She gulped, overcome by him. Every cell in her being feltlike his. Full-on...his.
ChapterEleven
Athan left Ivy sleeping peacefully in bed, his mind clear,and his body calm. Finally. Oh, they had a lot to figure out, but at least theywere on the same page. He sensed Benjamin Reese in the living room before hedetoured through the kitchen for a large cup of coffee and drank half of itdown before seeing his old friend lounging in one of the gray chairs, typing rapidlyon a smartphone. “I thought I locked the door.”
“It’s my penthouse,” Benny said easily, still texting. Thenhe looked up, his luminous eyes mellow and his hair a mess to his shoulders. “Ismell sex.”
Athan sighed and took the adjoining chair. “Benjamin. That’smy mate you’re talking about.”
Benny tossed the phone onto the sofa. “It’s about damntime.” He grinned. As an immortal, Benny was overlarge, and that wasn’tcounting his personality, which was a cross between massive and insane. Athanhad always figured Benny used the odd personality as a front. “Where is she? Iwant to congratulate her.” His voice was booming.
Athan shook his head. “She’s sleeping. How’s Karma?” Bennyhad mated Karma, adopted her two human girls, and then promptly impregnated herthree times, having boys.
“She’s great. About to get pregnant again, I’m sure.” Bennysat back, overwhelming the plus-sized chair.
“That’s amazing. Congrats,” Athan murmured, taking anotherdrink of the too-strong brew. It was difficult for immortals to procreate, andit often took centuries for siblings to be born.
Benny nodded. “Right? I mean, if you think about it, there’sa reason the Kayrs family has ruled the Realm, and the Kyllwoods, the demonnations. They just have more kids than anybody else, so they have moresecurity, and there’s always somebody ready to step up. Never thought I’dfollow that path.”
Athan’s eyebrow rose on its own. “You want to lead a nation?”
“Fuck, no.” Benny tipped back his coffee mug. “But Iwouldn’t mind owning a continent or two, you know?”
Athan had no idea. “Sure.”
“The Maxwells had a bunch of kids, right?” Benny’s face wassquare and rugged, and his shoulders were too broad for his shirt. “It’s reallytoo bad about your curse. Or I guess it’s all genetics these days. You probablyhave some weird mutation.” He leaned forward, planting his elbows on his knees.He wore a new blue flannel shirt and dark jeans, no doubt insisted upon byKarma. “There might be a cure, you know.”
“I’m well aware,” Athan said. “One of my brothers has hadcontact with the queen. Hopefully, she’ll find the answer.” The queen of theRealm was a brilliant geneticist determined to figure out all the immortal species.Although did the Maxwell clan trulywantan answer? For centuries,fate had helped them to find their mates, and their bonds were unique. TheMaxwell curse very often turned out to be a blessing, and who would they bewithout that? He forced himself back to business and the Kurjans. “Dayne isdead?”
Benny nodded somberly. “Yeah. Paxton Phoenix killed him withGarrett Kayrs holding him still. The Kurjans have placed bounties on both theirheads, but right now, we’re more worried about Ulric’s return.”
Ulric was the psychotic leader of the religious arm of theKurjans, but he wasn’t Athan’s problem right now. “I’m concerned about Baston.What do you know?”
“I know the treaty in place between the Maxwells and theKurjans is now over since Dayne is buried deep,” Benny said in a rare andsomber moment. “He’s coming for your grams.”
“Intel?” Athan asked, his mind settling into strategy. Nobodythreatened his family. Period.
“Not much.” Benny grimaced. “We have an operative in Kurjanheadquarters right now, and Baston’s on the move. He has three nephews workingexclusively with him, and they’ve scattered wide and far to find her. The bountyon your gramps, alive or dead, is the highest I’ve ever seen, and the one onyour grams, alive only, is comparable. I hope they’re locked down.”
Athan grimaced. His grandparents most certainly were notlocked down. “I’m sure Cathal is trying to put my grams in a safe place, butshe’s, um, stubborn.” After a century or two, most immortals resorted to firstnames, even for parents and grandparents to avoid confusion if humans werearound. It would be odd to call someone who looked mostly the same age by thename ofGramps. Yet Grams would always be Grams to Athan. “Do you haveany other intel, Benny?”
Benny eyed the closed door to the master bedroom. “Just thattrouble is coming, my old friend. A bunch of elements and situations I can’tdiscuss are about to come to a head, and I’m not sure what will happen. I’msecuring my family far away from the Tetons, just FYI.”
As a warning and a hint, it was helpful. “We’ve fortifiedthe Montana base.” There was no reason to be coy with Benny, considering he’dvisited the family holdings more than once throughout the years. “Are we goingto be affected by whatever you’re involved with now? Whatever the Seven mightbe?” He took pleasure from the surprise that flickered in Benny’s deep eyes.“Yeah. We have resources, as well.” The Seven were an immortal group somehowfighting Ulric, and Benny was one of them. An oddity to be sure.
“I don’t know.” Benny always gave the truth, which was oneof the reasons Athan put up with hisuniqueness. “If you’re affected,then so is the entire world. We’re doing our best, but the end is coming soon.Trust me.”
Athan nodded. “I do. If you require my assistance, I expecta call.”
“Always.” Benny scratched his rock-solid jaw. “You’re smartto finally finish this mating, or complete it, right now. Just in case the worldblows up or something.”
Athan sighed. “Care to tell me more?”
“Can’t. You just worry about Baston and his nephews. He’s,ah…he hasn’t given up on your grams. With the new virus and all.” Benny winced.
Irritation flared throughout Athan. “The female has beenmated for three millennia.”
“Some chicks are hard to forget,” Benny drawled.
