“Sloan Murphy, you old son of a bitch.” Rafe Calder was older than Sloan, with long hair braided down his back. He was a big man with a friendly smile, but Sloan knew just how deadly this Warrior could be when that smile disappeared. He was a fair man who cared for the Warriors under his command, and Sloan respected the hell out of him.
Sloan walked up to him with a grin as they gave each other a man hug. “You’re older than me, asshole.” Sloan slapped him on the back. “What the hell are you doing here in Florida? Last I heard, you were heading up the unit in New York.”
“New York is great, but it doesn’t hold a candle to year-round sunshine, beautiful women and bikinis.” Rafe threw his arms out with a huge grin. “Come on in. Let’s catch up for a minute. This is Casey and Simon.”
Sloan nodded, then shook the hands of the two men standing behind Rafe.
“Heard a lot of stories about you,” Casey said with a grin.
“Don’t believe a thing that man says.” Sloan frowned, but put his arm around Rafe’s shoulder as they went into the house. Sloan wasn’t friendly with a lot of people, but he and Rafe had a long history. They had been through very good times and very bad times. Sloan had saved Rafe’s life when a sting went bad. It had been too close of a call for Rafe, and ever since then, they had been lifelong friends.
Sloan’s eyes looked around the compound as they entered. It was big, but not as big as theirs in Cincy. A few Warriors walked through, giving them a nod as they passed.
“Why don’t you guys show King around?” Rafe said as they stopped in front of a door. “He didn’t get to see much when you brought that doctor here.”
Sloan watched as King left with the two men, then followed Rafe into what he assumed was his office. Rafe sat behind a desk, and Sloan took a seat on the other side. For a minute, Rafe didn’t say anything. He just stared at Sloan.
“Duncan filled me in on everything.” Rafe finally broke the silence. “How are you, man?”
Sloan sighed, letting his guard down a little. He trusted Rafe more than most, so he knew he could lay it all bare. “It’s fucked me up.” Sloan took his sunglasses off and put them on his head. “I never thought I would have a mate, and a human mate at that.”
Rafe actually laughed. “I’m gonna be honest. I about shit myself when I heard you took a mate.” Rafe’s smile faded slightly. “She must be a very special lady.”
“She is.” Sloan wanted nothing more than to finish this and get back to her. He fucking missed her so much, and he had just left that morning. “You’re going to have to make a trip to Cincinnati and meet her.”
“Definitely.” Rafe nodded, then frowned. “We’ve heard rumors of this Golden Blood. Guess it’s not just rumors.”
“Slade Buchanan, who is our doctor, has been working with King’s mate, Amara, and her nephew, who both have it. All of our Warriors have been given small infusions of their blood. It makes us immune to silver.” Sloan didn’t get into all of it. He didn’t have time. “Slade is still doing research. Amara and Joeywant to help the VC and are willing to donate their blood to all units across the country if it can be done safely for them.”
“That’s a lot of blood, my friend.” Rafe leaned back in his chair. “But if it can be done, that would be a benefit to us all.”
“There are others out there with this blood type, but it’s rare.” Sloan met his gaze. “If it only takes a very small amount and lasts, then it can be done. That’s what Slade is researching now.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard of this Buchanan. Heard he’s a damn good doctor and Warrior.” Rafe cocked an eyebrow. “I also heard fighting against silver isn’t the only thing this Golden Blood can do... Dad.”
Sloan smirked at Rafe’s low-key teasing. “Fuck you, Rafe.” Sloan actually chuckled, then shook his head. “Jesus, man. If what Daniel says is true and I’m a father... well, it’s fucked with my head more than anything ever has.”
“Finally.” Rafe slammed his hands on his desk. “Something that rattles the mighty Sloan Murphy.”
“You’re still an asshole,” Sloan smirked, shaking his head.
“Absolutely.” Rafe grinned. “So, this Daniel. He’s the Demon Slayer we’ve been hearing about?”
“Yeah.” Sloan nodded, not surprised that word of Daniel had spread. “You having a lot of demon issues down here?”
“Fuck yes, those nasty-ass smelly bastards. Give me a rogue any day.” Rafe’s eyes narrowed. “We’ve been getting more and more Dark Guardians down this way because of it. That’s how we heard of Daniel. I’d like him to come down here for a few weeks and get rid of some of these fuckers.”
“You can always send some of your guys up to Cincinnati,” Sloan offered. “I’m sure he’d help you out.”
“I might take you up on that.” Rafe nodded, then picked up his phone. “Get that doctor in the interrogation room.” He ordered, then hung up.
“So, it’s true about this Golden Blood then.” Rafe watched Sloan closely. “Your mate is pregnant, and it’s yours. Their blood is that strong it can make a vampire fertile?”
“Listen, I’m going to be honest with you. I have no fucking clue, but I trust Daniel. He knows shit that would have you locking yourself in a room, ready to sit in a corner and freak the fuck out. When he says something, I listen because he has never been wrong.” Sloan’s eyes shifted around the room, then fell back on Rafe. “Nothing, and I mean nothing, has shaken my men or me as much as this has.”
Rafe nodded, then stood. “I haven’t said anything about this to my men, and I won’t until we know for sure what exactly is going on. Will you keep me informed?”
“Of course.” Sloan also stood. “We had planned on releasing the information to the Council after Slade had everything figured out. Not worrying about silver killing us instantly will help us do the job we need to do.”
