“Talon?” Mace leaned forward, keeping his voice calm and level. Talon’s birth mother was aniradiaboli, a demon species notorious for their anger turning to obsession. “I get that you’re upset, but you need to chill.”
Where the hell was Sabre? He should be here helping.
Activity began near the fighting pit as the crews prepared for the next battle, and Talon’s gaze sharpened. “My turn.”
“Talon, don’t—”
Talon surged to his feet and took off toward the pit. Mace sat back in his seat and signaled for a drink. This was going to be a long night.
But not necessarily a bad one. He’d made some headway in his relationship with his brother. They’d connected for the first time since they were kids, and Mace felt like he finally understood Talon a little better.
He grinned as he watched Talon leap into the pit. The guy was a physician, but like the rest of the Sem and Horsemen crowd, he’d grown up learning to fight, and he could hold his own. And now that his evil girlfriend was out of the picture, maybe he’d find someone decent to mate.
The very word made Mace’s heart swell. He’d started the night thinking that he could lose it all, and instead, he’d gained everything.
“Mace, hey, what’s up?” Sabre, his face shadowed with half-healed bruises, sat across the table from him. “Where’s Talon?”
Mace gestured to the pit. “Have a seat and order a double. Scorn’s dead.”
Sabre’s head whipped around to where Talon was stripping down for the fight. “Shit. I feel like this is going to be the start of his villain arc.”
Mace laughed, but yeah. Talon wouldn’t take this well.
It was definitely going to be a long night.
Chapter 33
Blade’s parents were thrilled with the news.
After their initial shock at learning that two Sems could bond with one female, Shade and Runa had offered their congratulations, and they’d immediately started planning a party. And when Mace, Idess, Lore, Serena, and Wraith showed up, the planning turnedintoa party. Then his aunts, Sin and Tayla, arrived with his uncles, Eidolon and Con, and shit got wild.
Blade and Mace had been lucky enough to be raised by very sex-positive people…which made sense for Seminus demons. But humans were tricky. Fortunately, even the humans who had joined the clan had adapted to—and even celebrated—the sensual part of life. Some things just made life worth living.
Everyone was happy. And everyone was sworn to secrecy until Scotty’s parents—mainly, her scary-ass father—were told.
Now, a couple of hours later, Blade arrived home, disappointed that Scotty wasn’t there. She’d said she was going to talk to her sister to get some advice, and that she’d come straight back.
They’d all agreed that the three of them would be present when she told her parents at their ancient Greek manor. Ares wouldn’t respect anything less.
Blade and Mace might wait outside, though. Near the Harrowgate.
He paused in the living room as a warm sensation flowed through him. It was strange but comforting, and he drew in a startled breathwhen he realized what it was.
Scotty.
He’d been so busy that he hadn’t noticed the tingly sensation of awareness in the back of his mind and in the center of his chest that belonged to his mate. It was different than the brother link he shared with Crux and Rade. And Stryke—before he’d broken the connection. Those links were based on the intensity of emotions. Or death. When Chaos died, breaking their connection, Blade had felt as if a hole had been drilled through his core. One that had never been filled.
Until now.
The back door squeaked open, and he wheeled around, his pulse pounding in anticipation. But the hope of seeing his new mate died a painful death when the pounding footsteps didn’t belong to her.
Stryke stopped at the threshold between the kitchen and living room, the twitch of one dark eyebrow the only giveaway of his surprise to see Blade. As usual, when he visited family, he was all business-casual in black slacks and a half-tucked, purple button-down that screamed of his mate, Cyan’s, influence. She was the light to his dark, the sparkles to his drab, the fun to his boring.
Blade nodded in greeting. “You here to see Crux?”
“Good guess.” Stryke brushed past Blade and headed toward the game room.
“Wait.” Blade caught up, cutting him off at the entrance. “He says he’s going to ask if he can be there for Chasm’s birth.”
