Fated mates weren’t supposed to happen, especially not at the Soul Management Bureau.

 PHINEAS

 I believe in rules.

Rules keep the universe running smoothly. Rules keep paperwork properly filed. Rules keep assistants like me alive when we work for the god of death.

I’ve only ever broken one: falling in love with Ossy Reaper, my co-worker.

When the reapers defect and disappear overnight, I do what I’ve always done. I stay at my desk, finish my reports, and trust the system to correct itself. What I don’t do is draw attention to myself.

Donnie Death notices me anyway. Suddenly I’m being watched, questioned, and quietly repositioned so that I stay hidden from the reapers.

OSSY

I don’t do rules.

I show up late, lose my cloak, and pretend I don’t care when I absolutely do. Phineas McPherson was supposed to be casual. Sex, laughter, zero strings.

Then the defection happens, and the bond slams into me all at once.

He’s my fated mate. Death hid it from me for years. And now Death has him.

Going back into Bureau headquarters is suicide, but I’ll do it anyway. I lie to gods, dodge demons, and make deals I really shouldn’t. All to get Phineas back into my arms, all before Death realizes I’m even in the building.

Spoiler alert: he realizes.