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“Not right away, no,” I told him. “You wanted to see my gargoyle.” I had us up the stairs and was walking into my bedroom when Lewis’s phone chimed. “Are you expecting someone to message you?”

He sighed as I set him down. “It’s Beau’s sound. Either Evan told him about us, or he’s still clueless and messaging me just because.” Lewis pulled his phone from his pocket, and several emotions emerged from his face. He looked up at me with shock while holding out his phone. “He said the guys told them I’d gone for a walk because I’d found my mate. He wanted to say congratulations and to let me know he made it to Lukan’s with his mate, Roman, and their little boy.”

I nodded slowly. I figured my time with my mate was up. I smiled at him. “Then I’d say that it was time to get you back to the Friendsgiving. You can see your best friend and his baby and, most importantly, eat.” I was going to cook for him after showing him my gargoyle, but that would have to wait.

Lewis looked over at the bed. “But what about us? What about your gargoyle and the other stuff? You mentioned sex, Vaughn.”

I grinned down at my adorable mate. “I did.” I reached out and ran my fingers through his hair. It was soft, and I could see myself quickly becoming addicted to touching it. “That happens to be a favorite activity for most mated couples,” I told him. “But it can wait just a bit longer, no?” I didn’t want to wait, but I also didn’t want to be the reason he missed seeing his friend.

Lewis shook his head. “Just like that? You’re just changing our plans?”

“I want very much to have you all to myself, but I think that maybe you should be the one to share your news with your friend and not his brother?”

Lewis seemed to understand what I was saying. “Oh. Maybe.”

I could tell he was still torn. I bent down and swung him up in my arms again, getting another squeak from my mate. “We can come back to our plans later. We have all evening and night.”

“I really want to argue with you about that,” Lewis said as I went back down the stairs. It was probably for the best anyway. I needed to feed him, and if the food was already prepared at Lukan’s, that would certainly be easiest.

When we reached the front door, I set Lewis down to get his coat. It wasn’t a long walk, but it was cold out, and even I could hear the wind outside. “You will need your coat,” I said as I opened the closet door. As I did that, there was a loud knock on the front door. I sighed before letting out a low growl of frustration.

I turned and pulled the front door open, ready to growl at whoever was on the other side, but immediately found myself doing what I could to calm myself. “Chief Daegal.” My eyes moved to the man beside him. “Master Edison.” I felt Lewis’s hands on my waist, and then he was leaning around me to peek outside.

“Vaughn, I’m glad that we were able to catch the two of you before things went where they no doubt are headed,” Master Edison said.

I groaned internally, and after wrapping an arm around Lewis, I stepped back and opened the door the rest of the way. “Please come in,” I told them.

“Thank you,” Chief Daegal said as he gestured for Master Edison to enter and then followed. “We won’t be long, but we did have something important to discuss with the two of you. After I received your texts earlier, I took the liberty of contacting Edison.” I nodded at that.

“You already messaged your chief?” Lewis whispered. Chief Daegal chuckled. I nodded. It had been Evan, actually, but I would explain that later.

“With it being a long weekend off, and Rainier away for the weekend, he wouldn’t be available to show you houses. I am happy to do so if the two of you have time,” Master Edison said, pulling our attention back to him.

“And I am here to offer congratulations on finding your mate and to let you know that you will not need to be into the council for the next thirty days. Effective immediately, you are on leave.”

I nodded slowly. I knew that the council was generous with leave for newly mated enforcers, but I hadn’t paid all that much attention. I wasn’t expecting to find my mate while I was an enforcer, but perhaps I should have. There seemed to be quite a few mates located within or around the council.

“That is very generous, Chief Daegal. I appreciate it a great deal.”

“The same goes for you, Lewis. Konrad has already been notified, and he is more than ready to cover at the bakery.”

“But Beau has been out because of the pregnancy.”

“It will be covered,” Master Edison said. “There are plenty of others to cover for a bit. You need to be focusing on your mate for the next month.”

Lewis leaned into my side a bit more, and I pulled him closer, tucking him under my arm completely.

“I still feel bad about that though.”

“You shouldn’t. This is a time for happiness, and the two of you should consider getting settled into your new place before anything else happens. We have two different places open and available,” Master Edison said. “Number five is open, as is number thirteen. I will say that thirteen is on the same end as Ramsey and Raiden and is across the road from Frederick.”

I nodded. I worked with the warlock; did I want to live that close to him?

“And number five?” I asked.

“It’s between Everett and Marc.”

I looked down at Lewis. “What do you say? Do you want to go look at a new house?”