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"Capture me for what? Norman Niemi is human, and sometimes he deals with paranormals, but all his men that I knew were human." Cooper fell silent for a moment, and Edward could feel his mind working. Something wasn't making sense to him.
"I screwed up on a couple of horse races that cost Norman probably a few thousand. He's worth millions. He wouldn't put money into hiring men to track me down magically for what he considers pocket change. I don't think Norman is aware of the magical world." Cooper looked up at him again and again. Those eyes were crippling in their neediness and desirability.
Edward moved the hand he had on Cooper's shoulder and wrapped his arm around him. "Come to me, sweetheart. Let me hold you." Cooper didn't resist and moved to lean against him.
"I'll figure this out, and if it becomes necessary to deal with a few people personally, I will take care of it." Edward soothed and calmed his beloved, intent on finding out more about Norman and the hired soldiers. His beloved was in danger. He knew that as the truth, he felt a menacing presence, and it wasn't just Norman or his men, but he wasn't as yet able to pinpoint the source.
"What if they catch me?" Edward felt a chill tremble through Cooper when he asked that question. His fear was there, sometimes bursting forth and other times idling below the surface. He wanted his beloved happy and at peace, not scared and on edge.
"If they so much as look at you, I will kill them, and that is a promise."
"Why does such a brutal statement fill me with such relief?" Cooper moved a little closer to Edward, and Edward tightened his hold and couldn't stop the soft smile that touched his lips. His beloved was a treasure, a pure and innocent treasure.
“They’re dead.” The man reported.
"How that helpless mage couldn't fight his way out of a wet paper bag? How did he kill three of my men, two of which were jackals?" His tone kept getting coarser and louder. Norman didn't like plans not going according to plan. He had a business agreement to fulfill, and that little bitch mage was making a mess of everything.
"He was with someone, and they were not helpless."
"Who was it, and why were they with that imp?" Norman again shouted, demanding answers.
"We don't know, but whoever he is, he's powerful and dark. The men who followed the others into that hotel room said the aura was a thick shadow which denotes old and powerful." The man knew the information was infuriating his boss, so he took a few steps back toward the door in case Mr. Niemi reacted badly as he often does.
Norman pounded on his desk and swept everything off it with his arm in a rage as he roared out his command. "Find that mage. If you don't, Marsden will take his disappointment out on all of us. He is vicious, and he has been promised Cooper Sloane, so we deliver Cooper Sloane. I don't care what you have to do to get him. I don't care if he is being protected by Satan himself. You will bring him to me and do it now." The man turned and left the room, and Norman began throwing things at the door as it closed.
Marsden would not be put off for long. If he didn't deliver soon, he would become the focus of Marsden anger. People who failed Marsden didn't live very long, nor did their associates. Marsden would destroy everyone and everything.
That stupid mage was going to be his ruin. The moment Marsden caught his scent, he was fixated, but with all his abilities, for some reason, he did not share, he was unable to track Cooper. Norman offered to bring Cooper to him, and now he was under contract to the man to either deliver Cooper or die.
He regretted hiring Marsden and bringing him into his world. He hired him to get rid of a business rival, but he should have been satisfied with the powers of a witch or simple spell caster. He decided he needed the warlock, and now his world was probably going to end.
Louis sat on the terrace with Ismael. It was early morning, and the sun had not yet risen. They were still at the ready, not yet willing to stand down both felt the ripple in the atmosphere indicating markers of magic clear but subtle and spaced.
“The mage and the Black Prince both are magical beings.” Ismael offered.
"It's more than just them. I could feel the Prince. His magic is specific and intentional. The mage's magic is soft and light and very limited. What I feel is malignant and slowly creeping toward us.” Louis was drawing a picture that was reminiscent of their previous battles with evil, malevolent magics.
"I thought we cleared the area of dark magics," Ismael commented.
"We did, and we will do it again," Louis vowed.
"I still can't believe that Fate gave that man a beloved." Ismael changed the subject. Louis smiled, remembering his discussion with Ezra earlier.
"There were people who were surprised that Fate had given me a beloved, so I will not judge this man."
"You were a soldier following the orders of your father. You weren't crazed with the need for vengeance. It was just the times, and it was how life was led." Ismael pointed out.
"Edward has changed. It was obvious in the fact he did not hurt your Easton, and when he returned, he asked permission to enter and waited to be allowed inside. Thayer said he was searching for healing his soul, and perhaps the mage was part of that search. I hope they find happiness both of them." Louis finished his whiskey and set the glass aside.
"May they find happiness." Ismael echoed, and they sat silently together, watching the sunrise.
Cooper lay with his head resting on Edward's chest, feeling the rise and fall as he breathed and listened to the steady beat of his heart. He never felt so at ease and at peace, even with the chaos that was following him. His head was so full of so many competing thoughts he couldn't focus on one, except for thoughts of Edward that seemed to surpass all others.
He was safe with this man. He knew it in his bones, but a part of him wanted to run. Running was always his go-to for problem-solving, and until now, it had worked remarkably well. This current situation didn't make sense, and he couldn't understand why Norman would send jackals after him unless he was really upset at being duped and wanted to make an example of him.
Cooper closed his eyes and pushed Norman from his mind with the vision of Edward. His heart swelled with an emotion he was not familiar with. It was an all-consuming desire that was laser focused on one man, and he felt as if he would do anything to please him and keep him near. This had never happened before. His relationships were always brief and noncommittal; he had never felt a need so deep and so sharp for someone before.
He didn't doubt that Edward was his mate. It was the only explanation for what he was feeling and the way he was acting. But with that said, where did that leave him? Edward used a lot of pretty and caring words, but in the end, he would tie himself to a lowly water mage. Cooper closed his eyes and tried to rest and clear his mind.
