MORTAL LOVE - complete MxM paranormal romance

1

-1600 BC, the Indus Vally-

It was the way the man moved that caught Hiro's attention first. The grace of a warrior. A quiet confidence rare for a human of only a few decades old. And a beauty that took Hiro's breath away.

The merchant's voice cut through his thoughts. "On my h-honor, Shri, t-the wood will be delivered to Dera Rawal before the next full moon. I swear."

Erisi would be livid. When it came to the safety of their family, his leader had no patience for excuses. They needed the excavations under the stronghold to provide a safe haven for the young demons when they were under attack. Which meant he needed wood delivered now.

Hiro sighed, eyes still fixed on the man who navigated the busy streets of Harappa. "Before we get into what the hell happened this time, tell me who that is. The man with the shoulderguards."

The kneeling merchant looked up and followed Hiro's gaze to the only man wearing armor in an otherwise peaceful city.

"T-That's the youngest son of Daysu, Shri," the man whispered before he bowed in the dust. Hiro barely refrained from ordering him to stand—again.

Daysu, defender of the city. His scouts had told him about the warrior.

The shoulderguards and the impressive muscle on the man's frame made more sense now. With the only warrior in the city for a father, he would have trained from the moment he could walk.

"He's... In fact, I hired him to safeguard future shipments," the merchant said.

That got Hiro's full attention. "What do you mean? And get the hell up. Crawling through the sand won't solve our problem any faster."

The man finally obliged, dusting off his bare knees. "As you wish, Shri. The last shipment was stolen as it traveled upriver. I have hired Rama to guard the next when it comes in from the coast next week. With his help, I can assure you we will deliver the wood to Dera Rawal."

Hiro brushed his palm along the stubble on his chin. The only way he'd keep Erisi from getting involved personally was if he made sure there were no further delays. And he did want to find out more about Rama.

"Introduce me."

The merchant looked at him in confusion.

"Unless you want me to look for another wood trader, I'm solving this problem myself. I'll work with Rama. All I need from you is an introduction."

The man bowed his head. "Yes, Shri."