Nathan shuddered as the weight left his shoulders. The guilt wasn’t gone—wouldn’t be gone for a very long time, he was sure—but here, in Storm’s arms, he didn’t have to be strong. He could relax the tension that twisted him tightly in the day to day. Storm would never judge him for anything, and having someone give him that kind of support left him feeling shaken, the way a wound ached after a thorn was removed. It was still painful, but it was a good kind of pain. The freeing kind.
For just a moment, he tucked his nose in the warm curve of Storm’s neck, just letting himself be held. Storm’s big hands splayed wide across his back.
“Okay,” he finally said, straightening. “We can go in now.”
Storm offered him a smile. “Okay, sunshine.”
Nathan let himself be led to the door, his fingers tangled with Storm’s, who seemed to have no intention of letting him go.
Inside, everyone was scattered around the open space. The disco ball twinkled merrily above Angela and Zachary’s heads. Their wooden practice swords clacked together, and it looked more like they were playing than training. Ira was pouring himself a cup of coffee at the snack bar. Wolf, Talon, and Alex stood near the air hockey table, while Luke and Malachi stood at the half-wall, smiling at the kids’ antics.
“Can’t I convince you to stay behind?” Talon said to Alex as they approached.
Alex smiled patiently at him. “No.”
Talon’s breath gusted from his lungs, ending with a low growl that sounded more like a jungle cat than a man. “It’s dangerous.”
“Exactly. I like Nate. I don’t want Lilith to eviscerate him.”
Nathan’s brows rose. Was that a concern? He glanced at Storm, who shook his head.
“I wouldn’t let that happen,” Talon said.
“You barely tolerate Nathan,” Alex said.
Talon’s mouth opened in offense. “Are you saying you don’t trust me?”
Alex’s mouth twitched. “I trust you with my life, Tal. I’m just not sure I trust you withhislife.”
“Ouch,” Nathan said. “And hello. What a nice conversation to walk in on.”
Alex greeted him first, fairly skipping over and shaking Nathan’s hand. “Hey, man. Storm told us about what happened last night.” His gaze fell to the gauze on Nathan’s forearm. He’d used less today, but there was no hiding it with his short-sleeved shirt. The material was stark against his suntanned skin. “Glad to see you’re okay.”
Over Alex’s shoulder, Talon watched them, unmoving.
Nathan focused on Alex, offering him a weak smile. “Thanks. It was… a rough night. I feel terrible about what happened to that boy.”
Luke joined them then, clapping Nathan on the shoulder. “It sounds like you did all you could for him, and in the end you made sure he wouldn’t suffer any longer and protected your squad. You did what any of us would’ve done.”
Nathan’s expression twisted. He didn’t want to cry in front of old shield-brothers and their demon partners. Desperately, he scanned the room for Storm, who’d moved away to let the humans talk together. His red gaze was steady, like a hand waiting to catch him, and when Nathan’s eyes found his, he mimed taking a slow, deep breath.
Talon glanced between them, ever observant, but there was no judgment on his face.
Ira drew Nathan’s attention next, stepping directly in front of him. The serenity he exuded did almost as much to calm him as Storm’s attention.
“You did the right thing,” Ira said confidently. “The mercy you showed him won’t be punished. Rest easy.”
Nathan blew out a breath. “Thank you, Ira.”
Alex returned to Talon’s side, and Talon argued, “And hey, Itoleratehim. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t allow him to be here. Besides, you would all evisceratemeif I let anything happen to him. So he’ll be perfectly safe.”
“Yes, because I’m going,” Alex said, reeling Talon in for a quick kiss. “I’m a paladin, remember? Well. Former paladin. I’m a fighter. I can handle Lilith and her halflings.”
“I never doubted that,” Talon said plaintively. “I just prefer keeping you somewhere safe.”
‘I can’t live in a bubble, Storm,’Nathan had said just that morning. The urge to protect was universal for demons, he supposed. How strange.
Wolf checked his phone. “Xyra put me in touch with a friend of hers, Magda. She’s one of the new bartenders at In Extremis, and she says Lilith just arrived. You guys are good to go whenever you’re ready. You sure you don’t need the rest of us to tag along?”
