Benji laughed, making Micah stare at him. The smaller angel stopped instantly and frowned. “Was I not meant to laugh at that? But it was funny. He was making a joke.”
“He wasn’t, Benji, but that’s okay.” Micah smiled at him grimly before turning back to Finn. “The old Seraphim might’ve blindly followed orders, but things are different now.”
Benji’s eyes met mine. “Yeah. Turns out finding your mates changes things. Everything, actually. Suddenly they belong to you and you realise you’ll break any rules to protect them.”
I blinked slowly, processing what he’d said.
Finding your mates changes things.
They belong to you.
Belong to you.
Belong.
Benji winked at me.
“Benji’s right, there’s no way we’re letting Reid go with the Clarksons,” Micah said slowly, carding a hand through his hair. “But I’m not sure staying here is the right decision either. It’ll lead to more violence once we leave.”
“I’m not leaving,” I repeated, my mind still racing. “I refuse.”
Micah shot me a sympathetic smile. “I get it, I do. But you’d be safer in the Seraphim compound while we work to undo this law or find a workaround. Don’t worry, you wouldn’t be the only human there. Five of the Seraphim have human mates, and all of them would welcome you.”
Huh. A mixed human and supe community. God, that must be fascinating. I’d have loved to know more.
But not enough to actually go with them.
Thankfully, Benji had handed me the out we needed. “That’s okay. We won’t need to do that.”
Micah looked puzzled. Even Finlay and the wolves were eyeing me curiously.
All except Evan, of course. Either he didn’t want to look away from Neil and the Clarksons, or he trusted me to know what I was doing.
And I did. I’d never been more certain of anything in my life. Why we hadn’t thought of this yesterday was beyond me. It was so fucking obvious.
Clearing my throat, I addressed the smaller angel. “What does the law say regarding mates and clan membership?”
Evan whipped his head around, his massive jaw swinging open.
Benji grinned. “Law sixteen, part three, section D states that a human belongs to their mate’s clan, regardless of former kinship.”
I grinned right back. “Excellent. Looks like we’ve found our solution.”
Chapter 33
Evan
There had been many times during this encounter when I’d wanted to shift back to my human form. When I’d longed for my voice so I could insist that none of these fuckers were coming anywherenearReid.
But remaining shifted was safer. It made it easier to protect him. I trusted that Finn and the others would have my back in making sure Reid’s wishes were heard. Something they’d done in spades.
Now though, I couldn’t hold the shift back. My wolf was so shocked that he didn’t even protest, handing the reins over to me willingly.
When the shift was finished, I cupped Reid’s face. “What are ye implying, sweetheart?”
“Make me your mate,” he said simply. “I’ll officially become a McCarthy, and I’m sure these kind gentlemen will escort the Clarksons off the property for us.”
I couldn’t believe I was about to say this. My wolf, realising what was coming, tried to force a shift just so I wouldn’t. “No, sweetheart.”
