Page 82 of Wreaking Havoc
Kai huffed. “It’s not amusing. How am I to be a mate to you if I can’t feed you?”
Sascha grabbed the phone back, rolling his eyes. “Then let me show you, you loon.”
He walked Kai through the many buttons—the “apps,” he called them—and had soon ordered bagels and coffee to be delivered to them.
But not even the thought of imminent coffee could lessen Kai’s despair. He muttered to himself the many failings of this realm, “No hot rivers. No fine oils. No fresh kills…”
He was halted by Sascha grabbing his face with both hands, tugging Kai’s head down to bring them eye to eye. “Look, I know you’ve got a lot of feelings about how your mate should be treated,” Sascha said. “But we don’t need hot demonic rivers—we have bathtubs. And if you want to anoint me with oils or whatever, we can order some to be delivered by tomorrow. And fresh kills frankly sounds….disgusting. I’ll teach you about human food.”
“How?” Kai frowned at him. “You seem to know less about preparing human food than I do.”
Sascha shrugged, his hands still keeping Kai’s head in place. “Then we’ll watch the Food Network. We’ll learn together.”
“The TV can teach us how to cook?”
Sascha sighed before pressing a kiss to Kai’s lips. “Never underestimate the power of television, Kai. Never.”
That was strangely reassuring. Kai gave him a smug smile, his despair forgotten. “See how sweet you are to me?” he crooned. “My perfect mate.”
“Ugh.” Sascha released his face with a groan. “It’s too early in the day to be calling me sweet.”
“It’s almost midday,” Kai pointed out.
“Exactly. Way too early. So here’s the plan.” Sascha started pacing through the kitchen, his bare feet smacking the tile.“We’re going to eat our bagels. You’re going to tell me all about those pervy thoughts of yours. If they please me, you may perform them. And then…” He let out a harsh breath, stopping in his tracks. “Then we’ll get ready for tonight.”
Kai cocked his head. “You’re nervous.”
“I know they can’t kill me, now that we’re bonded,” Sascha told him, resuming his pacing. “But men like that still scare me.” His shoulders shook in a shudder. “They’ve always scared me.”
“You don’t have to come with me, if you don’t wish to,” Kai reminded him. “I can take care of them on my own.”
“No.” Sascha shook his head decisively. “I need to be there. I need to see it through.”
“Then I’ll be at your side.” Kai snagged Sascha by the waist, halting his pointless marching and tugging him in close. “You won’t be facing them alone, zaychik. You won’t be left alone ever again.”
Sascha collapsed against him, all his restless energy leaving him in an instant. “I think my codependent heart just skipped a beat,” he murmured.
Kai frowned down at him. “It shouldn’t be doing that. You should be fully healthy after the ceremony.”
Sascha only laughed at him.
The dirty warehousethey arrived at was a far cry from the sleek chrome fortress Sascha’s older brother did his business in.
Sascha sniffed the air as they approached. “Mm. Smells like my childhood.”
Kai wrinkled his nose. “It smells of mold, zaychik.”
“Exactly,” Sascha told him with a bitter laugh. “Mafia life’s not always glamorous, especially when your father is still building his empire.”
They stopped at the entrance to the warehouse, not yet announcing their arrival. Sascha looked formidable, dressed in an elegant, formfitting suit, with his pretty hair slicked back out of his face. His hand drifting to his stomach now and then—as if it pained him, but he didn’t want to say—was the only tell his nerves were strained.
Kai rumbled his displeasure at his mate’s fear. “You’re certain you want to do it this way?” he asked.
“Yes,” Sascha said firmly, bringing his arm to his side. “I need to be sure.”
Kai already was. He could smell the fetid stench of the souls inside. The intention to buy and sell humans as property was without a doubt one of the acts that could taint a soul beyond repair, could rot someone from the inside out.
The souls inside the warehouse were ones Kai—or any of his kind, if they knew what was good for them—would refuse a bargain with. Souls that would provide him no sustenance or power, that would only serve as a constant source of ache and itch within his chest.
