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*****

Each step brought us closer to my bedroom and closer to privacy.

My mate seemed perfectly composed while my senses heightened. I could smell the sweet, alluring scent of his skin as we walked side by side, I could feel a light electric current when our hands brushed as he passed by me and entered my room.

I closed the door behind us and that was it: we were alone.

"You have a lot of books," he noted to break the silence that had fallen.

"I enjoy reading," was my brief reply.

Riley moved to a shelf and picked one of the framed pictures.

"Is that you and Keri?" He asked and I approached to take a closer look. A smile bloomed on my face as I saw the two of us hugging and grinning at the camera - just a couple of kids. We were so young that there were gaps in Keri's mouth - she didn't have all of her teeth yet - and I lacked the scars that were dragged over my face and neck.

"Yeah, that's us. We'd just won a race where you had to run along with a partner. If you look close... Right here," I took the object from him and pointed at the right edge, "you can see Anthony in the background."

Riley leaned down and narrowed his eyes at the old photograph.

"He doesn't look very happy."

I chuckled and put the photo back in its place.

"That's because he wanted to be the one to run with Keri."

"He loves her very much, doesn't he?"

"I told you," I cupped his face and caressed his jaw with my thumb, "we are very big on family around here."

He leaned into my hand and closed his eyes, his sigh coming out as a light moan. My body immediately stiffened and I filled my lungs with air in order to compose myself. It had the opposite effect as I inhaled more of his aroma that way.

"Riley..." I slowed hard as he opened his eyes and looked up at me through his eyelashes. "You remember I want to take this slowly, right? For things to progress naturally... We aren't going to make love tonight."

His eyes widened and he suppressed a chuckle at my choice of words. My cheeks reddened and my eyes fixed on his bottom lip as he chewed on it.

"I know," he said and turned away.

"We should probably get some sleep," I suggested after clearing my throat.

"Yeah." He nodded and began to undress.

It was my turn to swirl around and give him so privacy.

"One of those pairs of pajama bottoms is for you," I told him as I took off my t-shirt and reached for my own pair. "It's an old one, but nothing I wear now will fit you."

I didn't want him to put on by brothers' clothes even though Carters and perhaps some of Kennedy's lose sport shorts would fit him.

Riley was my mate. I wanted him to wear my pajamas.

"Thanks." I heard his voice from right behind me and turned.

Even though it was a really old pair - one I'd worn as a teenager and kept for sentimental reasons as it was a gift - it was still a bit too large for Riley, the fabric pooling at his feet.

"I could try and find you something else if you want," I offered, looking him up and down.

Surprisingly - and mercifully, as I didn't know how I'd hold my composure otherwise - he'd kept his top on. I followed his example and put my t-shirt back on.

"It's okay," he assured me.

"Okay then," I muttered and gulped again.

"Okay."
Neither one of us moved. The thought of sleeping on the couch crossed my mind, but after everything that had gone on tonight, I needed to be close to my mate.

"Okay." I repeated almost silently and lead us to my single bed.

I lifted the cover and let Riley slide under it before I joined him. He chuckled.

"What's so funny?" I asked him, my voice slightly raspy.

"I remembered how Kennedy offered to tuck me in tonight," he replied, lying on his stomach with his face turned towards me. I was on my side so I could look at him.

"Did he now?" I laughed as well, my muscles relaxing at the warmth emanating from Riley's body.

He was so close to me, so very close.

I reached out and caressed his face again, my fingers beginning to burn pleasantly at the contact. He closed his eyes once again. Encouraged by his peaceful expression, I lowered my arm and pulled him towards me.

"Goodnight," I whispered as I stroked his hand.

"Goodnight," he repeated and we both leaned in for a kiss.

I pecked him and pulled away, but his lips followed mine. He kissed me again... And again. Deeper. I moaned and turned him on his back, slipping my hand under his shirt and sucking on his neck.

He gasped and pulled me on top of him.

I positioned my legs on either side of his thighs, my pelvis instinctively rolling over his.

More moans and panting came from both of us.

He pushed my torso away from him, peeling of my t-shirt, his lips leaving mine to roam over my exposed flesh.

My eyes closed. I growled low and deep - he smelled good; maddeningly good - and I pushed him back on the bed, grinding even harder against him.

I could barely catch my breath, my nostrils filling with his sweet, dizzying scent... Scent that a part of me vaguely registered was too strong. It wasn't until I opened my eyes and saw him way too clearly in the dark that I realized what was happening.

I bolted off the bed and slammed the window open. My upper half went through it as I inhaled deeply in an attempt to clear my head and control the shift.

Why now?

I wasn't threatened... Why did I begin to shift now?

It wasn't fair that just about any strong emotion would triggered it.

"Are you okay?" I heard my mate's distressed tone and cussed at my inability to control myself.

"Just a little dizzy," I reassured him. It wasn't a lie; I really felt lightheaded.

Once I was calm - maybe five minutes of deep inhales later - I headed back to the bed. I picked my shirt on the way there; the less skin-on-skin contact we had, the safer.

"Goodnight, Riley," I wished him once more, this time planting a kiss on his forehead, strategically avoiding those delicious lips of his.

He still looked worried, his body stiff, so I pulled him towards me once more, hugging him tightly.

"And sweet dreams," I whispered into his ear and his body relaxed.

It wasn't long before both of us fell asleep.

*****

Riley gave out a content sigh, snuggling closer to me. Even through my t-shirt, my skin tingled where his hand made contact with my chest. I moved my arm and brought him even closer to me, the slight electric current intensifying.

"You are awake," I pointed out quietly.

He hummed in conformation.

"Are you hungry yet?"

He opened his eyes, grinning as he tilted his head up to look at me.

"For your kisses?" He asked. "Always."

He lifted himself a tad, just enough for his lips to reach mine and his tongue to attempt to coax my mouth open. I held it close though, the contact brief as I felt slight tremors through my body - not enough to make me shift, but enough to remind me that if we went further while alone in bed, I might not be able to hold back... Just like I'd almost lost control last night.

"So how about breakfast?" I asked again before he had a chance to tempt me.

"I guess I could grab a bite but..."

He nibbled his lip, obviously worried. I knew what he wanted to ask about though. And I had promised to give him some answers.

"You want to know what happened at the Council meeting last night."

He nodded and with a sigh I let go of him to rub my temples.

Where should I start from?

I obviously couldn't tell him everything that went on. Some of that information was for Council ears only.

And there was another topic I felt the need to talk about. I wanted to share with him what had happened between Everett and Alec. Technically, I could do that as I'd promised my brother not to speak about it with our parents and his wife; we'd never mentioned Riley.

I knew it would distress my mate further though, as he liked Everett and feared Alec.

I had to stick only to the murder case... But how much should I say?

"Alright. There's been another murder, this time of an elderly gentlemen. Same M.O., still almost no clues left behind."

"Not even fingerprints? What about blood? Had none of the victims put up a fight? Not even the couple?" He asked astonished. "They were two people after all..."

I raised a hand to make him pause so I could give him my answers.

"There are fingerprints all over each crime scene. The culprit hasn't bothered wiping them clean, probably because they are useless..."

"How come?" He interrupted again.

"They aren't present in any database and since we have no more suspects, we have no one to compare them to."

"So you've had suspect." He summed up correctly. "I mean, the police had suspects... Or was it you? What is your role in all of this?"

"I've told you, Riley: we consult. And yes, there were suspects..."

Alec having been one of them. I was glad the Sentinels concluded he wasn't the culprit. Not that he could be the killer; the half breed couldn't shift. However, there was the possibility that he had somehow been involved with the perpetrator.

Even though I didn't want to believe it, it had always been a possibility.

"... But they were cleared off," I went on. "The fingerprints weren't a match and they had alibis. As for blood..."

I sighed.

"There is never other blood than that of the victims. Those poor people didn't stand a chance against..."

A shifter.

"... Whoever that person is, they are strong, Riley."

"But they are only human."

Oh, how wrong you are, my love!

"Surely they would make a mistake or one of their targets would stand up to them..."

Wrong, wrong, wrong...If only they'd made a mistake!

I leaned forward and planted a deep kiss over the mouth of my innocent mate. He did not respond at first but eventually gave into the sweet sensation our lips brought us. I ended the kiss by pulling away, but not before pecking him on the nose.

"To sum it up, no new suspect, no new clues. A few new faces are joining the investigation team though so hopefully..." I trailed off.

Hopefully what we needed was simply a new perspective.

He buried his face in my chest, wrapping his arms around me in a comforting embrace.

My sweet, caring mate.

I kissed the top of his head and stroked his back.

"Breakfast," I offered again, hoping to distract us both from thoughts of unnecessary deaths and lives lost before their time.

He nodded and we exchanged our pajama bottoms for jeans before we headed downstairs, holding hands on the way.

*****

A/N: A little bit of naughty time - are you happy?

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