pleased too that my dust, our dust, that was created with really positive feelings, did something positive today. Does that make sense?”
“It does.” Dian came in and closed the door behind him. The quiet of the house was exactly what Kee needed. “I do have something I need to discuss with you, that I learned from Eagle just before the meeting started. Did you want to curl up on the couch, or the bed?”
“How abouts we head into the kitchen, and I’ll make us some sandwiches?” Dian sounded serious and Kee had a sudden need to do something with his hands. Without waiting for a reply, he went into the kitchen, knowing Dian would follow, and busied himself, pulling out bread, spreads, and deli meats from the cupboards and refrigerator. “So,” he said, laying it all out on the counter, and reaching for a bread knife from the kitchen drawer, “what’s got you all serious? I thought we’d be celebrating.”
“I badly want to celebrate.” Dian sighed, sinking into a handy stool on the other side of the kitchen counter. “Cam said I can buy this house for us, we’ve been accepted as residents, and the sanctuary law means you’ll be safe from people finding out where you are.”
“We can have this as our home?” Kee dropped the knife on the counter and ran to Dian, wrapping his arms around his neck. His spiritual tail was wagging. “Really? Truly? You’ve got no idea how long I’ve wanted a true home, with walls, and a roof and foundations and everything. A backyard for a puppy, a mailbox in the yard. Truly, we can have all this and it’s not going to break you financially?”
“Cam’s being very fair on the price, and yes, I can afford it for us easily.”
“That… is… so… exciting.” Kee peppered his words with kisses along Dian’s solid jaw. “We just have to get your stuff moved. My stuff is easy enough. Eagle can have his own room anytime he wants to visit and if you have other family… oh, my gods, this is amazing news.” Leaving a last kiss on the middle of Dian’s chin, Kee ran back around the counter so he could finish the sandwiches. “Happy dancing here as I make the sandwiches,” he sang as he picked up the knife.
Dian looked down at the countertop. “Maybe hold off on the dancing just yet. A little problem’s come up at work.”
Kee’s feet stilled, and he frowned, confused. “I thought you were quitting your job so you could stay here with me. That was the whole point in asking for sanctuary.” He started putting butter on the bread.
“That was my plan. That is my plan. It just might not happen as soon as we’d like it to.”
“Nope.” Kee shook his head. “Still not understanding. You’re here on holiday. You found your mate. Now we’re mated, fated mates, and you have every right to want to spend time with me. Mates don’t like to be apart. You simply tell them you’re mated now and quit.”
Dian made a sound. It could’ve been frustration or constipation, Kee wasn’t sure, but it wasn’t a happy sound. “It’s not that easy? Do you have to work out a notice period or something?” Kee was trying to be reasonable.
Heaving out a big sigh, Dian leaned his elbows on the counter. “What I’m about to tell you, you must not breathe a word about it to anyone else. Not Cam, Fergus, Seth, Ra, anyone at the bar – you can’t even tell Eagle I told you.”
Kee put the knife down, his heart beating fast. “Okay, but tell me first, is someone I know in trouble?”
“No.” Dian shook his head. “Eagle and I came here following up a lead on a supervisor who’s gone missing suddenly. Cam… Cam used to work for the supervisor and my boss thought Cam might know where this other person had gone. He was our lead.”
“I don’t know a lot about Cam, but he was kind to me when I first came to town and he didn’t have to be.” Kee picked up a packet of sliced beef and opened it, tearing at the meat slices and dropping them on his buttered bread. “I can’t see him being responsible for anyone disappearing unless that person hurt Fergus, Ivan, or Fergus’s mother.”
“You’re right. I’ve actually known Cam a long time, although when he left the council job and moved here, we fell out of touch. But no, Cam didn’t have anything