It was 3 A.M. and he was at the door, listening to Sam and Aimee talk over his headset. He was so glad they were friends. It made everything that much easier.
Yawning, he was about to comment on their lame joke when a flash to his left caught his attention. A fissure of supreme power rippled in the air around him.
He stiffened, prepared to battle.
The light above his head went out.
When it came back on again, he saw Savitar standing in front of him.
"What are you doing here?"
Savitar rolled his shoulders into an easy, laid back shrug. "Been hearing some things 'bout your club, Bear."
Aimee, Fang, and Sam came to the door.
"Is there a problem?" Fang asked.
Savitar shook his head. "Au contraire. It seems you guys have a lot of friends who've been petitioning the council. Never let it be said that I'm without some form of mercy." He handed Aimee a rolled up piece of paper. "You're license is reinstated. Congratulations. Sanctuary is once again a protected limani. Welcome back to the fold."
Part of Dev wanted to tell him to shove it up the darkest recess of his body. But this wasn't about him. It was about their family.
Their cubs.
So he swallowed his pride and forced out the words he knew Savitar wanted to hear. "Thanks."
"I would say anytime, but I expect you to keep your noses clean."
Aimee inclined her head to him. "We will. Thank you for giving us another chance."
"No problem." Savitar turned to leave, then stopped. He looked at Sam. "The Fates brought you and Dev together out of total malice. I can't express to you how much I hate those bitches."
Sam held her breath as she expected him to revoke their mating. They were bonded....
Could he break that?
Before she could blink, Savitar grabbed her hand. A jolt of electricity ran up her arm and through her body.
For several seconds, she couldn't breathe. "What did you do?"
He let go of her and clapped Dev on the back. "I'm a vain creature. I fully expect you two to name at least one of those cubs after me." Then he turned to Aimee. "You want a shot too?"
"Absolutely." Aimee held her arm out to him.
He took her hand and repeated the jolt. "That should make the three of those bitches scream for a few days.... It's the little things in life that mean so much. Adios, mi amigos. And don't worry, Sam." He pointed up at the blood red moon over their heads. "Sometimes it's just the light bending around the earth."
And with that, he was gone.
Sam stood there, completely stunned for several minutes. Until Dev leaned in and whispered in her ear.
"When you want to get started on making a baby Savitar?"
Laughing, she leaned back against his chest and cupped his cheek in her hand, holding his face against hers. "I love you, Bear. Weirdness and all."
"I'm glad to hear it because my weirdness definitely loves yours too."
And that was the most important lesson she'd learned being with Dev over the last few months. Living was okay, but it wasn't the breaths people took that measured a life. It was the moments that took those breaths away that mattered most.
And Dev did that every time he looked at her.
Naked or not.