Anael sauntered along one of the busier streets in Seattle, quietly whistling under his breath and smiling at anyone who looked his way. The sun was warm on his back and the light breeze ruffled his curls. Although Anael enjoyed his time in the Underworld, he missed the sun, the sounds of the city and most of all the thrumming energy from the humans around him.

He’d arrived too late to hit the lunch crowd, but he’d nudged at least half a dozen couples together as he strolled along. This was the part of his job he loved the most; seeing people together who were oblivious to their connection and making them see their friends or work colleagues in a different light. It was what he was made for, his purpose and yet with every connection he made, Anael missed his own mate more and more.

Unable to stay in his barren apartment, so different from Zagan’s lavish rooms, Anael had taken to the streets as soon as he arrived on earth. Now his feet were complaining, and his throat was parched. Spotting a small café, he ducked inside, ordering his favorite vanilla and hazelnut coffee, choosing to sit in the cool for a while. Pulling out his phone, he was surprised to see he had quite a few messages. They weren’t there when he arrived on the earth realm, and Anael guessed it took a while for his phone to register his signal again once he’d got in range of the cell tower. It’s not as though they had things like that in the Underworld.

Two from Raziel. Basic messages telling him to stay in touch. Anael tapped out a reply letting his friend know he and Zagan hadn’t decided where they would be living right now, but that he would make sure he was doing his duty on earth at least four hours a day. That should keep Head Office happy, he thought, as another wave of longing for his mate swept through him again.

Focus. A message from Darren. Actually, six messages all basically saying the same thing. All is forgiven, come back to work. Anael tapped the edge of his phone as he wondered how to respond. He’d enjoyed his job, although Jared’s advances weren’t welcome and knowing he’d been ripped off part of his earnings was also hard to swallow even if he didn’t work for the money side of things. Darren’s attempts at forcing him to do something he explicitly stated in his contract he wouldn’t do, didn’t win the man any points either. In the end, Anael decided silence was the best way to handle his ex-boss. It’s not as though Zagan would allow him to work as a stripper anyway, even if he did keep his junk covered. His wonderful demon was so protective of him. Anael smiled over his phone before forcing himself to focus again.

The last two messages were from an unknown number. Anael gasped and almost dropped the phone when he opened them. Staring from his screen was a picture of Zagan; tied to a chair with a rag in his mouth. Lady Zoltus stood behind him with a malicious grin twisting her features and her red nails contrasting with his black hair. Underneath the picture, the second message simply said, Come to his club. One hour. Make sure you are alone.

“No.” Anael quickly covered his mouth as a young girl at the next table looked at him. How did this happen? Lucifer told Zagan he wasn’t allowed on earth until Zoltus was caught. But then a flood of warmth eased his insides. Of course, Zagan would come looking for me. We’re mates. Glancing quickly at the time the message was received, Anael saw he had just fifteen minutes left. Zagan’s club was on the fringes of town. He needed a taxi. Fast.

/~/~/~/~/

“Lucifer and Gabriel have history?” Zagan slammed down his glass, staring at his friend in shock. Unlike him, Haures kept his dark hair short and his facial hair was more scruff than beard although it was carefully trimmed in sharp angles down both cheeks. His dark eyes, usually covered with mirrored glasses, held a hint of amusement.

“You mean you didn’t know? You must be one of the few who didn’t,” Haures chuckled. “Gossip has it those two have been dancing around each other since the beginning of time. But it seems every time our boss makes headway, he goes and fucks it up. He could do with taking lessons from your mate.”

“But Gabriel?” Zagan could see the appeal from a purely physical perspective. The man held just enough edge in his fine features to stop him being pretty, but still. “That angel has a stick so far up his ass it’s a wonder you can’t see it coming out the top of his head.”

“Hey, I’m just telling it like it is. There’ve been a few times when the boss has been positively happy – disappearing for days at a time, never telling anyone where he’s been. Then, from what I’m told, he says or does something that upsets the boss angel and bam, he’s back in the Underworld with a face like thunder, wiping out legions just for the hell of it. It’s been going on for centuries.”

“That’s why he wouldn’t let me go with Anael.” Zagan was furious. “He knows if my precious gets into serious trouble, Head Office will call in Gabriel. He’s the leader of them all and with Uriel out of commission for a while, Gabriel’s the only choice. Raziel doesn’t interfere in demon affairs unless it concerns Botis.”

“Your angel can’t get into any major trouble. It’s not as though he can die.” Haures took a long swallow from his beer and waved the empty glass at the bartender for another. The demon, clearly young and overwhelmed at having two high-power figures in his establishment, scuttled over to take the glass, almost tripping over his feet as he hurried back the safety of the bar. Usually such a display would make Zagan laugh, but now he was furious at his friend for being so casual about his mate’s safety.

“Someone can go through a powerful lot of hurt between being well and dead. You couldn’t possibly understand how much I feel for Anael. The very thought of him getting a splinter drives me into a panic.”

“You really care about him?” Haures seemed genuinely shocked. “I thought you only claimed him so you could see what angel sex was all about and because it’s what Head Office wanted.”

“That’s how I was thinking at first. Roll around the sheets with him once or twice and then disappear. But I walked away from him when I realized we were connected. I couldn’t hurt him like that, even from our first meeting. When you see him, you’ll understand,” he added noting Haures’s raised brow. “I definitely didn’t want to be tied to a mate. It really fucks up a varied sex life. The way I saw it my life was good enough as it was. I certainly didn’t want an angel around who was going to wrinkle his nose every time I farted and look down on me and my legions.”

“What changed?”

It was a fair enough question, but Zagan wasn’t sure he even knew the words to use. “I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I’d go to my club and I’d get bored. I came down here and let my demons use my main hall for orgies every night for a fucking week. No difference. I was bored out of my skull. I kept remembering how Anael would smile, and how he looked when he was dancing….”

Zagan trailed off realizing he was sounding like a right sap. “Dumb, I know,” he added looking down at his glass. “But I couldn’t stop thinking about him and now he’s mine…I know I did the right thing which is why I’m so fucking pissed off at Lucifer for not letting me go topside with him. If Zoltus harms one hair on his precious head….”

“And that right there is why he told you to stay down here. Demons fighting each other on earth is a huge no-no.” Haures picked up Zagan’s glass, waving it at the bartender. “We’ve got two hours till sundown. We might as well put the time to good use.”

“Beats paperwork, anyway. Tell the boy to pull out my rum.”