Symon Urich looked up from his journal to see his lover, Jace Cooper, hovering in the doorway, dark eyes shadowed with worry, shoulders hunched in on himself. For a big man, Jace was doing a fine impression of a mouse. "Who?"

"Our third."

Letting out a low sigh, Symon set his book aside, swivelled in his chair and stretched a hand out to Jace. "Come here."

Jace moved around the big desk and stood between Symon's spread knees. "I worry if we leave we'll miss her. But if we don't we'll miss her." He scrubbed his face with his hands then let them fall on Symon's shoulders. "It's a huge never-ending circle in my head and it's driving me insane."

Symon slid his fingers underneath the soft Tigers shirt Jace wore and tucked them into the waistband of the faded jeans he favoured, tugging him closer. "There isn't a thing in this universe that happens before the Great Mother decrees it. Our girl will come when it's meant. And not a minute before."

"That doesn't help me, you know."

A tiny smile curved Symon's mouth as he winked at Jace. "No, but if I strip your pants off right now and suck your beautiful cock into my mouth that would."

Jace's expression shifted--still dark, still shadowed, but with a different intensity. He smoothed his thick fingers over Symon's hair, then tightened his grip and pulled Symon to his feet. Symon barely had time to blink before Jace's lips crushed his, demanding a response.

Symon clutched at Jace's waist, allowing him this moment of control. Soon enough the kiss tempered, and Jace's lips softened, plying Symon with small swipes of his tongue. Symon nipped back before breaking the kiss, staying close enough to share a breath with his lover. "She isn't far, Jace. I can feel her."

"You've seen?" Jace drew back, searching Symon's face. "But..."

Symon shrugged. "I didn't really look. I only reached out. For your sake."

"For my sake?" Jace pulled completely away this time, his anger mottling the pale skin of his neck. "For my sake? You are the one in danger. Not me."

"I'm not in danger. I simply will get what I want."

Jace snorted. "We've been through this. Do you really think you'll be happy?"

Symon met and held Jace's gaze. He needed Jace to feel how real this was for him. "It is only what I deserve."

The flush crept from Jace's neck to his cheeks and turned a harsh, glaring red. His hands fisted at his sides. "You taking the punishment for what your brother did is not acceptable to me," he ground out between clenched teeth.

"I am not accepting blame for what Sol did. I am taking blame for what I failed to do." Symon slapped a hand against his own chest. "Alex was my responsibility."

"So for him you'll shun the rest of your responsibilities? Leave the Council? You'll turn away from who you are? We are?"

Symon stared at the floor, unable to put into words what Jace needed to hear.

Jace slammed one fist to the desktop. His brown eyes were black with fury, with hurt. "Alex was responsible for himself. How were you to know that he worshipped the ground Solomon walked on and would do anything to please him? Alex's death was not your fault."

"I should have seen it." Symon turned away. Any mention of Alex's name cut deep. Symon knew Jace assumed that Alex had been Symon's lover all those years ago, but that simply wasn't the case. Alex's final words to Sol haunted Symon's nightmares.

But I love you...

Symon cleared his throat as he pushed away the despair. "The real estate agent said the packer would be here today to begin putting things in boxes."

Jace didn't make a sound other than the slight shuffling of his feet as he crossed to the door. "So we're really selling?"

"I think it's best." Symon faced Jace, imploring him to understand. "The last few years here haven't been the same. It's time to move on, let someone else worry over the books and artefacts for a change."