Kabal - 6. Chapter 6

As Ivan waited for the estate’s gate to open—does it always take this long?—his gaze repeatedly returned to Sho’s picture. Nico had pinned it to the visor, so he could memorize his face on the way to the airport.

”We don’t want you grabbing the wrong guy, right?” Nico had stated.

Navigating the small road in front of him didn't distract him enough to forget Nico’s suggestive grin and eyebrow waggle. Something had definitely been off. Or the king’s mate had been in an especially good mood. Maybe because he was talking to and living with the king again.

Ivan had never understood how they could be separated and live so far from each other. Although he'd liked Nico, he thought a man belonged with his mate, not married to another man. Ivan frowned. That might have been one of the reasons he had been a bit reserved when he first met Nico. He felt loyal to his king and sought to protect him from any harm, including emotional harm.

Initially, he had a hard time wrapping his head around the concept of being friends with the king's mate. Nico had to be treated with the utmost reverence and respect. Not that it mattered; nobody could resist Nico. The man insisted they become friends, and after he explained the circumstances of his separation from the king, they hit it off as if they’d been friends forever.

Traffic increased as Ivan approached the airport. Resolutely, he raised the visor, covering Sho’s image. He’s cute.

Sho waited for his bags to come around on the conveyor belt. He had his swords sent ahead with a special delivery service Nico had organized. When he'd heard the king was in danger and they needed people they could trust, who could handle a sword, he immediately packed his things and booked the next flight out.

The king of the Seraei would always have a special place in his heart. Although Sho was human, he had grown up with his sister's Seraei family. She was his only relative left after their parents died when he was two. Immediately after he heard what happened, the king gave consent for him to live with them. Now he was one of the few humans who knew about the Seraei and was not mated to one of them. According to Nico, that was about to change.

He looked around for a tall, blond man with a braid as long as his wakizashi and ‘amazing light green eyes’. Sho had to laugh at his friend's way with words; he was sure he would never miss that amazing man now. Then he saw him, and forgot to breathe. Damn.... That had to be his ride. Mate. The closer the man --Ivan--came, the more impatient Sho was to be near him. He could barely refrain from running towards him. How would his voice sound? His touch feel? Touch? What the hell?

Striding purposefully in his direction, Ivan suddenly froze. The lady behind him ran right into him. He turned around when she cursed loudly, then picked up a box the woman had dropped and apologized several times. Then he looked at Sho, who barely suppressed his grin. Chastised Ivan. Cute.

Mate! Shit! Nico, you—Ivan knew two things the moment he saw, or rather felt, Sho: the man was his mate—he didn’t need his sight to flare up and show him their future mating marks to know this—and also Nico had somehow known and didn’t bother warning him.

Slowly, he made his way over to Sho. His mate was as cute as his picture had promised, and wow, he had a strong mind. Ivan couldn't believe it; he already felt less restless, more in tune. How could this be?

When he stood in front of his mate, he didn’t know what else to do other than hold his hand out. "My name is Ivan McLean. Nico sent me to pick you up and bring you home." Bring you home? You wish! Slow it down, McLean, the man is human; he has no idea what he is to you.

Sho looked at him curiously and then shook his outstretched hand. "According to Nico, I'm your mate. You must have sensed it by now, right?"

Wait! What? "What?" Still holding Sho's hand, he knew he was gaping. "How....Why?" He then let go of his hand reluctantly.

Sho grinned, then gave him a once over. "I guess Nico didn't tell you much about me, huh? I grew up with your people; my sister is um... happily married to a Seraei. That’s why Nico thought he could tell me, as an incentive to come as fast as I could." Then he looked at Ivan appreciatively. "I could have hit it worse. Let's find out if fate was right, shall we?" With that, he took his bags and went over to the exit. When Ivan didn't follow him immediately, he turned to look at him. "You coming?"

Ivan eyed his mate’s five-foot nine frame as he walked behind him. He wasn’t overly muscular, but he was no wimp either. His jet-black hair was gelled into spikes. His eyes were such a dark brown they appeared black, and sparkled with mischief, when he had told him he thought he was Ivan’s mate. Fate loves handing out trouble, when they assign mates. Who had said that? The king!

They put the baggage in the trunk of the SUV, and Ivan was glad he had to hold the wheel, otherwise he would have fiddled with his hands during the whole ride. Initially, the atmosphere was tense, but then Sho asked what he did at the king's household, and Ivan asked him why he lived among the Seraei. By the time they reached the gate of the king's property, their mood had become much more relaxed. It didn't feel as if they'd just met; it felt as if they had known each other for years..

As soon as they parked the car, Nico came out of the house smiling broadly. "Sho! I'm so glad you're here. How was your flight?" He took the smaller man into his arms, and Ivan had to fight the jealousy spiking inside him. Ridiculous. You don't even know if he wants you.

Nico looked over Sho's shoulder at Ivan. Seeing Ivan’s tense stance, he winked knowingly. "Come on in, Sho. Ivan prepared the room directly beside mine for you; I'll show you the way, and tonight we can talk." He took one of Sho's bags and turned to the side entrance.

Ivan hissed, "This isn't the last word on the matter," when they passed him.

Ivan headed over to the part of the summerhouse Ronan and Becca lived in to return the car keys, as Nico and Sho disappeared into the house. Inside, they took the stairs, and Nico opened the door to Sho’s room with a flourish. “Welcome.”

As soon as Nico closed the door behind them, Sho grabbed him by his shirt, stabbing his finger against his chest. "You knew he was my mate! Somehow, you knew. I didn’t believe it until I was near him!" Then he cocked his head and eyed Nico more closely. "Who told you? One of the Order?"

"Nobody told me. One day I was talking with Ivan and then suddenly poof! I saw his mating mark, although he doesn't have one. Then your face appeared before my inner eye, and I knew you were his mate." Nico sat down on Sho's bed. "That never happened to me before. My grandmother was a member of the Order, so maybe I inherited it?" He shook his head. "I have to talk to someone about this, but I don't know who. The obvious choice would be one of the Order, but I have a bad feeling about revealing this to them; don't ask me why.

"Thing is, I always rely on my gut feeling, so I won't talk to them. I think I'll wait until tomorrow, when Landyn and Simon are back. Maybe I'll talk to D. also."

Sho sat down beside Noël. "So you're sure about this, yes?"

"As sure as I can be. I mean, you're the only human I’ve spotted as a mate for a Seraei so far." He ran his hand through his hair, and then he cuffed Sho in the side. "So, what do you think of Ivan? He's great, huh?"

Sho fell back on the bed, then raised himself so he rested on his elbows and smiled. "He's gorgeous, and he's your friend; two things he's got going for him so far.”

"Of course there is no guarantee. You have to get to know him more and see if he's the right one for you, but I have a very good feeling. He really is a nice guy, and not only in the looks department."

"I believe you, and I'm open to it." He grabbed Nico’s arm. "Now, I need to know more about the important part of your messages. You’re... implying the king's life might be in danger?"

"Yes, Ivan and I think there is something going on." He explained to Sho what he'd discussed with Ivan last week. He didn't mention Ivan had foreseen it; that was Ivan's story to tell.

"I see what you mean. We should all train together to get to know each other’s techniques, strengths... weaknesses, maybe play through certain possible scenarios." Sho's eyes lit up while he was planning everything in his mind.

"It seems we have the right man with us now. You should talk to Landyn or Ronan though, to coordinate plans." He clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Okay, I’ll leave you to unpack your stuff while I go look for your mate, so he can maim me for keeping you a secret." He winked and went out the door.

Diarmad knew Ivan had gone to the airport to pick up Noël's friend and former sword trainer, Sho. As a matter of fact, it had been his idea to invite the man in the first place. Noël had raved about the guy; his fighting technique, his speed, and his looks. So when he heard the car arrive, he had to go to the window and see for himself. What he saw caused bile to churn in his stomach, another man in his mate's arms. He clamped his hands around the edge of the windowsill. He had no right to be jealous.

Taking in deep breaths, Diarmad tried to calm down. A little too much, since he almost didn't hear the phone ringing on his desk. Only a few people have my direct line. "Yes!"

"My king?" a timid voice asked on the other end of the line. "This is Hamada Isao. Something happened, and I think you should know about this. The house your mate lived in while he was here in Japan burnt down, and we are certain it was arson.

"Nico wanted to surprise you with his visit. To prevent the usual busybodies from spreading the news he had left Japan, we made sure the house appeared lived in. His friend Sho slept there several nights, to make it more believable. We are now certain the person who lit the fire thought Nico was sleeping inside. They wanted to murder your mate, as we found the door jammed from the outside. He would have never been able to come out through that door."

Somebody wanted to kill Noël. Burn him to death. Diarmad's hand trembled. He barely managed to ask the next question. "Was anybody hurt?"

"No, no, luckily not. I had someone there to turn the lights on and off, but the house was empty when it happened."

"Thank God!" Diarmad thought fast. "This is a serious matter. We should let whoever did this think they succeeded; this will give us some time to investigate. Do you think you could let it look like m-my mate died in that fire?"

"Certainly...."

"Good. Spread the news that a body has been found in the house, but don't release any names. They will believe we want to keep my mate's death a secret as long as we can. I have a suspicion who could have done this, or at least who has ordered this and why. I have to talk to my security people first, though. Thank you for calling me, Isao. That was quick thinking. Please keep me informed. As soon as you have any more information, call me."

"Of course, my king."

Diarmad stood in the middle of his office, the phone still in his hand, and stared at the floor vacantly. He could have lost Noël and not in the way he had prepared himself to: losing him by living somewhere else, away from him, maybe even having a new man in his life. No! He could have died in a burning house, murdered!

A sudden rage surged through him, and he smashed his fist into his office door. "Malbenita! Damn it!"

Not caring about the blood on his knuckles, the cuts were already closing anyway, he paced around his desk, cold sweat running down his back. He had to face his demons; he couldn’t hide anymore. His heart beat faster just thinking about it, but coming close to losing Noël, he knew now he couldn't bear it any longer. He wanted... needed him by his side, even if this meant taking the risk to feel again, to trust again, to care. He had to show Noël how much he meant to him, otherwise Noël would leave him. He knew that. His mate had reached out his hand to him; it was time to take it.

Diarmad headed for the door. First he had to find Noël and tell him what happened in Japan. He also needed to talk to Ronan and Ivan. Thank God Landyn would be coming back tomorrow. After what had happened, they urgently had to discuss their next steps.

With that thought in mind, he left the room. When he saw Noël walking through the door across the hall, he took two steps, swept him into his arms, and pulled him tightly to his body without thinking. Burying his nose into his mate's hair, he breathed in his scent, felt his body, and knew what he had missed with a surprising certainty. Home.

Leaving Sho's room, the next thing Nico registered was the hard chest of his mate pressed against his nose. He breathed in deeply, and his fangs dropped. Mate! Diarmad was faster. A brief nuzzling to his neck, an intake of breath, and then his mate’s sharp canines scraped against the skin of his throat before they sank into its flesh. God, yes!

Nico didn't know why this happened and at that moment, he didn't care. He simply relaxed in Diarmad's arms, happy to be able to provide for his mate again.

When he felt his mate’s soothing lick on his skin, closing the wound, it was his turn. He couldn’t wait any longer, turned Diarmad’s head to the side more roughly than he normally would, and sank his fangs into his mate. After the first taste of blood, something clicked into place. Yes, he had missed this. Had missed Diarmad, had wanted him, and even known deep down, he still loved him, but when Diarmad’s blood touched his tongue, the full power of their bond snapped back. It was as if a veil had been lifted. This is home. How he had missed this.

After licking the wound closed, Nico tipped his head back to look at Diarmad's face. Judging by the almost panicked expression, he could see they still had much to talk about. But there was more; there was anguish and cold fury too, and he knew something must have happened.

"What's wrong?" he asked urgently.

Diarmad had to pull himself visibly together, schooling his expression before he could speak. "Let’s find Ivan and Ronan, then we will talk." He grabbed Nico’s hand and dragged him down the stairs into the foyer, where he turned his head, looking for Ivan. When they heard the loud clanking of pots and dishes being handled violently, he nodded in the direction of the kitchen. "There he is. Come on, we can call Ronan from there to join us."

Still holding Noël’s hand, Diarmad opened the kitchen door. They were immediately welcomed by an angry shout.

“You!” Ivan shouted and stepped toward Nico. He stopped, eyes widening, when he saw the king had entered the room with his mate. “My apologies, Your Highness.” While happy to see them together without fighting, Ivan’s mood sobered when he registered the expressions on their faces. Something bad must have happened.

Ivan's gaze fell on their clasped hands. Lifting an eyebrow, he opened his mouth to speak, but Diarmad interrupted him. "Ivan, could you please call Ronan and tell him to come down to the kitchen?"

"Of course, Your Highness. Did something happen?" He fished his phone out of his pants pocket and hit speed dial while looking at them questioningly.

"We need to discuss security measures immediately." Then he turned to Nico. "When are Landyn and Simon coming back?"

While Ivan talked to Ronan in the background, Nico answered, "Tomorrow. They wanted to visit a hotel somewhere in between the port and here for a nostalgic trip down memory lane, though I could call Landyn and ask them to get here directly."

"Do that."

Nico called Landyn and was about to tell him the king wanted them home as fast as they could get there, when he suddenly grinned. "In five minutes? Great, we're waiting for you in the kitchen."

He closed his phone and turned to his mate. "They had a strange feeling and decided to head straight here."

Diarmad nodded. "Perfect."

Nico caught Ivan's gaze and suggested, "Since we’re discussing security measures, we should call Sho also."

Diarmad shook his head. "No. You might know him, but he is still a stranger. These are highly sensitive security matters we have to discuss. I do not want any strangers involved in this; the risk is too great."

Nico waited for Ivan to object. When he didn't, he said, "Sho isn't a mere stranger; he is Ivan's mate."

“Ivan’s mate? Since when?" When neither Nico nor Ivan answered him, he waved his hand. "Whatever. He should be here, then; in some ways this concerns him too." He looked at his housekeeper. "Ivan, please go ask your mate to join us, will you?"

"I... he... we..."

"Is there a problem with the stairs, Ivan? Should I send Nico instead?" Diarmad asked impatiently.

"No, no... no problem," Ivan stuttered and left the room quickly.

Diarmad looked at Noël, eyebrows raised, and Noël chuckled. "It's still new for them. They met at the airport for the first time, and that is where they found out they are mates. It won't be as much of a problem as it could be though, because Sho grew up among Seraei; he knows about their human mates, as his sister is mated to a Seraei. I believe you allowed him to live with them, when his parents died. He was two, and his sister was his only remaining relative."

Diarmad scrunched his forehead, trying to remember. "Oh yes, I remember now. Well, I couldn't let him go into human foster care when he still had a sister who wanted to take care of him."

Noël smiled at his mate. "No, you couldn't."

“How did they find out they were mates so quickly?”

Suddenly Henry barked happily and ran to the side entrance. Then they heard Simon's voice greeting the dog, "Hey Henry, yeah, yeah good boy. Where is your master, huh? Come on, tell us."

Landyn shouted, "Shit Henry, you got slobber all over my pants leg, eww!"

Ronan laughed. "Now you know why I let you go first."

Nico turned to Diarmad. "Aha, I think security has arrived." Then he yelled, "We're in the kitchen!"

Landyn entered the room first. He nudged Simon, who was directly behind him, and looked pointedly at the king's hand resting protectively on the small of Nico’s back.

"Very subtle, love." Simon shook his head.

When Ivan and Sho pushed their way into the kitchen too, Landyn's gaze immediately followed Sho curiously. "Who's that?"

"Apropos, subtle." Nico grinned and then gestured at Sho. "Diarmad, Landyn, Simon, Ronan, meet Sho, my sword trainer from Japan, and... Ivan's mate."

"Whoop de doo! Finally! Congratulations, Ivan!" Landyn clapped Ivan on the shoulder hard before he stretched his hand out to Sho. "Welcome to the family, Sho. I'm Landyn and this is my mate, Simon. The big, tall, and buzz-cut guy on the other side of the table is Ronan, chief of security and, because he insists he is the best, also the king's personal bodyguard."

Realizing that Ivan and Sho both looked rather uncomfortable and not at all that happy with the attention, Landyn looked from one man to the other. "What?"

An unusually flustered Ivan answered, "We um, only met today, so...."

"Oh, well no better time like the present to get to know each other then, huh?" Landyn shrugged.

Diarmad cleared his throat. "Welcome, Sho. I know it is a joyous event when one meets his mate, but we have pressing matters to discuss, so maybe we should all take a seat at the table now, and I will explain the disturbing news I heard this morning from Isao."

Nico’s head shot up. "Isao?"

After that, everyone settled down quickly, and Diarmad related everything Isao had told him earlier.

Nobody interrupted, but as soon as he was finished, they all spoke at once. Ivan grabbed Sho's hand and exclaimed, "Oh my God, Sho, think what could have happened if you had been at the house!", and then to Noël, "Somebody wants to kill you!"

Landyn yelled, "Shit, Nico! They jammed the door? Fuck!"

Simon said, "This could be about the negotiations. Someone might want to make sure Nico doesn’t attend."

Ronan objected. "By killing Nico, they would weaken the king. I don't know if this is about the negotiations...."

Sho said, "I had a feeling someone was watching the house."

Diarmad lifted his hands. "Please." When the talking finally stopped, he nodded. "We do not know why someone tried to murder my mate, only that they did. Therefore, Isao and I agreed to let them think they succeeded. He will not so confidentially spread the news that somebody died in the fire, but will not reveal any names. That's how we would do this if N-Noël really had died in that fire." His voice broke and he had to stop and take a deep breath before he could continue. "This way, we may have more time to find out who is behind this before they might possibly t-try to do it again."

He had to stop again, and Nico laid his hand over his mate's trembling fingers. "Luckily the house was empty so nobody was hurt in the fire."

Diarmad nodded. "Yes, but thinking of you, or Sho, or anybody else Isao had staying at the house to pretend you were still living there… Either you or they would have been in there last night." He closed his eyes. "Okay. I am sure phone calls will start soon, and people will want to know if the person who died in the fire was indeed Noël. Our only answer will be 'no comment', and if it becomes too much, we will let the answering machine pick up the calls. Whoever did this will think we don't want to admit yet that Noël died in the fire, and they succeeded with their devious plan."

Diarmad looked at the men sitting around his kitchen table. These were men he could trust; they were a unique mix of friends here to help and support him. Looking into their faces, he knew together they would get to the bottom of all this. "We will discuss this more tomorrow; maybe we will know more by then. However, I expect you all at dinnertime. Eight p.m., Ivan?"

"Eight is fine."

Ronan looked at the three couples sitting with him, and he missed his own mate, Becca. Seeing his king nearly hovering over Nico, Ivan sitting close to his new mate, Sho, and of course Landyn and Simon; the golden couple, who rode out every storm, made him really, really want Becca by his side.

Landyn got up first. "Okay, we'll go check out our room now, unpack, take a shower, and we'll be down at eight."

Ivan looked at his mate. "Sho?"

The man fiddled with his hands. "I-I’m still tired; jet lag… I think I'll lie down for a bit."

Nico pushed his chair back. "Um, okay. I think I'll take a shower too. I feel filthy; like I have to wash away grime and dirt left on me by slimy, gropey hands." He looked up when he heard a sharp intake of breath, and then the kitchen door slammed with an angry thud. Everyone was staring at him as if he'd grown a second head. "What?"

"You're not seriously asking this, are you?" Ivan looked as if he was about to kill him.

"Yes, because─ oh shit! I didn't mean his hands I─ shit!" He stormed out of the room behind Diarmad's fast-retreating form. "Diarmad! Shitshitshitshitshit. DIARMAD!"

But the man didn't stop, and when Nico finally reached his mate's rooms, all he heard was the loud 'click' of the lock. "Shit!"

He knew knocking wouldn't help, so he went into his own room and locked the door. This is ridiculous. How can he think I was talking about him? He went into the bathroom and turned on the water. Because he's insecure and just starting to trust again. Moron. He sighed; he had screwed up royally, so to speak.

Nico lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He tugged at the seam of the towel he had wrapped around his hips after taking a shower. How did this happen? One moment he and Diarmad were finally getting somewhere and then, some careless words later, everything was messed up again.

I can’t help feeling dirty and violated when I think about eyes following my every step, invading my privacy, watching me.... He shuddered. Nevertheless, he knew he had to do something, anything, to make this better fast. The thing was, he didn't know how.

He wasn't angry at D., only at himself. Me and my damned trap!

Running his hand through his damp hair, he looked at the phone lying beside him on the comforter. Shit! 7:45 already. He had to hurry and put some clothes on A.S.A.P. if he wanted to make it to dinner on time. He was in enough hot water already, no point in getting Ivan on his case also, for being late to one of his fancy dinners.

Nico walked over to his closet and looked at the few things he'd brought. Formal clothes required. Snorting, he reached for the only pair of black slacks and the one white dress shirt he still owned, then opened the top dresser drawer and grabbed a pair of black boxer briefs and black socks. When he pulled the handle of another drawer open, his hand hovered over the leather belt lying there. Diarmad gave it to me. I didn't even know I still had it. Liar!

He'd taken the damn thing with him wherever he went, like other people take their lucky charm. There had been times he'd wanted to throw it away, but somehow it had always found its way back into every suitcase, duffle, or whatever he'd packed. Groaning, he grabbed the belt. Maybe Diarmad will recognize it?

Nico was only a few minutes late. Of course, everybody was already present and enjoying their aperitifs. He also didn’t fail to notice that both seats at Diarmad's side were taken. To add insult to injury, the only place setting left was the one farthest away from his mate.

For one second, Nico entertained the childish idea of taking the under plate, napkin, and silverware and placing them even further away at the other end of the table.

"Evening."

Nobody looked up when he greeted them, and his empathic senses felt nothing but icy cold coming his way in waves. What the fuck! Nico was getting majorly pissed the closer he came to the table. They must know it was an honest mistake; that I would never ever say something like that to Diarmad. So why are they doing this? He probably should count himself lucky he was even allowed into the room, not banned from it and sent into the kitchen or in his room for misbehavior.

During the first two courses, nobody said more than three words to him. Ivan slammed the plates on the under plate in front of him, that was when he finally had enough. There were two ways he could handle the situation: He'd either go into the kitchen, make himself a sandwich, and then go into his room, after a hearty 'go fuck yourself', of course. Or, he could...and then it struck him why his friends were giving him the cold shoulder. They want to rile me up so I do something.... drastic. Okay, I can do that.

Pushing his chair back so it screeched loudly on the marble tiles, Nico got up and threw his damask napkin on his plate. Then he sauntered over to the head of the table, well aware that the eyes of every man in the room were on him. He was only interested in one pair of eyes though; the pair of midnight blue orbs that slowly changed to silver the closer he came to the man.

When he stood beside his mate's chair, he took the glass out of Diarmad's hand and the napkin from his lap. Diarmad pushed his chair back to leave. “Oh no! Don’t you dare run away from me again.” Nico straddled his thighs. With his left hand, he pulled Diarmad closer by his tie, until their faces were only inches apart. Then Nico opened his mind.

Even the most insusceptible Seraei could have read him at that moment.

Nico moved his lips slowly closer to Diarmad's, giving him every chance to turn away, although he still held him loosely by his tie. When nothing happened, he lightly brushed his lips over Diarmad's.

Now read me!

With every barrier gone Nico, was an open book. Diarmad could read how Nico felt, and everybody else in the room could also. Not that Nico gave a rat's ass. This was much too important to be shy, and they were his friends, right?

At first, Diarmad didn’t move, then he reached up, grabbed Nico, one hand placed against the back of his head, and pulled him down for a searing kiss.

Desperately needing to be alone with his mate, Diarmad stood up without letting go of Noël, who was forced to wrap his long legs around Diarmad's waist and his arms around his neck, so as not to fall down. Supporting him by placing his hands under his ass, Diarmad nodded at the men around his table with as much dignity as he could manage stated, "Continue without us." before he left the dining room in brisk strides.