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Cheap toaster.
“What in the hell happened?” Ajax demanded as he pulled Drake into his arms, prying the knife out of Drake’s hand and setting it aside.
As Kenji recounted the events, Tido inched closer to his mate, seeking the comfort and security of his embrace. He wanted to be held, just like Drake and Elijah were being held.
When he was close enough, Kenji pulled Tido closer and wrapped an arm around his waist. The warmth of their bodies pressed together brought a sense of comfort and ease to Tido’s anxious mind. This was exactly what he had been searching for—not just a boyfriend but someone who truly understood him on a deeper level without the need for words.
In this moment, Tido felt understood and accepted, and his worries began to fade away like a distant memory.
Despite the tension that hung in the air from the confrontation with the demon, the group settled into an evening of conversation and laughter. Tido was grateful for the distraction, and he couldn’t help but notice the ease with which Kenji interacted with his friends.
As they talked and joked, Tido felt a sense of pride in his mate. Kenji was strong and confident, able to joke about the near-death experience as easily as someone might discuss renovations on their home. It was clear that Kenji was comfortable in his own skin, and it made Tido feel proud to be his mate.
When the evening drew to a close, Tido and Kenji shared a quiet moment together in the living room. Tido wrapped his arms around his mate, pulling him close. In that moment, surrounded by the comforting weight of Kenji's body against him, Tido realized that no matter what lay ahead, he was glad he’d taken his dad’s advice and given Kenji as shot.
The guy’s world might be scary as hell, but so was the human world. At least he had Kenji to lean on.
“How’re you holding up?” Kenji ran his fingers through Tido’s hair.
“Better,” Tido admitted. “I’m just surprised you, Mason, and Ajax were able to joke about what happened.”
“It’s not my first run-in with demons,” Kenji admitted. “It’s not Mason’s or Ajax’s first time, either. Laughter helps ease that knot of tension in your chest and lower your blood pressure.”
“I never looked at it that way,” Tido replied. “Whenever I’m going through something tense, laughing is the last thing on my mind.”
Kenji smiled, pulling away from their embrace slightly to meet Tido’s eyes. “You’re still new to this, Tido. We’ve all had our fair share of battles and hardships. But we’ve learned that laughter and friendship can help us through the toughest times.”
Tido nodded. He knew he had to be strong and resilient to be with Kenji, and maybe laughter was the key. “I’ll try to remember that, but if I laugh at the wrong time, don’t blame me. You’re the one who said to laugh.”
With a chuckle, Kenji got up, pulling Tido with him. “Why don’t we go to your place and get some rest?”
That sounded like the perfect ending to a chaotic day.
Chapter Six
Kenji needed to find out what the hell was going on. Ajax was the only person who knew he was in Midnight Falls. Kenji hadn’t told anyone in his pack where he was going. In fact, he hadn’t told anyone in his pack that he was leaving. He’d simply packed one night, jumped into his SUV, and left.
Truth be told, Kenji had taken all of his belongings with him. Not his furniture or shit like that. His clothes, personal things, and important papers. The back of his SUV had been filled. When he’d shown up to see Ajax, Kenji hadn’t been completely honest.
He’d said he’d be staying for a month, but Kenji had no inclination of returning home. He’d been the first person to leave the pack since Ajax’s departure. Things had gotten so crazy that Kenji couldn’t take it anymore.
The politics. The lying. The backstabbing. Just watching Kramer prance around like he was their king instead of their alpha. And he was barely an alpha. It was his father, Luther, who called all the shots behind the scenes. The only reason Luther wasn’t alpha was because he was so damn old.
His son was young and had many decades ahead of him. Luther was power-hungry. Ajax’s absence had left a hole in the pack and had left everyone mourning his departure. Luther saw that weakness and shoved Kramer into position. By the time everyone had gotten their shit together, it was too late. Kramer was their leader.
Dissension ensued. Those who verbally opposed Kramer’s ruling disappeared. Those who whispered about the cruelty and how Kramer wasn’t fit for the job, poof, gone.
Kenji knew his time in the pack was coming to a close. He, and a few other members, had been planning a coup. It was Desmon who was supposed to take charge after they killed Kramer and Luther.
Two members of their secret group had met “accidental” deaths. One had been killed on a hunting trip. One by a housefire. When Desmon backed out of becoming alpha, afraid for his life, Kenji was done. The infighting and betrayals were going to tear the pack apart, and it was time for him to leave.
Now a demon had shown up at his door. It couldn’t be a coincidence. Maceson had called and said Kramer and his father were having secret meetings. Kenji would bet the subject of one of those meetings was coming after him for the planned coup.
He made sure Tido was asleep before he walked into the living room and dialed Maceson.
“Have you changed your mind?” Maceson said, poisoned honey dripping from every word. “Are you going to let me come to you?”
Kenji's voice was filled with venom as he growled, “I was in a dark place when we were together and foolishly tolerated your sick manipulations. But you knew the danger Kramer posed, and yet you still wanted to play more twisted games, even when my safety was at stake.” His fists clenched tightly, nails digging into his palms as he stared through the front window at the darkness outside.
