What happens when fire meets earth?

Benedict and everything he’s been working towards are in danger. He hates the thought of having a bodyguard, but his son Rhea doesn’t give him a choice in the matter. Benedict supposes he should be grateful that the man chosen to keep him safe is a friend of both Rhea and Rhea’s soulmate, but things are awkward, especially when Benedict and Dakota have to fake being in a relationship.

Dakota will do everything he has to in order to protect Benedict from Purity, the group that wants element wielders to stay separate. Rhea is the soulmate of one of Dakota’s best friends, which makes all of them family of a kind. Dakota doesn’t mind faking being in love with Benedict, mostly because he suspects it would be too easy for that to become reality.

When they’re attacked and the elements they control twine together rather than fight, they realize they’re mates. That won’t stop Purity, though. If anything, it will make the cult even more dangerous, because that’s exactly what they’re against—different elements mixing together like they did before the war.

While this book can be read as book one in the Elemental Unions series, the short Elemental Union is a prelude to it. It’s the story of how Rhea and Quillan met.

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Fire and Earth

Copyright © 2020 Catherine Lievens

ISBN: 978-1-4874-2765-8

Cover art by Angela Waters

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

Published by eXtasy Books Inc or

Devine Destinies, an imprint of eXtasy Books Inc

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Fire and Earth

Elemental Unions Book 2

By

Catherine Lievens

Chapter One

“Mr. Hunt? I have your mail,” Benedict’s secretary said.

Benedict hadn’t realized his office door was open. He rubbed his eyes, wishing they would stop burning, and smiled at Amanda. “Thank you.”

“Do you want me to go over these? I can put the important things to the side for you to look over later.”

Benedict wished he could say yes, but he knew better. He couldn’t risk it. “I’ll do it, don’t worry.” He held out his hand, and Amanda stepped into the office.

She walked closer to the desk and gave Benedict a thick wad of envelopes. Benedict wrinkled his nose at the sight. “Isn’t everything done via email these days?” He was old, but not so old that he didn’t know about email, and the same should go for his business partners.

Amanda chuckled. “Usually. There are some diehards, though, and of course, there are the documents that can’t be emailed.”

Like threatening letters. Benedict supposed it wouldn’t be as scary if he got an email and could delete it before even reading it. Of course, he could throw away the letters before opening them, but he still didn’t know who was doing this, and he didn’t want to risk it. He didn’t want to risk being in real danger and not considering that option. That wouldn’t end well.

He forced himself to smile. “Thank you.”

Amanda nodded and left the office, and Benedict looked at the mail.

He sighed and put it down on his desk. He wouldn’t have time to open all of them, but he was looking for one in particular. He wasn’t sure he’d find it, but he would be surprised if he didn’t.

Sure enough, he recognized his printed name on one of the envelopes. It was always the same font, always the same type of envelope, as if whoever was sending the threats had bought the envelopes in bulk. And they might have, as far as Benedict knew.

He didn’t want to open the letter, but he forced himself anyway.

Stop this before someone gets hurt. It won’t end well for you or your family if you don’t listen to us.

That was it. There was no signature, nothing more than those words. It had been the same every time he’d received this kind of letter, and he’d had enough. The problem was that he had no idea who was sending them. Normally, he would have dismissed this as either a joke or someone who was trying to scare him off whatever deals he was working on. But with what had happened to Rhea, he didn’t want to risk it.

Rhea had almost paid for what Benedict was doing. He’d nearly been kidnapped, and even though he’d met his soulmate in the process, Benedict couldn’t dismiss this. He didn’t want Rhea or Quillan to get hurt. They were starting their life together, and they deserved peace. They deserved to be able to be together without fearing someone would attack or hurt them. Benedict would never forgive himself if something happened to them and he’d had the chance to stop it but hadn’t done anything.

Benedict knew he should stay in the office until late and continue to work, but he wasn’t able to focus after getting the letter. He couldn’t help but think about what might happen to Rhea and his mate. His mind reeled with images he wished he’d never thought of. But instead, here he was, and he needed to check in on his son.

Rhea was the only thing Benedict had left, along with his business, but Benedict didn’t care about that, not if it meant endangering his son’s life. If he needed to, he’d stop trying to reunite the four elements. He hated that thought, just as much as he hated giving in, but he wouldn’t put his son in jeopardy.

Since there was no way Benedict would be able to continue working, he packed his things and got ready to leave. He hesitated to take the threatening letter with him, though. He couldn’t leave it in the office, not when Amanda or anyone else might stumble onto it. He didn’t want to take it home, either, but he didn’t have a choice.

But he wasn’t sure what he’d do about it. He needed to start thinking, because he couldn’t allow himself to waste time, not with the consequences it might have. He should probably contact a private security company and hire someone to look into it. He could use the guards who worked for him, but he wanted someone from the outside, just in case. He trusted no one but Rhea and Quillan, and they obviously couldn’t investigate it. It wasn’t their job, and he needed them to be safe.

Benedict wasn’t sure how to make that happen. He didn’t want to ask Amanda to look into it, because he didn’t want anyone to know about the letters, but something needed to change. He’d already gotten four of them, with this one being the fifth. They were coming more often now, and Benedict was afraid it was a sign that the people sending them were escalating. They were warning him off doing business with other elements, but so far, Benedict had ignored them.

He couldn’t, not anymore.

He was surprised to see Quillan’s car parking in front of the house when he got home. Surprised, but pleased. Even though Rhea had moved out, Benedict wanted both his son and his son’s mate to consider the house their home. They’d always be welcome here, no matter what happened.

He found them in the kitchen. He dropped his jacket and bag in the entrance, then made his way there, smiling as he listened to them talking to each other. From the smells, they were cooking, and Benedict’s stomach rumbled. He knew he’d had lunch, because Amanda made sure he did, but he could barely remember what it was. Probably a salad. He spent so much time sitting in front of his desk that he needed to be careful about what he ate if he didn’t want to gain too much weight. He was getting older, and even though he wasn’t in a relationship and hadn’t been since his wife had passed, it might still happen.

Of course, he would have to work less and try harder than he’d been—which was not at all—for that to happen.

“Dad? What are you doing here?” Rhea asked when Benedict stepped into the kitchen.

“Well, the last time I checked, this was still my house.”

Rhea rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean. You don’t usually come home from work until much later.”

“I just needed a break.”

Rhea put down the knife he’d been using to cut tomatoes and cocked his head, staring at Benedict.

Benedict did his best to school his expression. He knew he wasn’t doing a good job, though. He cleared his throat. “We’ll talk about this later, okay?” he said.

“Something happened.” It wasn’t a question, but Rhea was obviously expecting an answer.

“Something happened,” Benedict confirmed because he knew Rhea wouldn’t let this go until he got at least that.

“Are you okay?”

“Physically, yes. I’m tired, of course, and worried, but it’s nothing imminent.”

“You’re making me worry, Dad.”

That was the last thing Benedict wanted. He would have behaved differently if he’d known Rhea was waiting for him at home. He knew he had to talk with Rhea and Quillan, but he didn’t want to ruin the evening. “There’s nothing to worry about.”

Rhea snorted. “Now I know there is.”

“Leave him alone,” Quillan said without looking up from whatever he was cooking at the stove. “He’ll tell you when he’s ready.”

“As long as he will eventually. Because something is wrong, and I want to know what it is.”

Benedict was touched, even though he felt like the roles should have been the other way around. He should be the one taking care of Rhea and making sure he was okay, yet Rhea was doing it. Benedict supposed he should start getting used to this. Rhea was an adult now, and while Benedict would always be there for him, would always protect him, Rhea was old enough to do the same when it came to Benedict. It was odd and slightly uncomfortable, but it was family.

Rhea was Benedict’s family, and now, so was Quillan.

* * * *

Dakota hated paperwork. He supposed everyone did, but he couldn’t get out of it, not when he was the boss. His position meant he had to review every report he got from his employees, no matter how boring and time-consuming it was.

And once he was done with the paperwork, he had to go over the new job requests, decide which ones he wanted to accept and which he didn’t, then choose who would do what.

An entire evening of paperwork.

“I don’t like that glare. You look like you want to set your desk on fire,” Bay said from the open door of Dakota’s office.

Dakota moved his glare from the paperwork to Bay. “That’s because I do.”

Bay pushed away from the doorframe on which he was leaning and came closer. He was holding a bag, and Dakota hoped dinner was in it, because he was starving.

“Setting fire to those files won’t help,” Bay pointed out.

“But I wouldn’t have to read them anymore.”

“What I meant is that they’re saved on the computer anyway.”

Dakota groaned. “Why did you have to tell me that?”

“So we won’t have to spend money renovating this room after you set the desk on fire.” Bay flopped into the chair in front of Dakota. He held up the bag and dumped it onto the desk. “I brought dinner.”

“That’s why I love you.”

Bay barked out a laugh. “Only because of that? I’m touched.”

“Mostly.”

In truth, Dakota and Bay had been friends for more than a decade. They’d been in college together, and when Dakota had decided he wanted to set up his own business, Bay had been right there with him. He wasn’t a partner, but only because he’d refused to become one when he didn’t have the money to buy his way in. Dakota hadn’t cared, and he still didn’t. He wouldn’t be where he was without Bay, and he wished his best friend wasn’t as stubborn as he was.

Dakota couldn’t change Bay, though, and he didn’t want to, but things would be so much easier if he could reason with him.

“What has you scowling that hard, then?” Bay asked as Dakota started taking out containers of Chinese food after pushing away the pile of paperwork.

“The usual. Reports, requests to work with us. Nothing I can’t handle.”

“I never thought you couldn’t handle it, just that it might not be good for your health. That glare was pretty mighty.”

Dakota grabbed one of the fortune cookies and threw it at Bay’s head. “Shut it. I should give you a promotion. Head of the department that takes care of the paperwork.”

“That’s not a thing.”

“I can make it a thing, though. I could call your new position paperhead.”

“Again, that’s not a thing. You should focus on dinner. You have a lot of paperwork to go over.”

“Dickhead.”

“Asshole.”

Dakota didn’t hide his smile. This was what he needed. After an entire day of working, it was time to relax, at least for a bit. He wasn’t sure how long it would last, considering all the work he had, but it was a start.

They ate in silence for a bit, but Bay had never been one to be comfortable with silence. He always had to talk, and today wasn’t any different. “So, have you heard anything from Quillan and Rhea?”

“I hear from them regularly.”

“I still can’t believe Quillan’s mate is a fire wielder.”

“Why not? Don’t tell me you believe in that antiquated idea that elements should be separated.”

“Of course not. You know, I would kick you if my legs were longer. I just meant that I always expected Quillan to find love with someone like him, you know, someone calm and sweet and soothing.”

“Rhea can be all those things.” Dakota didn’t know him well, but he’d spent enough time with him to like the guy.

“I’m sure he can, but still.”

“They’re perfect for each other.”

“Duh. They’re soulmates. Of course they’re perfect for each other.” Bay paused long enough to stuff some rice into his mouth. “Do you think you’ll ever meet your soulmate?”

Dakota shrugged. He’d thought about it, of course—every element wielder thought about it. But finding your mate was hard. It wasn’t obvious when you met them, or even if you got to know them. You could be friends with someone for years and never realize it. The only way to find out was to wield both elements at the same time and see if they meshed together.

They had meshed in Quillan and Rhea’s case. Quillan had defended Rhea from the men who’d tried to kidnap him, and they’d found out they were mates that way. But it wasn’t like element wielders could go around the city setting things on fire or creating hills. Humans weren’t aware that they existed, and things needed to stay that way. The only times most people called on their elements was when they couldn’t avoid it—when it was a question of life or death. Dakota and his people were slightly different because they needed to have perfect control over the elements in case they needed to use them for work, and that meant they trained regularly. That was why Dakota had bought this place. The converted warehouse had more than enough space that they could do that kind of thing without worrying about humans.

All of this was how Dakota knew Bay wasn’t his soulmate. Neither were any of the people who worked for him. Dakota had made a point of training with every single one of them, just in case. Of course, the possibility that one of them was his mate had been slim, but still. He’d wanted to be sure.

“I think I’d like to meet him,” Bay continued.

“Of course you’d like to. I would, too. But you know how hard it is.”

“Maybe someone should come up with some kind of speed dating for us. We could meet in a deserted place where humans don’t go, wield our elements, and see if anything sticks.”

“People will have to accept that the elements aren’t made to stay away from each other first,” Dakota pointed out.

Bay glared at him. “There’s nothing I can do about that.”

“Of course not, but doing it only with people who wield the same element as you will narrow the pool of people you can attempt this with. Besides, what are the odds that both you and your soulmate wield the same element?” It happened, but not often. It was as if the elements tried to balance each other, and it made sense.

What didn’t make sense was that element wielders stuck to only their people. Dakota had never believed in that, which was why he hired people who wielded different elements. He needed all of them to do a good job, and that openness and diversity were what made people reach out to him rather than other private security companies. People might not want to admit it publicly, but a lot of them agreed with Dakota. Elements should mix, not stay away from each other.

Bay sighed and poked at his rice. “I don’t know. I mean, I know how few chances there are for me to meet my mate, but I can’t help but wonder how my life would be if I did. Quillan is lucky.”

“He is.” Even though his bond with Rhea meant they were in danger from the people who thought the elements should be isolated.

They lived in the human part of town, and while that helped, it wasn’t a guarantee nothing would happen to them. It worried Dakota, but until they reached out to him, until they needed help, he wouldn’t say anything. Quillan knew what he and Rhea would risk if someone found out about them, and he knew Dakota would help if he needed him. It wasn’t Dakota’s decision to make, though. He trusted Quillan, especially when it came to keeping Rhea safe.

Quillan had found his mate, and he’d do everything he had to do to make sure Rhea stayed in his life and that nothing happened to him.

“I wish I could meet my mate,” Bay muttered.

Dakota wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He liked the general idea of having a mate, but he wasn’t sure about the soulmate thing. What did that even mean? Soulmates’ elements mixed perfectly, but did that mean the same went for the human beings who wielded them? Dakota couldn’t even begin to imagine that. He’d had relationships. He’d loved people, some of them with all his heart.

Would loving his mate be different? What would it feel like?

* * * *

Benedict felt better once they sat at the table. It was soothing to listen to Rhea and Quillan talk about their day. They were obviously in love, and the sight made Benedict’s heart ache.

He’d had that once. He’d been madly in love with Rhea’s mother, Claudia. He still loved her, even though she’d passed away when Rhea was nine. He would always love her, but in the past few years, he’d started feeling like maybe it was time to reach for the future.

Benedict was forty-seven. If he was lucky, he still had another forty years in front of him.

He didn’t want to live through those years on his own.

It had been easy to ignore it when Rhea still lived with him. Benedict had never felt lonely, because when he came home, his son was there. They had dinner, they talked, and they watched TV together. But now Rhea had started a new life, as was right. He’d met his soulmate, and he and Quillan had moved in together.

Benedict was happy for them, but he couldn’t help the dense cloud of loneliness that weighed on his shoulders every evening when he came home. There was no one waiting for him anymore. He had to organize his dinner on his own, and while it was nice not to have to fight over the remote control with Rhea, most days, Benedict wished he still could.

At forty-seven, he was alone.

“What’s going on, Dad?” Rhea asked.

Benedict was pretty sure he’d missed part of the conversation. “Nothing.”

“That’s bullshit, and you know it.”

The last thing Benedict wanted was to worry Quillan and Rhea, but they needed to know about this. They had to be careful. They already were, but things were getting worse, and they had to be aware of it.

Benedict cleared his throat. “I’ve been getting letters,” he started.

“You don’t use email?” Rhea asked.

Benedict glared at him. “I use email. Will you let me finish? Or are you planning to interrupt me every five seconds?” Benedict hoped he didn’t sound too harsh, because he was delighted with the fact that Rhea was interrupting. He missed it when he was alone.

Rhea raised his hands. “Sorry. Go on.”

Benedict nodded at him. “As I was saying, I’ve been receiving letters. Threats.”

Of course, Rhea couldn’t stay quiet after that. “Threats? What do you mean? What are they threatening? Who sent them?”

Quillan grabbed Rhea’s hand and squeezed it. “Let him speak. I’m sure he’ll answer all your questions before you have to ask them.”

Benedict nodded at him, grateful. He wanted to reach out for Rhea and comfort him, but that wasn’t his role anymore. Or rather, it still was, but Quillan would always come before him from now on. It made him sad, but also happy. Rhea was loved, cared for, and that was the only thing that mattered.

Benedict put down his fork. He wasn’t hungry anymore. “I don’t know who the threats are from. The letters are never signed.”

“You mean you got more than one or two?”

Of course Rhea would interrupt again. “I got the fifth one today. And before you ask, no, none of them were signed. I have no idea who is sending them.”

“What did they say?” Quillan asked.

“That I need to stop what I’m doing. That elements should stay apart. They never mentioned you, so I don’t think it has to do with you and your situation.”

“But it probably has to do with your work.”

“That’s what I think, yes.” And Benedict was wary of involving him. He didn’t want anyone to be hurt, but especially not his son.

“We have to do something,” Rhea said. “You shouldn’t go to work and come home alone. I can close the shop for a few days, spend time with you.”

Benedict shook his head. “That’s what I didn’t want. I appreciate the fact that you want to help me and that you’re worried about me, but I can’t risk it. You were almost kidnapped. That was one time too many for me, and I don’t want it to happen again.”

“But we can’t allow you to get hurt, either.”

“What are you planning to do, then? Will you ignore this?”

“No. That’s why I wanted to talk to you. I need you to be careful.”

“We already know we need to be careful, Dad. That doesn’t answer my question. What will you do?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“If I may?” Quillan intervened. He could probably see that continuing to talk with Rhea wouldn’t help. Rhea was terrified, and Benedict understood that. But they couldn’t act on instinct, not with this. They needed to be careful.

Rhea huffed and flopped against the back of his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “Are you on his side, then?”

“I am on no one’s side, Rhea. You should know that by now.”

Rhea sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I understand you’re worried about your father. I am, too. But fighting each other won’t help.”

“Okay. I’m listening.”

Quillan turned his attention to Benedict. “I’d like to talk to Dakota about this.”

It took Benedict a second to remember who Dakota was. Once he did, he couldn’t believe he’d forgotten the man who’d helped his son when Rhea had needed it. “Your friend who owns a private security business, right?”

“The guy who helped save me when I was almost kidnapped, Dad,” Rhea piped in.

“I remember.” Benedict looked at Quillan. “You think he can help?”

“It’s his job. I’m sure he’ll want to talk to you and see the letters first, but I trust him with my life and with Rhea’s.”

Benedict knew things wouldn’t get better than this. He’d been thinking about hiring private security anyway, and if he hired Dakota, he’d know he could trust the man. He was Quillan’s friend, and a close one at that. If Quillan trusted him, that was good enough for Benedict.

Still, he wasn’t sure anyone could do anything in this case. The letters weren’t signed, and they were typed on a computer. Finding the printer they’d gone through would be near impossible, not when they didn’t even know where to start looking. Benedict needed bodyguards, but he also needed someone to investigate the letters and find out who was behind them. He couldn’t go to the police. They didn’t know about element wielders, and things needed to stay that way.

There was no one who could help him.

No one but Dakota, it seemed.

“You know, he never accepted money after what he did for me,” Rhea said.

“You didn’t pay him?”

“I tried. But trust me, he’s as stubborn as Quillan is. This might be a good way to repay him. Hiring him to protect you. Besides, Quillan is right. I trust him. I would feel better if I knew he was protecting you.”

Benedict doubted that Dakota would be the one protecting him, even if he signed a contract with his company. From the sound of it, Dakota was the boss, so there was no way he would do this kind of work. He might have started as a bodyguard, but Benedict didn’t think he was still doing that.

Dakota had to trust the people who worked for him, and that meant Benedict did, too. “He knows I’m a fire wielder?” The last thing Benedict needed was more problems because of this.

Quillan nodded. “He knows. He’s also aware that Rhea is a fire wielder, too. And of course, he knows I’m not. He works with all four elements, without prejudice. It’s always been important to him.”

It sounded too good to be true, but Benedict didn’t have a choice. “All right. Give him a call and ask him to meet me. I don’t want you to tell him what’s happening on the phone, though.”

“He’d have my ass if I did. He knows what he’s doing, I promise. He’ll help you.”

“I want you to make it obvious that I intend to pay him. This is not a personal favor you are asking of him. It’s a job, and I’ll pay him for it.”

Rhea rolled his eyes. “No one said it was a personal favor. Come on, Dad. I know better than to suggest that to you, of all people.”

Rhea was more relaxed after the conversation, but Benedict wasn’t. He couldn’t help but wonder what would happen and whether his son was in danger. Maybe he should talk to Dakota about getting Quillan and Rhea some bodyguards, too. Rhea wouldn’t be happy about it, but Benedict didn’t care. Even if his son ended up hating him for it, as long as he was safe, Benedict would deal with it.

* * * *

“Talk about the devil,” Dakota said when his phone rang, and Quillan’s name flashed on the screen. He grinned at Bay and snatched his phone from the desk. “Quillan!”

“Hey, Dakota.”

Dakota knew something was wrong from Quillan’s tone. They weren’t best friends, not the way Dakota and Bay were, but that didn’t mean Dakota didn’t know Quillan. They’d spent enough time together for them to become good friends, and Dakota was instantly worried. “What’s happening?”

Quillan chuckled. “How do you know something is happening?”

Dakota leaned back in his chair. He could see from Bay’s expression that he was ready to act if anything had happened and Quillan needed them. “It’s in your voice. Come on, spill the beans.” Even if it was bad, it wasn’t so bad that Quillan needed him right now. He sounded fairly relaxed, even if worried.

“It’s about Rhea’s father.”

“Benedict Hunt.”

“Yes.”

Everyone in their world knew Benedict Hunt, mostly because of what he was trying to do. While Dakota shared his conviction that the elements shouldn’t be separated, he wasn’t sure that trying to get them to work together was the best idea. He didn’t know how else they could get the elements back together, so he supposed it was better than nothing, but business in real life was different. People who might be okay with working with other elements might not want the same thing in their personal life. Money trumped a lot, including hatred. Love, on the other hand, didn’t, not in most cases.

“Can I put you on speaker?” Dakota asked. “Bay is here, but he’s the only one.”

“Of course.”

Dakota had to press a few buttons for that to happen, but he finally managed to find the right one. He flipped Bay the bird when he snickered, but he kept his attention on the phone call. “Go on. We’re listening.”

“Benedict’s been receiving threatening letters. He got the fifth one today. They’re not signed, and they were printed, so he has no idea who they’re from.”

“What kind of threats?”

“He hasn’t shown me the letters. I don’t think he wants to do that in front of Rhea.”

“Which is a stupid idea!” Rhea yelled. His voice was muffled since Quillan wasn’t on speaker.

“He doesn’t want Rhea to be worried or to be involved in this more than necessary,” Quillan said.

Dakota agreed. “The fewer people know about this, the better it is. What do you need from me?”

“We managed to convince Benedict to hire you to protect him and find out who the letters are from.”

Dakota could only imagine what would happen if Benedict Hunt was killed. Dakota might not agree with the way he was going to reunite the elements, but that didn’t change the fact that he was the only one who was doing something. That meant that a lot of people looked up to him, and a lot of people wanted him to stop.

Besides, this wasn’t only about what Benedict Hunt was doing. He was the father of Quillan’s mate, and that meant much more to Dakota.

Dakota looked at Bay, whose usual smile was nowhere to be seen. Dakota arched a brow, and they nodded. That was all Dakota needed. “All right. We’ll take the job.”

“Don’t you want to talk to him first?”

“I said I’ll take the job, not that I can help. We certainly can take care of the protecting part, but I’m sure you realize that finding who the letters are coming from is going to be hard.” But they were the only ones who could do this.

Dakota trusted his people, and he knew they were the best on the market. If anyone could find out who the letters were from, it was them.

“I’m sure you want to meet Benedict.”

“I do, and I’d like to see the letters. I also need to be sure he’s working with us, rather than against us.” Dakota had enough experience in security to know that some people didn’t want to be protected. They didn’t want to be followed by a bodyguard. They needed someone to take care of them, but they weren’t ready to accept that, and that never ended well.

“He understands how serious the situation is, don’t worry.”

“All right. I’ll know more about what we can and can’t do tomorrow after I talk to him.”

“He wants me to tell you this is a paid job.”

Dakota laughed. “You know I don’t need him to pay. He’s family.”

“I know. You can try to convince him of that yourself tomorrow, though. He won’t listen to me, and neither will Rhea. They’re still in a stitch because you didn’t want to be paid after helping him.”

“Again, they’re family. Just like you are.”

“I’m looking forward to you trying to make them see that.”

Dakota nodded and briefly closed his eyes. This hopefully wouldn’t become a problem.

He hung up and turned to Bay, who didn’t waste time asking, “When are we starting?”

“We can’t do anything today. We don’t even have the letters.”

“Still. I’m pretty sure the only reason someone would want to threaten Benedict Hunt is because of what he’s doing with the elements.”

“Probably, but I don’t want to assume anything. We can’t risk being wrong.”

“I’m going to do a little research into the groups who are against reunification. Just in case.”

Dakota didn’t say it out loud, but he agreed with Bay. This was probably because of what Benedict Hunt was doing, and that meant the people working against him were dangerous.

They would still have been dangerous if it had been a personal grudge, but this was different. They’d tried kidnapping Rhea, and it hadn’t worked, thanks to Quillan. Hunt had managed to sign his business deal anyway, but it was only the first one. He was still working on reuniting the elements, and even though Dakota wasn’t sure it would work, some people obviously thought he had a chance.

They wanted to stop him. Dakota had heard about more than one group that were against reunification. They were fanatics, all of them. They wouldn’t stop for anything to get what they wanted, even if it meant death, for them or others. The danger was that they might send someone to kill Benedict to make sure he wouldn’t be able to sign any more deals.

That would effectively stop the reunification of the elements. Right now, Hunt was the only one who was trying. Dakota suspected the people signing contracts to work with him were in this mostly because of the money. He didn’t know them personally, but he didn’t need to. But Hunt believed in what he was doing, and even though Dakota didn’t know if he’d succeed, he respected what the man was doing. He’d done the same when he’d started his own business and he’d hired all four elements. He hadn’t regretted it.

Someone needed to do it. Hunt didn’t have a reason to be the one to take up that mantle, yet he had, and he’d done it before Quillan and Rhea had met. It had nothing to do with who Rhea’s mate was. He truly believed what he was doing, and someone was threatening him for it. Dakota would do everything he could to make sure nothing happened to him, to Rhea, or Quillan.

“You know this won’t be easy,” Bay said.

Dakota rubbed his face with both hands. “I’m pretty sure it’s going to be one of the hardest cases we’ve ever worked.” It wasn’t merely what was in the balance. It was also the fact that even though they’d never met, Benedict Hunt was family. Dakota hadn’t been lying when he’d told Quillan that.

Quillan was one of Dakota’s closest friends. Dakota didn’t have siblings, but he had Bay and Quillan, plus the people who worked for him. When Quillan had met Rhea, Rhea had become part of their small family, and so had his father. Dakota would do anything he could to protect them, and he didn’t need to be paid for that to happen.

Although if Benedict Hunt was as stubborn as his son was, he knew it would be like fighting against windmills.

There was a lot at stake in this case. Rhea’s, Quillan’s, and Benedict’s safety. A possible peace between the four elements.

And it looked like it would come down to what Dakota did or didn’t do.

Chapter Two

Benedict was almost at the front door when Rhea called out. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Benedict frowned and turned to face his son. “To work, of course.” He was glad Rhea and Quillan had decided to spend the night here. He’d felt better knowing they were safe.

“I don’t think so. You know Dakota is coming over for a meeting, and I doubt he’ll be happy to find out you went to work on your own. I won’t allow you to do that.”

Benedict arched a brow. “You won’t allow me?”

Rhea was an adult, but right now, he reminded Benedict so much of the way he’d been as a child. He was wearing pajamas, but his feet were bare, and his hair was all over the place. He rubbed his eyes, and when he dropped his hands, he was glaring at Benedict. “I know I can’t forbid you to do anything. Even if I weren’t your son, you’re an adult. But we talked about this, Dad. You need to be safe. That means waiting for Dakota to come and talking to him about those letters.”

“I can’t miss work just because of those.”

“No one said you were going to miss work, although if you ask me, it’s about time you take a day off. But you need to talk to Dakota, and it’s better to do it here than at work. Who knows who might be listening in at the office.”

Benedict didn’t like where this was going. “You think someone in my office has something to do with this?”

“I don’t know, Dad. That’s the point. You don’t know who’s behind the letters. It could be anyone. You might not want to think about it or to face that fact, but it’s there. I don’t want to lose you, too.”

Benedict was aware of the fact that Rhea was manipulating him into staying home, but it didn’t matter. Rhea was worried, and he had good reasons to be.”

Rhea shook himself. “Besides, Quillan told Dakota to come here. We have time to get breakfast before he arrives.” He grinned. “Pancakes?”

Benedict barked out a laugh. “Are you asking me to cook them? Or are you volunteering?”

Rhea grimaced. “I could try, but you know they’d end up burned.”

“I see. I guess I’m on breakfast duty, then. You should go wash up and dress.” Benedict didn’t mind. He liked cooking, and usually he had nowhere near enough time to do it. Besides, it was no fun to cook only for himself.

But he wasn’t by himself today.

He dropped his bag into the chair by the front door, then took his suit jacket off. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and went to work.

He had a pile of pancakes and coffee ready by the time Quillan and Rhea came downstairs. He was finishing up the eggs, and the bacon would probably be cooked by now. He just had to check the oven.

“You didn’t have to do this,” Quillan quietly said.

“We all have to eat. Besides, Rhea wanted pancakes.”

“You spoil him.”

“Hey,” Rhea protested.

They all knew Quillan was right, though. Benedict couldn’t help it. Rhea was his only son, and he’d lost his mother way too early. No child should watch his mother die of cancer at nine. But it had happened, and Benedict had overcompensated. He was lucky Rhea had turned out to be a good man anyway.

They settled at the table, but they didn’t talk much. Benedict was worried, and he supposed so were Rhea and Quillan. He didn’t like having to stay away from work—not because he wanted to work, but because he didn’t want whoever had sent those letters to take over his life. He wouldn’t stop living because of them. He couldn’t live in fear, or rather, he didn’t want to. If it was only him, he’d have gone to work, but he wasn’t the only one in danger, and he would never put Rhea and Quillan at risk if he could avoid it. They were more important than him.

They were barely finished when someone used the buzzer at the front gate. Rhea jumped from his chair and rushed to the entrance, while Benedict and Quillan stayed behind to clean up.

Benedict wasn’t sure why he was nervous. Maybe it was because Dakota wasn’t just the owner of the security company that he was about to sign a contract with, but also Rhea’s friend. He wanted Dakota to like him. He wanted to be part of Rhea’s life, and that meant being at the very least amicable with his friends. Besides, meeting Dakota would give Benedict a look into Quillan’s life, and he sorely needed that. He felt as if he and Quillan hadn’t been spending enough time together, which was true. He wanted to get to know Quillan better than he’d been able. Quillan would be part of Rhea’s life forever, after all.

“They’re in the kitchen,” Benedict heard Rhea say about ten minutes later. He took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and faced the open arch that led into the kitchen from the entrance of the house.

Rhea walked in, followed by a man that seemed to have stepped out of Benedict’s wildest dreams. He was tall, taller than Benedict, even though Benedict stood at six feet one. His shoulders were broad, and his blond hair called for Benedict’s hands. His eyes were brown, and he had a severe expression. It didn’t make him any less gorgeous, though.

The man looked around the room, and his gaze stopped on Benedict. Benedict held his breath, but nothing happened, and Quillan strode toward his friend.

“Glad to see you’ve made it,” Quillan said.

Dakota turned his attention to his friend. “The house wasn’t hard to find.”

“I had to stop him from going to work this morning,” Rhea said. He glared at Benedict, and Benedict glared back. He didn’t need his son to make him feel like an unruly child.

He offered Dakota his hand. “I’m Benedict Hunt.”

Dakota shook it, and his hands were big and warm. “Dakota Church. And Rhea was right to stop you from leaving the house, although I could have met you at the office if it was more comfortable for you.”

Benedict had to force himself to let go of Dakota’s hand. “This is fine. Besides, Rhea was right. I have no idea who is involved in these letters, and as far as I know, it could be someone from the office.”

“It’s certainly something I’ll investigate.”

Benedict gestured at the counter. “Why don’t we sit down? Have you already had breakfast?”

“I have, thank you.”

“Coffee?”

“I’ll take another cup,” Rhea said.

Benedict arched a brow at him. “You know where the coffee pot is.”

“Not fair. Why are you offering to get him a cup, but you won’t do it for me?”

“Because you’re my son, and this is your home. Dakota, on the other hand, is a guest.” And a guest who would soon have Benedict’s life in his hands.

Benedict wasn’t looking forward to it, but he couldn’t deny he was relieved that Dakota seemed serious. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but it wasn’t this man.

Dakota accepted the cup of coffee with a nod, then went straight to the point. “Quillan already told me what happened, but I’d like to hear it from you.”

Benedict had expected this. He wasn’t looking forward to rehashing everything, but he knew it was necessary. He sighed and wrapped his hands around his own mug of coffee. “There’s not much to say. You already know what happened to Rhea, right?”

“Rhea was almost kidnapped because someone wanted to stop you from signing the deal with different element wielders.”

“Air in this case, but yes. Both Rhea and I are fire wielders. I have no problems making business deals with different elements, though, and people don’t see that with a good eye. This was the first business deal I’ve signed of this kind, but I’ve been working on it for at least a year. That’s how long it took for me to put everything together. It wasn’t easy to find someone who wielded a different element and was also willing to do business with me. But I did it, and as I said, some people didn’t like it. They tried to kidnap Rhea to make sure I didn’t sign, but thanks to Quillan and you, it didn’t work.”

Dakota nodded. “So they moved to a different kind of threat.”

* * * *

Dakota didn’t like this. He already knew everything there was to know about this case, but he always liked to listen to the people involved explain it. He also enjoyed Benedict’s voice, but that didn’t change the situation.

Someone was threatening Benedict, and it wouldn’t end well if Dakota didn’t put an end to it.

“They did. I got the first letter a few weeks after the attempted kidnapping. I’d already signed the deal by then, but I have several more in the works.”

“Do you have the letters?” Most people would have thrown them away, so Dakota didn’t expect much of this. He was surprised when Benedict nodded.

“I kept them. I wasn’t sure they were serious in the beginning, but I didn’t want to risk it. They’re in my safe.”

“I’ll want to see them.”

“Of course. We can go get them as soon as we’re done with the conversation.”

Dakota nodded. “Go on.”

“I don’t remember the precise days on which I got the others, except, of course, for the last one. I got that one yesterday.”

“How are they delivered to you? Do they pass through the post?”

“I didn’t check. I should have, but my secretary always gives me the mail, and I didn’t think to check.”

“Were the letters in envelopes?”

“They were.”

“As long as you kept them, we can check whether they were and delivered to your secretary or not. Can you tell me what the letters say?”

Benedict shrugged one shoulder. “The usual, I suppose. Not that I’ve ever received threatening letters before, of course. But it’s obvious they want me to stop making business deals with other elements. Yesterday’s letter told me to stop unless I want someone to get hurt, though. They’re becoming shorter and more to the point.”

That wasn’t good. Most people would probably think that whoever was behind the letters was losing interest, but Dakota knew better. They’d warned Benedict several times, but he wasn’t listening. It wouldn’t be long before they attacked him instead of sending him letters.

Quillan had done the right thing calling Dakota.

“And you have no idea who’s behind it?” Dakota asked.

“They were never signed. I suppose they’re the same people who tried to kidnap Rhea, but that’s all I know about it.”

Dakota tapped his fingertips on the marble counter. “I’ve already asked my people to look into it. Several groups don’t like the mixing of elements, but we haven’t been able to pinpoint which one is doing this yet.”

“Yet? I have to say I’m impressed you’re already looking into it.”

“We started yesterday as soon as Quillan called me to let me know what was going on.” Dakota straightened. “I need you to understand something. I know you insisted on paying my men and me, and that’s okay. I won’t protest, because they deserve to be paid for the work they do. But that’s not the reason I’m doing this. You’re Rhea’s father, and Rhea is Quillan’s mate. That makes all of us family as far as I’m concerned, and that is the main reason I agreed to take this job.”

Benedict wrinkled his nose, and it shouldn’t have been as adorable as it was.

And Dakota shouldn’t be thinking about how adorable Benedict was.

This was a job, and a serious one at that. Dakota needed to be a hundred percent in the game. He couldn’t allow himself to lose focus, no matter how hot Benedict was.

And he definitely was.

Dakota usually dated people closer to his age, but Benedict was a silver fox. Dakota could see where Rhea had gotten his looks from, and he couldn’t deny he was attracted to Benedict. He would have to take himself off the job if things escalated, but he hoped they wouldn’t. He cared about this. He needed to keep Benedict, Rhea, and Quillan safe, and that was what he’d do. If there could be anything between him and Benedict, it would have to happen later, once the case was over and everyone was safe.

“Is there anything else we can do?” Benedict asked.

“Well, as I said, we’re already looking into several groups who might be behind this. Until we have more information, though, I don’t think so.”

“Are you going to assign my father a bodyguard?” Rhea asked. “Because he needs one. He was going to work on his own this morning, and I don’t think that’s a good idea. He’s only received letters so far, but I doubt whoever is behind this is going to stop there. They won’t, and I’m afraid that the next step will be hurting my father. That can’t happen.”

“I agree,” Dakota said.

Rhea blinked. “You do?”

“I do. You’re right. I don’t know if the same group was behind your attempted kidnapping and the letters, but if they are, I find it weird that they de-escalated rather than the other way around. The letters won’t last for much longer. It’s obvious they’re not working, and these people want something to happen. If your father doesn’t listen to them, they’ll take the next step and make sure he can’t continue doing this.”

“I don’t want people following me around.” Benedict stopped. “They’ll think I’m afraid of them. They’ll think the letters are working, and they’re not. I’m not backing down. I want Quillan and Rhea to be safe, but I won’t accept a bodyguard.”

Rhea threw his hands in the air. “You won’t accept a bodyguard? Are you crazy? I was almost kidnapped, and the same could happen to you, or worse. Do you want me to be an orphan?”

Dakota didn’t have a say in this. He could suggest Benedict needed a bodyguard, but he couldn’t force his client to accept. It would be stupid not to, but it wasn’t Dakota’s place to say it.

On the other hand, it was precisely Rhea’s place to do it.

“Of course I don’t,” Benedict said, raking a hand through his perfectly styled hair, messing it up. It made him look more human, and even more gorgeous, which shouldn’t have been possible. “But I don’t want these people to think I’m afraid of them.”

“Maybe you should be. They’re threatening you. They could kill you. I won’t allow you to put your life in danger this way. We called Dakota for a reason, and you’re going to listen to him.”

Benedict glared at Rhea. “You do realize I am your father, not the other way around, right?”

“I do, and I don’t care.”

Quillan cleared his throat. “Benedict, is the only reason you don’t want a bodyguard that the people who wrote the letters might think you’re afraid of them?”

“Yes. I understand I need to be protected. I might not like it, but I don’t want Rhea to be an orphan, as he unhelpfully pointed out.”

“So we need a bodyguard who doesn’t look like one.”

Benedict rolled his eyes. “How is that supposed to happen?”

Quillan looked at Dakota, and Dakota knew he wouldn’t like what was about to come out of his friend’s mouth from his expression. “Dakota doesn’t often take bodyguard jobs, but he used to do it in the beginning, and I’m sure he still can. You can tell people he’s your boyfriend.”

Dakota was right. He didn’t like this.

“What are you talking about?” Benedict asked.

Rhea snickered. “He can be your boy-toy. With the age difference, people won’t suspect it’s not the truth. As long as you can act like you’re smitten with him, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“I can’t lie to people. Besides, who’s going to believe Dakota is my boyfriend?”

“Who wouldn’t?”

“He’s half my age.”

Dakota might not be happy about the suggestion, but he couldn’t deny it had merit. Besides, he was amused by Benedict’s outrage over it. “Not half your age,” he drawled. He knew Benedict was forty-seven. “It’s flattering, but I’m thirty-five. I suppose you could be my father if you’d started having sex early, though.”

“What are you talking about? This isn’t possible,” Benedict said.

Dakota shrugged. “I’m game if you are. I can’t deny it’s a good idea. It would give me a reason to stick around, especially if we go with the boy-toy thing. People might be concerned, and they will no doubt ask questions. But like Quillan said, as long as you can fake being in love with me, people would probably believe it. No one knows about the letters except us, right?”

“I didn’t tell anyone else.”

“So like I said, they’ll probably wonder what’s happening, but they won’t say anything. You’re their boss.”

And he was Dakota’s, too. This was going to complicate everything.

* * * *

This was ridiculous. Benedict couldn’t say yes to this, could he?

He was willing to agree to have a bodyguard follow him around, but this? No, this wasn’t an option.

No one would believe he and Dakota were a couple. Dakota was gorgeous, and while Benedict knew he was decent looking, the age difference was concerning. Of course, he and Dakota weren’t together, but people would either think that Dakota was a gold digger, or that Benedict was an idiot to believe Dakota could want to be with him.

Benedict didn’t want to be made fun of. He didn’t want to become the butt of jokes. He wanted people to respect him, and this would change that.

He also didn’t want to die, though.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “What would this consist of?”

Rhea beamed as if Benedict had already accepted this solution. “You and Dakota have to act like you’re in love. I know it’s been a while for you, Dad, but I’m sure you can do it.”

Benedict glared at his son. “That’s not what I’m asking. I want to know what’s going to happen concretely.”

“Well, Rhea is right,” Dakota said. “We’ll have to act as if we’re in love, or at the very least, you will have to. If people think I’m your boy-toy, they won’t be surprised if I don’t act like I love you, but the other way around would cause questions.”

“Be that as it may, I don’t usually take boyfriends to work with me.” Or girlfriends. Not that Benedict had had any of those since Claudia had died anyway. He hadn’t wanted to give his heart to anyone else, and he’d carefully avoided it because he knew he wasn’t the one-night stand kind of guy. Sex was fine. Love wasn’t.

“That’s why he needs to be your boy-toy. Dakota can pitch a fit if you leave him behind.”

Dakota snorted. “I don’t know if anyone will believe that. I’m not exactly a twink.”

Rhea glared. “It doesn’t mean you can’t be demanding. Sure, it will be surprising, but still. I’m sure you two can pull it off. Besides, it’s the only way I’ll allow my dad to leave the house.”

Benedict narrowed his eyes. “Again, you do realize I am your father, not the other way around?”

“And again, you do realize I don’t want to lose you, too?”

Benedict sighed and rubbed his face. He wouldn’t win this—he already knew that. He thought it was a terrible idea, but the only alternative was to have Dakota with him as his bodyguard for everyone to see. “I’ll need to work when I’m in the office. I can’t hang around with you playing boyfriends,” he told Dakota.

“I’ll make myself busy, don’t worry.”

“I only have one desk in my office.”

Dakota smiled. “I don’t need a desk. I can take my tablet and work on paperwork or read.”

Benedict huffed. “I think it’s overkill. No one is going to attack me in my office.”

“You can’t know that.”

“I’m not going to win this, am I?” Benedict had to ask, even though he already knew the answer.

“Not against me,” Rhea said. “I’ll hire Dakota to follow you around if you don’t agree to this.” He reached for Benedict’s hand and squeezed it. “I am not losing you, Dad.”

And that was why Benedict nodded. “All right. I’ll agree to do this.”

Rhea beamed as if Benedict had just promised him the moon. “Good.” He squeezed again, then let go of Benedict’s hand. “I knew you’d realize this is the right thing to do.”

Benedict still wasn’t sure about that, but he didn’t have a choice. He might not like it, but he didn’t want Rhea to lose his father, too. He didn’t want to lose everything he was working so hard for.

More importantly, he didn’t want those people to win. They would if they killed him, and Benedict wouldn’t give them the satisfaction. He didn’t know how this would work, but he’d make sure it did.

“We could start with a trial period,” Dakota said.

“Don’t give him that out,” Rhea intervened. “He’s going to say it’s not working, and we’ll be right back to where we are now.”

Benedict could admit he wasn’t looking forward to it, but he didn’t want his son to think he was taking this lightly. “Even if this doesn’t work, I won’t say no to having Dakota as my bodyguard. One way or another, we’ll find a way to make it work,” he said. He needed Rhea to believe him. “I won’t put myself in danger, or you and Quillan. These people fixated on me, and while I want them to stop, I also won’t allow them to focus on you two.” As long as Benedict was their objective, they’d leave Rhea and Quillan alone, or at least, that was what he hoped.

That was one of the things that scared him about having a bodyguard. He had no way to know if the people who were sending him letters would stop once they realized he was protected and possibly turn to someone else—someone who was more vulnerable. He couldn’t allow that to happen.

Maybe the fake boyfriend thing wasn’t a bad idea, after all.

Benedict still didn’t know how he’d deal with people thinking he was stupid enough to let Dakota take advantage of him, but he’d find a way.

“We’ll try this for a week,” Dakota said. “If it’s too awkward, or if something happens, we can change that. I can ask someone else to be your bodyguard if things come to that. I would feel more comfortable if it were me, of course, but I understand why you might have something against that. We can find someone else to play your boyfriend if you want. I realize I might not be your type.”

Benedict snorted. “Would that matter?”

“Well, if you usually date people who are your age, or people who are short and have dark hair, people might think it weird to see you with a tall, blond, young man.”

Benedict shook his head. “I don’t date. People don’t know what my type is.”

Dakota frowned. “About that. You were married to a woman.”

There it was. Benedict knew this would come up eventually. He wasn’t looking forward to talking about it, especially not in front of Rhea, but he had to. Besides, Rhea was an adult now. He’d understand. “I was. I was married to Rhea’s mother until she died when he was nine.”

“I’m sorry for your loss. Does this mean you’re straight? That you only have relationships with women?”

“Claudia was my only relationship. We met in high school.” Benedict chuckled at the memories. “We were high school sweethearts. We got married when we were both in college. I didn’t have the opportunity to meet anyone else, and I didn’t want to.”

“And since she passed?”

“I focused on my work and on raising Rhea. I know you probably think I lived like a hermit, but that’s not what happened. I never felt the need for another relationship. I’m fine on my own.” Although he had to admit, even if only to himself, that seeing Rhea and Quillan together made him wonder if he could have that again.

He’d never have anyone like Claudia again, and he didn’t want to. She’d been the love of his life, but life was long. He’d been alone for eighteen years. He was a different man than he’d been when he’d met Claudia, or when she’d passed away. He hadn’t let himself think about it until now, but he didn’t want to spend the next eighteen years on his own.

“So people would be surprised to see you with a man,” Dakota said. “Is that something you’re comfortable with? If we have to act like boyfriends, we’d have to touch casually, and probably kiss. I don’t want to force you into anything.”

Benedict shook his head. “My only relationship might have been with a woman, but that doesn’t mean I’m straight. I’m not. I never was, and my wife was aware of that.”

Rhea made a strangled noise. “You’re bisexual?”

Benedict rolled his eyes. “You’ve been pushing Dakota and me to be together. You never even thought about this?”

“I was pushing you and Dakota to fake being together. I had no idea you were bisexual.” Rhea grimaced. “Although I have to admit, this isn’t something I ever really thought about. As far as I’m concerned, you’re not a sexual person. You’re just my dad.”

But there was more to Benedict than being a father or a businessman. He was starting to realize that, and he hoped Rhea wouldn’t hold it against him.

* * * *

Dakota hadn’t meant to create this problem. He could have worked with Benedict even if Benedict had been straight, but he had to admit this would be easier. Straight guys tended to avoid getting too close to gay guys, even if it was for a fake relationship. Benedict being straight might have complicated things, so this was good.

Of course, Rhea didn’t seem to think that.

Dakota hadn’t meant to create this kind of problem or force Rhea and his father to talk about this, but he’d needed to clear things up before they did this. They couldn’t have Rhea making a fuss if he caught Dakota and Benedict kissing, fake or not.

“You’re right, I am your dad,” Benedict said. “But I’m more than that, Rhea. I’m not just your father.”

“I know that. I don’t want to think about it, just like you probably don’t want to think about Quillan and me together. That’s all I’m saying. I don’t have a problem with you being bisexual. I promise.”

Benedict looked relieved, and Dakota hoped that meant they’d be able to work on this together. He didn’t care whether Benedict was straight, bisexual, or something else. That didn’t matter, not as long as he could fake being in a relationship with Dakota. Dakota couldn’t deny this would make things easier, though. Benedict probably wouldn’t shy away from kissing Dakota or acting affectionately with him. It would make it easier for people who watched them to believe they were together.

“So everything is okay?” Benedict asked.

Rhea nodded. “Everything is just fine, Dad. I just need you to be safe. I don’t care if you have sex with women, men, or someone else. I don’t care if you have sex at all. You’ll always be my dad.”

“You know I’ll always love your mother, right?”

“Just like I’ll always love her. But it’s been so long.” Rhea paled. “Is that why you’ve never had a relationship? Because you were afraid I wouldn’t take it well? Because that’s stupid. You deserve to be happy. I know you’ll always love Mom, but she’s not here anymore. You can’t be on your own for the rest of your life.”

“It’s part of why I haven’t tried having a relationship. But until now, I wasn’t interested in having anyone else.”

“You are now?”

Dakota wiggled in his chair and looked at Quillan. This wasn’t a conversation Dakota wanted to listen to. It wasn’t his place, but it was Quillan’s. Still, Quillan looked as uncomfortable as Dakota felt.

“Not yet. I haven’t met anyone, if that’s what you’re asking, but I don’t want to close myself off if it happens. As long as you understand, of course.”

“I do. You deserve to be happy, Dad. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you. And to make that happen, you have to stay safe. Promise me you won’t make Dakota’s work harder. I know you’re not happy about having him around, but it’s the best thing. I don’t want to have to worry about you being okay or not.”

“You won’t have to. We’ll make this work. I swear.” Benedict shook himself. “And now, I should go to work. It’s getting late.”

“Are you taking Dakota with you?”

Benedict looked at Dakota. “I’m sure he has better things to do today.”

Dakota grinned. “Actually, I don’t. I’d already decided I would dedicate my entire day to you, so we can start to act like boyfriends right away.”

Benedict glared, and Dakota’s smile widened. He didn’t want to antagonize Benedict, but this was fun, so much more than Dakota had thought. He still needed to take this seriously, of course, but it didn’t mean he and Benedict couldn’t have fun. They needed to be comfortable with each other because people would realize they were lying otherwise. That was the last thing they needed.

“It’s a good idea, Dad. He might as well start now,” Rhea said. He was smiling, too, and Dakota suspected he was as amused as he was.

“Fine,” Benedict said as he rose from his chair. “Let’s go, then.”

“You have to act like you’re in love with him,” Rhea called behind Benedict as Benedict left the room. He turned toward Dakota, and his smile faded. “You think you can do this? That you can keep my dad safe?”

“I’ll do my best.” Dakota didn’t like making promises he wasn’t a hundred percent sure he could keep, so he didn’t.

“I guess it’s the best I can get from you. Please. Make sure my dad is okay. I can’t lose him, too.”

The words I promise were at the tip of Dakota’s tongue, so instead of saying them out loud, he nodded and rose from his chair. He followed Benedict to the entrance and found him rolling down his sleeves and putting on his suit jacket. “I know you’re not happy with this,” he said.

Benedict snorted loudly. “Not happy is an understatement.”

“I understand. But I need to know you’ll do what I say when I say it. It’s important that you trust me, and that you play along, even though you don’t like it.”

Benedict sighed, and his shoulders slumped. “I understand. Really. I might not be happy about this, and I might think it’s a stupid idea, but I realize I’m in danger. I’m not hiding my head in the sand. I’ll do whatever you think is best.” He smiled. “But I can’t promise I won’t bitch all the way there.”

Dakota laughed. “That’s okay. I don’t mind bitching. But my job is to keep you safe, and I’ll do whatever it takes. That includes bossing you around.”

Benedict arched a brow. “I’m not surprised. You look like the bossy kind.”

“And what do you think about that?”

“I like bossy every so often.”

Dammit. They were flirting, and they shouldn’t. Or maybe they should, since they were supposed to be in love. Dakota didn’t know anymore. Benedict wasn’t wrong when he said it was a stupid idea, but it was also the best one any of them had had until now, and they needed to go along with it.

This situation was confusing, and Dakota hoped he wouldn’t get distracted. It wouldn’t be easy, because Benedict wasn’t merely gorgeous. He was also funny and smart. He loved his son. He was everything Dakota could have dreamed of in a partner—but he wasn’t Dakota’s partner.

This was going to be hell, wasn’t it? Dakota knew himself. He was fascinated with Benedict for some reason, and he knew that wouldn’t stop. He would have to find a way around it, and that might make things easier just as much as it might make them harder. If Dakota cared for Benedict, he’d have even more incentive to keep him safe, but it also might distract him. He needed to be a hundred percent in the game, and Benedict would make that close to impossible.

“We should go,” Benedict said, his voice more serious than it had been only seconds before. “I texted my secretary to tell her I’d be late, and I’m sure she’s worried.”

“You didn’t tell her why?”

“I trust Amanda. I know she has nothing to do with the letters. But I wasn’t sure who I’d be putting in danger if I told them, so I figured it would be better to keep things to myself.”

“You told Rhea and Quillan.”

“I didn’t want to. But I thought it would be better for them to know what was happening, since Rhea was almost kidnapped once already. I wanted both him and Quillan to be on their guard.”

“You did well.” Because Benedict wasn’t the only one who needed to be protected in this case. If the people behind the letters were the same ones who’d tried to kidnap Rhea, he and Quillan had to be careful, just as much as Benedict.

Dakota needed more people to work on this. He already had his hackers looking into who was behind the letters, but he also needed to make sure Rhea and Quillan were protected. Bay could take care of one of them, but Dakota would have to assign someone else to the other.

All three of them were Dakota’s family, in a way. He would take care of them and make sure they were okay, and he would find out who was behind the letters and the attempted kidnapping.

He had to.

Chapter Three

“What’s your favorite color?” Dakota asked.

Benedict didn’t look away from the road, even though he was surprised by Dakota’s question. “Why are you asking?”

“Well, we’re supposed to be boyfriends. I should probably know more about you than just your name.”

“And you think asking me about my favorite color will convince people we’re a couple?”

“Not by itself, no. But it’s a start.”

“I have to admit I’ve never really thought about it.”

“You don’t have a favorite color?” Dakota sounded surprised.

“I mostly wear black suits and white shirts. There’s not a lot of space in my everyday life for color.”

“It doesn’t mean you don’t have a favorite one. What do you wear when you’re home?”

Benedict usually wore pajamas, but he wasn’t about to admit that. “Jeans.”

“Jeans isn’t a color.”

“I know that. I guess I’m a pretty boring man.”

Benedict was still watching the road, but he didn’t miss the incredulous glance Dakota gave him.

“You’re not boring,” Dakota said.

“I don’t have a favorite color.”

“I’m sure you do. You’re just not aware of it. Think about it. What colors do you gravitate to? I don’t know, what color is your underwear?”

Benedict didn’t want to blush. This wasn’t enough to make him blush. Still, it wasn’t every day that a gorgeous man much younger than him asked him what color his underwear was. “Black or dark blue.”

Dakota snorted. “You’re right. Maybe you are boring.”

“I’d be offended if it wasn’t true.”

“We should probably come up with a story about how we met and how we got together,” Dakota said after a moment of silence.

Benedict was still thinking about what his favorite color was, and he was taken aback by Dakota’s suggestion. “What did you have in mind?”

“I think we should stick as close as possible to the truth. It will help us not make mistakes when people ask.”

“So you’re the friend of my son’s boyfriend?” Benedict shook his head. “People are going to think I robbed the cradle.”

“Again, I’m only twelve years younger than you. It’s nothing. People wouldn’t bat an eyelash if I were a woman.”

Benedict agreed, but he knew a lot of people wouldn’t see things that way, especially since Dakota was supposed to play the role of a gold digger. Besides, even if Benedict didn’t think the age difference was big, it didn’t mean it wasn’t important. They weren’t a couple, but if they were, it might make things difficult for them. “I think it’s more the son’s friend part that’s a problem for me.”

“How old is Rhea?”

“Twenty-seven.”

“So eight years younger than me.”

“But you’re not with him.”

“You’re right. I’m with you. If you feel more comfortable, you can say I’m an acquaintance, but I think it would be smarter to tell the truth where we can. The bigger we make the lies, the harder they’ll be to keep up with.”

“Let’s go with it, then. You’re a good friend of my son’s new boyfriend.” It wasn’t like anyone would say anything to Benedict’s face anyway. And if it kept him safe and in one piece, it would be worth having people think he was an idiot or a creepy old man. “What happened, then?”

“Well, we met when Rhea and Quillan introduced us. We hit it off, went to grab a coffee, and got together.”

“That easy?”

“I think it’s for the best.”

“And what should I tell my secretary when she asks why you’re coming to the office with me?” Benedict was still thinking about it, but he doubted people would believe that Dakota was a gold digger. He just wasn’t the type, and no matter how good an actor he might be, Benedict doubted he could make it believable.

“You don’t like the gold digger angle?”

“No. I don’t want people to think badly of you, especially if you continue to be in my life once this is over.”

“Do you have something in mind, then?”

“How about you’re a writer? You can write from anywhere, right? It wouldn’t be a problem for you to come to my office and work from there so we can be together.”

Dakota wrinkled his nose, and Benedict had to force his attention back to the road. “I don’t know. People will wonder why I don’t have my own office.”

“Maybe you just moved in with me. Maybe you don’t want to stay alone in that huge house while I’m gone, not in the beginning.”

“Well, your house is big.”

It was too big for only one person, just like it had been too big for two of them. But Benedict couldn’t bring himself to sell it and move out. The house was a place where he and Claudia had been happy, the place where they’d raised Rhea, the house where they’d been building their family. It was so full of memories that he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to give it up. Besides, he had more than enough money to pay someone to take care of the house. It was too big, but the memories were more than enough for him to want to stay.

But it did give him and Dakota a good excuse, especially if they hadn’t been together long. Of course, people would wonder why they were moving in together if they were still new in this relationship, but again, Benedict doubted anyone would ask that to his face.

“I think this is a good idea, actually,” Dakota said. “I wouldn’t want to stick around your house if I hadn’t lived there long, not alone. It would be intimidating. And this definitely would be closer to my own personality. I could probably have played a gold digger if I needed to, but I’d rather not. Especially since, as you said, I’m going to be in your life for a while.”

“You could be between jobs if you don’t want to be a writer. The house is big and intimidating, and you’re bored on your own. You want to convince me to take a vacation, maybe take you to a tropical island or something. And we’re still in the honeymoon phase, so we want to spend as much time as possible together.”

“You’re good at this.”

Benedict was surprised at himself. His job wasn’t a creative one. He didn’t have a lot of time for this kind of thing. He barely read anymore. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. It’s the truth. This is our story, then?”

“It’s fairly close to the truth, just like you wanted, and I think it’s a good explanation for your presence in my office.”

“Sounds good.”

They were silent until they pulled into the underground parking. Then Benedict said, “Green, I think. Dark green.”

Dakota blinked at him. “I’m sorry?”

“My favorite color. I doubt anyone will ask you about it, but it’s dark green.”

Dakota laughed. “That’s good to know, in case I have to buy you a gift.”

“Why should you? This is just a job for you, isn’t it?”

Dakota sobered. “No, it’s not. You might not believe me, but I’d do this even if you weren’t paying me. I told you earlier. You’re family.”

“That fact might make this awkward.”

Dakota didn’t smile, though. “Quillan is a close friend of mine, almost a brother. I care about him, and he cares about Rhea. They’re mates, which means they’ll be in each other’s life forever. That means the same will go for you and I, unless we fight, but I doubt we will. And it makes you family. Quillan is my brother. Rhea is my new brother-in-law.”

“Still awkward, if you ask me.”

Dakota finally smiled again. “I’m not saying it’s not, although I think you’re making a lot of excuses for nothing. People won’t care that I’m a friend of Quillan’s. They won’t care about the age difference. They’ll gossip because that’s what they do, especially when someone like you is involved. But I wouldn’t worry too much about this if I were you.”

He was right, of course. This was where Benedict worked. The people he worked with weren’t his friends. They were his employees, and they didn’t have a say in his personal life. That included who he dated. He didn’t care what they thought about him. He wanted them to be happy in their job, but that was where he stopped caring. People would talk, but Benedict didn’t have to listen.

* * * *

Dakota wasn’t sure what to expect when he and Benedict stepped out of the elevator. He was the boss in his office, too, but the atmosphere was much more relaxed. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d worn a suit. He had when he’d played bodyguard, but he didn’t anymore. Well, except in this case.

People didn’t notice him at first. They nodded at Benedict and said hello, but only a few people looked at Dakota. Things started to change when Dakota followed Benedict to his office. They stopped in front of the desk behind which a blonde woman sat. She looked up, a smile on her face, and frowned when she noticed Dakota.

“Everything okay, Mr. Hunt?”

“Everything is fine, Amanda. This is Dakota. He’s going to spend the day with me.”

The frown stayed firm on Amanda’s face. “Oh? Is there a problem? Is he your bodyguard, maybe?”

Dakota made a mental note that this was where her thoughts had gone straight away. Benedict might not think anyone in his office had anything to do with the letters, but Dakota wasn’t convinced of that.

Benedict shook his head, and Dakota was close enough to him to notice the slight flush on his cheeks. “He’s not. He’s my—we’re together.”

“Together?” Amanda’s eyes widened. “Oh! Together.”

“Exactly. He’s just moved in, and he’s between jobs, and he didn’t want to stay at home alone. I hope it’s not a problem for you.”

“Of course not. It’s a pleasure meeting him.” She smiled at Dakota, and he could see she wasn’t as happy as she was acting. “I’m Amanda, Mr. Hunt’s secretary. Feel free to come to me if you need anything.”

Dakota raised his backpack. “Thank you, but I don’t think I will. I have everything I could need in my bag.” He looked at Benedict, forcing himself to look besotted. “Well, not everything. Ben wouldn’t fit in it.”

Benedict’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t say anything. His smile was slightly strained as he stepped to the side and put a hand on the small of Dakota’s back. “We’ll be in my office if you need me, Amanda.”

Benedict gently pushed Dakota toward the door behind Amanda, and Dakota went. Benedict opened the door for him, then closed it behind them once they were both inside the office. “Ben? Really?”

So that was his problem. “No? No one calls you Ben?”

“No.”

“I thought it was cute, considering we’re supposed to be fucking at every opportunity.”

The blush on Benedict’s cheeks deepened, just like Dakota had thought it would. That was precisely why he’d said it. He should probably feel guilty for teasing Benedict, especially considering the circumstances, but he couldn’t stop himself.

That was a dangerous thought. He shouldn’t be thinking about Benedict as anything more than a client right now. They were family, but Benedict’s safety was the most important thing, and Dakota couldn’t allow himself to be distracted.

It was hard, though. Benedict might not be the type of man Dakota usually went for, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t gorgeous or interesting. It didn’t mean Dakota didn’t wonder if there could be more between them.

But again, now wasn’t the time to think about that.

“I’ll stop calling you Ben if that’s what you want. I’m sorry.”

Benedict’s shoulders slumped. “It’s all right. If it helps you get into this role, I’m okay with it. Just be aware that no one else calls me that.”

Dakota winked. “It can be our special thing.”

Benedict strode toward his desk, putting his bag down on top of it. Dakota took the opportunity to look around. The office was wide, and the windows behind the desk made it bright. There were two chairs in front of the desk, and a small living room area in the corner of the room. Dakota could settle on the couch, and he’d be able to keep an eye both on the desk and Benedict, and on the door that led into the office.

He dumped his backpack onto the couch and opened the door to the left of it. Inside was a bathroom, and it included a shower. Dakota wasn’t surprised to find that the next door was a small closet that contained a few clean shirts, a suit, and a pair of shoes. He didn’t peek into the drawers, because he suspected he’d find socks and underwear there. On a shelf stood a coffee maker and container full of coffee pods, as well as several creamers and spoons and cups.

Benedict was ready to face just about anything.

Dakota closed the closet door and turned to face the office. “Coffee? I expected hard liquor.”

Benedict had settled behind the desk as Dakota explored. He snorted loudly. “Liquor? How am I supposed to work if I’m under the influence?”

“So do you celebrate with coffee when you sign deals?”

“I don’t. I send Amanda to grab a bottle of champagne from the office kitchen.”

“And she’s probably also the one who brings you lunch every day.”

Benedict looked sharply at Dakota. “Are you implying something?”

“Of course not.”

“I know her job isn’t to be my keeper. She’s my secretary. She takes care of my meetings and everything else, and yes, if I sign deals, she’s the one who brings me the champagne and glasses. She’s also the one who brings me lunch, but that’s mostly because I would forget to eat if it weren’t for her.”

“She takes care of you.” And that made it hard to believe that she had something to do with the letters. Dakota didn’t think she did, but he wasn’t about to discard the possibility, not yet.

Benedict sighed and rubbed his face. “Yes. And she gets paid very well for her work. You don’t have to worry about her.”

“I’m not worried about her. I’m worried about you.”

“You shouldn’t be. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? To make sure nothing happens to me.”

“It is.” Dakota flopped onto the couch and took out his tablet from his backpack. “I won’t disturb you more than I already have.”

He turned his attention to the screen, pulling up a notes app to start making a list. He and his men were specialized in private security. They didn’t usually investigate things, but in this case, they would have to. Dakota doubted the people behind the letters would stop sending them. If anything, he expected them to escalate. If they’d been the ones who’d tried kidnapping Rhea, they might try to do the same with Benedict, or worse. If their objective was to stop any kind of deal between different element wielders, it would be easier for them to get rid of Benedict than to keep him around and threaten him.

“I apologize.”

Dakota blinked and looked at Benedict. “What for?”

“For being rude just now. I’m under a lot of stress, as I’m sure you understand.”

“I do, and I wasn’t offended. I am here to make sure nothing happens to you. And to do that, I have to find out who’s behind the letters. I might be here as your fake boyfriend and bodyguard, but I also have work to do. I need to stop these people before they have a chance to get to you, and the only way to do that is to find out who they are.”

“Can you do that? Find out who they are, I mean.”

“Well, I don’t usually do this kind of thing, so I was thinking about hiring a PI if my people don’t find anything. I have a few people I work with who I trust, so that wouldn’t be a problem. Of course, you have to be okay with it, since it’s your life in danger and your money that will pay them.”

“Do whatever you think is necessary. I need to keep Rhea and Quillan safe, and I don’t care how expensive that is.”

Dakota nodded and went back to his tablet, but he couldn’t help but sneak peeks at Benedict every so often. Watching him work was fascinating. It wasn’t what he did at his desk, but rather the way he spoke to people on the phone, or to Amanda.

She was his secretary, yet he treated her with the same respect he gave to his clients. Dakota couldn’t help but notice how she behaved when it came to Benedict, and he was convinced more than ever that she didn’t have anything to do with the letters. He suspected that the reason she didn’t seem happy about his presence was that she had a crush on Benedict. Benedict didn’t seem to have noticed, and Dakota wasn’t about to say anything. That wasn’t why he was here.

He was here to keep an eye on Benedict and protect him, and that was what he would do.

* * * *

A knock on the door made Benedict look up. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been working, but he had to blink after staring at his computer screen for so long. “Come in,” he called out.

Dakota was still on the couch, his feet on the coffee table and his tablet in his lap. He looked relaxed, but Benedict knew better. Dakota didn’t miss a thing.

Amanda opened the door, and Benedict briefly wondered if it was already time for lunch. “Mr. Hunt? There is someone here who wants to talk to you.”

Benedict frowned. “Is it one of my appointments?” He’d checked his agenda before leaving the house this morning, and there hadn’t been any meetings for today, but he could have missed something.

“No.”

“Have they told you why they’re here?”

“He wants to meet with you. Apparently, he’s been told about your business deals with other elements, and he’s interested.”

Benedict’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Really? Let him in.” He looked at Dakota, waiting for him to say something, but Dakota just nodded. Benedict decided it was a go-ahead gesture, so he didn’t stop Amanda on her way out.

“Get his name as soon as you can,” Dakota said. “I’ll text one of my guys so they can research him. Do you want me to stay here on the couch, or should I come closer to the desk?”

Benedict hesitated. He didn’t want to look unprofessional by having his boyfriend hanging around the desk while he was in a work meeting, but he didn’t know who was about to walk in. He didn’t know if the guy was dangerous, and Dakota was there to protect him. It would be harder for him to do that from the other side of the room. “You can come closer, maybe sit in one of the chairs.”

“He’s going to want to know who I am and why I’m here.”

“Unless he asks outright, I won’t provide any information when it comes to you.”

Dakota nodded and rose from the couch. “Good idea.” He folded his body into one of the chairs just as the office door opened.

Amanda stepped to the side and let a man pass by her. “Mr. Hunt?” she asked. “This is Mr. Edward Long.”

Benedict smiled at her. “Thank you. You can go.”

He got up from behind his desk and walked around it. He stayed close to Dakota as he offered Mr. Long his hand. “Please, call me Benedict,” he said.

Long smiled. “Only if you call me Edward.”

“We have a deal. What can I do for you?” Benedict asked as he gestured toward the empty chair in front of his desk.

He didn’t miss the way Edward looked at Dakota and was relieved when he didn’t ask who Dakota was. Edward settled in the empty chair and crossed his legs.

He cleared his throat and looked at Benedict, who was back on his side of the desk. “I heard about the deal you signed with Powell.”

“I’m sure a lot of people have heard about it.”

Edward smiled. “They have, including my brother.”

“And your brother is?”

“Henry Long.”

“Of course.” Benedict should have recognized the name, but Long was more often associated with Henry than with Edward. Henry Long had inherited his financial business from his father, and Benedict hadn’t been aware his brother worked with him.

“Henry would be interested in discussing a deal with you, but he wanted me to make sure you were open to working with different elements for real.”

“I am.”

Henry, and probably Edward, were earth wielders. They were the opposite of Benedict, who wielded fire. Fire didn’t burn earth. It nurtured it and made things grow after purifying it.

“I find that hard to believe. I’m sure you understand.”

Benedict leaned back in his chair. “I do.” He’d had to face a lot of mistrust and questions when he’d decided to stop signing business deals only with humans and other fire wielders and to expand to other elements. “What do you want to know?”

“Why? I know your business was doing well even before you did this. Probably better, considering what some people think about the four elements mixing.”

“You’re right.” Benedict had lost some business, but he didn’t care. “I’ll be honest. I think that keeping the elements apart is moronic. We both know where it comes from, and I understand why some people are wary of mixing us. But even though we wield different elements, we’re similar. We’re element wielders. The elements are in us, and that’s never going to change. We can’t deny the fact that we work well together, especially certain elements. We were never made to be apart.”

“And you think you can change people’s minds?”

“I don’t know. I hope so, and I won’t stop just because some people aren’t happy with what I’m doing.”

“It’s still hard to believe.” Edward tapped his fingertips on his knee. “I understand what you’re saying, and I agree. We’re element wielders, but we’re human before that. We’re too similar not to have been made to share life. But how am I supposed to believe that you’re doing this for a noble reason rather than because you want to earn more money?”

“Would it matter? I am doing it because I believe in it, but would the reason why make a difference?”

“How could it not? If you’re only interested in money, it changes things. You’ll only push so much as you need to get your money, and not more. You’ll take a step back if you lose deals.”

He wasn’t wrong. “I’m doing it because I believe it’s the right thing. I understand you don’t know me and that you don’t know if you can trust me, but I’m not sure how to show you that you can.”

“I’m an earth wielder,” Dakota said, surprising both Benedict and Edward.

They both looked at him, and Edward asked, “And you are?”

Dakota offered him his hand. “Dakota Church. As I said, I’m an earth wielder, and I’m Benedict’s boyfriend.”

Edward blinked. “His boyfriend?”

“Exactly. I’m saying this because you were wondering if Benedict was faking his interest in having different elements working together. He’s not. He’s fire, and I’m earth, but we’re together.” He looked at Benedict and smiled at him.

Benedict’s stomach churned. He didn’t like lying to Edward, even though he really wouldn’t have a problem with being Dakota’s boyfriend. He didn’t care about the element Dakota wielded. He cared more about who Dakota was and how he behaved.

Dakota rose from his chair and walked around the desk. He came to stand behind Benedict and put his hands on Benedict’s shoulders. “This is why this kind of deal is important to Benedict. He thinks it’s the first step toward reuniting the elements, and I agree. It’s a way to show people we can work together. Maybe once they realize that, it will be easier for us to mix, or at the very least, it might keep them from criticizing and fighting against the people who want this to be the reality.”

Edward linked his fingers together over his knee. “Not everyone is happy about this.”

“I’m aware of that,” Benedict said before Dakota could intervene. “I expected it. I didn’t go into this thinking everyone would agree with me and be happy about what I was doing. I also didn’t start this expecting that a few business deals would magically solve the situation. It’s going to take years, possibly decades. We went through a war, and we lost so many people.” Benedict had lost his grandfather to the element war. “I don’t want to lose more of them, not when it’s avoidable. We need to get together again, to heal the wounds the war created.”

“That might not be possible.”

“Not for everyone. I realize that. But someone had to take the first step, and that someone might as well be me.”

Edward stared at Benedict, and Benedict held his breath. He hadn’t expected this impromptu meeting, and he didn’t need this deal for his business to do well, but he wanted it anyway. Like he’d told Edward, he wasn’t in this for the money. He wanted the elements to get back together. He wanted Rhea and Quillan to be able to live their life in the open without having to fear that someone would attack them because they wielded different elements.

Edward finally nodded. “I’ll talk to my brother. I expect he’ll want to meet you in a more formal meeting so you can talk about whatever he has in mind.”

Benedict smiled. This wasn’t over by any means, but it was a step forward, and that was what he’d been working so hard for.

* * * *

Dakota knew he shouldn’t have done that. Benedict had said he didn’t want to tell Edward they were together. He hadn’t wanted to lie to Edward, yet that was precisely what Dakota had done.

He waited until Edward had left to turn to Benedict. “I apologize.”

Benedict frowned. “Why?”

“You told me you didn’t want to explain I was your boyfriend to Edward, yet I told him.”

Benedict leaned back in his chair. “You did the right thing. I didn’t want to lie to him, and I’m not happy I did, but I don’t think it matters. You and I might not be together, but Rhea and Quillan are. I don’t care what kind of element Quillan wields, as long as he makes my son happy. I have no problem with him or with you. But Edward clearly wasn’t sure whether to believe me or not, and knowing I share my bed with an earth wielder reassured him. It was what the situation needed, and I didn’t realize that in the beginning. You have nothing to be sorry about. If anything, I should thank you for intervening.”

“Please don’t. I didn’t do anything.”

“You showed Edward that different elements can live together.”

“They can. I’ve been friends with Quillan and other people who wield different elements for years. I’ve never bought into the bullshit that we should be separated.” Dakota still wasn’t sure he truly believed in what Benedict was doing. He wanted Benedict to succeed, but it would be nearly impossible.

A lot of people didn’t want to think differently. Their grandparents had fought in the element war. Some of them had died, and their parents had told them how bad it was for elements to mix and that the result might be war. In the beginning, right after the war, element wielders had kept to themselves because they needed to heal. But things had settled down, and they shouldn’t have to stay isolated anymore. Someone needed to push, which was what Benedict was doing. It might not work, but he was trying, and that was important.

Dakota stood and moved toward the door. “I’m going to take a walk outside.”

Benedict blinked, but he nodded. “Of course. I’ll be safe here.”

“Don’t go anywhere without me, and if at all possible, don’t open the office door. I’ll be right back.” He needed a few minutes away from Benedict before he did something stupid—like kissing him for being the man he was.

He left the office without looking back. Amanda was at her desk, with Edward leaning over her. He was giving her his business card, but he straightened when he saw Dakota. “Would you mind walking me to the elevator?” he asked.

Dakota did mind. He wanted to stick close to Benedict, but the elevator wasn’t far, and it was in sight of the office door. He’d be able to keep an eye on Benedict even from there. “Of course.”

“I was surprised to learn that Mr. Hunt had an earth wielder boyfriend,” Edward said.

“What surprised you the most? The earth part, or the boyfriend one?”

Edward chuckled. “Both, to be honest. As far as I know, Benedict hasn’t dated since his wife passed away.”

“You’re right. He hasn’t.”

“Until now.”

Right. Because Dakota was Benedict’s fake boyfriend. “Until now.”

“You have to be special.”

“I don’t know about that, but I do know that Benedict sees something special in me, and that’s enough for me.” There was no way Dakota would be able to act like a gold digger. He didn’t want people to think he didn’t care about Benedict, and this situation with Edward was making things even more complicated.

This business deal, and possibly everything Benedict was working for, hinged on the fact that he and Dakota were a couple. Edward wouldn’t trust Benedict as much as he did now if he didn’t think Dakota was in love with him and that they worked together as a couple.

“As long as you’re happy,” Edward said. “But I can imagine how hard it is for you.”

Dakota shrugged. “Not everyone is happy about us being together or about what Benedict is doing, that’s true.”

“Yet you are, together.”

“We are.” Dakota hesitated. “I want to protect him. He truly believes in what he’s doing, but sometimes, he forgets that not everyone shares his belief. Do you know who I need to keep an eye on?” Dakota was probably pushing it, but he hoped Edward would think it was because he was in love with Benedict, and he wanted to protect him. Half of that was the truth anyway.

Edward grimaced. “I have to say I’m surprised you haven’t mentioned Purity yet.”

That got Dakota’s attention. “Purity?”

“They’re a group of element wielders who think we should stick with our element. They’re pretty vocal about it, too. That’s why I’m surprised you haven’t heard about them.”

Maybe he had. Maybe the letters came from them. “What do you think they might do?”

“Well, I doubt they’re happy about Benedict’s business deals, but your relationship with him will probably tip the balance. You might not have heard about them yet, but you will.” Edward frowned. “Be careful, and keep an eye on Benedict. I wouldn’t put it past them to use violence to separate the two of you.”

Dakota nodded. He was already thinking about how he could find out more about Purity. He’d have to tell his people about them and have them look into it. They might not be the ones behind the attempted kidnapping and the letters, but Dakota wasn’t willing to risk it. Besides, it was a starting point. Even if Purity didn’t have anything to do with what was happening, researching them could only help.

The elevator dinged, and doors slid open. “Tell Benedict I’ll see him soon,” Edward said as he stepped in.

“I’ll relay the message.”

“And who knows? Maybe I’ll see you, too.”

Dakota didn’t know if he’d still be around when Benedict had the meeting with Edward and his brother, but even if he was, he doubted he’d be a part of it. This meeting had been an informal one, but the next one wouldn’t be, and Dakota would have no place in it.

Dakota slowly went back to Benedict’s office. He took the opportunity to look around and observe people. So far, Purity was the most probable suspect behind the letters, but Dakota couldn’t dismiss that they might have nothing to do with them. He couldn’t help but wonder why they hadn’t signed the letters if they were the ones sending them. Wouldn’t they want Benedict to know who they were and why they were doing this?

Dakota needed to look into this. He’d hoped that the sender of the letters was a single person or a small group of people, but from the sound of it, Purity was more than that, and that made them more dangerous. If their numbers were large, it meant they were organized. It also meant they wouldn’t stop for anything to get what they wanted.

Including hurting Benedict or Rhea.

Dakota’s job had just become even more complicated than he’d thought. That didn’t change anything, though. He wasn’t going anywhere, not until he was sure Benedict was safe.

“Everything okay?” Benedict asked when Dakota stepped into the office again.

“I’m not sure.”

“You don’t think Edward had something to do with the letters, do you?”

“I don’t. I still asked my people to look into him, but I doubt they’ll find anything. But Edward said something interesting when I asked him about who wouldn’t be happy to know you and I are together.”

Benedict’s expression hardened. “What did he say?”

“He mentioned a group of people who call themselves Purity. He didn’t go into details, but he did explain they think the elements should stay separated.”

“And you think they did this? That they tried to kidnap my son to force me not to sign my business deals?”

“I don’t know anything for sure, but it’s a possibility. It means you need to be even more careful. If a group is behind this, they’ll be more organized than a single person or a few people. They’ll have more possibilities to hurt you.”

“That’s why I have you, isn’t it?”

Dakota blinked. “It is. This doesn’t change anything. I’m going to find out who is threatening you, and I’m going to stop them.” Dakota didn’t like making promises of this kind, not when he wasn’t sure he could keep them, but he wasn’t lying. He would do everything he could to make sure his family was safe, and that included Benedict.

Chapter Four

Dakota had been living with Benedict for a week, and the only thing they had to show for it was yet another letter—and Benedict’s wet dreams featuring his bodyguard, but he didn’t count that as a victory. If anything, it made things awkward, and that was the last thing Benedict needed right now.

People were talking. Benedict had expected it, of course, but he hadn’t thought this would take so long. He’d expected Dakota to have news about the letters and who was behind them in a few days, yet here they were, and they still had no idea what was going on. That meant that Dakota was still coming to work with Benedict, and since everyone thought he was Benedict’s boy-toy or something like that, it was uncomfortable. They couldn’t continue doing this for much longer, or people would start asking questions they wouldn’t be able to answer.

Benedict had to say something.

He waited until he and Dakota were in the car on their way home. “We need to talk.”

Dakota chuckled. “I thought you’d spit it out as soon as we left the office.”

Benedict blinked. “How did you know I wanted to talk to you?”

“You’re kind of obvious. What is it?”

Benedict didn’t like the thought of being that easily readable, even if it was Dakota who was reading him, but now wasn’t the time to think about that. He cleared his throat and tried to find a way to explain what he was feeling without offending Dakota. “The way we’re doing things isn’t working anymore. People thought it was cute that you didn’t want to stay away from me for the first few days, but they’re starting to wonder if there’s more to it. You’re an adult, and no matter how much you might be in love with me, it doesn’t make sense for you to continue coming with me. We need to find another way to do this.”

“You’re right.”

That wasn’t what Benedict had expected. He’d thought Dakota would fight him on this, not that he’d agree. “I am?”

“You sound surprised.”

“I didn’t expect you to agree so easily.”

Dakota sighed. He kept his focus on the road, but Benedict knew he had his attention. “I agreed easily because you’re right. I thought this would be a quick case after reading the letters, but Purity, if they’re the ones behind this, doesn’t seem to be in a rush. They’re taking their time, and I don’t know if it’s a good thing or not. But I can’t continue following you around, not as your boyfriend anyway. People are starting to wonder what’s going on, and we can’t have that.” He nibbled on his lower lip, and it shouldn’t have been as cute and sexy as it was. “Can you work from home? We could organize meetings to be all on the same day and stay at the house the rest of the time.”

Benedict looked out the window. He couldn’t allow himself to get a boner in front of Dakota, not when he couldn’t flee to his bedroom to take care of it. “It shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll talk to Amanda and see what we can put together.” He paused. “You know everyone will think we’re spending most of our time in the bedroom, right?”

Dakota grinned. “Not a problem for me, but I’m not the one who’ll have to continue working there once this is over.”

Benedict supposed there were worse things than people thinking he could keep up with a thirty-five-year-old in the bedroom. Besides, maybe he was wrong, and the people who worked for him didn’t think about what he was up to during his private time.

He softly snorted to himself. Right. Of course they all wondered who topped and who bottomed. “Do you have anything at all about Purity, or whoever else might be doing this?”

“We’re still looking into it.”

“That’s what you’ve been saying for the past week.”

Dakota frowned. “You think this is easy? Do you know how many people hate what you’re doing? There are entire forums in which they talk about it. They’re very explicit when it comes to describing what they wish to happen to you. We’ve been combing through everything we find.”

Benedict hated feeling impatient, but right now he couldn’t help it, because he wanted everything to go away. He wanted Amanda to stop looking at him like he’d gone crazy. He wanted the whispers that followed him and Dakota constantly when they were at work to stop. “Shouldn’t you focus on Purity, though?”

“We are, but they’re smart. They’re an organized group, not just a bunch of people hating on you on the Internet. They’re not going around gloating and giving details about what they did. They’re hidden, and that’s what makes it hard to find them.”

“What about the letters? Did you find anything about them? Where they came from, who wrote them?”

“No. That’s part of what I was saying. Purity, whoever’s in it, knows what it’s doing. They’re extremely careful, and I doubt that will change. If it does, it won’t be anytime soon, and that’s what we need.”

Benedict wished Purity would do something, anything, that would help Dakota and his men find them. Benedict had had enough of the situation. He didn’t mind Dakota’s presence in his life, but not like this. He didn’t want things to be fake between them. He realized it was probably stupid to hope Dakota liked him for real, but it was something Benedict kept thinking about. Did he and Dakota have a chance at this, whatever this was? They wouldn’t find out until the situation was over and they could be for real, but there didn’t seem to be an end in sight.

Benedict hated this. He hated holding his breath every time he got mail just in case a threatening letter was in the bunch. He hated that the only reason Dakota was around was that he was protecting him. He hated that he was becoming hypervigilant, that he was always wary and afraid that someone would hurt him or the people he loved. He wanted to do more, but he didn’t know what.

This wasn’t his job. His job consisted of sitting behind his desk and signing contracts, nothing else. He couldn’t do anything to protect Rhea and Quillan. He’d put his entire faith in Dakota, and while he still thought he’d done the right thing, he needed things to change.

“What the fuck?” Dakota muttered.

Benedict snapped his attention back to the road.

That wasn’t what he’d meant when he’d thought he needed things to change.

A small group of people was standing in the middle of the road. They were almost home, and while it could have been a coincidence, Benedict doubted it was.

“Do you recognize any of them?” Dakota asked.

“Never seen them before. Who do you think they are?”

“Well, they could be hitchhikers, but I doubt it.”

“Purity?”

“Possibly.”

Benedict wasn’t sure he wanted those people to be part of Purity. He wanted the situation to end, but this didn’t look good. He and Dakota were two people, while the group standing in the middle of the road, effectively cutting off any escape, were five.

Benedict twisted his head, and sure enough, there were more people behind them. He and Dakota didn’t have a way out, unless they wanted to run those people over, and while Benedict was tempted to do just that, he doubted it was a good idea.

Then a rumble shook the car, and two tall earth walls shot from the ground, one in front of them, the other behind them.

They were stuck. Even driving over those people wouldn’t change anything.

“What now?” Benedict asked.

“I already texted someone, but they’re going to attack before we get help. We need to deal with this on our own.”

Benedict swallowed. He wasn’t a warrior. He wasn’t a fighter. He was a paper pusher, and he’d never had to fight anyone. He didn’t know if he could do this, whatever this was. What did Dakota have in mind? Would he be able to do this on his own, or did he need Benedict’s help?

Dakota suddenly grabbed Benedict’s hand.

Benedict jerked and looked at Dakota, who was grim.

“We’ll make it through,” he said.

Benedict wanted to believe him. “Maybe you should go. It’s me they want, not you.”

Dakota’s expression hardened. “You’re right. It’s you they want. But they’ll get me, too.”

* * * *

The two walls standing between Dakota, Benedict, and safety, had to have been made by an earth wielder. Dakota wasn’t sure this was Purity, though. He hadn’t been able to find out what kind of element wielders made up the group. It would make sense that they’d be composed of only one element, but Dakota wouldn’t swear to it. He couldn’t allow himself to believe that and be wrong.

They didn’t have time to think about this. The people outside the car swarmed it at once, pulling open the doors and dragging Dakota and Benedict out.

Dakota allowed them to do that only until he had both feet on the ground. Then, he reacted.

He opened his arms, pushing the attackers away and pulling on the control he had over the earth and its children. Tree branches shot toward them, wrapping around several attackers and dragging them away, but Dakota wasn’t the only earth wielder present. The other one, from the attacking group, reacted, too. Dakota had to fight not to lose control over the trees, and his focus meant he didn’t see the punch coming toward his face.

His head snapped back, and his control was gone. Someone grabbed his arm and pulled, but before they could do whatever they’d planned, they caught fire. The screams were something Dakota would never forget, and he forced himself to turn away. He needed to find Benedict before something happened to him. Benedict must have set that guy on fire—it had to be—so he was defending himself, but he wasn’t used to this, and there were too many attackers for him to be able to burn all of them.

Their goal was no doubt to grab Benedict, maybe hurt him. Dakota’s goal was to make sure that didn’t happen.

Benedict was holding his own against three guys. Dakota desperately wanted to help him, but he knew it would be better for him to focus on the other seven or so people. Well, six, since one of them had caught fire and probably wouldn’t make it—if he was even still alive.

Dakota reached out with his power and crumbled the earth wall blocking their path home. If everything else failed, they could still leave if they managed to get back to the car. It was still running, and the doors were wide open. Dakota just had to grab Benedict and throw him inside.

Someone jumped onto Dakota’s back. Arms wrapped around his throat and squeezed, and he knew he had to get rid of the man before his need to breathe had the better of him.

He threw himself backward, grinning savagely when he and the man on his back hit a tree. The man sucked in a breath, and Dakota used the tree, wrapping its branches around the guy. It was still challenging to get him to let go, but an elbow to the gut did the trick.

Dakota panted, expecting the branches to be pushed away, but they weren’t. Maybe the earth wielder was busy fighting Benedict, or maybe Dakota and Benedict were lucky, for once, and the earth wielder had gone down in flames.

Dakota turned his attention back to Benedict.

One of the men was on the ground, crying as his leg burned, but another one had already replaced him. Dakota strode toward them, grabbed one of the attackers’ shoulders, and pulled. The guy stumbled and stopped focusing on Benedict.

It didn’t look like they were trying to hurt Benedict, more like they wanted to grab him, maybe to kidnap him, and while Dakota didn’t understand it, he wouldn’t let it happen. He couldn’t.

Not only had he promised Quillan and Rhea he’d keep Benedict safe, but over the past week, he’d gotten to know the man. He liked him, and he’d wondered a few times if once this mess was over, he and Benedict might find a way to be together for real.

Dakota wanted it, and he made himself the promise to at least try as soon as this was over. He didn’t know if Benedict wanted the same thing or if he’d reject him, and that was okay. He’d find out soon enough.

Dakota punched the man he’d pulled away in the face. It wasn’t enough to knock him out, so he hit him again and again until the man collapsed on the ground. Using his fists was quicker than using the roots and branches of the trees and plants around him, but Dakota still twined the roots around the man’s arms and legs, just in case he woke up before Dakota was ready to deal with him.

When Dakota turned his attention back to Benedict and the battle he was fighting, he couldn’t help but take a few seconds to admire the man. He was so used to seeing Benedict looking put together, with his suits and ties, his hair perfectly brushed. Benedict was anything but perfect now, and it made him even more appealing. He was setting clothes and hair on fire, but one of the men attacking him was a water wielder, and he managed to put the fires out before anyone else got hurt. Now that he had fewer men to worry about, it was easier for him to do that, and it was obvious Benedict was getting tired.

He needed help.

Dakota knocked out another of the men, but they were still five against two. One of them seemed to realize what Dakota had been doing, and he turned to focus on him, leaving the other four to try to grab Benedict.

Dakota braced himself for the fight. The man rushed him, knocking him to the ground. Dakota tried to get back to his feet, but the man was an air wielder, and an immense pressure kept Dakota where he was. It felt like someone was pushing the air out of his lungs, and he knew he needed help.

He pressed his palms to the earth underneath him. Roots shot out of the ground, reaching for the man, and at the same time, a stream of fire headed the man’s way.

The man’s eyes widened. The roots and the fire hit him at the same time, and Dakota could finally breathe again. He scrambled to his feet, ready to focus on one of the other men, but he froze when he saw what was happening.

Instead of burning the roots Dakota had pulled from the earth, Benedict’s fire was twining with them. It shouldn’t have been possible. Fire burned wood, even when it was damp. But it wasn’t damp right now. Dakota couldn’t deny what he was seeing, and his gaze briefly locked with Benedict’s. Neither of them seemed to be able to believe what was happening.

They were mates.

That was the only explanation, and Dakota didn’t know what to do with it. He did know he didn’t have the time to focus on that fact, though. If he wanted them to have a chance to talk this out, he needed Benedict to be in one piece and able to speak. That wouldn’t happen if he didn’t help him.

He nodded at Benedict, and Benedict nodded back before turning his attention back to the people who remained.

Dakota and Benedict were winning. Dakota hadn’t thought it possible in the beginning when he’d seen how many men were waiting for them, but they’d kicked ass, and now, they could use their powers combined.

Dakota wasn’t sure how to do this, but it seemed to be instinctive. It had never happened, obviously, but it was relatively easy to coordinate with Benedict even without talking to him.

Fire coated the roots Dakota shot out of the earth. It burned the men as soon as the roots twined around them, and soon the sound of screams was the only thing Dakota could hear.

He was used to fighting. He trained for this. But he doubted he would ever forget the screaming of the men burning to death. He hated doing this, but he didn’t have a choice. Benedict didn’t, either, and Dakota hated thinking about what this would do to him.

As soon as he had a clear path, Dakota rushed to Benedict. Benedict was sweaty, with dark smudges on his face, his hair all over the place. His tie was crooked, and Dakota thought it was a small miracle that it was still holding on. He grabbed Benedict’s hand. “We need to go.”

“I think that would be for the best,” Benedict agreed.

Dakota pulled him toward the car, but the two remaining men blocked their way.

* * * *

Benedict’s brain felt like it had frozen as soon as he’d realized what the weird way his fire and Dakota’s earth behaved meant.

They were soulmates.

Benedict had never thought this would happen to him. He was too old, and he’d already had a chance at a perfect love. He needed to think about this, but now wasn’t the right moment.

He couldn’t believe he’d managed to keep himself free from those men trying to grab him. He’d never had to do anything like this. His days were made of paperwork and meetings, not fights for his life, yet he’d held his own.

He was tired, though. He felt like he might collapse, but he couldn’t. Not yet.

He and Dakota still had to fight the two men who remained.

Benedict didn’t want to think about the people he’d killed today. He knew he eventually would have to, but he couldn’t yet. Instead, he looked at Dakota, and they both nodded. Benedict grabbed Dakota’s hand and linked their fingers together, and as one, they reached out with their other hands.

The men standing in front of them looked worried. One of them seemingly decided this wasn’t worth it and turned to run, but the other took the brunt of the elements rushing at him. He was engulfed in a cloud of fire while roots and branches held him in place.

Dakota and Benedict didn’t stick around to see what happened to him. Dakota pulled Benedict toward the car, pushing him into it. Benedict had to clamber into the passenger seat from the driver seat, and he barely had enough time to do that before Dakota was jumping into the car and slamming the door shut.

Benedict reached for the passenger door and closed it just as Dakota drove the car forward.

He could still see the cloud of smoke above the men he’d killed, even once the car got further away.

He closed his eyes and swallowed, pressing his forehead against the cold window. He couldn’t think about this. He couldn’t allow himself to feel pity for the men who’d attacked him. They were probably the same men who’d tried to take his son, and while they maybe hadn’t deserved to die the way they had, Benedict had only been protecting himself and his family.

He’d still killed people, though. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get over that.

“How are you feeling?” Dakota suddenly asked.

Benedict blinked his eyes open. They were almost home, and he couldn’t wait. “Well, I’ve been better.”

Dakota snorted. “I bet you have. But really. How are you feeling?”

“Not great.”

“Are you injured?”

Benedict knew he’d be feeling this tomorrow, but apart from a few cuts and bruises, he was fine. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

“I’ll check when we’re home.”

“I don’t need you to do that.”

“Maybe not, but I’ll do it anyway.”

Benedict had to smile at that. “I have no doubt.”

“But seriously,” Dakota said a few minutes later. “I know how hard this has to be for you.”

Benedict looked down at his hands. “I’ve never killed anyone before.”

“They would have killed you if you hadn’t.”

Dakota’s voice was quiet, and that helped Benedict feel better, even though he knew he shouldn’t. “I don’t think they were trying to hurt me.” That was no doubt the only reason Benedict was still in one piece.

It would have been easy for any of those ten men to kill him. Benedict had fought with them long enough to know that there had been at least an air wielder, a water one, and an earth one. No one had fought fire with fire, but that didn’t mean he’d been the only fire wielder there.

They hadn’t hurt him, though. They’d probably wanted to take him, and he was relieved to still be here.

“Maybe not, but it doesn’t mean they wouldn’t have hurt you somewhere down the line. Come on, Benedict. They weren’t trying to take you out on a date. They were about to kidnap you at the very least, and God knows what they would have done to you once they had you. You did the only thing possible in this situation.”

Benedict knew he was right, but it was hard to believe. Guilt was heavy in his guts and threated to pull him down. Whoever those men had been, whatever they’d been trying to do, he’d still killed them. And what about their families? Would they ever find out what had happened to their loved ones? Did they even have a family?

“Stop it,” Dakota snapped. “Feeling guilty isn’t going to help. I understand you can’t ignore that feeling forever, but you need to do it, at least for now. Focus on something else.”

That was easier said than done, but luckily for Benedict, he had something just as huge as killing people for the first time in his life to think about.

He cleared his throat. “So. We’re soulmates.”

Dakota barked out a laugh. “That we are. I don’t think I’ve ever been so surprised than when your fire twined with my roots instead of burning them.”

Benedict had no idea what this meant, for either of them. He wasn’t sure he could wrap his mind around it right now. He was a mess of feelings, and it felt like the world wouldn’t stop spinning around him.

He’d never been so relieved to see the gate to his house. He slumped against the seat as Dakota drove through it, parked the car inside the garage, and ushered him in.

“I need to call a few people. Why don’t you go shower, or even better, take a bath?” Dakota asked.

Benedict didn’t want to let Dakota out of his sight. They were home, behind a locked door and gate, but Benedict still didn’t feel safe. He didn’t know if he’d ever feel safe again.

Dakota’s expression softened. “I’m just calling for more people to come here. I doubt the people who attacked us will follow us, especially with ten men out for the count, but I can’t risk it. I can’t risk you. I know you don’t like the thought of being protected, but we can’t afford to lose you, and even if they don’t react today, they will eventually.”

“Call whoever you need to call.” Benedict wouldn’t say no to more protection, even though it was true he’d eventually be annoyed at having all those people hovering. He couldn’t deny he was in danger, though, not anymore.

He’d been able to do that as long as only Dakota had been around him. It had been easy to treat Dakota like the boyfriend he was supposed to be, but everything had changed now.

Benedict flopped onto the marble stairs as Dakota paced in the entrance. They had so much to think of, and even more to talk about. Benedict wasn’t in any shape to do it right this second, though.

He idly listened to Dakota. It sounded like he was asking an entire army to come around, and that was more than okay with Benedict. He didn’t doubt he’d have a problem with it soon, but right now, he needed the house to feel safe. This was his haven. He couldn’t allow anyone with bad intentions to enter it. He couldn’t be attacked here, because he’d lose it if that happened.

Benedict needed to be strong, for Rhea. For Quillan.

Maybe even for Dakota.

Dakota didn’t look like what had happened had impacted him, but he was so focused on his phone calls and giving orders that he probably hadn’t had the time to wrap his mind around everything yet. That was okay. Maybe they could do it together as soon as things slowed down.

Benedict rubbed his face with both hands, and they came back dirty and sweaty. He still couldn’t believe Dakota was his mate. He’d always known his soulmate was out there somewhere, but he never thought he’d meet him. Or her. Claudia hadn’t been Benedict’s mate, but they hadn’t cared. They’d loved each other, and Benedict would always feel something for her.

But now he had Dakota. He had no idea what was happening, but he’d find out—hopefully, soon.

* * * *

Dakota had done everything he could. He’d called Bay and quickly explained what had happened. Bay had taken it from there. He knew what to do, and Dakota trusted him implicitly. Bay would do what needed to be done, and knowing he was in charge allowed Dakota to relax and focus on Benedict.

Benedict had left the entrance a few minutes earlier after sitting on the steps for a while. Dakota hadn’t cared if he heard what he was saying on the phone, but he hoped Benedict was okay.

Today wasn’t the first time Dakota had fought for his life. It wasn’t even the first time he’d killed someone. He still remembered when that had happened, though. He knew what Benedict was going through, and he wished he could take away that pain and those thoughts.

Benedict was no doubt feeling guilty about killing people. He’d been defending himself, but that didn’t change what he felt and how he thought. It would take him some time to work through his feelings, and he’d probably need therapy. Dakota would suggest it, but he didn’t know if Benedict would agree.

Then there was the fact that he and Benedict were mates.

Dakota hadn’t seen that coming, and he wasn’t sure what to do with it. Should he bring it up? Or should he wait until Benedict felt better? There was no way to know when that would happen, and while Dakota was willing to give Benedict all the time he needed, he also wanted to have at least a conversation about what was happening between them. He wanted to know Benedict didn’t hate him. He wanted to know Benedict cared.

Dakota put his cell phone back into his pocket and went to look for his soulmate.

He found Benedict in the kitchen, pouring water into a glass. Benedict put the bottle down and closed it, then took the glass with a trembling hand. He took a sip, then another, then the glass clinked onto the counter when he put it down

Dakota cleared his throat. “A team is on the way. They’ll secure the house and make sure no one gets in,” he said.

Benedict nodded curtly. “Good. I should probably grab a shower before they arrive.”

“They won’t care if you look like shit. They’re used to this, and besides, they’ll be around for a while. You might as well get used to the idea that they’ll see you in your PJs.”

Benedict snorted softly. “Right. Of course.”

“But you can go shower if you want. I’m sure you want to get the grime off your skin.”

“I do. But I doubt whatever shower I can take will get rid of how I’m feeling.”

Dakota sighed. “You’re right. It won’t. It won’t be easy. You’ll probably have nightmares. You’ll feel guilty, then righteous. You’re going to be a mess, and that’s okay.”

Benedict turned around and leaned against the counter. “You sound like you know what I’m going through.”

“That’s because I do. I’ve been through it, too, and I want you to know I’m here if you need to talk to anyone.”

“You’re saying I should talk to you?”

“If you want to. I do think you need to see a therapist, although it’s going to be hard to explain what happened and why.”

Benedict shook his head. “I can’t talk about this right now.”

“Do you want me to distract you?”

“And how are you planning to do that?”

This was risky, but Dakota needed answers, at least some of them. “Are we going to ignore the fact that we’re soulmates?”

Benedict rubbed his face. He looked tired, more so than he had an hour ago. “You’re right. We should talk about it. And we will. But I need to call Rhea first. I have to make sure he and Quillan are okay.”

Dakota understood that need, even though he didn’t have children. He doubted Quillan and Rhea had been bothered, though. This attack had been specifically against Benedict, so the odds that they were okay were high. He realized Benedict wouldn’t take his word for an answer, though. Not when it came to his son. “I asked Bay to put together a team that would keep an eye on them, too. Just in case. I don’t think they’ll be attacked, but I knew you’d want something like that.”

Benedict cocked his head. “You know me well.”

That was because Dakota hadn’t had anything to do in the past week but observe Benedict. He’d spent hours looking at the man while he worked, listening to his phone calls, and watching him meet people. He knew Benedict as well as he could considering everything. “Your son is at the center of your life. You want him and Quillan to be safe, and I knew you’d feel better if you were sure they were okay.”

Benedict nodded once. “Thank you.” He hesitated. “Do you think we can stop them? Those people who attacked us?”

Dakota wanted to say yes. He wanted to reassure Benedict, to show him he was safe and that he didn’t have to worry, but he couldn’t do that, not yet. “Bay is focusing on getting the team here right now, but I contacted a few other people, and they’re looking into it.” They needed to find out who was behind this. That was the only way they’d ever be able to stop them.

“But you’re not positive about the outcome.”

Dakota had to smile. “Now who is it who knows the other well?”

Benedict’s answering smile helped Dakota feel better. “You’re not the only one who observed the other.”

“You were working the entire time. I wasn’t.”

“You were. And I wasn’t. I did do some work, of course, but I can’t deny I’ve been distracted.”

Dakota pressed a hand over his chest. “By me?”

“Of course by you. You’re a very distracting man, Mr. Church.”

Those words made Dakota’s heart beat faster. He had no idea where he stood with Benedict, but that sounded good.

That sounded really good.

Now wasn’t the right moment to talk about what their future would be like. They needed to solve their problem first, before they could make any personal decision. But Dakota had hope. He’d thought Benedict’s late wife had been his soulmate, but he was. He was Benedict’s mate, and it didn’t look like Benedict hated that idea. It didn’t mean he loved it, but unless Dakota was very wrong about things, he was flirting, and Dakota was right there with him.

“Thank you,” Benedict said quietly.

Dakota frowned. “What are you thanking me for?”

“Protecting me. Making sure I made it out of this alive and in one piece.”

“That was all thanks to you. I was impressed at the way you defended yourself.”

“I still don’t know how I did that. I had no idea I was capable of that.”

Dakota heard the dark note in Benedict’s voice. There was nothing he could do to help him through this but be there for him. He wasn’t sure Benedict would allow him to do that, but he had to try. He had to show Benedict he wasn’t going anywhere.

Dakota opened his arms and held his breath. Benedict blinked, then his eyes widened as he realized what was happening. Dakota fully expected him to step back, but instead, Benedict moved right into his arms. Dakota wrapped them around him and held him close, pressing his chin against the side of Benedict’s head.

Benedict was tall, but Dakota was taller, and he loved the way Benedict snuggled against him. He loved feeling like he was a safe place for Benedict. They fit together the way only two mates could, and Dakota couldn’t believe he hadn’t realized what was between them earlier.

The thought that he and Benedict could have gone on without ever finding out they were soulmates was a harrowing one. They wouldn’t have realized it if they hadn’t been attacked, and even though Dakota hated that Benedict was shaken and that he’d been hurt, he couldn’t find it in him to regret what had happened.

He wished Benedict hadn’t had to kill people. He wished Benedict wasn’t in danger, but he was, and no matter how Dakota looked at it, it was that situation that had put them together.

Chapter Five

Benedict was going crazy in his home office. He’d tried working, but he couldn’t focus. Not that he’d expected to be able to anyway, of course. After what happened earlier, he’d be surprised if he could focus long enough to read over a contract.

He leaned against the back of his chair and rubbed his face. His eyes burned, and his entire body ached, even though he hadn’t done anything physical. He’d used his power, and he’d been thrown this way and that when those people had dragged him out of the car, but it wasn’t like he’d punched anyone.

It sure felt like he had, though.

Benedict tapped his fingertips on his desk and looked around. He needed to do something before he went crazy. Maybe he should have agreed to have Rhea and Quillan come home as Rhea had suggested. Rhea had wanted to come to check in on him right away, even though Benedict had told him he was fine. He’d been frantic, and it had taken Benedict a while to get his son to listen to him. He’d been relieved to find out Rhea and Quillan were home and had no idea anything had happened.

The people after Benedict knew about his son, of course. Benedict hoped that the fact that they hadn’t gone to Rhea and Quillan meant they didn’t know where to find them. They’d been careful when they’d moved into the human part of town. No other element wielder lived around them, not that they knew of, and Benedict had checked. It was vital, since they wielded different elements, and Benedict didn’t trust anyone to accept that. So far, they hadn’t been found, and things needed to continue that way. The last thing Benedict wanted was for Purity to find out where Rhea was and use him like they’d tried once already.

Still, having Rhea here would help distract Benedict.

Dakota was somewhere in the house, probably making sure all the doors were locked, or something like that. His team had arrived about half an hour after they’d gotten home, and he’d been with them since then. Benedict had no idea what he was doing, and he didn’t want to know. He didn’t like the thought of people he’d never met walking around his house, making themselves at home. He knew it was necessary, and he wouldn’t fight it, but he didn’t have to like it.

He really didn’t.

He grabbed his phone from the desk, opened one of the apps, and ordered dinner. They hadn’t eaten yet, even though it was going on midnight, and he was starving. He and Dakota needed to talk about what was next, and they shouldn’t do it on an empty stomach. Maybe Benedict would be able to pry Dakota away from his people using food as an incentive. He wanted to think he was incentive enough, but it was too soon. He and Dakota had only found out they were mates hours earlier, and Dakota hadn’t had a second to think about it since then.

Benedict hadn’t done a lot of thinking about that, either. It was hard for him to stop obsessing over the knowledge that someone possibly wanted to kill him. It was even harder to digest the fact that his son might be in danger.

For the first time since he could remember, maybe for the first time since Claudia had died, Benedict was utterly lost. He had no idea what to do. He had no idea what the next step should be. His first and most important goal was to protect Rhea and Quillan, but beyond that, he didn’t know what to do. Hiring Dakota had been a good idea, but even that had proved itself more complicated than it should have been.

Did being mates change anything? Benedict thought Dakota had probably even more reasons to keep him safe now, but he didn’t like that kind of feeling. Dakota had been doing his job even before they’d found out they were mates. This wouldn’t change anything.

Well, it wouldn’t change some things.

Dakota wouldn’t stop doing his job, but Benedict could never see him the same way he had before. The fact that he’d been attracted to Dakota even before finding out they were mates didn’t help. It was understandable, and it made sense, but Benedict felt it made everything more complicated.

He sighed heavily, rubbed his face again because damn, his eyes burned like hell, and rose from his chair. Staying in his office wouldn’t change anything, but maybe walking around the house would. It was probably a good idea to familiarize himself with the people who would be staying with him until the people after him were caught.

It was weird to see this many people in the house. Even when Claudia had been alive, it had only been three of them—her, Benedict, and Rhea. The house had always been too big for them, but Benedict and Claudia had been planning to give Rhea brothers and sisters. The house was supposed to be filled with laughter and the sound of children running around, but it had never been.

And now, it never would be.

Benedict wouldn’t leave the place, though. Some people might think it was ridiculous, but he wasn’t going anywhere. One day, when he died, the house would become Rhea’s, and he’d be allowed to do whatever he wanted with it. Benedict didn’t care if Rhea decided to sell it. It would be the right thing to do for him, just like keeping it and continuing to live here was the right thing for Benedict.

The doorbell rang just as Benedict’s phone vibrated, a text telling him his food had arrived. He strode toward the front door, but before he could get there, someone stepped in and opened it for him.

Benedict froze in the middle of the entrance.

This was it. It was the thing he hated the most. He was losing his freedom. Someone else had to open the door to make sure whoever was waiting on the other side of it didn’t want to kill him. Someone else would have to check his mail. He’d be lucky if he was allowed to go back to the office without an entire team of people following him around.

Benedict wasn’t free anymore.

It wasn’t Dakota’s fault. If anything, Benedict knew he was doing all he could to make him happy while keeping him safe. Those things didn’t work well together, though. Benedict wouldn’t be satisfied until he was able to go back to his old life, a life where no one had been trying to kill him and hurt his son.

But he’d never go back to it, would he? Even if Purity—if they were the ones behind this—was stopped, Benedict’s life had changed forever. He wasn’t alone anymore.

He had Dakota.

They really needed to talk about this.

The man who’d opened the door closed it and held out the plastic bag to Benedict. “I’m sorry I had to step in. I just needed to make sure you didn’t open in case the wrong person was on the other side of the door.”

Benedict briefly closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. “I know.” The situation wasn’t this man’s fault. He was obeying orders, and that was what he was paid to do.

Benedict took the bag from him, and to his surprise, the man held out his hand for Benedict to shake. “I’m Bay.”

Benedict knew who Bay was. Dakota had told him about his best friend. He and Bay worked together, and Bay was effectively in charge while Dakota was with Benedict. The fact that he was here, putting all his attention into protecting Benedict, told Benedict how frightened Dakota was for him.

He took Bay’s hand and shook it. “Benedict.” He didn’t know if Dakota had told Bay they were mates, but he probably hadn’t had time. They’d had other things to focus on, and Dakota was nothing but thorough when it came to his job. Benedict had seen that over the past week.

Bay nodded. “I’m sorry we’ve invaded your home, Mr. Hunt.”

“Call me Benedict, and it’s okay. I might not like it, but I understand it’s necessary.” He shivered at the memory of what had happened earlier.

Bay’s expression hardened. “That won’t happen again. I promise.”

“You can’t promise that, even though I appreciate the feeling. You don’t know if Purity will strike again, or how many men they’ll use.”

“But I can promise we’ll be here every step of the way. You’re important to Dakota. You’re family to him, and that means something to me. This isn’t the best way for us to meet, but I hope that as soon as this is resolved, we can get to know each other. Dakota is my best friend, and I’ve been working with him for years. I look forward to getting to know the man he seems to find so interesting.”

* * * *

“Make sure all the windows are closed,” Dakota said.

“Of course.”

“And change the guards as often as you can. I want everyone to stay focused.” Bad things would happen if they weren’t, like what had almost happened this evening.

Dakota wasn’t willing to put Benedict’s life in danger. He hadn’t been willing even when he and Benedict had only been friends—when he’d been an employee protecting him—but things had changed. They hadn’t talked about it yet, but it didn’t change the fact that they were mates, and that meant the world to Dakota. Even if they were never together, Benedict would always be part of Dakota’s life, and Dakota would keep him safe.

“Dakota?”

Dakota’s head snapped at the sound of Benedict’s voice. He was standing at the entrance of the kitchen, holding a plastic bag and looking embarrassed. What for, Dakota had no idea. This was Benedict’s home, and he should feel comfortable in it. Dakota understood why he didn’t, and he hated it, but he wasn’t stepping back. This was what was needed to keep Benedict safe, so this was what would happen. They could talk things out and try to find ways around having people in the house, but Dakota knew what he was doing. He’d done it before, and he’d do it in the future.

“Did you need anything?” he asked. He went through everything he’d done, but he couldn’t think of anything he’d missed.

Benedict held up the bag he’d been holding. “I ordered dinner. Do you want to eat with me?”

Those words made Dakota realize he hadn’t had dinner. His stomach rumbled, but he focused on what Benedict was saying. “You ordered dinner? Does that mean you opened the door?” Damn it. Dakota needed to talk to him about not doing that, and about a series of things he was used to doing on his own and couldn’t anymore. Things needed to change for a while, even though Dakota doubted Benedict would like it.

Benedict scowled. “I’ve already had this conversation with Bay. He was the one who opened the door, don’t worry. He didn’t even let me get close to it.”

Dakota relaxed. “Good. I know you don’t like it, but this is how things need to work until this is over.”

The scowl disappeared from Benedict’s face, and now, he mostly looked tired. “Is this ever going to be over, though?” he asked.

“I can’t make any promises, but I’ll do everything I can for that to happen. I want you to go back to your life.”

Benedict squinted. “And will you be part of it?”

They needed to talk. Dakota knew that, but he’d needed to focus on keeping Benedict safe. Now that he had, he could relax—as much as possible considering the situation anyway—and turned his attention onto Benedict and the fact that they were soulmates.

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Why don’t we sit down and have dinner? We can talk while we eat.”

Benedict nodded and strode toward the counter.

Dakota knew his way around the kitchen by now, so he took out plates and silverware while Benedict unpacked the containers from the plastic bag and opened them. They worked like a team, the experience of a week of dinners together under their belt.

When they sat down, they mostly focused on the food. Dakota usually stuck to stuff he knew, like pizza, or Chinese when he felt particularly exotic, but Benedict didn’t. He’d ordered Indian, and even though Dakota was wary of the bright colors and smells, he couldn’t deny the food was delicious. Maybe he should sample more things instead of sticking to what was familiar.

That went for Benedict, too.

He was as far as possible from familiar, but Dakota didn’t want to lose him before he’d even had a chance to have him. He might not be the kind of man Dakota usually dated, but it didn’t make him the wrong kind of man. Besides, he was Dakota’s mate. If Dakota had anything to say about it, he’d be the last man Dakota kissed, dated, and had sex with.

He cleared his throat. “What do you think about it, then?”

Benedict blinked. He was tired, so maybe now wasn’t the right moment to talk about this. “What do I think about what?”

“Us being mates.” Dakota had to force himself to say it. He prided himself on not being a coward, but he felt like he’d rather talk about anything but this right now.

Benedict sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Honestly? I have no idea. I know I’ve had more time than you to think about it, but it’s not easy to wrap my mind around it.”

Dakota understood. He’d never expected to meet his mate. He’d wanted it, but now that it had happened, he wasn’t sure how to behave. Benedict wasn’t just his mate—he was one of his best friends’ father-in-law. He was also a successful businessman. He was older, although that was the thing Dakota was least worried about.

He cleared his throat. He hated feeling hesitant and unsure, and that was what he was right now. He needed to retake the situation in hand, to face it head-on. “What do you want from this bond?”

Benedict looked taken aback. “You don’t beat around the bush, do you?”

“I don’t see why I should. There aren’t a hundred ways to deal with this.”

Benedict arched a brow. “Why don’t you tell me what my options are, then?”

He sounded amused, and Dakota relaxed. This might not be the perfect way to realize they were mates by any means, but it didn’t mean they couldn’t make things work. It would take time, but Dakota could work with that. “Well, you could decide I’m too young for you, or that you don’t like me.”

“So I could reject you.”

Dakota didn’t like hearing that word fall from Benedict’s lips, but he nodded. “It’s a possibility. I know we’re soulmates, so we’re technically perfect for each other, but that doesn’t mean it’s in the romantic sense of things. We could be perfect as best friends or business partners.”

Benedict cocked his head. “I can’t say I’ve ever thought about things that way. Soulmates have always been romantically involved, as far as I know. Of course, there aren’t a lot of them around, especially since the war.”

Dakota tapped his fingertips onto the counter. “I suspect it’s because elements have been staying away from each other. I mean, look at us. You’re a fire wielder, while I wield earth. We complete each other, in a sense. You’re bright and burning, while I’m steady and strong. And the same goes for Quillan and Rhea, I think.”

“What you say makes sense, and I’m sure it would be fascinating to talk about it, but I think we should focus on us.”

Dakota nodded curtly. “All right. So there is the first option in which you reject me because you don’t romantically want me. We can stay friends if that’s what you want, although I’m not sure how easy that will be.”

“What about my other options?”

Dakota hoped that the fact that Benedict looked relaxed and at peace meant that he was just talking things out with him rather than trying to get him to get the hint. “You only have one other option. You like me. We end up together as a couple. We’re blissfully happy for the rest of our long lives.”

Benedict chuckled. “You make it sound so easy.”

“It’s anything but, but I truly think these are the only two options we have. We can’t ignore this. It’s part of us, whether we like it or not. We could go back to our old lives, but do you think you’ll be able to ignore the fact that I’m your soulmate and to stop thinking about me? Because I don’t know about you, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.” Even while Dakota had been talking to his men, while he’d been directing them and ordering them around, Benedict had always been on his mind.

Dakota doubted that would change. Benedict was in his life now, willing or unwilling. Even if he decided he never wanted to talk to Dakota again once this was over, Dakota would never be able to forget him. They were mates, for better or for worse—whatever that might entail.

* * * *

Benedict hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it, either. Dakota was right—they couldn’t ignore this. They couldn’t go back to what life had been before. Even if they decided not to do anything about their bond, to go their separate ways once this was over, Dakota would always be part of Benedict’s life, just like Claudia always would be.

They were very different people, and the bond Benedict had with both of them was just as different, but along with Rhea, they were the most important people in his life. That wouldn’t change.

Benedict swallowed. He didn’t want to talk about this, but he had to. He needed to be honest with Dakota. They both should know where they stood so that they could make decisions together and take the next step in their relationship, whatever that step was. “You know about Claudia,” he started.

“Rhea’s mother. Yes.”

“I thought she was the love of my life.”

“She probably was.”

Benedict blinked. “But you’re my soulmate.” He’d expected Dakota not to want to talk about her, to see her as competition, even though she’d been gone for so long.

“Are you still the same man you were twenty years ago?”

“Of course not.” For one thing, Benedict had only been twenty-seven back then. He’d still been working with his father, and while he and his family had already been living in this house, it had looked different.

“So maybe she was the love of your life then. The love of the life of the man you were. There is nothing that says that you can only fall in love once in your entire life, even if that love is like nothing you’ve ever felt. Not that I’m saying you should fall in love with me, or that you will. I’m just trying to show you that I don’t see a reason for you to forget her. I know you won’t. She was your son’s mother, and you love her very much. That’s okay with me. I don’t mind sharing you with her.”

“She’s dead.”

“But she’s still part of your life, and very much so. I don’t expect that to change, even if we date. She was the love of your past life, and I’ll be the love of your life now if that’s what we decide. I’m okay with that.”

Benedict had a hard time believing it, although he wasn’t sure why. He wasn’t experienced when it came to dating, so maybe the way Dakota was reacting was normal. He’d expected things to be different, but he obviously should have had more faith in Dakota.

Benedict jerked when Dakota reached for his hand.

There was a brief flash of pain in Dakota’s gaze, and he stopped moving.

Benedict took a deep breath and linked their fingers together. It had been so long since he’d held hands with someone who wasn’t Rhea, and even with his son, it had been at least fifteen years, probably more. It felt weird, but also right, and Benedict wasn’t sure what to do about that.

Then Dakota smiled, and Benedict felt better. Even though he had no idea what he was doing, it was obvious he was doing it right. He needed to explain what was happening to Dakota, though. “Like I said, Claudia was the love of my life. When she died, I was crushed. I focused on Rhea. He needed me, and I was more than happy to ignore life outside of our little family for as long as I could. I still am in many ways. Claudia has been gone for more than a decade, but I’ve never dated. I’ve never been with anyone but her. I didn’t think it would happen, even though I was starting to think about it. So I have no idea what I’m doing or how to deal with this. I have no idea how to be in a relationship, especially with a man.”

“But you were aware of the fact that you weren’t straight. That’s what you told Rhea.”

Benedict nodded. “I knew, of course. So did Claudia. She liked pointing out cute guys to me when we were out together. But that’s not the point. I was aware of the fact that I liked guys as much as I liked girls, but I never acted on it.”

“It’s no different from being with a woman.”

Benedict snorted loudly. He highly doubted that was the case.

Dakota chuckled. “I meant in everyday life, not in the bedroom. Sex is obviously different, but it’s not what we were talking about.”

“I see what you’re saying. I do. It’s not the fact that you’re a man that’s making me hesitant.”

“What is, then?”

Benedict took his time putting his words into order. He didn’t want Dakota to misunderstand him. He didn’t want to hurt him. Whatever he decided, whatever he wanted, he already cared for Dakota. It wouldn’t be hard to fall in love with him. They were well on their way to being friends after spending a week together. Becoming boyfriends, or whatever Dakota had in mind, would no doubt feel natural considering the circumstances.

“Don’t overthink this,” Dakota murmured.

Benedict closed his eyes, because it would be easier to say everything that weighed on him if he couldn’t see Dakota’s reaction to it. “I’m terrified I’m going to mess things up and hurt you. Things with Claudia were always easy. She was very much the type of person who took charge, and I was more than happy to go along with it. She was the one who asked me out for that first date. She steamrolled me, and I let her do it.” He snorted softly. “And I’m sorry I’m talking so much about her.”

“Don’t be, Benedict. I don’t care. I want to hear about her. She was such a huge part of your life, and she still is. She made you who you are now, and that’s okay with me.” He paused. “Although I have to say I’m surprised that she was the person in charge in your relationship. That’s how you’re making it sound.”

Benedict laughed and opened his eyes. He couldn’t help it. “I suppose she was. But what I was trying to say is that I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to do something wrong, and in a way, it’s easier to step back and do nothing than to make a mistake.”

“I get that. I even understand it. This is something that’s important for both of us, and neither wants to mess things up. But we’re going to. That’s what relationships are like. I’m sure you and Claudia fought and yelled at each other, and that will happen to us, too, if we get together. I’m not expecting you to make that kind of decision right now. You don’t have to start planning our entire life together right now. That wasn’t what I was asking of you. I just wanted to know if you were willing to give this—us—a chance.”

Benedict was, but he still needed to clarify a few things. “The age difference might be a problem.”

Dakota rolled his eyes. “It’s only twelve years. Don’t obsess over that.”

“Some people will have something to say about it.”

“Do I strike you as someone who cares what other people think? Because if I do, you got the wrong impression. I don’t. I don’t stick my nose into other people’s business, and they should do the same with me. So if that’s what you’re worried about, don’t be. I don’t care what other people think. I only care what you think, and of course, our friends and our families.” He hesitated. “Have you told Rhea and Quillan we found out we’re soulmates?”

Benedict groaned. “It didn’t feel like the right moment to tell them, although I’ll be honest. I don’t think any moment will be right.”

“Rhea seemed okay with us faking being together.”

“Faking, yes. I don’t know how he’ll react to this, though.”

“And he’s the most important person in your life. I understand. I hope he’ll be okay with this, but I won’t push for more if all you can give me is friendship because that’s all he can accept.”

Benedict had no idea how he’d deal with this, but he knew his son. “I don’t think he’ll forbid me to be with you. He might get weird for a bit, and put some distance between us, but he wants me to be happy, and he’ll know you can make that happen.”

Benedict hoped that was what would happen, anyway. He didn’t want to give up Dakota. This was his chance at a second happiness, and he would be a fool to give it up. He did have to keep Rhea in mind, but Rhea wasn’t the one who was living Benedict’s life. Benedict was, and Rhea would have to wrap his mind around that.

* * * *

There was nothing else Dakota could say to convince Benedict. He wanted to push, to insist, but Benedict would be the one making this decision, not him. As long as Benedict was willing to give him a chance, he was okay with it. That was all he wanted right now. A chance to show Benedict they could be together, even though there was twelve years between them, even though Benedict was a businessman who wouldn’t have looked twice at Dakota in normal circumstances. This was anything but normal, though, and they had to deal with it as best as they could.

“So if the age difference isn’t a problem and Rhea isn’t, either, what else is stopping you from saying yes?” he asked.

Benedict sighed, and his fingers tightened around Dakota’s. “Someone is trying to kill me.”

Dakota almost laughed at that. “I’m aware of that.”

“What I’m trying to say is that I don’t want you to get hurt because of me.”

“You shouldn’t worry about that. That’s my job. I’ve done it hundreds of times. I won’t let anyone touch you, and I won’t get hurt in the process. Besides, I’m not the only one protecting you, not anymore. I have help, and I trust my people with my life.”

“But you can’t promise you won’t be hurt.”

“I can’t. I won’t. But I can promise you I’ll be as careful as I can. That I’ll protect you.”

“I already know you will. That’s not my point.”

Dakota pulled Benedict’s hand closer and kissed the back of it. “I understand why you’re worried, and I’m worried, too. But we shouldn’t let that stop us from being happy. I don’t know how long it’s going to take to find out who’s trying to hurt you and to stop them, but we’re working on it. I don’t think you should stop your life in the meantime, but of course, that’s not a decision I can make.”

Benedict frowned. “What do you want from me? Just to know what my intentions are?”

“I’d like to know if you’re going to at least give me a chance, yes. I don’t expect you to throw yourself into this, not with what I know about you. But I’d like for us to be on the same page. I want to date you. Eventually, I want us to be together, to live together and share our lives. But I don’t need any of that to happen right now. I need to know we’re working toward the same goal.”

Dakota held his breath, releasing it when Benedict nodded. It was hesitant, but it was a nod, and that was all Dakota needed right now.

He kissed Benedict’s hand again and let it go. “Okay. We both want the same thing, eventually.”

“I think we do. I’m not sure how we’ll get to that point, but I’m willing to work on it.”

“Good. That’s all I wanted from you.” Dakota pushed away from the counter and got to his feet. “I need to make the rounds before we go to bed. You should go get some sleep. It’s late, and I’m sure you want to go to the office tomorrow to talk to Amanda and organize everything if you’re going to be working from here more.”

Benedict looked nonplussed, but he nodded.

Dakota should probably tell him he just needed some time, but he suspected Benedict needed that, too. Besides, he wanted to make the rounds and make sure everyone was where they should be and that all the doors and windows were locked.

Before leaving, he paused behind Benedict’s chair and kissed the top of his head. Benedict jerked, but Dakota was starting to realize he didn’t do that because he didn’t want Dakota to touch him. It was more that he wasn’t used to this kind of touch. If his late wife was the only person he’d ever been with, he had to be starved for touch. Dakota couldn’t begin to imagine what life could be like without being hugged and touched by a partner for so long, especially now that Rhea had moved out. “Get some rest,” he murmured.

He didn’t stick around to see how Benedict reacted to the kiss. He didn’t want to push, but he suspected he would have to, at least a bit. Benedict looked comfortable keeping distance between them, and that would have been okay if he hadn’t wanted to be with Dakota. He did, though, and that meant Dakota would probably have to take the first step.

That was more than fine with him.

Dakota made the rounds even though he knew he didn’t have to. He’d put Bay in charge because he knew he wouldn’t be able to focus on this, and he wanted Benedict to be protected. Bay was as good as Dakota, and Dakota trusted him entirely. Still, it gave him something to do, and he’d put some distance between him and Benedict, which was what they both needed.

Since Benedict would no doubt want to go to work tomorrow, Dakota headed toward his bedroom once he was done. Bay would stay awake during the night so that Dakota could rest, and he’d go to sleep tomorrow morning once Dakota took over. The house was secure, and it would continue to be so.

He opened his bedroom door and froze. The last thing he expected was to find Benedict sitting on his bed, yet there he was. Benedict looked uncomfortable, but he also wasn’t running away, which Dakota took as a good sign, even though he had no idea why Benedict was here.

Dakota cleared his throat. “Is everything okay?” That was what he needed to make sure of.

Benedict nodded. He was wearing his pajamas, and he looked so neat and proper that he made Dakota want to ruffle him up. He wanted to see Benedict with his hair all over the place, his cheeks flushed with passion, and his lips wet with their combined saliva.

He couldn’t think about that right now, though.

“I’m sorry to disturb you,” Benedict said. He got up from the bed and headed toward the door, but since Dakota was still standing there, he couldn’t leave. Dakota should probably step to the side, but he wanted to know why Benedict was here, even if it was only a spur of the moment for him.

“You don’t have to be sorry. I’ll always be there for you if you need to talk, or for anything else. Is that why you’re here?”

Benedict seemed to make a decision, because he straightened his shoulders and looked Dakota in the eyes. “I just wished to tell you I wanted to give us a chance. I have no idea what will happen, or if I’ll still be alive by the end of this, but if I am, I’d like to date you. If that’s okay with you, of course.”

“Of course I’m okay with it. You already know that.”

“I don’t want to die without taking this chance. I know you probably want to wait to see what happens before we do anything, but—”

“I don’t want you to talk as if you’re going to die,” Dakota snapped. “I already told you I’ll do everything I can to make sure you’re not hurt. That’s not going to change.”

“I know. But still. This whole situation is weighing on me, and I’m not sure what to do at this point.”

“What do you want to do, then? Stop thinking about what you should do, or what’s going to happen a week from now, or a month. Focus on what you want right now.”

Benedict blinked. “I want to be with you.”

Dakota’s heart broke a little. Benedict sounded so eager, as if he was lonely and wanted Dakota to fill that emptiness in his life. It probably wasn’t the healthiest thing for either of them, but Dakota wished to give him that anyway. He wasn’t going to take advantage of it, though. “Why don’t you spend the night with me? And by that, I don’t mean having sex. But I think we were both shaken by what happened today, and that we could do with a little company while we sleep. It will help us sleep better.”

“Are you sure? I haven’t shared a bed with anyone since my wife died. I probably snore and kick in my sleep.”

Dakota laughed. The way Benedict managed to jerk him around from a serious conversation to laughter was incredible. “I think I can deal with some noise and a few kicks. Don’t worry. I’m exhausted, and I doubt I’ll hear anything or that you’ll be able to wake me up.”

Benedict’s smile was so sweet and gentle that Dakota wanted to throw him on the bed. Instead, he stayed right where he was, smiling when Benedict nodded. “All right. I’ll spend the night. But we should probably talk to Quillan and Rhea before this happens again. Rhea never lost the habit of barging into my bedroom.”

That would definitely make for some uncomfortable situations, but they could wait until tomorrow, or even a few days.

Chapter Six

Benedict groaned and threw his head back. Luckily for him, he and Dakota were in bed, so he didn’t hurt himself. He hit his pillow and ground his head there, screwing his eyes shut as he focused on the pleasure growing in his groin.

Pleasure wasn’t the only thing growing. Benedict’s cock felt hard enough to pound nails with it, and Dakota’s mouth on him wasn’t making things better—or maybe it was. It all depended on the point of view.

Dakota’s tongue danced on Benedict’s skin, driving him crazy. It was a good thing that he’d buried his hands into Dakota’s hair, because he felt like he might fly away with Dakota’s next move.

So much for waiting to have sex.

They’d held on for a few days after the attack, but Dakota had stopped using the guest room. After his first night sharing a bed, he’d never gone back, and Benedict hadn’t wanted him to. It was probably not the best idea, since they barely knew each other, but they’d talked. They wanted the same thing, which was a chance to make this work. Benedict wasn’t about to say no to this, not when it felt like a step toward what he wanted, which was a life with Dakota.

Of course, it would be better if he didn’t have to worry about getting kidnapped or attacked, but he supposed he couldn’t have everything.

Dakota’s fingers drifted from Benedict’s hip to his thigh, then between them, and Benedict forgot all about kidnappings and attacks. He yearned for Dakota, to feel him inside his body, but he knew he wasn’t ready for that. This was already more than he could probably deal with, although he knew he’d only find that out once it was over.

And it would be embarrassingly soon. Benedict hadn’t had sex with someone other than himself in more than fifteen years. He’d been on edge already when Dakota had first gotten his mouth on him, and things were only getting worse.

Dakota popped off Benedict’s cock with a wet noise that made Benedict shiver. “You don’t have to hold back,” he said, his voice slightly rough.

The fact that he was the reason for that roughness thrilled Benedict and made him smug in a way he didn’t fully understand and didn’t want to analyze right now.

He cleared his throat. “I don’t want this to be over too soon.”

Dakota smiled. “It’ll give us a reason to do it again.”

“Because we need one?”

Dakota laughed and swallowed Benedict’s cock again, ignoring his surprised shout. Benedict knew that no matter how much he protested, this was inevitable. He was about to come, and since Dakota didn’t seem to care, Benedict let go. He closed his eyes and focused on the pleasure, on Dakota’s mouth and hands on him. Dakota was still stroking the sensitive skin on Benedict’s inner thighs, but Benedict didn’t miss how those hands drifted lower, between his ass cheeks. Dakota didn’t ask—he couldn’t with his mouth full—but Benedict let him know it was okay to touch him there by opening his legs wider.

He swallowed. This made him nervous, but he’d have to face it eventually. It came with dating a man, with being bonded to one. Dakota didn’t expect anything from him, but Benedict wanted to give him everything, including his body. He’d never done that, though, and he wasn’t ready, but if the way Dakota was touching him and taking care of him right now was an indication of anything, he shouldn’t worry.

Dakota’s fingers slid across Benedict’s skin, never hesitating as his fingertips finally made contact with his hole. Benedict tensed, but he didn’t have a reason to. Dakota didn’t push inside him. He limited himself to stroking Benedict’s hole lightly as he continued sucking him, and it was enough.

Benedict’s muscles contracted as pleasure flooded his body. He screwed his eyes shut, not caring if Dakota pushed inside him at this point. Dakota didn’t, though. Instead, he drank down Benedict’s release without making a sound. Then, when Benedict was loose and sated, he let go of him and clambered up the bed, sitting on Benedict’s thigh and taking himself in hand. Benedict’s mouth went dry at the sight of his soulmate jacking himself off on top of him, and even though he’d never felt this way before, he relished the thought of Dakota coming on him, marking him with his cum. No one else would know about it, but Benedict didn’t need them to.

He was Dakota’s, even though no one else knew it.

Dakota groaned, and his cock spurted. His seed landed on Benedict’s stomach, then his upper thigh, and Benedict stayed as still as he could, waiting for his mate to be done. When Dakota finally flopped next to Benedict on the bed, Benedict relaxed and looked down at himself. “You made a mess.”

Dakota chuckled and buried his face against Benedict’s neck. “I didn’t hear you complaining a few minutes ago when your cock was in my mouth.”

“I’m not complaining now, either.”

“I’ll help you clean up in the shower.”

Benedict opened his mouth to tell Dakota he couldn’t wait, but his bedroom door flung open, slamming against the wall and startling both him and Dakota. Benedict froze, but Dakota had the opposite reaction. He jumped off the bed and placed himself between Benedict and the door, ready to defend him and not caring one bit that he was naked.

Rhea cared, though. He froze in his tracks and screeched before slamming his eyes shut and pressing his hands to his face. “What the fuck is happening? Why are you in my father’s bedroom? Why are you naked?”

Benedict sighed. This wasn’t the best way for his son to find out he and Dakota were together, dammit.

He lifted the sheets and cleared his throat to get Dakota’s attention. Once he had it, he tilted his head toward the sheet. Thankfully, Dakota got the message. He rolled his eyes but came back to bed, allowing Benedict to cover both of them.

“You can look,” Benedict told Rhea.

“Are you sure? Because I don’t ever want to see that again. I’m scarred for life.”

“Stop being a dramatic little shit, Rhea.”

Rhea dropped his hands and peered at the bed. “Okay, at least you’re covered. That’s good.” His eyes narrowed. “What’s going on? Were the two of you having sex? Oh my God, you were. What other reason would you have to be in the same bed naked?”

“Are you done?” Benedict was amused, but he made sure not to let Rhea know. He didn’t want his son to get even angrier—they needed to talk.

Rhea glared. “When I said you and Dakota should fake being boyfriends, did you miss the fake part?”

“I thought you were done?”

“Dad! You had sex with Dakota! That’s not what you hired him for!”

Dakota tensed next to Benedict, and Benedict reached for him without thinking. The only reason Rhea was saying this was that he didn’t know what was going on. He was being rude because he was confused, but that didn’t give him the right to talk like this. “Why don’t you go downstairs? Dakota and I will be right there.”

Rhea looked like he wanted to protest, but his gaze caught on Benedict’s stomach—and Dakota’s cum there. He grimaced and twirled around. “Quillan and I will be in the living room. The reason we’re here is that I called you several times and you didn’t answer. We were worried. I guess we shouldn’t have been, since you were busy.”

He slammed the door shut when he left, and Benedict sighed and flopped back again his pillow. “Dammit.”

“Are you okay?” Dakota asked.

“Yeah. I didn’t want him to find out like this.”

“So you were planning to tell him?”

Benedict frowned and looked at Dakota. “You didn’t think I was?”

Dakota shrugged. “I don’t know. I understand how awkward this situation is, and that’s without considering the people trying to kill you. I would have understood if you’d wanted to wait. It’s been several days since we realized we’re mates, and you haven’t said anything.”

Benedict sat up and grabbed Dakota’s arm, forcing him to turn and face him. “I never planned to keep you a secret,” he said.

“I’m not implying you were planning to.”

“You are, and I get why. I need you to listen to me, though.”

Dakota frowned but nodded.

Benedict nodded back. “You’re listening? Good. Because I’m not giving you up. I hope Rhea will understand why I don’t want to and that he won’t make me choose between the two of you, and if he does, it will be one of the hardest things I’ll ever need to face in my life. I don’t even want to think about it right now.” Or ever. “But I will if I have to. I’m not letting you go.” Not when he had a second chance at happiness. Most people were lucky to find the love of their life once. Benedict had found it twice, and he wasn’t a fool.

It wouldn’t happen a third time—because he wouldn’t let it. Dakota was it for him, whether Rhea understood it or not.

* * * *

Dakota wasn’t a coward. He always tried to face his problems head on. It was no use ignoring them because they wouldn’t go away, so he might as well act right away.

He wished things were different right now, though.

He didn’t want to face Rhea and Quillan. He didn’t want to have to give them an explanation for what Rhea had walked in on. It wasn’t Dakota’s place, and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been in a conversation that would be as uncomfortable as this one would.

He cleared his throat. “I should probably do the rounds or something,” he told Benedict.

Benedict frowned. That clearly wasn’t the answer he’d expected.

Dakota got that. It wasn’t the answer he would have given in any other situation, but he felt out of sorts. He needed to snap out of it, dammit. “I’m glad you’re not letting me go. Of course I am.”

Benedict rolled his eyes. “That’s good, although I wish I’d heard that answer first.”

Dakota rubbed his face. He was still groggy, so this wasn’t the best time for him to have this kind of conversation, especially after what had just happened. “I’m sorry.”

Benedict’s hands were gentle when they pulled away Dakota’s hand from his face. “You have nothing to be sorry about. It’s okay. I understand why this situation is weird, and I don’t expect anything from you. If you want to go make your rounds, then do that.”

Dakota might not have known Benedict for long, but he knew him well enough to realize he wanted something different. “What do you want me to do?”

“I know you’re not happy about this, but I think this is a conversation we need to have together.”

“We can talk after you’re done.”

“I meant together, the four of us. You and I are an item, right?”

Dakota snickered. “An item?”

“You know what I mean. We’re together. That won’t change, will it?”

Dakota took Benedict’s hand and linked their fingers together. “It won’t.” That much, he was sure of.

“So Rhea and Quillan will have to get used to seeing us together. We might as well start now. I know you’re not comfortable with this, and you probably wish Rhea hadn’t walked in on us.”

Dakota snorted. That was an understatement. He supposed they were lucky he hadn’t walked in ten minutes earlier. Not that Dakota thought what he and Benedict did in bed was shameful or anything like that, but he understood how awkward it had to have been for Rhea and Benedict. It was for him, and he wasn’t related to either of them.

Benedict smiled. “I get it. I know you and Rhea don’t know each other that well, and that the way he found out about us isn’t going to help. But we can’t change it. Now he knows, and I need to talk to him.”

“Having me there might make things worse.”

“Maybe, maybe not. But whatever happens, Rhea needs to know we’re together in this. He needs to realize that nothing he can do or say will change that.”

That was one of Dakota’s fears. “Is that true, though?” He was Benedict’s soulmate, but that didn’t mean they had to be together. They could part ways and never think of the other ever again. Dakota hoped that wouldn’t happen, but he knew how important Rhea was to Benedict. He understood it, and he didn’t want to step between them.

What if things came to that, though?

Benedict sighed heavily. “I can’t make any promises. I hope Rhea will take this well after the first shock, but he might not, and I have no idea what I’ll do if that happens. I’ve thought about it, but I don’t have a solution. We have to face this. That’s all I can promise right now. And I won’t let anything that happens today impact the relationship I have with you. Even if Rhea takes this badly, he’ll need time to wrap his mind around everything. We won’t make any decisions today. I won’t make any decisions today.”

Dakota wasn’t sure that would be enough, but he needed to face the music. There was no way out of that. “We should probably go before Rhea decides to barge in again.”

Benedict snickered. “I doubt he will after what he saw. Maybe that will teach him to knock before walking into my bedroom.” He kissed Dakota’s cheek. “But you’re right. We should go.”

Dakota followed Benedict’s lead. They took turns in the bathroom, and while one of them washed up, the other dressed. Dakota waited for Benedict once he was done, sitting on the bed and trying to ignore all the ways this could go wrong.

He hoped Rhea would take this well, even though his first reaction wasn’t the greatest. But Rhea could make Dakota’s relationships with Benedict and Quillan difficult. He was Quillan’s mate and Benedict’s son. Dakota was the only one who didn’t belong in their foursome, and he might never belong.

“Stop worrying so much. It won’t change anything,” Benedict said.

“Maybe not, but I can’t exactly ignore this.”

“You have to believe everything will be okay. Rhea is a good kid. He might not take this well when he first hears about us, but once he has time to think about it, it will be different.”

Dakota wanted to have as much faith in Rhea as Benedict did, but he didn’t really know the guy. He was happy Quillan had found his soulmate and that he and Rhea were building a life together. He wanted Quillan to have that. It was easy to think up situations in which Dakota would be cast out, though.

Rhea could make his life hell, and he didn’t know him well enough to be sure whether he’d do that—or not.

Rhea and Quillan were in the living room when Benedict and Dakota got downstairs. Dakota hesitated, wondering if he was still in time to go make the rounds, even though he knew he didn’t need to. Bay had everything in hand. He didn’t need him.

Benedict did, though.

Dakota took a deep breath and followed him into the living room. Quillan and Rhea both looked up when they heard them, and Rhea shot off the couch. “What the fuck, Dad?”

This wasn’t starting in the best of ways.

Benedict raised a hand. “Don’t you cuss at me, Rhea. Whatever you walked in on doesn’t change the fact that you need to respect me. I’m your father, not one of your friends.”

Rhea visibly breathed in and out for a moment, then glared at his father. “All right,” he said, his voice sickly sweet. “Dad, why were you and your bodyguard fucking in your bed?”

Dakota had to press his lips together so he wouldn’t laugh. Benedict wanted respect, but it was obvious Rhea was angry, enough to talk to his father that way. Dakota doubted anything Benedict could say right now would change that. Pushing for Rhea to speak differently would only make things harder for everyone.

Benedict’s jaw tightened. He clearly wasn’t happy, and Dakota was relieved when he let it go. “First, I want to say that this is exactly the reason I tried teaching you to knock on doors before walking into a room. I’ve been trying to get you to understand that for twenty-seven years, and I doubt I’ll manage to teach you if you haven’t understood it until now, but I hope today will make you see why it’s necessary.”

Rhea snorted. “Oh, yeah. I never want to walk in on you and a naked guy again.”

“You won’t have to if you knock before walking into my bedroom.”

“All right. Can we stop talking about me knocking on doors and focus on the important things here? Why were you and Dakota having sex?” His gaze flickered to Dakota. “No offense, because I like you, but I don’t want you and my father to do the dirty.”

Dakota opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Benedict stepped in. “We’ll have sex as many times as we want, and you have no say in that.”

“He’s half your age,” Rhea protested.

That was one fear Dakota knew Benedict had, so he was proud when Benedict said, “He’s twelve years younger than me, not half my age. I’m not in my seventies yet.”

“Don’t make this difficult, Dad. You know what I mean.”

“I do. And not that it’s any of your business, but Dakota and I had sex because we felt like it. We’re both adults. We can do that if we want to.”

“Of course you can, and you’re right, it’s none of my business. But you have to understand how I feel after finding my father and my mate’s best friend in bed together.”

Benedict’s back straightened. “I do understand, but you need to know that Dakota and I aren’t just having sex. We’re together, and that won’t change. We’re soulmates, Rhea.”

* * * *

Benedict held his breath. He knew he’d just dumped a bomb on his son, and he hoped Rhea would react the way he should. There weren’t any guarantees, though. Rhea was a good man, and he’d never been prone to pitching fits, but this might be the day he started.

Rhea opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. He turned to look toward Quillan. “Did I hear that right? Did he say he and Dakota are soulmates?”

Quillan grimaced. “This is between you and your dad, Rhea. But yes. You heard that right.”

Rhea turned back to Benedict. “How did you find out?”

This wasn’t the acceptance Benedict was hoping would welcome his news, but at least Rhea wasn’t yelling or leaving. “During the attack. We defended ourselves, and our elements twined together.”

“That was days ago. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was afraid.” It hurt Benedict to admit that, but Rhea needed the truth. It was the only way he’d ever accept that Benedict and Dakota were together and that it wouldn’t change.

Rhea blinked. “Afraid?”

“You’re my son, and Dakota is your mate’s friend. Even though we talked about me being bisexual recently, it was all hypothetical. I know this is different, and I wasn’t sure how you’d react.” Benedict swallowed. “But I’m finally moving on, Rhea. I’ll always love your mother, but it’s time for me to live my life. For so many years, that consisted of you and my job, but it’s not enough anymore. I don’t want to lose Dakota, and I hope you understand that.”

“The two of you are soulmates.”

“We are. And yes, it’s one of the reasons I don’t want to give him up. But the main reason is that I don’t want to choose between the two of you. You’re both important to me in different ways, and you can both have a place in my life. That’s something I can promise.”

“Dad, you’re worrying over nothing.”

Benedict blinked. He wasn’t crying, but his eyes prickled. “I am?”

Rhea huffed and strode toward Benedict, wrapping his arms around him. “You are. I don’t care that you and Dakota are soulmates. It doesn’t change the fact that I love you. You’re my dad. I won’t ask you to choose between the two of us. I’d never do that. I’m not that much of a brat.” He leaned back and grimaced. “Although you’re right. I need to start knocking on doors before walking in. I never want to see what I saw this morning again.”

Benedict laughed. It was a wet sound, a broken one, but he was happy. “So you’re okay with it?”

He needed to be sure, even after Rhea’s words. He didn’t want to choose between his son and his soulmate, and even though he’d told Dakota he would choose him if that was what happened, he knew he probably wouldn’t be able to. He wouldn’t be able to choose either way, and he might end up losing both. It was like asking him to choose between losing an arm or leg. They were different, but they were still an essential part of him.

Rhea rolled his eyes. “Of course I am. I’m sorry I reacted badly. I can’t say I expected this to happen, even though I pushed the two of you together. I meant that to be fake.”

“It was, in the beginning. We didn’t expect to be soulmates. But once we found out, we talked, and we decided to give this a try.”

Quillan cleared his throat. “Dakota and I will step out. You two need to speak alone.”

Benedict wanted to stop him, but he suspected he was right. Even though he and Rhea had already talked about this, things were different now. Benedict needed to be sure Rhea was okay. “We’ll look for you once we’re done,” he told Dakota.

Dakota hesitated, looked at Rhea, then moved closer to Benedict and kissed his cheek. Benedict was surprised he’d pushed himself this much, and he couldn’t help the smile that bloomed on his face.

Maybe they could make this work. Maybe he and Dakota could be together. Maybe Benedict could have everything he’d ever wanted—his son, his work, his love.

Both he and Rhea watched as Dakota and Quillan left the room. Benedict didn’t know what they would do, but he suspected they’d talk. They were friends, and Quillan had to be hurt that Dakota hadn’t told him about this. The only reason he hadn’t was because Benedict had needed some time, and he was grateful. He hoped that wouldn’t hurt the relationship between Quillan and Dakota, and he was ready to apologize as soon as he could.

“Tell me what happened, then,” Rhea said as he moved back and flopped onto the couch.

Benedict took a second to put his thoughts together. “Pretty much what I told you. We defended ourselves when we were attacked. One of the men was about to hurt Dakota, and I shot fire at him. Dakota used his own ability at the same time, and the fire I conjured twined with the roots he used to push the man off him.”

“Instead of burning them to a crisp. I see. And you didn’t think to tell me that when you called to tell me what happened?”

“I was overwhelmed, Rhea. I’d just been attacked and almost kidnapped, or possibly killed. I’d just killed someone. I’d just found out that one of my son’s friends was my soulmate. Dakota and I needed to talk before I could tell you about this. We needed to make decisions.”

Rhea arched a brow. “Clearly, you did. I mean, walking in on Dakota naked in your bedroom is a big proof of that.”

Benedict sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re going to make this difficult, aren’t you?”

“No. I’m not. I’m teasing you. And you’re right. It’s kind of weird. I understand why you needed some time.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry I reacted the way I did, but it was more about surprise than anything else. I promise. I’m sure you understand that walking in on that was a shock for me, especially since I had no idea what was happening.”

“I do. And I swear we would have told you eventually. I didn’t want it to happen this way, but now it has. Do you think you can deal with it?”

“Of course I can. I mean, my two favorite people in the world are together. What could be better than that?”

“I thought Quillan was your favorite person?” Benedict teased. He was so relieved that he didn’t know what to do or say.

“Apart from him, of course. But really. I like Dakota, and I think he’ll be good for you. Besides, you’re right. You deserve to start living again. It’s been eighteen years, and while I’m relieved that you won’t forget Mom, I’m also happy you’re finally moving on.” He bit his lower lip. “I was worried, you know?”

Benedict frowned. “I don’t. What were you worried about?”

“When I moved out. I mean, it’s always been you and me. Then I met Quillan, and things changed. I moved out, and I left you alone.”

“But it was the right thing to do. You and Quillan belong together. I know it didn’t change anything between you and me.”

“It didn’t. That wasn’t what worried me. It was the fact that you’re all alone in this house. That’s one of the reasons I never moved out before. Well, that and the fact that I would have had to pay rent.”

Benedict rolled his eyes. “You know I would have happily paid rent for you.”

“I know. But honestly, I was comfortable here. I still am. Even though I moved out and I have an apartment with Quillan, this is still my home. But I worried about leaving you alone here. I was afraid you’d start working too much, try to avoid the house, maybe. I didn’t want you to be lonely.”

Benedict wouldn’t tell him he had been, a bit. He hadn’t told Rhea about it because it wasn’t his responsibility to be there for him. Benedict was the father, not the other way around.

Rhea smiled. “But now you have Dakota. You’re not alone anymore.”

“I wasn’t alone even before I met him. You might have moved out, but it doesn’t mean you’re not my son.”

“I know. But at least you don’t have to rattle around the house on your own.” He frowned. “That is, if Dakota moves in with you.”

Benedict barked out a laugh. It was too soon for him and Dakota to move in together, but they were already living together. Dakota had moved into the house when he’d taken the job, and he wouldn’t leave until he was sure Benedict was safe.

Benedict didn’t think he wanted Dakota to leave, though. Not anymore.

* * * *

“So, you and Benedict, huh,” Quillan said as he and Dakota left to the living room.

Dakota huffed. “Yep. Me and Benedict. You have something against that?”

Quillan raised his hands. “Of course not. I’m surprised, but happy, both for you and for him.”

“Will you still be happy when Rhea pitches a fit because of it?”

“He won’t.”

“This can’t be easy for him, though. Not only seeing his father with someone besides his mother, but with a man, and a friend to boot.”

“I don’t know about that. I’m sure he’ll bitch for a bit, but he wants his father to be happy, and he knows you. He knows you’re a good man and that you won’t hurt Benedict intentionally. I’m sure he could have done without walking in on you and Benedict having sex, but he’ll eventually stop thinking about it.”

Dakota grimaced. “We weren’t having sex.”

“Weren’t you? He said you were naked and in bed.”

“That’s because we did have sex, but we were done. We were talking, and when the door banged open, I acted instinctively. I thought someone was trying to attack Benedict again, and I put myself between him and the door. That’s why Rhea got an eyeful.”

Quillan laughed. “I’m sure I’ll hear all about it later. I’d rather not think about you or Benedict naked, but I won’t deny it’s funny.”

“For you, sure.” Less so for Dakota. Technically, Rhea was his son-in-law now. He wasn’t about to play stepdad, especially since he and Rhea were friends, but he could have done without Rhea seeing his dick.

Quillan slapped Dakota’s back. “Seriously, though. I’m happy for you, and I know Rhea will be, too. You and Benedict both deserve to be happy, and you being soulmates has to be destiny or something. I mean, what were the odds? My best friend and Rhea’s father? I’m telling you, it was meant to be.”

“Maybe it was.” Dakota and Benedict would never have found out they were soulmates if it weren’t for Rhea and Quillan. Of course, they wouldn’t have found out about it if they hadn’t been attacked, either.

But they had, and they were trying to make things work. Dakota hoped they would, but things would be easier if they didn’t have to worry about being attacked, kidnapped, or both.

“So, did you find out who was behind this?” Quillan asked.

Dakota was grateful for the change of topic. He didn’t want to keep talking about him and Benedict. There was nothing more to say. “Not yet. We’re investigating a group that calls itself Purity.” And Dakota was pretty sure they were the ones doing this. They were the only group organized enough, and with enough manpower.

Quillan snorted as he and Dakota walked into the kitchen. Quillan made a beeline for the coffee pot, and Dakota nodded at him when he looked back in question. He needed coffee, urgently.

“Purity, huh?” Quillan asked once both him and Dakota had their coffee. He leaned back against the counter and took a sip, waiting for Dakota to answer.

“It’s a group that wants the four elements to stay separate, hence the name.”

“Oh, I got that. I just find it ridiculous.”

“I did, too, until I started investigating them. I’m not absolutely certain they’re the ones who tried to kidnap Rhea or the ones who attacked Benedict and me, but everything I’ve found so far tells me they’re not to be taken lightly. There are rumors that the group is upping their fight against the mixing of elements, and from what I could find out, attacks have become more frequent. It’s not just Benedict, although he does seem to be one of the main targets. But Purity, or someone else, has been attacking mixed couples, families. They’re escalating, and that’s not good.” And it made both Quillan and Rhea and Benedict and Dakota a target, even more so than they already were.

It didn’t make sense to Dakota. The group, if they were the ones behind this, were fighting to keep elements separated, yet they didn’t seem to have a problem using different elements to obtain that. Dakota doubted he’d understand even if he got an explanation—if there even was one. These people weren’t rational. They let hate and bigotry lead them, and this was the result.

After Purity found out Rhea and Quillan were together, it would target them, too. The fact that they were no doubt keeping an eye on Benedict meant they might already know. Dakota itched to keep Rhea and Quillan safe, but he wasn’t sure how to make that happen. He’d already assigned two men to follow them around, but he didn’t feel like it was enough. Ideally, he’d want them to move back into the house with him and Benedict, at least for a while, but he realized he couldn’t ask that of them. If anything, Rhea had his shop, and he couldn’t close it just because he might be in danger.

Dakota wished he could, though.

“We’ll be okay,” Quillan said.

Dakota scoffed. “And how do you know that?”

“Well, you’re the man in charge. I trust you and the people who work for you. I wouldn’t have taken Rhea to you otherwise.”

Dakota wanted to trust his abilities as much as Quillan did. He realized the main reason he didn’t was that he cared about Benedict, Rhea, and Quillan. This wasn’t just a job for him. There was so much in the balance, more so than any other times he’d done this. He couldn’t lose them. He couldn’t allow them to get hurt.

He had no idea how to do that, though.

Losing a client, or having them get hurt, was always a possibility. Dakota had learned to live with that a long time ago. That was one of the reasons he made sure not to get overly attached to his clients.

He’d failed spectacularly this time. Not only had he gotten attached, but he was well on his way to falling in love with Benedict. He was also Quillan’s best friend, and Rhea was tied to both Quillan and Benedict, making him important for Dakota, too. Dakota should probably take himself off the job and have Bay take the lead, but he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t lose control of the job, not when he had so much at stake.

“What do you think? Should we go back to the living room and make sure they didn’t kill each other?” Quillan asked once he and Dakota had finished their coffee.

Dakota was tempted to get another cup, but he knew he was stalling for time. He didn’t want to have to face whatever was happening in the living room, and he didn’t want to have to face the fact that Benedict was in danger. It was easier to snuggle with him in bed and forget the rest of the world existed like he had in the past few days, but no more. Dakota needed to find Purity, make sure they were the ones behind this, and get rid of them. He had no idea how he’d do that, but he’d find a way.

He always did.

He nodded, then followed Quillan out of the kitchen and toward the living room. Everything was silent, and Dakota hoped it meant Rhea had been more accepting than he’d expected him to be. Dakota didn’t know Rhea well, though, and he hoped he’d been wrong when he thought Rhea would be pissed. He didn’t want to lose Benedict or Quillan, or worse, both of them. That was precisely what would happen if Rhea decided to make this complicated, so Dakota hoped he hadn’t.

Benedict and Rhea were both sitting on the couch when Quillan and Dakota walked into the room. They looked up, and Benedict smiled. Dakota opened his mouth to ask if things were good, but Rhea was already bolting off the couch and rushing toward Quillan, grabbing his hand and dragging him out of the room. He didn’t say anything, barely glanced at Dakota, and he left Dakota blinking behind them.

Dakota frowned and turned to Benedict. “He didn’t take it well?”

Benedict smiled, and it was so peaceful that Dakota couldn’t imagine this conversation had gone wrong. “He’s okay with it. He said he was worried about me being all alone in this house, and that he was relieved I wasn’t. I think he wants to tell Quillan about the conversation, and possibly about your cock.”

Dakota’s cheeks heated. “I wish that had never happened,” he muttered.

Benedict laughed. “I’m pretty sure Rhea wishes that, too. But it did happen, and you’re both going to have to deal with it.”

Dakota wasn’t sure how he’d face Rhea after this, but he would have to. They were a family—a weird one, but family nonetheless—and they needed to learn to live together.

Chapter Seven

Benedict felt like a different man. He shouldn’t, but he couldn’t change it. He didn’t like the fact that having a man in his life made him feel different, but there was no way around it. Dakota had made him realize how lonely he’d been, how much he’d been isolating himself since Claudia had died, and even worse, since Rhea had moved out.

But everything had changed now. Dakota was still living with Benedict, even though he’d sent his team home. They hadn’t been attacked for almost two months, and the letters had stopped. Benedict couldn’t help but wonder if it was temporary, but he didn’t like to think about it. He didn’t want to.

In a way, he hoped it would be.

He hated being hypervigilant and always waiting for the other shoe to drop. There was no way for him to know if Purity had decided he wasn’t worth the risk, and he hated not knowing. On the other hand, not knowing was the main reason Dakota was still there.

Benedict knew Dakota wasn’t about to move out. He wanted to know Benedict was safe before he did so, and Benedict wasn’t, not until they found out if Purity really was behind the attack and they stopped the group.

Which might well never happen.

Benedict didn’t want to live with that fear and uncertainty over his head, but he couldn’t deny he was glad for it when it meant he could keep Dakota with him. They were effectively living together, something that wouldn’t have happened without the threat. Benedict didn’t know for sure, of course, but Dakota might move out if Purity was taken care of, and that was the last thing Benedict wanted. It probably made him selfish, but he’d decided it was time to be so, at least a bit—at least when it came to Dakota.

They were rushing into their relationship. It might be because of the circumstances, but it didn’t change that fact. Benedict found he didn’t care, though. He and Dakota fit together perfectly, and that wouldn’t change. They’d already had a few fights, nothing memorable, but that was bound to happen when they spent most of their time together. Dakota might have sent his team home, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t protecting Benedict anymore. He was, all by himself, and that meant he still went to work with Benedict and stuck close to him when they were home.

Luckily for them, the house was more than big enough for them to have space if they needed it. Some of Dakota’s things were still in the guest room he’d used in the beginning, even though he hadn’t left Benedict’s bed since that first night they’d spent there together. Benedict hoped he never would. So what if it was too soon in their relationship for them to move in together? People thought they’d been together for longer than they actually had, since they’d been faking it, and no one had said anything. Rhea and Quillan wouldn’t, because they knew it was important for Dakota to stay close, just in case, and everyone else wouldn’t dare.

Besides, even if they did say something, Benedict didn’t care.

The only ones making decisions in this relationship were him and Dakota, and they’d both agreed it would be better if Dakota stuck around. Benedict didn’t know for how long, and it didn’t matter. He hoped Dakota would realize they should continue living together even after Purity was gone.

If that ever happened.

Benedict didn’t trust their silence. They’d gone from trying to kidnap Rhea to attacking him and Dakota. Even if they’d only meant to take him, Benedict couldn’t help but notice that they hadn’t been trying very hard not to hurt him. Maybe it was okay with them if he was dead, and he wouldn’t let that happen. He wasn’t sure how, though. The fact that they’d disappeared and no one had heard about them ever since the attack was worrying. Some people might think they were gone, or hope they weren’t there, but Benedict knew better.

They were regrouping.

Benedict and Dakota had taken care of ten of them. Benedict didn’t know if the gang, cult, or whatever it was, had many members, but even if they did, losing ten people like they had couldn’t be easy. Benedict fully expected them to strike again, possibly soon. That was why he hated this situation.

Unless of course, he was cuddling on the couch with Dakota like he was right now.

“Will you stop wiggling?” Dakota asked.

“I’m not wiggling.”

“You’re like an octopus. You’re plastered to me, and you’re wiggling. I feel I should be afraid you’re about to eat me.”

Benedict arched a brow. “And that would be a bad thing, because?”

Dakota’s cheeks flushed lightly. “I guess it depends on what you mean by eating.”

“I’m not sure why, but I feel like a teenager right now.” And he had, ever since Dakota had come into his life. He hadn’t been horny this often since he was fifteen or sixteen. He also hadn’t had sex this often since he’d been in college.

Dakota laughed. “It’s probably because we’ve been behaving like two kids. Why don’t you try focusing on the movie?”

Benedict rubbed a hand on Dakota’s chest. “Or we could go back to that eating conversation.”

“An octopus, I tell you.”

This was easy. Benedict hadn’t expected it to be, not after everything he’d lived through. He’d missed it, though. He hadn’t had the same kind of relationship with Claudia, but things had been easy, just like they were now. It was easy to be himself with Dakota. It was easy to be happy. Benedict didn’t have to think twice about everything he wanted to say or do. Dakota didn’t care if he sounded silly, or if he said something wrong. He didn’t expect anything from him except to be loved.

And he was. Benedict was in love with Dakota, and everything was right in his world. Well, except for that tiny little detail that an entire cult was trying to get to him and possibly kill him, but it was easy to forget about that when he and Dakota were cuddled together on the couch.

Benedict twisted his body and straddled Dakota’s lap. He wrapped his arms around Dakota’s neck and kissed him, not caring one bit about the movie.

Then Dakota’s phone vibrated. It was on the coffee table, and Benedict had to climb off his mate’s lap so Dakota could answer. He dropped onto the couch and pouted, watching Dakota as he took the phone and smiled.

“Bay,” Dakota said.

Benedict couldn’t help but smile, too. He’d gotten to know Bay a bit better over the past few months, and he knew how much Dakota cared for him. The three of them—Bay, Dakota, and Quillan—were close, and it was always a pleasure to watch them together. Having the three of them and Rhea in his life made Benedict feel like he had a family again. It wasn’t just him and Rhea anymore, and it never would be.

“Shit,” Dakota said. “Let me take a look. I’ll call you back.”

He hung up, and Benedict had to ask. “What’s going on?”

“Purity.”

Of course it was. Benedict move closer so he could look at Dakota’s phone along with him. Dakota opened a messaging app, then the conversation with Bay. Bay had sent him a video, and Benedict held his breath as Dakota opened it.

He didn’t recognize the man on the screen, which was a relief, because when he started talking, Benedict realized it was probably the person in charge of Purity.

We have been around for much longer than you can imagine, and we’re not going anywhere. We believe elements should stay separated, and since we seem to be the only ones with common sense, we decided to take charge. We’ll keep the elements apart, whatever the cost is. We are more powerful than you think, and if you don’t want to get hurt, you’ll leave the wielders who don’t share your element. Otherwise, we’ll take care of it, and you’ll regret it.

That was where the video ended, and Benedict didn’t know what to make of it. He already knew what Purity stood for, so this wasn’t telling him anything new.

“What do you think?” he asked.

Dakota briefly closed his eyes. “That I knew they weren’t gone.”

“What do you think their next step will be?”

“I have no idea, but it’s not going to be good.”

You may also enjoy the following from eXtasy Books Inc:

Surprise Fangs

Catherine Lievens

Excerpt

There was something wrong with Falkner, but Andrew didn’t know what it was.

He sighed and rolled to his side, dragging Falkner’s pillow into his arms and hugging it. It smelled like Falkner, and Andrew breathed in deeply.

He’d thought things would change when he and Falkner had started having sex, and they had, but not in the way he’d thought and hoped. They weren’t a couple, or maybe they were, and that was what Andrew’s problem was.

He had no idea what was going on between him and Falkner. They were still best friends. They were also having sex with each other regularly. Everyone in the coven no doubt thought they were a couple, but they’d never actually talked about it. They should. Andrew wasn’t sure how to bring that up, though. He didn’t want to spook Falkner, who’d looked like he was okay with the way things were going until recently. Andrew didn’t even know if that was the reason he was behaving weirdly. Maybe he just didn’t want them to have sex anymore. Maybe he wanted them to go back to being only friends, and he didn’t know how to do that. He probably didn’t want to hurt Andrew, and Andrew got that.

He wanted to find out what was going on, though. He hated seeing Falkner tense and distant, especially when they were alone together. That was when Falkner should be himself and allow himself to relax, but he wasn’t.

Andrew had thought they’d both be happy when they’d gone from being only friends to whatever they were now, but if anything, it had made things worse. He couldn’t give Falkner up, though. He was selfish, and he knew he shouldn’t be, but he couldn’t help it. He was in love with Falkner. He wanted Falkner to be more than his best friend.

He just wasn’t sure how to make that happen.

He was terrified that bringing it up would be the first step toward the end of what they had, and he wasn’t up to doing that. He never wanted to lose Falkner, and he’d be content with them only being friends if that was what Falkner wanted, but he wasn’t going to suggest it. He couldn’t.

Andrew pushed Falkner’s pillow away and sat up. He might not be about to bring this up in the conversation, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t try to help Falkner. Maybe this wasn’t his problem. Maybe there was something else, and he hadn’t talked to Andrew about it yet. It would be weird since they’d been best friends for decades, but Andrew couldn’t help but hope that was the case. He didn’t want to have to face the other option yet.

He slipped out of bed and paused the movie, then went to look for Falkner. Falkner had said he wanted something to drink, but Andrew doubted that was the truth. He’d done something that had made Falkner uncomfortable, and he wanted to know what that something was. That way, he’d know not to do it again.

Since Falkner had said he was thirsty, though, Andrew headed to the kitchen. Maybe Falkner had wanted to grab a bottle of blood from the fridge, or a coffee. Fyfe made sure the brew that had been formulated for vampires was always stocked in the house, and Andrew would be the first to admit he probably drank too much of it. It was one of the few things that didn’t taste like blood or cardboard, though, and he couldn’t help but indulge.

Maybe he had a problem with staying away from things he shouldn’t want considering the situation he was in with Falkner. He hadn’t been able to stay away from Falkner, either, and now he was terrified he was fucking their friendship up.

“It’s delicious,” he heard Falkner say before he got to the kitchen.

Falkner sounded more relaxed, and Andrew paused just outside of the room, listening in. He didn’t like what he was doing, but he wanted to hear what Falkner was saying to whoever he was talking to.

“Yeah?”

That was James, wasn’t it? Andrew didn’t know him well yet, mostly because he’d been so focused on Falkner, but he needed to change that. Anyone who could make Fyfe happy was Andrew’s friend. Fyfe deserved all the happiness in the world for everything he’d done and was still doing for the coven.

“I shouldn’t be able to taste it.” Falkner’s voice was quieter, and he sounded worried.

“Fyfe told me everything you guys eat or drink that isn’t blood or that weird coffee thing tastes like cardboard.”

“He’s right.”

“But you can taste the pepper.”

“And the onions. It’s delicious.”

Andrew frowned. That couldn’t be right. Falkner was a vampire, and Fyfe hadn’t lied to James. Whatever they ate that wasn’t blood or the special coffee didn’t taste good. It was tiresome, especially after several hundred years, but they couldn’t change that.

Maybe Falkner was lying to James. Maybe he was trying to make James feel good about his cooking, and about living with the coven. James didn’t have friends with them yet, mostly because people had been staying away from him. He might be Fyfe’s mate, but he was still a werewolf, and they were vampires. They didn’t usually mix. It was bullshit, but it was what it was, and Andrew couldn’t deny he’d been wary of James in the beginning. He hadn’t had a reason to, and he still didn’t, but the fear had been taught to him over the decades by spending time with vampires who held that kind of prejudice—and Andrew had held it, too. He wasn’t proud of it, and he wanted that change, but he couldn’t deny that was the case.

“You can take some if you want,” James said.

“I don’t want to take your dinner from you.”

“It’s not a problem. Honestly, it’s a bit of a hassle to cook only for myself since and Oscar. Although I guess that with Richie coming to stay with us, that won’t be a problem anymore.”

“Richie?”

“He’s a friend of Fyfe. A werewolf. He was supposed to teach me how to control my shift and my wolf, but then I was arrested. He’s coming to stay with the coven for a while.”

It looked like Andrew was going to have to get over his wariness of werewolves sooner than he’d thought. He wouldn’t make Richie feel unwelcome. He still felt guilty he and the rest of the coven had done it to James—were still doing it, in fact.

“That’s good for you. I know the coven hasn’t exactly welcomed you. I’m sure you can use a friend,” Falkner said.

“Maybe. I guess I’m nervous.”

“I can see why, but I don’t think you should be.”

“Only the future will tell. Where’s Andrew?”

“Upstairs. Why?”

“I don’t know. I guess I’m used to seeing the two of you together.”

“We’re not attached at the hip.”

That shouldn’t have hurt, but it did. Falkner wasn’t wrong—they weren’t attached at the hip, and it was probably better for both of them to spend some time apart. It still felt like something was pressing on his lungs, and it was hard to breathe.

“Everything okay?” Fyfe whispered right next to Andrew.

Andrew jumped, and it helped him breathe again. “I, yeah. Hi.”

Fyfe arched a brow. “You shouldn’t listen in on conversations you’re not a part of. You could hear something you don’t like.”

Andrew already had, but he wasn’t about to tell Fyfe that.

“Seriously, Andrew. What’s going on?” Fyfe asked. He was more serious now.

Andrew shrugged. He didn’t know how to answer that. He should smile and tell Fyfe he was okay, but Fyfe would be able to read the truth on his face.

“That’s it,” Fyfe said. He grabbed Andrew’s wrist and dragged him away from the kitchen and toward his office. Andrew let him. He knew he might have to explain what was going on, but he couldn’t think of a better person than to do that with than Fyfe. They weren’t close the way he and Falkner were, but it wasn’t like he could talk to Falkner about himself.

“Come on, spill the beans,” Fyfe said as soon as his office door was closed behind them.

Andrew did. He told Fyfe everything he felt for Falkner, what his hopes had been when they’d gotten together, and what the situation was now. The words spilled from his lips, and he didn’t try to keep them back. Fyfe would keep his secret. He was sure of that.

Fyfe leaned against one of the chairs in front of his desk and listened until Andrew was done. He didn’t look surprised at what Andrew had just told him, and he nodded a few times before saying, “I know you’re afraid, but you should talk to him.”

Andrew sighed. “I know.”

“You’re making your life hell, Andrew. He’s your best friend. He’ll understand.”

“What if he doesn’t? What if he doesn’t want to be my friend anymore after I tell him how I feel?”

“That’s the risk you’re going to have to take if you want to know what’s going on. But either way, you’ll know, and you’ll feel better.”

Andrew wasn’t too sure about that.

About the Author

Catherine is the creator of several series, most of them paranormal, including the Whitedell Pride Series and the Gillham Pack Series. While she graduated in translation, she decided to go the writer’s way because it was more fun to create her own stories and characters.

She’s been living in Italy for more than twenty years, but she’s a daughter of the North—Belgium to be precise—and she misses it so much that she’s already planning to move back.

She loves pizza—probably too much—her pets, and of course, books. She sneaks some reading time in her schedule every time she has five minutes free from writing, demands from her various pets and son, and lastly, housework.

Connect with her:

lievens.catherine@gmail.com

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