sentence. These are your mates. “I thought you two needed time with each other before I came barging into your lives, but I found it impossible not to be near you in some way.”
“You have a unique advantage over us,” Arvyn said, and Ra couldn’t pick up how he was feeling from his tone. “Being able to sit not five feet from us, and us not able to scent or discern your presence in any way…”
“I didn’t mean any harm,” Ra cut in quickly. He tried a smile. “Should you ever decide to claim me as your mate and beloved, then you’ll always know when I’m near, no matter what form I’m in. You’ll be able to sense me always.”
Arvyn nodded and opened his mouth to say something, but as he did the bell over the door jingled and three young men stumbled in, laughing and joking with each other. They completely ignored the tableau in front of them, pushing and shoving each other as they made their way to the counter.
“Eggs!” One of them pounded loudly on the counter. “I need eggs.”
Ra’s fingers twitched, the urge to just send the youngsters out the door again really strong, but a slight shake of Kirill’s head stopped him.
“Have you eaten?” the vampire asked him quietly. “Only, I’m thinking we need to go somewhere private… not the coven at the moment but a hotel or…”
“I don’t want to stay here.” Ra got up and moved around the table. “If you can trust me…” He looked over to where the waitress with a clenched jaw was ringing up the boys’ orders. “Outside. I can take us somewhere private. On this realm,” he muttered when a flash of uneasiness crossed Arvyn’s face.
“This has been an overwhelming night,” Arvyn said by way of apology. “My instincts are screaming one thing…”
“But your head is screaming something else.” Ra dropped his head as his heart sank into his boots. “I totally understand. You can get my number from Wes anytime…”
“You’re not going anywhere,” Kirill snarled. “We need to talk.”
Kirill’s tone stiffened Ra’s spine. Drawing a small circle with his finger, he ran a ward around himself and his mates, shielding Cass, Wes and the other inhabitants in the diner. As soon as it was in place, he let his power build. His jaw set, his eyes firm, Ra glared at the now-stunned vampire.
“I understand this is all new to you. I totally get that having me in your mating mix wasn’t something you’d ever considered. Mating is a whole new concept to us gods as well, but the one thing that comes through loud and clear is that a mating, no matter who it’s between, is equal. You do not dictate to me what I can and cannot do, the same as I would never presume to do that to you. You have no idea, do you?”
“What?” Kirill held up his hands.
In response, Ra turned to Arvyn, his heart aching at how the alpha wolf’s shoulders were hunched, and he looked like any tail he had would be firmly between his legs. “Arvyn, I didn’t throw a dose of my power at you two to cause you any anxiety. You have nothing to fear from me. But I got told you, out of the three of us, would be the one most likely to follow his instincts and want to be with his mate. But I frighten you – the thought of being on another realm frightens you. Where’s the trust?”
Turning back to Kirill, Ra continued. “And you. You had no right to use that tone with me, not because of who I represent, but because we’re meant to be together. Nor did you have any right to hold Arvyn back from coming to me which was his first instinct. I have a lot of power – this, what you’re experiencing, is just a fraction of it. That’s what comes from being the Father of Everything in my pantheon. But I made myself vulnerable. I came to you as a man because I wanted to be an equal in our potential relationship.”
“Ra.” Arvyn sounded shattered and Ra’s heart broke even further.
“You two need to talk,” he said suppressing his power, and dropping his voice. “Maybe there isn’t a place for a god in your relationship, and if that’s the case, then I’ll accept it. I’m not a god who’s going to whisk you away to another realm, permanently separating you from your precious coven or your mortal