Page 13 of Silent Fire

Tomas’s jaw clenched as he spotted Noel stumbling down the alleyway, clearly intoxicated. The betrayal stung, but he tamped it down. Right now, his priority was getting Noel back to the tavern.

He strode toward his mate, boots crunching on loose gravel. “Noel.” His voice was a low rumble, meant to avoid startling the inebriated man.

Noel squinted at him, clearly inebriated. His cheeks were flushed, eyes glazed. “Whaddya want?” he slurred.

Shaking his head, Tomas closed the distance between them.

“C’mere, cariño.” He didn’t give Noel a chance to protest, simply scooped him up into his arms like he weighed nothing. Noel made a feeble attempt to squirm free, but Tomas tightened his grip, cradling him against his chest. “Stop wiggling, cría de foca.”

“Le’me go,” Noel slurred, head lolling. “Gotta...gotta run.”

“Not tonight you don’t.” Tomas carried him down the alley, jaw set in a hard line. He understood the instinct to flee, but he’d be damned if he let Noel wander off alone and vulnerable.

Inside the tavern, the noise and chaos faded as Tomas took the back hallway toward the bedrooms used for pack members only. He shouldered the door open to Noel’s room, relieved he’d found his mate.

Crossing to the bed, he gently deposited Noel on the rumpled covers. His mate looked even smaller against the expanse of mattress, blond hair tousled, lips parted slightly. An ache bloomed in Tomas’s chest at how lost he appeared.

Pushing aside the complicated emotions swirling within him, Tomas set about undressing Noel with brisk efficiency. He stripped off the sneakers then peeled away the jeans, leaving Noel in just his boxers.

Noel’s eyes cracked open again, a faint flush coloring his cheeks that had nothing to do with alcohol. “Wha’re you doin’?”

“Getting you ready for bed.” Tomas kept his tone gentle, patient. He shrugged out of his own clothes until they were both down to their underwear. “You’re staying put tonight, where I can keep an eye on you.”

He joined Noel on the bed, pulling the smaller man flush against his side. Noel made a soft sound, one Tomas couldn’t decipher, but he didn’t resist the embrace.

Settling back against the pillows, Tomas let the tension bleed from his body. He could feel the rabbit-quick flutter of Noel’s pulse where their skin met, the warmth of Noel’s shallow breaths ghosting across his collarbone.

“Why’d you run?” The question slipped out, barely above a whisper. Tomas didn’t expect an answer, not with how out of it Noel was.

To his surprise, his mate stirred, lifting his head to meet Tomas’s eyes. “I ruin everything,” he murmured, voice thick with emotion and alcohol. “Ev’rywhere I go, shit hits da fan. I don’t wanna drag you into my mess, Tomas. You’re too good for that.”

The raw honesty in his tone gutted Tomas. He pulled Noel closer, tucking the man’s head beneath his chin. “You don’t get to decide what I can handle, mi elegido. That’s not your call.”

Noel made a soft, frustrated sound but didn’t argue further. His body went lax against Tomas’s side, breath evening out into the deep rhythms of sleep.

Tomas lay awake for a long time, just holding his mate, feeling the steady thump of Noel’s heart. He had so many questions, so much he wanted to ask. But he knew Noel well enough by now to recognize the walls he’d erected, the fortress he’d built to protect himself.

From what? Tomas wouldn’t demand answers, not tonight. He would wait, as patient as the wolf inside him, until Noel trusted him enough to tear those walls down on his own.

Pressing a tender kiss to the top of Noel’s head, Tomas whispered, “I promised to protect you from the world, from yourself if I have to. You’re mine now, whether you know it or not. And I don’t let anything precious slip through my fingers.”

He meant the words with every fiber of his being. Noel was his to cherish, to shield from the world’s cruelties. And Tomas would gladly lay down his life to keep that vow.

“You’re going to tell me what’s got you so spooked you keep trying to bolt. No more running, cariño. No one’s going to hurt you ever again.”

Gathering Noel closer, Tomas let his own eyes drift closed. Tomorrow would come soon enough, with all its complications. For now, he simply held his mate close, letting the steady cadence of Noel’s breathing lull him into a deep, contented sleep.

* * * *

The early morning sun peeked over the horizon, casting a warm glow over the parking lot. Tomas sat outside on an overturned milk crate, methodically tuning his motorcycle. The familiar motions were soothing, allowing his mind to settle after last night.

The creak of the tavern’s front door drew his gaze. Noel emerged, disheveled hair sticking up at odd angles and a steaming mug cradled in his hands. Dark circles shadowed his blue eyes, but to Tomas, he was still breathtaking.

An ache twisted in his chest as Noel’s gaze found him. He hadn’t forgotten the broken promise from the night before, the way Noel had tried to slip away again. It stung, that lack of trust, but Tomas tamped down the hurt.

A hesitant smile tugged at the corners of Noel’s mouth before he made his way over, sinking cross-legged to the ground. He sipped his coffee, quietly observing as Tomas worked. They existed in companionable silence for several moments, the only sounds the clink of tools and the rumbling purr of a motorcycle engine being revved somewhere nearby. He stole glances at his mate, noting the pensive set of Noel’s jaw, the way his fingers fidgeted with the handle of his mug.

Finally, Noel cleared his throat. “Look, about last night...” He trailed off, worrying his bottom lip.

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