NUKA’S POV

Something is off.

I know as soon as I step into the library and Iago isn’t in his usual chair, adorably bent over an obscure book, scrunching his nose at the fact that he has to drink tea from a paper to-go cup because, ya know, school.

He has a free period before this one and I know he spends it here in the library, so where is he?

I tell myself not to panic as I walk back out of the library. Despite Iago not having a phone, being able to find him and make plans has never been an issue for me. I could ask him if he wanted to do something after school or over the weekend during our time together in the library. It is unusual for his routine to change unexpectedly. He’s not spontaneous, I wish he was a little more spontaneous at times, but I would never ask him to do anything that makes him uncomfortable, but he has been more open to doing new things.

He might be with Indy.

A small part of my mind is telling me that this is still concerning because he’s never missed our “tutoring” sessions. I don’t really need that much help anymore. Lately we just spend time together. Sometimes he reads while I do homework so I don’t have to do it after practice and working in the pottery studio with my mom, or he will read over my Literature essays and give me advise. Sometimes we just sit and talk. Even though I don’t need tutoring, there is no way I’m giving up any time with him.

Especially now.

“Hey, Black Feather! How come you’re out roaming the halls and not in the library with LG!” Gabe’s voice reaches me before I even notice the excitable retriever and his much calmer Mate. I crack a little smile at the fact that Gabe adopted my nickname for Iago into something of his own. It means a lot that they like him.

“Iago wasn’t’ in the library. I’m going to the computer lab to see if he’s with Indy.”

Gabe and Archer fall into step with beside me. They’ve been my best friends since we first met in Pee-Wee hockey. I’ve known they were going to at least date since puberty started and my powers began to manifest.

There are times it really sucks having a Succubus for a Mom. Since I’m half Incubus I can read a person’s sexual aura or energy. I can see when they are attracted to someone else, when they are sexually frustrated or satisfied, which is super fun in high school, let me tell ya. I can see the Mate bond between people when they turn 18 and find their Mate, their auras will begin to match up and reach for each other. Occasionally, if it’s strong enough, I get flashes of empathic lust. Mom says that will be “VERY beneficial” when have a mate, apparently that is the only one of my Incubus powers that will affect my Mate. 

I’m glad that’s the only one because the one I would hate to work on my Mate is the fact that I have a slight power of suggestion through touch. If I want to, I can touch someone and suggest they do something, almost like hypnosis but not as strong. It’s not as strong as a full succubus or incubus, who can completely control and manipulate. I can’t take away free will, it’s more like a subtle push.

Honestly, I like the powers from my dad more. He is a Winter Fae, so I have control over snow and ice plus I don’t ever feel the cold.

“What the FUCK are you three doing here? Isn’t it bad enough you’ve put yourselves into my life through my twin but now you’re here bothering me in one of the few spaces I was sure you wouldn’t show up.”

Indy clearly doesn’t like us.

We were in the “secondary” computer lab. Basically, it’s a tiny room the computer club took over and have set up into a computer lab that looks like it’s out of a SCI-FI movie, like what Neo had in the beginning of the Matrix but even more high-tech. Only a few other people are in there, all plugged in with huge headphones on.

Gabe is uncharacteristically quiet and still, sticking close to Archers back, his hands fisted into his Mate’s t-shirt. After his last interaction with this particular Bruin twin I’m not surprised he’s a little gun shy.

“Look Indy, I’m not sure why you hate us so much, but we’ve done nothing to you.”

Indy sighs, pulling his eyes from the intricate computer system set up in front of him. How he could know what is happening on 6 different screens I’ll never know. His eyes are the same mahogany brown as Iago’s but were some how colder, harder.

“I don’t hate you guys.” Archer scoffs at Indy’s words. He stands and walks over in front of us, leaning against a desk, crossing his arms over his chest.

To me the differences between him and my Little Genius were glaringly obvious. Not because of Iago’s dyed hair or piercings but in the way they moved, the way they formed expressions, in the eyes. They could look exactly the same down to their clothes, and I know I would be able to tell which was My Iago.

“Iago is special, he is one of the most pure souls you’ll meet but people like to take advantage of that. It wouldn’t be the first, second, or even third time some asshole has taken advantage of Iago. So now when popular, handsome, athletic strangers start appearing in his life asking for his “help” I get a little skeptical. Not to mention it’s putting him on the radar of a lot of people who will make it their mission to keep him “in his place”. I’m worried about him.”

“We’d never hurt Iago! He’s our friend and Nuka’s Mate, we’ll protect him!”

Covering the top half of my face with my hand, I shake my head. Leave it to Gabe to let that little tid-bit slip.

I can feel Indy’s cold glare zero in on me. Reluctantly I lower my hand and met his gaze. He…. Doesn’t look surprised.

“You knew?”

“I had a theory.” He shrugs one shoulder in a way that would remind me of Iago, if it wasn’t so fast and jerky. “The jersey thing was a bit of a clue. It doesn’t mean I’ll be nicer to you and I’m not the worst of my brothers.”

“Yeah, I met Barnaby and Brutus already.”

“My apologizes that you had to share the same air as those two. They’re class A douches.”

Archer looks like he is struggling not to tell Indy how much of a class A douche he thinks Indy is, but he doesn’t. Thank Goddess. Now is not the time.

Indy pushes off the desk he’s leaning on and circles around to his computers settling into a chair and punching keys at an alarmingly fast rate.

Again, their differences almost startle me. Indy is brisk, sharp, cold, fast and almost harsh in his words, movements and expressions. Iago is almost the exact opposite, methodical, smooth, calm, warm.

“You haven’t told him?” Indy says out of nowhere.

“He’s not ready to know.”

Indy’s rapid typing stops, his eyes slowly moving to mine again, the slowest I’ve ever seen him move.

“Well fuck man. Why’d you have to do that.” He leans far back in his chair running his hands down his face and groaning into his palms.

“Do what?”

“Show me you understand him. Most guys our age who find their mate want to hump like horny puppies….”

Gabe’s offended “Hey!” and a chuckle from Archer earned an eyeroll from the stern twin.

“But you haven’t even told him yet. You’re waiting for him.”

“I’ve known since I met him he’d need to know me before I could be more than his friend. I wanted to be with him before I even knew he was my Mate. I can wait till he’s ready and if he’s never ready, as long as he’s in my life… Well that’s all that matters.”

Indy stared at me with those cold, calculating eyes, leaning back in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest for a full minute before nodding once and glancing back at his screens.

“Then why are you here with me and not in the library you know…. With him?”

Indy thought Iago was in the library.

Shit.

“He wasn’t in the library. That’s why we’re here. I was hoping he was here or you would know where he is.”

Indy pulls out his phone so fast I barely register the movement, his fingers flying over the screen.

“Let’s go check the school one more time while I wait to hear from a few people.”

Indy is tense as he gets up again.

“I’m gonna shift. Maybe I’ll be able to catch his scent.”

Gabe slips away and returns in his Golden Retriever form, tail stiff, nose to the ground. We end up at Iago’s locker and Gabe starts to freak out.

“There’s blood….” Archer says, his voice tense, “Gabe says its Iago’s”

The shrill dings of Indy’s phone cut through the silence. He stared at this phone. After what feels like an eternity he looks up, right at me.

“Iago’s missing.”