Skander watched Keldin sleep on the plane with his head on his chest. The night before he hadn't slept well.
While Skander had slept, Keldin had stayed up working on something he wouldn't tell Skander. He was too serious about this.
When Deuce had gotten them up, he had looked over. Keldin had already dressed and had been talking on the phone. By the look on his face it had been someone he cared for. He'd turned scarlet when the other person said something that embarrassed him.
He'd turned away from Skander when the younger man had stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. This time he'd been on the phone with someone else. This had been a different call. It hadn't been as friendly as it had been when he was talking to the first person.
Upon further investigation, mostly information given to him via Deuce, the other person on the phone the first time had been Keldin's older twin brother. Austin was a joker and from what the other man had said, he liked to pick on his little brother. The second person the man refused to talk about. Apparently Keldin had to answer those questions on his own.
Around mid-morning, they'd all piled into two SUVs and headed to a secluded airstrip just outside the city. They'd moved efficiently onto the plane, loading things and people all at the same time.
Once they were in the air, Keldin grew even more nervous. His element was of the earth and he was in the air. Skander didn't know what to do so he simply grabbed the other man by the shoulders and pulled him against him in the seat. He turned his body and pulled his left leg into the seats so Keldin could rest. He had looked at him once before literally passing out.
The flight was a couple of hours and those hours were really quiet. Abby and Deuce planned out protection details as Landen and Cougar played a game of cards. Even if it didn't look like it, those two were really calm and collected, their senses flared out to keep everyone safe.
Keldin was disoriented when he woke on descent. He looked up at Skander with disbelief for a few moments then his face brightened. Obviously he wasn't used to sleeping in anyone's lap in a long while. He sat up and rubbed his eyes to rid them of sleep before going into control mode.
Two more SUVs pulled up and they piled in. During the ride, Keldin called the other car and they went through what was going to happen. It was their conference call that made Skander feel as if he were out of place. When he had turned his head to look out the window, he felt something pulling him from behind. Tilting his head up, he felt Keldin press a kiss to his head then continue talking.
He was half aware when the cars pulled up outside a building. Then he looked up and blanched.
"Seattle FBI?" He turned to Keldin as they were unloading the cars. "Why are we at the Seattle FBI?"
Keldin's gaze became wary once again. There was something he wasn't saying. Deuce patted him on the back to get him to talk. "We're here to talk to someone important."
"Tell him who she is, Keldin," Deuce murmured. His gaze flicked to Skander and it was sad.
Skander tilted his head. "Who is she?"
Keldin licked his lips. "She's my bondmate. If I wasn't gay, she would be the one I'd marry."
The truth hit Skander hard in the chest. It made him want to cry but he refused to in front of everyone else.
He squared his shoulders and marched past Keldin into the building. The others followed him in and then took charge. He refused to stand beside Keldin because he didn't want him to feel how hurt he was. For some reason he had a feeling he already knew and was giving him space.
They went up to the fifth floor and down the hall to the fifth door. It was a conference room that was empty except for two people. A man and a woman sat at the head of the table. They were talking intimately and holding hands. From the matching wedding bands they were married. Skander chanced a shocked look at Keldin but his face was shut down.
The woman smiled as she noticed them and stood. When she came around the table, her gun glinted in the light. She hugged Keldin quickly then whispered something in his ear. They were friends, not lovers.
"Glad you made it safely. I know how well you take flying," she said.
Keldin smiled. "Yeah, Landen and Cougar made sure the skies were clear and kept the plane in the air should it suddenly start falling from the sky."
Max smiled then turned her gaze to the newcomer as the others walked into the room and sat down. "You must be Skander Giles. How does it feel to be protected by one of the strongest members of the Silver Court?"
"Max." There was a hard note to Keldin's voice. When he turned to look at him, something in his eyes glinted dangerously.
"It's not my fault he's not acquainted with what you are."
"He knows what I am."
Max lifted a well groomed eyebrow. "Does he now? Does he know what you've done to him?"
"Max, that's enough," Abby said from the table. The other woman turned. "We get that you're the almighty FBI but you know Keldin. Some things he has to tell on his own. Opening your big mouth won't help. Now let's conduct our business so we can get going."
Casting a look at Keldin, Max nodded and turned back to the table. Keldin gently pushed Skander towards the table then followed him when he sat down. The man at the end of the table introduced himself as Drew, Max's husband. He had a kind smile and gentle eyes. It meant he had a better control over his emotions than his wife and that he had been with her for a while.
"Did you bring the weapons?" he asked.
Deuce smiled as he clunked a black case on the table. "Military edition. They were confiscated about a month ago. Tyler said it was best to bring it to you considering you're an ex-army ranger."
"It's probably a good idea. I can take it to a base and have them stow it away." Drew flipped through his file. "It says that you've pulled Mr. Giles from his home in New York."
Keldin tensed. Absentmindedly, Skander placed his hand on Keldin's thigh. The older man's leg was corded muscle and it pulsed as he held his leg still. The action was hard to do since Keldin's thigh was thick, and Skander's hand looked tiny compared to it.
"What's your point, Drew?" Landen asked.
"Senator Giles thinks his son has been kidnapped. We've been in contact with him since Skander's been here. He knows he's safe but he wants to talk to him."
"What did you do?" Deuce asked angrily. He watched the agent's expressions closely. "Tell me you didn't tell the man his son was staying with Keldin?"
"He wanted to know."
Keldin's muscles tensed even further as he suddenly pushed himself into a standing position. His whole body was of lithe lines and dangerous planes, and every muscle pulsed. He was mad now.
"You told him his son was with me? How stupid can you be? You of all people should know how our extractions work. Or have you forgotten Siberia three years ago?" His voice was contained, but there was a death threat lying underneath.
Drew's face contorted into anger. "I haven't forgotten Siberia. I could never forget that."
"Tell us you at least used a secured line while you were being stupid," Cougar said as he rubbed his suddenly aching head. When the other man didn't answer, he swore. "You know he's being targeted. Why wouldn't you do basic protocol and use a secure line to discuss this?"
"I didn't think about it."
Keldin's face turned red and the plant in the room began climbing the window. "You didn't think about it? One of us could have been killed." He suddenly bit back on his temper and the plant quit moving, shaking as if it were waiting for its master's next demand. "If anything happens to Skander because of your stupidity, I'm going to take it out on your hide."
"I think you should turn him over to Tyler. He'll know how to handle him," Abby said.
"No, if anything happens to Skander, I'll handle him." It wasn't a threat. It was an absolute promise that he would definitely keep.
He turned to the two leaning against the wall. "Deuce, will you and Landen escort Skander to the car? I'll be down there in a few minutes."
"I want to stay here," Skander found himself saying. He wanted to know what else was going to happen. Most importantly, he wanted to keep Keldin from killing these people if he could.
"You really won't want to be here when Boss rips them a new one," Deuce replied as he took him under the arm and led him from the room. The young man glanced back at the door, mouth open to protest. "Don't argue. Keldin knows what he's doing even when angry."
Skander was silent as they walked to the elevator, rode it down then headed for the car. He could hear Deuce and Landen talking behind him but wasn't certain what it was about. He was so out of it that what happened next was like a scene out a movie.
Deuce was yelling seconds before he yanked the young man to the ground. The cars exploded on the side of the street as fire opened up. Landen dropped to the ground beside them and started laying cover fire as Deuce urged him to run. He scrambled to his feet and started to go when two men cut off his exit.
Electricity arced through the air and hit one man square in the chest. Skander looked behind him. Deuce held his hands out in front of him and electricity crackled between them. He thrust them out and the sparks from his hands went forward, curved around Skander, and slammed into the second man. A huge gust of wind whipped through the parking lot. Landen stopped spinning long enough to see the guys were out then continued on through the lot to make sure they were the only ones.
Bullets sprayed all around them. Once again, Deuce grabbed Skander and pulled him to safety as he used his power to keep them ward off those who would kill them.
Suddenly Skander was slamming through darkness. It hurt so bad he thought his head was going to explode. Then people were talking and fussing over him. He heard Deuce's deep voice seconds before he blacked out.
When he awoke, Keldin was sitting on his bed stoking his hair as he read the same book from before. He looked tired and the muscles in his jaws were tight. It looked as if he hadn't slept in days.
As Skander shifted, he drew Keldin's attention. The mismatched gaze was tired but there was something else there. It was as if he blamed himself for everything that had happened in the parking lot. He didn't move as Skander sat up. His hand had retracted and was now resting in his lap. It was twitching as if he wanted to touch him but was holding himself back.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, his voice tight.
"I have a killer headache." Skander rubbed his forehead then looked around. "Where am I?"
"You're in New Orleans."
The news was more shocking than finding out Keldin had another person. He'd traveled from two cities in the span of forty-eight hours, and one hadn't been by plane. "New Orleans? How did I get here?"
Keldin's eyes drifted away from him. "It's called shadow-walking. We can go from one place to another using the shadows around us. It's one of the fastest ways of transport."
"Is that what the sudden blackness was?"
The auburn haired man nodded. "Yes, Deuce had to force his telepathic abilities on you and jerked you through space and shadows to get you here. That's why you have a severe headache. It will fade after you eat." He became silent again.
"What is it?" Skander found himself asking after a few moments.
Keldin shook his head. "I was ready to rip into Deuce for doing that to you. Then he explained that he'd had no choice. It was either literally whisk you away or let you be killed. He'd chosen the one that would hurt you minimally."
"You're afraid I had died."
"Yes."
Skander slid closer, wrapped his arms around his waist, and rested his head on his thigh. "It wasn't your fault."
"I should have been with you down in that garage."
"Then you would have been hurt as well. There wasn't much you could have done. It was an ambush." He rubbed gentle circles in his thigh. "Why are we in New Orleans?"
"The city's safe from outsiders. Because of its old ties with magic, hoodoo and voodoo, the city is the best place for anything preternatural. There are many different species that live here."
"Vampires and werewolves?"
Keldin nodded. "And many, many more. We all live in a weird sense of harmony because Aiden can dispatch humans to fight against humans. It keeps their secrets just that: secrets."
"You've mentioned Aiden before. Who is he?"
"She's," emphasis on she, "the Queen of the SIlver Court and a very good one."
"Aiden's a woman?" Skander had rarely heard a woman with a man's name, and this one caught him off guard.
"Yes, I'm a woman." Both looked up as someone materialized from the doorway. She was tall with light brown hair with red streaks. Her eyes were a warm honey that mirrored the smile that turned her mouth. "I get that all the time."
Keldin's mouth lifted gently. "Skander Giles, meet Aiden Miller. Aiden, this is Skander."
A maid scurried in and placed another chair by the bed. She bowed and apologized then disappeared again. When she was gone, Aiden shook her head. "You would think they would listen to me."
The auburn haired man snorted. "Everyone listens to you. It's when you're being impossible that we don't."
Aiden smiled and kissed his forehead. "How are you holding up?"
"Not well at all. He's blaming himself," Skander replied.
She cast him a knowing look. "He does that a lot. You can't let him get away with it."
Skander felt a smile pull at his lips. He liked this woman. She was kind and patient. She knew what Keldin needed and was going to give it to him whether he agreed or not.
"What about Drew and Max?" Keldin asked.
Aiden sighed and rubbed her hands together. "They're being pulled from the FBI. Drew knew better than to call Skander's father and yet he didn't care. He thought he was doing the right thing but in a case as delicate as this one, it was just a stupid call. Max is being pulled because she didn't stop him. It also led to the ambush and injury of Landen."
"Is he okay?" Skander asked. He remembered the wind and lightning flowing all around them, but he couldn't quite remember who had done what.
She nodded. "Yeah, he's fine. He took a bullet to the leg just as Deuce pulled you from the site. He moved after he got the okay that you were safe."
Keldin couldn't mask his pain. "Please tell me you didn't hurt Max."
Something smacked Skander hard in the chest. He was still worried about the woman who he would have married if he wasn't gay. That hurt Skander more than he realized it had in the first place.
Aiden's eyes glinted dangerously. "I know how much you care for Max, Keldin, but she's done this before. It was last year with Tyler when he pulled Sheila Moore from a bad situation. She let the woman's husband know where she was and Tyler nearly killed the man protecting her. I couldn't move against her then because the Council said to wait for another infraction. This one just nailed her coffin shut."
She reined in her temper and took a deep breath. "Skander, we're going to need you to tell your side of the attack for the records. It's just so we can keep the record straight."
Skander nodded. "When do you need it?"
"Tomorrow would be better. It'll give you time to recover and all of us time to calm down. Plus I don't have to worry about my son getting home from school."
"You have a son?"
Aiden smiled happily. "I have two sons, Dylan and Kielan, and a daughter Stormy. Dylan's four and Kielan and Stormy are two." She patted Keldin's knee. "I'll let you know about the meeting tomorrow. Bye, Skander."
The same maid skittered about and moved the chair then opened the door. Aiden shook her head with a pleasant smile and some kind words then walked out the door. The maid's face blossomed a light red as she followed her mistress.
Keldin disengaged Skander from him and pulled away, leaving Skander feeling alone and cold. "I have some business to tend to. I'll have someone bring you something to eat then you should rest."
Skander watched dejectedly as he walked out the door without looking back. He understood the feelings behind the motions, but he wanted him to talk to him. He needed him to talk to him so he could make sure he wasn't losing his mind. So much had been dropped on him in such a short amount of time, and if he didn't figure it out, he was going to lose what little sanity he had left.