Entrapment

Reading Time: 54 Minutes

Title: Entrapment
Author: Keira Marcos
Fandom: NCIS, Numb3rs, The Sentinel, Stargate: Atlantis, Stargate: SG1
Relationship: Tony DiNozzo/Ian Edgerton
Genre: Fusion, Romance, Sentinels Are Known, First Time, Alternate Universe
Warnings: NC-17, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Bashing, Explicit Sex, Canon Character Death, Discussion-Murder, Discussion-Serial Murder, Grammarly Beta
Word Count: 13,487
Author’s Note: The crossovers with both The Sentinel and the Stargate franchise are tertiary at best. No knowledge of either show is necessary for reading, but you might miss niche references if you’ve not read Heart of the Lion, the Stargate: Atlantis story, where I introduced this particular AU. Understanding them isn’t necessary to the plot.
Summary: Tony DiNozzo has been online for a decade as a Guide. He knew his Sentinel the moment he set eyes on him, but the man was latent, and after years of serving in the Army and hunting fugitives for the FBI, it seemed unlikely that Ian Edgerton would ever come online. Then, while dealing with Gibbs’ pending return to NCIS from pseudo-retirement, Tony dreams about Ian and knows that his Sentinel is not only online but in trouble. Tony knows how to hunt but also understands the value of a well-laid trap.

* * * *

Gibbs being back in town should’ve been a relief. Tony had been forced to work twice as hard to keep the MCRT functional after Gibbs had fucked off to Mexico. He couldn’t fault the man for his retreat, considering the renewed grief he had to deal with. It had been difficult to ignore Gibbs’ pain regarding the loss of his wife and child, and Tony did work hard to keep his empathy to himself.

Ten years as an unbonded online Guide had allowed for a lot of training. It had also allowed for a bone-deep level of loneliness to settle on him. There had been searches over the years, and he’d met more Sentinels than he’d ever expected he would when he’d first come online. Not a single one had ever interested him. At least, not a single online Sentinel had ever tempted him.

He knew the signs and understood that Gibbs’ so-called retirement was over. Tony also knew that Jenny Shepard was most certainly going to demote him. They hadn’t been getting along at all, for several reasons, but most of all because he’d refused to take on an undercover assignment that appeared to be off the books. He hadn’t gotten the details and had to remind her twice during the single conversation they’d had about the assignment that she couldn’t order an online Guide to go undercover.

On the surface, everything appeared fine, but he could feel her seething resentment toward him every single minute she was near him. There was something wrong with her, and he couldn’t put his finger on it. So, he’d filed a confidential report to the Secretary of the Navy’s office as a Guide detailing his concerns for Director Shepard’s mental health. He knew that situation was going to make landfall within the week, and he’d kind of hoped that Gibbs would stay in Mexico until the situation was fully contained.

Gibbs was strangely and inappropriately attached to Jenny Shepard. Tony felt more than saw their connection, which had surely been both sexual and romantic at some point in the past.

“Going home soon?”

Tony looked up and found McGee hesitating in front of his desk. Things had been difficult between them since the Renny Grant case. McGee had tried to rush it, but Tony knew that Grant was innocent. They’d argued as McGee really didn’t think Tony was a capable Guide, and the man often dismissed any input Tony offered from that direction.

Tony had simply put McGee on cold cases and asked for help outside of his own team. It hadn’t taken the head of cyber more than a few hours to find the money and the real culprit. McGee waffled between indignation and cowed, depending on the audience. Ziva had already skipped out in favor of Gibbs’ attention, so McGee had no ego support.

“No,” Tony said and returned to the report he was writing.

“I can help with reports.”

“No, you can’t. You aren’t qualified and never bothered to learn how to do the SFA paperwork. So, despite what you tell everyone, you aren’t my Senior Field Agent, and no report you file would be acceptable per regulations.” Tony checked over his list and opened up another document.

“If you’d trained me….”

“I tried,” Tony said. “We’re not having this argument again, McGee. You weren’t qualified for the job Shepard tried to give you, to begin with. I never should’ve agreed to train you when you hadn’t even bothered to read and understand the duties required of the SFA position. If you had read them, then you wouldn’t have pitched a fit in the middle of the office in front of everyone, accusing me of being lazy and too dumb to do the work for the team lead when the only thing I’d assigned you were tasks for the Senior Field Agent position.”

McGee’s face was flushed. Most would’ve assumed it was shame, but the younger man was furious.

“You’re lucky to still have a job,” Tony said evenly. “Because it wasn’t my recommendation.” He checked his watch. “Your workday ended thirty-two minutes ago, so you can leave.”

“But….”

“If you’re still standing there in a minute, I’m going to write you up for insubordination.” Tony paused. “Again.”

“Gibbs is coming back, and everything will go back to the way it was,” McGee snapped. “The way it should be—we won’t have to put with your crap anymore. He’ll put you in your place!”

Tony sat back in his chair then and stared. “Forty-five seconds.”

McGee growled, grabbed his coat and bag, then stalked out of the bullpen.

“Was that strictly necessary?”

Tony focused on Ducky, who had arrived silently in the middle of the conversation and just observed. The older man had been subdued since Gibbs’ so-called retirement.

“Yes.”

Ducky sighed and eased into a chair beside Tony’s desk. “What do you see that I’m missing there, Anthony?”

“McGee is arrogant, careless, and entitled,” Tony said. “He’s going to get himself or someone else killed if he doesn’t get a wake-up call. It’s clear he won’t tolerate getting it from me. McGee is a problem, but it’s manageable under someone else’s leadership. There are other problems here, Ducky, that aren’t manageable at all. I wouldn’t discuss any of that here since we have no guarantee of privacy. But please watch your back.”

Ducky smiled. “Of course, my boy.” He tapped the desk gently. “McGee’s not wrong about things going back to the way they were.” He stood. “And I know that doesn’t serve you, Anthony. Please make good choices for yourself. You deserve better.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Tony said. “I’m always exactly where I want to be, and Jethro Gibbs doesn’t have the ability to put me anywhere, and he’s not qualified to know what my place is. Something he knows very well.”

Ducky laughed and shook his head as he walked away.

Tony looked across the area that housed the MCRT and stared at Gibbs’ empty desk. The first week after Gibbs had left, more than one person suggested that Tony take over the desk. It had been so off-putting that Tony hadn’t ever considered it, and he’d ignored the prodding. Even Shepard had tried her hand at it, but he’d just claimed the energy was off. It had made her laugh, and maybe she’d understood it as she didn’t even lean on Gibbs’ desk when she was in their area.

Since taking over as lead for the MCRT, Tony had come to realize that his time with NCIS was nearly finished. He trusted his own instincts as they’d served him well in his career. The tone at the agency had changed after Kate’s murder, but it had taken him more time than he wanted to admit to get his balance back. The shock and grief had been overwhelming. He and Kate had butted heads a lot when she’d first started, but they’d evened out when he’d made it clear she was precariously close to actively discriminating against him because of his Guide status.

It had brought her up short, and the changes afterward had been very positive. She’d dug in on the job, filled the gaps in her skills, and learned quickly to trust Tony’s instincts. In fact, she’d done more to make the work manageable than anyone else ever had at NCIS.

“You’re thinking about Kate.”

Tony looked up and found Abby standing in front of his desk. She fidgeted a little. They’d had a few dust-ups since Gibbs’ departure, and he’d been frank with her about her behavior and attachment issues. Fortunately, she’d taken it to heart and gotten therapy. He was fairly certain they’d narrowly escaped an all-out shrine in Gibbs’ honor down in the lab.

“Yeah.”

“I miss her like crazy,” Abby confessed and slouched down in the chair. “Ducky said you were up here brooding.”

Tony laughed and shrugged.

“I guess it’s a good thing we didn’t get that ritual cleansing done on Gibbs’ desk since he’s about to unretire,” she said and grinned when he groaned. “It was a good idea.”

It might eventually be necessary, Tony thought.

“Dr. Klink says that missing someone is just part of the grief process,” Abby said. “But that it would be different for an online Guide. I was trying to read about that, but all the resources I found were very clinical.”

Tony considered that. It was hard to explain to a mundane, but Abby was sensitive and growing by leaps and bounds on the emotional intelligence front since starting therapy. She’d clearly embraced the process completely.

“Almost everyone around me provides a certain amount of psionic background noise,” Tony said. “So, it’s like the universe is playing me a song, and someone took away one of the instruments. The song isn’t as beautiful as it once was, but it gets better every day.” He focused on her and saw that she was in tears. “I’m sorry.”

“No, that’s perfect,” Abby said quietly. “Kate’s death changed my song, too. I didn’t have the tools to deal with it, and I was spiraling terribly. I didn’t even realize how bad it was until you made me see how foolish I was being about Gibbs.” She took a deep breath. “I think you saved me, Tony. I’ve got immense abandonment issues and form terribly unhealthy attachments. I love our work family, but I’ve been so invested in it that I don’t have any sort of personal life outside of it. I’ve turned down great research opportunities outside of the agency out of misplaced loyalty. I feel so stupid.”

“You aren’t stupid. You’re just…fucked up.”

She laughed.

“But we’re all fucked up—the key is acknowledging it and doing our best to unfuck ourselves before we do more damage than good,” Tony said. He focused on the computer so he could make sure all of his reports were ready to go and closed them one by one. “I feel like something is changing.”

“Is it going to be a bad change?” Abby questioned. “Is it because Gibbs is coming back? He’s coming back, right?”

“Yes, of course he is,” Tony said. “He’s still conflicted, and I don’t think his memory is where it needs to be, but no one is going to ask me.”

She bit down on her lip. “Are you leaving? She’s going to demote you, right? You’ve done so well, and that’s not fair.”

“There isn’t room for another team lead here,” Tony said. “Maybe in one of the other units, there would be room for me, but Sheppard isn’t going to transfer me. Because she certainly doesn’t have anyone on deck to manage Gibbs as his SFA.”

“Well, that doesn’t have to be your job,” Abby said, and her gaze narrowed. “There’s a fine line between duty and unreasonable expectations.”

“Look at you, learning stuff from therapy.”

She laughed. “Seriously, though.”

“I think my song is going to change again,” Tony said quietly and smiled. “There’s something stirring on the psionic plane.”

“Oh, do you think it’s your Sentinel?” She clapped her hands. “That would be exciting! Are you expecting a call from the Burton Foundation?”

“Not specifically. I’m not active in their search system,” Tony said and turned off his computer. “I put myself on sabbatical outside of emergency situations due to Kate’s murder. Though, no one really appreciated that. There are expectations around me due to certain internal factors I really can’t discuss, and some of the higher-ups in the Foundation in the area feel like they need to coddle me like I’m not a real live grown-up federal agent.”

“What do you think your Sentinel will be like?” Abby questioned. “Strong, like you. Good, too, because you are. Honorable because they’re a Sentinel.”

“Be careful with that line of thinking, Abs,” Tony said quietly. “Sentinels serve the tribe, but that service can mean very different things to the individual. Circumstances, politics, and even geography shape that service. If it didn’t, war would be impossible. But my Sentinel is a very good man.”

“You met them? You never said!”

“Well, I met a latent Sentinel years ago that felt like he belonged to me. But it seemed like he wouldn’t come online. He served in the Army and is in the FBI without coming online. It is what it is.”

Abby nodded thoughtfully. “Have you considered hunting him down and seducing him?” She waved her hands. “Sexy times may be just what he needs.”

“Shut up,” Tony said with a laugh as he stood. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Seriously, Tony.” She shouldered her bag and trotted after him. “You’ve got the skills to rock this man’s world! Where is he? Let’s look him up.”

“No unsanctioned digital stalking,” Tony said as he called the elevator. “If you get another ding from the Inspector General’s office, you’ll lose your clearance. Then you’ll end up working in some under-funded state lab that will make you wear a uniform, and that’ll be sad.”

She clutched her necklaces as she followed him into the elevator. “It was barely a ding! It was like a love tap.”

He laughed. “Keep thinking that.”

“Special Agent Danner was sweet to me.”

“He didn’t have enough proof of your bad behavior,” Tony retorted. “And your worth as an asset outweighed the evidence, so Shepard talked him into dismissing the complaint. You won’t get another chance on that front. Agent Danner was deeply unimpressed with your behavior. Don’t ever give him evidence to use against you, Abs. I mean that. Don’t dismiss him as a non-threat because he’s so mild-mannered. He didn’t get where he is by being a pushover.”

“Yeah, okay.” She huffed. “A girl can’t even indulge in a little bit of skulduggery around here.”

“A grown woman should know better,” Tony said as he stabbed the button for the elevator. “Far too many people around here enable you. I’m worried you’ll screw yourself over after I’m gone.”

“I’ll check myself,” Abby said and smiled when Tony sighed. “Seriously, I promise to never, ever leave any evidence behind ever again.”

“That’s probably the best I can hope for,” Tony said, reluctantly amused.

* * * *

Tony sat down on the stairs and watched Gibbs stare at the boat he’d left behind when he’d gone to Mexico. He’d made a habit of checking on the house periodically in the months the older man had been gone. Since Gibbs had hired a person to come in once a month to keep the house relatively dust free and ready for occupation, Tony had never believed he was gone permanently.

“Drink?” Gibbs questioned.

“No, but thanks,” Tony said quietly. “You’re not ready.”

“Shepard isn’t going to hold off much longer,” Gibbs said roughly. “Maybe I should stay gone, but it’s…everything is off, and it’s not all to do with the memory loss.” He leaned against the table and stared moodily at the bourbon in his glass. “Do you know what it is?”

“Ziva sits like a boulder in the middle of the team,” Tony said. “She lacks the grace that Kate provided, and it matters. It’ll be worse going forward. She doesn’t respect me, and McGee is still furious over the consequences of his own damn actions.”

Gibbs sighed and took a sip of his drink. “I should make you deal with that. You recruited him.”

“You agreed he had potential,” Tony said in amusement. “It’s too bad his hero worship of you turned him into a hellbeast. Speaking of, he basically wrote fan fiction about you, and you probably need to contact legal about it. I’ve not read it, but there certainly needs to be an official assessment done due to security clearances and the like. You don’t want the news to get to Terry Danner before you file a report on it.”

Gibbs sighed. “What the hell is fan fiction?”

Tony laughed. “Normally, it’s when fans write fiction about the characters in TV shows and movies. Sometimes it’s about real people, and in McGee’s case, I’m pretty sure it’s just thinly veiled fiction about you and the team. I can’t say for certain he hasn’t used actual cases at the agency for fodder. It certainly needs to be reviewed by legal, at the least, to avoid liability for the agency. Abby’s seen some of it and said it was pathetic. She was really surprised he got a publishing deal and believes the book deal is probably about his status as a federal agent.”

“Abby actually called it pathetic?” Gibbs asked, clearly amused.

“I put her in therapy,” Tony said frankly. “She needed it badly. Kate’s murder broke something wide open in Abby, and I wouldn’t have noticed if I weren’t a Guide. Her issues around being adopted and the abandonment of her biological mother have never been properly dealt with. She supplemented a lot of her emotional needs with you, which was unhealthy, to say the least. It was precariously close to obsessional.”

“What’s your plan?” Gibbs questioned.

“I don’t have one.”

“Unlike you,” Gibbs murmured. “You look unsettled.”

Keaton, Tony’s spirit animal, took that moment to appear. The large jaguar moved gracefully down the stairs, rubbing against Tony’s body as he did so.

“Something is going to change,” Tony said. “I’m not sure what exactly.”

“Have you called the Foundation?” Gibbs prodded. “Because you should.”

“I’m still technically on sabbatical,” Tony said, and Gibbs sighed. “Don’t give me that attitude.”

“You need it,” Gibbs retorted. “I seem to recall permission to get in your face when I think you’re not taking care of yourself.”

“Of course, you’d remember that,” Tony muttered, and Gibbs laughed. “I can tell you aren’t exactly right, Gibbs. I’m not sure you’re field ready. I know that saying such a thing at work would get me nowhere.”

“I’ve got some gaps,” Gibbs admitted. “I only recently realized I’d forgotten a whole ex-wife.”

Tony grinned. “Yeah, well, that was probably self-defense. Stephanie, right?”

Gibbs huffed. “Yeah.” He shook his head. “I’ll keep an eye on Abby. It sounds like you’re prepping me for your departure.”

“That’s because I am,” Tony said easily. “Jenny Shepard is terrible at her job, Gibbs. She’s going to demote me without a single care for the optics of giving you your job back. Using me as a placeholder for you is just one offense on a list as long as my arm. Shortly after you took a siesta, Shepard tried to convince me to go undercover off the books and with no support. I cut her off before getting the details for her own sake, but you need to figure that situation out and lock her down before she endangers the credibility of the agency as a whole.”

Gibbs sighed. “It’s probably about her father’s suicide. She thinks it was murder, but the investigation and forensics just never supported that belief.” He finished off his drink. “I’ll take care of it. Do you know if she’s roped some other agent into doing the op?”

“I doubt it—she needed a very special skillset based on her initial pitch, and I’m fairly unique on that front in the DC office. She hasn’t transferred anyone in that I can see. Fortunately, her personal security and job prevent her from doing it herself,” Tony said.

Gibbs nodded. “She has a history of undercover work, but not on your level. Very few do at NCIS, which is fortunate since she’s certainly looking for someone else to fill the gap you refused.” He glanced toward the bottle but put his glass down. “Where are you going?”

“Unsure,” Tony admitted with a shrug. “I have offers on the table.”

“You always do,” Gibbs pointed out roughly. “Is this about Ziva?”

“She’s a black hole of resentment,” Tony said. “She throws it around like candy, and her daddy issues are an international incident waiting to happen. Shepard tried to elevate her access repeatedly in the system, but I flagged her log-in with the Cyber Division. There is a permanent lockdown on her account. If she tries to open a single classified file or document, it’ll be automatically reported to the Inspector General. It pissed her off, and she accused me of not trusting her.

“You should’ve seen her face when I admitted that I didn’t trust her at all. She’s very deceptive, Gibbs, and it’s never sat right that she let you take the blame for Ari. She killed her own brother, but she did it in your defense, so…why hide it? Why encourage you to hide it? We both know her father knows the truth.”

“Certainly,” Gibbs agreed. “I’d have fallen for that whole act if you hadn’t been around to set me straight on it. I don’t know what Ziva’s agenda is or why Jenny is so determined to keep her here. There’s some quid pro quo there—not sure if it’s from Ziva or if Eli David is the real player in that particular game.” He waved a hand. “The whole agency needs to be reviewed, and anyone associated with Eli David in any single way should be moved along one way or another. His focus on NCIS is bizarre. The agency is a small player in the system and certainly shouldn’t be on the radar for the head of Mossad.”

“Yeah,” Tony said with a nod. “Want me to drop a note to the NSA about it?”

Gibbs grinned. “Yeah, sure.”

“I think spending time with Mike Franks has turned you into something of a troll,” Tony said wryly, and Gibbs laughed.

He focused on Keaton and watched the large cat walk across the basement and rub against Gibbs’ leg. His spirit animal has always had a special affection for Gibbs, which was rare since most spirit animals avoided the touch of mundanes. He watched Gibbs rub Keaton’s head with gentle fingers.

“He’s very solid. Is there a reason for it?” Gibbs questioned. “Has someone threatened you? Made themselves a problem?”

“Not explicitly,” Tony murmured. “As I said, there’s been a shift in the psionic plane around me. I don’t know what to make of it exactly. It’s exciting, though.”

Gibbs nodded. “Need sex?”

“I’d love to get my brains fucked out,” Tony admitted and grinned when Gibbs quirked an eyebrow. “But I think I need to keep myself to myself for the time being. If a Sentinel is in my future, I’d rather be ready for that on every front.” He stood. “But thanks—I’m glad to know that’s back on offer. Having someone I trust around for that is a relief, in more ways than one.”

“Well, it’s no hardship, Tony,” Gibbs said wryly. “You’re beautiful—inside and out. Lucky for me, I knew better than to fall for an online Guide.”

Tony grinned. “Don’t sweet talk me, Gibbs. Saying no to dick is hard enough.”

* * * *

Tony dropped down on his bed, the air in his bedroom was cool on his skin but getting dressed again after his shower had seemed like too much work. Keaton leaped onto the bed and sprawled with him. Tony rubbed his spirit animal’s head when the jaguar settled his head on Tony’s stomach.

“You feel it, too.”

Keaton’s rumbling purr was a comfort, so he stayed where he was and tried to relax. Slowly, Tony retreated from his physical environment as he sought the psionic plane. He hadn’t needed formal meditation in over five years to connect deeply with the plane. Part of him knew he should probably tell someone at the Burton Foundation that his connection had deepened. But precious few people knew his true status. The Alpha Primes of the region knew that Blair Sandburg had trained him. A few others here and there were in the know in case he needed help. But the director of the local branch of the Foundation was completely in the dark, and that was for the best, considering his personal interest.

He already got more attention than he wanted merely for the fact that he was ranked high in the system and had, per the estimation of many, extremely rigid criteria for being included in the search. Tony had excluded himself shortly after Kate’s murder as he didn’t think he was emotionally or mentally prepared for that kind of thing following her death. Part of him wondered if he’d ever really be able to truly consider another Sentinel when he knew the potential perfection that awaited him in Ian Edgerton’s arms.

“Do you think it’s Ian?”

Keaton rumbled and threw a leg over Tony’s thigh.

“Yeah,” Tony murmured and took a deep breath as psionic energy drifted visibly over them both.

Still, despite his profound connection with the psionic plane, the empty place inside of him meant for a Sentinel ached. He kind of regretted turning down the sex. Gibbs was great in bed—strong and careful. The man also had a long, thick cock. A lot of people wondered how Gibbs got so many women to marry him, but Tony didn’t. It was hard to pass up quality dick like Gibbs had on offer.

Keaton chuffed.

“I know. I came home, didn’t I? I could be getting absolutely banged right now. Instead, I’m in my big, lonely bed with you, not getting off.”

He really didn’t regret it because as physically satisfying as sex nearly always was, it never really satisfied his needs for any significant period of time. Many online Guides, who found comfort in sex, had to seek it out far more regularly than Tony had allowed himself to do in years. There’d come a point when empty sex had started to grate on his nerves. So, he’d indulged in long-term liaisons with those he trusted. Gibbs had been the most recent, but that had ground to a halt a month after Kate’s murder. He hadn’t been able to handle his and Gibbs’ grief at the same time.

Tony let himself drift off to sleep.

* * * *

His heart was racing, beating wildly against his chest as he curled a fist against his skin. Tony hadn’t ever felt anything like it in his life, and the fleeting pain of it had shaken him from a deep sleep. His brain was already letting go of the hazy dream that had woken him. He reached out blindly for his cell phone and called the Arlington Psionics Center. He rattled off his access code to the automated answering service and was immediately connected to a human being.

“Guide DiNozzo, are you in distress?”

“No, someone else is,” Tony said as he pressed against his chest. “I need you to verify the status of a latent Sentinel—Ian Edgerton, FBI Fugitive Task Force. If you check our records, you’ll note that I’ve identified him as a potential match.”

“I’m checking to see if he has acknowledged your claim,” the woman said quietly.

He listened to the quiet clicks of her keyboard. Tony knew that Ian had acknowledged him in the system, more for Tony’s sake than his own, as he wanted to be part of any response team if Tony got into trouble again. That process had happened after Tony had spent the better part of two days on the run with a serial killer. Ian hadn’t been amused by that situation at all.

“Tertiary claim confirmed. Ian Edgerton has not reported to any center in the US or Canada. I’m going to connect with the FBI liaison. Do you need medical assistance?”

“No,” Tony said as he left the bed. He stood, uncertain for a moment, then took a deep breath. “I’m steady on my feet.”

“I have a team en route to your home.” There was a tone. “This is Lyra Jasper, Agent Bright. I have Agent Anthony DiNozzo, Alpha Guide, on the line.”

“The NCIS agent?” Bright questioned. “Tony, right?”

“Yes,” Tony said as he pulled a pair of jeans from the closet and grabbed a shirt. “Tell me where Ian Edgerton is.”

“Agent Edgerton? Did he blow?” Bright exhaled slowly. “He’s been on the edge for the past month or so. He’s currently hunting a fugitive in the Smokey Mountains.”

“I do think he’s online,” Tony said frankly. “It seems to have been an aggressive but not necessarily physically traumatic event. Considering his level of combat experience and experience in the Army, it would take more than even a direct threat to his own life to bring him online.”

“What would that even be?” Bright questioned. “Is there a bigger threat to a latent, unbonded Sentinel than death?”

“I don’t know,” Tony admitted frankly. “But we need to get on the ground.”

“Agent DiNozzo, that’s not going to happen. We can’t let you be a part of a retrieval operation of a potentially feral Sentinel. It’s too dangerous despite your presumed compatibility.”

Tony hung up. He knew, fundamentally, that Archibald Bright was a very good man and an excellent FBI agent. But he was not going to be managed during this situation, nor was he going to be sidelined. Feral Sentinels weren’t always treated with the most care due to how dangerous they could be. He knew they’d go the extra mile to prevent hurting him physically, but Ian’s emotional landscape was the problem. What in the hell had brought the man online, if not a physical threat?

He dressed quickly, grabbed his go-bag, and called Gibbs as he left his apartment. “Boss, I need you. I’m heading to the Yard.”

“On my way,” Gibbs said and hung up.

Tony slipped into the stairwell just as the elevator opened. He could feel the approaching Sentinel-Guide pair, and he wasn’t going to argue with them about what would happen next. The fact that he was probably a stranger to them meant the Sentinel wouldn’t be able to track him individually in a large apartment building. The Burton Foundation didn’t have the authority to take him into custody at any rate, but they could be high-handed when it came to the advocacy of their kind. He reluctantly tucked his headset into his ear when his phone buzzed in his pocket.

“This is DiNozzo.”

“Agent DiNozzo, this is Vincent Howard. We’d like you to come into the center for a conversation.”

“I realize you have a job to do, Director Howard,” Tony said. “But I’m not going to tolerate bureaucracy at a time like this. Nor will I allow myself to be managed like a child. If you have a problem with that, please feel free to contact the Alpha Prime pair. If Patrick Sheppard or his Guide calls my phone personally to tell me to come in for a conversation, then I will do exactly that.”

“The Alpha Sentinel Prime of Appalachia doesn’t normally involve himself in the matters of individuals without a verified threat to the public,” Vincent Howard said roughly. They had a lot of history, and none of it was good, in Tony’s opinion.

“Then you have your answer.”

“Were you aware that Ian Edgerton has marked you his next of kin in our system? We’ll need a court order to instigate a manhunt for him unless you sign off on it.” Howard paused. “We’re going to need you to come in and sign off on that so we can contain Ian Edgerton for his own safety. Then we’ll arrange for you to meet him in a safe and controlled environment. There is no need to risk you getting hurt.”

Tony knew that. As long as Ian hadn’t hurt anyone or committed a crime during a feral episode, the situation wasn’t actionable. And the Burton Foundation only had limited ability to act as a private non-profit entity and depended mostly on the FBI when legal authority was required. The FBI was certainly not going to let them take the lead on a hunt for one of their own if given any sort of choice.

“I do not agree.” He hung up to avoid an argument, as Tony wasn’t interested in making enemies in an overt fashion. He had quite a few of those already. At a red light, he quickly found Fornell in his contacts and called him.

The phone rang for a few moments before a connection was made.

“DiNutso, if there isn’t a body that requires my attention…I swear to God, not even your Guide status will keep you safe from me,” Fornell groused.

“Good morning to you, too, Tobias,” Tony said dryly, and the older man huffed. “Who is the head of the Fugitive Apprehension Task Force out of DC currently?”

“Special Agent in Charge Della Hawkins,” Fornell said roughly. “Very competent.”

High praise for Fornell. Tony nodded as he considered the information. The name was familiar, but he didn’t know how much about her.

“What’s wrong?” Fornell questioned. “You in trouble?”

“I’m meeting Gibbs at the Yard.”

“At two o’clock in the morning? I’ll meander that way myself,” Fornell said and hung up.

Tony was at the gate presenting his ID when his phone rang again. He couldn’t bring himself to ignore the caller, so he answered.

“Good evening, Dr. Dean.”

Jonah Dean, the Alpha Guide Prime of Appalachia, hummed a little bit under his breath. It was a thoughtful and graceful noise. He’d rarely met anyone so comforting as Jonah, so it was kind of nice. “Tony, you’ve got quite a few people in a dither.”

“I realize they’re just trying to do their jobs, but I’m not going to allow interference,” Tony said roughly as he accepted his ID and moved through the gate. “You’ve met Ian. You know he wouldn’t…whatever has happened caused immense psionic upheaval, and a badly done retrieval could damage him or drive him dormant.”

“I agree,” Jonah said. “I’ve told everyone that can be involved to render you all the assistance you require of them. I can’t say that Director Howard is happy about it. He seems to think we should ask the FBI to take you into custody for your own safety despite how illegal that is.”

“Well, that would be unfortunate for him and his financial future,” Tony said, and Jonah laughed. “Infringing on my rights is a road to a host of federal charges and fines. And after years of federal service, I excel at filling out forms and complaining in triplicate.”

“His interest in you has been putting me off for quite a while. Do you know what it is? He’s been bonded for years, so it shouldn’t be personal.”

“I rejected him shortly after I came online as a Guide. He’d been in the system for a while, and we had a decent percentage. We clashed on the personality front, and he seemed to think it didn’t matter. He’s fifteen years older than me, and I’ve always believed he thought he could just shape me into the kind of partner he could tolerate. He did bond, as you know, about a year later. But he took my rejection personally and makes a hobby out of judging me and my life choices.”

“Is it a long-term problem? Because I can have him removed.”

“No, he’s just an asshole,” Tony said easily, and Jonah laughed. “But he’s also a rule follower. So, he’s just an annoyance and a micromanager who thinks he knows what is best for me. He doesn’t even have half the information he’d need to make such a determination.”

“If Ian Edgerton is online and you bond, we won’t be able to keep your status as the regional anchor a secret any longer,” Jonah warned. “There’s no hiding a bonded shaman.”

“I know, and it’s fine,” Tony said and meant it.

Almost any sacrifice was worth finally having Ian in his life in a deep and meaningful way.

* * * *

“Why did you come here?” Tobias Fornell questioned as he sipped his coffee. They were all three entrenched in MTAC and had been for about an hour.

“Taking him into protective custody would be more difficult here,” Gibbs pointed out and focused on the large blank screen in front of them. They were waiting on a call from Ian Edgerton’s boss, who had been roused from her own bed by the Alpha Sentinel Prime of Appalachia at Tony’s request after two different people at the FBI told him no.

“You’ve been a bad influence on this boy,” Fornell said wryly. “I have to think he was much more agreeable before meeting you. Guides are supposed to be sweet and even-tempered.”

“You don’t have to be sweet when you look like this,” Tony said without looking away from what he was reading.

“What are you doing?” Fornell asked as he headed toward the coffee pot.

“I have the case file for the fugitive Ian was pursuing,” Tony said quietly. “Hawkins had it sent to placate me while she’s en route.”

“Bad?” Gibbs questioned.

“Suspected serial killer,” Tony said roughly. “A professor at the FBI academy, on loan from the BSU, was reviewing cases for coursework when he realized he’d stumbled across a series of murders that no one had connected. The oldest took place in 1986, and the last just six months ago. Victimology is different, MO is scattered, and VICAP had no hope of ever connecting them to each other as a result.”

“Then how did he do it?”

“The killer buried every single victim face down with their head pointed west,” Tony said, and Fornell huffed a little. “At any rate, he submitted his findings to SAC Clyde Hickerman six months ago, who put a team on it immediately. They’ve connected all sixteen cases with DNA at this point. Some of them were cold and filed away as permanently unsolved, so DNA hadn’t been tested at all.”

“Good work,” Gibbs murmured. “Hope they know the solid gold they’ve got in that profiler at the academy.”

“Yeah, certainly,” Tony said. “He’s a Guide and currently unbonded, so he takes periodic leave from field service to reset. Not uncommon for Guides of average power.”

“You don’t,” Fornell pointed out.

“There’s not a damn thing average about Tony, Tobias,” Gibbs muttered. “Name on the suspect?”

“Samuel Elijah Whitaker, formerly of the United States Army,” Tony said. “Fifty-four years old, no wife, no kids, and no known address. DNA says it’s him, and if so, that means he made his first kill at twenty while stationed at the Aberdeen Proving Ground. He retired from the Army a year ago at the rank of Sergeant Major.”

“Male or female victims?” Fornell questioned.

“Male,” Tony said. “All between the ages of forty and fifty, dark hair and eyes.”

Gibbs huffed when Tony threw an image up on the screen of the suspect. He stared for a moment. “Asshole’s hunting and killing his own father.”

“Daddy issues on crack,” Tony agreed.

“But why bury them that way?” Fornell questioned.

“Traditionally, tombstones are supposed to face east,” Gibbs said. “To greet the new day.”

“He’s denying his father and, in turn, his victims something specific,” Tony said. “Either the ancient belief surrounding the rising sun or it’s about the resurrection of Christ.”

“I don’t follow,” Fornell admitted.

“Scripture tells us that Christ will return to this world from the east. If you’re buried facing east, then you will gaze upon the visage of the savior when he returns,” Tony said and shrugged when both men gaped at him. “I went to a Christian military academy. Church service was required, and so was bible study. Senior was hoping they’d pray the Guide right out of me.”

Gibbs made a face. “Is his father still alive?”

“No, he was killed in a hunting accident when Whitaker was fourteen,” Tony said, and Gibbs raised an eyebrow. “The local sheriff, at the time, was also the maternal uncle of the suspect.”

“So, he killed his father first,” Tobias said. “Not very Christian.”

“But certainly, biblical as fuck,” Tony said and shrugged. “Patricide was seen as an option in the Old Testament by many. Religious trauma rates pretty high on the scale when it comes to creating a fucked-up adult.” He paused. “But most don’t turn into actual serial killers.”

“They probably think about it, though,” Gibbs muttered and focused on the screen when the system indicated an incoming call.

Tony stood as he accepted the call. “Agent Hawkins.”

She inclined her head. “Agent DiNozzo, my people are tracking Agent Edgerton. Alpha Sentinel Prime Sheppard assures me that you aren’t the excitable sort, and if you tell me my agent is in trouble, then he’s in trouble. His SAT phone is active, but all calls have gone unanswered. We do have a GPS location on the device, but since it has not moved in three hours, it is believed he no longer has the phone.”

“Unless he’s been severely injured or is dead,” Gibbs said flatly, and Hawkins nodded her agreement.

“No, I think I’d know if he were dead,” Tony said.

“I’d be more inclined to believe that if you were bonded to Agent Edgerton,” Hawkins said shrewdly.

Tony stared for a moment. “Are you going to be an obstacle?”

Hawkins raised an eyebrow. “I’ve been told that you’ve plowed through several of those already tonight. As I have no interest in earning the overt disapproval of the Alpha Sentinel Prime pair of Appalachia in a situation where I have no ability to assert control, I have no plans to be obstructive. The Burton Foundation was seeking location data for Agent Edgerton and assistance in taking custody of him. Alpha Sentinel Sheppard put a stop to that conversation.” She rocked back in her chair. “You’re strangely positioned in the Sentinel-Guide community for an unbonded and unranked Guide, Agent DiNozzo.”

“It’s a mistake to assume I have no rank,” Tony said evenly, and her eyes widened in shock. “And my status in the pride system really isn’t the business of any mundane, no matter the job they do.” He paused. “But for your peace of mind, I am an alpha and a shaman. Ian needs me. So, I must know his last known location, and we need to set a perimeter to prevent any further injury or trauma.”

Hawkins took a deep breath. “You’ve read the file I sent you?”

“Yes.”

“Agent Edgerton was put down fifteen miles from Whitaker’s suspected location—a family property that has no road access. Satellite photos confirmed a man is living rough on the land and doesn’t appear to have solar power. He’s the only asset I have in the region that I could’ve been put in those circumstances on his own. I don’t think Whitaker represented any sort of threat to my agent.”

“No, Ian doesn’t fear other men and certainly wouldn’t consider Whitaker a threat or, frankly, much of a challenge,” Tony said and took a deep breath. “No matter the circumstances.” The realization made him understand, at that moment, exactly why his Sentinel hadn’t come online before. He’d never needed to. Ian Edgerton was a badass all on his own. “Why fifteen miles?”

“We used a helicopter, and more importantly, we were able to find a privately owned cabin that Agent Edgerton could use as a base of operations as needed. We paid for a month of occupation. It does have utilities and ground access with ATVs. He’s been there for three days, and he hasn’t missed a single check-in. At last report, he’d confirmed that Whitaker had a long-range rifle and had set traps around the property line.”

“When’s his next scheduled check-in?”

“Two and a half hours from now.”

“I need to get there. Once I’m close, I’m confident I can lure him right to me through the psionic plane. It’s the safest way to contain him, and more importantly, it’ll give the operation a low profile. If Whitaker is still alive and unaware of pursuit, then we need to keep it that way.”

“Whitaker is a hard target for the bureau,” Hawkins said. “And a former Army Ranger. If he and Edgerton had a physical altercation, and my agent survived, then Whitaker is certainly dead.”

* * * *

Tony dropped his bag on the bed. The cabin was minimalistic but furnished with well-made furniture. He’d fortunately been able to get a second set of keys from the owners and hadn’t had to break in. He stripped off his clothes and, despite taking a shower just an hour before, used scent removal wipes to clean himself head to toe. He put the clothes he’d worn to the cabin in a bag and sealed it. Then dressed in a pair of cotton lounge pants and a T-shirt before going out onto the small balcony to look into the forest that surrounded the cabin. It wasn’t a bad place, and he wondered if it appealed to Ian.

The SAT phone Hawkins had given him started to ring, so he went back into the cabin to answer it.

“Hello.”

“My name is Don Eppes,” a voice said tersely.

“Ian’s former partner,” Tony acknowledged. “I don’t have a read on him yet, but I don’t think he’s in any significant danger as long as I can keep people at bay.”

“I can be on a flight to DC inside the next hour,” Eppes said. “I’m more than willing to make a big mess running interference if you need it.”

“Agent Hawkins is doing her part to manage everyone, and Alpha Sentinel Prime Sheppard has already weighed in on the situation, as well. Things are going as well, I can expect at this point. They have a team they’re going to put down on the opposite side of the fugitives’ property line from my location for assessment and containment of the target if he’s not already taken care of.”

“I can’t imagine how he’s alive if Ian survived whatever happened and is online,” Eppes said. “Keep my number and let me know if you need anything. I owe Ian my life, and I’m willing to burn shit to the ground if needed.”

“Get in touch with Jethro Gibbs at NCIS. He’s my point of contact, and will let you know when I have Ian in my care. I can’t spend a lot of time notifying people once I have him.”

“Understood and appreciated,” Eppes said. “Good luck, DiNozzo.”

Tony put the phone down, grabbed the bag of supplies he’d brought, and took it to the nightstand. He’d never been intimate with Ian, despite his own interest, because the other man had been leery of involving himself in an online Guide. Tony understood that. But it also left him in a situation where he had no idea what kind of experience Ian had with men and what his normal expectations would be for a sexual encounter. He also didn’t know how eager Ian would be for intimate bonding.

He wasn’t opposed, but ensuring consent was a factor as he didn’t know how rational Ian was at the moment or if he was actually feral. He could be in a combat drive, which was intense but fundamentally different from a genuine feral episode. Tony actually hoped it was a combat drive or something similar since Ian was now four hours overdue for his check-in.

Ian’s SAT phone hadn’t moved at all. Tony had been tempted to go get it but hadn’t. Staying put and letting Ian suss out that he was no longer alone in the territory he’d claimed for himself was the best choice. After sending a text to Gibbs confirming he was settled in to wait, he put the SAT phone down next to his cell, which had no signal at all. Leaving it behind had seemed so unnatural that he was considering some sort of technology detox plan.

After several hours, Tony went to bed because being well-rested was key to whatever happened next. He couldn’t allow himself to fixate on what Ian was doing in the inky-dark forest that surrounded the cabin. He let the psionic plane embrace him as he relaxed on the mattress. Energy drifted over his body, wispy and cool. The first time he’d embraced the plane, it had left him overwhelmed. Now, it was a soft, sweet sort of interaction that felt deeply affectionate. It didn’t make the lonely little spot deep inside hurt less, but it was a comfort all the same.

There was a soft, barely audible thud on the wooden balcony. Tony turned his head, and his heart elevated slightly as he studied the steady and reassuring presence of his Sentinel resonating out around him. He was reminded of the day they met; Ian had been an instructor at FLETC when Tony went through the process. It had been exciting to meet him and disheartening to realize that the man was probably in the reserve population.

Still, he couldn’t help the bone-deep attraction, and he’d been compelled to tell the man that they were profoundly compatible. Ian had accepted Tony’s assessment, but he’d made it clear that a relationship between them was impossible while he wasn’t online. It wouldn’t have been fair to either of them. Tony could admit it would’ve probably created a very frustrating situation for him. He’d have constantly sought more than Ian could provide. But their last meeting had been heartbreaking because Ian was clearly longing for him on a fundamental level that wouldn’t be soothed as long as he was latent.

Tony slid out of bed as he realized that Ian was afraid to move. He walked across the room, opened the doors, and met Ian’s gaze. The man was standing near the railing. There was blood on his face and a single knife in his hand. It was the only piece of equipment he had on him. It was a concern because the man’s rifle was not in the cabin, and he’d never known Ian to hunt without the sniper rifle that had been a part of his life for decades.

“Tony.” The knife slipped from Ian’s hand and thunked against the wood as it landed.

Tony held out a hand. Ian walked toward him hesitantly and took it with a deep, ragged breath.

“It’s okay. Is this blood yours?”

“Some of it,” Ian said as he resisted being pulled close. “I don’t want you to smell like him.”

“Let’s get you in the shower. Are you coming down from a feral episode?”

“No.”

“Then where is your rifle?”

“With the SAT phone in a hunter’s blind about ten miles from here,” Ian said.

Tony led him into the bathroom and started the shower as Ian started to undress. “Injuries?”

“A few cuts, but he took the brunt of it in more ways than one.”

“I’m going to need an explanation for that,” Tony said wryly. “I’ll text an update while you’re showering.”

“The fugitive has been hunting and trapping for food. Animals, even predators, normally give me a wide berth,” Ian said roughly and took a deep breath as Tony prodded him into the shower. “The son of a bitch was bear baiting, and I didn’t see it.”

“Wait,’ Tony said with a grin. “Did you come online because of a bear?”

“You’ve clearly never been up close and personal with a fucking grizzly,” Ian muttered.

Tony laughed and pulled out some Sentinel-safe soap from his bag and offered the bar to Ian. “It’s just I’ve got this brilliant and snarky friend who likes to tell people that the only way some latents would come online is if they were to come face to face with a bigfoot.”

“A comparison could certainly be made,” Ian muttered. “He was tracking the bear, and I was tracking him. I knew he was aware of me, but I underestimated how stupid he was. He tried to take the bear out with a handgun. The animal took several hits, but he killed the fugitive. Then he came at me, and because the asshole had pulled the ladder down off the blind, I had a choice between fighting and letting a bear run me to the ground.”

“And you came online?”

“Just like that,” Ian admitted. “The bear ran.”

“Of course, it did. The psionic plane was vibrating so hard with your onlining that it woke me. But I felt it coming, either the mortal danger or your onlining. Either way, I’ve been an antsy mess for days. I didn’t call because you’d made your boundaries clear before, and you weren’t online yet.”

“Have you felt me be in danger before?”

“Sure,” Tony admitted and shrugged when Ian winced. “It’s your job, Ian. I’ve mitigated my response to it as much as possible over the years.”

He gathered up the clothes and took them from the bathroom to store in a sealed laundry bag. Tony went into the kitchen and washed his hands to get rid of any scents on the clothes that might have clung to his skin. He sent a text on the SAT phone so the team could handle the body of the fugitive. They also certainly needed to be aware of the injured bear.

The shower stopped as he pulled a first aid kit out of his backpack. He stilled and stayed exactly where he was as his Sentinel left the bathroom.

Ian pressed against him, naked and damp. “Was it your idea to lay yourself out here like bait for a potentially feral Sentinel?”

Tony took a deep breath as Ian’s hands clamped on his hips. “Like I was going to let anyone else come for you.” Ian’s teeth scraped over his skin as he breathed against his neck. “I left a trail of furious people in my wake, too. I contacted the Alpha Sentinel Prime for the region when I didn’t get the help I demanded from the Burton Foundation. They wanted to send in a retrieval team.”

“That would’ve been dangerous for them,” Ian said. “Even without being feral, I feel like I could run circles around most hunters.”

“Certainly,” Tony said. “Why didn’t you notice the suspect was bear-baiting? It’s unlike you.”

“I’ve been off stride for a while, as much as a month. I almost said no to this assignment, but after the briefing, it was clear that Hawkins would have to bring in someone from the west coast if I declined. Which I found irritating.” Ian took a deep breath against his neck. “God, you smell amazing.”

Tony turned in Ian’s hands and leaned on the counter. Ian had a small injury on his face, a scrape more than a cut, and a host of tiny scratches on his hands and arms. “Have a fight with some brush?”

“The bear…got in the middle of the wrestling match I was having with the fugitive. He knocked us both into some undergrowth, then dragged him out.”

“Odd,” Tony admitted.

“Not so much. The asshole smelled sickly sweet.”

“More bear bait?”

“Certainly. I doused myself in a creek several times to make sure it didn’t transfer onto my clothes,” Ian said and wet his lips. “You’re more beautiful than I remember.”

“Sentinels often find their Guides immensely attractive—so you could have some magnification going on due to our past interactions.”

“Or you’re just really attractive,” Ian retorted, and Tony laughed.

“Let’s take care of these cuts,” Tony said and pulled a tube of antibiotic cream from the kit. “I don’t think you need any bandages or stitches.”

“No, I’m okay on that front. Just mostly scrapes,” Ian murmured and followed Tony toward the bed.

“Anything hurt?”

“I’m a little numb,” Ian confessed and focused on the container that Tony was holding. “How do you have access to that?”

“Probably the same way you seem to know what it is,” Tony said shrewdly as he considered the Tollan crème he was holding. It was just one of many products that were being tested for general consumption. It would eventually be a funding source for the Stargate Program. “I’ve done some investigations for a man in Colorado.”

“I’ve done some…hunts for a man in Colorado,” Ian admitted.

Tony smiled. “A man named Jack?”

“Yes,” Ian said, and his shoulders relaxed. “Good. It would be difficult to keep that kind of secret from a bonded Guide, right?”

“Certainly, I’ll have to sign a host of NDAs in relation to your work—for the FBI and otherwise. You will, as well. Sit, please.”

Ian sat down on the bed, and Tony joined him. “You’re still with NCIS?”

“Yes, but I’m ready for something new,” Tony said. “I’ve been considering a transfer into the FBI or Homeland for a while. I’ve got offers from both. We’ll get job offers as a pair if we bond. As your gifts as a Sentinel settle, you might find a shift in your work priorities.”

Ian stilled under his hands and caught his wrist as Tony started to open the tube of crème. “What do you mean by if we bond?”

“I never make assumptions,” Tony said. “I want it, of course. But I’m certainly not going to demand it. Plus, I have personal circumstances that you need to be made aware of before we bond.”

“I….” Ian took a deep breath and released Tony. “Tell me.”

“I’m a shaman,” Tony said quietly as he opened the tube and started to smear the crème on the scrape on Ian’s face. “And about two years ago, I took over as a psionic anchor for Appalachia. Despite the fact that I don’t live in his personal territory, I am a member of Alpha Sentinel Prime Patrick Sheppard’s pride. My duty to the psionic plane will impact you as you’ll have greater access to it. It may even intrude, in a way, on our bond in times of great strife.”

“Like natural disasters?”

“Yes,” Tony said. “Exactly like that. I am on call for situations in Colorado, and that friend I mentioned earlier, with the bigfoot theory, is in a situation that concerns many of us. I can’t say I won’t be asked to go where she is. We don’t have noise generators, so we shouldn’t discuss it explicitly.”

“I’ve been there,” Ian said roughly. “You mean Meredith, right?”

Tony nodded and smiled. “How did you meet her?”

“Had a hunt out that way,” Ian admitted. “And I was put on standby six months ago in response to a situation for her. The man in Colorado called me personally and asked me to stay available in case I needed to back her up on a situation with the man that became her Sentinel. A few months after that, I was called in to hunt and take out a specific target. I wouldn’t mind going again if that is an offer on the table in the future. The mission is compelling.”

“Perhaps periodically but not permanently, as I can’t leave my own territory for very long,” Tony said as he started to treat the small scratches on Ian’s arms. “Is the bear lingering nearby?”

“He’s about six miles to the east,” Ian said roughly. “Did some fishing, ate well, and is currently taking a nap. But he’ll certainly need treatment for the bullet wounds. He’s not bleeding heavily.”

“Have you seen your spirit animal?”

“A red-tailed hawk,” Ian said. “She was with me when you arrived. I listened to you get settled in the cabin as I made my way back here. It was nice to see her. It feels like a connection to my father’s ancestors, who were Cherokee.” He paused when Tony inclined his head. “It’s a special animal spirit for the Cherokee, a protector. Seeing her felt like approval, and I can’t really explain that. I’ve never been all that caught up in my own genetics. My mother was from the Philippines.”

“My mother’s family came from the UK,” Tony said. “And my father is fifth-generation Italian. DiNozzo isn’t an ancestral name, and it doesn’t seem to exist at all in Italy. My grandmother thought it must have been changed during the immigration process as the original might have been difficult to pronounce or spell. It happened a lot back then. I’ve never invested myself in finding out and don’t really care at this point. In fact, I’d be open to taking your name.”

“I’d like that,” Ian admitted. “A lot, and I know that probably sounds primitive and old-fashioned.”

Tony shrugged. “I don’t mind either of those circumstances, at least in this context.” He put the crème away and went for the phone. “Let me report the bear’s location so someone can get him help.”

Ian’s gaze was intent on him as Tony texted the information to Hawkins so that arrangements could be made. He put aside the phone when he got a positive response regarding the situation. An injured bear was a hazardous situation in more than one way and needed to be addressed.

“What’s your spirit animal?”

“Black jaguar,” Tony said and inclined his head where Keaton appeared on the floor in front of the balcony doors. His spirit animal stretched and sprawled on the floor. “His name is Keaton.”

Ian stared for a moment, clearly startled. “I….”

“What?”

“I’ve seen him before,” Ian admitted with flushed cheeks. “Multiple times.” He wet his lips. “Did you ask him to keep an eye on me, Tony?”

“No,” Tony said in amusement. “Keaton does what he wants. Why?”

“A few months ago, I was on a hunt in Washington state, and a poacher took a potshot at me. Since I don’t tolerate that shit, and I knew it wasn’t an accident, I focused on him. It turned out easier to catch up with him than I expected because he’d been treed by what he said was a large black cat. He was petrified and so freaked out that he confessed to taking a shot at me because he figured no one would miss an illegal living rough.”

“Asshole.”

“Yeah, imagine his surprise when he realized he’d tried to kill an FBI agent and latent Sentinel. So, he went poaching, decided to kill a human, and ended up with two federal charges and a thirty-year jail term.” Ian focused on Keaton again. “The guy tried to fight me once I got him out of the tree, and Keaton appeared and hissed at him.” He shook his head. “He pissed himself.”

Tony laughed despite the seriousness of the conversation. “Can’t say I blame him.”

“No, because that’s when he realized how much trouble he was in. He asked me if I was a Sentinel or a Guide, so I told him, and he said nothing else the entire walk out. I guess he’d realized he’d ruined his own life by giving into a homicidal urge he’d probably had for decades. During the plea process, he confessed that the only reason he missed was because the big cat knocked him off his feet.”

Keaton chuffed a little, rolled over on his back, and stretched lazily.

“He’s really proud of himself,” Tony said wryly, and Ian laughed.

“Come here, please,” Ian said.

Tony pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor as he walked across the room. He stopped in front of his Sentinel and took a deep breath as Ian cupped his hips and then pressed his face against Tony’s stomach. He carefully cupped the back of Ian’s head and kept his breathing even as the moment settled between them. The air was heavy with anticipation and acceptance.

Ian dragged his hands downward then, pulling Tony’s pants down with a shuddery breath. “Let me.”

Tony used his feet to push the material away when Ian dropped the pants and slid astride his Sentinel’s thighs. Ian’s fingers dug against his skin with bruising strength as Tony settled on his thighs. “Of course.”

Ian inhaled deeply against Tony’s neck, and Tony shuddered with teeth grazed over his skin. The sensation was a little sharp but not painful. Part of him thought he should be afraid, as it wasn’t every day that he allowed a genuine predator to get so close to his throat. He pressed closer, wrapped one arm around Ian’s shoulders, and trembled with emotion.

“You smell perfect,” Ian murmured, and his hands gentled as they trailed carefully down Tony’s thighs. “Your skin is like silk.”

“I had my body hair removed over a decade ago,” Tony murmured.

“The Foundation offered that process to me repeatedly over the years. I finally gave in last year and did it just so they’d stop talking about it and looking at me like I was an idiot when I’d say no.”

Tony laughed and let his head fall back as Ian cupped his ass. “It’s…laser hair removal is pretty harsh even now, so it’s best to do it before you come online. Since we’ve been linked for a while in their system, they’ve been keeping an eye on your evaluations.”

“I asked them if I could force myself online,” Ian confessed hoarsely. “I got a lecture about the natural order and the reasons behind the reserve population.”

“I’m sorry for that,” Tony murmured. “But I wouldn’t have wanted you to try any of that shit, Ian. It’s dangerous to try to force the psionic plane to give you more than it wishes to give.” He turned his face and pressed his lips against Ian’s temple. “We’re here now.”

“I’ve never been with a man before,” Ian murmured. “I tried after we met, so I could at least be prepared for the possibility.”

“And?” Tony questioned.

“You’re the only man I’ve ever been remotely attracted to,” Ian said. “Which should’ve made me realize our potential at the start. It might have made that conversation easier.”

“Well, rejections are never easy,” Tony admitted and sat back a little so he could see Ian’s face. “But it’s fine, and I never had a problem with your boundaries. And you needn’t set aside all of them now. Our relationship can be platonic if the idea of sex with me makes you uncomfortable.”

“The only thing uncomfortable right now is how hard I am,” Ian muttered, and Tony grinned. “I haven’t…it’s been about a year since I’ve had a partner.”

“Why?” Tony questioned. “Be honest.”

“It got hard to let people that close to me,” Ian admitted, and he cleared his throat as he looked down at his own hands where they rested on Tony’s thighs. “You’re pretty all over. It’s crazy.”

Tony grinned. “Are you complaining?”

“No.” Ian exhaled slowly and rubbed his fingers against Tony’s thighs again. “Can I touch you?”

“Yes.”

“No conditions?” Ian questioned.

“Do you need them?” Tony watched shock and confusion war on his Sentinel’s face. “Because if you need boundaries from me to be comfortable, then I will be explicit regarding your access to my body now and in the future.”

Ian’s cheeks darkened, and he laughed a little. “None of that should be hot.” He cleared his throat. “I just don’t want to get it wrong.”

“As long as you talk to me, then we’ll be fine,” Tony murmured. “And you can touch me everywhere. You can taste me.” Tony groaned as Ian’s hands tightened on his thighs. “You can fuck me.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t,” Tony assured. “I actually adore being fucked. I’d take it up as a hobby if I had the time.”

Ian took a deep breath. “Okay. You’ll have to teach me.”

“I can do that,” Tony assured and slid off his Sentinel’s lap.

Ian watched him move around the bed. “What…oh.”

Tony unzipped the bag he’d left on the nightstand. “I have Sentinel-safe condoms and lube. I’m not opposed to you fucking me raw after STD testing for both of us. I don’t think I have anything to worry about, but I want to be sure.”

Ian wet his lips. “Sounds good. I shouldn’t have any issues either, but I don’t want to take any risks with your health.” He stood and walked around the bed to join Tony. His fingers drifted gently down his Guide’s chest. “Turning you away when we met was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”

“I know,” Tony said gently. “I felt how much it hurt you, Ian. I’m sorry for it because I understood why you did it. I know you’ve been carrying around a lot of guilt and regret for how that conversation went. You can let it go because I don’t resent you for it and never could.” He pulled the lovely quilt from the bed and put it on a chair. “No need to get something so nice dirty. It’s probably been in their family for a while.”

“It’s handsewn,” Ian said quietly. “The stitches aren’t even, but they’re consistent, so one person did all the work.”

Tony nodded and offered Ian his hand. “Sentinel.”

Ian stared for a moment, then carefully took Tony’s hand in his own and laced their fingers together. “Guide.”

Tony pulled Ian toward the bed, and his Sentinel followed eagerly. He relaxed on the mattress and spread his legs as Ian slipped on top of him. Tony pulled Ian down slowly, and his Sentinel’s mouth pressed against his for the first time. Quickly, Ian sought a deeper kiss and shuddered violently against him. Taste could be a tricky sense in newly online Sentinels, so Tony just rubbed gently against Ian’s back as the man processed the sense impression that instinct made him seek out.

“You’re delicious,” Ian murmured as he trailed his mouth along Tony’s jaw and buried his face against his neck. “And your smell is driving me crazy.”

“It’ll settle. Just let your senses get saturated. You’ll take as much as you need to imprint naturally.”

“Let’s….” Ian shifted and pulled Tony gently as he rolled onto his back to reverse their positions. “Put you in charge.”

“Yeah?” Tony questioned in amusement. “This is not something I’d have thought you’d prefer.” He sat up and braced himself on Ian’s chest.

“I’m flexible,” Ian retorted and cupped Tony’s hips with firm hands. “I love to look at you. It was hard before to stay away from you. I could never do it now.”

Tony stayed where he was as Ian stared, and the other man’s hands started to drift gently over his skin. He sucked in a breath as his Sentinel finally wrapped a hand around his cock. He was so hard it hurt a little, but he was also determined not to rush anything about what was happening between them.

Ian rubbed his thumb over the head of Tony’s cock curiously. There was something oddly thrilling and a little primitive about how pleased he was to be the first and only man Ian Edgerton would ever touch with sexual desire.

“Do you always get so wet like this?”

“Yes,” Tony admitted.

“I like it,” Ian confessed with flushed cheeks. “How does the bonding part work?”

“It’s a mental and empathic connection maintained by the psionic plane,” Tony murmured. “I’ll create it and invite you into my space. We’re so compatible that it will settle between us easily and quickly.”

“And the sex?”

“Just taking the edge off,” Tony said in amusement. “We can wait if you want.”

“I want inside of you,” Ian said quietly. “And I’m looking forward to being comfortable enough with all of this to bend you over and fuck your brains out.”

Tony groaned and shifted slightly, rubbing his balls over Ian’s cock. “Yeah.” He reached out for the lube.

Ian sat up and sought a kiss even as Tony opened the lube and slicked up his fingers. Tony groaned softly into Ian’s mouth as the man cupped his ass and spread him open. “Fuck.”

“Get your hole ready for me.”

It was a mixture of an order and a plea, which was hotter than Tony had ever expected it to be. He pushed his fingers against his asshole, worked them in carefully, and wrapped one arm around Ian’s shoulders for support as he did so. Ian held him tightly as he took in one ragged breath after another. Tony let his head fall back as Ian nuzzled his neck and sucked gently at the skin over his pulse point.

Tony pulled his fingers free with a shiver. “Put on the condom.”

Ian snagged it from the mattress, opened it, and rolled it on with steady hands. Tony grabbed the lube and slicked up the condom, and Ian went rigid underneath him.

“You okay?”

“That was…too good,” Ian admitted hoarsely.

“Okay,” Tony murmured and closed the lube, then tossed it aside. “Your touch sense is going to be a little prone to hyper responses. If you aren’t careful, it could cause zoning. Fortunately, sex will bring so many of your senses into focus that it won’t be an issue. Just focus on me, and everything will be fine.” His hands started to glow with psionic energy as he braced himself. “I’ll keep you safe.”

Ian positioned his cock with a nod, and his eyes fluttered shut just briefly before he focused on Tony. He sank down on his Sentinel’s cock with a soft moan he couldn’t contain. It had been ages since he’d gotten laid, and the lack of sexual contact made everything more difficult empathically. Not all Guides found comfort in sex, but he did, and he had no shame for it.

“You feel amazing,” Ian murmured as he touched Tony with trembling hands.

Tony caught one of his hands and pressed it against his own heart. “Focus on my heartbeat if everything else gets overwhelming. Now, and for the rest of your life, the sound of my heart will ground and comfort you no matter our circumstances.”

Ian’s hand clenched on his chest, fingers pressing against his skin in a way that felt desperate. Tony understood it, so he just started to move. The gentle rocking of their bodies together stood in stark comparison to the urgent and intense emotions gathering around him. The pleasure built between them slowly, and Tony was so intent on his Sentinel that his own orgasm took him by surprise.

Ian groaned and shuddered as he came shortly after Tony, his eyes wide with shock. “Fuck.” His hands clamped down on Tony’s hips as he sat up and sought a kiss. “I normally have much better stamina.”

Tony grinned into a kiss. “Well, it was a new experience, and I poured my own pleasure all over you. So, you get a pass.”

Ian huffed a little but relaxed and sought another kiss. “You were right.”

“What?”

“Coming took the edge off,” Ian murmured. “Everything feels more manageable.”

“It’s just a little reset,” Tony responded.

“You made a mess of me.” Ian nuzzled Tony’s neck gently, lips brushing over his skin as he sought the smallest of tastes.

“You like it,” Tony said and grinned when Ian hummed under his breath. “It was the smell of my come that took you right over the edge, right?”

“Right,” Ian admitted with flushed cheeks. “Don’t get smug.”

“It’s my default setting.” Tony shrugged. “You ready for more?”

“Give me about ten minutes.”

Tony laughed. “Well, yeah, more sex is always on the table, but I meant, are you ready for me?” He touched Ian’s cheek with careful fingers, and psionic energy sparked between them.

“Oh.” Ian took a deep breath, then nodded. “What do I do?”

“Just accept me—for all that I am,” Tony said quietly. “It’s a lot to ask of anyone considering my circumstances.”

“It’s not a sacrifice, Tony,” Ian said quietly. “Having you like this is all I’ve wanted since I set eyes on you. Despite everything that happened, coming online was the most relieving moment of my life. Even as I stood there, trying to figure out how I was going to survive going head-to-head with a grizzly, you were all I wanted. Once the bear ran, I started for civilization. I left everything—even my rifle—behind in favor of finding you. I didn’t even make an effort to protect my target’s body from further damage.”

Tony took a deep breath as Ian’s hands trailed up his sides. “Your instincts as a Sentinel will, at times, take precedence over your duty to any job. There are policies in place in almost any job you’d do that allow for it.” He cupped Ian’s head. “And that includes your desire to shelter and protect your Guide.”

“It was such a relief to find you here,” Ian admitted. “When I realized someone was in the cabin, I assumed it was going to be another agent in my unit here to figure out why I’d missed my check-in. I was relieved because it meant I was going to have a fast way out of here so I could find you. But then, you were here.” He wet his lips. “How aware of me have you been since we met?”

“As I said, if you were in danger, the psionic plane would focus on you,” Tony explained. “And I would feel it. It’s clear that the plane was waiting for an opportunity to embrace you.”

“I wish I could’ve just invited it,” Ian said. “Because I was willing from the moment I set eyes on you.” He kissed Tony’s mouth carefully and took a deep breath. “And yes, I’m ready for you. I never, ever want to have another day without you, Tony.”

Tony let his forehead rest against Ian’s as he reached out for his Sentinel psionically. A brief stab of pain drifted between them, and Ian sucked in a deep breath as the sensation fluttered away. Tony recognized the pain, and it was relieving to let go of that past rejection so it wouldn’t exist between them going forward.

The empathic connection bloomed between them, and a bond wrapped around them so eagerly that Tony shuddered against the weight of it. Ian groaned and pressed a soft kiss to Tony’s mouth as the rest of the world just drifted away from them.

Ian rolled them over and pulled from Tony’s body. “Stay right there.”

“Yeah,” Tony agreed and closed his eyes as he processed the bond.

He’d been educated as a Guide more than a decade before when he’d walked the path of the shaman. Part of him had assumed that his bond with a Sentinel would be lesser than his duty to the plane and as an anchor of the region he’d claimed as his own. And yet, the bond was rich and full in his mind. The bed shifted, and Tony opened his eyes as Ian rolled on another condom.

Tony gratefully accepted the weight of his Sentinel and shuddered as Ian pushed carefully into his body.

“Let me know if I get something wrong,” Ian murmured against his mouth. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Tony groaned softly as Ian started to move. “Yeah, just like that.”

“Will it always be like this?” Ian questioned against his cheek.

“Like what?” Tony asked as he cupped the back of his Sentinel’s head.

“Easy, perfect,” Ian whispered and groaned softly as he continued to thrust carefully. “God, you feel amazing. Sex has never been this good before.”

“That’s your senses,” Tony said. “And the bond. And this part is always going to be amazing.”

“And the other parts?”

“Even when things get hard and mean—we’ll have each other,” Tony said. “And that’s more than enough.”

Ian tucked his face against Tony’s neck and relaxed into their connection. Tony held on tightly as he’d waited far too many years for his Sentinel to do anything else.

The End