A chiming interrupted Cin’s story about the Scottish games he’d won. Jonathan glanced around, trying to figure out where the sound came from before giving up and going back to enjoying the way Cin’s mouth moved when he spoke.

“How shocked were they when you hit the thing dead center?”

Cin ran his fingers through Jonathan’s hair, smiling. “What makes you think I did?”

Jonathan shrugged. He loved these moments, curled up in their favorite chair, stroking and soaking up one another. They’d lost Niall five minutes earlier to his latest sword creation. Jonathan didn’t mind. He just wanted to hear every detail of the minutes he’d missed. “You always win.”

“Could you love a loser?”

Jonathan cuddled closer, needing more. “If you lost, yes.”

The chiming sounded again. This time, Jonathan ignored it. Cin’s hands roamed his body. That was all Jonathan cared about. He stroked one of Jonathan’s feathers. “Did you know, at least three people asked me questions about your wings. It seems they are perversely fascinated by them.” He stroked Jonathan’s wing as he made the claim, causing Jonathan’s eyes to fall closed. He couldn’t describe the sensation of having his wings stroked. It was almost orgasmic.

Dougal strolled by, heading for the front door. “Does nay anyone else hear the doorbell?”

Jonathan’s gaze shot to the door. “We have a doorbell?”

Dougal opened the door, and Evan stood on the other side. Jonathan rolled from Cin’s lap onto his feet.

“Evan?” Even Jonathan heard the surprise in his voice. “What brings you by?” Jonathan asked as he headed for the door, setting Dougal free.

Evan’s smile screamed discomfort. “I was out last night, and when I came home this morning, the house was warded against me.”

“Damn,” Jonathan muttered under his breath. He took a step back and waved Evan inside. “You’d better come in.”

Evan crossed the threshold. “I can’t reach anyone and have no idea what’s happened.”

“I’ll be back,” Jonathan told Cin as he passed.

Cin kicked back as if prepared to wait.

Jonathan headed down the hall with Evan in tow. “I’m thinking you might want to stay here for a while. Baptiste, Kallus, and Eirik are trying to work things out. It doesn’t sound like it’s going well.” He opened the first bedroom door he knew to be empty. “You can have this room, if you’d like.”

Evan glanced inside the empty bedroom before focusing his dark blue gaze on Jonathan. “You know about Kallus and Eirik?”

Jonathan nodded. “And you. Did you know, you’re the first werewolf I’ve ever met. I have so many questions.”

Evan chewed on his bottom lip. His gaze swung back to the empty room. “Maybe I should stay with Dante? I don’t want to put you out, and all my things are locked up inside Baptiste’s.”

Jonathan snapped his fingers and Evan’s things appeared inside the room. “Stay. We have plenty of room. Just be warned, the guys tend to forget their clothes and you might walk in on anything around here. But, for the most part, everyone pretty much does their own thing.” Evan still looked unsure. Jonathan didn’t hold back. “Things with Baptiste are pretty ugly right now. Even if they work things out, they probably need some time alone. I promise you’re not imposing.”

Evan shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. “Well, my stuff is all here now.”

“It is,” Jonathan agreed.

“Werewolves roam a lot,” Evan warned.

Jonathan nodded. “Good. You can help with patrols.”

Evan brightened, as if the idea of helping made him feel like less of an intruder. “I could do that.”

Jonathan didn’t let up. “In fact, you’d be doing us a huge favor by helping out. We’ve been overwhelmed lately. Not having enough time off has shortened some tempers. Plus, we’ve had a lot of people just popping in and setting off the alarms. That kind of thing.”

“That’s rude,” Evan said, making Jonathan’s smile grow and strengthening his belief this was the right thing.

“So you’ll stay and help?”

Evan eyed his new room and nodded. “I’ll stay.”

“Good,” Jonathan said, determined to get back to Cin. “Feel free to show yourself around. It’s your home now, after all.” He made it halfway down the hall before Evan called out, stopping him.

“Thank you.” Jonathan turned. Evan’s sincerity was in his eyes. “Werewolves fall under the rule of the Norse gods, specifically Eirik. I recognize you don’t have to help me. So, thank you.”

Jonathan dipped his chin, acknowledging his gratitude. “This clan is always accepting good people. You won’t let us down.” Without waiting for Evan’s response, Jonathan headed back to where he’d left Cin. His wings felt neglected. Cin knew how to fix that.

* * *

Eirik stared at Baptiste’s front door with a deep line marring his forehead. Baptiste would’ve laughed if he wasn’t so goddamn angry. It couldn’t have been more obvious Eirik couldn’t find a way around Baptiste’s magic. Baptiste stayed hidden behind its wall, watching every move his mate made.

Kallus appeared at Eirik’s side. “The store is closed and there’s already a ‘For Sale’ sign in the window.”

After scrubbing his hands through his hair, Eirik stared up at the sky, as if seeking guidance. Baptiste rubbed his chest and arms, fighting off the withdrawals. “He could be anywhere by now,” Eirik said, dropping his chin and going back to staring at the door. “Or he could be right here, watching every move we make. There’s no way to know.”

“But I’m so goddamn weak,” Baptiste said to himself, sounding childish even to his ears and still not caring. “You’d better figure something out quick. Otherwise, I might die with no real men to protect me. Pssh. Such bullshit.”

Kallus chewed on his bottom lip as he eyed the door. Neither man realized he stood only feet away. Kallus smiled. Pride shone in his voice when he spoke. “He really is amazing.”

“Yep,” Baptiste said, walking past them without being seen. “Too bad you didn’t realize that sooner.” The daylight would keep a normal vampire from dissipating. Baptiste had magic on his side. He didn’t use it often any longer. There was never much of a need, but he was still every bit as powerful. He turned, eyeing his mates one last time. His throat swelled. The loss never got easier, but Baptiste had lost them a long time ago. “May Odin grant you knowledge, may Thor grant you strength, may Loki grant you laughter, and may all the Gods remind you every day that I loved you even when you didn’t feel the same.” Eirik turned at the prayer as if he heard Baptiste’s wishes hurdling toward the heavens. Baptiste’s eyes blurred at the final sight of light, swirling gray irises. He whispered the words that would take him to his next destination. Even though he had nothing but time, Baptiste was ready to be away from here.

Baptiste appeared on Jonathan’s doorstep. For a moment, he blinked at the black wooden surface, trying to call his emotions under control before ringing the doorbell. He’d already looked like a huge fool in front of everyone. Today was a new day. As he pushed the button, a loud musical chime drifted through the air. The door opened, and Lire stood on the other side. His long, curly dark hair fell over one shoulder and his whiskey-colored eyes flashed with surprise at the sight of Baptiste. Of course, Baptiste imagined he probably looked every bit as big of a mess as he felt.

“Hey.”

Baptiste managed a small smile. “Hey. Is Jonathan around?”

Lire nodded. “Come in.”

Before he could step back, Baptiste waved off the offer. “No, thanks. I’ll wait out here. This won’t take long, and I need to be on my way.”

The demon started away before pausing and turning back. “I haven’t had a chance to thank you for what you did for my mates and me.” He looked as uncomfortable as Baptiste felt. Lire cleared his throat. “I also owe you an apology.”

“Please, don’t,” Baptiste said, stopping him. “Just promise me you’ll never walk away from your mates, and we’re good.”

Lire met his stare. “I would rather die than walk away.” He meant it.

Baptiste dipped his chin, acknowledging his promise. He was scared to open his mouth. His shit had been barely held together for three years. Today, his strength was at its lowest point. When Lire started away again, Baptiste broke. “They’re lucky,” he called to Lire’s back. Lire glanced over his shoulder and Baptiste couldn’t help expounding. “Your mates, they’re lucky to have you. I wish you the best.” Lire walked away, saving Baptiste from himself. As it was, he was already feeling more uncomfortable than usual, and that was saying a lot. His anger had smothered some of his usual awkwardness, but it was roaring back with a vengeance.

Jonathan appeared in the doorway before Baptiste convinced himself to leave. “Hi,” Jonathan said, stepping onto the porch. “How are you doing today? Are things any better?”

For a moment, Baptiste wondered if his throat would work. Finally, he managed to kick his voice into gear. “I came to apologize for dragging you into my problems and ask you to pass my apologies along to Niall. Hopefully, he’ll forgive my intrusion last night. I panicked and didn’t know where else to go. As you can see, I learned how to use the doorbell.” Baptiste managed a small fake smile.

Jonathan didn’t look as if he bought it. “Niall is fine. Don’t worry over that. If it would make you feel better, you can come in and tell him yourself.”

Baptiste shook his head. “I have to go.” Baptiste twisted his fingers, feeling inadequate. His gaze skirted past Jonathan as he searched for the right words. Faolan passed by the door. He walked the same as a man on a tightrope. There was a spoon balanced on his nose. For a second, Baptiste lost his train of thought.

At his awkward pause, Jonathan glanced over his shoulder, following Baptiste’s line of sight. “Oh, yeah. Cin, sic him.” At Jonathan’s command, Cin appeared from nowhere, taking Faolan to the floor and sending the spoon flying. The silver piece arced through the air. Baptiste watched it fly past the open door. Jonathan flashed him a sweet smile as if nothing happened. “Are you sure you don’t want to come in? I’ve bet Faolan fifty bucks he can’t balance a spoon on his nose for a full ten minutes. So far, I’m winning.”

Baptiste cleared his throat. “Um, no. Like I said, I need to go, but I wanted to stop by first and say my goodbyes.”

Jonathan’s expression turned sad. “Are you not coming back?”

A sad smile tugged at his lips. “I’ve put the shop up for sale. The house will follow shortly after.”

“So, you’re not coming back,” Jonathan said, saving Baptiste from having to confirm it. He couldn’t say the words. New Orleans was his home, but nothing felt right anymore.

“It was very nice meeting you, Jonathan. From what I’ve seen, you’ll be an amazing king.” Before Baptiste could walk away, he found himself engulfed in a hug. The relief washing over him as Jonathan’s power hit almost took his knees out from underneath him. Baptiste hugged him back before quickly pulling away. He couldn’t handle the kindness right now.

“Come visit us,” Jonathan said, sounding firm.

Baptiste dipped his chin, even though he didn’t mean it, and walked away. He didn’t mask his energy for several steps. If Eirik came searching for him, Baptiste wanted the last wisps of his trail to lead away from Jonathan. Hopefully, the king and his clan would be left in peace. At the edge of the woods, Baptiste started his chant, intent on reaching his next destination. Before he could get away, a solid weight hit him in the center of his back, taking him to the ground. Baptiste rolled, ready to defend himself. A large black wolf pounced, pinning him to the ground. In a flash, the wolf transformed, becoming a very nude and pissed-off-looking Evan.

“Where are you going, boss?”

“Um.” Baptiste’s mind wouldn’t work quickly enough.

“Because it kind of looks like you’re running away without me,” Evan added.

“I—”

“First, you lock me out of the house.”

Fuck. He’d forgotten about Evan in his hurt and anger. “Sorry, I—”

“Then you show up here like you’re ready to bolt,” Evan added, cutting Baptiste off again. “Surely you don’t think I’ve given up three years of my life to watch you run away without me, right?”

Baptiste tried gently pushing Evan away. The man didn’t budge. “Well, um, no offense, but I’m not looking for a babysitter.”

A deep line appeared between Evan’s eyes. “I’m no one’s fucking babysitter.” He sat back on his heels, forcing Baptiste to try to look anywhere but directly at the man’s junk. “Like you said, no offense, but I had a life before I was forced to come here and live this bullshit lie, working at your shop and locked up in the city.”

It took everything Baptiste had, but he managed to focus on Evan’s eyes. They were Ethan’s, but then again, they weren’t. Everything about this was so fucking hard. “If you go with me, you’ll be separated from everyone. I don’t plan to come back, and I’ll be damned if you’ll go with me if you plan to keep tabs on me for Eirik.”

Evan shrugged. “Do you really want to be all alone?”

“I don’t know,” Baptiste answered honestly. He felt too raw to know himself any longer.

“Well, I don’t,” Evan said, sounding sad. “You’re all I have, and you’re dropping me like a stray dog.”

Guilt ate at his skin. “Fuck. Come on,” Baptiste said, pushing to his feet. He couldn’t leave Evan behind after that. If all else failed, he could always send the man back. For now, maybe they both needed a friend.

* * *

Eirik rang the doorbell, listening as the chimes filled the air. Stamping feet could be heard through the door, along with cursing. “Goddamn, this is a house of royalty. Can’t we get a damn butler? What do you want?” Lire snapped as he threw open the door.

“May we speak to Jonathan?”

“He’s too busy to speak with betrayers today. Try back tomorrow.”

Eirik spoke through clenched teeth. “It’s important or I wouldn’t bother him.”

“Nope, can’t do it,” Lire said as he tried shutting the door.

Kallus slapped his hand against the wood, stopping him. “We’re looking for Baptiste. We’ve been tracking his energy. This is the last place he popped up.”

“No shit,” Lire said, intentionally being unhelpful. “You were with him.”

“Not last night,” Eirik growled, losing his patience. “This morning.”

Lire glanced between them. His lip curled with disgust. “You’re killing me with this bullshit,” Lire said, practically sneering each word. “You both had no problem leaving him alone before. Now you act as if he won’t survive a day without you. It serves you right to suffer some time without him. After all, he’s spent three years without you.”

“For the last time,” Eirik growled. “I was trying to protect him, and he wasn’t without me.”

The ugliest snort Eirik had ever heard escaped the lust demon. “Is this the condescending shit you fed him? If so, it’s no wonder he left.”

Eirik swallowed his anger. Losing his temper would get him nowhere. “I’m trying to make it right,” he said, enunciating each word. “But I can’t do that if I don’t know where he is. This was the last place he appeared. Someone here has to know something.”

Lire shrugged, looking unconcerned. “As I’ve already told you, Jonathan is busy, and neither of my mates nor I have seen him since we left you alone in the guest room.”

Eirik pinched the spot between his eyes, trying his ass off to hang onto his calm. Celeste would probably frown upon him leveling her grandson’s home.

Kallus took over. “What about Evan? I can smell the dog. Was he with Baptiste?”

A bland smile touched Lire’s lips. “That’s something else you’ll have to discuss with one of the kings. They decide who stays and who goes,” he added pointedly.

Eirik’s desire to scream doubled when Lire closed the door in his face. Rather than kicking the door in, Eirik turned and hauled Kallus against him. With Kallus wrapped in his arms, and his lips pressed Kallus’ forehead, Eirik breathed through the pain.

“We’ll find him,” Kallus said as he held Eirik tighter.

“Tell me what other choice I had. I swear I saw none.”

Kallus’ grip tightened on Eirik’s shirt. “You tell me and I’ll tell you. I didn’t know what else to do either.”

“You could’ve trusted him.”

“Holy shit,” Kallus yelled, jumping away and patting his racing heart.

Jonathan floated above them. The gentle flap of his wings, keeping him hovering just out of reach. “Hiya,” he said when he saw he had Kallus and Eirik’s attention.

Eirik growled at the intrusion. “What the fuck? How long have you been spying?”

“First off, this is my house,” Jonathan reminded him before softly landing next to them. “Secondly, I don’t have to spy. I already know everything. Third, I was trying something that literally has nothing to do with you. D, I don’t care enough to listen in on your conversation. And five, you’re not the boss of me.”

“Dear Odin,” Eirik said, shaking his head. “That made zero sense.”

“Well, now you know how you sounded blasting off that spying nonsense. Now what do you want?”

Eirik wanted to stamp his feet like a child. He’d never dealt with more infuriating people, and he was the prince of wolves. Those creatures knew how to get under the skin. He counted to ten inside his head. “Baptiste has disappeared. We’re trying to find him and were hoping you’d help.”

Jonathan’s golden gaze moved between them. “Why?”

“So we can work things out,” Eirik snapped, incapable of playing nice.

Jonathan shook his head. “That’s not what I meant. Why do you need my help?”

“This was the last place his energy appeared before he masked it again,” Kallus said, saving Eirik from snapping again. “Plus, Evan’s scent is all over this place.”

“Evan helped with patrols today,” Jonathan said, killing Eirik’s hope that Baptiste wasn’t alone. He didn’t need protection. Baptiste needed companionship. His soul needed the comfort of others. “But I should think, for you, he would be easy to find,” Jonathan said, restoring Eirik’s hope.

“So you know where he is, then?”

Jonathan immediately killed Eirik’s excitement. “No, but you do, if you think about it. You know him better than anyone. What do you know? Baptiste loved you both. He loved being in love with you. The man thrives on your memories and the idea of your union. My guess is, he’ll find someplace he feels close to you both while he works on learning to live without you.”

Before Eirik could respond, Kallus spoke up. “Why do you keep talking about Baptiste’s love like it’s a thing of the past?”

“Well,” Jonathan said, dragging out the word and glancing between them. “You left,” he said, pointing at Kallus. He poked his finger in Eirik’s direction, adding, “And you pretended to be dead. Is he supposed to love people forever even when they don’t stay? I swear, every immortal I’ve met would never make it as a human. Humans have short lives. They don’t have time for this type of bullshit. I applaud him for leaving. He gave you everything and mourned like a good husband should once you were gone, but three years have passed. The only people who blame him for moving on are the two of you, and neither of you deserve that privilege.” Jonathan took a step back and looked up. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m still trying something.” Jonathan’s feet lifted from the ground. His wings were silent and gave off no wind, surprising Eirik with their power. “Good luck finding Baptiste. I genuinely hope you find him and convince him to come back. It hurts me to think I’ll never see him again.” Without waiting for them to respond, Jonathan disappeared.

“Yeah, me too,” Eirik said. Baptiste was powerful. Eirik would never stop looking for him, but if Baptiste wanted, he could stay hidden forever beneath a shield of magic. The thought of never holding Baptiste again; it was hell. He exchanged glances with Kallus. They were thinking the same thing. If this was a quarter of what Baptiste felt at losing them, his pain was unfathomable.