In the Beat of a Wing {boyxboy}

Chapter Twenty-Nine

~Friday 22nd March 2013~

Malcolm hummed quietly along with the radio whilst he drove, in a near-perfect mood. He barely noticed the trees zooming by on either side of the road, paying more attention glancing in his rearview mirror at the car following him. Malcolm would have loved to only take one car but he simply couldn't risk it. In trying to distance himself from his lover, he hadn't been very successful.

There had been too many lunch dates, too many unannounced visits to the office, too many times seeing one another. Malcolm still hadn't discussed this with Eden, sticking to his excuse of not wanting to cause him unnecessary worry. He wasn't sure if that was entirely true, however, he was beginning to realise it was his own fear that was causing the fabrications.

He was terrified that Eden would get sick of the sneaking around and the lies, terrified that the boy would leave him. He wasn't a self-loathing person but he couldn't help feeling like he wasn't worth that boy. Eden was perfect, he was an angel in body and an angel in soul. He deserved someone who could give him the world, not take it away from him. Malcolm knew not to give in to the guilt, he knew Eden loved him and knew that it would make everything a thousand times worse if he voiced his concerns.

Malcolm glanced in the rearview mirror once again, just about able to see Eden sat in the front passenger seat on his phone. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, the images of Eden sat with him brightening his mood once again. He could practically hear the boy singing along with the radio, giggling as he and Malcolm made absent comments on the passing scenery, their hands clasped together. Malcolm hadn't realised how much he craved that until that moment. The intimate moments were amazing, but the domestic ones would be surreal. He couldn't wait until the fantasies became reality.

"Hey," Malcolm said as he answered the call on his phone, flicking it onto speaker so he could hear better. He wasn't stupid enough to use his phone in the car without a handheld device, he wasn't planning on getting some sort of criminal charge just for taking a call.

"Where abouts are you?" Slate asked, his voice crackling awfully down the speaker. Malcolm didn't like to take calls in the car actually, he was reminded of his distaste every time he did.

"About halfway there, we're gonna stop off for something to eat soon probably, why?" Malcolm was very grateful for Georgina and Ullr watching over Eden when he wasn't able to, but he was well aware that Slate didn't like them straying too far from the pack territory. Malcolm and Eden could go wherever they wanted without having to inform anyone or ask for permission, perks a wolf would never have. Georgina and Ullr were a different case. They were only members of the pack, not alphas or betas, yet they were still treated as threats to packs in other territories. They could be attacked on sight if another pack noticed them on their land without permission.

"Just checking up on you, someone has to be the mother when you're not here," Malcolm chuckled, having known how well he fit that role for years, "I also wanted your opinion on our little situation," Malcolm's chuckle died away, his good mood following suit. He didn't take Slate's job lightly, it would be disrespectful to treat such a situation that way.

"What were you thinking?"

"Suicide. I mean, Ari hacked his computer and he receives death threats near daily. It's pretty believable that that could have really gotten to him," Slate was very good at what he did, and Malcolm was grateful for that. Some would call him a monster, some a sadist. Really, he was just playing into his skills. Some people were good at painting, others maths, Slate was good at killing. And damn near impeccable at covering it up.

"What type? Overdose might work, I heard he was taking sleeping pills for the nightmares Rei caused," Slate was quiet for a moment, with a muffled conversation continuing that Malcolm couldn't quite discern. He was likely speaking with Reivon, since the vampire was often present at many of the jobs. Where Slate killed for money or necessity, Reivon took pleasure in the death. He was a vampire, after all, they weren't exactly known to be pleasant creatures.