tanned skin. Nathan’s pulse fluttered wildly under his fingertips. He leaned in, his nose grazing Nathan’s short hair.

The hand on his chest finally firmed, gently pushing him away. Nathan’s eyes were wide, his cheeks rosy.

“You smell good,” Storm said, cocking his head to one side.

Nathan’s mouth opened, but nothing came out for a few moments. “I do?”

“Mm-hm.” He laid his hand over the one on his chest, and Nathan’s fingers tightened, pressing into the muscle of his pectoral as though with the urge to cling . The notion sent a fizzle of delight through him. Did Nathan want him, too? “I’ll tell the others that you mean well. Maybe you can come and see the Rink. I’m sure they’d like to speak with you, too.”

“Great.” Nathan’s eyes, gray as a thundercloud, fell to their joined hands. “You’ve got my number.”

Yes, he did, and he intended to use it. One meeting with him wasn’t going to be anywhere near enough.

* * *

When he left the coffee shop, Storm couldn’t bring himself to go back home. Instead, he drove straight to the one person he thought might have some answers.

‘Yes, I think that’s the right course of action,’ their resident prophet had said. He didn’t think to question it at the time, but now he had many questions. Many.

He shot Wolf a text to let him know he was coming over whether they liked it or not, and twenty minutes later he was pulling into the parking lot outside their building. He rode the elevator in pensive silence, and when he reached the door, it opened before he could knock.

Wolf’s ash-blond hair was loose from its usual braid, tangled and wild, and there was a pillow crease on his face. “The fuck do you want, Storm?”

“I want to speak to your human. Go back to bed.” He shooed Wolf out of the way and stepped past him.

Storm didn’t know what he expected from an apartment shared by a demon and a prophet of the Lord, but somehow this seemed perfect. There was no television, but artwork hung on every wall. A pair of matching bookshelves framed the couch, filled to the brim with books. New paperbacks, old leather-bound books. Stacks of books sat in front of the bookshelves and in the corner. There were multicolored pillows on the couch and plants in the corners and hanging from baskets in front of the glass balcony doors.

Ira was on the couch with a book perched on his crossed legs, his curly hair in a loose bun atop his head. Wolf locked the door, muttered something, and disappeared back into the bedroom. The door closed with a resounding thud.

“You,” Storm said, coming to a stop in front of Ira with the coffee table between them.

“Yes,” Ira said, looking unsurprised to see him. He always seemed unsurprised. It was goddamn unnerving.

“Did you know?”

Ira shrugged.

“No, no. None of the cryptic bullshit. Did you know? ”

Ira sighed, setting his book on the coffee table. “I suspected. I’ve seen the occasional image of the two of you together?—”

“Like together together?”

He frowned, his nose scrunching. “Not, like, physically, if that’s what you mean. Standing together, shaking hands, that kind of thing. I’ve seen most of the—I mean. I’ve seen.” He stopped, his gaze going distant. He did that sometimes, when he was debating with himself how much he could say. Storm didn’t envy him. “I didn’t know for sure that it meant you two would wind up together, but at the very least, it indicated that you know each other and are at least friendly in the future.” His face broke out into a smile. “So you like him, then, huh?”

Storm threw his head back in despair. “ Fuck ,” he said, long and loud. “I don’t want this! No offense or anything, but you guild people just complicate things. There are enough of you running around already. I don’t want to get attached to him!”

Ira’s peaceful expression didn’t change. “Aren’t you already?”

“ Yes , goddammit.” He flopped down on the sofa beside Ira, making him bounce, and let out a frustrated growl. “He’s very pretty.”

Ira canted his head to one side. “Yeah, he’s all right, I guess.”

Storm scowled at him. “ You’re all right. He’s…” He didn’t know how to explain it. Something about Nathan just captivated him. He’d be damned if he put it into flowery words where someone could hear , though.

Ira snorted. “You want to call demonic dibs, don’t you?”

He sighed heavily. “I do. He probably wouldn’t appreciate that. He’s still very pro-guild, for the most part.”

“We all were at one time. It took Malachi a while to wear Luke down, for example. You’ll just have to be persistent—if you want him, that is.”

He did want him. Very much so. He wanted to peel his clothes off, lay him out, explore every crack and crevice his body had to offer. Pin him down and give him every body-shaking pleasure he could until he knew nothing but Storm.

“So I should annoy him until he gives in?” That sounded like Malachi’s strategy.

Ira laughed. “I don’t know that I’d put it that way. I’ll say this: you’re not the only one who feels that pull. I was drawn to Wolf, and Luke and Alex have both said they felt it for Malachi and Talon, too. So it might not be as hard as you think.”

Storm pursed his lips. “I don’t know anything about humans.”

The bedroom door opened, and Wolf strode back out. “I can’t go back to sleep, so I’ll help. Malachi didn’t annoy Luke into loving him. The thing he was persistent about was making Luke happy. In their case, Luke was very un happy. So find out what Nathan wants and then give it to him so hard he never wants anyone else.”

Ira shook his head, an exasperated smile on his face. “That’s… yeah, that’s one way of putting it, I guess.”

Wolf pointed to the door. “It’s the middle of the day, and I can’t sleep with you two in here jabbering. Get out.”

Storm snickered. “Fine, fine. Who knew you were such a bastard without your beauty sleep?”

Wolf all but chased him out the door, but that was okay. He just had to find a strategy that worked for wooing Nathan, because he needed the man to be his. Whatever it took.