Chapter 4

Gideon was riveted in place, the huntress's look in her eyes holding him more than her hands did in that moment. Suddenly, the nine years between that long-ago Samhain night and this one evaporated. Gideon remembered everything he had been feeling when she had accidentally stumbled upon him that particular full moon, the very same memories and feelings he had refused to examine ever since. Loneliness, pain, and a brutal hunger beyond the scope of all definition. He had been assaulted relentlessly by them all. It had been twisting through him, worse and worse, year after year, threatening his sanity. It had made him angry, feeling somehow weakened and cheated. He had spent a millennium learning how to control everything about and around himself. He was the most powerful Demon in their history. How could this petty, primal thing be affecting him as if he were some kind of cosmic tadpole flipping around mindlessly in a primordial ooze?

And then Legna had suddenly been standing before him, just as she was now, and everything had changed. It had become all about heat, and need, and the desire for a taboo youth and beauty he had always admired above all others. Not only that, but she had looked at him with that catlike intensity in that moment as well. It was so seductive, so powerful, and so clearly determined. Her will was a formidable thing, but he had never realized how formidable until she had turned it on him.

And now, it was burning into him again, her eyes hot with intent, flaring to a jeweled green color as she slowly, thoroughly, measured him as a male. That purposeful gaze sent flames licking over his skin. Arousal ten times more powerful than even the Hallowed moon had inspired went roaring through him. It had been centuries since he had last shown any real interest in a being of the opposite sex. With a life so long as his, one tended to transcend the physical needs of the body, either with more intellectual pursuits or just because no matter what the variety of partners, nothing new could come from the experience and a sensation of repetition set in.

At least, that had been what he had thought until the night he had lost himself to Legna's wicked eyes. He had blamed it on the moon, reaffirming the weakness to himself later on when he found himself stalking the halls of Noah's home far oftener than could be explained away, always watching as Legna floated from one room to another, seemingly oblivious to him, never remaining in his sight for more than a minute at a time.

He had struggled with himself the entire year, and as Samhain had loomed dangerously before him once more, he had purposely removed himself from her influence. He had known on some level that she would be too great a temptation to resist, and he did not want to find himself forcing his will upon her in the middle of a fit of passionate madness.

He had thought the distance would save him. Instead, it had destroyed him, leaving him vulnerable to any female that caught his slightest attention. And that female had unfortunately been a human. A simple, fragile human who would never have survived the nature of a Demon mating.

There was no describing the mortification that followed after he had been caught attempting to break that most sacred of all their laws. The only bearable recourse was to lock himself into deep isolation, exiling himself from everyone and everything, which he had done for the last eight years.

Gideon had reemerged, ironically enough, last Samhain, when Legna had put out a call to him, dragging him to her side with a thought This was so that he could aid a critically wounded Jacob, the same Demon Enforcer who had punished him, and rightfully so. Gideon had thought that, if he could perform normally and with control amongst his people as he had during that recent volatile time, then his bout with the madness must be over. He had thought it safe to return to mainstream Demon life, his internal struggle overcome, defeated.

How wrong he had been.

He now knew that he had not learned how to resist Legna's allure after all. He never would. Not so long as Magdelegna had those luring eyes and the will of a brilliant, cunning huntress that flared behind them.

Gideon looked directly into her avaricious gaze, feeling the intent of it on a primitive level, the part of him that had been bred into his instincts at the beginning of time when the males of his kind had first come into being. Like males of many species, his task was to attract the female, but hers was to choose him if and only if he suited her above all others. It was then that he realized the scan had subconsciously taken on the ritualistic form of a mating dance, triggering action and reaction in them both in ways they had never expected.

She tilted her head slowly as his quicksilver eyes locked onto her face, her hair sweeping across her back and shoulders, curling over her hip and thigh like a living appendage. She reached for the hand he still held over her lower abdomen, pulling it away from her body and releasing it, a low, challenging sound erupting from her throat. Her lips twisted into an erotic smile, her tongue slipping out to wet them slowly as she stepped unhurriedly to her right. The movement was seductive poetry, rippling up along her supple form like a beckoning wave.

"You did this," she accused softly.

Gideon realized she was correct, to an extent They had both been undeniably attracted to each other for a very long time, their minds and attitudes and pride the obstacles that had prevented them from exploring it But when he had entered her healthy body with his power, he had unwittingly set a chain of events in motion, bypassing the mental barriers they had erected against one another, fusing them instead on a purely biological level. Then she had sent her power into him, completing the cycle, locking them one to another in an irresistible loop.

"I may have begun it, but you perpetuated it, Magdelegna," he told her, watching her closely as she moved one step, then another, slowly beginning to circle around him. Gideon held very still, a difficult thing to do considering his entire being was thrumming with awareness and arousal. Still, he never took his eyes off her.

She seemed to be contemplating his words, much as her eyes were contemplating his body. Gideon had never known such a primitive sensation in all his life. The power of it overcast any memory of sexual stimulation he'd ever felt in all his years.

She was remarkable.

She was a thing of primal beauty.

Legna moved closer to the male standing in the middle of her room, so aware of every nerve in her highly stimulated body that she wondered why she wasn't screaming from the overload. She was still so connected to Gideon both mentally and through their joined power that his realizations, feelings, and awareness had become a part of her. She knew what was happening to them, but she was not afraid of it She thrummed with his ancient power, feeling it soaking into her like a high-amplitude electrical shock that was locked in a continuous feedback loop. It was divine. It was deadly.

She did not care, because she knew without a doubt that he was as much under her spell as she was under his. They each had a naturally dominant nature. He was familiar with his, and she was just discovering hers.

She smiled, her entire face slipping into an image of beautiful sin.

"You spurned me," she reminded him, moving close enough to him to touch his biceps, the muscle beneath the smooth silk of his shirt jumping tightly in response. Her fingertips slid up over his shoulder, changing from a ghostly touch to a bolder one as she crossed the broad width of his back and then followed the length of his spine. Her palm curved over his fit backside briefly before dropping away from the tension-tight musculature.

"I know," he said roughly, his eyes burning like starlight as he watched her come around to face him. "I was a fool. I was guilty of the arrogance you accused me of."

It satisfied her to hear that. The feeling was reflected in her expression as she drew up close to him so they were almost touching, breast to breast. He lowered his gaze to her mouth, the inviting shape of it making him thirsty for her taste. He remembered how exotic it was, remembered how it had flowed over his taste buds like refined honey. But she had made it very clear that she was dictating the moment, so he made no aggressive moves toward satisfying his desires.

Legna felt his need and the way he held himself in check, waiting for her to dictate the path and pace. It pleased her, made her interest in him spike off any measurable scale. His aroused state was sharp, his scent blanketing her like the aroma of an exotic rainfall. She closed her eyes, drawing in a deep, slow breath, filling her lungs with him. Gideon groaned under his breath, feeling her counter arousal as it was projected into him. His hands curled into fists at his sides as he repressed the urge to seize her. She opened her eyes and he was shocked by the vivid silver they had become, an astounding reflection of his own. This he could not coherently explain. He was far too wrapped up in her dance of seduction to even want to try.

Legna lifted her hands to his chest, slipping two fingers down the strip of crisscrossed laces that held his shirt closed, freeing them with so quick and light a touch, he didn't realize her achievement until the moment both of her hands slid into the parted fabric, caressing the athletic contours of the muscles beneath, setting his skin on fire.

"Magdelegna," he whispered, "in all my life, I have never come close to any creature as beautiful as you are."

The compliment pleased her, her connection with him so firm that she knew he meant it. Gideon was a being of truth and fact, so long as it was not too close to his own faults for clarity. Now that he had admitted the truth to himself, he would see to it that she was fully aware of how he felt about this particular truth.

"You managed to resist me all these years," she mused.

"It was hell on earth," he insisted honestly.

She leaned close, whispering in his ear through the lightest clench of her teeth. "You hunted a human female rather than come to me."

"I was trying to protect you." He drew a deep breath, her aroma that of wild spices and, once again, that wraithlike touch of musk. The human female was nothing but an instance of insanity and unfortunate timing. I did not want to use you for my sexual gratification in a moment of disrespectful madness. Your value is so far above so callous an act, Legna. I would have shamed us both if I had used you in such a way."

"You shamed me the moment you called me a child, Gideon," she told him sharply, her nails biting into his skin in reflection of the pain he had visited upon her.

"The words of a coward," he confessed hoarsely. "I was so afraid of the lack of control you inspired, Legna."

"And are you still afraid of what I inspire within you, Gideon?"

"Yes," he admitted, "I am." He reached up, his knuckles brushing up and over the curve of her elegant cheek. "I never once suspected such intensity could exist. It is humbling to live for over a millennium and realize there is still something to be learned … that there are still things capable of surprising you."

She smiled contentedly at that, her eyes closing as she turned into the warmth and affection of his touch. Gideon ached from head to toe for her, the whole of his body and mind feeling as if he contained energy too vast to remain withheld for long.

"Tell me now," he murmured, "what you will choose. Are you going to leave me, Indirianna?" he asked, her most precious secret, her power name, falling over her like the touch of a thousand fingertips, reaching deep into the most hidden parts of her, forcing a gasp of stunned pleasure from her slender throat.

"You know my name," she said with wonder, shocked to find it did not terrify her as it should have.

The common names the Demons knew one another by were merely call names, selected for convenience and as a nod of respect to those represented in the stories of the Christian Bible. Power names were something else entirely. Once someone knew a Demon's power name, they could exert their influence over them. A Demon's power name was the essential component in a Summoning. With it, a necromancer could force a captive Demon to do whatever he or she wanted it to do. This was why it was the most seriously protected secret each of them carried, none of them even daring to share it with their mate for fear they could come to harm for having the knowledge.

"Say my name," he countered, his hand wrapping around the irresistible length of her neck. This time it was he who whispered into her ear. "Say it."

"I do not know what it is," she said, her breath rushing out of her in an astounding rhythm.

"Yes, you do. I feel it. You only have to search for it inside of us." "Us" was the appropriate term. It was almost impossible in that moment for them to discern whose thoughts belonged to whom.

Gideon was the oldest of them all. There was no one older, so no one who had once known his power name could possibly be alive. His parents were dead. His Siddah were dead. If Legna discovered his name, the ramifications were inconceivably serious. He would be putting his very existence into her hands. He would be placing all of his power at her fingertips, gifting her with the potential for his absolute submission. Legna tried to step back from him, the shock of what he was offering her too much to bear. But he had made sure to have his hands on her and now kept her tight and close within them.

"I cannot," she whispered, her body beginning to shake. "No one should know that. No one. I am not strong enough to keep it, Gideon. Any male Mind Demon could take it from me!"

"You are stronger than you think, Neliss. "

"Not strong enough. Please, do not ask this of me." She pushed at him, jerked herself backward, using the weight of her body to try and break free. He held her for a moment longer, looking deeply into her panic-stricken expression.

"One day," he said softly.

He opened his hands and released her.

She stumbled backward with her sudden freedom. One hand flew to her breastbone, pressing on it as if she were trying to physically restrain the laboring rise and fall of it. He moved closer to her one last time, tilting up her gaze with a coaxing fingertip beneath her chin.

"You have made your choice, have you not?"

She did not pretend to mistake his meaning. A large part of him still stirred within her awakened mind. She realized there was a name for what had just passed between them. He was Imprinted on her now, for all time, and she upon him. Though they had not come together in the most intimate physical sense, each had marked their territory upon the other. Legna could feel the changes within herself already. Her scent was changed, forever mingled with his. Her thoughts were filled with the images of his thoughts. His power was now becoming a part of hers.

"Did I ever have a choice?" she asked, her entire body shaking with the shock of her realization.

"Yes. You know very well that you did."

He was right. She did not want to admit it, but the choice had been hers to make, although nature and fate had made it an irresistible situation by rousing the feminine predator in her, bringing its very distinctive desires into the process.

"I have chosen you, Gideon," she murmured affirmatively. "And you have chosen me. But how is this possible?"

"It is rare, Legna, I know. This happens between two Demons maybe once in every couple of centuries. But you can feel how real it is, can you not? It is inside you, just as it is inside me. For all time."

"But … Isabella and Jacob … Corrine and Kane. I thought that the prophecy said our mates were meant to be found in Druids."

"Perhaps it is because we were always meant to find our counterparts in the Druids, and not each other, that it is so rare between two Demons to Imprint. But there are no absolutes, Legna. Demons have fallen deeply in love even without the Imprinting for centuries, only the most profoundly lucky ones having this experience. You were meant for me. I see that now with astounding clarity. Why I did not understand it sooner is beyond me."

Gideon realized now that he also knew the source of her seemingly strange development This exchange had actually begun nine years back. It was the parts of himself he had left behind within her, from that brief, torrid encounter, that had sped her maturity. He had made her stronger than she had been, her chemistry becoming flooded with the traits of his. That was why he had adapted to her autonomic functions during his scan. She had already begun to become a part of him, just as he had begun to become a part of her. They had been too lost in their clashing emotions to recognize it.

"Gideon, I am afraid."

Her confession was not wholly unexpected. He had felt as much. It was why he had let her break away from him. It was why he was going to ignore the strangling demands of his body and allow her time to accept him outside of the bewitching physical need they shared.

"I know you are," he said softly, his soothing touch on her cheek helping her to focus, to calm her violent emotions.

"You are so powerful, Gideon. You are the most revered Ancient in all of Demon society, past and present How can I possibly … You were right" she blurted out "Compared to you, I am a child. What can I possibly offer to you that would have this Imprinting make sense?"

"A powerful lineage. A fascinating and complex intelligence. Beauty of the ages." He leaned closer, his mouth hovering a breath away from hers. "An Imprinting does not need to make sense. It is what it is."

Gideon moved that breath forward, capturing her mouth for what felt like the first time in forever. He was instantly intoxicated by the heat, the texture, and the immediate passion of her kiss. She accepted him so readily, so without reservation of the body even though her mind feared him. Desire for her began to burn through his soul all over again, if indeed it had ever truly stopped. He shared the sensation with her, swallowing her startled gasp when the feelings made their impact on her. His mouth took from hers wildly, his hands coming to cradle her head as she swayed forward into him, deeper and deeper into the hot clash of taste and tongues. She was pristine ambrosia, food for the gods, and it sent spears of want plunging down through his body. Control? It was hers and hers alone. He suddenly understood what it might be like for those on the receiving end of his power. What he was receiving from her was electric, powerful, and a healing of his self-imposed solitude that was like a beneficent balm.

Legna felt soft impressions flowing into her thoughts. She felt Gideon's realization of what his age and isolationism had cost him in loneliness. She ached for him, in both need and sympathy, as he allowed himself to bathe in her presence, her touch, and her kiss. She heard words of passion, as old as time itself, swirling through her mind. His voice, even in her mind, was so rich and so darkly seductive as it drifted through her thoughts, encouraging her, reassuring her, telling her in both graphic and poetic detail what her kiss was doing to him.

When he finally broke away from her, they were both boasting eyes as magically bright as tinsel and gasping for an elusive, calming breath that would take far too long to come to either of them.

But Gideon forced himself to step back from her, although he never broke their intense eye contact.

"You have fears," he rasped quietly. "You need time. I will give it to you as best I can, Neliss. Nelissuna. My beautiful one." The romantic endearment made Legna's head spin with hundreds of emotions, both his and hers. "But," he continued, his tone clearly reluctant, "Beltane approaches rapidly, and I will not be able to maintain any semblance of chivalry on that ancient night. No Imprinted pair can resist the lure of that powerful night of fertility and rebirth."

"I know. I remember the stories," she whispered, her heart beating so fast that it ought to have exploded from her chest. "I am grateful for whatever time you give me, Gideon. I … I can feel the pain you are in at this moment from your … your denial."

"It is our combined pain, Legna, just as it is our combined need. I can only be thankful that it is not the month of Samhain. That would be an unbearable torture. It has been for nearly this entire decade."

She nodded, reaching up to touch his handsome face, suddenly needing to, now that she was free to do so. His eyes closed and he took in a deep breath to try and center himself. She was aware that even so simple a touch had a profound influence on him. It amazed her. It fascinated her.

He opened his eyes then, white fire flaring hotly within them.

"Send me home, Legna," he commanded her, his voice hoarse with suppressed emotion.

She moved her head in affirmation even as she leaned toward him to catch his mouth once more in a brief, territorial kiss, her teeth scoring his bottom lip as she broke away. It was an incidental wound, one he could heal in the blink of an eye. But he wouldn't erase her mark on him, and they both knew it.

Finally, she stepped back, closed her eyes, and concentrated on picturing his home in her thoughts. She had been in his parlor dozens of times as a guest, always accompanied by Noah. His library, his kitchen, even the grounds of the isolated estate were well known to her. She could have sent him to any of those locations.

But as she began to focus, her mind's eye was filled with the image of a dark, elegant room she had never seen before. Hand-carved ebony-paneled walls soared up into a vast ceiling, enormous windows of intricate stained glass spilled colored light over the entire room as if a multitude of rainbows had taken up residence. It all centered around an enormous bed, the coverlet's color indistinguishable under the blanket of colorful dawn sunlight that streamed into the room. She could feel the sun's warmth, ready and waiting to cocoon any weary occupant who thrived on sleeping in the heat of the muted daylight sun. It was a beautiful room, and she knew without a doubt that it was Gideon's bedroom and that he had shared the image of it with her. If she sent him there, it would be the first time she had ever teleported someone to a place she had not first seen for herself. The ability to take images of places from others' minds for teleporting purposes was an advanced Elder ability.

"You can do it," he encouraged her softly, all of his thoughts and his will completely full of his belief in that statement.

Legna kept his gaze for one last long moment, and with a flick of a wrist sent him from the room with a soft pop of moving air. She exhaled in wonder, everything inside of her knowing without a doubt that he had appeared in his bedroom, safe and sound, that very next second. Legna turned to look at her own bed and wondered how she would ever be able to sleep.

Nelissuna … go to bed. I will help you sleep.

Gideon's voice washed through her, warming her, comforting her in a way she hadn't thought possible. This was the connection that Jacob and Isabella shared. For the rest of the time both of them lived, each would be privy to the other's innermost thoughts. She realized that because he was the more powerful, it was quite possible he would be able master parts of himself, probably even hide things from her awareness and keep them private—at least, until she learned how to work her new ability with better skill. After all, she was a Demon of the Mind. It was part of her innate state of being to figure the workings of their complex minds.

She removed her slippers and pushed the sleeves of her dress from her shoulders so that it sheeted off her in one smooth whisper of fabric. She closed her eyes, avoiding looking in the mirror or at herself, very aware of Gideon's eyes behind her own.

His masculine laughter vibrated through her, setting her skin to tingle.

So, you are both shy and bold … he said with amusement as she quickly slid beneath her covers. You are a source of contradictions and surprises, Legna. My world has begun anew.

As if living for over a millennium is not long enough? she asked him.

On the contrary. Without you, it was far, far too long. Go to sleep, Nelissuna.

And a moment after she received the thought, her eyes slid closed with a weight she could not have contradicted even if she had wanted to.

Her last thought, as she drifted off, was that she had to make a point of telling Isabella that she might have been wrong about what it meant to have another to share one's mind with.

It was well after dark by the time Legna roused herself from Gideon's highly effective sleep inducement. She stood in the dark of her room for a long time, leaning against the windowsill, her face turned up to the night lights in the darkened sky.

Somehow, everything seemed incredibly different. Scents, sounds, silence. It all felt more tangible, more real. It was an impressive sensation for one who had lived her entire life seeing deeply beneath the surfaces of things. She felt the cold night air sweeping over her bare skin, the sensuality of standing nude before it a stimulating experience. With a smile, she moved to her wardrobe to select something to wear.

Legna had always taken particular care in the way she dressed, her clothes and style quite distinctive, always feminine, always reflecting her special grace. Still, this day she was compelled to take even greater pains with her appearance. It did not take a genius to figure out why, and she could not help but laugh out loud at herself as she pivoted before her mirror to view the flow of her heavy satin skirt. The dress was full length, dropping over one shoulder in the Grecian style of a toga, then twisting and falling from her waist in the trailing folds of a train of ruby satin shot through with silver threads that reminded her of Gideon's eyes.

She blushed softly as she viewed herself in the mirror, suddenly aware that he was once more behind her eyes, seeing her just as she did.

"You could at least warn me," she said aloud, cocking a scolding brow at her reflection.

And deprive myself of this side of you? I would not dream of it.

Legna smiled, moving closer to her looking glass.

She gasped when she got a closer look at herself, her hand coming up to her cheek in shock as she looked into her eyes.

"My eyes!" she exclaimed.

My eyes, he said.

He couldn't have spoken a clearer truth. It was his mercury-colored irises that had become part of her reflection, the multicolored gray and green gone from their familiar place. She sighed with resignation, supposing to herself that since it wasn't likely she could do anything about it, she would have to get used to it.

"I do not suppose you will show up here suddenly sprouting coffee-colored hair?" she asked hopefully.

No, sweet, that is not likely.

"Well, this is a highly unfair situation!" she cried with exaggerated petulance. "An exchange historically indicates one thing being swapped for another. So far I only see you in me, but none of me in you. It feels terribly high-handed. How typical of you."

He did not respond, only a soft impression of laughter flitting through her mind. Odd, but she realized then that she had hardly ever heard him laugh before. She was surprised by how comfortable it sounded on him. He had always been so serious, so …

Self-possessed.

" If you do not mind, do refrain from editing my personal thoughts," she scolded, her arching tone taunting and haughty.

Gideon replied with silence, and flashing a triumphant grin into the mirror, she flipped the long braid of her hair over her shoulder and glided out of her room. She stepped rapidly down the white marble stairway that led directly into the Great Hall, the train of her dress a billowing, shining banner behind her. She flew off the last few steps, nearly running over Noah in her haste. Her brother caught her around her waist, swinging her into a safe balance at his side so she wouldn't fall for tripping over him.

"Noah!" she greeted breathlessly, her hands steadying herself on his arms. "I am sorry, I did not see you."

"That much is clear," he teased her in return, kissing her cheek in greeting as she kissed his. "You seem to be in a hurry. Oversleep, did we?"

"I … suppose. Yes." Legna lowered her eyes, avoiding his direct line of sight as she released him in order to fuss with her already perfect skirts.

Noah's head snapped up all of a sudden, his sensory abilities sparking like flint and steel around them.

"What is it?" Legna asked.

"I'm …" He hesitated a long minute. "I'm not sure. I had the strangest feeling that Gideon was here."

Legna couldn't help it, she had to turn her head away in order to hide the telltale flush that swept over her. The movement caught Noah's attention and he narrowed his eyes on his youngest sister.

"Legna? Is Gideon here?"

"Not that I know of. I just woke up, remember? I have to go." Legna flew up to kiss him quickly and then like a flash was out of Noah's reach and heading for the front entrance.

However, Noah was not above extending his reach. Legna was forced to come up short of her goal when a wall of heat, just hot enough to give her the equivalent of a sunburn, fell over the portal. Legna uttered a sound of consternation, her hands resting on her hips as she turned to face her brother.

"All right, what is this? House arrest?"

"If you choose to call it that," Noah remarked absently, moving to approach his sister to better scrutinize her. "What is going on, Legna? I get the funny feeling I am on the outside of some sort of cockamamy scheme you are engaged in. No doubt something my Enforcer's troublemaking wife has goaded you into."

"Funny feeling or not, brother dearest, you are going to have to do a lot better than this to keep me still enough to find out!"

And with a flick of her wrist, she was gone, the snap of the change in air pressure making Noah's sinuses twinge. She did that on purpose, he thought to himself, his internal voice sounding as petulant as he felt as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Whoever had said that Fire Demons were the most powerful of their breed was a total moron. Sure, he was one of the most destructive of his brethren, but Legna had it all coming and going, and she knew it. She never had to sit still for anything she didn't want to. She could travel anywhere instantaneously. And to top it off, she was able to tell him what he was feeling long before he could tell it to himself. And those were merely her innate abilities. Her intelligence and simpatico ease when it came to deciphering psyches and societies put her even further out front.

"It is a good thing she is on our side, is it not?"

Noah started, turning to confront the Demon who had appeared at his back with flawless silence and concealment.

"Jacob! You just took ten years off my life," Noah hissed.

"Only ten? I must be losing my touch." Jacob looked from Noah to the last place Legna had been standing. He nodded his head in her former direction. "What was that all about?"

"I have no idea, but I am beginning to feel like I am the only one who does not know what the hell is happening in his own damn house."

"Sorry state of affairs, seeing as how you are King and all," Jacob said, his lips twitching with amusement as Noah glared at him. "That is only my opinion, though. Perhaps I will ask my troublemaking wife for hers."

Noah had the grace to openly wince.

"You heard that, hmm?"

"And therefore …" Jacob prompted.

"She heard it, too," Noah concluded with comical pain. "Forgive me, Bella. I think I am just in a foul mood."

"She says she will forgive you as soon as she needs a babysitter."

"You know, I think you better go out there and enforce some of my laws before I begin to think of how many ways I can set your ass on fire," the King said meanly, the glare of his gaze all business.

"I would, but I am in need of Gideon. Where is he?"

"How should I know?" Noah asked grumpily, moving to the fire and sinking down into the only thing in the room that wasn't giving him grief: his favorite chair.

Jacob followed the King, a perplexed look on his face.

"Wait a minute, Noah, are you saying Gideon is not here? Was not here?"

"No. Why would he be? There is no Council meeting today. And in spite of—" Noah broke off, his eyes snapping up to Jacob's. "Why did you think Gideon was here?"

"Because I know his scent. That and his presence are quite distinctive, as you are well aware."

"Yes, I know," Noah mused. "It's funny, but I could have sworn I felt his energy myself not five seconds ago. Perhaps he was in the area. Legna did not mention he had been here when I asked her." Noah settled back and shrugged. "Whatever the reason, it is probably not important."

Jacob murmured a sound of agreement even though he didn't look completely satisfied. "Well, I have to find him. I will visit with you later."

"Jacob, is something wrong? Is Isabella okay?"

"Probably. She is not well today. It could be a normal thing for a human female, but since she is usually as resistant to common ailments now as we are, she is nervous. I figured Gideon could ease her mind."

Noah missed the wince that crossed his friend's face that would have given away the indignant argument flying through the Enforcer's thoughts. Jacob's female counterpart huffily took umbrage to his claims of exactly who it was that was nervous and who had insisted on seeking Gideon, because it certainly had not been her.

"Tell her I hope she feels better," Noah said, his fondness for Bella quite clear in his tone. "Bear with her, old friend. She's breaking new ground. It can be pretty frightening to play Eve for an entire race."

"Do not worry. When it comes to my Bella, I would do anything to see to her happiness. That includes making others do anything to see to her happiness," Jacob said. He meant the words, of course, but he was hoping they'd help soothe someone's bristling pride.

"I'm sure Gideon is going to love that," Noah laughed.

Jacob grinned, altering gravity so that he began to float up from the floor.

"If you see Gideon before I do, will you tell him to come to Bella?"

"Of course. Tell her I said to start behaving like a real Druid or I—" Noah was cut off by a sharp hand motion and a warning expression from the Enforcer. It came a little too late, however, if Jacob's pained expression was anything to judge by.

"There goes your invitation for our wedding," Jacob muttered. "And I think I am close behind you."

"I would believe that if I were not the one who is supposed to perform it and if you were not the father of her otherwise illegitimate child," Noah countered loudly, clearly talking to the person beyond his immediate perception.

"Ow! Damn it, Noah!" Jacob grumbled, rubbing his temples as Bella's scream of frustration echoed through him. "Do remember I am the one who has to go home to her, would you?"

"Sorry, my friend," Noah chuckled, not looking at all repentant. "Now get out of here, Enforcer. Find Gideon and tend to your beautiful and charming mate. Be sure to mention to her that I said she looks ravishing and that her pregnancy has made her shine like a precious jewel."

"Noah, if you were not my King, I would kill you for this."

"Yes, well, as your King I would have you arrested for treason just for saying that. Luckily for you, Jacob, you are the man who would arrest you, and the woman who also has the power to do so is sure to punish you far better than I can when you get home."

"You are all heart, my liege, "Jacob said wryly.

"Thank you. Now leave, before I begin to expound on the disrespect that this mouthy little female of yours seems to have engendered amongst my formerly loyal subjects."

Jacob clearly had a retort for that, but he wisely held it behind sparkling eyes. A moment later, he turned into a twisting whirl of dust, floating out of a high castle window and leaving Noah alone.